no CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



political friend once suggested to him that the culti- 

 vation of corn would cease owing to free trade. The 

 Squire replied, " So much the better, for I shall ride 

 over a grass country." The last hunting act of his 

 life was to review the 1858 entry, when he said to 

 Carter, his kennel huntsman, " Well, they seem as 

 beautiful as they can be." At his death he had 

 ninety couples of hounds in the kennel and thirty- 

 nine horses in the stable. 



Though he was a member of the Jockey Club, and 

 during one year had three horses in training, he 

 never took any active interest in flat racing ; nor did 

 he take pains to conceal his disgust with the 

 cJiicanerie of the turf On one occasion a bill for 

 £'^00 was handed round for discount in the Jockey 

 Club rooms, for which the highest offer was three 

 hundred pence, both drawer and acceptor being 

 known to be under a cloud. Smith looked at the 

 signatures, saw that they were those of two old 

 schoolfellows, immediately gave a cheque for the full 

 amount, and put the bill behind the fire. As a land- 

 lord he conscientiously fulfilled his duties, nor did he 

 neglect the business of his Welsh quarries. It was, 

 indeed, his summer delight to entertain large house 

 parties at Vaenol, and to explain to his guests the 

 working of the quarries, or to take them in his yacht 

 round the coast. Unfortunately, he died without 

 issue. 



Few men have done more towards making sport- 

 ing history than "Squire" George Osbaldeston. In 



