156 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



out of several. In the Illustrated London News of 

 the 26th of November, 1853, his hunting career was 

 described and his portrait was pubHshed. A short, 

 though incomplete biography appeared in regard to 

 him in The Gentleman's Magazine in 1854. Mr. 

 Apperley ("Nimrod") writes of him in Chapter VIII. 

 of his Hunting Reminiscences as a typical M.F.H. 

 He is portrayed in " The Royal Hunt " and in " The 

 Badminton Hunt" amongst the portraits of the 

 prominent fox-hunters of the period. Any further 

 epitaph from my pen would be superfluous. I can 

 only quote an old distich: — 



" He who excels in what we prize 

 Appears a hero in our eyes." 



There is no doubt that in the field the Duke was 

 a bold horseman, and the pattern of an M.F.H. 

 Doubts have been expressed about his knowledge of 

 kennel lore ; but I do not think that they have any 

 foundation in fact. He prided himself upon being 

 a scientific breeder of hounds, and was ably assisted 

 in his experiments by his huntsman, Philip Payne. 

 In his early days he considered that hounds should 

 be big. I.e. he bred for size and weight, as Mr. Hugo 

 Meynell did ; but in later life he sacrificed size for 

 pace. But I am sure that at all times he bred his 

 hounds for the country over which they were in- 

 tended to hunt — 



" Thus are my eyes still captive to one sight ; 

 Thus all my thoughts are slaves to one thought still." 



