300 CENTURY OF ENGLISH FOX-HUNTING 



could have had her way, the garment would never 

 have been seen in the hunting-field. Fortunately, 

 Grundyism, or false modesty, has been at a discount 

 for many years. Even Lady Florence Dixie's pro- 

 posal that ladies should hunt in rational costume 

 was abandoned chiefly because it was demonstrated 

 that a lady riding like a man could have no grip 

 on a horse. When this had been demonstrated the 

 proposal was regarded as a crank and relegated to 

 oblivion. But it will be remembered that at the 

 time it had many advocates, who wished to assert 

 by outward and visible signs the independence of the 

 sex in the same way as certain lady cyclists are doing 

 at the present day. 



The pity is that there are also lady cyclists who 

 wish to assert their independence of fox-hunting 

 etiquette by attempting to follow hounds on their 

 machines. A meet may be considered as a public 

 spectacle, like a review of troops, but when hounds 

 move off to draw their first covert the spectacle 

 should be at an end so far as the cycling contingent 

 is concerned. Yet I have seen ladies trying to thread 

 their way down a narrow lane through a cavalcade of 

 excited horses at the risk of being kicked to death. 



