CHAPTER III. 



THE DUKE'S HUNT. 



'Twas on a bright and shining morn 



I heard the merry hunting horn, 



At earliest hour of the morning 



There rode the Duke of Buckingham, 



And many a squire and yeoman came, 



Dull care and phantom shadows scorning. 



There was Dido and Spendigo, 



Gentry, too, and Hero, 



And Traveller, that never looks behind him ; 



Countess and Towler, 



Bonny Lass and Jowler, 



Were some of the hounds that did find him. 



— " The Duke's Hunt." 



Once settled down at Helmsley Castle, partly perforce and 

 partly by desire, we can quite imagine that His Grace of 

 Buckingham would very quickly cast about him for some 

 means of recreation to take the place of the gaieties and 

 continuous change of life of the flippant Court he had left 

 behind him for ever. It was usual, not so much at this 

 period perhaps as a decade or two later, for all landed 

 gentlemen to have their packs of harriers and stag hounds 

 and otter hounds, according to the game which was to be 

 found on their estates or in their locality, and to have 

 hunting excursions with them when the occasion or the 

 opportunity presented itself. Royalty themselves set the 

 example in this respect. James I. kept harriers as well as 

 stag hounds, and amongst the expenses of his establishment 

 we find : — 



To Sir Patrick Howme, Master of the Privy Harriers, 

 for his fee £120 per annum, and for keeping 

 one footman, four horses, and twenty couple 



of dogs, £100 per annum £220 



To Bichard Gwynne, Groom of the Harriers to the 

 Prince, 13d. per diem, and twenty shillings per 



annum for his livery £20 15 



To John Waters, Yeoman of the Harriers to the 



King, twelve pence per diem £18 5 



