THE DUKE'S HUNT. 17 



It was published by W. Ouley, who printed this class of 

 literature, once so popular, and eventually evolving into the 

 broadside, from 1650 to 1702, between which periods the 

 Duke and his hunting expeditions, particularly those of the 

 fox, would be causing not a little interest, because of the 

 man, and because of the character of the quarry. The 

 doggerel runs : — 



Mr. Tybals cries, " Away, 



Hark away ! hark away ! " 

 With that our foot huntsman did hear him ; 



Tom Mossman cries, " Codsounds, 



Uncouple all your hounds, 

 Or else we shall never come near him." 



If this rhyme is correct in technique, it would seem that 

 at any rate at one era of his mastership hounds were held 

 in leash, only one or two couples being released at the 

 outset, and on their giving tongue or the quarry being viewed, 

 the rest of the pack were slipped. Though this may have 

 been the method in force at the outset of the Duke's sporting 

 career, and though these methods were resorted to even 

 after his death, still I fancy he altered his mode of finding 

 and hunting the fox after a season or two. Possibly in 

 some parts of the country they did hunt on foot, carrying 

 long poles, as did the Roxby (eventually the Cleveland) 

 on the hills years afterwards. There have been many 

 chapters in the history of the evolution of the chase since 

 this, the first, and His Grace was answerable for more than 

 one of them. This change of method has already been 

 referred to, but I venture to return to the subject. 



A writer in the " Field " some time ago said : — 



" Before fox-hunting had developed into its present position of im- 

 portance, in the days when our sporting ancestors were devoted only 

 to the chase of hare and stag, the fox was relegated to a very different 

 position from that eminence which he now occupies. Up to the reign 

 of Charles II., and in some localities even later, the fox, in fact, was 

 looked upon as mere vermin, not to be named in the same breath with 

 the hare, the deer, or even the marten. In those days the fox was 

 chiefly run to ground with terriers and beagles, the sportsmen following 

 on foot, and thereafter dug out and slain with ignominy." 



B 



