1 16 Hark Away. 



and rode gallantly to hounds), Viscount Hardinge, 

 Mr. Field, Mr. Dickinson, Mr. Fitch Kemp, the trea- 

 surer of the West Kent Hunt ; Mr. Edward Durrant, 

 Mr. Cramp, Miss Russell, Mrs. Tuck, Mr. Bates, on 

 the well-known old " Doctor," etc. 



The hounds next crossed the park, in order to 

 draw some extensive covers, and as they were 

 likely to be engaged for some time in their endea- 

 vours to drive another fox from the thick wood- 

 lands, I returned to the castle to luncheon, and had 

 a further opportunity of looking at the innumerable 

 objects of interest. 



A large party was assembled, and a hearty wel- 

 come accorded to the numerous visitors by the noble 

 host and hostess. After a short halt I remounted, 

 and accompanied Lord Abergavenny through the 

 park, stopping to observe the stations by the side of 

 the mere, from which no fewer than eighty couples 

 of wild ducks were 'brought down by the Ministerial 

 party assembled at the castle a short while since. 



Through a herd of fallow deer, stopping to ob- 

 serve two noble stags and sundry hinds, the kennels 

 are reached, and a splendid lot of deerhounds are 

 let out. A noble animal is the deerhound, and these 

 were exceedingly fine specimens. Hunting the deer 

 in Eridge Park is a sport worthy of the descendants 

 of a renowned and historic family, and, as I rode 

 through the beautiful glades, some lines from Shake- 

 speare's Henry VI. flashed across my mind : '' Under 

 this thick-grown brake we'll shroud ourselves; for 

 through this launde anon the deer will come, and in 

 this covert will we make our stand, culling the prin- 

 cipal of all the deer." 



