HUGO MEYNELL. 



Among the revered Fathers of Fox-hunting no name 

 stands higher than that of Hugo Meynell, the First 

 Master of the Quorn, whom his admiring friends 

 designated ' The King of Sportsmen,' and ' The Hunting 

 Jupiter.' That these flattering titles were no more than 

 his due, all who knew anything of Hugo Meynell are 

 agreed in admitting. But it is unfortunate that it 

 occurred to none of his admiring contemporaries to 

 preserve any characteristic details of a career so interest- 

 ing to sportsmen. The Meynell of tradition looms 

 dimly through the twilight of the past, a vague, shadowy 

 figure, of giant proportions indeed, but as indistinct in 

 outline as the figure of King Arthur, seen for the last 

 time by Guinevere through the gathering mirk and 

 mist ere he went down 



' To that great battle in the West.' 



But such scanty details of the life of this great master 

 of the science of hunting as I have been able to find 

 scattered among writers who have touched upon his 

 exploits, I have collected here, and have endeavoured to 

 piece out of them something like a record of his career. 



The Meynells are an ancient house, claiming descent 

 from the great Norman Baron, Hugo de Grente Mesnil. 

 The title-deeds to their Langley estates date from the 



