Ubc mvnms of Mvnnstav^ ses 



Bulkeley, and her horses and habits were the envy of all 

 the ladies in the field. The Empress's visit was com- 

 memorated in the following verses : — 



WITH THE WYNNSTAY. 



A welcome to the Kaiserinn, who rides so straight and well, 



No other lady in the Hunt from her may bear the bell. 



From Austria's old imperial halls she comes to English land, 



And not a rider in the field has lighter bridle hand, 



So gallantly she races on through all the livelong day ; 



And who would shirk the fences when an Empress leads the way ? 



The meet was fixed for Cloverly — the hounds were Watkin Wynn's, 



An old dog-fox was quickly found, and ' Yoicks ' ! away he spins, 



Past Ightfield on to Hall, he ran for Wilkesley like the wind ; 



But there upon the course at Ash the hounds were close behind. 



Heads up they ran, before them fled the fleet fox for his life ; 



In sooth it was a ' crowded hour' of not inglorious stiife. 



So fared we with the Wynnstay Hunt, and ever in the van, 



Though Middleton and Bulkeley rode as English sportsmen can. 



Upon her grand old horse Hard Times, the Empress sailed away ; 



The dark blue habit shone for us an oriflamme that day. 



She topped the fence, she flew the brook — now sound the fox's knell, 



And doff the cap, and hand the brush the Empress wins so well. 



Sir Watkin himself, though his ill health had for some 

 time previously kept him from hunting, was there to do 

 the honours to his Imperial guest. But he was no 

 longer the Sir Watkin of yore. Already his figure had 

 begun to shrink, and the exertion of being in the saddle 

 at all was evidently painful to him. His appearances in 

 the hunting-field after this were but fitful and few, and 

 for the last six or seven years of his life he was so seldom 

 out with his own hounds that he had but little personal 

 amusement to repay him for all his magnificent expen- 

 diture. 



In 1883 Charles Payne retired on a handsome 

 pension. So highly were his qualifications as a hunts- 

 man recognised that on his retirement he was publicly 



