320 HISTORY OF THE EOYAL BUCKHOUNDS AND ASCOT EACES. 



As we have already recorded, the unrestrained liberty which 

 was so cheerfully accorded to every one to attend those happy 

 reunions with the Royal Pack in the New Park at Richmond, 

 was so grossly abused, chiefly by importunate Germans, that 

 it became absolutely necessary to restrict the loafers and beg- 

 ging impostors, who frequently interfered with the real followers 

 of the hounds. To stop these abuses the hunting tickets were 

 a happy thought, as no one was allowed to enter the Park 

 on these hunting mornings except those provided with one. 

 All bond-fide followers of the pack obtained the necessary 

 " permit " ; indeed, no instance of any refusal is recorded. The 

 young members of the Royal Family were " well entered " by 

 Her Majesty in the art and mysteries of the chase, and their 

 subsequent career in the hunting field proved how worthy 

 they were of such an able preceptor. In strictly political 

 matters holes can be picked in the Queen's conduct. She cer- 

 tainly governed by bribery. Her Ministers were corrupt and 

 venal ; they wanted their price, and got it. That was the 

 Queen's misfortune, not her fault. Unprincipled politicians 

 brought her name into unnecessary conflict with the people 

 over the Excise Act ; and although the Royal Family had 

 really nothing to do with the Great Gin Question of the day, 

 it was made a party cry to the prejudice of the Court. This, 

 like many other libels on the personality of the members of the 

 House of Hanover, must be ignored by the impartial and dis- 

 passionate analyst of their form in rural affairs. 



It is asserted by the editor of Lord Hervey's " Memoirs of 

 the Reign of George the Second," that Queen Caroline did not 

 love hunting. Without disputing this statement, it would 

 appear by the contemporary chronicles of the runs with the 

 Royal Buckhounds that Her Majesty evinced more than a 

 passing interest in the chase, and was solicitous that her 

 children should be courageous and prudent followers of the 

 pack. Possibly Lord Hervey may have found those Wednes- 

 days and Saturdays, " which were the King's days for hunting," 

 favourable opportunities of entertaining the Queen, " whilst 

 other people were entertaining themselves with hearing dogs 



