328 HISTOKY OF THE KOYAL BUCKHOUNDS AND ASCOT EACES. 



loved, His Eoyal Highness now purchased " a set " of 

 Foxhounds, supplemented them with drafts from the then 

 famous Lincolnshire strain, hired the Durdans for a hunting- 

 box, and announced three meetings a week at Epsom Downs. 

 To checkmate this move the Premier appointed his eldest son, 

 Lord Kobert Walpole (whom he had previously created a peer), 

 to the office of Master of the Eoyal Harriers and Foxhounds, 

 with a salary of 2,000^. a year. Foxhunting had now become 

 the most popular pastime throughout the land. The famous 

 Charleton Club had recently celebrated its second jubilee — 

 the club having been the pioneer of this rising branch of the 

 chase. The Duke of Cumberland had been formally inducted 

 into its mysteries with the Duke of Newcastle's pack, two 

 years previously, in Sussex. And it was introduced, "according 

 to the English method of foxhunting," into France in 1737, by 

 the Earl of Berkeley, who " hunted that Kingdom from 

 Aubigny." His Lordship, therefore, had plenty of room to 

 follow his hounds. We have no room here to devote to the 

 subject, which we commend to the investigation of those who 

 may be interested in the rise and progress of fox-hunting. 



As may be inferred from the above account of the runs 

 recorded with the Buckhounds during this season, the current 

 of sport with the pack was frequently dammed by pressing 

 political and cognate affairs of State. Only one hind is men- 

 tioned as having been hunted, and only two meets assembled 

 at Hounslow Heath, when a stag was the quarry on both of 

 these occasions. Before the season began great preparations 

 were made in Windsor Forest, where the officers of the Board 

 of Works were erecting "a large room adjoining to Swinley 

 Lodge for his Majesty and the Royal Family to dine in on 

 Hunting-days." But, so far as we can ascertain, only one 

 meet was reported there in this season ; hence it is possible 

 this large room must have been better than the company. 

 The King did not visit Windsor during this year. 



It would, nevertheless, appear that this had been a brilliant 

 season. It transpires, by the official certificate of the Master 

 of the Buckhounds, that at least 87 stags and 85 hinds 



