332 HISTOKY OF THE ROYAL BUCKHOUNDS AND ASCOT EACES. 



St. James's in a hir'd coach, their horses being all tir'd with 



the chase " ; and on Saturday, October 24, " H.R.H. the Duke 



took the diversion of hunting in Windsor Forest ; but the 



company was a little retarded in the sport by one of his 



Highness's horses accidentally dropping down dead on the 



road near Hounslow." It does not appear that the Prince of 



Wales was out with the Royal Buckhounds during this season. 



However, His Royal Highness hunted for some time in the New 



Forest, and devoted a considerable portion of his spare time to 



cricket and yachting. According to the official certificate of 



the Master of the Buckhounds, it appears that, from Christmas 



1740 to Christmas 1741, 92 stags, 61 hinds, and 80 bucks had 



been killed and hunted " by His Majesty's and the Duke of 



Cumberland's hounds." * 



1742.— War. Hunting intelligence nil. In April the King 



formed an army in Flanders. Walpole's Government was 



overthrown, when he retired from office with a peerage and 



untold plunder, while his three sons held sinecures and places 



for their several lives amounting to nearly 20,000Z. a year. 



The Prince of Wales and his father were reconciled. The 



Duke of Cumberland embarked for Flanders. Somerville — 



that glorious laureate of the chase — died at the beginning of 



the hunting with the Royal Buckhounds, whose praises he so 



often sang in undying verse. We can find no records of the 



runs during this season ; nevertheless, it must have been a 



very good one, as, according to the official certificate of the 



* We hear nothing of Ascot races in this year. The Staghunters' Plate of 

 -to guineas for " real hunters, that have been in at the death of two brace of 

 deer with the King's hounds since the 1st of July last, carrying 10 stone, 

 bridle and saddle, etc.," was to have been run for on Hounslow Heath on 

 Tuesday October 4, but " by reason of the bad weather and the badness of 

 the course" it was subsequently decided to change the venue to Mosley 

 Hurst, in Surrey, when the race came off, and was won by the Duke of New- 

 castle's grey mare Surrey, she having beaten the Duke of Cumberland's horse 

 Whitefoot, the Hon. Peter Wentworth's black gelding Come-tickle-me-lightly, 

 and four others, belonging to Messrs. Jenison, Hammond, Jennings, and Eaby. 

 Notwithstanding the '• badness of the course " at Hounslow, races were held 

 there for some years after. This was contrary to the recent Act of Parliament ; 

 but it seems that Hounslow having been under martial law at this time, a civil 

 writ could not run there. 



