24 ROYAL ROCK BEAGLE HUNT. 



]\ruch as the beaglers of the present day desire to revere and approve 

 of all their beloved old master's sayings and doings as a beagler, we must 

 admit, aUhough we cannot now be aware of all the circumstances, that his 

 usual tact was not displayed on this occasion. 



There can be no doubt that at the time, and even up to the present, 

 there was plenty of room in the country for both packs to hunt without 

 unduly interfering with one another ; but the signs are rapidly accumulating 

 thut tlie country will not long endure the two packs of hounds, and the 

 making of the new W'irral Railway through Burton, Neston, Heswall, 

 Prenton, Ujjton, and Bidston, along with the extensive use of wire in the 

 fences, will eventually make it not worth the while of the Wirral Harriers to 

 hunt the country. 



The following correspondence between the masters of the respective 

 packs is deeply interesting and instructive. While our master displayed his 

 well-known ability as a letter-writer, we cannot but regret that he did not 

 adopt a more conciliatory tone, and treat the matter with fuller resignation to 

 the inevitable. On the other hand, it is clear that the somewhat sarcastic 

 and patronizing tone of the harrier master's remarks was ill calculated to 

 conciliate an autocrat like King, who had grown to love his beagles, and to 

 regard them as his own peculiar, sacred property. If the contentions of the 

 harrier master were propounded anew at the present day, there would be 

 little cause for surprise if a similar storm of resentment were raised among 

 existing beaglers. \\c should certainly treat with well-merited scorn the pre- 

 tension that harrieis were superior to beagles, simply because they were 

 hunted on horseback ! 



Correspondence between JBeaoles an^ If^arriers. 



" Where you shall see 

 How hardly I was drawn into this war ; 

 How calm and gentle I proceeded still 

 In all my writings." 



Anitmy and Cleopatra, act v, scene i. 



Circular from V. A. King to the Members of the R.R.B. 



nth December, 1868. 



Dear Sir, — I take the liberty of sending to you copies of a correspondence 

 which has passed between Mr. Court and myself upon the subject of a Harrier 

 Club, who are now hunting upon the country which the Beagle Hunt have 

 possessed for the last twenty-five years, and which land, I think, in a sporting 

 sense, this club has not any right to hunt upon. 



My reason for circulating this correspondence is chiefly because I believe 

 great misapprehension prevails in the district regarding the Beagle Hunt, 

 which I am anxious, if possible, to remove. 



This Harrier Club made all their arrangements w^ithout even consulting 

 with, or informing the Beagle Hunt of what they proposed to do ; and it 



