NIMRO&S NORTHERN TOUR. 195 



finding the expenses too great If so, I can only say, I shall be 

 happy to put my name down for ^300 per annum, towards in- 

 ducing you to remain with us." It was from prudential motives 

 that his Lordship withdrew from Berkshire ; and, to use his own 

 words, " the rack and manger work at Wadley House was some- 

 thing awful," which, indeed, may be imagined from the fact of 

 the butcher's bill alone being ^90 per month ! I wish, however, 

 I could say this was the most painful reminiscence of his Lord- 

 ship's hunting the Vale of White Horse, as the butcher and his 

 bill would be dismissed with a smile. I am sorry to add that, in 

 one of the numerous falls he had in his determination to be 

 "with 'em," over that strongly-fenced country, he received a 

 wound in his side, from a post that he alighted upon, which is 

 not healed to this day, and is the cause of occasional severe suf- 

 fering ; but which his Lordship, with that pluck that is peculiar 

 to him, will not admit of stopping him in his work jocosely 

 calling it only a " running thrush." Like the knight-errants of 

 old, who would not complain of their wounds, though their very 

 bones were dropping through them, he suffers not such matters 

 as this to keep him away from his hounds, as I can here also 

 bring proof. During my visit to Dunse, I received a letter from 

 him in which was the following notable passage : " I had a bad 

 fall on Tuesday (i ith Nov.) and hurt my chest and ribs, but 

 forty ounces of blood and a ball (i.e., physic) have reduced the 

 inflammatory symptoms, and, Deo volente, I hope to be with 'em 

 again on Monday !" This reminds me of Jack Stevens and his 

 broken blood-vessel, when he whipped-in to the Quorn ; and 

 shows how difficult it is to check the predominant passion of 

 man. 



It has been so often said, as to be generally believed, that the 

 true characters of men may be found in their letters. All those 

 I have seen from Lord Kintore, not only to myself but to others, 

 exhibit independently of general benevolence, or particular 

 esteem a zeal and passion for fox-hunting that I cannot think 

 is equalled by any human being. His description of a good day's 

 S p 0r t (I wish I dared transcribe one, in a letter to Mr. Dalyell, 

 whilst I was at his house, commencing with the words, " Hark, 

 holloa," or one to myself, describing a run with a second fox, in 

 which a lot of young hounds had been at the head) conveys the 

 justest idea of an overflow of soul that ever came under my ob- 

 servation, and assures me that the writer, in the reality of what 

 he is describing, has himself experienced the very elixir of de- 

 light. But this is the peculiar, the distinguishing, characteristic of 

 fox-hunting ; other pastimes please, this alone delights unless 

 we include music. 



