292 NtMRO&S NORTHERN TOUR. 



in which I counted twenty-five hunters, besides several hacks. 

 I likewise saw the corn and meal lofts, so well stored indeed as 

 to induce me to ask Mr. Lambton whether he was not afraid of 

 having such a weight suspended over his horses 7 heads. The 

 stables had just been set fair, and the servants gone to their 

 dinners, so that I could not have seen them at a more favour- 

 able time ; and I must say their neat appearance, coupled with 

 the excellent condition and sound state of the stud, reflected the 

 highest credit on John Winter, the huntsman under whose 

 superintendence they have for so many years been placed. 



Merton House is a most complete residence for a sportsman ; 

 it has every possible convenience for horses and servants, all 

 within itself, as likewise for a family of moderate size, but all the 

 world know that the worthy occupier of it is a bachelor. The 

 pleasure-grounds, in front of it, are kept in the highest order, 

 and the numerous roads and walks through them, which are 

 daily raked, are covered with London gravel, brought to New- 

 castle as ballast. We passed the evening tete-a-tete, there 

 being at that time no other visitor rather an unusual occurrence, 

 I believe. 



Saturday, 23rd. The fixture this day was within an easy 

 reach, and Mr. Lambton and myself accompanied the hounds 

 on their way, which was to me no small gratification. The eye 

 of man loves to dwell on perfection, and when he finds it in 

 objects agreeable to his taste, the pleasure increases from that 

 circumstance. It would be useless, however, to say more on this 

 subject, than merely to state, what I think is very near the 

 truth namely, that whoever has seen Mr. Osbaldeston's hounds, 

 in their best days, can form a very correct idea of what Mr. 

 Lambton's are, and, without doubt, will continue to be, so long 

 as he is the owner of them. I am inclined, however, to think 

 that, were it possible to compare the two, the multum in parvo 

 maxim would be found most to prevail in Mr. Lambton's. It is 

 this, which, in highly-bred animals, possessing symmetry as well, 

 gives the stamp of perfection, and should be the aim of breeders 

 of hounds as well of larger animals. 



It is amongst the honours paid to fox-hunting, that none who 

 love, and understand it, ever appear to be satiated with it. 

 Thus, that season of the year, when, as Virgil sings, "nunc 

 frondent sytoce nunc formosissimus annus? and the perpetuity 

 of which, according to the poets, was numbered among the 

 felicities of the golden age, is, to the sportsman, one of melan- 

 choly rather than of rejoicing, and I have reason to believe, no 

 person rejoices less, that "the time of the singing-birds is come 

 and the voice of the turtle is heard," than the gentleman of whom 



