MELTON MOWBEAT. 143 



F. Fowke, Captain Hume, Messrs. Markham, Hare, 

 Johnston, Cooper; Captain Goodchild, Dr. Powell, 

 Captain Grimston, Captain Stephen, Messrs. Knowles, 

 Pryor, Hanbury, Praed, and Beaumont ; Custance, as 

 cheerful as ever, extremely well mounted, and ready 

 to go the pace, in the very first flight, as usual. 

 Next I notice some of the inhabitants of Melton and 

 the vicinity, and sundry farmers, who, in spite of 

 their unfortunate seasons, are not to be balked of 

 their favourite pastime, bad times notwithstanding. 

 Amongst them I find the brothers S. and H. Black, 

 good men and true over the grass ; Messrs. Fox, 

 Matts, Carver (a stanch preserver of foxes), Simkin, 

 Alfred, Childs, Goodall, Saunders, Miles and brother, 

 &c. Then a celebrity, the jovial sporting butcher of 

 Melton, Mr. Morris, who, by no means ashamed of his 

 calling, rides in a light blue jacket, with a bunch of 

 choice Neapolitan violets in his button-hole, appearing 

 to be on the best terms with everyone, riding a playful 

 animal that I remember to have seen gamboling 

 merrily, but, being bought by this heavy-weight 

 eager sportsman, has met with its master at last. 



Time being up, we trotted away for Gartree Hill, 

 a noted covert and sure find. As we journeyed along, 

 I saw Mr. Pain riding a grand four-year-old bay horse, 

 which I learned belongs to Mr. Alfred Childs, and 

 seems likely to make a real hunter. The instant the 

 hounds were thrown into covert a fox broke away 

 without a minute's delay, and we had a pleasant little 

 scurry at a slapping pace, running him to ground in 

 a drain in Sandy Lane, near Mr. Copley's farm, the 

 run barely lasting a quarter of an hour. This, 

 however, served as a breather for the nags, fitting 



