EPPING FOREST. 41 



cursing of men, the cracking of whips, and the blowing of 

 horns. 



' All this discordance, this discord, 

 Harmony not understood,' 



was at length amended by the skill of Tom Bounding, 

 who managed by some means or other to get a part of 

 his pack upon the scent or track of the right deer, and the 

 animal was, for the most part, ultimately driven to bay, 

 when, after a contest with the dogs, he was secured, and 

 taken back to the place from whence he came, not to 

 immediate but to ultimate execution, i. e., to another day's 

 sport at a subsequent anniversary. All this was followed, 

 and indeed accompanied, by eating, drinking, singing, 

 speechifying, and so forth ; and if no great encouragement 

 to stag-hunting in its more legitimate sense, it was the 

 means of amusement to hundreds of people, excited mirth 

 and merriment, enforced good-fellowship, and furnished 

 good exercise and diversion." 



A hunt with more dignity, perhaps, was held in connec- 

 tion with the opening of Epping Forest by our Queen, 

 when formally declared a people's park. 



An old tradition asserts that Henry VIII, was hunting 

 in Epping Forest at the time of the execution of his 

 second wife, Anne Boleyn. We give the tale as related 

 by Dr Nott in his Life of Surrey. ' On the fatal morning 

 Henry went to hunt in Epping Forest : and while he was 

 at breakfast his attendants observed that he was anxious 

 and thoughtful. But at length they heard the report of 

 a distant gun a preconcerted signal. 



" ' Ah ! it is done ! ' cried he, starting up ; ' the business 

 is done ! Uncouple the dogs, and let us follow the 

 sport.' " 



In the evening he returned gaily from the chase ; and 

 on the following morning he married Anne's maid of 

 honour, Jane Seymour. 



