32 THE BADMINTON HUNT. 



set, were soon mounted on their ponies. 

 About twelve o'clock the hounds proceeded 

 to draw the clumps in the park, and im- 

 mense as the assemblage had been in 

 former years, it was declared there had 

 never been any equal in numbers and dis- 

 tinction to this. Independent of the vast 

 line of carriages, the cavalcade of horse- 

 men was extraordinary, numbering, on the 

 authority of a practised hand, two thousand 

 two hundred. It was delightful to observe 

 the good order that prevailed. The most 

 emulous restrained their ambition for a 

 start, cautious not to annoy the noble 

 master who had provided such an enchant- 

 ing scene for their amusement. A field com- 

 posed of less than a tithe of the numbers 

 was never more considerate. Nearly all the 

 members of the hunt were present, easily 

 recognised by their well-known costume, 

 Blue and Buff. The Berkeley, the Vale 

 of White Horse, the Cots wold, the Berk- 



