134 FOX-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



The gallant, the ardent, of promise so fair, 



The Beresford brothers they bring ; 

 A word from my pen must give them their share 



Of the honours and glories I sing. 



Many good ones remain — Hodgson, Crompton, and Tower, 

 Fox, Ward, and the young one from Norton ; 



But to mention them all is not in my power, 

 So, surely, it cannot be thought on. 



And here's to the Squire of Thirsk, Jack Bell,i 

 Who supports both the chase and the turf, sir ; 



He will not, unless he likes it, go well, 



Tho' the hounds may run ever so fast, sir. 



Here's a bumper to Milbank, the source of our sport — 



A bumper to him and his hounds, sir ; 

 Brim-full it shall be of the finest old Port, 



Where health and good humour abound, sir. 



And may we all flourish till green our old age is. 

 Such fun and such sport to pursue, sir ; 



And your * lame ' humble poet to be hanged now engages 

 If his composition's not true, sir." 



By the Rev. John Monson, 

 Rector of Bedale, 1838. 



After Mark Milbank came the Hon. Ernest 

 Duncombe (now Earl of Feversham) for eleven 

 years ; then Mr. John Booth of Killerby for 

 another eleven years; but when he started the 

 country does not seem to have been in a pros- 

 perous state, as during his first season his pack 

 only killed eleven foxes and had fourteen blank 



^ Master of the Hambleton Hounds. 



