THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



with these hounds on the Northamptonshire side of the country, 

 over which, being the strongest almost in England, he was 

 much given to shine. To prepare him for Billesden Coplow, 

 too, the quickness of Shaw in his saddle, when hounds ran 

 hard, was by no means disadvantageous to our young sports- 

 man as an example. 



And what did Frank Raby think of the hounds ? His senti- 

 ments on this subject shall be exhibited in the following 

 letter to his friend Hargrave, who was at that time hunting 

 in Essex : — 



' Bicester, November 30th, 1810. 



'Dear Hargrave, — 



' I have spent the month of November at this place, hunting 

 with Sir Thomas Mostyn's hounds, and occasionally with those 

 of the Dukes of Beaufort and Grafton, when they meet within 

 reach. I like the country much ; it looks like a fox-hunting 

 country, especially in the neighbourhood of the See Woods, 

 and the Quarters, where the foxes are capital, and generally 

 show runs. The Northamptonshire side of it is suj^erb, but 

 infernally strong as to fences, with the river Charwell passing 

 through it. I saw a splendid run over it last Friday, from 

 Bobbington Hill to Abdy Wood, in the Pytchley country, 

 fifteen miles as the crow flies, and with only one check. Very 

 few saw the finish, but I was one of the few, on the General, 

 who went well to the end, and only gave me one fall. When 

 you come here you must bring horses of power as well as 

 blood, on account of the depth of the country in many parts ; 

 and also good water jumpers, as there are many brooks. It is 

 not uncommon to meet with half a dozen in a day ; and to 

 convince you of the truth of what I say, I counted seven bridges 

 on the road from Gallows Bridge to Bicester, a distance of only 

 eight miles. 



' I like the people also. Mostyn is a perfect gentleman, 

 both in appearance and manners. The Lloyds are good 

 sportsmen ; " Grifi"," as he is called (his Christian name is 

 Griffith, a Welsh but not a high-sounding prenomen), especially, 

 who is said to have the quickest eye to a heavy vixen, in 

 the spring of the year, of any man going, and capital in a 

 wood. He takes rather an active part in the field, as well as 

 in the kennel, not much to the delight of Shaw, as I am told, 



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