APPENDIX 213 



beast of chase (p. 161), as he is also in Twety and 

 Gyfford, and the " Boke of St. Albans." 



Although early records show that the English Kings 

 kept their foxhounds, we hear nothing of their having 

 participated in this sport, but they seem to have sent 

 their hounds and huntsmen about the country to kill 

 foxes, probably as much for the value of the pelt as for 

 relieving the inhabitants of a thievish neighbour. 



In Edward's I.'s Wardrobe Accounts, 1299-1300, ap- 

 pear some interesting items of payments made to the 

 huntsman for his wages and the keep of the hounds and 

 his one horse for carrying the nets. These allusions to 

 nets throw an interesting light on the fox-hunting of 

 those days. William de Blatherwyke, or, as he is also 

 called, IVilUam de Foxhunte^ and JVill'iam Fox-dog-keeper^ 

 had besides their wages an allowance made to them for 

 clothes and winter and summer shoes [see Appendix : 

 Hunt Officials). As only one horse was provided, and 

 that to carry the nets, the huntsman, we must presume, 

 had to hunt on foot, not such an arduous undertaking 

 when we remember that the country was so much more 

 thickly wooded than at present, and that every possible 

 precaution was taken to prevent Reynard's breaking 

 covert. 



We see by our text (p. 65) that it was usual to 

 course foxes with greyhounds, and although the passages 

 referring to this are translated from G. de F. we know 

 from manv old records that this fox-coursins; was as usual 

 in England at this time as in France. 



In the earlier days hounds used for the chase of the 

 fox one day, probably hunted hare, or even buck or stag, 

 on another — such as the harriers, which, if we can be- 

 lieve Dr. Caius, were entered to any animal from stag to 

 stoat [see Appendix : Harriers). The first real pack of 

 foxhounds is said to be the one established by Thomas 

 Fownes, Esq., of Stepleton, in Dorsetshire (1730). They 

 were purchased at an immense price by Mr. Bowes, of 

 Yorkshire. A very amusing description is given in 



