LIFE OF MYTTON. 173 



The place of meeting was Shavington Hall, the 

 seat of that hearty old buck, that real specimen of 

 an Irish nobleman, Viscount Kilmorey, — who, 

 although but little of a fox-hunter himself, was a 

 great promoter of the sport, by his strict preservation 

 of foxes ; and who left an excellent name behind him 

 as one of " the right sort." The time fixed was 

 eleven o'clock, and at that hour a sight highly enjoy- 

 able to sportsmen presented itself, and indeed to all 

 descriptions of persons who witnessed it ; for as is 

 well known, there is nothing which adds more to 

 fine scenery, in which this park abounds, than a well- 

 attended pack of hounds at work in the covers. 



The modus operandi was this : — Six couples out 

 of each pack were selected for the trial, attended 

 in the field by their respective huntsmen — namely, 

 Will Head, afterwards with Lord Hastings, for the 

 Cheshire ; Will Staples, huntsman to Sir Edward 

 Smythe, Mr. Lloyd, of Aston, and Mr. Smythe 

 Owen, for the Shropshire ; and Charles Wells, once 

 huntsman to the Oakley, for Mr. Wicksted. Will 

 Head acted as leading man of the day, by reason of 

 this being in the country which his hounds claimed as 

 their own, as well as the Cheshire being the senior 

 pack. 



