2 2 Recollections of the Vine Hunt, 



Davis must know that his seat and figure present a 

 perfect model of a horseman, and all who have con- 

 versed with him will agree in thinking that his dig- 

 nified civility of manner, equally respectful and self- 

 respecting, is exactly adapted to his position, as the 

 head of the hunting servants of England. 



The Prince, before he left Kempshott, attempted 

 to make his staghounds hunt fox, of which I must 

 say more hereafter. I believe that this did not con- 

 tinue long; probably it was in the season of 1794-5. 

 The first attempt was made by turning down a bag- 

 fox at Southington Scrubs. On this occasion, a sports- 

 man in that country, a fussy man, who liked to make 

 himself of consequence, took upon himself to lecture 

 Sharpe, who, be it remembered, had been whipper-in 

 to a firstrate pack of foxhounds, as to how he should 

 proceed. * Now, Sharpe, you must take care to kill 

 him, whatever you do ; never mind about sport to- 

 day, your business is to give your hounds blood. If 

 I were you, / would not give him more than five 

 minutes law.' Sharpens brief answer was a complete 

 set-down. ' You make yourself easy, and keep quiet ; 

 I am not going to give him more than one!'^ 



In December, 1808 (or 1809), occurred a very ex- 

 traordinary run with some harriers, belonging to Mr. 

 Jervoise, of Heriard House; the same gentleman who, 



* Having written down these anecdotes from memory, fifty 

 years after I had heard them from my father, I had lately an 

 opportunity of asking Mr. Davis whether he thought them 

 correct. He told me that he had often heard Sharpe himself 

 tell the story of his retort in Southington Scrubbs, nearly in 

 the same words ; and that every thing else which I related about 

 Lord Stawell and Sharpe was quite consistent with what he 

 knew of his father-in-law's life. 



