LETTER III. 



THE ORIGIN OF THE VINE HUNT. 



NOW propose to trace out the origin of 

 Mr. Chute's foxhounds, and the boundaries 

 of the countries which he hunted at different 

 times; and also to ascertain who was his 

 immediate predecessor in each portion of them. No 

 .other parts of my letters are likely to give me half the 

 trouble which this has done. I doubt whether Mr. 

 Chute ever hunted up to a fox on the coldest scent 

 more laboriously than I have worked, in searching in 

 various quarters for facts almost buried in oblivion, 

 and in guarding myself from asserting anything that 

 did not rest on good authority. However, by the aid 

 of some kind friends, I think I have been enabled to 

 establish all the three points that I have mentioned. 



The hounds first kept by Mr. Chute were large 

 harriers ; though it is probable that both he and they, 

 according to the irregular habits of those days, were 

 quite willing to go after a fox whenever they might 

 chance to come across one. He seems to have changed 

 the character of his pack gradually, procuring draft 

 foxhounds, and retaining some of his harriers to run 

 with them ; but never, so far as I can learn, breeding 



