The Men. 6i 



who constituted Mr. Chute's field when I first hunted. 

 I say nothing of the various alterations which were 

 continually taking place afterwards. The habitual 

 red-coats are soon enumerated. First I must place 

 the two Mr. Portals : for they and Sir Peter Pole's 

 family, having large landed property, and being very 

 friendly to hunting in general, and to Mr. Chute in 

 particular, were his most influential supporters. In- 

 deed I have been told that at a time when Mr. Chute's 

 income was known to be scarcely equal to his ex- 

 penses, they, and a few other friends, wished to sub- 

 scribe towards the maintenance of an establishment 

 from which they obtained so much amusement, but 

 the friendly offer was declined. And of the two 

 brothers I must place 



1st. The younger, Mr. John Portal, of Freefolk 

 House, for he was by far the most regular attendant 

 of the two, and knew and cared the most about 

 hunting. He was himself, at different times, master 

 of excellent packs of harriers. He, on his beautiful 

 thorough-bred bay horse Sultan,* could go any pace, 

 and last any time, and had a singular power of keep- 

 ing close to hounds without taking many fences. He 

 seldom came into the vale, from which his residence 

 was distant. 



2nd. The elder brother, Mr. William Portal, of La- 

 verstoke House ; sitting very erect on his horse, and 



* Sultan was once sold for a very high price to a gentleman 

 near Windsor, but proved useless to him, because, though he 

 possessed eminently the speedy and lasting qualities of a racer, 

 together with the hunter's power of going through heavy ground, 

 yet he was deficient in one accomplishment which is generally 

 thought essential to a hunter : he could not be made to fence. I 

 believe that he eventually returned to the Freefolk stables. 



