William yohit. Chute, Esq. 77 



could improve on the common practice, while he dis- 

 regarded the great principles by which success is to 

 be attained. Thus, he was devoted to hunting, but 

 he was neither a good rider,* nor, as I have before 

 intimated, a good sportsman. He was regardless of 

 some of the fundamental rules of foxhunting ; he 

 interfered too much, and often injudiciously with his 

 huntsman ; he had a kind of boyish eagerness for the 

 immediate pleasure of a scurry across the country, 

 without any consideration for the good of his hounds. 

 But, in spite of all this, his popularity with his field 

 was unbounded ; and I have heard it said, ^ After all, 

 one would rather have middling sport with Chute, 

 than better with any one else.* 



Perhaps it would not be fair to reckon success in 

 public life amongst the objects of his pursuit, and to 

 pass judgment on him for failing to attain distinction 

 in it ; for though he held for thirty years the high posi- 

 tion of representative of the undivided county of Hants, 

 yet he was brought into this situation by circumstances 

 without much desire on his part, and he never really 

 put forth his energies in that direction ; but it must 

 be confessed that, excepting his great popularity, he 

 manifested none of the qualities which would now be 

 thought requisite for such an office. He was not a 

 good man of business, and paid little attention to it. 



* Beckford would have admired Mr. Chute's style of riding ; 

 for he says, in his seventeenth letter, that ' the best way of riding^ 

 is to ' dismount at once when you come to a leap which you do 

 not like to take, for in looking about for easier places much time 

 is lost.' Mr. Chute was very decided in dismounting at once, 

 and was quick and active in the whole operation ; so that though 

 never well with hounds through a fast thing, he was seldom 

 actually thrown out. 



