250 THE RED DEER OF EXMOOR. 



and the only thing worth mentioning is that he lays 

 stress on three of the points noticed by Gaston de 

 Foix : " so flewed," which is, so the glossaries tell 

 us, with long pendant lips ; " so sanded," which 

 refers to the tan or vellow-coloured markings, and 

 the description of the ears, which speaks for itself. 

 It is clear from the context that Theseus had no 

 intention of following the hounds himself, for, after 

 sending for the forester, he says : — 



We will, fair queen, up to the mountain's top, 

 And mark the musical confusion 

 Of hounds and echo in conjunction. 



This is not altogether unknown at the present day. 



However useful they may have been in parks, it 

 is quite clear they would have been unable to cope 

 with the red deer of Exmoor. 



Whatever may have been the case In other 

 parts of England, hounds were kept, according to 

 universally accepted tradition, at Simonsbath during 

 the reign of Queen Elizabeth (1598) by one Hugh 

 Pollard, who was deputy-forester of Exmoor. These 

 hounds presumably were descended from one or 

 other of the French breeds named, with perhaps an 

 admixture of English blood, but they must, to have 

 been any use on Exmoor, have had a certain amount 

 of pace. 



James I. took much trouble to reinstate the good 

 old customs of staghunting at force, and sent for 

 huntsmen from France to instruct their English 

 brethren. Probably at the same time hounds were 



