205 



CHAPTER XX. 



THE FOXHOUND, THE STAGHOUND, AND THE WELSH HOUND. 



BY G. S. LOWE. 



Yes, I ken John Peel, and Ruby too, 

 Ranter and Royal and Bellman as true : 

 From the drag to the chase, from the chase to 



a view. 

 From a view to the death in the morning. 



THE flight of society to the shires in 

 the autumn is substantial proof of 

 what fox-hunting is to the country. 

 Some years have elapsed since it was 

 estimated that nine million pounds are 

 spent every year on hunting. This sum 

 appears to be prodigious, and so. indeed, 

 it is, if only applied to 

 kennel establishments. 

 There are 204 packs of 

 hounds in the United 

 Kingdom, of which 

 some could show an 

 annual expenditure of 

 £10,000. and many over 

 £4,000. This is, how- 

 ever, but the small side 

 of total costs, as many 

 thousands of studs of 

 hunters are maintained, 

 representing an enorm- 

 ous amount of money, 

 with veritable armies of 

 employees, mansions of 

 palatial proportions in 

 nearly every quarter of 

 England, Ireland, and 

 Scotland, and a trade 

 thereby in provincial 

 towns that must be of 

 considerable magnitude. 

 A morning view of Mel- 

 ton is quite suggestive 

 of this computation of 

 nine millions. 



Twas the sound of his horn called me from my 



bed. 

 And the cry of his hounds has oft-times led, 

 For Peel's view-hollo would awaken the dead 

 Or a fox from his lair in the morning." 



John Woodcock Graves (circ. 1825). 



It may be regarded as somewhat extra- 

 ordinary that persons of high social position 

 should devote such a large proportion of 

 their lives and interests to hunting and to 

 the culture of hounds, but it must be said 

 that much of England's greatness is due 

 to the power of the Foxhound. The daring; 



THE DEATH OF THE FOX. 



TTON 11770 



