1817] AULD LANG SYNE. 69 



Then comes a most important entry. " First season's 

 fox-hunting," and the first day was Friday, September 

 6th, 1816. They found several foxes, and, curiously 

 enough, hounds were very steady from hare. His hunt- 

 ing days were not particularly regular. Sometimes he 

 went out once a week, sometimes twice, and sometimes 

 three times, as occasion served. During cub-hunting the 

 famous Nathan, and Bridesmaid, of his grandfather's old 

 sort, particularly distinguished themselves. 



On October 23rd they went to Sudbury, and, after 

 running a brace of foxes to ground, one at Somersal and 

 one in the Aldermoor, found in the gorse in the park. 

 " From there they ran a ring by the coppice, through the 

 bottoms, round Hare Hill, turned over the brook by 

 Cubley, almost to Bently Car, across the Ashbourn road, 

 through Marston, and almost to Kocester, turned to the 

 right and killed beyond Roston. An hour and thirty-five 

 minutes — the very best pace. The finest run I ever saw 

 in this country." Mr. Meynell rode Feeble and had a 

 fall. Tom Leedham was on Forrester, Joe on Chance. 

 " Ravager, Racer, Rival, Dragon, and Damsel particularly 

 distinguished themselves ; also Warrior and Wanton." 



On November 1st there is rather an amusing entry: 

 " Longford Car ; left a fox without finding him ; drew 

 on to Shirley Park without finding ; went back to near 

 Bentley, where we heard a farmer had just caught a fox, 

 turned him out, and ran very hard about ten minutes 

 and killed him. I rode Feeble. Hounds remarkably 

 steady." 



On March 4th, 1817, hounds found at Hoar Cross, 

 "went away fast by the Chantry and across the en- 

 closures to the park, across the brook by Coppice Bank, 

 where seven couple of hounds got forward, and we were 

 unluckily halloaed to a fresh fox, which we hunted with 

 a bad scent over to the sandpits ; went back to look after 

 the other hounds, and found they had gone by Yoxall 

 Lodge to Byrkley Lodge, where one hound viewed the 

 fox all the way to Knightley Park, where we believe a 



