no THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1826 



place, and hunted the adjacent country, part of which is now Mr. Meynell's and 

 part Mr. Osbaldeston's. 



Saturday, the 7th of January, the hounds of Mr. Meynell met at Radburne, 

 tlie deh'ghtful seat of G. Poole (sic), Esq. As I proceeded towards the place of 

 meeting I met with the hounds about two miles before we reached it. I thus had 

 an opportunity of more minutely observing them. They were well-sized, and it 

 was evident that much pains had been spent to render them as complete as 

 possible. They appear indeed to be studiously formed for motion or velocity. 

 " Their wide-spread hams and low - dropping chest confess their speed." 

 Eighteen couples were now proceeding to Radburne, under the conduct of the 

 old veteran already noticed and his two sons. Radburne is considered one of 

 the surest finds in this part of the country, and I therefore calculated on good 

 sport. A field of about one hundred sportsmen was collected in a very few 

 minutes after the arrival of the hounds, which were soon after thrown into a 

 cover immediately adjoining the house. Here were pheasants in abundance, if 

 not foxes. They rose almost by scores, and I could scarcely help entertaining 

 a suspicion that foxes suSered from the penchant for pheasants. I was happy 

 to find myself mistaken, as fox-hunting is too highly prized at Radburne to 

 suffer poor Renard to be killed unfairly. However, no fox was to be found, 

 but it must be observed that all the covers immediately surrounding the house 

 were not tried. On the contrary, the hounds were taken to others more remote, 

 which they drew unsuccessfully till they reached what is called "the Pasture," 

 and here they had scarcely entered when Renard took the alarm. He left his 

 kennel in good time, as if he intended to run. He was well viewed off, and I 

 confidently anticipated a brilliant chase from so animating and so hopeful a 

 prelude. The hounds went away with the utmost impetuosity and with un- 

 common speed. They crossed the first field from the cover, then entered the 

 second with a headlong dash, and, after running halfway up it, leaned to the 

 right (which was not the direction of the fox), and I immediately suspected 

 the atmosphere was not so favourable as I had supposed. However, as Renard 

 had been viewed olf by many, hounds were immediately got on the very line of 

 him, yet the few seconds which were lost enabled the mercurial part of the field, 

 the random riders, to head the dogs in some degree. The hounds in the next 

 field seemed to be well settled to the scent and went gallantly away. A trifling 

 check occurred ; the impatient gentlemen again headed ; in fact, the scent was 

 repeatedly ridden over, and, on the whole, I never recollect seeing hounds so 

 unfairly treated. Yet we had a run for a considerable time, but certainly not a 

 brilliant one. Long before the end I was convinced we should never reach our 

 fox, unless, indeed, he chose to Avait for our coming up, a step which Renard 

 seldom thinks advisable. After passing over some extent of country, during 

 which we once approached the town of Derby, we found ourselves again at the 

 place of meeting — Radburne, and, as we passed close to the house, a bevy of 

 female beauty presented itself on an exterior elevation and gave incontestable 

 proof of the interest they took in the scene. Here we might be said to be com- 

 pletely at fault. The hounds were kept longer in the immediate vicinity of the 

 house than was consistent with the true principles of fox-hunting, and I much 

 lamented, not merely from the loss of the fox, but also on account of a gentle- 

 man who got what appeared at the moment an ugly fall. This gentleman — Mr. 

 Bingham, I believe — put his horse to a scrawling sort of leap, and one over which, 

 by the way, there was no occasion to go. A gate had been removed, and in its 

 stead some loose thorns had been carelessly introduced, thus presenting an eleva- 

 tion of not more than 3 feet. I happened to be close by the spot. The horse 



