OXFORDSHIRE 



If I may be allowed the expression, there are three packs of fox- 

 hounds which ^jarto^e of the county of Oxford — the Duke of 

 Beaufort's, Sir Thomas Mostyn's, and Mr. Codrington's. The 

 river Cherwell is the line of demarcation between the two former 

 packs ; and Mr. Codrington has a small portion of it on the southern 

 side, in addition to his Berkshire country. The best part of it, 

 however, may be said to be pretty equally divided between the Duke 

 and Sir Thomas, his Grace having what is termed " the Hills," and 

 Sir Thomas the Vale. The Duke has also what he calls his " Home 

 Country," in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, which he hunts from 

 his seat at Badminton ; and Sir Thomas has a part of Northampton- 

 shire. 



Perhaps there never yet was a hunting song in which the chase 

 was not over hills and dales. The variety of the ground not only 

 gives a poetical feature to the description, but may also be intended 

 to imply, ihat in all countries there are hills and valleys, which is 

 true enough, for without one there cannot be the other. In the 

 present instance, however, the word " hills " is peculiarly applied 

 to a large tract of country in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and 

 Wiltshire. If you ask a farmer in the Vale of Gloucester, what is 

 become of his neighbour Mr. Such-a-one, he will tell you " he is 

 gone to live upon the Hills." This is giving good latitude, for these 

 hills extend for upwards of fifty miles across the country. 



The soil on these hills being apt to be thin, and the land for the 

 most part arable, we cannot expect it to hold so good a scent as a 

 rich loamy vale consisting of good old pasture ; nevertheless, as the 

 substratum is chiefly chalk or lime, it lies better than might be 

 expected ; and taking into account the advantages derived by hounds 

 being in an open country, free from riot, and always within reach of 



