OXFORDSHIRE 15 



hounds, horses, and servants. The stables are uncommonly good, 

 and built in the form of a quadrangle, with the huntsman's house, 

 kennel, blacksmith's shop, &c., on the outside ; and as he rents a 

 manor surrounding the house, abundantly stocked with all kinds of 

 game. Swift's House may be said to have all the conveniences and 

 comforts which any moderate man may require, and no one lives 

 better than Sir Thomas Mostyn. 



Sir Tfiomas's hounds have had the advantage of three celebrated 

 huntsmen, Shaw, Stephen Goodall, and Tom Wingfield. 



Shaw was succeeded by Stephen Goodall, a huntsman of long 

 standing, and great judgment. His education was such as was 

 likely to qualify him for a good huntsman. His earlier days were 

 spent in the service of Mr. Childe, of Kinlet, and Sir Eichard 

 Puleston, both good judges, and hunting countries, in which all 

 sorts of difficulties present themselves. Stephen hunted Sir 

 Thomas's hounds nine or ten seasons, and but for his increasing 

 weight, and the usual inconveniences attending approaching age, 

 might have continued to have done so now. 



Could Stephen Goodall have hovered over his hounds in a 

 balloon, or been mounted on Pacolet's horse, no man was more able 

 to direct them when at fault ; but for several of the last years of 

 his hunting them, he could not ride up to them, though Sir Thomas 

 spared neither expense nor trouble in procuring horses to carry 

 him. The consequence of this was, that when Stephen's assistance 

 was wanting, it was not to be had ; and by the time it was to be 

 had, it was too often useless : the scent having died away, or a 

 cast having been made by others, the hounds were in a manner 

 divided between looking for Stephen, and trying for their fox, who 

 no doubt profited by the delay, and was lost. 



That weight, lulien not attended loith corimlencij , is no general 

 obstacle to riding to hounds, has been proved to demonstration ; 

 and, as among a multitude of proofs one does the business, I need 

 only mention Mr. Robert Canning, who, though measuring six feet 

 four inches in height without his shoes, and riding seventeen stone, 

 has, for the last twenty years of his life, on the most moderate 

 calculation, beaten nineteen out of twenty of all the weights, whether 

 light or heavy, that have ridden across a country with him. 



