CLOSE OF THE SEASON 1823-4 



MK. chute's SIR JOHN COPe's AND ME. WAKD's HOUNDS. 



By way of a finish to the season, I treated myself to a day or two 

 with Mr. Chute's, Sir John Cope's, and Mr. Ward's hounds. The 

 fixture with Mr. Chute, on the 31st of March, was West Sherborn 

 Church, in what is called the Woodlands of Hampshire, and he found 

 his fox in a corner of Pamber Forest", and killed him handsomely at 

 Lord Bolton's — eight miles as the crow flies — so beaten that he laid 

 down iDefore the hounds. This sharp and decisive thing was just 

 what Mr. Chute wished on this day, as several strangers were in the 

 field. There were two of the best performers of the Hampshire 

 Hunt — Mr. Gage, brother to Lord G., and Mr. Knight — as well as 

 Sir John Cope, and one of his bruisers (Mr. Simmonds) with him ; 

 all of whom had an opportunity of trying their nerve over this 

 strongly enclosed country. Mr. Gage told me he never rode over 

 more awkward fences for horses not quite an fait at them, having 

 banks to creep up on, with wide and deep ditches, and plenty of 

 them. 



Mr. Chute has been a master of hounds ever since he was a boy, 

 and of fox- hounds for more than thirty-two years, and therefore 

 claims a place in the history of hunting countries. In allusion to 

 his hounds being small, but good, the motto over his kennel door 

 has been " Multum in Parvo ; " but in consequence of the extra- 

 ordinary sport his pack has had this season, and the fame they have 

 acquired, he told me he should alter it to " Viresque acquirit eiuido," 

 for which we must give him credit. I was out with him one other 

 day, but we had not scent enough to hunt. 



Sm JOHN cope's HOUNDS. 



On the 1st of April I met Sir John Cope's hounds at Bradfield, in his 

 Berkshire country, but the weather was such that a run was out of 



