138 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



my hunters straight on the road for their place of destination. It so 

 happened, however, that they had a pretty thing of twenty-five 

 minutes, but without catching their fox. 



The Warwickshire hounds had, last season, a glorious succession 

 of sport ; but to any one who knows what hounds should be, it is 

 obvious that, in the condition they have lately been, such another 

 series of sport was not upon the cards — even with Jack Wood to 

 hunt them ; and I very much admire Wood's method with his 

 hounds. Like Harlequin's snuff, however — collected by a pinch out 

 of every man's box — the Warwickshire are of all sorts and sizes, and 

 a very coarse lot to look at ; but they are particularly handy and 

 steady, and, when going at a certain pace, stoop well to their game ; 

 but further this deponent sayeth not. No animal can do what we 

 require him to do, unless he be in a condition to do it. The 

 Warwickshire hounds have also laboured under another disadvantage. 

 They have not been able, until last year, to spare any of their own 

 bitches to breed from, so have been entirely at the mercy of other 

 kennels. In every other respect, they may be said to have had 

 more than their share of advantages, Mr. Shirley having done the 

 thing with a very liberal hand. 



It has hitherto been my intention to continue my account of this 

 country (Warwickshire), as a hunting country, from the time of Mr. 

 Corbet's relinquishing it to the end of Lord Middleton's reign ; but 

 there are so many circumstances to be alluded to, which I could not 

 touch upon with pleasure, that I had better perhaps not allude to 

 them at all. In some respects Lord Middleton was everything that 

 could be wished for at the head of a pack of fox-hounds — he was 

 rich, munificent, and even profuse in his expenses attending them, 

 and he w^as by some allowed to be a sportsman : in others, he was 

 ill calculated for the post. He came, it is true, after " a well-graced 

 actor ; " but, instead of being greeted by the country and hailed with 

 applause, there was a something about him that threw a mist over 

 the land, which not the bright effulgence of his gold could dispel ; 

 and I have heard of more fun and merriment at a Welch funeral 

 than I ever saw by a covert's side in Warwickshire in his Lordship's 

 time. There is only one way of hunting a country ; and that was not 

 the way Lord Middleton chose ! 



