198 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



he selected about twenty couples, which, from age and other causes, 

 he did not wish to keep ; and in the ensuing spring Sir Bellingham 

 purchased them. Thus then did he lay the foundation of his present 

 pack : thus is the blood of Abelard, Charon, Marmion, and Orpheus, 

 still to be found in his kennel. 



In 1818 Sir Bellingham purchased Mr. Newnham's pack, on that 

 gentleman's resigning Worcestershire, which contained much good 

 blood, and he has had Lord Lonsdale's drafts for some years. In 

 short, he seldom refuses any drafts that are offered him, in hopes of 

 picking up something good. When I was with him, Mr. Boycott 

 sent him a draft he had had from the Badsworth, from his (Sir B.'s) 

 old whipper-in. Jack Eichards — which, he said, were so wild that he 

 was afraid to take them out. Cottager, however, appears a valuable 

 hound, and two or three neat bitches will come in well with Sir 

 Bellingham's bitch pack : but, in the words of an old whipper-in to 

 the Old Berkeley, some of them would "run anything from Q,}ieartoig 

 to a hellephant." 



There is one part of Sir Bellingham Graham's history, as a public 

 character, which is eminently entitled to notice ; and that is, the 

 very liberal hand with which he has conducted every establishment 

 that he has undertaken the management of. Passing over what may 

 be called his minor countries, but countries in which he has left 

 his mark, let us look at him when he took to Leicestershire. On 

 learning that this fine country was vacant, and it w^as desirable that he 

 should hunt it — he had just entered upon the Hambledon country 

 in Hampshire, under an engagement for three years, and had taken 

 a house in it for twelve — how did he act on this occasion ? Why, 

 without a moment's hesitation he resolved to take Leicestershire, 

 purchase Mr. Osbaldeston's house, hounds, and horses, and leave a 

 part of his own pack, with his first whipper-in, to fulfil his engage- 

 ment with Hampshire. He came forw^ard in this instance without 

 one guinea being guaranteed to him either for hounds or coverts ; 

 but Fortune favoui'ed him in one respect : Mr. Osbaldeston took 

 Hampshire off his hands, and Mr. John Walker succeeded to it the 

 following year. 



Of the feeling towards Sir Bellingham Graham as a sportsman, 

 the best test is to be found in the amount of the subscription raised 



