296 NIMROD'S HUNTING TOUR 



sportsman, I must not attempt to justify him here. He has been a 

 master of fox-hounds many years, and we might as well assert that 

 Lord Eldon knew nothing of the laws of his Court, as that Mr. 

 Wilkinson was ignorant of the fox-hunting code. A huntsman has 

 a prescriptive right to hunt his fox into another man's country, and 

 to kill him, if he can, by catching him above ground ; but the 

 moment he earths*', that moment he is in his castle, and is inviolable. 

 I repeat, that Mr. Wilkinson could not have been ignorant of the 

 rule, and he ought not to have killed this fox. It is a reflection 

 upon him as a sportsman ; but I am told he made an acknowledg- 

 ment of his error, and therefore no more must be thought of it. 

 " To err is human ; to forgive divine." 



As we were drinking our wine after dinner, at Newton House, 

 and this subject was in discussion, I embraced the opportunity of 

 ascertaining whether my notions respecting it were correct. I did 

 not appeal to Lord Darlington, although so much the older sports- 

 man of the two, but I addressed myself to Sir Bellingham Graham, 

 as having hunted six or seven different countries, and therefore more 

 competent to decide the question generally. He gave us a clincher. 

 " I was once out," said he, " with Lord Lonsdale in Leicestershire, 

 and we ran a fox into a spout in the Quorn country. He was to be 

 seen, and almost to be touched, but the whipper-in could not bolt 

 him without moving two or three stones. ' Don't touch them,' 

 said Lord L. ; and Slack w^as ordered to take his hounds away." 

 The example of this old and good sportsman is worthy of being 

 imitated. 



I was amused with the effect the murder of this fox had upon 

 Dick, Lord Darlington's first whipper-in. It appeared to affect him 

 quite as much as his late bad fall, and, with " a face as long as my 

 arm," he told me he thought it a very ungenteel action. 



Wednesday, 20th. — Lord Darhngton met at Flyntorf. We drew 

 the famous Uckenby whin blank, and then on to Pepper Hall, the 

 seat of the Hon. Colonel Arden : neither the Colonel nor his foxes 

 were at home ; nor indeed could I see any lying for a fox, but there 

 is a tine country here. One of my horses having been taken ill at 

 Northallerton, I quitted about two o'clock, and lost a pretty burst of 

 twenty-five minutes, with a kill. It was late when Lord Darlington 



