6 THE MASTER OP THE HOUNDS. 



handsome. Although professing to be a fox-hunter, he failed 

 in the essentials of spirit and nerve for the pursuit ; but fox- 

 hunting being the fashion during the winter months, when 

 time hung very heavily on his hands, he was perforce obliged 

 to mount the bit of pink cloth in self-defence. Yet he had 

 been overheard to say, " he never could see any fun in risking 

 his neck (which, by the way, he was far too cautious ever to 



place in much jeopardy) by riding after a d d stinking 



fox." Richard's grand forte lay with the fair sex, of whom he 

 professed to be the most devoted champion ; but, save as pan- 

 dering to his own pleasures or conducive to his interests, he 

 cared little more about women-kind than fox-kind. Dick, 

 having felt lately in a very patronising humour towards the 

 Hehreivs, had suffered considerably in financial affairs, by too 

 near contact with this greatly- abused race ; and old Yernon 

 being also rather close-fisted, and highly indignant at his 

 worthy heir's prodigality, his dutiful son, having now attained 

 the great age of twenty-five, resolved to cut the connection with 

 his governor as soon as convenient; in furtherance of wliich 

 laudable purpose, he was on the look-out for an heiress. 



Of the provincial squires who mustered on this occasion, 

 we must accord a prominent position to Somerville Coventry, 

 of Fern Park, and John Tyler, of "Weston Lodge, both good 

 Bj^ortsmen and first-rate performers with fox-hounds ; and 

 though the last, not the least, we must not omit two sporting 

 baronets of Leicestershire celebrity, Sir Francis Burnett and 

 Sir Lucius Gwynne, who were then on a visit at Bampton 

 House ; with Frederick Beauchamp, a cousin of William's, who 

 could keep his place in the front rank across any country. 



Fox-hunters have been accused of being men of one idea 

 only, and their conversation has been represented to be so 

 tinctured or tainted with fox-hunting as to prove highly cffen- 

 flive to persons of more refined intellect. Mankind generally 

 are unjustly censorious of those who differ from them in taste, 

 ideas, or pursuits ; but why a fox-hunter should be turned loose 

 as a mark to be fired at alone, when every other man, who 

 talks and prates about his own profession, employment, or 

 peculiar penchant, is to go at large, scot free, I never could 

 understand. The breakfast table, with scarlet coats seated 

 round it, is as ojien to fox-hunting chat as politics, although I 

 agree that both these topics should be deemed forbidden ground 

 for discussion in the drawing-room. But, whether in or out of 

 order, it is q[uite certain that at Bampton House, on the 1st of 



