VI PREFACE. 



thinker, Las gone still furtlier, in saying tliat '* He 

 is great wlio is wliat lie is from nature." Of course 

 it is not intended to claim greatness for Squire 

 Forester in tlie sense in wliicli tlie word is ordinarily 

 used, or qualities, even, differing very much from 

 those bearing the impress of the common mould of 

 humanity ; but simply that he was what he was from 

 nature, from pre-disposition, and from living at the 

 time he did. Also, that he was in many respects a 

 fair representative of the squirearchy of the period, 

 of a class of squires in whom we recognise features 

 discoverable in those in the enjoyment of the same 

 natural vigour in our own day, but who may have 

 chosen different fields for its development. 



It did not appear to come within the scope of the 

 work to enter to the same extent upon the doings of 

 other sportsmen of Squire Forester's time, or to 

 dilate upon those of gentlemen who subsequently 

 distinguished themselves. It would have required 

 many additional pages, for instance, to have done 

 justice to the exploits of the first Lord Forester ; or 

 to those of the present right honourable proprietor 

 of Willey, who upon retiring from the mastership of 

 the Belvoir hounds was presented with a massive 

 piece of plate, representing an incident which hap- 



