16 THE WARWICKSHIRE HOUNDS. 



Mr. JoHx Corbet The accommodation provided for visitors, however, 

 179 -1811. 



* was of a very humble character, and the place still 



retained, its rural appearance. Stratford, on the 

 other hand, was quite established as a hunt- 

 ing centre, and it was here that the hunters 

 who selected Warwickshire as their ground of 

 action, congregated, and found, round the table of the 

 hunt club room, amusement for the time which Leam- 

 ington now oflfers them the possibility of passing with 

 the fairer sex, in whatever social attractions they may 

 find in its winter season. Stratford, however, was not 

 very well situated, being quite on the outside of the 

 country, and its position was much to its disadvantage 

 when other places, more central for the best Warwick- 

 shire meets and those of neighbouring hunts, rose into 

 competition with it. 



The Hunt Club. The White Lion was kept by Bill Barke, a conspi- 

 cuous figure with the hounds, both on account of hia 

 person and the frequency of his attendance in the field. 

 He was a big fellow, quite a welter. The members of 

 the club dined in a room called the *' Tempest" in 

 honour of Shakespeare. Once a fortnight thera was 

 a strong muster at dinner, when Mr. Corbet made it his 

 custom to be present. The members, too, were most 

 hospitably received at his residence, Ulopton House. 

 On the night of the great Wolford run, described in the 

 last chapter, Mr. Corbet dined at the club and threw 

 the head on the table. It was preserved in a glass 

 case and was an ornament in the room for forty-five 

 years, at the expiration of which period a sale took 

 place on the occasion of the house changing hands, and, 

 on the day of sale, the object which had such pleasant 

 and early associations, vanished for ever. 



The Uniform. The evening uniform of the club was black stockings, 



breeches and waistcoat, and a scarlet coat with hand- 

 some gilt buttons with the letters"S.H. "upon them, and 

 a black velvet collar. This last appendage gained the 



