NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 19 



regard. For she came out of the great road at Lippock, which is 

 just by, and, 'reposing herself on a bank smoothed for that purpose, 

 lying about half a mile to the east of Wolmer Pond, and still 

 called Queen's Bank, saw with great complacency and satisfaction 

 the whole herd of red deer brought by the keepers along the vale 

 before her, consisting then of about five hundred head. A sight 

 this, worthy the attention of the greatest sovereign ! But he farther 

 adds that, by means of the Waltham blacks, or, to use his own 

 expression, as soon as they began blacking, they were reduced to 

 about fifty head, and so continued decreasing till the time of the 

 late Duke of Cumberland. It is now more than thirty years ago 

 that his Highness sent down an huntsman, and six yeoman-prickers, 

 in scarlet jackets laced with gold, attended by the stag-hounds ; 

 ordering them to take every deer in this forest alive, and to convey 

 them in carts to Windsor. In the course of the summer they caught 

 every stag, some of which showed extraordinary diversion : but in 

 the following winter, when the hinds were also carried off, such fin 3 

 chases were exhibited as served the country people for matter of 

 talk and wonder for years afterwards. I saw myself one of the 

 yeoman-prickers single out a stag from the herd, and must confess 

 that it was the most curious feat of activity I ever beheld, superior 

 to anything in Mr. Astley's riding-school. The exertions made by 

 the horse and deer much exceeded all my expectations ; though the 

 former greatly excelled the latter in speed. When the devoted deer 

 was separated from his companions, they gave him, by their 

 watches, law, as they called it, for twenty minutes ; Avhen, sound- 

 ing their horns, the stop-dogs were permitted to pursue, and a most 

 gallant scene ensued. 



