NATURE AND SPORT IN BRITAIN 



Somervile is at once himself again when he plunges 

 into the description, a most spirited one, of a Windsor 

 stag-hunt, with George II. in pursuit. Here are the 

 ladies of the Court in full cry, a pleasing picture. 



" How melts my beating heart, as I behold 

 Each lovely nymph, our island's boast and pride. 

 Push on the g-enerous steed that strokes along 

 O'er rough, o'er smooth, nor heeds the steepy hill. 

 Nor falters in th' extended vale below ; 

 Their garments loosely waving in the wind. 

 And all the flush of beauty in their cheeks ! " 



There seems to have been another point of view, 

 however, even to this scene. Not all the maids of 

 honour were keen horsewomen, and for these hunting 

 had its drawbacks. Says Pope in an amusing letter, 

 written after a meeting with Mrs. Bellenden and Mrs. 

 Lepell, two of the Princess of Wales's ladies — (maids 

 of honour were called "Mrs." then by courtesy) — just 

 in from hunting : " To eat Westphalia ham of a morn- 

 ing, ride over hedges and ditches on borrowed hacks, 

 come home in the heat of the day with a fever, and 

 (what is worse a hundred times) with a red mark on the 

 forehead from an uneasy hat — all this may qualify them 

 to make excellent wives for hunters." Ah, Mr. Pope ! 

 insinuating little Mr. Pope ! yourself no lover of honest 

 field sports, one sees how you obtained these con- 

 fidences from the feminine side. " Miss Lepell walked 

 with me three or four hours by moonlight, and we met 

 no creature of any quality but the King, who gave 

 audience to the Vice-Chamberlain all alone under the 

 garden wall." 



The blown stag has measured half the forest, and 

 visibly tires. He soils {i.e. takes to water), and finally 

 is set up at bay, and then, astonishing to narrate, at 

 the King's command the hounds are called off and the 

 beaten hart is allowed to depart in peace. Somervile 



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