COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 373 



" WOOTON HALL, NORTHAMPTON, 

 " 8th April, 1866. 



" MY DEAR JACK, 



" I have a very strong letter from Cardigan, 

 written yesterday on his way through Harborough. 

 He says : ' Speaking of the woodlands, I am 

 anxious to communicate to you that I am quite 

 determined to do everything to prevent a woodland 

 pack being kept. I shall not allow any one of my 

 coverts to be drawn by the proposed hounds of Mr. 

 Watson, and shall consider all running through my 

 woods or over my lands as a trespass, and act ac- 

 cordingly, according to law. [!] I am quite serious 

 and quite determined on this point, and I hope you 

 will let it be known before the necessary arrangements 

 are made.' He goes on to say he has written to 

 you and hopes we shall talk it over ; and concludes : 

 ' The Pytchley Hounds are the proper hounds to 

 hunt the Pytchley country.' 



" You can show this to Watson if you think it 

 advisable. I will write to him the gist of it by 

 to-day's post I fear it will be a very difficult 

 matter to get Cardigan's permission to hunt his 

 woods now (at least with Watson's hounds), and I 

 do not see how the latter can do without it. I had 

 already written very strongly to our impracticable 

 friend, apprising him any permission he granted 

 would not be abused, and Spencer had also dis- 

 patched a touching epistle, but it seems without effect. 



" Yours ever, 



" G. W. MELVILLE." 



