170 THE SPORTING WORLD. 



Masters of Hounds as I have said are all 

 either in reality sportsmen, or if they only keep 

 hounds for the eclat and popularity of the 

 thing, enjoy the "prestige" of being so, the 

 pretensions to the name, in those who merely 

 hunt with the hounds rests quite with them- 

 selves. It is so, in some degree, with regard to 

 those who hunt with fox-hounds, but their pre- 

 tensions, who merely hunt vrith stag-hounds are 

 at least very equivocal. I must make exception 

 in favour of the gentlemen who hunt with the 

 Devon, kept by Mr. Theobald, they hunt outlying 

 deer, and whether a man finds a wild deer, or 

 a wild fox, the spirit of the thing is nearly 

 the same, and it rests with his taste (or per- 

 haps country) which he makes the object of his 

 pursuit. 



I speak of the Devon as they were some 

 years ago, whether any change has taken place 

 since I do not know, but I should say that any 

 change from what they were then, as regards 



