222 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



was by no means disadvantageous to our young sportsman 

 as an example. 



And what did Frank Eaby think of the hounds ] His 

 sentiments on this subject shall be exhibited in the 

 following letter to his friend Hargrave, who was at that 

 time hunting in Essex : 



"BiCESTEE, November 30th, 1810. 



" DEAR HARGRAVE, I have spent the month of Nov- 

 ember at this place, hunting with Sir Thomas Mostyn's 

 hounds, and occasionally with those of the Dukes of 

 Beaufort and Grafton, when they meet within reach. I 

 like the country much ; it looks like a fox-hunting 

 country, especially in the neighbourhood of the See Woods, 

 and the Quarters, where the foxes are capital, and generally 

 show runs. The Northamptonshire side of it is superb, 

 but infernally strong as to fences, with the river Charwell 

 passing through it. I saw a splendid run over it last 

 Friday, from Boddington Hill to Abdy Wood, in the 

 Pytchley country, fifteen miles as the crow flies, and with 

 only one check. Very few saw the finish, but I was one 

 of the few, on the General, who went well to the end, and 

 only gave me one fall. When you come here you must 

 bring horses of power as well as blood, on account of the 

 depth of the country in many parts ; and also good water 

 jumpers, as there are many brooks. It is not uncommon 

 to meet with half a dozen in a day ; and to convince you 

 of the truth of what I say, I counted seven bridges on the 

 road from Gallows Bridge to Bicester, a distance of only 

 eight miles. 



" I like the people also. Mostyn is a perfect gentleman, 

 both in appearance and manners. The Lloyds are good 

 sportsmen ; ' Griff,' as he is called (his Christian name is 

 Griffith, a Welsh, but not a high-sounding, prenomen), 

 especially, who is said to have the quickest eye to a heavy 

 vixen, in the spring of the year, of any man going, and 

 capital in a wood. He takes rather an active part in the 

 field, as well as in the kennel, not much to the delight of 

 Shaw, as I am told, who has anticipated inj ury to the pack 

 by his being too much prejudiced to one sort of hound. 

 For example : there is a beautiful bitch called Lady, whose 

 picture, with her cubs, is in almost every house in the 

 county, and from which, and her produce, there are a 

 great number of hounds in the kennel more than should 



