THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 249 



was considered so particularly worthy of our young 

 sportsman's notice. The justly celebrated Mr. Corbet 

 and celebrated, not merely as a master of foxhounds and 

 a sportsman, but as possessing, to the greatest extent, the 

 manners and deportment of the highly- finished gentleman, 

 although of a school of a somewhat earlier date than the 

 period to which we now allude. But it was from a desire 

 on the part of his father and a few of his particular 

 friends, that Frank Raby should witness a specimen of 

 the school which had given to Mr. Corbet these highly- 

 finished manners and deportment, that a visit to this 

 country, in preference to any other, was urged upon 

 him. 



" I see a little of it," said Mr. Raby to his son, when 

 discussing these matters, "in my own small way, as 

 master of a pack of harriers ; but, depend upon it, there 

 are not many situations in which the manners, the 

 deportment, and the temper of men are oftener called 

 forth into action, and this to public view, than when 

 placed in the trying one of master of English foxhounds. 

 First, be it remembered, it is a post of no trifling 

 eminence, and is apt to engender a little pride of place, as 

 most other situations do." 



In this situation, then, as master of a pack of fox- 

 hounds, Mr. Corbet was considered a pattern-card ; and 

 as Mr. Raby had good reason to believe that, one day or 

 another, his son would be similarly placed, he was on 

 that account more anxious for his visiting Warwickshire 

 whilst Mr. Corbet. hunted it. He was also informed that 

 there were a few very eniment sportsmen, members of 

 this Hunt, from whom some good lessons might be 

 derived. That he was not disappointed in the result, the 

 following letter from our young sportsman to his friend 

 Hargrave will pretty clearly show : 



" STRATFOBD-DPON-AVON, Dec. 9. 



"DEAR HARGRAVE, I am delighted with all I have 

 hitherto seen in Warwickshire. Although there are a 

 few rough fixtures in it, it is, taken altogether, a right 

 good fox-hunting country, and as full of foxes as it can 

 hold. Indeed, they say here that the life of a fox is 

 quite as safe from the gun of the poacher or farmer, as 

 the life of a man is from the hand of the assassin. And 

 I do not marvel at this. Old Corbet, as he is called, is 



