HARE-HUNTERS OF THE PAST 35 



forerunners, and often the nucleus, of the present well- 

 ordered and well-managed foxhound establishments. 



The present Monmouthshire Hounds are a case in 

 point. Old Squire Lewis, of Llantillo, like many of his 

 contemporaries, hunted, with the same pack of hounds, 

 hare, fox, and otter. He did this down to the year 

 1835, in the country now demarcated as the Monmouth- 

 shire. In that year he relinquished hunting and pre- 

 sented his pack to Captain Stretton, who began thence- 

 forth to hunt fox. Soon after this date the present 

 Monmouthshire Hunt was formed. This, briefly, is 

 the history of a great many packs of modern foxhounds, 

 some of them provincial and comparatively unknown, 

 some of them great and famous. 



Many of the old school, however, held out decidedly 

 against going after strange quarry, and stuck to the 

 chase of the hare, which had given them and their 

 forbears so many and such excellent hunts during 

 long generations. Among these may be cited the 

 amusing instance of an old Northumbrian master of 

 harriers, who believed in hare and hare only, and 

 loathed the sight of a fox. One day his hounds found 

 and went away after one of these hated animals. The 

 old gentleman was nearly frantic, his language most 

 unparliamentary. " Stop 'em, you born idiot ! " he 

 yelled out to his whip, so soon as he could recover 

 sufficient breath. " Stop 'em, you fule creature — 

 he's no fit to eat, I tell you, stop 'em ! " 



From the beginning of the nineteenth century fox- 

 hunting began decidedly to assert its popularity. It 

 was faster, it offered fiercer delights, straighter runs, 

 more excitement. The rising school of fox-hunters, 

 the men of the Regency, the bloods, the Toms and 

 Jerries of that day, speedily began to assume an air 

 of contempt and superiority towards harriers and the 



