80 THE BROCKLESBY HOUNDS. 



" The welkin rings, men, dogs, hills, rocks, and woods, 

 In the full concert join. Now, my brave youths, 

 8tripp'd for the chase, give all thy souls to joy." 



This is Somerville on Hare Hunting ; and pray, I would ask, where 

 is the fox-hunter to go for better advice .'' And a few lines further on 

 he says, on the field — 



" They strain to lead the field, top the barr'd gate 

 O'er the deep ditch exulting bound, and brush 

 The thorny twining hedge, the riders bend 

 O'er their arch'd necks, with steady hands by turns 

 Indulge their speed, or moderate their rage. 

 Where are their sorrows, disappointments, wi'ongs. 

 Vexations, sickness, cares ? All, all are gone ..." 



I would ask, is there any other author can say so much in so few 

 words ? No, Somerville alone can do so. I have read this beautiful 

 poem with the greatest pleasure, and never read it without thinking 

 how much it reminded me of the advice I had invariably received from 

 Lord Yarborough, the giver of this cup to my father. 



I could almost tliink he had said so much, and so much to the 

 purpose, on Hare Hunting, that he could have but little to say on Fox 

 Hunting, but in that I am mistaken, and do most earnestly recommend 

 the reader and all sportsmen to read it again and again, as I am sure 

 the oftener they do, the more they will admire it. I am quite sure the 

 late Lord Yarborough was well acquainted with this poem, it so much 

 resembles his Lordship's ideas on hunting ; and of all advisers on 

 hounds and hunting, I never heard, or expect to hear again, his equal. 

 He most particnlarly recommended quietness ; but that might be 

 observed from the verse chosen on the cup. He had a great objection 

 to much halloaing, and always wished the hounds to be thrown quietly 

 into covert, and he was a strict observer of all their actions, both in 

 covert and over the country. A hound could seldom commit a fault 

 but that it was observed by his Lordship's penetrating eye. A noisy 

 hound or a skirter was soon drafted, but he would first inquire if they 

 were in condition, observing that many hounds will do wrong for want 

 of condition, the pack having so much advantage of them. He had 

 the quickest eye in the kennel I ever saw in my life, and could discover 

 an imperfection quicker than I ever saw in any other person, either 

 gentleman or servant. If ever he observed on a hound, " Is he quite 

 right here ? " wherever the point was, so surely did you find that he 

 was not quite right in that particular point. On the size of a hound, 

 he preferred the middle size, and would rather keep a little strong one 

 than a too large one. As he observed — he hated lumber. He had 

 been a strict observer of stoutness from a boy, and always saw a little 



