THE FIRST PACKS 



a country as he did, of quoting Coke upon Lyttle- 

 ton or of expounding the principles of the British 

 Constitution to an united parhament, a knowledge 

 he gave on every occasion most convincing proofs 

 of, previous to ending both his parliamentary and 

 hunting career when he became Chancellor of 

 Ireland.* 



" Of the truth of my first observation no one could 

 be ten minutes in doubt after seeing him in the 

 field. To use his own favourite expression, he had 

 the paid huntsman of the Bishopscourt Hounds 

 * under his thumb.' He laid down certain rules 

 and laws for drawing coverts and hunting a coun- 

 try, and to deviate and wander from these was as 

 much as the huntsman's place was worth to him. 

 This man had many admirers both in the field and 

 in the House of Commons. 



" As to the sport itself during the four days, had it 

 not been for the precautionary measures taken by 

 old Willy Burton, who previous to the arrival of the 

 hounds from Bishopscourt had taken special care to 

 send over to Hume Wood to the earthstoppers on 

 Lord Fitzwilliam's estates to bag him eight to ten 

 strong foxes, one of which was regularly unbagged 

 in every covert previous to the hounds throwing 

 off, and thus at least a find became a matter of 

 certainty. As this stratagem was not known to any- 

 one but the major domo, the thing did no harm. The 

 foxes however were the great sufferers, as out of 



*A mistake. Mr W. B. Ponsonby was Postmaster-General. His 

 brother, Mr. G. Ponsonby, was Chancellor. 



43 



