HISTORY OF THE KILDARE HUNT 



country. Here, too, is a specimen of his epistolary 

 style, a letter of congratulation to one of the Masters 

 of the Kildare on his taking the hounds. 



Sir, 



There is not another man in the county wishes you 

 with more sincerity ' ' Success in the Mastership of the 

 Kildare Hounds," to which all recent concernments 

 plainly point. The office is certainly no sinecure, and 



must have had marvellous energy to continue, 



and with marked success, so many years at the helm. 



For a great number of years I firmly held, and 

 still hold, that many gifts were a sine qua non. 

 First of all a taste, no, a raging passion for the 

 sport, an untiring perseverance, a fair if not 

 commanding executive power to be jealously 

 guarded, yet judiciously used; while now, and in 

 the future, as every day is making it more desir- 

 able, will I say, a superabundance of the suaviter 

 in modoy to cope with the growing exigencies of 

 times and tempers. 



Unmistakeably nature has supplied all the essen- 

 tial materials, and although not a prophet, I ven- 

 ture to predict a long and successful regime. Per- 

 mit me to add I indulge the well grounded hope 

 that your popularity and success will be equalled 

 only by the records, traditional and others, of a 

 former master, whom you must know. 

 I am. 



Your very obedient servant, 



William Hanway. 

 226 



