176 THE OLD BERKS HUNT 



Young Venables with him, most sadly abusing 

 His fame as a leg, a hedge, by refusing. 

 On a hunter comes Seckham, next Simmonds and Co., 

 With many more jobbers I really don't know ; 

 And others from Oxford enjoying the run- 

 Some here for business, and some for the fun. 



The hounds long ere this from Brightwell had fled, 

 And for Nuneham like lightning were streaming ahead 

 The cracks had all well settled down to their work, 

 While some were already beginning to shirk : 

 When having no longer a sight of the pack, 

 I rattled away on my thorough-bred hack. 



" Dare-devil George " was Mr. George 

 Montague, who was afterwards Master of the 

 South Berks. "Good-natured Billy" was a 

 son of Mr. Lowndes, " Brightwell's great 

 Squire," who was an ardent Whig. "Sir 

 John" was Sir John Cope, then hunting the 

 countries now known as South Berks and Mr. 

 Garth's. The " Squire of Culham " was Mr. 

 John Phillips, who had hunted the country 

 for a year before Mr. Morland took it over. 

 " Dark Oliver " was Mr. John Oliver, of 

 Abingdon. He owned the property at Black 

 Acres, on which the " New Covert " was 

 planted by Mr. Van de Weyer. " The 

 Major," John Fane, to whom Mr. Morland 

 had lent ten couples of hounds to hunt the 

 Oxfordshire hill country. " Sweet Mrs. 

 V — r — t " was Mrs. Viret, who lived at Wat- 



