HUNTING FROM LONDON. 277 



manhood, especially if he be one who hves by brain-work. It 

 is burning the candle at both ends, and we all know how 

 dangerous a game that is. A youngster, some gallant guards- 

 man, perhaps, quartered in London, or some sprightly young 

 stockbroker, may dash down once or twice a week to Melton 

 or Grantham, have his gallop, and dash back again with im- 

 punity. But older men will be wise to take their delights less 

 violently. And, indeed, in reason they will probably do so. 

 For a man who can afford the drain on his purse inevitable 

 from such a form of hunting, will hardly be so much a bonds- 

 man to Necessity as to be compelled to live regularly in London. 

 Let us suppose, then, that our Londoner has agreed with 

 himself to pursue the fox soberly : he has, as we have shown, 

 plenty of choice. If he. choose to hunt with Mr. Garth, he 

 will find as good a pack of hounds as any in England, a pleasant 

 set of comrades, plenty of foxes, and genuine sport, if his ideas 

 of fox hunting be not bounded by grass fields and flying fences. 

 These hounds hunt four days a week, meeting at eleven, and 

 can be reached best from Reading, Wokingham, and Bracknell. 

 The two Surrey packs are good, but their country is bad, and 

 the same must be said for the East Kent and Wickham. The 

 West Kent have a terrible lot of woodland, but get sometimes 

 into a nice bit of country round Penshurst. The Essex country, 

 which is much given over to plough, and generally is not an 

 engaging tract of land to ride over, except in the Roothings, 

 can be commanded best from Harlow, Chelmsford, and Audley 

 End. The Crawley and Horsham show good sport in Sussex, 

 hunting four days a week, and meeting at eleven mostly, 

 though sometimes a little later. Horsham and Steyning are 

 the most convenient stations for their fixtures. The Old 

 Berkeley are now united under Mr. Hardinge-Cox, who has 

 taken the two countries, hunted to the end of '84-85 by Mr. A. 

 H. Longman and Mr. A. Mackenzie ; the latter has taken his 

 own hounds to the Woodland, Pytchley, vice Lord Lonsdale, 

 who has taken his hounds to Blankney. They are to hunt four 

 days a week. To meet them, Amersham, Slough, and Aylesbury, 



