The Cottesmore. 93 



them respectively the Melton country, tlie Oakham or 

 middle country, and the woods. For two days and 

 the best two days in their week Melton is an admirable 

 base. Oakham is in the very middle of the country 

 and commands every meet; while if some vagary of 

 fancy should prompt you to take stabling at Stamford 

 you are on the spot for the woodlands. Concerning 

 Melton we have already spoken. Oakham is held by 

 its patrons to be facile princeps as a centre for sport ; 

 for, besides holding' good all the Cottesmore meets, 

 it is within reach of a Quorn Friday, an occasional 

 Belvoir Saturday, and a day once a fortnight with 

 Mr. Tailby. But it is, of course, essentially in con- 

 nection with the Cottesmore that Oakham recommends 

 itself — offering such a fill of wild and varied hunting 

 that a man need go no farther afield, in quest of 

 change. The Cottesmore country, indeed, is the one 

 of all others where a hard riding well mounted lover 

 of foxhunting may best enjoy himself. It is here 

 that foxhunting is to be seen in its wildest truest 

 form ; but to see it a man 77iust ride hard, and to ride 

 hard (and successfully) he must, as we have said, be 

 more than fairly mounted. As regards Stamford, we 

 doubt if any one ever fixes upon it as a hunting 

 quarter, though it is about as near London as either 

 Melton or Oakham, and commands as much of the 

 Fitzwilliam as it does of the Cottesmore. All three 

 places are situate on the line between Leicester and 

 Peterboro^, and can thus be reached either by the Mid- 

 land or Great Northern, in three to three and a half 

 hours. All three, also, are quiet market towns. Apart 

 from hunting, they were evidently of more importance 



