The Warwickshire. 303 



gorse covert, that is none too certain. Oxhill 

 Gorse, however, was planted and is rented by Sir C. 

 Mordaunt, and is well situated in a fine grass country. 

 Idlicote has lots of foxes, and a pretty twenty minutes 

 from here to Brailes Hill is of frequent occurrence. 

 Ilmington, neutral with North Cotswold, is in a hilly 

 district, and is difficult to get away from. But it is of 

 great service during cubhunting. 



A note by the author of an old book on the War- 

 wickshire Hunt is almost worth adding. 



"Ladies, singly, and in groups, have often graced the 

 meet of the Warwickshire Hounds, but we are not 

 certain that any of them have ever made a practice of 

 joining in the chase. *" I am not aware^ (says a corres- 

 pondent to a sporting paper recently published) ' of 

 any picture more beautiful than an elegant female on 

 horseback; Lady Grosvenor is a striking exemplifica- 

 tion, whom I have repeatedly seen at the fixtures for 

 the Cheshire hounds. I have never observed her cross 

 iihe country. Her ladyship^s presence at the fixture was 

 highly gratifying ; it gave a degree of interest to the 

 scene which would not have been derived from any 

 other source. Amidst the busy jocularity of such a 

 meeting, there might indeed be seen the homage which 

 high birth and distinguished rank paid to loveliness 

 and beauty. Lady Grrosvenor remains to witness the 

 finding of the fox, and when he goes away, if he 

 happens to take a direction that will enable her to see 

 the run, she rides along the lanes, crosses the 

 inclosures, where gates or openings happen to be 

 convenient, and continues in this way as long as she 

 can. I think I once observed her up at the death of a 



