218 The Hunting Countries of England. 



THE SOUTH DURHAM.* 



The present Soutli Durliam, as most of tlie world — all 

 the northern world — knowa^ was originally a main 

 part of the country hunted by the celebrated Ralph 

 Lamb ton in the early part of the present century. 



There were no railroads in those days, and not a 

 quarter the collieries. The bones of Ralph Lambton 

 would rattle in their grave if a whisper could go into 

 his coffin, that the map of his old hunting grounds 

 was now cut and striped with red lines — as closely 

 and promiscuously as the back of a comrade-robbing 

 soldier, expiating his offence on a gunwheel. Tempora 

 mutanUir ; neither the simile nor the chart is any 

 longer fitting. We live in an age of progress : our 

 sentiments are more refined, if our morals are no 

 purer ; every man is as good as his neighbour, better 

 if he claims no parentage, far better if the slur of 

 education is not upon him — but somehow foxhunting 

 survives. Even an almost unexampled labyrinth of 

 railways, such as Upper Durham can show, does not 

 avail to crush it. Lord Fitzwilliam has shown what 

 can be done against the black genii of the earth in 



* Vide Stanford's " Hunting Map," Sheet 5, and Hobson's 

 Foxhunting Atlas. 



