20 In Scarlet and Silk 



But, strangely enough, it would appear 

 that our ancestors living before the time of 

 Eichard 11. did not hunt the fox. Amongst 

 the earliest of quarry, we find allusions to 

 the bear, wolf, stag, boar, wild-cat, and hare, 

 but the "little red-rover" was either left 

 unmolested, or else, perhaps, regarded as 

 merely unworthy vermin, to be despatched 

 by trapping, or a knock on the head — when 

 caught ! Perhaps it was the difficulty of 

 laying hands on him that first suggested the 

 idea of calling in the aid of hounds for his 

 destruction. Be that as it may, there is proof 

 that the fox was looked upon as a " beaste of 

 venerie" in this reign, and by the vast majo- 

 rity of men who hunt to-day would surely be 

 accorded pride of place amongst them all. 



Well may hunting be called a " Royal " 

 sport, for from earliest ages a large propor- 

 tion of our monarchs have followed hounds ; 

 and it is recorded of "Good Queen Bess" 

 that she was still hunting when past her 

 seventy-sixth year : a truly wonderful per- 

 formance for any woman. 



