CHAPTER III 



THE MASTER — CONTINUED 



"^^^Ss^t' ■ ^^^^^£^ 



HE great Masters of antiquity, 

 if we may so call them — 

 Meynell, Beckford, Corbet, 

 Lee Anthone, John ^^^a^de, 

 Ralph Lambton, and so on — 

 ha\e been described as para- 

 gons of politeness as well as 

 models of keenness. We 

 doubt not they were, but we 

 have as good gentlemen now- 

 a-da3-s, though the Grandison 

 style is somewhat relaxed. The fact is, a man won't do for a 

 Master of Hounds unless he is a gentleman. Wealth, birth, 

 keenness, all combined, won't do unless he has that inde- 

 scribable quality which may be best defined as a sincere desire 

 to please, with a nervous dread of saying or doing anything 

 that ma\' hurt the feelings of another. Some men may go 

 blundering and bullying on to be sure, by mere dint of purse, 

 but it is a weary up-hill game, generally wearing them out at 

 last, as it has worn out their followers. 



We cannot help thinking that one of the mistakes of the 

 day is that of making too much of a business of hunting. 

 Hence we have nervous, irritable Masters, who are a nuisance 

 to themselves and to ever}- one they come thwart of. If a 



