THE HUNTSMAN 39 



reckoned the best woodland one of the day ; or Oldacre, with 

 the Berkeley ; or Lambert, with Lord Lonsdale ; or old Tom 

 Leedham, with Mr. Meynell, or Mr. Meynell Ingram, as he is 

 now called ; and doubtless many others, whose names do not 

 occur at this moment to our recollection ? 



Some of the best men of recent times are on the wrong side 

 of fifty — Goosey, Sebright, Shirley, Williamson, Walker, 

 Burton, and, if we mistake not. Will Long. Davis, too, the 

 Queen's huntsman, is advancing, and Tom Hill must be 

 getting on, both in beef and age, but no one can do the trick 

 like Tom on the Surrey hills. He ought to be called Lord 

 Hill. 



Mr. Smith, late Master of the Pytchley and Craven Hunts, 

 thus sums up his list of requisites for a Huntsman in his 

 " Diary of a Huntsman." " To be perfect," says he, " a Hunts- 

 man should possess the following qualifications : — Health, 

 memory, decision, temper and patience, voice and sight, 

 courage and spirits, perseverance, activity ; and with these 

 he will soon make a bad pack a good one. If quick, he will 

 make a slow pack quick ; if slow, he will make a quick pack 

 slow." 



The following capital ad\ice cannot perhaps be more season- 

 ably introduced than at the present moment : — 



"But first, to become a good one he must have a fair chance," 

 says Mr. Smith, " and should not be interfered with by any one 

 after he leaves the place of meeting ; previous to which, on all 

 occasions, it would be best if the Master of hounds was to 

 arrange with him which covers should be drawn first, &c. It 

 rarely happens that two men think exactly alike, and unless he 

 is capable of judging for himself after the above arrangement 

 (which had much better be done over night) the Master is to 

 blame in keeping him ; but if he is capable, the Master is to 

 blame by interfering ; for, consequently, the man will be ever 

 thinking — what does Master think ? and will not gain that 



