172 THE MASTER OF HOUNDS 



with him. Thus, I certainly disagree with his allusion 

 to "monkey's allowance." Before a Master sends a 

 whelp to a farm he should satisfy himself in regard to 

 the character of the farmer's wife. The wisest plan 

 would be for him to visit the lady, as Sir John Chester 

 visited Mrs. Varden, salute her according to the custom 

 of the country, if the farmer be absent, and by Machia- 

 vellian flattery persuade her to obey his wishes. This 

 is a duty which, under no circumstances, should the 

 Master ever delegate to his huntsman. As I have said, 

 in the higher grades of country society, the position of 

 the Master is second only to that of the Lord Lieutenant 

 during the hunting season. Amongst the farming 

 classes he should be regarded as the paramount lord 

 of the country which he hunts ; and it is his own fault 

 if he is not regarded as such. He must, however, take 

 care to " summer the country." 



" Beatus ille, qui procul negotiis 

 Ut prisca gens mortalium, 

 Paterna rura bobus exercet suis, 

 Solutus omni fenore." 



But the Masters of Hounds who, like the late Sir 

 Watkin Williams Wynn, live on their own estates, not 

 only during the sporting seasons of the year but 

 throughout the summer, are few and far between. So 

 all details in regard to kennel management are left to 

 the discretion of the huntsman, who is bound to exercise 

 his supervision over the puppies out at walk. 



But I have already exceeded the limits of a chapter, 

 and I do not wish the readers to say : " He draweth 

 out the thread of his verbosity finer than the staple of 



