594 THE HORSE, 



the number and excellence of the packs maintained in it, the 

 nature of the country, consisting chiefly of meadows of old 

 turf, and from the great resort of opulent sportsmen. It is 

 here, and especially at the little town of Melton-Mowbray, 

 that the stranger will best learn the nature of the sport as it 

 is now pursued. The times and places of meeting of the 

 various packs having been advertised, the preparation begins 

 by the various horses being sent off to cover, the principal 

 sportsmen sending two horses, each mounted by a groom, 

 one of which is to serve as a relay. In an hour or more, the 

 sportsmen themselves are to be seen in motion, some riding to 

 cover on their hacks, as they are termed, but which, in truth, 

 are horses of the first class, whilst others are to be seen 

 rolling rapidly along in their gay and glittering equipages ; a 

 singular contrast with the same sport in times when the 

 good squire, roused from his slumbers long before the break 

 of day, sped his weary way through mist, darkness, and mud, 

 to the place of meeting. The hour of assembling is usually 

 eleven, when a field of from one to two hundred sportsmen is to 

 be seen congregated from all the neighbouring country near 

 the place of throwing off. The whole has an air of business 

 and system, surprising to those who have been used to the 

 pomp and clamour of the chase of other countries. There is 

 assembled a concourse of persons of every rank, from the 

 farmer to the peer, all with the air and feeling of independ- 

 ence, mounted on highly-conditioned horses, and deeply in- 

 tent on the dangerous and exciting game to be played. The 

 Fox is almost certainly found in the first cover, or in one of 

 the neighbouring ones, so that what are called blank days 

 very rarely occur. When the fox breaks cover, followed by 

 the leading hounds, the eager crowd of horsemen is all in 

 motion and at speed. But it were useless to describe a scene 

 familiar to so many, and which must be seen to be at all un- 

 derstood. It suffices to observe, that the chase is a rapid gal- 

 lop, interrupted by the most formidable obstacles of fence, 

 gate, stile, and brook, which a completely enclosed country 



