BRITISH SPORT PAST AND PRESENT 



' Sir Roger being at present too old for fox-hunting, to keep 

 himself in action, has disposed of his beagles and got a pack of 

 stop-hounds. What these want in speed, he endeavours to 

 make amends for by the deepness of their mouths and the 

 variety of their notes, which are suited in such manner to each 

 other, that the whole cry makes up a complete concert. He 

 is so nice in this particular, that a gentleman having made 

 him a present of a very fine hound the other day, the knight 

 returned it by the servant with a great many expressions of 

 civility ; bvit desired him to tell his master, that the dog he 

 had sent was indeed a most excellent bass, but that at present 

 he only wanted a counter-tenor. Could I believe my friend 

 had ever read Shakespeare, I should certainly conclude he 

 had taken the hint from Theseus in the Midsummer Nighfs 

 Dream : — 



" My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind, 

 So flu'd, so sanded ; ^ and their heads are hung 

 With ears that sweep away the morning dew, 

 Crook-knee'd and dew-lap'd like Thessalian bulls, 

 Slow in pursuit, but matched in mouths like bells. 

 Each under each. A cry more tunable 

 Was never halloo'd to, nor cheer^l with liorn." 



' Sir Roger is so keen at this sport, that he has been out 

 almost every day since I came down ; and upon the chaplain's 

 offering to lend me his easy pad, I was prevailed on yesterday 

 morning to make one of the company. I was extremely 

 pleased as we rid along, to observe the general benevolence of 

 all the neighbourhood towards my friend. The farmers' sons 

 thought themselves happy if they could open a gate for the 

 good old knight as he passed by ; which he generally requited 

 with a nod or a smile, and a kind inquiry after their fathers 

 or uncles. 



' After we had rid about a mile from home, we came upon 

 a large heath, and the sportsmen began to beat." They had 



' Marked with small specks. 



- ' Some huntsmen trail to a hare, others trouble themselves not at all about trailing 



44 



