SCIENCE OF FOXHUNTING. 263 



We learnt many particulars relative to Mr. 

 Meynell and his establishment from a very old 

 friend, who had hunted with him in his early days, 

 and who could not say too much in his praise; and, 

 if we remember rightly, notwithstanding the num- 

 ber of hounds in kennel, with such an extent of 

 country, he seldom hunted more than three days in 

 the week, and it was not then the fashion to have 

 second horses in the field. Sir Wheeler Cuffe also, 

 it appears from his own account, was the first man 

 who introduced clipping, or, as he called it, " shaving 

 horses." His stud being reduced by hard work or 

 accidents, he was told of a good hunter then run- 

 ning loose in a farmyard (having been disabled the 

 previous season), but now quite sound, although 

 with a coat like a bear. A bargain having been 

 struck with his present owner, he was transferred to 

 the baronet's stable, who, to bring him quickly into 

 hunting trim, hit upon the novel expedient of first 

 cutting off all the long hair, and then sending for 

 the village barber, to lather and shave him all over 

 excepting the head and legs ; and he used to relate 

 with great glee that, although well known before in 

 the hunt, he was not recognized by even his former 

 master after this metamorphosis, his colour having 

 been quite changed. Sir Wheeler had been a first 

 nightman in Leicestershire, and he was not only a 

 genuine foxhunter, but an observer of the working 

 of the hounds, and the lessons taught him early in 

 life by the father of foxhunting were treasured up 

 in his mind with great care, and proved of much 

 service to us when commencing our career as 



