THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



can never be offended in this particular with the tender, affec- 

 tionate censure of, my Lord, 



" Your Grace's most dutiful and most obedient servant 



" M. Maittaire ." 



The incidental allusion to Exton, then the seat of Baptiste, 

 fourth Earl of Gainsborough, of the older creation, shows 

 that the Duke was on a visit there for the purpose of 

 hunting, in accordance with the condition of the following 

 agreement, made between John, Duke of Rutland ; George, 

 Earl of Cardigan ; Baptiste, Earl of Gainsborough ; John, 

 Lord Gower ; and Scrope, Lord Howe : — 



" Each party shall, annually, place in the hands of Alder- 

 man Child, of Temple Bar, by two payments, the sum of 

 ;^I50, towards defraying the annual expense of hounds, horses, 

 and all other incidental charges. If this be not sufficient at 

 the end of the year, it shall be made good by the said party ; 

 and if there should be any surplus, it shall be equally divided. 

 The hounds are to be kept, from the fifteenth of October to 

 the end of November, at Croxton Park ; from the first of 

 December to the last day of January, at Cotsmore ; from the 

 first of February to the last day of March, at Thawson ; and 

 from the first of April to the fourteenth of October, at such 

 places as shall be determined by the party. The size of the 

 hound to be kept shall not exceed twenty inches in height, 

 nor be less than nineteen. There shall be a steward, one 

 huntsman, six whippers-in, and two cooks, to be chosen, 

 turned off, paid, and disposed of by the majority of the said 

 party ; also the majority of the said party shall determine on 

 the number of hounds and horses to be kept. Each of the 

 party in turn shall take upon him, during the hunting season, 

 for the space of one week, and no more at one time, the 

 ordering the stopping of earths, management of the hounds 

 and horses, the appointing the places for hunting, hours for 

 meeting, etc., etc. — the first day's meet to be Croxton Park." ^ 



In 1732, by which time the very moderate expenditure 



* From the notice of the Belvoir hounds in Davis's Hunter's Annual. 

 Sporting Review, 1841, vol. v., p. 129. 



32 



