THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



the credit of being the first to start a quicker, more decisive 

 method of hunting ; but, in fact, several people had this idea 

 about the same time. Indeed, the necessity of killing foxes 

 must have suggested to any observant man who hunted 

 hounds that, unless he took some advantages, he could hope 

 to bring but few foxes to hand. For if an old fox gets a 

 good start with hounds, it is six to four on him even with 

 a modern pack and a modern huntsman behind him, and we 

 may be sure that the keen old fox-hunters of the last century 

 soon found this out. Mr. Meynell began hunting in 1753, 

 when the Duke of Rutland had been hunting the fox at 

 Belvoir for thirty years, and the Fitzwilliam, the Cottesmore, 

 Duke of Beaufort's, the Cheshire, the Brocklesby and the 

 Pytchley hounds were all in full swing before 1760. Besides 

 these there were many other packs, among which were those 

 of the Dukes of Grafton and Bedford. The country was 

 more open, and being undrained was deeper than at present, 

 so that hounds often beat horses, but there was much less 

 plough than we have. Foxes were fewer, and when hounds 

 did find a fox they had to stick to him. There was no 

 possibility of casting at a gallop in a crowd without a vestige 

 of a line, and finding another. But, on the whole, I am 

 disposed to doubt whether sport is not quite as good as of 

 old, and whether after all we do not have as many long runs 

 as did our forefathers. In this view I am supported by the 

 opinion of Mr. John Welby, who says : " I am of opinion the 

 sport of the present day is as good as formerly." ^ 



If from the methods of hunting we turn to the followers of 

 the hounds, we shall find that many generally received ideas 

 cannot be sustained. While statesmen and men of fashion, 

 with some notable exceptions, had been content to leave to 

 the country squire the pottering chase of the hare, directly the 

 fox was the object of pursuit hunting became a fashionable 

 sport and grew in favour with all classes. While the good 

 old fox-hunting squire of the Western type still existed, the 

 followers of the hunt were drawn from as various classes as 

 they are now. This, Dr. Aikin, whom I have already quoted, 

 * Memoirs of Belvoir Hounds, p. 4. 

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