THE OLD HUNTSMAN AND THE YOUNG ^MASTER 



the hunt in every way. The following was a contemporary 

 view of the case : — 



" We are sorry to say that this latter pack," the Belvoir, 

 " are unable to hunt much in the neighbourhood of Melton, 

 owing to the ill-feelings of Lord Harborough. For several 

 years the hounds have been stopped when approaching the 

 Stapleford preserves ; but now they are not permitted to 

 enter any portion of Lord Harborough's property, so as not 

 to allow that person any pretext for legal proceedings. In 

 order completely to prevent this, Lord Forester has adver- 

 tised in the Leicestershire journals his desire that every per- 

 son hunting with his hounds will be equally particular, and 

 avoid trespassing on all lands belonging to his uncourteous 

 neighbour. That a ' man has a right to do what he likes 

 with his own ' is an undoubted truism sanctioned by ducal 

 authority ; but it is one which, if generally acted up to in a 

 selfish spirit by the great landed proprietors, would not only 

 produce much ill-feeling from their inferiors, but would 

 speedily recoil upon themselves by converting all the middle 

 classes into Chartists." ^ 



But Goosey's time was drawing to a close, and he received 

 a testimonial which is so often at once a compliment for the 

 past and a suggestion for the future. The followers of the 

 Belvoir Hunt in 1835 presented their huntsman with a 

 handsome silver cup and cover, on which was the follow- 

 ing inscription : " To Thomas Goosey, nearly twenty years 

 huntsman to the Belvoir Hunt. This cup is presented by 

 certain noblemen and gentlemen as a tribute to his true 

 sportsman-like qualities. 8th April, 1835." 



Shortly before Goosey's retirement we have an account of 

 a visit to the kennels by Mr. John Mills, a critic in sporting 

 subjects somewhat of the Nimrod school. After some lines 

 of description of Belvoir, Mr. Mills goes on : — 



" Upon my arrival at the Belvoir kennels, I was received 



by the Lord Chamberlain and the Equerries-in-waiting, or 



in more intelligible language, Goosey the huntsman and the 



two whips. Previous to saying anything of the hounds I 



^ Sporting Magazine, January, 1841. 



147 



