THE HISTORY OF THE BELVOIR HUNT 



pathy, insight and character, which levels all distinction of 

 class, because it is in itself the greatest distinction of all by 

 its very rarity. Perhaps indeed the best illustration of this 

 is to be found in Belvoir at that time, when the two men who 

 had the gift to the greatest extent were the Duke who was 

 born at Belvoir, and the huntsman who was trained in the 

 stable. Wherever charm is found, human nature will value 

 it above what are sometimes called more solid qualities, 

 because it brings more happiness to mankind in its train. 

 But apart from the charm which can be felt but not described, 

 Goodall was a man who took infinite pains in his vocation, 

 and he gave himself the trouble to think. At Belvoir Castle 

 among the most interesting of the books placed at my dis- 

 posal by the Duke of Rutland was an oblong green volume 

 containing Will Goodall's diaries, written when the great 

 huntsman was at the height of his fame and popularity. 



From the very first moment he handled the horn Goodall 

 showed great sport. He had served in a good school in his 

 youth, and for four years he had been with Goosey and Tom 

 Flint. The first run worthy of record was one from Colston 

 Bassett, on December the 8th, still a home of sport and of 

 foxes, where Mr. R. M. Knowles and his son support with 

 equal liberality the South Notts, the Quorn, and the Belvoir, 

 at the meeting point of which hunts the Hall is situated. In 

 Burton Sleigh Woods the Belvoir clashed with Sir R. Sutton's 

 hounds (the Cottesmore), and hounds ran well together, pack- 

 ing as hounds of different kennels but similar race will often 

 do, for two hours and forty minutes. The joint pack drew 

 Burton Long Wood. They changed foxes often, but it was 

 not till dark that they were stopped and each huntsman 

 trotted away with his own pack. 



There were, however, at this time some clouds over the 

 prosperity of the hunt. The following is interesting, not only 

 as telling us of this, but as giving a key to the cost of 

 hunting a first-rate country, and also as showing that Lord 

 Forester hunted five days a week, and giving us his views as 

 to the number of hunting days required to do justice to the 

 country. 



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