THE SQUIRE OF ASWARBY 



The Mr. Errington referred to was master of the Quorn 

 from 1835-38, and his portrait will be found in the Melton 

 Hunt breakfast picture. 



Then comes one of the most charming of the whole series. 

 Sir Richard Sutton was one of the best sportsmen who ever 

 lived, and a firm believer in the Belvoir huntsman and the 

 Belvoir blood. 



xni 



" Belvoir Kennels, 



''July %th, 1857. 

 "Honoured Sir, — 



" I beg to thank you very much for your kind letter of 

 this morning's post, reminding me of many, many good men 

 and true who have left the field since we first met there ; to 

 return, alas ! no more. In casting a retrospective glance 

 upon the past, how many names I find struck off our true 

 fox-hunters' list, our late good Duke for one, but whose age 

 we could not expect would allow him to remain any longer. 

 But then come the names of Halford and Sutton, just in 

 their prime, and real supporters of the noble science — heavy 

 losses these, which is already beginning to tell, with many 

 others that are gone, when we live to see that beautiful old 

 Cottesmore country deserted. Oh, that they were all de- 

 posited in our churchyard, that we might, in these beautiful, 

 though solitary summer evenings, meditate among their 

 tombs. Thankful shall I feel when I hear the joyful cheer 

 from the peasantry proclaiming harvest home. Then will I, 

 too, most heartily shout and proclaim the first hunting morn- 

 ing, which I hope and trust will be followed up as in days 

 of yore ; for there is no sport so conducive to health, so 

 bracing to the nerves, and that gives such good tone to the 

 stomach, as fox-hunting ; and I think, if nothing unforeseen 

 occurs, I shall have sixty couples for the first of November, 

 that will tune up our hearts and fill us as full of joy and 

 gladness as they used to do to our forefathers some fifty 

 years ago 'in the Belvoir Hunt.' 



" I am very pleased to hear of the capture of the two New- 



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