THE HISTORY OF THE BEL VOIR HUNT 



looked exactly in the right place as master of a Leicestershire 

 pack. 



But we have passed from the domain of history to that of 

 the present time, from the department of the historian to that 

 of the chronicler, and are on ground already well covered 

 by Mr. Bradley's book. 



For various reasons the Duke decided to give up the sole 

 responsibility of the hounds in 1896, while still retaining 

 possession of the priceless family pack. This was to be lent 

 to the country for the lifetime of the present Duke, and, as in 

 the past days, a master was sought for who would manage 

 the pack and carry on the hunt in the true spirit of past tra- 

 ditions. Such a master was found in Sir Gilbert Greenall, of 

 whose reign I say but little, as it does not belong to my 

 subject. To describe or to praise it would be to criticise. 

 This much, however, I may say — that, having visited the 

 kennels and seen the hounds, I know that the standard of 

 the pack is as high as ever, and that the stables have never 

 had so fine a collection of high-class hunters as at present. 

 Nor has Sir Gilbert fallen behind his predecessors in care for, 

 and sympathy with, the farmers of the hunt, while in field 

 and kennel his huntsman, Ben Capell, is worthy to carry on 

 the great line of sportsmen which began in the eighteenth 

 century with Newman. 



Thus, then, we leave the history of the Belvoir Hunt. The 

 closing scenes may give rise to a sigh for the country life 

 of England passing away from us, perhaps for ever. Yet, 

 though we know we cannot stay the movement which is 

 sweeping away so much that is beautiful and picturesque 

 from our midst, we cannot but look back on the life and 

 sports of a day that is past with a pleasure largely mingled 

 with regret at the inevitable change. 



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