THE tedworth. 175 



when any unusual obstacle presented itself, but also by the 

 manner in which he rode some years later when he took his 

 hounds on a tour through his old countries by invitation, and 

 had a few days in Leicestershire and Lincolnshire. 



i^ow let us see how he set about the transformation on which 

 he had set his heart, and it will be very evident that he had 

 not scanned the features of the country and estimated its capa- 

 bilities in vain. In fact, although I have caUed it the worst 

 country in England, I only mean that it is a country of 

 the worst type or description— not that it is really inferior, 

 now its resources are opened up, to those which immediately 

 surround it ; and as hunting was carried on in the Craven 

 and other Hampshire countries, as well as others of a similar 

 character, it was very evident it could be also in the Ted- 

 worth. 



His first care Avas to get permission from the owners of coverts 

 to make good ridings through all those large woodlands I have 

 mentioned, save and except those on the south adjoining the 

 New Forest country, where, I believe, he never went himself 

 but once, and declared he would never go again, — a resolve which 

 those who know it will not wonder at, as the smaU boggy fields, 

 blind, cramped fences, over which you must creep rather than 

 jump, and interminable woodlands, were very ill-suited to his 

 bold, dashing style of riding. In the northern woods, how- 

 ever, he set to work in earnest, and soon had them so well 

 rided, that it was a very easy matter for both him and his whips 

 to reach their hounds, Avith proper gates and exits to enable 

 them to get away from them. In this the landowners also 

 found their advantage, for not only did he keep everything 

 with which he had any connexion in first-rate order, but the 

 light and air which was thus let into the coverts was of mate- 

 rial benefit to the timber. How much labour he must have 

 employed, or money circulated, through these undertakings, it 

 boots not here to mention. We now find him with a very large 

 extent of country got into something like order, and this was the 



