THE CHASE OF THE CARTED DEER. 261 



scription of the sport as pursued by the royal j)ack in the early 

 part of the present century, and I fancy they will say that it is 

 by the pen of an enthusiastic admirer, and loses nothing from 

 his manner of telling : — 



"Eapturously transporting as is the moment of meeting, 

 and throwing off with fox-hounds, no less so is the awfully 

 impressive prelude to turning out the deer. The scene is 

 affectingly grand, far beyond the descriptive power of the pen, 

 and can only be seen to be perfectly understood. Unless an 

 outlying deer is drawn for and found in the neighbouring woods, 

 as is sometimes the case, a stag, hind, or havier, is carted from 

 the paddocks of his Majesty at Swinley Lodge (where they are 

 previously and properly fed for the chase), and brought at a 

 certain hour (ten o'clock in the morning) to the place 

 appointed, of which the surrounding neighbourhood have 

 been sufficiently informed. At the distance of a quarter or 

 half a mile from the covered convenience containing the 

 deer are the hounds, surrounded by the huntsman and his 

 assistants, called yeomen prickers, in scarlet and gold; a 

 part of these having French horns, and upon which they 

 must be good performers. 



"In a very short time after the expiration of the hour agreed 

 on, his Majesty is seen to approach, attended by the Master of the 

 Horse and Equeries in waiting ; it being the official duty of the 

 master of the stag-hounds to be with them, and ready to receive 

 his Majesty when he arrives. So soon as his Majesty resigns his 

 hack, and is remounted for the chase, the huntsman receives 

 an injunctive signal from the master of the hounds to liberate 

 the deer. The moment which is obeyed, the usual law, 

 amounting to ten minutes (more or less), is allowed for his 

 going away ; during this interval, the sonorous strains of the 

 horns, the musical melodious echo of the hounds, the mutual 

 gratulations of so distinguished an assemblage, and the con- 

 descending kindness and affability of the sovereign to the loyal 

 subjects who love and surround him, is a repast too rich, a 



