ANECDOTE OF MR. CURTIS EATING A FOX. 31 



hares, although the island abounded with them ;* since 

 that period however tastes have altered ; and although 

 their flesh is now amongst the greatest delicacies of the 

 age, I dare say very few of my readers have par- 

 taken of that of the fox : but the following anecdote of 

 that animal being regularly roasted and served up at 

 the table of one of the greatest " bon vivans" of his 

 day, is undoubtedly true, as I heard it from no less 

 than four different persons, who bore testimony to it, 

 not only from the experience of their eyes, but also of 

 their teeth. The Rev. George Curtis, who was younger 

 brother of the late Sir William Curtis, and rector 

 so many years of the parish of Solihull, in Warwick- 

 shire, was no less celebrated for his attachment to field 

 sports, than for his unbounded hospitality, and for the 

 excellent table which he always kept. So fond was 

 he of the chase, that for many years he kept a pack 

 of harriers himself, with which he sometimes drew for a 

 fox, as there were no fox-hounds in those days, which 

 regularly hunted that neighbourhood. On one occa- 

 sion, when the hounds had accidentally crossed the 

 line of poor reynard, as he was on his travels, and had 

 given him a dressing of upwards of two hours, in the 

 old-fashioned style, which had found the bottom of 

 most of the nags, and amongst them had completely 

 sewed up that of the sporting divine, who finding it 

 almost dark, himself unable to proceed, and that 

 " although the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak," 

 he gave them a parting cheer, and declared to his 

 huntsman, whose name was Joseph Pitchford, that if 

 he succeeded in bringing the brush home, he would, 



* Caesar Bel. Gal. lib. 6, from Strutt. 



