1870—71.] THE PRINCE OF WALES AT MELTON. 27 



establishment ; Lord Dupplin had gone well throughout ; and if 

 there were others — and there were several — whom the excitement 

 of the burst and anxiety for his own well-being prevented the 

 historian from noticing, let them receive his apology in good 

 part, and drink with him a bumper to the health and happiness 

 of the Prince who enters so eagerly into our glorious pastime, 

 and to the success of foxhunting in Leicestershire and else- 

 where. 



A word of sympathy is called for by the ill-luck of the best of 

 our heavy weights, Mr. Fenwick, who lamed his horse in the 

 early part of the afternoon, and so was debarred from cutting 

 down the ox rails and the bulk of his light-weight comrades as 

 he would have done. Another right good welter, the straight- 

 going Eector of Rearsby — who on Hercules rode so gallantly 

 over these very fences in the Marquis of Hastings' "Bobtail 

 run " before alluded to — to-day was forced by the accidents 

 of the hunting field into merely looking on from a hack. 



Friday, March 17. — Baggrave Hall was the place chosen by 

 the Master of the Quorn where all due honour should be paid 

 to the Prince ; and a right royal reception was prepared by Col. 

 Burnaby. The preparations not only included such a dejeuner 

 cle chasse as would have done credit to Francatelli's overseeing 

 and made the gourmands pocket the bills of fare for home dis- 

 cussion, but boasted of a completeness which only genius and 

 good taste could have accomplished between them. At the en- 

 trance to the park was a triumphal arch, on which were inscribed 

 the names of every master who has reigned over the Quorn for the 

 last hundred years (Mr. Coupland, Mr. Musters, and Mr. Clowes 

 — who were present — occupying the most prominent positions), 

 and of all the chief coverts of the hunt ; with, overhead, a loyal 

 inscription. The door of the hall, too, was decorated much in 

 the same way. The mob were kept back by a strong force of 

 police in such a manner that they could see and cheer to their 

 hearts' content, and could neither grumble in consequence, nor 

 make themselves intrusive. 



The hounds were parading in front of the house shortly before 



