A WEEK AT MELTON 29 



Nevertheless, though it is pleasant to do as other 

 people, it is not perhaps essential to copy them in 

 all things. 



For those who mean to hunt four or five days a week 

 I should say that six good horses, and a polo pony or 

 two to ride or drive, are a minimum stable. Never- 

 theless, if you are bent on seeing Melton with a smaller 

 stud you can always have business in London if the 

 stable runs short, or Mr. Hames of Leicester or Mr. 

 Cowley of Braybrooke near Market Harborough will 

 mount you as well or better than you can do it your- 

 self. Like all other centres of English society now- 

 adays, that of the hunting towns has become very 

 large. The latter has, of course, its sets and divisions, 

 but no one troubles about your affairs, and you can 

 ride hard or not as you please and dress as you like 

 without attracting attention. 



Nevertheless, wherever he goes, the wise man will 

 try not to differ from the crowd. No one, for instance, 

 would wear a cap or butcher-boots with a pink coat, 

 or go out without a thong to his crop. I imagine too 

 that he would not have a bridle with buckles, or any- 

 thing but a plain flapped saddle, or put a breastplate 

 on his horse. He should be prepared also to subscribe 

 liberally to at least three packs of hounds. 



It is perhaps possible to hunt nearly as inexpensively 

 in the grass countries as elsewhere, but still no one 

 would choose Melton with a view to economy. The 

 visitor who makes use of the country for his pleasure 

 ought certainly to pay for the advantages to obtain 

 which he has left his own country. For if fox-hunting 

 is to continue and to prosper in the Midlands, it 

 can only do so by having its advantages made clear 

 to the people of the district. Everything then that 

 can possibly be purchased in the place should be 



