HUNTS AND THEIR HISTORY 153 



with the amusing Biography of a Huntsman. This 

 huntsman was Squires, who served under Mr. Naylor 

 and who showed good sport with a scratch pack. 

 The story of this man's varied career as told by himself 

 cannot be read without interest by any sportsman. 



The history of the Pytchley Hunt is more closely 

 connected with English social life in the later part of 

 the eighteenth and the whole of the nineteenth century 

 than that of any other. The story is full of interest 

 and the country of associations with men celebrated 

 not only in the chase, but in war, literature, states- 

 manship and commerce. Northamptonshire has been 

 the playground of many distinguished men. The 

 country, too, owes something to its situation, for it 

 has at all times been accessible from London, and the 

 railway has added to its convenience without cutting 

 up its best hunting ground to the same extent as has 

 been done in some other equally famous countries. 



As regards hunting it is second to none, and we 

 have on record the opinion of Osbaldeston, who hunted 

 hounds and carried the horn in both the Quorn and 

 Pytchley countries, that he preferred the latter. But 

 there is no need to make comparisons, for in reality 

 men are likely to prefer that country in which they 

 find themselves. They can see its advantages and 

 experience the sport which is shown. Now, in the 

 Pytchley, as in some other famous hunting districts, 

 there are more good runs every year than the best 

 mounted and the boldest man can see. The Pytchley 

 is known wherever men speak of hunting and even 

 to those who have seldom or perhaps never joined in 

 the sport. It is rather difficult to say exactly at what 

 period the Pytchley country was first hunted. Prob- 

 ably there never was a time when the chase in some 

 form or another did not exist in a county so suited for 



