212 FOX-HUNTING IN THE SHIRES 



been offered for a horse, and I should doubt if, with 

 the exception of a show hunter — and the show hunter 

 is not the horse we should choose to cross Leicester- 

 shire on — many horses have been sold for this sum 

 in our time. All these riders were also determined 

 not to be daunted by any reasonable fence and all 

 were actuated by the same resolution not to be far 

 from hounds. They were fine horsemen and, though 

 they drank more claret and port than we do, they 

 smoked much less, so they may have had the advan- 

 tage of us in nerve. If the reader will study the 

 pictures of those days, he will see that the riders are 

 drawn as a rule with excellent seats. In the paint- 

 ings of Aiken, Ferneley, Wildrake and other artists 

 of the day, the riders, whether depicted galloping or 

 taking their fences, are all sitting on the right place 

 on their saddles. The horses have light double 

 bridles and have plenty of liberty given them by the 

 rider's hand. 



But then, as now, these front rank men were not 

 the only ones who went out hunting in the Shires. 

 We have seen that a visitor from Essex has noted 

 that the gates were then, as they are still in our own 

 day, a temptation to many, so while valour naturally 

 has the largest share of the record, discretion had 

 the greater number of disciples. Some of the latter 

 manage to see a great deal of the good runs and 

 nearly the whole of the inferior ones. In all periods 

 of hunting history the first-rate runs have been few 

 in comparison to the ordinary hunts. It is true that 

 in Leicestershire there are very few days during 

 which, for some few minutes at least, the gallant ones 

 have not opportunities of showing their courage, 

 for, if you make up your mind to ride as near hounds 

 as possible, there are nearly always bright minutes 



