302 1887. 



pleasant to me to have to find fault and be 

 continually saying ' hold hard.' I have thought 

 the matter over carefully and have determined 

 that I must protect the Hunt servants — (hear, 

 hear) — and that the hounds shall not be ridden 

 over — (hear, hear) — and it is quite possible to 

 ride hounds off the line of their fox, by pressing 

 unduly upon them, without actuall}^ touching 

 one. Such being the case, I now beg to give 

 you fair notice that if the field will not yield to 

 my request not to press hounds, or if I see, or 

 hear, a hound ridden over, I shall exercise the 

 prerogative that will be more galling, perhaps, 

 to Master and Huntsman than any one else — 

 that is to say, if I am to be disregarded I shall 

 not hesitate — in the interest of Hu.nt servants 

 and hounds — to stop hounds and take them 

 home. And I look to all true sportsmen here 

 present to support me in the execution of the 

 duties of Master, which, though arduous, can be 

 made pleasant by their good-natured aid. The 

 older sportmen can instruct the younger how to 

 ride properly to hounds, and this should be 

 learnt by the fireside, as I cannot have the 



