84 OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 



fine field of wheat, where he was taken ; it was 

 so trodden that the next morning not a blade 

 of wheat could be seen ; uiDon which his Lord- 

 ship, with his usual liberality, ordered his steward 

 to have the supposed damage valued, and to 

 send the farmer the amount of the valuation ; 

 at the harvest time, the latter waited on his 

 Lordship to return the money, having housed 

 the best crop of Avheat he ever had in his life. 

 Lord Derby was so pleased with the conduct of 

 the honest farmer, that he begged his acceptance 

 of the money. This is as it should be ! 



The hunt club dinners are of great service ; 

 they keep up the spirit of the thing. Those 

 country gentlemen who are liberal minded, fond 

 of Society, and favourably inclined towards the 

 noble science, although from some cause or other 

 they do not hunt themselves, like occasionally 

 to meet Sportsmen from different parts of the 

 country. The meeting of gentlemen of landed 

 property together at these dinners, shews a cordi- 

 ality in the support of fox-hunting ; and it often 

 deters the illiberal from destroying foxes. They 

 will reason thus, — " I hate the sight of a hound, 

 and it annoys me to see people riding over my 

 land ; yet, if I act contrary to the wishes of 

 so many of my neighbovu-s and friends, and 

 endeavour to thwart their favourite amusement. 



