OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 127 



of his life lie always saw the pack drawn out 

 for hunting ; and on his return in the evening, 

 he generally (even if he had company) went to 

 see them fed before his dinner. He observed, 

 how necessary it was in man to guard against 

 propensities ; and although too much refinement 

 was dangerous, he was often obliged to make 

 sacrifices to it. Yet to him there was no real 

 pleasure without it : such sentiments could only 

 emanate from a superior and refined understand- 

 ing. — Mr. Meynell was a second son. His father 

 having disinherited his elder brother, he came 

 into a fine estate at an early age, and soon had 

 the good sense to discover that he had not made 

 the best use of his education to qualify him for 

 the proper enjoyment of fortune ; and he im- 

 mediately engaged a clergyman, a Mr. C , 



as his tutor and companion, and studied dili- 

 gently imder him two or three years. This speaks 

 volumes ! — I remember Mr. Meynell first setting 

 out with a pack of hounds to hunt fox, and often 

 met him in Staffordshire hunting them himself ; 

 he was then, according to my recollection, the 

 worst sportsman and wildest huntsman that I 

 ever saw out with hounds. That wildness he 

 soon restrained to proper eagerness, keeping in 

 bounds the finest spirits and energy that perhaps 

 man ever possessed. His voice and articulation 



