Anecdote of Lord Palmerston, 69 



hounds actually close to his brush. All the 

 horses had had enough, and all the field left 

 immediately except Lord Palmerston, who ap- 

 peared anxious that the fox should be got out, 

 saying that the hounds deserved to have him. 

 He was told that it would be a long job, as the 

 soil was sandy, and the fox could dig as fast as 

 the men could. ^^^Nfever mind," was the re- 

 ply; '^I will stay and help to the end." His 

 horse was accordingly sent with the rest to a 

 farm-stable, and all hands dug away as long as 

 daylight lasted ; then lanterns were got ; and 

 at a quarter to eleven the fox was got at, after 

 which the future Premier had a ride of four- 

 teen miles in the dark to Broadlands. The 

 explanation of his anxiety was, that his horse 

 was entered for the Hampshire Hunt cup, to 

 qualify for which it was necessary that he 

 should have been in at the death of three 

 foxes — and this made the third. 



Lord Palmerston, as is well known, per- 

 mitted, or rather encoui'aged, his friends to cor- 



