CHAP. I.] Pytchley Club — '' Rapping y 15 



Hunt. The hounds were again taken back to Pytchley for 

 a part of tlie season, as of old ; and the Club so long left 

 out in tlie cold^ recovered all its former attractions. 

 Writing of this period^ ^^ the Druid '^ says : " Pytchley 

 was at that time in the zenith of its glory. The 

 mornings afforded unmixed pleasure, and nectar crowned 

 the night." Among the names of members of the Club 

 at that time, those of Kuightley, Elwes, Payne (father 

 of George Payne), Nethercote, Lord Sondes, Davy, Rose, 

 Cook, Hanbury, Isham, were all of the county — whilst 

 among the strangers were those of Hugo Meynell, 

 Gurney (Dick), Sir David and James Baird, Allix, Lucas, 

 Bowen, Frank Forester, Sefton, Hervey, &c., &c. The 

 studs were of the first order, and the riders were 

 worthy of them. Jealousy was unknown, and sport 

 alone was the object of all." In asserting thus much 

 the author of ^' Silk and Scarlet" contemplates a state 

 of things which probably never existed at any time or in 

 any place where men and horses were jointly concerned ; 

 but it is likely that jealous riding was not nearly so 

 common then as now. There were '^ bruisers" in those 

 days, but they were not so frequent as they became 

 when, wealth getting more generally diffused, the number 

 of hunting-men increased twenty fold. A somewhat 

 peculiar custom at the Club was, that any member after 

 dinner, on depositing half-a-crown in a wine-glass, might 

 name and put up to auction the horse of any other 

 member, the owner being entitled to one bid on his 

 own behest. This custom was called "^ rapping," from 

 the raps on the table which accompanied each bid. 

 It -was on one of these occasions that Mr. Nether- 

 cote sold '' Lancet " to Mr. John Cook, of Hothorp, for 



