1 66 The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present. 



THE HON. F. VILLIERS AND THE HON. 

 C. GUST. 



In allying himself with Mr. Charles Gust in the Master- 

 ship of the P.H.^ which succeeded that of Lord Hopetoun 

 in 1856, Mr. Villiers had for his partner one of those who 

 by a natural geniality of disposition and winning manners 

 and countenance, seem throughout their career to have 

 at their command the wills and affections (especially the 

 latter) of all men. Beloved by his school-fellows at 

 Eton, as well as by his brother-officers in the Blues, he 

 was no less popular with ^' all sorts and conditions of 

 men '^ at his Northamptonshire home at Arthingworth, 

 and his accession to even a moiety of the Mastership of 

 the " P.H.^^ was hailed with universal satisfaction. 

 Ranking among the welter weights, and never riding 

 horses of the very highest class, he nearly touched 

 " customer " point, and when hounds were carrying 

 ahead, never failed to occupy a forward place. Gonsti- 

 tutionally delicate in health, he was compelled somewhat 

 suddenly to decline hunting soon after assuming a share 

 of the responsibilities of Mastership ; and on Mr. Villiers 

 objecting to continue in office by himself, the country 

 once more was compelled to look about for a Master. 



GOL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON. 



When the Chelsea Seer declared that the population ot 

 England numbered 30,000,000 "mostly fools/' he also 

 divided them into two classes, natural fools, and d — d 

 fools ; the former being fools who are such by no fault 

 of their own, fools congenital, so to say — the latter fools, 

 in spite of knowing that they are such. To no one be- 



