I So The Pytchley Hunt, Past and Present. 



In a speecli thoroughly characteristic of the speaker — 

 manly — straightforward — and fairly free from the con- 

 ventional platitudes^ Mr. Thomson gave utterance to his 

 gratitude for the high compliment that had just been 

 conferred upon him — referred to the requisition that he 

 had received requesting him to reconsider his determina- 

 tion — and expressed his deep regret that circumstances 

 prevented him from complying with the flattering re- 

 quest. He also spoke of the many happy days he had 

 spent with his Pytchley friends^ and sat down amid 

 tumultuous cheering. 



In proposing the House of Lords^ Mr. Young of Orling- 

 bury pronounced Captain Thomson to be ^' one of the 

 finest sportsmen — one of the most gallant horsemen — one 

 of the most kind, urbane and courteous gentlemen that 

 ever galloped over the grass fields of Northamptonshire." 

 Tom Firr, late second Whip to the ^^ P.H./' and at this 

 time Huntsman to the North Warwickshire, sang an ex- 

 cellent song of his own composing, a poem upon Captain 

 Thomson and Iris, to the tune of the '^ Fine old English 

 Gentleman," which proved one of the features of the 

 evening. 



In response to the ^' Members for the County," Mr. 

 George Ward Hunt, M.P., and Chancellor of the Exche- 

 quer — a keen lover of fox-hunting, but from a superabun- 

 dant vitality requiring a dray-horse to carry him — made a 

 very entertaining speech. " When I came here, to-night," 

 he said, *^ I did not feel as if I were coming in my 

 capacity as a member for the county, but as an admirer 

 of the science of which our guest is so great a master. I 

 was anxious to pay a tribute of respect to him for the 

 Sport he has given myself and my neighbours for the last 



