I20 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



(say 1814) flourished for upwards of a century.' Originally 

 a distinct Yorkshire breed — as a Yorkshireman, I insist 

 upon keeping alive this most honourable tradition — this 

 northern hound is the modern foxhound. The northern 

 hound was an established breed in Yorkshire in Gervase 

 Markham's time. As against the southern hound, Markham 

 praises him for his ' swiftnesse,' and describes a most racing- 

 like animal with ruvnd feet and many other precious fox- 

 hound characteristics. On the other hand, then as now, 

 silence was the price which had to be paid for pace. ' To speak 

 of their mouths, they have only a little sharp sweetnesse 

 like a jigge, but no depth or grand-like more solemn music' 

 Their nose Mr. Markham thinks as good as, indeed, because 

 more sensitive and responsive, better than that of the southern 

 hound. ' Y^'ou shall understand that these swift hounds are, 

 out of their haste and nimbleness and metal, more subject 

 to make default than other hounds, yet full as curious and 

 full of scent as any other, as you shall perceive by the quick 

 knowledge and apprehension of their own errors, casting about 

 and recovering the scent, and so going away with the scent 

 before any huntsman can come up to help them.' M. de 

 Ligniville, a great French veneur and writer of the seven- 

 teenth century, speaks constantly of the excellence of the York- 

 shire hounds ; they are, he declares, the best in the world. 

 He himself possessed a white northern bitch called Mouille, 

 which could not be beaten. The hounds, not only in Woot- 

 ton's, Stubbs's, and Sartorius's more important pictures, but 

 in most hunting scenes to be found in old country houses, are 

 in appearance to all intents and purposes foxhounds, except- 

 ing in colour, for Belvoir tan was still a luxury ; they have 

 all the points of the modern foxhound, and none of those 

 of the Massy buckhound or of Dr. Collyns's majestic 



' The date ascribed by Mr. Baring Gould to ' Arscott of Tedcott ' and to his 

 famous fox-hunt in the West country is 1652. 



