264 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



little attention to the moralities and the purists. He would 

 often gallop like steam for a few minutes along the alleys 

 as they came in his way — the tuneful operations of the chase 

 being a matter of no importance — and then, relinquishing 

 all interest in the proceedings, relapse into conversation 

 with somebody he liked talking to. Sometimes, however, he 

 would electrify M. de la Rue, who held a Woods and 

 Forests appointment under the Second Empire, and has 

 chronicled its chasses, by asking him where on earth the 

 hunt had got to. On such occasions M. de la Rue used to 

 lead the way to the Etang de Sainte-Perrine, a favourite soil, 

 and hope for the best. On one occasion he was much 

 annoyed with things having gone wrong, and sent for 

 Baron Lambert, and found great fault with his arrange- 

 ments. If it should happen again, he told him in my father's 

 hearing, ' Je raye la Venerie d'un trait de plume.' I never 

 saw him out hunting, and he very seldom hunted at 

 Fontainebleau, but I remember his seat on horseback 

 perfectly. He sat right down and into his horse, and 

 looked exceedingly well on horseback. He was probably 

 not as good a school rider as the Prince Imperial, but I liked 

 his seat and style better. Of course, as everybody knows, he 

 rode exceedingly well to hounds over here, and on moderate 

 horses. On one occasion he showed the whole Queen's 

 field the way, including, I believe, Charles Davis, for the first 

 two or three miles from Pole Hill in the Harrow country. 



The old school were scandalised by the full-steam- 

 ahead ways which, under the Second Empire, jostled the 

 stately and classical proceedings of the Valois and the 

 Bourbons. Grave fault was found in the loss of music and 

 the decay of sylvan arts and sciences. England was held to 

 blame. Fifty or sixty couple of hounds had been got 

 together in a ' sic volo sic jubeo ' sort of way by Comte 

 Edgar Ney, the Grand Veneur. A few couple of entered 



