44 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



Majesty get up, which is not surprising, as he rode nineteen 

 stone ; but if the accounts of their runs are to be trusted, 

 they seem to have dragged over great tracts of country. 

 The story of George III. driving home to Windsor in a 

 butcher's cart, after a quick run to Aldermaston, miles 

 beyond Reading, is well known. On that occasion he sur- 

 prised the butcher by his wise converse on beef and mutton. 

 George III. wore a light blue coat with black velvet cuffs, 

 and top-boots buckled up behind. An old workhouse dame 

 told the ' Druid ' how she had once seen the deer taken near 

 Leatherhead ; years had created a confusion in her mind 

 between the gay dress of the huntsman and servants and 

 the simple insignia of the king. ' His Majesty wore a scarlet 

 coat and jockey cap, with gold all about ; he had a star on 

 his heart, and we all fell on our knees.' She was probably 

 right about the cap. They came into fashion in 1786, when 

 George III. discarded his three-cornered hat. The old 

 Duke of Grafton, Lord Grenville and Lord Pembroke had 

 always worn caps, and they now became general out of 

 compliment to the king. The six yeoman prickers wore the 

 scarlet and gold braid coats as they do now. The Master 

 wore the same gold couples and belt he wears to-day, and 

 I suppose scarlet ; but in a coloured engraving of the pic- 

 ture by Sir J. Eeynolds of Mr. Jenison, the coat is green and 

 faped with red, and more like the ' venerie ' coat of the Second 

 Empire, which I believe was an exact revival of the Louis XV- 

 hunt coat, except that the Bourbon coat was blue and the 

 Empire green. 



This is what happened after the deer had been safely 

 taken : it is all much the same as now. 



' The horns now repeat the musical prelude of the 

 morning. This ceremony continuing a few minutes for 

 the purpose of demonstrating to the hounds that they 

 have obtained a victory, they are drawn off, and the deer 



