4 o THE QUORN HUNT 



and Queries on the subject of hunting-horns. Some of 

 the contributors thereto were of opinion that in olden 

 times huntsmen of foxhound packs wore the French 

 horn slung round the body. Various reasons are put 

 forth in favour of the French horn, but none of them 

 are anything like conclusive. Prior to the fourth Duke 

 of Richmond givinc- his foxhounds to the Prince of 

 Wales in or about the year 1813, the French horn was 

 unquestionably used by the huntsman of the royal pack ; 

 but on the hunt being remodelled, and whippers-in 

 being substituted for the old yeomen prickers, a horn of 

 the present pattern — one slightly curved, and carried, 

 not in a case like the straight horn used with foxhounds, 

 but slung over the shoulder with a strap — was adopted. 

 One of the contributors to the discussion sought to 

 uphold the French horn by quoting a line from an old 

 hunting song- — 



And the huntsman winds his horn. 



The expression "winds," he thought, "seems to con- 

 vey some idea of curvature." Thereupon ensued an 

 argument as to the meaning and pronunciation of 

 the word " winds." It surely, so far from suggesting 

 "curvature," means simply that the huntsman blew it ; 

 and the story is related of Dr. Johnson, when asked to 

 decide whether it should be wind or wind, having made 

 reply, " I cannot find it in my mind to call it wind ; 

 but I can find it in my mind to call it wind." 



As already mentioned, of the details of Mr. Boothby's 

 establishment we know nothing. It may be assumed, 

 however, that in the course of fifty-five years the game 

 was found to be worth the candle, or the hounds would 

 have been given up. Tooley Park, according to Nicholl's 

 " History of Leicestershire," was purchased by Judith, 

 Lady Corbett. Mr. Boothby, our M.F.H., was the son 

 of Lady Corbett by her first husband, and at Tooley 



