MR. MEYNELL s3 



many persons have believed that dogs can become mad 

 — just as a human being may contract a cold — without 

 any reasonable cause or explanation. The whole docu- 

 ment, though some of it may possibly be out of date 

 now, shows that Mr. Meynell had thoroughly studied his 

 subject, and was a man of keen observation in kennel. 



Mr. Thursby, the writer of " Excursions into Leices- 

 tershire," after remarking that Ouorndon Hall had been 

 the occasional residence of princes of the blood royal of 

 France and of many of the first nobility in England, 

 from which we may assume that they were Mr. Meynell's 

 guests, relates that in 1786 the Duke of York accom- 

 panied the Ouorn hounds to Thorpe Langton, where 

 they found a fox, which they lost after running him 

 through Welham, Slawson, Stokerston, and Beaumont 

 Chase. There was of course an enormous concourse 

 of spectators to see the duke, whose affability greatly 

 pleased the multitude. On a subsequent occasion the 

 Prince of Wales's horses were sent to Market Har- 

 borough, as he intended hunting with Mr. Meynell, but 

 other business detaining him, he was unable to go to 

 Leicestershire, to the disappointment of the county at 

 large. 



This, however, was not the first occasion on which 

 Royalty hunted with Mr. Meynell. One Sunday night, 

 about Christmas-time, 1 766, the Duke of York sent an 

 express to Mr. Cradock to tell him that he intended 

 hunting next day in the neighbourhood of Gumley — 

 presumably Mr. Meynell had announced his intention 

 of meeting in that district. Accordingly, the Duke 

 appeared at the covert side on the Monday, and seems 

 to have enjoyed himself. 



It has been already mentioned that when Meynell 

 first began to hunt the Ouorn country he had but two 

 subscribers, but in 1783 it is said he had five suppor- 

 ters who contributed a thousand guineas each ; but the 



