LORD SOUTHAMPTON 123 



affability gained him friends everywhere. He perhaps 

 made one mistake, the result of his want of experience in 

 hunting, — he allowed himself to be guided by a clique at 

 Melton who had ends of their own to serve, and listening 

 to these advisers sometimes led to some portion of the 

 country being too seldom visited. 



The first two seasons of Lord Southampton's master- 

 ship were anything but brilliant. When he collected his 

 first scratch pack he promoted to the post of huntsman 

 Dick Burton, who had whipped in to Assheton Smith 

 and also to Mr. Osbaldeston. Like many more, how- 

 ever, though an excellent whipper-in, he turned out a 

 poor huntsman, and neither he nor his hounds gave 

 satisfaction to the followers of the Quorn. 



Although Lord Southampton showed in his first 

 season a very moderate amount of sport, fogs appear to 

 have been rather prevalent after the first week or two 

 of the regular hunting season. On December 3, 1827, 

 the Quorn met at Six Hills, when among the field were 

 Lord Rancliffe, Lord Plymouth, Lord Darlington, and 

 Sir Harry Goodricke. The field arrived at the place 

 of meeting only to find it enveloped in fog. Lord 

 Southampton was at first inclined to make the best of 

 circumstances, and try what could be done in another 

 district, but Dick Burton recommended an hour's wait, 

 and this was eventually agreed to. It was then possible 

 to draw, and hounds had a very decent run. Just before 

 the hounds moved off, however, it was discovered that 

 Dick Burton's horse had in some unaccountable manner 

 badly staked himself, so Lord Rancliffe proffered his 

 second horse, which was thankfully accepted — an inci- 

 dent which seems to show that at that time the Quorn 

 huntsman did not always enjoy the luxury of a second 

 horse, or he would have ridden it. Lord Rancliffe's horse 

 is described as having been a Galloway, by Cervantes, 

 and on him Dick Burton went in his best style, clearing at 



