MR. ROWLAND ERRINGTON 167 



habiliments, jack-boots and ruffles, are seen quietly 

 ambling up the hillside, preceded or followed by several 

 hounds." It was not, perhaps, until the present century 

 dawned that hunting pictures attracted the serious notice 

 of painters, and perhaps the connecting-link between the 

 old and newer schools was the painting of the celebrated 

 Billesdon Coplow run, formerly in the possession of Sir 

 Thomas Parkyns, of Bunny, and afterwards in that of 

 Mr. Rowland Errington, of Hooton. It was said to have 

 been a very life-like picture. Mr. Errington's picture, 

 though, was something of a new departure, for it repre- 

 sented no incident in the hunting field but a breakfast 

 at Melton, and on the canvas were depicted eleven of 

 the best sportsmen then known in Leicestershire. The 

 artist was most successful in grouping his figures. The 

 time is evidently not up for starting, and the fixture is 

 at Billesdon. Mr. Arthur Stanley (the elder brother 

 of Mr. Errington), Lord Wilton, Count Matuscewitz, 

 Lord Gardner, Mr. Lyne Stephens, Sir Frederick John- 

 stone, Lord Rokeby, Lord Forester, Lord Kinnaird, 

 and Mr. Rowland Errington are the characters in the 

 picture, while the waiter is he of the George Inn, 

 Melton, and his was said to be the best likeness in 

 the painting. 



One of the criticisms passed upon the painting at the 

 time was that there was not a single Irishman in it, and 

 this was thought to be an oversight, inasmuch as Mr. 

 Errington enjoyed the friendship of a great many Irish- 

 men. Nor, was it remarked, was there any fox-hunter 

 of the old school, such men as Mr. Moore, Sir James 

 Musgrave, and Val Maher being altogether passed 

 over. 



In the April of 1 838, shortly before Mr. Errington gave 

 up the hounds, there was given at Drury Lane an extrava- 

 ganza called "The Meltonians," a production which the 

 playbills termed "an original, good-humoured, and per- 



