MR. ROWLAND ERRINGTON 169 



play produced by Mr. Boucicault many years ago, and 

 which was supposed to represent incidents in the training 

 of an Oxford crew during their stay in town. 



In reference to the closing days of Mr. Errington's 

 mastership, there appeared in one of the local papers an 

 extract from Blackwood's Magazine from Mr. Gardiner's 

 " Music and Friends." The author, Mr. William Gar- 

 diner, was one of the house of Gardiner & Sons, hosiers 

 and stocking-makers, and he wrote as follows : — 



Our time passed pleasantly enough, and from the description 

 my friend gave of the delights of the chase in Leicestershire, 

 they determined to pay a visit to our green fields during the 

 following season. In November the champions arrived with 

 horses, grooms, and lackeys. Finding that I was no hunter they 

 expressed great surprise at my want of taste, and insisted upon 

 mounting me upon one of their steeds, and that I should see for 

 the first time in my life something of the sports of the field. I 

 so far consented as to accompany them to covert, to witness the 

 sight of throwing off; but I was cautious not to join in the chase. 

 I was mounted on a delightful creature, who, with an elevated 

 crest, was gazing round the country, like a giraffe, as we gently 

 rode to Carlton Clump. On arriving there, the high-mettled 

 steeds were walked about by spruce and cunning grooms waiting 

 their masters' arrival. Soon as mounted, the phalanx of scarlet 

 began to canter from covert to covert, surmounting the hedgerows 

 by easy leaps. This mightily pleased me. The cry of the dogs 

 and the agreeable motion made me forget the company I was in ; 

 and just as I was about to return, up started a fox, when my 

 resolution availed me nothing, for my horse, which had playfully 

 scampered over the green turf just before, shot like an arrow from 

 a bow and headlong we went — 



O'er hill and dale, 

 O'er park and pale, 



till we came to Hallaton Wood. Here sly reynard concealed 

 himself, and we were at fault. During the interval every eye 

 was upon the covert. I was asked by Sir Thomas Clarges, on 

 which side the wood I thought the fox would break ? I replied, 

 " My dear sir, it is the first day I ever saw a pack of hounds." 



