MR. J. COUPLAND 343 



Hunt, that it was noticed in the year 1877 that the pack 

 had very much improved in quality. It was said that 

 they had been rather mute before, but Mr. Coupland 

 bred far more for music, and altogether the pack rose in 

 every one's estimation. 



In the summer a rather curious function took place at 

 the instigation of Colonel Burnaby. It had occurred to 

 him that a dinner should be given to old soldiers of the 

 county of Leicestershire who were medal-holders, the 

 dinner to be given on the anniversary of the battle of 

 Inkerman ; so under the gallant gentleman's superin- 

 tendence a banquet first took place, and afterwards an 

 assault-at-arms was arranged. Officers, hunting men, 

 and many others subscribed freely in support of the 

 project, while the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of 

 Wales signified their approval of the movement by 

 joining the list of subscribers. Venison was roasted in 

 the market-place, and soup was cooked in a brazen 

 vessel presented to the town of Leicester by John of 

 Gaunt. All the old soldiers enjoyed themselves im- 

 mensely. There were some hundreds of them, the 

 report said, and the medals displayed showed a record, 

 as the chairman happily stated, from Corunna to Coo- 

 massie. One old fellow was carried to the dais to tell 

 how he entered the army in 1803, and it is mentioned as 

 a somewhat unusual circumstance that every man kept 

 as sober as though he had been on parade. 



In Leicestershire, we are told, every man, woman, 

 and child is taught to venerate and preserve the fox ; but 

 unluckily there have been a good many exceptions, and 

 one of them came to light in 1878. A third of the 

 country was said to be exceedingly short of foxes, and 

 one gentleman was hinted at who, though a hunting 

 man, allowed his keepers to kill foxes ; while it was said 

 that a landed proprietor, whose father was a staunch 

 preserver of foxes, did not take after him, that his 



