64 OLD CODRINGTON 



country, within hearing of the Christchurch bells of 

 Oxford ; and when reading for my degree I remember 

 joining his hounds at Tubney "Wood. After hunting 

 this country some few years, he returned to his native 

 county, and took the management of that now called 

 the South Wilts Hunt, residing near Warminster, where 

 I had the pleasure of becoming more intimately acquainted 

 with him. 



Codrington was not unaptly considered the Meynell 

 of his age in all pertaining to the management of hounds, 

 both in the kennel and the field ; and as a huntsman, 

 although riding hard upon eighteen stone, he contrived 

 for many seasons to show first-rate sport. But his know- 

 ledge of fox-hound genealogy was something marvellous. 

 He not only knew the best and most ancient blood then 

 extant, but could trace back the pedigrees of a favourite 

 sort of fox-hound for a century at least ; in short, his 

 memory served as a stud-book, to which one could always 

 refer for correct information. 



His pack was, as I have before remarked, composed 

 chiefly of the Beaufort blood, to which he was very partial ; 

 although in later years he bred many hounds from my 

 kennel, and when I had any of smaller size to suit his 

 standard, I generally sent them to him. This favour he 

 often returned, by picking up here and there in his 

 travels during the summer a big young hound or two, 

 too large for other packs ; and one particularly I remem- 

 ber he brought home for me sixty miles in a post-chaise. 

 This act alone is characteristic of the feehngs by which 

 he was actuated towards his friends ; for a more kind, 

 warm-hearted man never existed than Will Codrington. 

 In the field he had a most able assistant in Jem Treadwell, 

 who, when his master parted with his hounds, lived as 



