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ever saw, except Mr. Kobert Watson, could bunt hounds like him. 

 Impatient as he was in many things, he never was so while carrying the 

 horn. Carefully would he draw his coverts, and never would leave a 

 fox behind him ; but directly the fox had gone away then wjuld he 

 have the hounds got out with all expedition. 



During a run he never interfered with them until they had shown 

 themselves in absolute need of assistance. He would then take them in 

 hand, and with a judicious cast, quickly made, would generally set them 

 right. With a bad scent Briscoe was remarkable for the perseverance 

 with which he followed up his fox ; never would he leave ofi" until 

 completely run out of scent or darkness came on. The consequence 

 was his hounds were self-reliant and hard-working, and accounted for 

 nearly every fox they found. When a fox had beaten them fairly to 

 ground he was left there; no spade or terrier would be resorted to 

 except under peculiar circumstances, his hounds getting plenty of 

 blood by fair sportsmanlike means. That he fed and conditioned his 

 hounds to perfection was in evidence dail3^ for they returned to their 

 kennels at all times with their sterns up. No fox was too good for them, 

 no day too long. 



Briscoe was an excellent judge of a hunter, whether he required him 

 for his own use or that of his servants, or with a view to turning an 

 honest penny upon him, while his stable management was quite on a 

 par with that of his kennel. 



In none of the foregoing qualifications, for an M.F.H., did he shine 

 brighter than at the meet, or jogging from cover to cover. His hearty, 

 genial manner made everyone happy. He was always in good humour 

 and ready with a story appropriate to the subject discussed, while quick 

 repartee was a special phase of his jovial conversation. At the same 

 time, when necessity required it, he could give a fellow " a dressing " 

 that he would not readily forget, for he was — as all masters of hounds 

 should be — a strict disciplinarian, and insisted upon men behaving 

 themselves, and not interfering with the sport which they and others 

 had come to enjoy. 



Amongst the peasantry, also, his cordiality made him the greatest 

 favourite, and they would do more for him for nothing than they would 

 do for, perhaps, any other man in the country for money. Around 

 the festive board the dear old fellow was ever the nucleus of the 

 merriest portion of the party, and when we got him to sing The 

 Cruiskeen Lawn, and after that, in the drawing-room, to dance The 

 Foxhunters' Jig, he was, indeed, the personification of a real old Irish 

 gentleman. Jolly as he was ia the dining-room, and appreciated there 

 by the men, he was still more so in the drawing-room, and propor- 

 tionately more appreciated by the ladies. " Laugh and be fat, hunt 

 and be happy," was his motto. 



L^nlike other public favourites, he was as pleasing in his manners 

 and conversation in his own house, amidst his large family, as he was 

 everywhere else. I don't think I ever admired him more than upon the 



