328 The Post and the Paddock, 



either chased him or hfted them to Grafton Park, 

 where they ran into him. The distance was at least 

 ten miles from point to point, and it was supposed the 

 hounds were not four miles on scent the whole way. 

 We mention this story to show the system he pursued. 

 He had neither patience nor perseverance, and was 

 always for finding a fresh fox. Having plenty of 

 horses, he would gallop off miles distant. Half 

 the field thought the hounds were running, and did 

 not discover their mistake till they got to a fresh 

 covert, with their horses half done. Such, we believe, 

 to have been the mode generally adopted by the re- 

 nowned Dick Knight. 



Sir Thomas Mostyn, who hunted Oxfordshire, had 

 a splendid pack — perhaps as powerful a one as ever 

 hunted : they had, however, very little sport, and were 

 the victims of unconquerable prejudice. Sir Thomas 

 seldom saw any hounds except his own, and had a 

 great dread of tongue ; the consequence was that they 

 were nearly mute. He had a bitch called Lady, a 

 draft from Lord Lonsdale, from whom sprung most 

 of his pack : she bred them nearly mute, and notwith- 

 standing, he continued to breed from her blood almost 

 entirely. They would go hopping on a scent two or 

 three fields together without speaking, so that a per- 

 son who was not accustomed to them would hardly 

 know whether they were on scent or not. They 

 could not hold the line, solely from want of tongue ; 

 and unless they got away close to him, and had a 

 burning scent, they could never catch him : the mo- 

 ment they came to hunting the game was up. Stephen 

 Goodall, the huntsman, was a clever man, and knew 

 hunting thoroughly. He must have been fully aware 

 of their great defect, but he had nothing to do with 

 the breeding, as Sir Thomas, we believe, managed that 

 department entirely himself Stephen weighed up- 

 wards of twenty stone, and could of course never be 

 there at a critical moment. 



