Auld L ang Syne. 329 



Sir Thomas was unlucky in his huntsmen. In early 

 days he had the great Mr. Shawe — a fine horseman, 

 and a cheery one over the country if things went well; 

 but if they could not hunt him, he tried to hunt him 

 himself, and he soon got their heads up. He after- 

 wards had a huntsman named Teesdale, who had been 

 a coachman, and knew better how to handle the rib- 

 bons than to handle a scent. Hence he was driven to old 

 Stephen, who, if he could have been reduced ten stone, 

 would have been invaluable ; but except as a kennel 

 huntsman, he did him little good. Although Stephen 

 had little sport with Sir Thomas, he had an extraordi- 

 nary season in Oxfordshire in 1 799-1 800, with Lord 

 Sefton. They had a pack of hounds, the refuse of 

 every kennel, and tainted with every fault — pushers, 

 skirters, some which had not power to go up 

 to a scent, and some which would go without 

 one. However, it being a wonderful scenting season, 

 they had such a year's sport as was probably never 

 known in Oxfordshire before or since. Stephen 

 went with Lord Sefton into Leicestershire, where 

 he hunted the young pack, and showed the greatest 

 science in breaking them ; and he afterwards came 

 to Sir Thomas, where he remained till he gave it 

 up. 



The late Mr. Drake was a sportsman of the highest 

 caste, and when he got Sir Thomas's hounds he very 

 soon changed their character. They wanted nothing 

 but tongue, which he soon gave them. He got a 

 hound or two from Lord Yarborough, and sent his 

 bitches whenever he thought he could get a cross to 

 suit him. Every one who hunted with him latterly 

 must allow his hounds to be as good as they could 

 be. 



There was another pack in those days the counter- 

 part of Sir Thomas Mostyn's, which were Lord 

 Vernon's... They were many years under the manage- 

 ment of Mr. George Talbot, who split on the same 



