176 REMINISCENCES, ETC. 



tliirty-two years, during "wliicli period no subscription of 

 any sort or kind was ever asked for ; but only a request 

 made to land-owners to preserve foxes. He was hardly 

 ever known to dig a fox, and would not have a terrier in 

 his kennel, his opinion being that a good fox might save 

 nimself if he could. Unless he was " a dirty ringing rascal," 

 he would never allow him to be disturbed, after he went to 

 earth,* yet had he killed as many foxes, perhaps more 

 than any man of his time, and all were fairly hunted, 

 without any mobbing or unfair riding for the sake of blood. 

 The strict order he kept the field in greatly facilitated this, 

 as he was always in his place to see what was going on ; 

 and it was a treat indeed to watch his hounds trying in 

 vain, over a well-fenced grass country, to run away from 

 him. His average of noses was fifty brace, as George 

 Carter can testify who rode with him for seventeen seasons. 

 One season he killed seventy brace, the last " worry " 

 having taken place on a winding-up day under a broil- 

 ing sun. 



We have given pretty good proofs of his popularity with 

 all classes, and his liberality to keepers, which last indeed 

 almost amounted to profuseness. He always was prone to dis- 

 credit complaints of the disappearance of geese and turkeys 

 in consequence of the abundance of foxes, but where claims 

 for poultry really slaughtered by Keynard were fairly made 

 out, he made ample compensation : indeed, the gentlemen 

 of the Tedworth Hunt always took care that the farmers 

 should be no losers by the care they took in keeping up 

 the breed. His respect for the animal who contributed so 

 essentially to his health and diversion made him lean to his 

 side. If a fox came to his death unlawfully, and it became 

 known to the squire, he would dwell upon it with feelings 

 of the greatest indignation. Once at the breakfast-table at 

 Tedworth, he was intent on reading the newspaper, when 



* Beckford used to say that digging a fox was cold worlc. 



