OF SELBORNE 25 



1635), grandfather, father and self, enjoyed the head 

 keepership of Wolmer-forest in succession for more than 

 an hundred years. This person assures me, that his 

 father has often told him, that Queen Anne, as she was 

 journeying on the Portsmouth road, did not think the 

 forest of Wolmer beneath her royal regard. For she came 

 out of the great road at Lippock, which is just by, and 

 reposing herself on a bank smoothed for that purpose, 

 lying about half a mile to the east of Wolmer-pond, and 

 still called Queen's-bank, saw with great complacency and 

 satisfaction the whole herd of red deer brought by the 

 keepers along the vale before her, consisting then of about 

 five hundred head. A sight this worthy the attention of 

 the greatest sovereign 1 But he further adds that, by 

 means of the Waltham blacks, or, to use his own ex- 

 pression, as soon as they began blacking, they were 

 reduced to about fifty head, and so continued decreasing 

 till the time of the late Duke of Cumberland. It is now 

 more than thirty years ago that his highness sent down 

 an huntsman, and six yeomen-prickers, in scarlet jackets 

 laced with gold, attended by the stag-hounds ; ordering 

 them to take every deer in this forest alive, and convey 

 them in carts to Windsor. In the course of the summer 

 they caught every stag, some of which showed extra- 

 ordinary diversion ; but, in the following winter, when the 

 hinds were also carried off, such fine chases were ex- 

 hibited as served the country people for matter of talk 

 and wonder for years afterwards. I saw myself one of 

 the yeomen-prickers single out a stag from the herd, and 

 must confess that it was the most curious feat of activity 

 I ever beheld, superior to anything in Mr. Astley's riding- 

 school. The exertions made by the horse and deer much 

 exceeded all my expectations ; though the former greatly 

 excelled the latter in speed. When the devoted deer 

 was separated from- his companions, they gave him, by 



