14 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
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 of the attention of the greatest sovereign! But he farther 
adds that, by means of the Waltham blacks, or to use his own 
expression, 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 a huntsman, and six 
yeoman-prickers, in scarlet jackets laced with gold, attended 
by the stag-hounds ; ordering them to take every deer in this 
forest alive, and to convey them in carts to Windsor. In the 
course of the summer they caught every stag, some of which 
showed extraordinary diversion; but in the following winter, 
when the hinds were also carried off, such fine chases were 
exhibited as served the country people for matter of talk and 
wonder for years afterwards. I saw myself one of the yeoman- 
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 their watches, law, as they called it, for twenty 
minutes ; when, sounding their horns, the stop-dogs were per- 
mitted to pursue, and a most gallant scene ensued. 
