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aware that he has any competitor, he trusts that his election will be carried unanimously. The high honour to which he aspires is to be Historiographer to Sir Harry Goodricke, late the Quorn Hunt. Fully aware of the arduous duties attached to this office, he is conscious that far superior abilities are requisite for their proper discharge; but he hopes to atone for any deficiency in this respect by fidelity, zeal, and attention: and should he receive an intimation that he is unequal to the task he has undertaken, or should any Gentleman better qualified come forward, he pledges himself to resign instanter-provided always that the said Gentleman be not a Gentleman by Act of Parliament. Flattering himself that he is by no means a secondrater on pig-skin, he hopes with practice to become a first-rate on paper.

Thus far had I written when my servant came to inform me that he had heard there was a mob out at Nottingham, and that half the town was on fire. Now a fire is an event to us chawbacons (though the Cockneys must be so used to them as to care nothing at being burnt alive -I have been in London a week, and there has been a fire every night); so jumping on my hack, spite of a tremendous rain, I cantered off quite ready for a row; and an hour and a quarter I love to be exact-brought me to Nottingham. Before arriving there I perceived that the Castle, not the town, was on fire; and knowing it to be uninhabited except by rats, my admiration of the spectacle was unalloyed by any fear for its inmates. I have seen many fires, but never one so

truly grand-the Castle in a sheet of flame, the roof giving way, the molten lead streaming down into the fire-the dark rock belowthe silver Trent had a red and fiery hue, while the green meadows over which I was galloping seemed scorched, and the country round was illuminated as if by a noon-day sun.

My horse was no sooner in the stable than I proceeded to the scene of action. The mob had made their entrance by forcing the gates; they then entered the Castle, setting fire to it story by story, from above downwards. At this time, 9 o'clock, any attempt to stop the conflagration would have been useless. The castle-yard was crowded with spectators, including many of the most respectable inhabitants, whose regrets, though not loud, were deep at this untoward event. Such feelings, I am sorry to say, did not pervade the great majority of the assembled multitude: many of the windows were still entire, and when one broke, or a bright flash of flame burst forth, it was hailed with loud huzzas, as if applauding a purposed display. A staid old fellow, dressed! in decent black, long-visaged, and lank-haired, looking a good deal like a Methodist parson, hearing me observe to a friend that it was a most magnificent sight, turned round to me, and, after a preliminary hem, gravely said, "I think, Sir, this business seems to give very general satisfaction." I could not forbear smiling, and therefore did not treat him with the rebuke he merited. The Duke of Newcastle's name was in everybody's mouth; and I heard a fellow remark, as if he thought he was uttering an indisputable

truism, "The Duke's ears must tingle finely to-night!"

The whole of the roof had fallen in a little after eleven, and when I left, shortly after, few people remained.

On passing out of the gate I met a party of the King's Hussars, the utility of whose presence I could not perceive. Indeed I recommended them to get to bed, as much more profitable than riding up and down empty streets in a rain which had sent all the mobocracy home. They did not follow my good councils, and looked terribly jaded next morning, having then been out two nights. Nothing could be more

exem

plary than the patience both men and officers displayed: not a shot was fired until Tuesday afternoon; when a crowd pressing on them as they were escorting some prisoners down a narrow street, and at the same time pelting them with stones, a single pistol was discharged: two men were wounded; and what then? the valiant mob vanished. Groups of ten or a dozen might be found talking big of what they would do at night; but before dusk they slunk away, and the next morning the whole town could do nothing but express their wonder at their own folly in ever having allowed such a rabble to congregate for a single hour.

Tuesday was the first race day, but in consequence of these disturbances the races were adjourned sine die—a most praiseworthy resolution, and one which I trust will not be altered, unless better sport can be shewn than has been of late years. I am not aware that any one would miss Nottingham races except the Clerk of the Course; and as so paltry a

meeting can never recompense him for the loss of his valuable time, I trust he will allow the county Gentlemen to give up their annual pretence of being Turf-men.

Being heartily sick of contemptible mobs and imbecile Magistrates, I turned my horse's head to Widmerpool, and arrived there just as one pack was going home and another turning out for the afternoon's diversion. The coverts there are so full of foxes that they will require a good deal more working to induce pug to go well away. A fox was killed, and we had two or three skurries, but none of any length. I am, however, getting on too fast, as I have a description to give of the new establishment-an establishment which there is little doubt will eclipse even the glory of the Quorn.

Sir Harry Goodricke, our new master, is too well known as a Gentleman and a sportsman to need any adulation of mine; and were I only to write what I think of him, those to whom he is unknown would suspect me of gross flattery-he has the good wishes of every Leicestershire freeholder. The principal landed proprietors, upon Lord Southampton's resignation, held meeting at Leicester, at which the Marquis of Hastings was Chairman, and offered the country to Sir Harry; and the farmers and freeholders had a dinner at Melton, very numerously attended, to celebrate his accession.

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Leicestershire formerly had its fox-destroyers, and I purposed sketching one from the life; but on looking round for a sitter, I found the race had disappeared, and that the whole Squirearchy

were strict preservers of foxes, and as proud of a litter of cubs as if battues had never existed. In addition to these favorable auspices, may be mentioned the circumstance that Sir Harry is absolute ruler-a very desirable thing in the good government of fox-hunters, a lawless set, whose liberty degenerates into licentiousness when they have a chief with constituents in the form of subscribers.

The new establishment is not quite completed, the houses for the servants not being yet built: it is situate at Thrussington, a small village about eight miles N.N.E. from Leicester, and about six in an opposite direction from Melton, where Sir Harry still resides. Upon entering the field in which this little town is erected, you come first upon the hunting stables, an oblong building with a passage through the middle, having a stable right and left at both ends, each containing three boxes and five stalls, making room for thirty-two horses: there are besides saddle and servants' rooms. This stable was full when I was there, but the horses were not recovered from their journey, and, in addition, were suffering from the smell of paint and from the dampness of the walls. I have heard that this inconvenience is yet existing indeed I never had a worse head-ache than making their tour brought on. The architect has spoiled the stables by an ill-judged economy; they are not deep enough to allow you to walk behind the horses in safety, and the stalls are too narrow; the boxes small, and the one at the entrance of the stable dark as a dungeon.

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Passing directly through the

stables, you come to a covered ride, round a place for manure. Further on is a hack stable, containing six stalls and four boxes, a blacksmith's shop, house, &c. The granaries and hay-chambers are over the different stables. Several of the boxes are fitted up with stone troughs, four inches thick, so that a crib-biter cannot get hold. I saw several sorts of straps and muzzles used to prevent this practice, but understood they did not answer. The ventilation of the stables is extremely good.

To the left are the kennels, which I certainly admire more than any I have ever seen. They form a circle, having a rotunda in the centre, to which a passage leads north and south. Entering this passage from the south, you have on either hand three kennels with their corresponding yards. Every kennel has a door opening into the rotunda, which is the feeding place, and has a thatched roof or dome raised upon pillars some feet above that of the kennels: the space between the pillars is left open, so that a current of air is constantly insured. Leaving the rotunda through the northern passage, there is a kennel on each side with proper compartments for brood bitches. The rest of the building is taken up with huntsman and whips' rooms, boilers, &c.

To the left of the kennel is another building, containing forcing pump, boiling-house, and fleshroom. The huntsman's house is to be built facing the south entrance to the kennel, but he will, during the present season, reside in the village. The expense of the whole will be under 30001.

And here I am sorry to ob

serve that Mountford is so unwell that he will not be able to undergo the fatigue of hunting during the present winter: he will remain in Sir Harry's service; and I trust in the spring, if he takes care of himself, will be able to resume his station as huntsman. Will Derry, the first whip, at present hunts the hounds.

Thrussington is well worth a visit, and any Gentleman building or altering kennels may here get many a wrinkle. The hounds are now at Thrussington: I am fearful of their becoming lame from the newness of the kennels. When I saw them at Quorn Lodge they were looking extremely well, not too fleshy, but quite up to work, with very little lameness among them, though the ground for the first month of cub-hunting was as hard as iron. There were then eighty-seven and a half couples, of which a dozen or more were to be draughted, when there will remain three packs-one of dogs, another of bitches, and the third a mixed one. These have been selected from Lord Southampton's pack, and from draughts bought of the Duke of Rutland, Mr. Saville, and Lord Petre. There are also a few hounds which came from Lord Yarborough. Those from the Duke were, as usual, both good and handsome; Mr. Saville's entry was not so good as usual this year, and the draught but so-so; Lord Petre's are not handsome, but have turned out very good hunters. I am not sure that more than a stallion or two came from Lord Yarborough. The iottle of the whole it would be difficult to equal, impossible to surpass.

Cub-hunting commenced Au gust 22d. The weather was far from propitious. The first morning meeting was near Markfield, where there was a good litter: a cub ran a pretty ring of twenty minutes, and succeeded in getting to ground. The second morning, on the Forest, only a brace of old foxes was found, and we were apprehensive that there would be a scarcity of foxes on the Charnwood hills. Such is not the case, there being good litters in most of the woods. The third morning was also on the Forest, and a brace of cubs was killed. Monday, August 29, the hounds met at Widmerpool at day-light, and by nine o'clock the slaughter of three cubs satisfied our appetite for blood.

During the continuance of the dry weather long runs were not desirable; but if my memory fail me not, one morning, after killing a cub at Braunston, an old fox was unkennelled, who got to ground after a fast thing over the open of nearly an hour. When the rain fell, the wholesome practice of meeting at daylight was abandoned, and the hour of nine substituted. We have had some runs which would have done honour to December, particularly from the Nottinghamshire country, where I am happy to say there is a greater number of foxes than has been for many years. The only place where foxes used to breed, void of a litter, is Gotham, the property of Earl Howe.

Wednesday, October 12, met at Barton, Notts; found a fox, who took a turn round Clifton gardens, down to the Trent, along the meadows up to Thrumpton, over Red Hill, crossed the Soar at Ratcliffe, went nearly to Keg

VOL. IV.SECOND SERIES.-No. 20.

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worth wind-mill, turned to the right, and was killed between Lockington and Hemington, in an hour and thirty-five minutes -present, Sir Harry Goodricke, Lord Rancliffe, Mr. F. Foljambe, and two or three other Gentle

men.

October 17, met at Braunston; found between there and Enderby; ran an hour and forty minutes; killed between Evington and Staughton, having crossed the Soar and three turnpikeroads.

Up to the regular season ten brace of foxes were killed. During the week immediately preceding, two packs were frequently out.

It was usual for the Quorn hounds to commence hunting the first Monday in November, either at Kirby or Brookesby. In obedience to this custom, Sir H. Goodricke's hounds met at Brookesby, Monday, November 7th. There was a brilliant muster of scarlet coats, among whom I noticed Lord Plymouth, Lord Kinnaird, Lord Gardner, Lord Rokeby, Sir James Boswell, Sir James Musgrave, Sir John Lister Kaye,. Messrs. Moore, Maher, Gilmour, Stanley, Dixons, Ewart, Cradock, Farnham, Close, two Mr. Taylors from Oakham, Col. Cheny and his sons, &c. &c.; there were besides many respectable farmers. The morning was not propitious, being rough and stormy. Plenty of foxes were found at Creamgorse, but they would not leave the covert, one of the largest and most difficult to work in Leiceshire. After being there above an hour, the hounds moved on to Ashby pasture; found a leash of foxes; one went away by Thorpe Satchville, bore to the right for Ashby Folville for ten minutes

very fast, and then ran to ground between Barkby and South Croxton. Afterwards drew Thorpe Thrussels; found a bad fox; ran him for a mile and a half; could do no good, and gave over.

As there are severa seceders from Melton, and as it is desirable that vacancies should be filled up as speedily as possible by young Gentlemen of from five to fifty thousand a-year, I subjoin a few rules for their guidance; and, as they say lookers on see most of the game, they may perhaps be as useful as if from a Meltonian. It being morally impossible that any man can make the slightest pretensions to fashion without spending at least one year in Leicestershire, I trust to be the humble means of causing an influx of full pockets and empty heads into my native county; as I shall shortly shew that to be a distinguished fox-hunter, the only requisite is

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sense;

And to the withered maid a Hebe's face."

Without this essential requisite it is useless to come; as even a

winter at Melton will be dearly purchased by sacrificing your own character, and procuring that of a blackleg and horse-dealer.— Stay at home if you cannot conveniently spend four or five thousand pounds during the season.

Do not be so absurd as to imagine horses can be bought in Leicestershire. How should they? Gentlemen won't part with good ones; and as for farmers, in these bad times, a man

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