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^^•i^ mwim,^T-'Al . ',• y LIBRARY UNIYERSITYy PENNSYLVANIA ^ki // t><- 7 & FAIRMAN ROGERS iiSi COLLECTION ON <MMi HORSEMANSHIP Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2009 with funding from Lyrasis IVIembers and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/analysisofhuntOOsurt EX JLIBJMS Tills edition is limited to 500 copies /or sale in Great Britain. THE ANALYSIS OF THE HUNTING FIELD k 9 *^i&SS* c eg r a c V»> u m U. 00 <u HP* It 3 It 5 a iV It l; » X" THE ANALYSIS OF THE HUNTING FIELD BEING A SERIES OF SKETCHES OF THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS THAT COMPOSE ONE THE WHOLE FORMING A SLIGHT SOUVENIR OF THE SEASON 1845-6 BY R. S. SURTEES AUTHOR OF " HANDLEV CROSS*' With 13 Coloured Plates and 43 Illustrations in the Text BY H. ALKEN LONDON KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO., Ltd. DRYDEN HOUSE, 43 GERRARD STREET, SOHO, VV. 1903 MEW BOLTON ^vr) CENTER LONDON : PKINTED BY GILnERT AND RIVIN'GTON, LTD., ST. John's house, clhrkenwei.l, e.c. PREFACE The following papers appeared in " Bell's Life in London," Sporting paper, during last season, and, independently of their reference to foxhunting generally, form a slight Souvenir of that extremely favourable winter—the best hunting one in the author's recollection ; as such, he re- spectfully dedicates them to his brother sportsmen. 191, Regent Street, London, October, 1846. CONTENTS Chai-tkr Page I. The Master.— Month, October i II. Adjourned Dek.ate.—The Master at Coti onwool's . 13 III. The Master— (Continued) 20 IV. The Master— (Concluded) 26 v. The Huntsman 37 VI. The Hunts.man—(Continued) 50 VII. The Whipper-in 62 VIII. The Whipper-in— (Concluded) 76 IX. The Earth-Stopper 94 X. The Groom no \l. The Groom— (Continued) 123 XII. The Groom—(Concluded) 136 XIII. Peter Pigskin 147 XIV. The Farmer 160 XW Elijah Bullwaist, the Blacksmith . .176 .\VI. The Squire 193 X\"II. Lord Evergreen : with some Thoughts on Tuft Hunting 210 XVIII. Captain Shabbyhounde, the Steeple-chaser . 227 XIX. Captain Shabbyhounde—(Concluded) .... 250 XX. Lady Foxhunters.— Sir Rasper Smashgate and Miss Cottonwooi 272 XXI. Colonel Codshead ; or, The Close of the Season . 291 LIST OF PLATES PARa The Meet—" With ISright Faces and Merry H EAR IS " Frontispiece Panoramic Series of Incidents in the Hunting Field Title pai^e Facsimile of the original drawing by HeNRY AlkeN. Going to Cover To face 29 Extra illustration from HeN'RY AlkEN'S original. Breaking Cover „ 53 Extra illustration from HENRY Alken'S original. The Check—"What the Devil do you here—don't YOU know the great earth at Daventry is open ? AND BE D D TO YOU I "... „ 69 Water in the Way „ 87 Extra illustration Facsimile of tlie original drawing by Henry Alken in water-colours (published for the first time). Coming well on ,,132 Extra illustration Facsimile of the original drawing by Henry Alken in water-colours {published for the first time). Getting Away—"Let's TAKE THE Lead!" ... „ 149 Full Crv—"Let's keep the Lead!" .... „ '57 Negotiating a Stone Wali ,,187 Extra illustration from Henry Alken's original. The Leap—"That will shut out many and make the thing select!" ,,215 "Who—Hoo— o-o-p!"—"A chosen few alone the death survey!" „ 253 Another Kill—"The select few !".... ,,283 Extra illustration from HENRY Alken'S original. NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS Remarkable as has been the increase in value of those good old sporting books which the coloured illustrations of that ideal delineator of British sport, Henrj' Aiken, have made so highly popular, it may be referred to as noteworthy that a comparatively modern publication, " The Analysis of the Hunting Field," which made its first appearance nearly sixty years ago, has proportionately out- distanced competition, as regards the prices commanded bj' fair copies at the present epoch. The original edition has now reached an advanced monetar)- estimation which must agree- ably astonish those collectors who have the good fortune to find a cop3' in their sporting libraries ; in a word, the " Analysis " has risen to prices which, like the earlier issued " British Field Sports," "The British Preserve," " The Sport- ing Repository" (1822), " The Life of a Sportsman," " Jorrocks's Jaunts and Jollities," " The Life of John Mytton," and other similarly costly and much sought after publications, are in- teresting to plutocratic collectors, and, in consequence, almost the exclusive privilege of the rich amateur, and, in their " first states," nowadays practically unattainable by the book-lover of limited purse. "The Analysis of the Hunting Field," unlike " The Life of a Sportsman," did not owe its enhanced estimation to the wealth " " of its illustrations ; in fact the much prized first issue only contained seven coloured plates. But in the famous hand- coloured engravings, Henry Aiken had contrived to excel his xiv NOTE ON THE ILI.rSTRATIONS accustomed triumphs, above all in the truly wonderful and elaborate frontispiece, which is the most important feature of the work. For the rest it relied for its further appreciation upon the profusion of Aiken's characteristically spirited sketches, engraved upon wood, and interspersed throughout the attractive letterpress. The original designs, most elaborately finished in water colours, found their way to the collection of a great Aiken enthusiast, the late Robert Lumley, Esq., and, on that indefatig- able amateur's decease, were dispersed at Christie's with the rest of his extensive collection, including the original water- colour drawings executed for the illustration of " The Life of Jack Mytton." The circumstances wherein the twenty draw- ings were reproduced in facsimile of the original designs for the first time, have been already detailed in the descriptive note which the present writer contributed to the de luxe edition of that remarkable example of sporting biography. These reproductions have secured a high measure of popular appreciation consistent with their vast artistic merits. The truly unique original design in water colours for the frontispiece to " The Analysis of the Hunting Field " was later secured, and now forms the leading embellishment of the present edition, successfully reproduced in fac-simile of the original, together with two elaborate, highly-finished original water-colour drawings of unusually fine quality similarly executed by the artist at the same time. These had been secured at Mr. Lumley's sale together with a series of four characteristic Aiken drawings, also reproduced in facsimile in the present volume ; thus more fully and adequately illustrating the "Analysis" with thirteen of Henry Aiken's inimitable originals, reproduced throughout in zo\q\\x=> \n facsimile o{ \h& aquarelles. It was felt that the " Analysis," with all its earlier attractions thus artistically supplemented, would be further esteemed by Aiken collectors, and thus form a worthier NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS xv addition to the sporting amateur's librarj' of choice, rare and eminently attractive works. In conclusion, it may be pointed out as a circumstance worthy of notice that though Aiken's woodcuts to a certain extent illustrate the text of " The Analysis of the Hunting Field," the coloured plates, with one exception, have nothing in particular to do with it. They form, it is true, an admirable panorama of the Hunting Field in Aiken's best style, but as illustrations of the text, the plates reproduced in the companion volume in this series, namely, " Nimrod's Hunting Tours," would serve even better. In fact, nearly all the personages whose portraits are there reproduced and many of the actual engravings are referred to by Surtees in the present work. The two volumes may therefore be taken as complementary the one to the other, and should be taken together by students of the history of Fox Hunting in England. ANALYSIS OF THE HUNTING FIELD CHAPTER I THE MASTER. MONTH, OCTOBER ITH a ver}' slight touch of summer,* here we are again close upon hunting — nay, in some parts it has com- menced already. In London the " sear and yellow leaf" reminds us of the old "red rag." What can compensate for the beauties of departing summer, but the glories of the chase ? Confound it, we believe we'd almost compound * The summer of 1845 was singularly wet and unseasonable ; for further particulars, sec Preface. 2 THE HUNTING FIELD for the absence of summer altogether, if we could but enlarge the operations of the pack. Well, however, " Here we are " again ! as Mr. Merryman exclaims, as he bounds into the " " circle. Here we are again ! Another month, and the season will be in its pride. Let us indulge the pleasures of anticipation by giving our mind's-eye a canter round the hunting field. First comes the Master—punctual as Masters should be. His clever grey hack has scarce turned a hair, though he has come no end of distance within the hour, while the rider as he enters the field drops the reins, and, raising his hat, wipes the slight perspiration from his brow with a stout bandana, show- ing the thinning hair of his crown, and the slightly shot grey of forty, or five-and-forty years. But look what health is on his brow. Fine clear complexion, light bright eye, full lip, white teeth, steady unshaken hand of early hours, strong exercise, and sobriety. We have seen many older men at thirty. Our Master looks the sportsman all over : neat, we may almost say smart ; but not the smartness that is afraid of dirt. No dandified satin or French polish flimsy finery is here ; all is stout, warm, and weather-defying. The good heavy hat (caps for gentlemen we abhor) would resist a deluge, or one of 1845 summer's rains, the round-cut single-breasted red coat, con- fined by one button, across the step-collared toilanette striped waistcoat, is made of strong double-milled cloth ; the roomy breeches are of broadish striped cord, not exactly white, but what will scour to white ; and the well put on boots are made ot that comfortable-looking leather that tells to the eye how soft they sit to the wearer's foot.

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