The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-25 00:00:00

The Prince of Wales in " The Shires."

It had been rumoured in hunting circles that the
visit of the Prince of Wales to Althorpe would en-
able the noble host to exhibit to his Royal Highness
the performances of the celebrated Pytchley pack,
and the despatch of four hunters from the Royal
stable down the North-Western line on Friday
spread itself like wildfire through many a hunting
field on that day. Accordingly, when the hounds
met at Welton-place on Saturday, and still more
when they met on Monday at Holdenby (the famous
Holmby-house of Whyte Melville's sporting novel),
all the bravery of Northamptonshire that could
boast a horse, be it hunter, roadster, or machiner,
were assembled. At Holdenby it was calculated
that no fewer than 2,000 horsemen appeared, and
there must have been at least double that number
on foot. The pen of G. W. James would have been
fitly employed to describe the cavalcade which
issued forth from Althorpe-park and was seen
threading its way along the valley by the enthu-
siastic multitude who crowned the knolls on which
stood the ancient manor-house and church of
Holdenby. It really was a brilliant sight, and
when the Prince, escorted by Lord Spencer and the
distinguished party who accompanied him from
Althorpe, rode into the amphitheatre formed by
❑ature on the side of the hill, where Charles Payne
and the hounds were awaiting, and the carriages,
horsemen, and foot people were drawn up around,
the venerable picturesque hall of the squire domi-
neering the eminence, and crowded from basement
to roof like the Grand Stand at Ascot on the Cap-
day, it was the universal impression that the most
experienced landscape gardener could not have
found a fitter site in England for exhibiting an im-
posing spectacle. Our readers will not look for
great details in our columns on the incidents of the
chase; so we will pass over the brilliant burst from
the classic covert of Crick on Saturday, and the
ensuing hour and eight minutes to ground at the
Hempstow hills over some of the finest country
in England; nor will we notice the three dif-
ferent runs on Monday over an equally fine country,
though more interspersed with brooks, each of
which had its incident. Sufficient to say that the
Prince on each day showed himself in the first flight,
and fairly won his spurs in the opinion of all North-
amptonshire. It is more according to our habits of
observation to note the enthusiasm which the pre-
sence and cordial participation of the Prince in this
national and manly sport caused among all ranks of
observers. When lordly domains are being shot,
and several thousand head of pampered pheasants
are duly registered to some half-dozen guns, we fear
that the impression caused in the neighbourhood by
every discharge of a fowling-piece is anything but
pleasurable, It tells of immense outlay for the gra-
tification of very few-, of temptations offered to the
thoughtless which lead to crime, of wholesale de-
struction to farms and the best interests of agricul-
ture. But foxhunting is eminently popular; all
classes enjoy it, all can participate in it, from the
youth on an active pair of legs, or the butcher's boy
on his pony, to the scion of the most illustrious
house in England, or even to the Sovereign him-
self; and all this was fully witnessed in Northamp-
tonshire on the days we are recording. At every
village crowds were assembled who ♦ociferously
displayed their delight at seeing their future ruler
go so well in the national amusement, and if St.
Crispin himself had appeared on horseback he could
not have called forth greater numbers or elicited
greater exhibition of fervour from the numerous
votaries of his craft who are found in this country.
If after recording the enthusiasm displayed by the
squires, the farmers, the villagers, and the shoe-
makers of Northamptonshire, we were to enumerate
the many distinguished personages whom the meets
attracted from all parts, we should have to draw
deeply from the lists of the Houses of Lords and
Commons. But of masters of packs we may notice
that Lord Grosvenor, from Cheshire ; Lord Naas,
from Ireland ; Lord Besborough, master of the
Buckhounds; Sir John Johnstone, M.P., from
Yorkshire; and Lord Eglinton, from Scotland, re-
presented so many hunting localities of the British
Isles, and that they and all, at the conclusion of the
two days' sport, seemed greatly impressed with the
idea that a young Prince who had thus so favour-
ably exhibited himself as a gallant young English-
man in the hunting-field had chosen the surest line
to win at once the affections of his countrymen ;
while all, whether hunting peers, squires, farmers,
dealers, sportsmen of every grade, and the large
circle interested in the animal " horse," went home
rejoicing that the noble sport of fox-hunting had
received an additional stimulus from its cordial
patronage by the Prince of Wales.

ALARMING ILLNESii OF MR. BARROW, xi).—
We regret to state that Mr. Barrow, M.P. for South
Nottinghamshire, is dangerously ill. From latest inquiries
it appears that the hon. member is not likely to recover.
He is attended by Dr. Warwick, of Southwell, who does
not give the slightest hopes of his recovery. Great regret
prevails in the district on account of this sad news.
CAPTURE OF THE STEAMER PEARL.—lntelligence
has been received in Liverpool announcing the cap-
ture of the steamer Pearl while on the voyage between
Nassau and Havannah with contraband goods on board.
It will be remembered that the Pearl—whose object and
destination were well known by the Federal cruisers before
she left Great Britain—had a narrow escape of being taken
by the Tuscarora off Madeira.

THE TRAFALGAR- SQUARE LlONS.—Admiral Wal-
cott will, on Friday, ask the First Commissioner of Works
if there is any expectation that the lions to be placed at the
base of the monument to Lord Nelson in Trafalgar-square
will be completed this year,