New-York tribune., 1902-01-25

HUM WIN a ohelcn ol lle
Rise of the Somerset Family. BY T. r. Dale,
NJ A. Illustrated. Octave PIP. xii, 300 f. P.
The love OF the English people for horses and
dogs and fresh air. for exhiIarating exercise that
is not without the spice of danger, is expressed
in their love for fox hunting, sport ancient
that its literature dates back more than a
tury and half. Prophets already foretell-
ing the death of the sport in England. owing to
the barbed wire fence and the congestion Of the
country, but it is far from dead as yet. and the
British Isles are dotted with hunts that the
pride Of every British sportsman None of them
are more honorably known than the Badminton
Hunt, of which, and Of the eighth Duke Of
Beaufort, of it's most recent sponsors. T. F.
Dale writes agreeably in an attractive volume
that includes historical note on the rise Of
the Somersets.
One is struck at the very outset by the gravity
with which Mr. Dale. a representative of
British sportsmen, approaches his subject.
Americans have recently been criticised by Eng
lish sporting publications for taking their sport
too seriously, but nothing could be more rever-
entail than the spirit in which Mr.. Dale takes
up the history Of the Badminton Hunt He says;
The speculations so often indulged IN by writ
ers on hunting as to the exact date of the origin
Of fox hunting appear to lead to certain con-
clusion. There is. IN fact, no period at which
we can say that fox hunting began. The sport
!
decay of stag hunting, owing to the increase of
Enclosures. No doubt the fox had been hunted
occasionally at an early date. and by no family
earlier than the Somersets. That the fox was
hunted around Raglan Castle by the first
marquis, of whom l have already written as a
jovial person, fond of sport with hawk and
hound, is likely enough. Some writers have even
fixed the date 1912 as that of the first fox hunt
INDUCED in by member of the family and this
again is not unlikely. From the year 1928 on
ward we have trustworthy materials for his
tory of the pack.
That the Badminton hounds well deserve their
rank along with the Belvor pack. among Eng
lands best. appears from the record Of their
achievements. Among other facts. they once
ran four miles and a half in fourteen minutes.
On account of his unbending Tory principles
there only two careers open to the eighth
Duke Of Beaufort the military or the local lead
ership in country sports and agricultural pur-
suits. and, there being chance for active
vice in the army, the duke chose to be sports
man. He must have had rigorous education
at Eton. for his historian relates that he was
caned twice for ending a pentameter with
word of three syllables. However, the end was
thought to justify the means, and the duke sue
ceeded to the task of sustaining the Badmintcn
reputation, task which he seems to have dis
charged with much success. For one thing, he
was his own huntsman for three years. and his
records of the hunts held in that period are in
1S57-'5S the hounds out 147 days and
killed 113 foxes, which shows how assiduously
the duke devoted himself to this feature of the
career he chose for himself Says the author:
hunt like that ruled over by the Duke of
Beaufort was sort of open air club. In the
days of which 1 speaking the hunting
field free to ALL and every could do
what he pleased, save ride over the hounds.
The hunt was the dukes own, carried on at his
expense, and the only distinction the buff
and blue uniform The much priced right to
wear this was given by the duke The existence
of the hunt and the way 1t carried
frightened the whole neighborhood Many a
kindly action was done in the field. many a
friendly word was spoken much business
was transacted. for the duke there met his
tenants and neighbors in way unshackled by
formality.
The eighth Duke Of Beaufort the editor
of the Badminton library of sport-the actual
as we'll as the nominal. editor-and in this way
he served many thousands OF sportsmen who
have never seen and never will see the famous
Badminton pack His death occurred in 1899