Distantcoverts，whichareeverthebestbecauselessfrequentlydrawn，aredeserted，fordistanceofcourseaddsgreatlytoexpense。Thefarmersroundthecentreofthecountybecomesullen，andthosebeyondareindifferent;andso，frombadtoworse，thefaminegoesontillthehunthasperishedofatrophy。
Greasetothewheels，plentifulgreasetothewheels，isneededinallmachinery;butIknowofnomachineryinwhicheverrunninggreaseissonecessaryasinthemachineryofhunting。
OfsuchmastersasIamnowdescribingtherearetwosorts，ofwhich，however，theoneisgoingrapidlyand，Ithink，happilyoutoffashion。Thereisthemasterofhoundswhotakesasubscription，andthemasterwhotakesnone。Ofthelatterclassofsportsman，oftheimperialheadofacountrywholooksuponthecovertsofallhisneighboursasbeingalmosthisownproperty，thereare，Ibelieve，butfewleft。Norissuchimperialismfittedforthepresentage。Inthedaysofoldofwhichwereadsooften，thedaysofSquireWestern，whenfox—
huntingwasstillyoungamongus，thiswasthefashioninwhichallhuntsweremaintained。Anycountrygentlemanwholikedthesportkeptasmallpackofhounds，androdeoverhisownlandsorthelandsofsuchofhisneighboursashadnosimilarestablishmentsoftheirown。WeneverhearofSquireWesternthathehuntedthecounty，orthathewentfarafieldtohismeets。
Histenantsjoinedhim，andbydegreesmencametohishuntfromgreaterdistancesaroundhim。Asthenecessityforspaceincreased，increasingfromincreaseofhuntingambition，thericherandmoreambitioussquiresbegantoundertakethemanagementofwiderareas，andsoourhuntingdistrictswereformed。Butwithsuchextensionofareatherecame，ofcourse，necessityofextendedexpenditure，andsothefashionofsubscriptionlistsarose。TherehaveremainedsomefewgreatNimrodswhohavechosentobemagnanimousandtopayforeverything，despisingthecontributionsoftheirfollowers。SuchaonewasthelateEarlFitzhardinge，andaftersuchmannerin，asIbelieve，theBerkeleyhuntstillconducted。Butitneedhardlybeexplained，thatashuntingisnowconductedinEngland，suchasystemisneitherfairnorpalatable。Itisnotfairthatsogreatacostfortheamusementofothermenshouldfalluponanyoneman\'spocket;norisitpalatabletoothersthatsuchunlimitedpowershouldbeplacedinanyoneman\'shands。Theordinarymasterofsubscriptionhoundsisnodoubtautocratic，butheisnotautocraticwithallthepoweroftyrannywhichbelongstothedespotwhoruleswithouttaxation。Idoubtwhetheranymasterofasubscriptionpackwouldadvertisehismeetsforeleven，withanunderstandingthatthehoundswerenevertomovetilltwelve，whenheintendedtobepresentinperson。SuchwasthecasewithLordFitzhardinge，andIdonotknowthatitwasgenerallythoughtthathecarriedhispowertoofar。AndIthink，too，thatgentlemenfeelthattheyridewithmorepleasurewhentheythemselvescontributetothecostoftheirownamusement。