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。
Ourmasterofhoundsshallbeacountrygentlemanwhotakesasubscription，andwhotherefore，onbecomingautocratic，makeshimselfanswerabletocertaingeneralrulesforthemanagementofhisautocracy。Heshallhuntnotless，letussay，thanthreedaysaweek;butthoughnotless，itwillbeexpectedprobablythathewillhuntoftener。Thatis，hewilladvertisethreedaysandthrowabyedayinforthebenefitofhisownimmediateneighbourhood;andthesebyedays，itmustbeknown，arethecreamofhunting，forthereisnocrowd，andthefoxesbreaksoonerandrunstraighter。Andhewillbepunctualtohistime，givingquartertononeandaskingnonehimself。Hewilldrawfairlythroughtheday，andindulgenocapricesastocoverts。Thelaws，indeed，areneverwritten，buttheyexistandareunderstood;andwhentheybetoorecklesslydisobeyed，themasterofhoundsfallsfromhishighplaceandretiresintoprivatelife，generallywithabrokenheart。Inthehuntingfield，asinallothercommunities，republics，andgovernments，thepowerofthepurseiseverything。Aslongasthatberetained，thedespotismofthemasteristemperedandhisrulewillbebeneficent。
Fivehundredpoundsadayisaboutthesumwhichamastershoulddemandforhuntinganaveragecountry，thatis，somanytimesfivehundredpoundsayearashemayhuntdaysintheweek。Iffourdaysaweekberequiredofhim，twothousandayearwillbelittleenough。Butasarule，Ithinkmastersaregenerallysupposedtochargeonlyfortheadvertiseddays，andtogivethebyedaysoutoftheirownpocket。Normustitbethoughtthatthemoneysosubscribedwillleavethemasterfreeofexpense。AsI
havesaidbefore，heshouldbearichman。Whateverbethesubscriptionpaidtohim，hemustgobeyondit，verymuchbeyondit，ortherewillgrowupagainsthimafeelingthatheismean，andthatfeelingwillrobhimofallhiscomfort。HuntingmeninEnglandwishtopayfortheirownamusement;buttheydesirethatmoreshallbespentthantheypay。Andinthisthereisaroughjustice，thatroughnessofjusticewhichpervadesourEnglishinstitutions。Toamasterofhoundsisgivenaplaceofgreatinfluence，andintohishandsisconfidedanauthoritythepossessionofwhichamonghisfellow—sportsmenisverypleasanttohim。Forthisheisexpectedtopay，andhedoespayforit。A
LordMayoris，Itakeit，muchinthesamecategory。HehasasalaryasLordMayor，butifhedonotspendmorethanthatonhisofficehebecomesabywordforstinginessamongLordMayorsTobeLordMayorishiswhistle，andhepaysforit。
Formyself，ifIfoundmyselfcalledupontopayforonewhistleortheother，IwouldsoonerbeamasterofhoundsthanaLordMayor。Thepoweriscertainlymoreperfect，andthesituation，I
think，moresplendid。Themasterofhoundshasnoaldermen，nocommoncouncil，noliverymen。Aslongashefairlyperformshispartofthecompact，heisaltogetherwithoutcontrol。Heisnotunlikethecaptainofaman—of—war;but，unlikethecaptainofaman—of—war，hecarriesnosailingorders。Heisfreetogowherehelists，andishardlyexpectedtotellanyonewhitherhegoeth。Heisenvelopedinamysterywhich，totheyoung，addsgreatlytohisgrandeur;andheisoneofthosewho，inspiteofthedemocratictendernessoftheage，maystillbesaidtogoaboutasakingamongmen。Noonecontradictshim。Noonespeaksevilofhimtohisface;andmentremblewhentheyhavewhisperedanythingofsomehalf—drawncovert，ofsomeunstoppedearth，somefoxthatshouldnothaveescaped，and，lookinground，seethatthemasteriswithinearshot。Heisflattered，too，ifthatbeofanyavailtohim。Howheisflattered！WhatmaybedoneinthiswaytoLordMayorsbycommoncouncilmenwholikeMansion—housecrumbs，Idonotknow;butkennelcrumbsmustbeverysweettoalargeclassofsportsmen。Indeed，theyaresosweetthatalmosteverymanwillcondescendtoflatterthemasterofhounds。Andladiestoo，alltheprettygirlsdelighttobespokentobythemaster！Heneedsnointroduction，butisfreetosipallthesweetsthatcome。Whowillnotkissthetoeofhisboots，orrefusetobeblessedbythesunshineofhissmile？
Butthereareheavyduties，deepresponsibilities，andmuchtrueheart—feltanxietytostandasmakeweightagainstallthesesweets。Themasterofhounds，eventhoughhetakenopartintheactualworkofhuntinghisownpack，hasalwayshishandsfullofwork。Heisalwayslearning，andalwayscalledupontoactonhisknowledgesuddenly。ALordMayormaysitattheMansionhouse，I
think，withoutknowingmuchofthelaw。Hemaydosowithoutdiscoveryofhisignorance。Butthemasterofhoundswhodoesnotknowhisbusinessisseenthroughatonce。Tosaywhatthatbusinessiswouldtakeapaperlongerthanthis，andthepreceptwriterbynomeansconsidershimselfequaltosuchatask。Butitismultifarious，anddemandsaspecialintellectforitself。Themastershouldhaveaneyelikeaneagle\'s，anearlikeathief\'s，andaheartlikeadog\'sthatcanbeeithersoftorruthlessasoccasionmayrequire。Howheshouldlovehisfoxes，andwithwhatpertinacityheshouldkillthem！Howheshouldrejoicewhenhisskillhasassistedingivingthechoicemenofhishuntarunthattheycanrememberforthenextsixyears！Andhowheavyshouldbehisheartwithinhimwhenhetrudgeshomewiththem，wearyafterablankday，tothemiseryofwhichhisincompetencyhas，perhaps，contributed！Amasterofhoundsshouldbeananxiousman;soanxiousthattheprivilegeoftalkingtoprettygirlsshouldbeoflittleservicetohim。
OnewordIwillsayastothemannersofamasterofhounds，andthenIwillhavedone。Heshouldbeanurbaneman，butnottoourbane;andheshouldcertainlybecapableofgreatausterity。Itusedtobesaidthatnocaptainofaman—of—warcouldholdhisownwithoutswearing。Iwillnotquitesaythesameofamasterofhounds，ortheoldladieswhothinkhuntingtobewickedwillhaveahandleagainstme。ButIwilldeclarethatifanymancouldbejustifiedinswearing，itwouldbeamasterofhounds。
Thetroublesofthecaptainareasnothingtohis。Thecaptainhastheultimatepowerofthesword，oratanyrateofthefetter，inhishands，whilethemasterhasbuthisowntonguetotrust，histongueandacertaininfluencewhichhispositiongiveshim。Themasterwhocanmakethatinfluencesufficewithoutswearingisindeedagreatman。Now—a—daysswearingissodistastefultotheworldatlarge，thatgreateffortsaremadetorulewithoutit，andsomesucheffortsaresuccessful;butanymanwhohashuntedforthelasttwentyyearswillbearmeoutinsayingthathardwordsinamaster\'smouthusedtobeconsideredindispensable。Nowandthenalittleironyistried。\"Iwonder，sir，howmuchyou\'dtaketogohome？\"Ionceheardamasteraskofared—coatedstrangerwhowascertainlymoreoftenamongthehoundsthanheneedhavebeen。\"Nothingonearth，sir，whileyoucarryonasyouaredoingjustatpresent，\"saidthestranger。