ttle of the aspect of
those courtly days when there was less up-to-dateness and more
sentiment.

[Illustration: _Rendezvous de Chasse, Rambouillet_]

There were but one hundred copies of this work printed for the friends
of the late president of the Republic--"Other Sovereigns," as the
dedication reads, "Princes, Grand Dukes, Ambassadors."

Rambouillet was the theatre of the most splendid hunts of the sixteenth
century, and down through the ages it has ever held a preeminent place;
holds it to-day even. Louis XVI in the Revolutionary torment even
regretted the cutting off of his prerogative of the royal hunt, but he
had no choice in the matter. In his journal of 1789 one reads: "the cerf
runs alone in the Parc en Bas" (Rambouillet), and again in 1790: "Seance
of the National Assembly at noon; Audience of a deputation in the
afternoon. The deer plentiful at Gambayseuil."

The Revolution felled many French institutions; low, great,
ecclesiastical and monarchial monuments, the trees of the forest, and
the royal game, by a system of poaching, had become greatly diminished
in quantity.

The nineteenth century, so frankly democratic in its latter years, was
less favourable to the hunt than the monarchial days which had gone
before. It had a considerable prominence under Charles X, more perhaps
than it ever had under Napoleon, who in his infancy and laborious
adolescence had few opportunities of following it; and in the later
years of his life he was too busy.

Napoleon III was not really a "good hunter," though he was something of
a marksman and took a considerable pride in his skill in that
accomplishment.

Entering the democratic era, Jules Grevy seems to have been only a
pot-hunter of the _bourgeoisie_, who practiced the art only because he
wanted a jugged hare for his dinner, or again simply to kill time.

Sadi-Carnot was still less a hunter of the romantic school, but assisted
frequently at the ceremonial shootings which were arranged for visiting
monarchs. On one occasion he was put down on the record-sheet of a hunt
at Rambouillet as responsible only for the death of eighteen heads,
whilst a visiting Grand Duke pulled down a hundred and fifty.

It was notably during the presidency of Felix Faure that Rambouillet
again took on its animation of former times. The chateau had been
furbished up once more after a long sleep, and, to the great
satisfaction of the inhabitants of the town, there were more comings and