The speed of the fleetest and highest bred FOX HOUNDS, was brought to public proof in the well-known match made between MR. MEYNELL and MR. BARRY, for 500 guineas a side, and decided over Newmarket in the month of September of the year in which it was run. The hounds of Mr. Barry's (called _Bluecap_ and _Wanton_) were put in training on the first of August with the famous WILL. CRANE. Their food consisted only of _oatmeal_, _milk_, and _sheep's trotters_. The ground was fixed on at the time of making the match; and upon the thirtieth of September the drag was taken from the Rubbing-house at Newmarket Town end, to the Rubbing-house at the starting-post of the Beacon Course: the four hounds were then laid on the scent: at the conclusion, Mr. Barry's _Bluecap_ came in first; _Wanton_ (very close to _Bluecap_) second. Mr. Meynell's _Richmond_ was beat more than a _hundred yards_; and the bitch never ran in at all. The length of the drag was between eight and ten miles; the time it was crossed in was some _seconds_ over _eight minutes_. Some tolerable idea, in this instance, may be formed of the SPEED, when there were SIXTY horses started fairly with the hounds, and only twelve were up. COOPER, Mr. Barry's huntsman, was the first; but the mare that carried him was rode blind in the exertion. WILL. CRANE, who rode _Rib_, (a King's Plate horse,) was the last of the twelve who came up. The current odds at starting were _seven_ to _four_ in favour of Mr. Meynell, whose hounds were reported to have been fed upon legs of mutton during the time they were in training. MERKIN, a famous bitch, bred by COLONEL THORNTON, was considered far superior in speed to any fox-hound of her time: she was challenged to run any hound of her year five miles over Newmarket, giving 220 yards, for 10,000 guineas; or to give _Madcap_ 100 yards, and run the same distance for 5000. She ran a trial of four miles, and crossed the ground in _seven minutes_ and half a second. _Merkin_ was sold, in 1795, for four hogsheads of claret, and the seller to have two couple of her whelps. _Madcap_, at two years old, challenged all England for 500 guineas. _Lounger_, brother to _Madcap_, did the same at four years old: the challenge was accepted, and a bet made to run Mr. Meynell's _Pillager_ for 200 guineas. The parties were also allowed by Colonel Thornton to start any other hound of Mr. Meynell's, and _Lounger_ was to beat both; but, upon his being seen at Tattersal's by many of the best judges, his bone, shape, and make, were thought so superior to any opponent that could be brought against him, Colonel Thornton consented to accept a pair of _gold_ dog-couples as a forfeit to the bet.