1825J THE PEEFECT SPORTSMAN. 73 



and invincible attacliment to the sport, and implicit 

 observance of its strictest rules he becomes constitutionally 

 insensible to the less attentive part of the company, but is, 

 nevertheless, incessantly alive to every tongue of a hound. 

 Not a promising whimper, an exhilarating challenge, or a 

 palpable hit, but vibrates sympathetically upon his anxious 

 ear, and his whole soul seems absorbed in the earnest and 

 eager hope of transmitting the enli\'ening signal of a view 

 to his distant friends who surround the covert in equal 

 expectation. The chase once more commenced, his utmost 

 judgment is exerted to lay as well to the hounds as the 

 speed of his horse and the state of the country will 

 permit ; at which time he stands upon no specious 

 ceremony with, or servile subservience to, local superiors. 

 This alone is the happy spot, as well as the critical and 

 exulting moment, where all are equal, where personal pride 

 can assume no consequence, dignity can claim no prece- 

 dence, and wdiere even an immensity of wealth is of no 

 avail, but superlatively happy he who can excel his peers 

 and take the lead. 



A "Veteran Sportsman" remarks -. "The zealous sports- 

 man will never condescend to be left a great way behind. 

 He know^s his place, and he keeps it ; he is never seen in the 

 body and bitstle of a crowd riding in a direct line with, and 

 pressing upon the heels of, the hounds, but in a true and 

 sporting style, 23arallel wdtli the three or four last couples 

 of the pack. Keeping his ground in this situation, he 

 rapturously enjoys every alternate change and \ariety of 

 the scene ; by lying close to the hounds, and making the 

 necessary observations, he is sure of seeing where and 

 when they throw up, and, of course, knows to a certainty 

 how far they have carried the scent ; consequently those 

 only who are forward and know the state of the chase are 

 the best qualified to give the signal of ' hold hard ' to those 

 behind ; and not, as is too frequently the case, for those 

 behind to transmit inconsistently the petulant exclamation 

 to those before." 



On the 1st of January, 18.25, public notice was 



