OF SELBORNE. 19 



till the time of the late Duke of Cumberland. It is now more 

 than thirty years ago that his highness sent down an hunts- 

 man, and six yeomen-prickers, in scarlet jackets laced with 

 gold, attended by the stag-hounds ; ordering them to take 

 every deer in this forest alive, and convey them in carts to 

 Windsor. In the course of the summer they caught every 

 stag, some of which showed extraordinary diversion : but, in 

 the following winter, when the hinds were also carried off, 

 such fine chases were exhibited as served the country people 

 for matter of talk and wonder for years afterwards. I saw 

 myself one of the yeomen-prickers single out a stag from the 

 herd, and must confess that it was the most curious feat of 

 activity I ever beheld, superior to any thing in Mr. Astley's 

 riding-school. The exertions made by the horse and deer 

 much exceeded all my expectations ; though the former 

 greatly excelled the latter in speed. When the devoted deer 

 was separated from his companions, they gave him, by their 

 watches, law, as they called it, for twenty minutes ; when, 

 sounding their horns, the stop-dogs were permitted to pursue, 

 and a most gallant scene ensued. 



LETTER VII. 



TO THE SAME. 



THOUGH large herds of deer do much harm to the neighbour- 

 hood, yet the injury to the morals of the people is of more 

 moment than the loss of their crops. The temptation is irre- 

 sistible ; for most men are sportsmen by constitution : and 

 there is such an inherent spirit for hunting in human nature, 

 as scarce any inhibitions can restrain. Hence, towards the 

 beginning of this century, all this country was wild about 

 deer-stealing. Unless he was a hunter, as they affected to call 

 themselvee, no young person was allowed to be possessed of 

 manhood or gallantry. The Waltham blacks at length com- 

 mitted such enormities, that government was forced to inter- 



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