vi THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



theory " and so forth. These maxims and general- 

 izations, Uke many others, are only partly true. 

 Instinct can be aided by intellect in the pursuit 

 of the Fox as well as in any other pursuit ; and if 

 one were forced to select only one Text Book 

 to place in the hands of a young huntsman, no 

 mistake would be made in choosing Mr. Smith's 

 work. There are more actual stage directions in 

 it than in any other work of the kind. Beckford 

 no doubt holds the first place in virtue of a literary 

 charm which Mr. Smith modestly disclaims. After 

 enjoying the easy flow of Beckford's witty para- 

 graphs in Thoughts on Hunting you feel you have 

 been in the distinguished company of a gentleman, 

 a sportsman and a scholar who could set down 

 in graceful and cultivated prose his unrivalled 

 knowledge of Foxhunting. It is a joy to read him ; 

 but to some one who had never hunted a pack of 

 Foxhounds, and who was anxious to get some 

 understanding of how to do so by reading a book, 

 Mr. Smith would be even more useful than Beckford. 

 He has a nostrum for everything, from a cast in 

 the hunting-field down to an application for cuts 

 and overreaches, not forgetting minute instruc- 

 tions to stick the feather through the cork of the 

 bottle with the feathery end downwards so that 

 the good stuff might always be ready for use. 

 In short. The Diary of a Huntsman is a kind of 



