68 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



indeed has gone so far, at times, by way of giving 

 a turn to the subject, as to beg those gentlemen 

 who were threatening to horsewhip the man for 

 his abuse, either to horsewhip him instead of the 

 farmer, or to be patient and hear what was to be 

 said. By this time both parties got cool, and he 

 then commenced by stating that it was entirely 

 through ignorance that they were doing mischief; 

 and had the farmer only spoken civilly, these 

 gentlemen would have instantly refrained from it, 

 as he wished ; at the same time adding, " Surely, 

 farmer, if you are a thoroughbred Englishman, 

 you cannot object to assist in giving these gentle- 

 men a little amusement, who have probably been 

 fighting the battles of your country for you ! " 

 And that he should recollect fox-hunting is not a 

 new jumped-up sport, like steeple-chasing, but the 

 old-established sport of the country, one cause 

 why English officers are superior to those of almost 

 every foreign country ; that it is fox-hunting 

 which makes them hardy, by taking them out in 

 all weathers, and instils into them a spirit of enter- 

 prise, even beyond what they themselves had any 

 conception of; and if the farmer is a true Briton 

 he would be sorry to see them second (if they 

 were military or naval men) ; if not officers, then, 

 by opposition, you do all you can to prevent 

 gentlemen from living in this country, and you 



