290 HUNTERS. 



of t'hofe who exift only in error, and never 

 condelcend to fandion the moft pronnifing 

 ray of improvement ; the great number of 

 valuable horfcs that have loft their lives, 

 cither in or immediately after the chace, in 

 the two laft feafons only, with his Majefty's, 

 his Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales^s, 

 Lord Barrymore's, and Captain Parker's 

 hounds, are demonflrative proofs of inabi^ 

 lity in the grooms, or indifcretion in the 

 riders ; as well as collateral corroboration 

 that the fyftem of perfedion is not yet at- 

 tained, even in the firft hunting ftables of 

 fafliion and eminence. 



Without prefuming to arraign, in the 

 prefent inftance, the judgment of one, or 

 the prudence of the other, I (hall proceed 

 to lay down fuch rules for the felecSion of 

 hunters, and the minute particulars of their 

 management, as have for a feries of more 

 than twenty years enabled me to enjoy the 

 pleafures of the chace with a multiplicity 

 of the fleeteft and moft popular packs in 

 different parts of the kingdom ; without one 

 of thofe unlucky contingencies that fo fre- 

 quently throw lefs thinking, or lefs experi- 

 enced 



