IN THE FIELD 315 



at their presence, heartily admit the advantages direct 

 and indirect in their participating in a pursuit in which 

 we men are too often charged with allowing ourselves 

 to be entirely absorbed." Mr. Otho Paget says : " I am 

 not one of those who think that women are in the way 

 out hunting, and in my experience I have always con- 

 sidered they do much less harm than the men. 5 ' Nice, 

 truthful man, and great favourite as he deserves to be. 

 The celebrated Beckford appropriately gives as a 

 frontispiece, in his Thoughts on Hunting, a portrait of 

 Diana, the goddess of hunting, having her sandals 

 girded on for the chase, and explains the picture by 

 saying : " You will rally me perhaps on the choice of my 

 frontispiece ; but why should not hunting admit the 

 patronage of a lady ? The ancients, you know, 

 invoked Diana at setting out on the chase, and sacri- 

 ficed to her at their return ; is not this enough to show 

 the propriety of my choice ?" How much nicer the 

 ancients must have been than many moderns are ! 

 They often provoke poor Diana when setting out for 

 the chase, and sacrifice her to their bad tempers on 

 their return ! According to Jorrocks, hunting men 

 must be vainer than we are, for we do not wear pink. 

 That great sportsman found that " two-thirds of the 

 men wot come out and subscribe, wouldn't do so if 

 they had to ride in black ! " 



Another admonition which should receive the serious 

 attention of the hunting tyro comes from Whyte Mel- 

 ville, who says : " Now I hope I am not going to 

 express a sentiment that will offend their prejudices 



