SILENCE OF AUTHORS 3 



— that although every man who follows this diversion 

 may not understand it, yet it is extraordinary, of the 

 many who do, that one only, of any note, should have 

 written on the subject. It is rather unfortunate for 

 me, that this ingenious sportsman should have preferred 

 writing an elegant poem to an useful lesson ; since, 

 if it had pleased him, he might easily have saved me 

 the trouble of writing these Letters. Is it not strange, 

 in a country where the press is one continued labour 

 with opinions of almost every kind, from the most 

 serious and instructive to the most ridiculous and 

 trifling ; a country, besides, so famous for the best 

 hounds, and the best horses to follow them ; whose 

 authors sometimes hunt, and whose sportsmen some- 

 times write — that only the practical part of hunting 

 should be known ? There is, however, no doubt, that 

 the practical part of it would be improved, were it to 

 be accompanied by theory. 



France, Germany, and Italy, are also silent, I 

 believe, on the subject; though each of these countries 

 has had its sportsman. Foxes, it is true, they never 

 hunt, and hares but seldom ; yet the stag, and wild 

 boar, both in France and in Germany, are still pursued 

 with the utmost splendour and magnificence. In 

 Italy, there has been no hunting since the death of the 

 Duke of Parma : he was very fond of it ; and, I ap- 

 prehend, all hunting in that country ceased with him. 

 The only sportsmen now remaining are gentlemen in 

 green coats, who, taking their couteaux de chasse 

 along with them, walk into the fields to catch small 

 birds, which they call andar a la caccia, or, in plain 



