4 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



English, going a-hunting : yet it has not been so 

 with horsemanship : that has been treated scientifi- 

 cally by all — in Italy, by Pignatelli ; in Germany, by 

 Isenbourg ; and in France, by La Gueriniere. Nor 

 are the useful lessons of the Duke of Newcastle 

 confined to this country only ; they are both read 

 and practised everywhere : nor is he the only noble 

 lord who has written on the subject — while, upon 

 hunting, all are silent : and were it not for the muse 

 of Somerville, who has so judiciously and so sweetly 

 sung, the dog, that useful, that honest, that faithful, 

 that disinterested, that entertaining animal, would be 

 suffered to pass unnoticed and undistinguished. 



A northern court, indeed, did honour this animal 

 with a particular mark of approbation and respect ; 

 but the fidelity of the dog has since given place to 

 the sagacity of the elephant. 1 Naturalists, it is true, 

 have included dogs in the specific descriptions that 

 they have given us of animals. Authors may have 

 written on hunting, and booksellers may know many 

 who to sportsmen are unknown ; but I again repeat, 

 that I know not any writer, ancient or modern, from 

 the time of Nimrod to the present day (one only 

 excepted), who has given any useful information to 

 a sportsman. 2 



It may be objected, that the hunting of a pack of 

 hounds depends upon the huntsman ; and that the 

 huntsman, generally speaking, is an illiterate fellow, 



1 Vide Mr. Pope's Letter to Mr. Cromwell. 



2 Many French authors have given rules for hunting the hare and 

 stag : to make this passage less exceptionable, therefore, it may be better 

 perhaps, instead of sportsman, to read fox-hunter. 



