10 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



wherein it shall be my endeavour not to omit any- 

 thing which it may be necessary for you to know ; at 

 least, as far as my own observation and experience 

 will give me leave. The experience that I have had 

 may be of use to you at present : others, perhaps, 

 hereafter, may write more judiciously and more fully 

 on the subject: you know it is my interest to wish that 

 they would. The few who have written on hunting, 

 refer you to their predecessors, for great part of 

 the information you might expect from them ; and 

 who their predecessors were, I have yet to learn. 

 Even Somerville is less copious than I could wish, 

 and has purposely omitted what is not to be found 

 elsewhere ; I mean receipts for the cure of such 

 diseases as hounds are subject to : he holds such 

 information cheap, and beneath his lofty muse. Prose 

 has no excuse ; and you may depend on every 

 information that I can odve. The familiar manner 

 in which my thoughts will be conveyed to you in 

 these Letters, may sufficiently evince the intention 

 of the author : they are written with no other design 

 than to be of use to sportsmen. Were my aim to 

 amuse, I would not endeavour to instruct : a song 

 might suit the purpose better than an essay. To 

 improve health, by promoting exercise ; to excite 

 gentlemen who are fond of hunting to obtain the 

 knowledge necessary to enjoy it in perfection ; and 

 to lessen the punishments which are too often 

 inflicted on an animal so friendly to man — are the 

 chief ends intended by the following Letters. 



I shall not pretend to lay down rules which are to 



