36 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



his hunger or not, the moment he is desired — the 

 effect of discipline. However, as this is not ab- 

 solutely necessary, and hounds may be good without 

 it ; and as I well know that your other amusements 

 will not permit you to attend to so much manoeuvring 

 — I would by no means wish you to give such 

 power to your huntsman. The business would be 

 injudiciously done, and most probably would not 

 answer your expectations. The hound would be 

 tormented mal-a-propos ; an animal so little deserving 

 of it from our hands, that I should be sorry to disturb 

 his hours of repose by unnecessary severity. You 

 will perceive that it is a nice affair ; and, I assure you, 

 I know no huntsman who is equal to it. The 

 gentleman who has carried this matter to its utmost 

 perfection, has attended to it regularly himself; has 

 constantly acted on fixed principles, from which he 

 has never deviated ; and, I believe, has succeeded to 

 the very utmost of his wishes. All hounds (and 

 more especially young ones) should be called over 

 often in the kennel j 1 and most huntsmen practise 

 this lesson as they feed their hounds : they flog them 

 while they feed them ; and if they have not always a 

 belly-full one way, they seldom fail to have it the 

 other. 2 It is not, however, my intention to oppose so 



1 There is no better method of teaching a hound obedience; when 

 you call him he should approach you; and when you touch him with 

 your stick, he should follow you anywhere. 



2 " Thus we find, eat or not eat, work or play, whipping is always in 

 season." (Vide Monthly Review.) The critic treats this passage with 

 great severity. He would have spared it, without doubt, had he under- 

 stood that it was introduced on purpose to correct the abuse of kennel- 

 discipline. Unacquainted as the reviewer seems to be with the subject, 



