ENTERING THE HOUNDS AT HARE 87 



steady from hare, is to enter them at hare; 1 that is, 

 to encourage them to hunt her. The belief of so 

 strange a paradox requires more faith than I can 

 pretend to. 



It concerns me to be under the necessity of differ- 

 ing from you in opinion ; but, since it cannot now be 

 helped, we will pursue the subject, and examine it 

 throughout. Permit me then to ask you, what it is 

 that you propose from entering your hounds at hare ? 

 Two advantages, I shall presume, you expect from 

 it : the teaching of your hounds to hunt, and teaching 

 them to be obedient. However necessary you may 

 think these requisites in a hound, I cannot but flatter 

 myself that they are to be acquired by less exception- 

 able means. The method I have already mentioned 

 to make hounds obedient, as it is practised in my own 

 kennel — that o r calling them over often in the kennel, 

 to use them to their names, 2 and walking them out 

 often among sheep, hares, and deer, from which they 

 are stopped, to use them to a rate, in my opinion, 

 would answer /our purpose better. The teaching 

 your hounds to hunt, is by no means so necessary as 

 you seem to imagine : Nature will teach it them ; nor 

 need you give yourself so much concern about 

 it. Art will only be necessary to prevent them 

 from hunting wiat they ought not to hunt; and 



1 In proper hands, ei her method may do. The method here proposed 

 seems best suited to foxhounds in general, as well as to those who have 

 the direction of them. The talents of some men are superior to all 

 rules ; nor is their succes any positive proof of the goodness of their 

 method. See page 70. 



2 See note, page 36. 



