90 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



abstruse reasoning with you, or think it in anywise 

 material to our present purpose, whether the dogs we 

 call fox-hounds were originally designed by Nature 

 to hunt fox, or not, we will drop the subject. I must, 

 at the same time, beg leave to observe, that dogs are 

 not the only animals in which an extraordinary 

 diversity of species has happened since the days of 

 Adam. Yet a great naturalist tells us, that man is 

 nearer, by eight degrees, to Adam, than is the dog 

 to the first dog of his race ; since the age of man is 

 fourscore years, and that of a dog but ten. It there- 

 fore follows, that if both should equally degenerate, 

 the alteration would be eight times more remarkable 

 in the door than in man. 



The two most necessary questions which result 

 from the foregoing premises, are, Whether hounds 

 entered at hare are perfectly steady afterwards to fox ? 

 and, Whether steadiness be not attainable by more 

 reasonable terms ? Having never hunted with gentle- 

 men who follow this practice, I must leave the first 

 question for others to determine ; but, having always 

 had my hounds steady, I can myself answer the 

 second. 



The objections that I have now made to the treat- 

 ment of young hounds by some huntsmen, though 

 addressed, my friend, to you, are general objections, 

 and should not personally offend you. I know no man 

 more just or more humane than yourself. For the 

 disapprobation which you so strongly marked in your 

 last letter, of the severity used in some kennels, the 

 noble animal that we both admire is much beholden 



