226 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



Old tieing hounds, and a hare-hunter turned fox- 

 hunter, are both as contrary to the true spirit of 

 fox-hunting as anything could possibly be : — one is 

 continually bringing the pack back again ; the other 

 as constantly does his best to prevent them from 

 getting forward. The natural prejudices of mankind 

 are such, that a man seldom alters his style of hunting, 

 let him pursue what game he may ; besides, it may be 

 constitutional, as he is himself slow or active, dull or 

 lively, patient or impatient. It is for that reason that 

 I object to a hare-hunter for a pack of fox-hounds; 

 for the same ideas of hunting will most probably stick 

 by him as long as he lives. 



Your huntsman is an old man ; should he have 

 been working hard all his life on wrong principles, 

 he may be now incorrigible. 



Sometimes you will meet with a good kennel-hunts- 

 man ; sometimes an active and judicious one in the 

 field : some are clever at finding a fox, others are 

 better after he is found ; while perfection in a hunts- 

 man, like perfection in anything else, is scarcely ever 

 to be met with : — there are not only good, bad, and 

 indifferent huntsmen, but there are, perhaps, a few 

 others, who being, as it were, of a different species, 

 should be classed apart ; — I mean such as have real 

 genius. It is this peculiar excellence, which I told 

 you, in a former Letter, I would rather wish my first 

 whipper-in to be possessed of than my huntsman ; and 

 one reason, among others, is, that he, I think, would 

 have more opportunities of exercising it. 



The keeping of hounds clean and healthy, and 



