248 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



without the least service to the hounds or sport to 

 the master ; that the huntsman may say he has 

 killed so many brace ! How many are digged out 

 and killed, when blood is not wanted, for no better 

 reason ! foxes that, another day, perhaps, the earths 

 well stopped, might have run hours, and died gallantly 

 at last. I remember, myself, to have seen a pack of 

 hounds kill three in one day ; and, though the last ran 

 to ground, and the hounds had killed two before, 

 therefore could not be supposed to be in want of 

 blood, the fox was digged out, and killed upon the 

 earth. 1 However, it answered one purpose which you 

 would little expect — it put a clergyman, who was 

 present, in mind that he had a corpse to bury, which 

 otherwise had been forgotten. 



I should have less objection to the number of 

 foxes' heads that are to be seen against every kennel- 

 door, did it ascertain with more precision the goodness 

 of the hounds ; which may more justly be known from 

 the few foxes they lose, than from the number that 

 they kill. When you inquire after a pack of fox- 

 hounds, whether they be good, or not, and are told 

 they seldom miss a fox ; your mind is perfectly satis- 

 fied about them, and you inquire no further : it is not 

 always so, when you are told the number of foxes they 

 have killed. If you ask a Frenchman, What age he is 

 of? he will tell you that he is in good health. In 

 like manner, when I am asked, How many brace of 



[ x It will be seen that though Beckford is such a great believer in 

 blood, he yet strongly condemns killing foxes wantonly. The only excuse 

 for wholesale butchery is when foxes are too numerous and farmers are 

 complaining.] 



