264 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



gentlemen for their game ; and old women for their 

 poultry — are their inveterate enemies. I must, however, 

 give an instance of civility that I once met with from 

 a farmer : — The hounds had found, and were running 

 hard : the farmer came up in high spirits, and said, " I 

 hope, Sir, you will kill him : he has done me much 

 damage lately : he carried away all my ducks last week. 

 I would not gin him though — too good a sportsman for 

 that." So much for the honest farmer. 



In the country where I live, most of the gentlemen 

 are sportsmen ; and even those who are not, show 

 every kind of attention to those who are. I am sorry 

 that it is otherwise with you ; and that your old gouty 

 neighbour should destroy your foxes, I must own, con- 

 cerns me. I know some gentlemen, who, when a 

 neighbour had destroyed all their foxes, and thereby 

 prevented them from pursuing a favourite amusement, 

 oaded a cart with spaniels, and went all together and 

 destroyed his pheasants. I think they might have 

 called this very properly, lex talionis ; and it had the 

 desired effect ; for, as the gentleman did not think it 

 prudent to fight them all, he took the wiser method — 

 he made peace with them : — he gave an order, that no 

 more foxes should be destroyed ; and they never after- 

 wards killed any of his pheasants. 



