24 THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



hunter, well ridden up to hounds, is one of great peril 

 and danger ; and it may be some recommendation to 

 the plan I have pursued, that in a long series of years 

 I have never had the distemper in my stable, nor more 

 than one dead horse dragged out of it. I may also 

 add that I have had more than my share of success 

 with my horses. 



Mr Locke was of opinion that such is the diversity 

 of the tastes and relishes of men, that it would be 

 difficult to write a book which might not please some ; 

 and one of the " old ones " has observed that every 

 man should do something to make himself useful and 

 profitable to mankind. If, then, by communicating 

 the result of my experience on this subject, I may 

 amuse some, and be the means of enabling others who 

 pursue the diversion of fox-hunting to do justice to 

 the physical powers of their horses, and thereby 

 diminish their sufferings (for suffer they must) from 

 the work which they are put to perform, I shall not 

 think my time has been misemployed. It is a subject 

 on which theory is worth little. The information 

 required must be the result of practice or close observa- 

 tion alone. Be it remembered, that it was at the 

 suggestion of a cobbler that the Grecian painter 

 altered the shoe of his figure. If I differ from some 

 old-established rules, it will be on the principle that 

 no notions, however handed down to us, which our 

 reason cannot approve, should influence our judgment 

 in matters of this nature, but we should be solely 

 guided by what appears rational and true ; and " he 

 who will not reason is a bigot, and he who cannot is 



