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A writer in the Retrospective Review of July 1826, 

 generally supposed to be Sir Samuel Egerton Brydges, 

 the well-known genealogist, in the course of a long review 

 of Thoughts upon Hunting, says : ' Never had fox or 

 hare the honour of being chased to death by so accom- 

 plished a hunter from the time of Nimrod to the present 

 day ; never was huntsman's dinner graced by such 

 urbanity and wit ; and never did the red wine of Oporto 

 confuse the intellects of so politic a sportsman. He would 

 bag a fox in Greek, find a hare in Latin, inspect his 

 kennels in Italian, and direct the economy of the stable 

 in exquisite French. His talents and his eloquence he 

 inherited ; his turn for the pursuit of foxes was entirely 

 acquired, and Mr Beckford, for that is the name of this 

 compound of conflicting tastes, could never repress the 

 innate disposition to better things.' 



*■ Better tilings ! ' indeed! I should like to have seen 

 Peter Beckford's face if any one had ventured to suggest 

 to him that there were an}' better tilings in the world than 

 fox and hare-hunting, and I think I should have backed 

 him to give the Retrospective Reviewer a Roland for his 

 Oliver had they discussed the comparative merits of the 

 Chase in contrast with any other object of mundane 

 interest. 



But I cannot give a better notion of Peter Beckford's 

 views upon hunting than by quoting some passages from 

 his Thoughts. 



On the wanton destruction of foxes by Masters of 

 Hounds, Beckford held strong opinions, which he thus 

 freely expresses : — 



' No good country should be hunted after Februar}-, 

 nor should there be any hunting at all after March. 

 Spring hunting is sad destruction of foxes. In one 



