The Natural History of Selborne 31 



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committed such enormities, that government was forced to interfere 

 with that severe and sanguinary act called the " Black Act," * which 

 now comprehends more felonies than any law that ever was framed 

 before. And, therefore, a late Bishop of Winchester, when urged 

 to re-stock Waltham Chase,f refused, from a motive worthy of a 

 prelate, replying " that it had done mischief enough already." 



Our old race of deer-stealers are hardly extinct yet : it was but a 

 little while ago that, over their ale, they used to recount the exploits 

 of their youth ; such as watching the pregnant hind to her lair, and, 

 when the calf was dropped, paring its feet with a penknife to the 

 quick to prevent its escape, till it was large and fat enough to be 

 killed ; the shooting at one of their neighbours with a bullet in a 

 turnip-field by moonshine, mistaking him for a deer ; and the losing 

 a dog in the following extraordinary manner : Some fellows, sus- 

 pecting that a calf new-fallen was deposited in a certain spot of 

 thick fern, went, with a lurcher, to surprise it ; when the parent- 



* Statute 9 Geo. I. cap. 22. 

 the bishop was Dr. Hoadly. 



t This chase remains unstocked to this day ; 



