60 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



lent whipper-in, than with the best of huntsmen without such an assistant. 

 You will say, perhaps, that a good huntsman will make a good whipper-in ; 

 not such, however, as I mean ; his talent must be born with him. My 

 reasons are, that good hounds (and bad I would not keep) oftener need the 

 one than the other ; and genius, which, in a whipper-in, if attended by 

 obedience, his first requisite, can do no hurt in a huntsman is a dangerous, 

 though a desirable, quality ; and if not accompanied with a large share of 

 prudence, and, I may say, humility, will oftentimes spoil your sport, and 

 hurt your hounds. A gentleman told me, that he heard the famous Will 

 Dean, 1 when his hounds were running hard in a line with Daventry, from 

 whence they were at that time many miles distant, swear exceedingly at 

 the whipper-in, saying, ' What business have you here ? ' The man was 



amazed at the question. ' Why, don't you know,' said he, ' and be d d to 



you, that the great earth at Daventry is open ? ' The man got forward, and 

 reached the earth just time enough to see the fox go in. If, therefore, 

 whippers-in be left at liberty to act as they shall think right, they are much 

 less confined than the huntsman himself, who must follow his hounds ; and, 

 consequently, they have greater scope to exert their genius, if they have any. 



I had a dispute with an old sportsman, who contended, that the whipper- 

 in should always attend the huntsman, to obey his orders (a stable-boy, then 

 would make as good a whipper-in as the best) ; but this is 'so far from being 

 the case, that he should be always on the opposite side of the cover from him, 

 or I am much mistaken in my opinion : if within hearing of his halloo, he is 

 near enough ; for that is the hunting signal he is to obey. The station of 

 the second whipper-in may be near the huntsman ; for which reason, any 

 boy that can halloo, and make a whip smack, may answer the purpose. 



Your first whipper-in being able to hunt the hounds occasionally, will 

 answer another good purpose ; it will keep your huntsman in order. They 

 are very apt to be impertinent, when they think you cannot do without them. 



When you go from the kennel, the place of the first whipper-in is before 

 the hounds ; that of the second whipper-in should be some distance behind 

 them ; if not, I doubt if they will be suffered even to empty themselves, 

 let their necessities be ever so great ; for as soon as a boy is made a whipper- 

 in, he fancies that he is to whip the hounds whenever he can get at them, 

 whether they deserve it or not. 



I have always thought a huntsman a happy man : his office is pleasing, 

 and at the same time flattering : we pay him for that which diverts him, and 

 he is enriched by his greatest pleasure ; * nor is a general, after a victory, 

 more proud] than is a huntsman who returns with his fox's head. 



I have heard that a certain duke, who allowed no vails to his servants, 

 asked his huntsman what he generally made of his field-money, and gave 



** Huntsman to Lord Fitzwilliam. 

 a The field-money which is collected at the death of a fox. 



