68 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



in this manner, they will seldom over-run it much. Your hounds, through 

 the whole chase, should be left almost entirely to themselves ; nor should 

 they be hallooed much. When the hare doubles, they should hunt through 

 those doubles ; nor is a hare hunted fairly when hunted otherwise. They 

 should follow her every step she takes, as well over greasy fallows as through 

 flocks of sheep ; nor should they ever be cast, but when nothing can be 

 done without it. I know a gentleman, a pleasant sportsman, but a very 

 irregular hare-hunter, who does not exactly follow the method here laid 

 down. As his method is very extraordinary, I will relate it to you : His 

 hounds are large and fleet : they have at times hunted everything ; red 

 deer, fallow deer, fox, and hare ; and must in their nature have been most 

 excellent ; since, notwithstanding the variety of their game, they are still 

 good. When a hare is found sitting, he seldom fails to give his hounds 

 a view ; and as the men all halloo, and make what noise they can, she is 

 half frightened to death immediately. This done, he then sends his whipper- 

 in to ride after her, with particular directions not to let her get out of his 

 sight : and he has found out that this is the only proper use of a whipper- 

 in. If they come to a piece of fallow, or a flock of sheep, the hounds are 

 not suffered to hunt any longer, but are capped and hallooed as near to 

 the hare as possible : by this time the poor devil is near her end, which the 

 next view generally finishes ; the strongest hare, in this manner, seldom 

 standing twenty minutes. But my friend says, a hare is good eating, and 

 he therefore thinks that he cannot kill too many of them. By what Martial 

 says, I suppose he was of the same opinion : 



Inter quadrupedes gloria prima lepus. 1 



A-propos to eating them I must tell you, that in the Encyclopedie, 

 a book of universal knowledge, where, of course, I expected to find some- 

 thing on hunting, which it might be of service to you, as a sportsman, 

 to know, I found the following advice about the dressing of a hare, which 

 may be of use to your cook ; and the regard I have for your health will not 

 suffer me to conceal it from you : ' On mange le levrant idti dans 

 quelques provinces du royaume, en Gascogne et en Languedoc, par exemple, 

 avec une sauce composee de vinaigre et de sucre, qui est mauvaise, malsaine 

 en soi essentiellement, mais qui est surtout abominable pour tons ceux 

 qui rfy sont pas accoutumes.' 2 You, without doubt, therefore, will think 

 yourself obliged to the authors of the Encyclopedie for their kind and friendly 

 information. 



Having heard of a small pack of beagles to be disposed of in Derby- 



* l Of all four-footed animals the most delicious is the hare. 



* 2 Roast hare is eaten in several provinces of the kingdom, in Saxony and Languedoc for 

 example, with a sauce made of vinegar and sugar, which is nasty in itself and essentially 

 unwholesome and most detestable to those who are not accustomed to it. 



