86 THOUGHTS ON HUNTING 



Never take out an unsteady old hound : young ones properly awed 

 from riot, and that will stop at a rate, may be put into the pack, a few at 

 a time ; but an old hound that is vicious should not escape hanging : let 

 him be ever so good in other respects, I will not excuse him ; for a pack 

 must be wretched indeed, that can stand in need of such assistance. 



There is infinite pleasure in hearing a fox well found. When you get 

 up to his kennel with a good drag, the chorus increasing as you go, it 

 inspires a joy, more easy to be felt than described. With regard to my own 

 sensations, I would rather hear one fox found in this lively manner, than 

 ride the best hare-chase that was ever run. 



Much depends on the first finding of your fox : dimidium facti, qui 

 bene coepit, habet, 1 which we learned at Westminster, is verified here ; for 

 I look upon a fox well found to be half killed. I think people generally are 

 in too great a hurry on this occasion. There is an enthusiasm attending 

 this diversion, which, in this instance in particular, ought always to be 

 restrained. 2 The hounds are always mad enough when they find their 

 fox : if the men be also mad, they make mad work of it indeed. A gen- 

 tleman of my acquaintance, who hunts his own hounds, and is not less eager 

 than the rest of us, yet very well knows the bad consequences of being so 

 to prevent this fault in himself, always begins by taking a pinch of snuff ; 

 he then sings part of an old song, ' Some say that care killed the cat? etc. 

 By this time his hounds get together, and settle to the scent. He then 

 halloos, and rides as if the d 1 drove. 



If the fox break cover, you will sometimes see a young sportsman ride 

 after him. He never fails to ask such a one, ' Do yon think you can catch 

 him, Sir .? ' ' No.' ' Why, then, be so good as to let my hounds try if 

 they can. 9 



* l ' Well begun is half done.' 



2 There are but few instances where sportsmen are not too noisy and too fond of encourag- 

 ing their hounds, which seldom do their business so well as when little is said to them. 



