TIME TO LEAVE OFF FOX-HUNTING 137 



guinea, at last, tempted one man to fetch out a hound that was entangled 

 in a bush, and would otherwise have perished. Two hounds remained 

 upon a hedge all night ; and, though at a considerable distance from each 

 other when we left them, yet they got together afterwards ; and the next 

 morning, when the flood abated, they were found closely clasping each 

 other : without doubt, it was the friendly warmth which they afforded 

 each other that kept both alive. We lost but one hound by this unlucky 

 expedition, but could not save any of our terriers. They were seen to sink, 

 their strength not being sufficient to resist the two enemies they had to 

 encounter (powerful when combined), the severity of the cold, and the 

 rapidity of the stream. 



You ask, At what time you should leave off hunting ? It is a question 

 which I know not how to answer ; as it depends as much on the quantity 

 of game that you have, as on the country that you hunt : however, in my 

 opinion, no good country should be hunted after February ; nor should 

 there be any hunting at all after March. Spring-hunting is sad destruction 

 of foxes : in one week you may destroy as many as would have shown you 

 sport for a whole season. We killed a bitch-fox one morning, with seven 

 young ones, which were all alive. I can assure you we missed them very 

 much the next year, and had many blank days which we needed not to 

 have had, but through our own fault. I should tell you, this notable feat 

 was performed, literally, on the first of April. If you will hunt late in the 

 season, you should at least leave your terriers behind you. I hate to kill 

 any animal out of season. A hen-pheasant with egg, I have heard, is 

 famous eating ; yet, I can assure you I never mean to taste it ; and the 

 hunting a bitch-fox big with young, appears to me cruel and unnatural. A 

 gentleman of my acquaintance, who killed most of his foxes at this season, 

 was humorously called, midwife to the foxes. 



Are not the foxes' heads, which are so pompously exposed to view, 

 often prejudicial to sport in fox-hunting ? How many foxes are wantonly 

 destroyed, without the least service to the hounds or sport to the master ; 

 that the huntsman may say he has killed so many brace ! How many are 

 digged out and killed, when blood is not wanted, for no better reason ! 

 foxes that, another day, perhaps, the earths well stopped, might have run 

 hours, and died gallantly at last. I remember, myself, to have seen a pack 

 of hounds kill three in one day ; and, though the last ran to ground, and 

 the hounds had killed two before, therefore could not be supposed to be in 

 want of blood, the fox was digged out, and killed upon the earth. How- 

 ever, it answered one purpose which you would little expect it put a 

 clergyman, who was present, in mind that he had a corpse to bury, which 

 otherwise had been forgotten. 



I should have less objection to the number of foxes' heads that are to 

 be seen against every kennel-door, did it ascertain with more precision the 



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