CHARACTER OF A HUNTSMAN 139 



would then be committed ; nor would the same faults be committed over 

 and over again, as they now are. Huntsmen never reason by analogy, 

 nor are they much benefitted by experience. 



Having told you, in a former Letter, what a huntsman ought to be, 

 the following, which I can assure you is a true copy, will show you, in 

 some instances at least, what he ought not to be : 



SIR, 



Yours I received the 24th of this present Instant June and at your 



request I will give you an impartial account of my man John G 's 



Character. He is a Shoemaker or Cordwainer which you please to call 

 it by trade and now in our Town he is following the Carding Business 

 for every one that wants him he served his Time at a Town called Brig- 

 stock in Northamptonshire, and from thence in great Addington Journey- 

 man to this Occupation as before mentioned and used to come to my house 

 and found by riding my horses to water that he rode a horse pretty well 

 which was not at all mistaken for he rides a horse well and he looks after 

 a kennel of hounds very well and finds a hare very well he hath no judg- 

 ment in hunting a pack of hounds now tho he rides well he dont with dis- 

 cretion for he dont know how to make the most of a horse but a very harey 

 starey fellow will ride over a church if in his way tho may prevent the 

 leap by having a gap within ten yards of him and if you are not in the 

 field with him yourself when you are a hunting to tutor him about riding 

 he will kill all the horses you have in the stable in one month for he hath 

 killed downright and lamed so that will never be fit for use no more than 

 five horses since he hath hunted my hounds which is two years and up- 

 wards he can talk no dog language to a hound he hath no voice speaks 

 to a hound just as if his head were in a drum nor neither does he know 

 how to draw a hound when they are at a loss no more than a child of two 

 years old as to his honesty I always found him honest till about a week 

 ago and have found him dishonest now for about a week ago I sent my 

 servant that I have now to fetch some sheep's feet from Mr. Stanjan of 



Higham Ferrers where G used to go for feet and I always send my 



money by my man that brings the feet and Stanjan told my man that 

 I have now that I owed him money for feet and when the boy came home 

 he told me and I went to Stanjan and when I found the truth of the matter 



G had kept my money in his hands and had never paid Stanjan he 



had been along with me once for a letter in order for his character to give 

 him one but I told him I could not give him a good one so I would not 



write at all G is a very great drunkard cant keep a penny in his pocket 



a sad notorious lyar if you send him upon an errand a mile or two from 

 Uppingham he will get drunk stay all day and never come home while 

 the middle of the night or such time as he knows his master is in bed he 



