16 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



der for years afterwards. I saw myself one of the yeomen- 

 prickers single out a stag from the herd, and must confess that 

 it was the most curious feat of activity I ever beheld, superior 

 to any thing in Mr. Astley's riding-school. The exertions made 

 by the horse and deer much exceeded all my expectations, 

 though the former greatly excelled the latter in speed. When 

 the devoted deer was separated from his companions, they gave 

 him, by their watches, law, as they called it, for twenty minutes ; 

 when, sounding their horns, the stop-dogs were permitted to 

 pursue, and a most gallant scene ensued. 



LETTER VII. To T. PENNANT, ESQ. 



THOUGH large herds of deer do much harm to the neighbour- 

 hood, yet the injury to the morals of the people is of more mo- 

 ment than the loss of their crops. The temptation is irresistible ; 

 for most men are sportsmen by constitution, and there is such 

 an inherent spirit for hunting in human nature, as scarce any 

 inhibitions can restrain. Hence, towards the beginning of this 

 century, all this country was wild about deer-stealing. Unless 

 he was a hunter, as they affected to call themselves, no young 

 person was allowed to be possessed of manhood or gallantry. 

 The Waltham blacks at length committed such enormities that 

 government was forced to interfere with that severe and san- 

 guinary act called the black act,* which now comprehends more 

 felonies than any law that ever was framed before. And, there- 

 fore, a late bishop of Winchester, when urged to re-stock 

 Waltham-chase,'!* refused, from a motive worthy of a prelate, 

 replying that " It had done mischief enough already." 



Our old race of deer-stealers are hardly extinct yet : it was 

 but a little while ago that, over their ale, they used to recount 

 the exploits of their youth ; such as watching the pregnant hind 

 to her lair, and, when the calf was dropped, paring its feet with 

 a penknife to the quick to prevent its escape, till it was large and 

 fat enough to be killed ; the shooting at one of their neighbours 

 with a bullet in a turnip-field by moonshine, mistaking him for a 

 deer ; and the losing a dog in the following extraordinary man- 



* Statute 9 Geo. I. c. 22. 

 t This chase remains unstocked to this day ; the bishop was Dr. Hoadly. 



