FOX-HUNTING. 745 



either hand, so that a single hound may not escape them ; 

 let them be attentive to his halloo, and be ready to encou- 

 rage or rate as that directs ; he will, of course, draw up the 

 wind, for reasons which I shall give in another place. Xow 

 if you can keep your brother sportsmen in order, and put 

 any discretion into them, you are in luck ; they more fre- 

 quently do harm than good : if it be possible persuade them 

 who wish to halloo the fox off, to stand quietly under the 

 cover side, and on no account to halloo him too soon ; if 

 they do, he most certainly will turn back again : could you 

 entice them all into the cover, your sport in all probability 

 will not be the worse for it, 



" How well the hounds spread the cover ! the huntsman, 

 you see, is quite deserted, and his horse, which so lately had 

 a crowd at his heels, has now not one attendant left. 

 How steadily they drag ! you hear not a single hound, yet 

 none are idle. Is not this better than to be subject to con- 

 tinual disappointment, from the eternal babbling of unsteady 



hounds 1 



* See ! how they range 

 Dispersed, how busily this way and that 

 The}' cross, examining with curious nose 

 Each likely haunt ! Hark ! on the drag I hear 

 Their doubtful notes, precluding to a cry 

 More nobly full, and swell'd with every mouth.' 



SOMERVILLE. 



" How musical their tongues ! Now, as they get nearer to 

 him, how the chorus fills ! Hark ! he is found, Now, where 

 are all your sorrows and your cares, ye gloomy souls 1 or 

 where your pains and aches, ye complaining ones ? One 

 halloo has dispelled them all. What a crash they make ! — 

 and echo seemingly takes pleasure to repeat tlie sound. The 

 astonished traveller forsakes his road, lured by its melody ; 

 the listening ploughman now stops his plough ; and every 



5c 



