AN INTKODUCTORY CHAPTER 



TO 



HUNTING AND SPORTINCx NOTES 



IX 



THE WEST MIDLANDS. 



NiMKOD tells us " That foxhunting suspends the cares 

 of life, whilst the speculations of the racecourse too 

 generally increase them. The one steels the constitution, 

 whilst the anxious cares of the other have a contrary 

 effect. The love of the chase may be said to be screwed 

 .into the soul of man by the noble hand of nature, 

 whereas the pursuit of the other is too often the 

 offspring of a passion we should wish to disown. The 

 one enlarges the sympathies, which unite us in a bond of 

 reciprocal kindness and good ofdces ; in the pursuit of 

 the other almost every man is our foe. Lastly, the 

 chase does not usually bring a man into bad company ; 

 the modern turf is fast becoming the very manor of the 

 V70rst." 



With this exhilarating opinion before us we are 

 ' emboldened once again to tempt the fates with a few 



