10 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



native valour, few, I imagine, will maintain that the 

 flower of a British army would, under the generality of 

 commanders, have achieved the prodigies which have 

 rendered the name and fame of Wellington imperish- 

 able : and thus is it with an estabhshment quahfied 

 properly to hunt any country. The chief must not only 

 be heart and soul in the cause, but he must endeavour 

 to fortify himself with that thorough knowledge of the 

 busi?iess, which is essential — I say, indispensable — to com- 

 plete success. The word, business, may gi'ate upon the 

 ear of those conversant only with the pleasure, and 

 brings to my mind the waggery of a story, appertaining, 

 I believe, to Theodore Hook, in which a citizen is driven 

 to exasperation by being told that he could not, by any 

 possibility, have any business in his boat,— his own boat, — 

 because, as is ultimately explained to him, it is his 

 pleasure-ho^i. But I contend, that it is a business of no 

 slight importance to cater for the amusement of a whole 

 county ; setting aside the hopeless effort to give unquali- 

 fied satisfaction, it is a business so to conduct all matters 

 as to do justice to those who have confided to him the 

 administration of the policy which rules the destinies of 

 the little empire which is his theatre of action. I have 

 been told, upon the best authority, of that great general, 

 to whom I have before alluded, that, on the eve of battle, 

 not only would he sleep soundly, but say that he had 

 as good a right to sleep, then, as the Lord Mayor had in 



