THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 41 



body to deeds of high daring. It may be said by my 

 readers, that I am given to mihtary simile ; and I admit 

 my fondness for the analogy, — a pride in the comparison 

 between deeds of heroism and fox-hunting ; and I 

 cannot refrain from noticing the well-known opinion of 

 that great chieftain, to whom many, happily, hke myself, 

 look up as to a demi-god, and who is, by the way, himself 

 devoted to fox-hunting, that, amongst all his officers in 

 the Peninsula, the best, the bravest, the most reckless' 

 of exposure to the enemy, the readiest to seek 



" tlie bubble reputation, even in the cannon's mouth," 



and the most indifferent to the hardships of a campaign, 

 were amongst the dandies, the most refined and polished 

 of the ladies' men and beaux of the army. This long 

 digression in favour of gentility, brings me back to the 

 point whence I started, with the assertion that a gen- 

 tleman huntsman could hardly fail to excel, if, — and how 

 much depends upon an if \—if he could dedicate himself 

 entirely to the work, after the manner in which Peter 

 the Great acquired the art of ship-building. As this is 

 by no means desirable, or called for in any way, it 

 should be your endeavour to select a servant with a 

 turn of mind, a genius, qualifying him for one of the 

 highest grades in his class ; such a man as would, in the 

 army, have risen from the ranks to a sergeant-major, 

 and thence to the top of his profession. He should be 



