214 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



work. It will be, occasionally, delightful amusement as 

 a change from partridge-shooting in Herts ; and it will 

 be far better that any master of hounds, who intends to 

 govern supreme, should attend on such occasions, than 

 that he should altogether neglect the cub-hunting ; but, 

 for my own part, 



" Hail ! gentle dawn — mild blushing goddess, hail ! 



the pack awak'd, 



Tlieir matins chant: — nor brook my long delay." 



I have before alluded to what appears to me the obvious 

 absurdity of ancient usage, that of entering foxhounds 

 to hare. I have since deeply considered the point in all 

 its bearings, as something which could not have found 

 acceptance in the mind of Mr. Meynell, unless grounded 

 upon some rational principle. He discontinued it, but 

 he must have had reason for ever having once inclined 

 to it ; and the only defence I can find of such a doc- 

 trine, the only argument in its favour, is, that young 

 hounds were first to be shewn what they were not to 

 hunt. It seems to me, that when hounds are not only 

 shewn their game, but cheered on, and encouraged to 

 follow it, their nature will be stronger than the reason- 

 ing instinct, which must tell them to eschew forbidden 

 fruit, once tasted and enjoyed. High-bred foxhounds, 

 beyond all doubt, prefer the scent of fox to any other. 

 When I had dwarf foxhounds as harriers, they would, 

 when settled to a fox, run through any number of hares 



