THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 217 



in shape ; he may come off some bad habits, but he will 

 never come on, if naturally slow ; — he may learn to speak, 

 if he has a detestable habit of running mute (an evil so 

 well described by Mr. Smith), or to keep silence when he 

 has nothing to say. If you are fearful of diminishing 

 your numbers, remember that such drafting is only 

 weeding your garden ; it does not impair your strength, 

 but adds to your efficiency. It is far better to have 

 sixteen couples of effective hounds in the field than 

 two and twenty, with six couples detracting from the 

 merits, and spoihng the appearance of the rest. Two 

 heads may be better than one ; you may consult your 

 huntsman on such occasions ; his interest ought to be the 

 same as your own ; and he should be, to a certain 

 extent, an executive party; but when once you have 

 determined upon any particular measure, — for instance, 

 have issued your fiat for the drafting of a hound ; — if 

 you take a real pride in, and mean to be answerable for, 

 birth, parentage, and education of the pack, let no 

 remonstrance, no entreaties, cause you to revoke. If 

 your order be sufficient it should suffice that you have 

 so ordered. You may be cautious, but you must be 

 inflexible. The hne so often quoted, as to have been 

 almost anglicised, must be your ruling principle : — 



" Sic volo, sic jubeo — Stet pro ratioiie, voluntas." 



In cub-hunting, when you have the power of stopping 



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