THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 275 



" Lu^jis et agnis quanta sortito obtiyit* 

 Tecum mihi discordia est." 



This is exactly descriptive of the sort of innate feehng 

 with which a thorough-bred gamekeeper regards a fox ; 

 and it cannot be denied, that there are times and sea- 

 sons when " Mr. Reynolds " tries his patience. Some 

 affirm that the cmming rogue will watch the incubation 

 of hen pheasants, deferring the slaughter of the old bird 

 till the repast is enriched, not only by poached eggs, but 

 by the callow brood, just ready to break the bondage of 

 the shell. No fox-hunter — I may say, no sportsman — will 

 grudge the little loss which they may occasion, of a few 

 birds, which might have served for the diversion of some 

 one man. The direction of one doubly-perforated piece 

 of iron, cannot stand in competition with the sport of 

 hundreds on horseback ; but this is not to the point, or, as 

 the keeper himself would say, " neither here nor there;" 

 — " de gusiibus non est dispiitafidum ;" — we must not 

 quarrel with a man's taste, if he be determined to protect 

 every head of his game from all invaders. I would 

 merely suggest, for the benefit of our precious friend, 

 fox, that every chance should be given him of avoiding 

 condemnation ; a few rabbits thrown about in different 



' ovhe \vKQL re kol lipves 6fi6<^pova Bvjxov i)(ovcnv, 

 dXXa KaKa (fjpoyeovai Sta/xTrtpej, uKKr]\oi(Tii>." 



Homer's II. 



