PKEFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



" Eloquar an Sileam V 



Ovid. 



To those who ask, why I have had the presumption 

 to offer another vokune, in addition to all which have 

 already been published upon fox-hunting, my answer 

 is, that, since the time of Beckford, whose maxims are 

 now, for the most part, obsolete, it has been generally 

 remarkable, that nothing (with the exception of that 

 which has flowed from the classic pen of Nimrod) 

 has appeared upon the subject, qualified for a place 

 beyond the saddle-room, or servants' hall. It was not 

 till after the full completion of my task, that I w^as 

 shown an article upon fox-hunting, in a work entitled, 

 " Sporting by Nimrod." Had I been sooner aware 

 of the existence of this, I might possibly have omitted 

 some passages in the earlier parts of my pages, with 

 reference to the respectability of " the Noble Science ;" 

 seeing that he proves it to have been worthy of all 

 acceptation, not only by crowned, but by mitred heads ; 



