b THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



been, still is, and, I trust, ever will be, enthusiastically 

 upheld by men of the highest endowments, — by men 

 possessed of all the noblest and best attributes of human 

 nature, many of whom have devoted themselves to its 

 objects with an assiduity alone sufficient to prove the 

 worthiness of the cause. 



Its operations upon agricultural produce are, also, 

 sufficiently well known, though, I fear, hardly enough 

 appreciated by that class, the ''fortunati nimium, sua si 

 bona norint, agricolse." I will, in an appendix, dedicate 

 to the farmers of my own county a letter which I pub- 

 lished some years since, in the Sporting Magazine, 

 upon the subject of riding over wheat ; but T will here 

 hold hard, nor allow myself to be led farther into a 

 repetition of truisms so thoroughly established. 



Convinced, myself, that, for the health, the recreation, 

 the general good, there is nothing to bear a moment's 

 comparison with hunting, taking it relatively, or collec- 

 tively ; taking it as affecting the physical condition of 

 men, or that '' noblest animal in the creation" (as he 

 has been styled), the horse, I will only add to the motto, 

 " Floreat scientia," the heartfelt aspiration, " esto i^crpe- 

 titaf — May it flourish till time shall be no more ! And 

 now, in proceeding with my comments upon the manner 

 in which I would see it conducted (a work commenced 

 originally for my own occupation during the leisure 

 hours of summer), let me say that, if I should be the 

 humble means of awakening the attention of any one 

 individual to the real interests, or tend in the slightest 



