46 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



the particular circumstances of every horse under his 

 care, and so to regulate the work of each. We are, at 

 present, still upon the subject of system and general 

 management : we shall, hereafter, arrive at their results, 

 when we come to the display of science in the field. I 

 have endeavoured to show that a huntsman, to afford 

 satisfaction, should be active, well-informed, sober, in- 

 dustrious, and zealous ; that he should delight in his 

 toils, and glory in his success. I take it as a matter of 

 course, that he has his own infallible specific for distem- 

 per ; that his methods of physicking, bleeding, and 

 dressing, are all conducted, not only on the best prin- 

 ciples, but that, in his own idea, he is, in all his nos- 

 trums, superior to his neighbours. To a certain extent, 

 there is nothing objectionable in his " making swans of 

 all his geese ;" nay, there is something laudable in the 

 vanity with which he will inculcate the doctrine of " old 

 Tom Grant," or some such patriarchal authority, and 

 will back the data of such and such a school, on which 

 his own practice is founded, against the world. It will 

 be desirable that he should have some knowledge of 

 the anatomy of a dog ; a little knowledge is, perhaps, a 

 dangerous thing : but I do not mean that which would 

 lead him into " experimental philosophy," in attempting 

 dangerous and difiicult operations ; but something, 

 beyond that of being able to bleed or blister a hound, 

 is highly useful.* 



* One instance of this occurred in my own kennel. A valuable bound, 

 called Saladin, bad been lame for two seasons before be came into my 

 possession, the cause remaining undiscovered ; be could get tbrougb a 



