THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 101 



by purchasing them young, at a remunerating price to 

 the breeder. 



All pleasures, that is to say, all pastimes and amuse- 

 ments, are, more or less, expensive ; in no diversion can 

 money be better spent than in hunting, if half so well. 

 Let any young man save one hundred pounds out of his 

 allowance, or, what may be still better, let his governor 

 allow him that sum for the especial purpose, and he may 

 be well mounted by Tilbury, with two good hunters at 

 his service throughout the season, supposing that he is 

 not a horse-master all the year round. AYhat will such 

 a sum avail him for two months' dissipation in London ? 

 If he be an idler, one of the "fruges consumere nati," 

 he will, in the hunting field, find, at least, innocent 

 occupation for the mind, with the best exercise for the 

 body ; spending his time and money in society fitting his 

 station : — if he be a man of business, he will be the 

 better qualified to perform the duties of his profession, 

 for occasional indulgence. 



" Dulce est desipeve in loco," quoth the poet, and 

 where is the locus like the place of meeting? With 

 regard to economy, carefully eschew that penny wisdom, 

 pound folly, which inclines people to hold anything good, 

 at the money, because it is cheap. That is cheapest, in 

 the end, which is best at the beginning. You need not 

 be imposed upon, or led into extravagant prices ; but you 

 will find the wear and tear in one good article, equal to 

 that of three or four of the inferior. Whether in a 

 master of hounds, purchasing hay, corn, saddlery, and 



