ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF SPORTS. I5 



view, with which I am acquainted. He is a 

 fair obje61 of fport, who fports with ihe feel- 

 ings of all other creatures fubjefted to his 

 powers ; and a fierce and pugnaceous animal 

 can be liable to none of thofe horrors, either 

 in his purfuit or capture, which muft inevitably 

 agonize the feelings of the timid. I could ne- 

 ver agree with the faftidious difciples of the 

 Chefterfield fchool, who condemn this noble 

 fport in toto, merely becaufe a number of 

 blockheads may chance to be attached to it : 

 I hold it an exercife by no means unbeco- 

 ming the ftudent or philofopher, who may 

 feek and find health in the pleafing fatigues of 

 the chace; who will feel the fympathetic and 

 mufical chords of the foul, vibrating to the 

 harmony of the deep-toned pack ; who will 

 find ample caufe of admiration at the w^on- 

 derful and various inftinftive gifts of nature, 

 in the fagacity and perfeverance of the high- 

 bred hound; whilft, borne as it were on the 

 wings of the wind, acrofs the " country wide," 

 fcarcely confcious of obftacle, by their fleet 

 and ftaid courfers, they acquire hardihood, a 

 love of enterprize, and contempt of danger. 

 The labours of the day ended, the genial ban- 

 quet awaits the elated and keen-let fportf- 

 men ; the purple and the golden neftar circu- 

 lates brifkly amongft thefe terreftrial gods — 

 Not one of them, but in his mind, echoes si- 

 milar 



