FOXHOUND. 59 



sary requisites of a hound ; but you will understand tliat it is 

 relative to heautij onh/, for us to (joodness, I believe, large-headed 

 hounds are in no wise inferior. The colour I think of little 

 moment, and am of opinion with our friend Foote, respecting his 

 negro friend, that a good dog, like a good candidate, cannot be of 

 a bad colour. 



" Men are too apt to be prejudiced by the sort of hound which 

 thev themselves have been most accustomed to. Those who have 

 been used to the sharp-nosed foxhound, will hardly allow a large- 

 headed hound to be a foxhound ; yet they both equally are ; speed 

 and beauty are the chief excellencies of the one, while stoutness 

 and tenderness of nose in himting are characteristic of the other. 

 I could tell you that I have seen very good sport Mith very 

 unhandsome packs, consisting of hounds of various sizes, differing 

 from one another as much in shape and look as in their colour ; 

 nor could there be traced the least sign of consanguinity amongst 

 them. Considered separately the hounds were good ; as a pack of 

 hounds they were not to be commended ; nor would xon be satisfied 

 with anything that looked so \evy incomplete. You will find 

 nothing so essential to your sport as that your hounds should run 

 well together ; nor can this end be better attained than by con- 

 fining 3'ourself, as near as you can, to those of the same sort, size, 

 and shape." 



Thus then, as to points, it will be evident from the above extract 

 that Beckford was fully aware of all which are considered essential 

 to the foxhound, except the depth of the back ribs, in which the 

 modern hound differs from both of his supposed progenitors (the 



