LETTER XVII. 



Fox-hunting, although very exciting and exhilarating 

 in the field, is a dry subject to write upon ; and I therefore 

 think it may be more acceptable, instead of labouring to 

 produce a treatise, to give an account of different runs 

 which have occurred to myself, and how they have been 

 brought to a favourable issue — without the pretension of 

 affirming that every one should do likewise. I do not 

 by any means presume to set myself up as a paragon of 

 perfection ; but this I may say, that I have had long 

 experience in everything relating to the noble science, 

 and if success is any proof of merit, I may lay some 

 claim to it. 



In my last letter I was guilty of what an old sports- 

 man was pleased to designate as murdering a fox, that 

 is, taking an unfair advantage of him. It is quite true 

 that I did take an unfair advantage of him, by lifting the 

 hounds off their noses to a view; but that great au- 

 thority, Beckford, says, " That hounds which will not 

 bear lifting, are not worth keeping, and that it is fair to 

 take advantage of any circumstance, in certain cases, 

 which will bring you on better terms with your fox." 

 Now, had I been in my own country, which was short of 

 game, the probability is that I should have left the 

 hounds entirely to themselves ; but here the case was 

 widely different. The country I was then hunting was 



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