THE LAMB AND THE FOX. 169 



hunting, is daily proved by, comparatively speaking, the 

 impunity with which inexperienced people join in the 

 chase. If a crowd of 150 or 200 persons of all ages and 

 shapes, none of whom had ever before been in a boat, 

 were all of a sudden, say during Christmas holidays, to 

 dress themselves like tars, and then compete with sailors 

 in every sort of weather, the chances, or rather the cer- 

 tainty, would be, that, without any disparagement to the 

 art of boating, at least half of them would be drowned 

 from sheer ignorance and inexperience. Again, if an 

 eccentric gentleman in London, making his coachman 

 stand up behind . his carriage, were to require his foot- 

 man to drive it, the vehicle, before it could reach the 

 Opera-house, would probably be either smashed or upset ; 

 and yet, its fate would not be admitted as proving that 

 it is dangerous to drive. In fact, it is a common proverb, 

 that, in order to be proficient in any trade, it is necessary 

 to be first duly apprenticed to it. But in the hunting- 

 field no education at all is deemed requisite. And, 

 accordingly, so soon as a young man, " gentle or simple " 

 (though oftener simple than gentle), can get hold of 

 money, he buys a stud of horses and hacks, hires grooms, 

 orders three or four scarlet coats with the appurtenances 

 thereto, goes to Melton, makes his formal appearance at 

 a crack meet, and his informal disappearance into the first 

 brook, or on the other side of the first fence he comes 



