LETTER VII 



TO THE SAME 



THOUGH large herds of deer do much harm to the neigh- 

 bourhood, yet the injury to the morals of the people is of 

 more moment than the loss of their crops. The temptation 

 is irresistible ; for most men are sportsmen by constitution : 

 and there is such an inherent spirit for hunting in human 

 nature, as scarce any inhibitions can restrain. Hence, 

 towards the beginning of this century all this country was 

 wild about deer-stealing. Unless he was a hunter, as they 

 affected to call themselves, no young person was allowed 

 to be possessed of manhood or gallantry. The Waltham 

 blacks at length committed such enormities, that govern- 

 ment was forced to interfere with that severe and sanguinary 

 act called the black act, 1 which now comprehends more 

 felonies than any law that ever was framed before. And, 

 therefore, a late Bishop of Winchester, when urged to re- 

 stock Waltham-chase? refused, from a motive worthy of 

 a prelate, replying "that it had done mischief enough 

 already." 



Our old race of deer-stealers are hardly extinct yet : it 

 was but a little while ago that, over their ale, they used to 

 recount the exploits of their youth ; such as watching the 

 pregnant hind to her lair, and, when the calf was dropped, 

 paring its feet with a penknife to the quick to prevent its 

 escape, till it was large and fat enough to be killed ; the 



1 Statute 9 Geo. i c. 22. [G. W.] 



2 This chase remains unstocked to this day ; the bishop was Dr. Hoadly 

 -[G. W.] 



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