BEAGLES AND BEAGLING 277 



Possibly the author had only seen hunting with ten 

 or eleven-inch beagles, whose pace would not, of course, 

 be very great over a rough country. But that beagles 

 had been bigger and fleeter than these pigmies may 

 be easily ascertained by reference to Beckford and 

 other older authorities. From these we know that, 

 before the advent of the foxhound, beagles were used 

 a great deal for hunting foxes to earth, whence reynard 

 was dug out and knocked on the head. That these 

 small hounds, especially the north-country beagle, 

 were fleet and lively is proved by the testimony of 

 this writer, who advises the mating of them with the 

 slow Southern hound, for the purpose of producing 

 a good harrier. He, as I have shown, bred his pack of 

 harriers in this way, and succeeded, after some years, 

 in the difficult task of pleasing even himself. 



An older writer than Beckford, quoted by Daniel, 

 says : " The North-Country beagle is nimble and 

 vigorous, he pursues the Hare with impetuosity, 

 gives her no time to double, and if the Scent is high 

 will easily run down two brace before dinner." "But," 

 he adds, " itis only on a good scenting day these speedy 

 hounds show themselves, for without the constant 

 discipline of the whip, and perpetually hunting them 

 down, it is impossible to make a good pack of them.* 

 There is another sort preferred from their tenderness 

 of Nose, and because they eat little, but without great 

 care they are apt to chatter without any occasion." 

 Concerning this small race, Daniel gives a curious 

 anecdote. " Of this diminutive and lavish kind," 

 he says, " the late Colonel Hardy had once a Cry, con- 

 sisting of ten or eleven couple, which were always 

 carried to and from the field in a large pair of Panniers, 



* Beagles seem to have been much more unruly in the 

 old days than they are at the present time. 



