234 THE DIARY OF A HUNTSMAN 



generality of persons who look at hounds. It is also 

 right to stand at the side as well, to see if the legs 

 are straight and do not stand over at the knee, or 

 on the contrary ; but standing over at the knee is 

 often brought on by age and hard work, though 

 frequently hounds are born so. When so, it is 

 better not to keep them. 



It is true that breeders of hounds of the present 

 day pride themselves on having bred some as near 

 perfection, in point of shape and make, as possible ; 

 but the question arises, when on this subject, 

 whether such hounds will be considered perfect 

 fifty years hence ? The writer is induced to doubt 

 this from the fact that the pictures of the best 

 hounds — such, for instance, as were painted by the 

 best artists of that day, Sartorius and Stubbs— are 

 drawn with crooked legs, flat-sided, and loose in 

 their loins, as unhke what is now thought perfection 

 as possible ; and it is fair to suppose that they were 

 then thought handsome. Yet these hounds, which 

 belonged to the celebrated Meynell and others, did 

 wonders. For instance, on a trial of pace across the 

 flat at Newmarket, they ran it in as short a time as 

 hounds of the present day could do it, or even shorter ; 

 and, however contrary it is to the writer's principle 

 as to the shape of hounds, he is bound to say that 



