S68 HUNTING. 



part of it, nothing has better stood the test of time 

 than the noble diversion of hunting. 



" Of all our fond diversions, 

 A hunter's is the best ; 

 In spite of wars and petty jars, 

 That sport has stood the test" 



And why has it stood the test ? Not merely be- 

 cause the passion for the chase is interwoven closely 

 with our nature ; not because it originated in neces- 

 sity, therefore originated in nature ; but because it 

 has been encouraged and approved of by the very 

 best authorities, and practised by the greatest men. 

 It cannot now, then, be supposed to dread criti- 

 cism, or require support ; neither can any solid 

 objections be raised against a reasonable enjoyment 

 of the sports of the field in general, provided what 

 ought to be the pleasing relaxation of a man"*s lei- 

 sure hours be not converted into the whole business 

 of his life. But hunting, above all others, is a 

 taste characteristically manly and appropriate to 

 the gentlemen of Great Britain ; and it has likewise 

 another advantage over all other sports of the field, 

 which adds much to its value in this land of liberty, 

 and especially in the present age : it is a kind of 

 Saturnalian amusement, in which the privileges of 

 rank and fortune are laid aside ; the best man in 

 the chase is he who rides the best horse, and who 

 is best skilled in the use he should make of his 

 superiority. 



But let us look a little into the origin of hunting, 

 the encomiums passed upon it, and the advantages 

 derived from it. 



