382 HUNTING. 



the arts of the javelin and the bow, could not be 

 too often repeated.'' But where is the pursuit that 

 may not be carried to excess I and yet without zeal 

 no person ever succeeded in field-sports of any kind, 

 much less in hunting. '' Whatever thy hand find- 

 eth to do, do it with all thy might," said Solomon ; 

 and had not Providence implanted this zeal in 

 man's nature, man never would have been what he 

 now is, but, comparatively, a useless being. Objec- 

 tions are again made, that the sports of the field, 

 hunting animals with dogs especially, are cruel ; 

 but the charge, if proved, does not altogether lie 

 against man. The beasts and birds of the field 

 have been given to him, as well as the way to pro- 

 cure them pointed out to him ; or wherefore the 

 almost unsearchable faculties of the dog? Some 

 persons, however, have thought otherwise : — " Is it 

 a labour worthy of man," says a very celebrated 

 English writer, " to watch from day to day, from 

 night to night, the haunts of our fellow animals, 

 that we may destroy them ? To triumph over a 

 poor mangled hare or hind, after we have harassed 

 them up and down the country for many hours to- 

 ijether with an armv of doo;s and men 2 Is it an 

 exercise becoming the majesty of a rational spirit 

 to run yawling with a parcel of hounds, perhaps a 

 whole day together, after some timorous animal V 

 In answer to this it may be urged, that we knew 

 no other method of availing ourselves of them when 

 first they were given for our use ; and it may be 

 strongly urged, that the destruction of wild animals 

 was never so speedily, and therefore humanely 



