THE HUNTSMAN. 459 



speaking of a huntsman to fox-hounds, his demands 

 on the hare-hunter being somewhat more moderate; 

 and yet the difficulties he, the hare-hunter, has to 

 combat with are more than obscurely acknowledged. 

 Aware that practice is the key to excellence in 

 every art, and that experience is the great mistress 

 of all human knowledge, he requires age, with its 

 experience, to fit the hare-huntsman for his office, 

 and to be a match for the wiles of the hare ; ludi- 

 crously adding, that, " for patience, he should be a 

 very Grizzle.'' 



We do not think we exaggerate when we say, 

 that the picture here drawn of a clever huntsman 

 may, in one degree, (of bodily endowments at least,) 

 be termed a near approach to human perfection ; 

 nor do we hesitate in adding our conviction, that 

 if to the attributes here given him are joined a 

 comprehensive mind and a humane heart, nothing 

 is wanting to make it complete. As the chase is 

 said to be the image of war, "but without its guilt,'' 

 let us suppose Mr. Beckford had been drawing the 

 character of a soldier, and not a huntsman. Could 

 he have given him higher qualifications than a clear 

 head, nice observation, a good constitution, un- 

 daunted courage, a powerful voice, an accurate ear, 

 and a lynx's eye, together with a quick perception, 

 endowed with quick impulses for acting, so neces- 

 sary to each? That he should be "fond of his 

 profession," and " indefatigable in the pursuit of 

 it;" " sober and exact," "sensible," and "good- 

 tempered?" It is not necessary that either a hunts- 

 man or a soldier should be a man of letters ; some of 



