254 THE SHOOTER'S GUIDE. 



that of Mirabeau, exercised " a vigour beyond the 

 law" in respect to game, perhaps unparalleled. But, 

 notwithstanding all his exertions, poaching on his 

 manors was carried to the most daring lengths. A 

 village at a short distance from the baronet's house 

 might be said to contain nothing but poachers. I 

 have sometimes witnessed this gentleman's myrmi- 

 dons make a regular search for snares, &c. through 

 all the cottages in the place, with every mark of ple- 

 beian importance and superiority. However, in pro- 

 portion as the pursuit after instruments for the de- 

 struction of game was ardent, so the arts of evasion 

 multiplied ; and when neither cottages nor outbuild- 

 ings would afford protection for guns, nets, gins,&c., 

 they were sheltered beneath the roof of a hay stack, or 

 other place more remote and less suspected. This 

 gentleman's severity was not confined to the poach- 

 ing fraternity he would not suffer an honourable 

 sportsman to cross his manors; and yet he seemed to 

 be no way attached to the diversions of the field. But 

 he had attachments of another nature ; the pledges of 

 which will prevent him from being forgotten locally 

 for the present generation, should not his good deeds 

 render his memory immortal. 



But to return. Seeing, therefore, that poaching is 

 the source whence spring so many evils, would it not 

 be advisable to adopt some mode to prevent it ? The 

 moralist, and the man of reflection, will answer, cer- 

 tainly it would ; provided, at the same time, that the 

 remedy will not prove worse than the disease. Now 



