FARMERS AND FOX-HUNTING 275 



of those things, seemingly of little importance in 

 themselves, yet which mean so much when taken 

 in the aggregate. With the increase of the size 

 of fields it stands to reason that more damage will 

 occasionally be done. And it would scarcely be 

 fair to class all the damage done as wanton damage, 

 though undoubtedly a great deal of it is the result 

 of more or less culpable carelessness. In the days 

 when John Marshall flourished nearly every one 

 who hunted — and there were few who hunted in 

 those days, when in the provinces a score horsemen 

 made a large field — was brought up to a country 

 life, and knew what damage he was doing when he 

 did it, therefore the words wilful and wanton 

 would fitly apply to the harm they did ; but as I 

 have already pointed out, though much of the 

 unnecessary damage done in the present day may 

 be the result of carelessness, a great deal may be 

 attributed to ignorance. It may be laid down 

 as an axiom that no damage should be done of 

 which carelessness or ignorance is the cause. A 

 man who goes out hunting should learn to dis- 

 criminate between maiden seeds and ordinary 

 stubble ; he should endeavour, when shaping his 

 course over grass, to go where he will do least 

 damage ; he should also take care to break down 

 fences as little as possible. I remember an instance 

 of a farmer being exceedingly irate at one of his 

 fences being broken down, and he threatened all sorts 

 of pains and penalties if ever men crossed his farm 

 again after hounds. The man was a personal 

 friend of mine, and I expostulated with him. 

 "You would never summon me," said I, "and I 

 was the first man to cross your land." " No," 

 was the reply, after a moment's hesitation ; " you 



