"^Bedford 



Hunting * contains but little about horses and nothing about 

 how to ride them. The horse was just an accessory of 

 the Chase. This is where Beckford differs from the other 

 authors in this volume. He says not a word about bull- 

 finches, brooks, posts and rails, cutting people down, 

 thinning out the field, and so forth. His whole soul is 

 concentrated on the Fox and the Hounds. At times he 

 pours it out in language which, if not quite blank verse, 

 contains at least as much poetry as the lines of Somervile 

 whom he quotes so freely. If indeed he was inspired by 

 Somervile — and he presumably wrote the chapter with 

 ' The Chase ' open before him — he certainly * gets it over ' a 

 great deal better than his model. So much better that he 

 might almost be using Somervile as a foil. The beauty 

 of the thing is that it not only throbs from start to finish 

 with the joy of the pursuit, but also gives us at the same 

 time the intimate knowledge of the expert. 



A FOX CHASE 



Let us suppose that we are arrived at the cover side : — 



* Delightful scene ! 

 Where all around is gay, men, horses, dogs ; 

 And in each smiling countenance appears 

 Fresh blooming health, and universal joy.' 



Somervile. 



Now let your huntsman throw in his hounds as quietly 

 as he can, and let the two whippers-in keep wide of him on 



III 



