THE BAEBAEIANS 19 



So far we have only had to concern ourselves with Philistine 

 prejudice, but there are also the attacks of the Humanitarians, who 

 contend in copy-book phraseology that 



Barbarians practise Barharity. 



Beaglers having a clear conscience and not concerning themselves 

 with controversy may be content to ignore the challenge, although it 

 often takes the form of 



Beaglers ^practise Barharity 



that is a specific attack on the form of hunting which is our 

 immediate concern, and in face of which attack our feelings have 

 been accurately expressed by Mr. H. S. Gladstone in his beagling 

 diary, in his comment on the Spectator s observation on Eton beagling 

 to the effect that : — 



" The most cruel forms of sport seem indeed to have always been 

 a staple form of amusement in the school." And that " these Eton 

 brutalities {sic) are condemned by the modern spirit of humaneness." 



On which Mr. Gladstone says : — 



"I cannot say that I feel guilty of brutality as 'condemned 

 by the modern spirit of humaneness.' My education has taught 

 me that beagling is the most scientific and sporting way of taking 

 the hare." 



And so say we all ! 



Though so many Cambridge beaglers have been old Etonians, 

 we are not, of course, directly concerned with the barbarity of Eton 

 sport, but the only sport there practised being the hunting of hares 

 afoot with beagles, beagling is stigmatised as a sport of peculiar 

 cruelty, and all beaglers are involved. Also, if this book should fall 

 into the hands of Humanitarians, for review or otherwise, there will 

 surely be some sort of outcry against ourselves, and I propose to 

 meet the accusation, remarking that those who are bored with the 

 subject are quite free to skip the rest of this chapter. Wherefore to 

 begin ! 



There are so many sportsmen in the world who are humane men, 

 in thorough sympathy with animal life, and who detest mere wanton 



