FOR A HUNTSMAN. 7 



than any thing besides, and yet we trust our 

 diversion in it to the sole guidance of a hunts- 

 man : we follow just as he chooses to lead us ; 

 and we suffer the success or disappointment of 

 the chase to depend solely on the judgment of a 

 fellow, who is frequently a greater brute than 

 the creature on which he rides. I would not be 

 understood to mean by this, that a huntsman 

 should be a scholar, or that every gentleman 

 should hunt his own hounds. A huntsman need 

 not be a man of letters ; but give me leave to 

 say, that had he the best understanding, he 

 would frequently find opportunities of exer- 

 cising it, and intricacies which might put it to 

 the test. You will say, perhaps, there is some- 

 thing too laborious in the occupation of a hunts- 

 man for a gentleman to take it upon himself ; 

 you may also think that it is beneath him : I 

 agree with you in both ; yet I hope he may 

 have leave to understand it. If he follows the 

 diversion, it is a sign of his liking it; and if 

 he likes it, surely it is some disgrace to him to 

 be ignorant of it. 



I find it will not be necessary to say much to 

 recommend a diversion to you,* which you so 



• Since the above v/as written, hunting has undergone 

 a severe censure, (vide Monthly Review for September, 



