A CURIOUS OPINION. 145 



Having heard of a small pack of beagles to 

 be disposed of in Derbyshire, I sent my coach- 

 man, the person whom I could at that time best 

 spare, to fetch them. It was a long journe}^, 

 and not having been used to hounds, he had 

 some trouble in getting them along ; also, as 

 ill luck would have it, they had not been out 

 of the kennel for many weeks before, and were 

 so riotous, that they ran after every thing they 

 saw ; sheep, cur-dogs, and birds of all sorts, as 

 well as hares and deer, I found had been his 

 amusement all the way along : however, he lost 

 but one of the hounds by the way; and v.hen I 

 asked him what he thought of them, he said — 

 *' thev could not fail of being good hounds, for 

 they would hunt any thing.'''' 



In your answer to my last letter, you ask, of 

 what service it can be to a huntsman to be a 

 good groom, and whether I think he will hunt 

 hounds the better for it.-^ I wonder you did 

 not rather ask why he should be cleanly? I 

 should be more at a loss how to answer you. 

 My huntsman has always the care of his own 

 horses; I never yet knew one who did not thiuk 

 himself capable of it : it is for that reason I wish 

 him to be a good groom. 



H 



