182 OBSERVATIONS OX THE HOUNDS. 



ones properly awed from riot, and that will stop 

 at a rate, may be put into the pack, a few at a 

 time ; but an old hound that is vicious should 

 not escape hanging : let him be ever so good in 

 other respects, I will not excuse him ; for a 

 pack must be wretched indeed that can stand 

 in need of such assistance. 



There is infinite pleasure in hearing a fox 

 well found. When you get up to his kennel 

 with a good drag, the chorus increasing as you 

 go, it inspires a joy more easy to feel than to 

 describe. With regard to my own feelings, I 

 had sooner hear one fox found in this lively 

 manner, than ride the best hare-chase that was 

 ever run. 



Much depends on the first finding of your 



fox. Dimidium facti, qui bene ccepit, habet, 



which we learned at Westminster, is verified 



here ; for I look upon a fox well found to be 



half killed. I think people generally are in too 



great a hurry on this occasion. There is an 



enthusiasm attending this diversion, which, in 



this instance in particular, ought always to be 



restrained.* The hounds are alvays mad 



* There are but few instances where sportsmen are 

 not too noisy and too fond of encouraging their hounds, 

 which seldom do their business so well as when little is said 

 to them. 



