THE SUBJECT CON'CLUDED. 317 



LETTER XXIV. 



I AM now, my friend, about to take leave 

 of you ; and at the same time that I give re- 

 pose to you, let me entreat you to show the 

 same favour to your hounds and horses. It 

 is now the breeding season, a proper time, 

 in my opinion, to leave off hunting ; since it 

 is more likely to be your servants' amusement 

 than yours; and is always to the prejudice 

 of two noble animals, which we sportsmen are 

 bound in gratitude to take care of. 



After a long and tiresome winter, surely 

 the horse deserves some repose. Let him then 

 enjoy his short-lived liberty; and as his feet 

 are the parts which suffer most, turn him out 

 into a soft pasture. Some there are who dis- 

 approve of grass, saying, that when a horse 

 is in good order, the turning him out undoes 

 it all again. It certainly does. Yet this, at 

 the same time, I believe, — that no horse can 

 be fresh in his limbs, or will last you long, 

 without it. Can standing- in a hot stable do 



