THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, IJ 



be current with you : I will take the beft care I 

 can that the number fhall be fmall. I need not, 

 I think, adviie you not to adopt too ealily the 

 opinions of other men. You will hear a tall man 

 lay it is folly to ridci any but large horfes ; and 

 every little man in company will immediately fell 

 his little horlcs, buy fuch as he can hardly 

 mount, and ride them in hilly countries, for 

 which they are totally unfit. Pride induces 

 fome men to dictate ; indolence makes others 

 like to be dictated to ; fo both parties find their 

 account in it. You will not let this miflead you. 

 You will dare to think for yourfelf. — Nor will 

 you believe every man who pretends to know 

 what you like better than you do yourfelf. There 

 is a degree of coxcombry, I believe, in every 

 thing : you have heard, I make no doubt, that 

 greyhounds are either black, or white, or black 

 and white ; and if you have any faith in thofe 

 wlio fay they know beft, they will tell you that 

 there are no others.* Prejudice, however, is by 

 far too blind a guide to be depended on. 



I have read ibmewhere, that there is no book 

 fo bad, but a judicious reader may derive fome 

 advantage from the reading of it ; I hope thefe 



* There is a fafliion in greyhounds: fonie couiTers even 

 pretend that all not being of the fafliionable colour are curs, 

 and not greyhounds. Grej-hound feems to be a corruption 

 from fome other ward— iriofl probably from gaze-hound. 



J letters 



