170 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING^ 



LETTER XIV 



FOX-HUNTING, however lively and anU 

 mating it may be in the field, is but a dull, 

 dry fubjecl to write upon ; and I can now affure 

 you, from experience, that it is much lefs diffi- 

 cult to follow a fox-chace than to defcribe one. 

 You will ealily imagine, that to give enough of 

 variety to a lingle a61ion, to make it intereiling, 

 and to defcribe in a few minutes, the events of, 

 perhaps, as many hours ; though it pretend to no 

 merit, has at leaft fome difficulty and trouble ; and 

 you will as ealily conclude tliat I am glad they 

 are over. 



You dcfire me to explain that part of my lafl 

 letter, which fays, if ive can hold him on, ive may 

 nozv recover hhn. — It means, if we have fcent to 

 follow on the line of him, it is probable he will 

 ilop, and Vvc may hunt up to him again. You 

 alfo obje(?t to my faying catch a fox ; you call it 

 a bad expreffion, and fay, that it is not fporlly ; I 

 believe I have not often ufed it; and when I have, 

 it has been to dillinguifh betwixt the hunting a 

 fox down, as you do a hare, and the killing of 

 him with Iiard running. — You tell me, I fhould 



always. 



