THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. I77 



and, I will venture to fay, that if he be not there^ 

 he might as well be in his bed. 



I mull give you an extraordhiary inftance of a 

 gentleman's knowledge of hunting.— He had hired 

 a houfe in a fiiie hunting country, with a good 

 kennel belonging to it, in the neighbourhood of 

 two packs of hounds, of which mine was one ; 

 and that he might not offend the owner of either, 

 intendedj as he faid, to hunt with both. He of- 

 fered me the ufe of his kennel, which, for fome 

 reafons, I chofe to decline ; it was afterwards of- 

 fered to the other gentleman, who accepted it. 

 The firil day that the hounds hunted this country 

 he did not appear. The fecond day, the hounds 

 were no fooner at the cover fide than my friend 

 faw an odd figure, Itrangely accoutred, riding 

 up, v/ith a fpaniel following him. " Sir," faid 

 he, " it gave me great concern not to be able to 

 " attend you when you was here before ; I hope 

 *' you was not offended at it ; for, to fhew you 

 " how v/ell I am inclined to afiift your hunt^ 

 " you fee, / have brought my little dog.^* 



I will now give you an infi:ance of another 

 gentleman's love of hunting. We were returning 

 from hunting over a very fine country, and upon 

 its being remarked that we had a pleafant ride, he 

 replied, " the beft part of Xhafport, in my opi- 

 *- nion, is the riding home to dinner afterwards." 



N He 



