THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 1 85 



•of a battle, is particularly applicable to a fox- 

 phace: it fhould hQ JJiort, fnarp, and dec'ijive. 



There is, I believe, but little difference in tlis 

 ipeed of hounds of the fame lizc ; the great dif- 

 ference is in the head they carry ; and in order 

 that they may run well together, you fhould not 

 keep too many old hounds : after five or iix fea- 

 ions, they generally do more harm than good. 

 If they tie upon the fcent, and come hunting 

 after, hang them up immediately, let their age 

 be what it may; there is no getting fuch conceited 

 devils on ; they will never come to a halloo, 

 which every hound that is off the fcent, or be- 

 liind the refl, fhould not fail to do ; and they 

 are always more likely to draw you back than 

 help you forward.* 



You think me too fevere on fl^irters. I mufl 

 confefs, that I have but one objection to them, 



* From thi5 paffage, the critic endeavours to prove the 

 fportfman's ingratitude; and yet common {.tnie^ I believe, in- 

 duces moft men to rid themfelves of that which if kept would 

 be prejudicial to them. The critic feems to allude to a well- 

 known fable of ^fop, but is not very happy in the applica- 

 tion. He has alfo mif-quoted the paffage — the author does not 

 ^y tirsf but {yf upon the fcent. Good hounds, when they be- 

 come aged, are liable to the firft ; bad ones only are gu'lty of 

 the laft. In either cafe, death is not meant as a puniuimentj 

 nor is it confidered as a misfortune.— Vide Monthly Review. 



and 



