124^ YHOWGHTS UPON HUNTING^ 



LETTER XX. 



TN my fevenieenth letter I gave the opinion of 

 my friend**** — " that a pack of fox-hounds, 

 ^' if left entirely to themfelves, -would never lofe a 

 " fox^ I am always forry when I differ from that 

 gentleman in any thing ; yet I am fo far from 

 thinking they never would lofc a fox, that I doubt 

 much if they would ever kill one. There are times 

 when hounds fhould be helped, and at all times 

 they mull be kept forward ; hounds v/ill naturally 

 tie on a cold fcent when flopped by fheep or other 

 impediments ; and when they are no longer able 

 to get forward, will oftentimes hunt the old fcent 

 back again, if tliey find that they can hunt no 

 other. It is the judicious encouraging of hounds 

 to hunt Vvhen they cannot run, and the prevent- 

 ing them from lofmg time by hunting too much 

 when they might run, that diftinguifhes a good 

 fportfman from a bad one.* Hounds that have 

 been well tauHit will call forward to a hedjce of 

 their own accord ; but you may afliire yourfelf, 

 this excellence is never acquired by fuch as are 



* In hunting a pack of hounds a proper medium fhould be 

 obfcrved; for though too much help vvill make them flack, too 

 li:tk will make them tie on the fcent and hunt back the heel. 



Mi 



