^66 THOUGHTS F?ON HUNTrNG, 



LETTER XXL 



"X T'OUR bnntfman, you fay, has hunted a pack 

 Jk- of harriers. It might have been better, per- 

 haps, liad he never feen one, lincc fox-hunting 

 and hare-hunting differ alraoll in every particu- 

 Lir ; io much, that I think it might not be an 

 improper nefrative definition of fox-hunting to 

 fay it is of ^// hunting, that which refembles hare- 

 honting the leaft. A good huntfman to a pack 

 of harriers feldom fucceeds in fox-hunting ; like 

 old hounds they dvv'ell upon the Iccnt, and can- 

 not get forward ; nor do they ever make a bold 

 caft, lb much are they afraid of leaving the fcent 

 behind them. Hence it is that thev poke about and 

 try the fame place ten times over rather than they 

 will leave it ; and when they do, are totally at a 

 lois which way to go, for want of knowing the 

 nature of the animal they are in purfuit of As 

 hare-hounds fhould fcarccly ever be cafe, hallooed, 

 or taken off their nofes, hare-hunters arc too apt 

 t') hunt their fox-hounds in the fame manner ; 

 but it will not do, nor could it plcafc you if it v/ould. 

 Take away, the fpirit of fox-hunting, and it is no 

 longer fox-hunting; it is ftale fmall beer compared 

 lobriil^ichamDain. Yo-u would alfo find in it more 



fatigue 



