270 THOUGHTS •u¥dN HUNTING- 



I once heard an old Iportfman fay, that he 

 thought a fox, to Ihevv fport, fhould run four 

 hours at leafl ; and, I fuppofe, he did not care 

 how flow his hounds went after him. This idea, 

 however, is not conceived in the true fpirit of fox- 

 hunting, which is not to walk down a fox, or 

 ilarve him to death, but to keep clofe at him, and 

 kill him as loon as you can. I am convinced a 

 fox-hound may hunt too much ; if tender-nofed, 

 and not over-hurried, he will alway-s^hunt enough; 

 whihl the higheft-bred hounds may be made to 

 tye upon the fcent by improper management.* 



It is youth and good fpirits which beft fuit with 

 fox-hunting ; flacknefs in the men occafions 

 ilacknefs in the hounds ; and one may fee by the 

 manner in which hounds hunt what kind of men 

 they have been accuftomed to. The fpeedicll 

 hounds ma}'', by degrees, be rendered flow ; and 

 it is impoflible for the befl. to do their buflnefs as 

 they ought unlcfs followed with life and ijDirit. 

 Men who are flack themfelves will be always 

 afraid of hurrying their hounds too much ; 

 and by carrying this humour too far, will commit 

 a fault which has nothing to excufe it. The befl: 

 method to hunt a fox, they fay, is never upon 



* It more frequently is owing, either to want of patience, 

 or want of mettle, than to waui of nofe, that a hound does not 

 hunt well. 



an/ 



