THOUGHTS UPON HtTNTfNG. 319 



I rcpont of having employed it in this manner, 

 unlefs it were more certain than it is, that it wouM 

 have been employed better. It is true, theic let- 

 ters are longer than T firfl intended they fhould 

 be ; they would have been fiortef could I have 

 beftowed more time upon them. Some technical 

 words have crept in imperceptibly, and virith them 

 fome exprefiions better fiiited to the field than to 

 the clofet : nor is it ncceflary, perhaps, that a 

 fportfman, when he is writing to a Iportiman, 

 fhould make exciiles for them. In fome of my 

 letters you have found great variety of matter; 

 the variety of queuions contained iwyours made 

 it ibmetimes unavoidable. I know there muft be 

 fome tautology ; it fcarcely is pofiible to remem- 

 ber all that has been laid in former letters ; let 

 that diiiiculty, if you pleafe, excule the fault. I 

 fear there may be fome contradicfions for the fame 

 reafon, and there may be many exceptions. I trull 

 them all to your candour, nor can they be in bet- 

 ter hands. I hope you will not find that I have 

 at different times given different opinions ; but 

 fhould that be the cale, without doubt you will 

 follow the opinion which coincides moil with your 

 own. If on any points I have differed from great 

 authorities, I am forry for it; I have never hunted 

 with thole who are looked up to as the great mat- 

 ters of this fcience ; and when I difier from them 

 it Is without defign. Other methods, doubtlefs, 

 there are, to make the keeping of hounds much 



more 



