^4 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING^ 



number of seasons a hound will last. Like us, some of them 

 have better constitutions than others, and consequently wili 

 bear more work ; and the duration of all bodies depends 

 as much on the usage that they meet with, as on the ma- 

 terials of which they are -made.- 



You ask, whether you had not better buy a complete 

 pack at once, than be at the trouble of breeding one ? Cer- 

 tainly you had, if such an opportunity should offer. It 

 sometimes happens, that hounds are to be bought for less 

 rnoney than you could breed them. The gentkman to 

 whom my house formerly belonged, had a most famous 

 pack of fox-hounds. His goods, &c. were appraised and 

 sold ; which, when the appraiser had done, he was put in 

 mind of the hounds, " Well, gentlemen," said he, "what 

 *' shall 1 appraise them at? A shilling a-piecef' — 'Oh, it is 

 * too little !' — " Is it so ?" said the appraiser — " why, it \% 

 *' more than / "ucould give for them, I assure you'* 



Hounds are not bought so cheap at TattersaWs, 



