THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING, 111 



It concerns me to be under the necessity of differing 

 from you in opinion ; but, since it cannot now be helped, 

 we will pursue the subjed, and examine it throughout. 

 Permit me then to ask you, what it is that you propose from 

 entering your hounds at hare ? — Two advantages, I shall 

 presume, you expedl from it : the teaching of your 

 hounds to hunt, and teaching them to be obedient. — 

 , However necessary you may think these requisites in a 

 hound, I cannot but flatter myself that they are to be ac- 

 quired by less exceptionable means. The method I have 

 already mentioned to make hounds obedient, as it is prac- 

 tised in my own kennel — that of calling them over often 

 in the kennel, to use them to their names*, and walking 

 them out often among sheep, hares, and deer, from 

 which they are stopped, to use them to a rate, in my opi- 

 nion, would answer your purpose better. The teaching 

 your hounds to hunt, is by no means so necessary as you 

 seem to imagine : Nature will teach it them ; nor need 

 you give yourself so much concern about it. Art will only 

 be necessary to prevent them from hunting what they ought 

 not to hunt ; — and do you think your method a proper one 

 to accomplish it ? 



* See note, page *48, 



