156 THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



the authors of the Encydopedie for their kind and friendly 

 information. 



Having heard of a small pack of beagles to be disposed 

 of in Derbyshire, I sent my coachman (the person whom I 

 could at that time best spare) to fetch them. It was a long 

 journey, and, not having been used to hounds, he had some 

 trouble in getting them along j beside which, as ill luck, would 

 liave it, they had not been out of the kennel for many weeks 

 before., and v/ere so riotous, that they ran after every thing they 

 sav/ : sheep, cur-dogs, and birds of all sorts, as well as hares 

 and deer, I found, had been his amusement all the way along. 

 However, he lost but one hound ; and when I asked him 

 what he thought of them, he said, *' they could not fail of 

 " being good hounds, for they would hunt any ihiiir.''* 



In your answer to my last Letter, you ask. Of what ser- 

 vice it can be to a huntsman to be a good groom ? — and. 

 Whether I think he will hunt hounds tlie better for it ? — I 

 wonder you did not rather ask. Why he should be cleanly ? 

 I should be more at a loss how to answer you. My hunts- 

 man has always the care of his own horses 3 I never yet knew 



