THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING.' 5t2b 



lent huntsman. No one knows better than yourself, how 

 essential a good adjutant is to a regiment : believe me, 

 a good whipper-in is not less necessary to a pack of fox- 

 hounds : — but I must beg you to observe, I mean only, 

 that I could do better with mediocrity in the one than in the 

 other. If I have written any thing in a former Letter that 

 implies more, 1 beg leave to retrad it in this. Yet I must 

 confess to you, that a famous huntsman 1 am not very am?> 

 bitious to have, unless it necessarily followed that he must 

 htLYc famous hounds; a conclusion that I cannot admit, as long 

 las these so famous gentlemen will be continually attempting 

 themselves to do, what would be much better done if left 

 to their hounds : besides, they seldom are good servants, 

 are always conceited, and sometimes impertinent, I am 

 very well satisfied if my huntsman be acquainted with his 

 country and his hounds j if he ride well up to them ; and 

 if he have some knowledge of the nature of the animal 

 which he is in pursuit of j — but so far am I from wishing 

 him to be famous, that I hope he will still continue to 

 think his hounds know best how to hunt ^ fox, 



You say you agree with me, that a huntsman should 

 Stick close to his hounds. If, then, his place be fixed, and 



H h 3, 



