TliOUGliTS UPON HUNTING. 23J 



would never strike a hound that does not deserve it, and 

 would strike those hard that do* They seldom distinguish 

 sufficiently the degrees of offence which a dog may have 

 committed, to proportion their punishment accordingly; 

 and such is their stupidity, that, when they turn a hound 

 after the huntsman, they will rate him as severely as if he 

 liad been guilty of the greatest fault. 



It is seldotn necessary to flog hounds to make them obe° 

 dient, since obedience is the first lesson that they are taught ^ 

 yet, if any should be more riotous than the rest, they may 

 receive a few cuts in the morning, before they leave the 

 kennel. 



When hounds prove unsteady, every possible means 

 should be taken to make them otherwise : — a hare, or 

 a deer, put into the kennel amongst them, may then be 

 necessary. Huntsmen are too fond of kennel-discipline: 

 you already know my opinion of it : 1 never allow it 

 but in cases of great necessity : 1 then am always present 

 myself, to prevent excess* To prevent an improper and 

 barbarous use of such discipline, I have already told you, 

 is one of the chief objeds of these Letters. If what 



