312. THOUGHTS UPON HUNTING. 



termined to come out), prevent him, if you can, from be- 

 ing so inclined. All kind of mobbing is allowable, when 

 hounds are out of blood * ; and you may keep the fox in 

 cover, or let him out, as you think the hounds will manage 

 hiin best. 



Though I am so great an advocate for blood, as to 

 judge it necessary to a pack of fox-hounds, yet 1 by no 

 means approve of it, so far as it is sometimes carried. I 

 have known three young foxes chopped in a furze- brake 

 in one day, without any sport j a wanton destrudion of 

 foxes, scarcely answering the purpose of blood ; since that 

 blood does hounds most good which is most dearly 

 earned. Such sportsmen richly deserve blank days j and, 

 without doubt, they often meet with them. Mobbing a 

 fox, indeed, is only allowable v,'hen hounds are not likely 

 to be a match for him v/ithout it. One would almost 

 be icclined to think blood as necessary to the men as 

 to the hounds, since the best chase is flat, unless you 

 kill the fox. When you ask a fox- hunter. What sport he 

 has had? and he rephes, It was ^ood-, I think the next 



* Yet, how many foxes owe their lives to the too great eagerness of 

 their pursuers ? 



