<^^0 THOUGHTS UPON HtTNTlNG. 



too often are fatal to them :— farmers for their lambs 5 

 (which, by the bye, few foxes ever kill) ; gentlemen for 

 their game ; and old women for their poultry — are their 

 inveterate enemies. I must, however, give an instance of 

 civility that I once met with from a farmer : — The hounds 

 had found, and were running hard: the farmer came up 

 in high spirits, and said, " I hope. Sir, you will kill him : 

 " he has done me much damage lately : he carried away 

 *' all my ducks last week. I would not gm him though — 

 *' too good a sportsman for that." — So much for the ho- 

 nest farmer. 



In the country where 1 live, most of the gentlemen arc 

 sportsmen ; and even those who are not, shew every kind 

 of attention to those who are. 1 am sorry that it is other- 

 wioe with you ; and that your old gouty neighbour 

 should destroy your foxes, I must own, concerns me, 

 I know some gentlemen, who, when a neighbour had 

 destroyed all their foxes, and thereby prevented them 

 from pursuing a favourite amusement, loaded a cart with 

 spaniels, and went all together and destroyed his phea- 

 sants. 1 think they might have called this very pro- 

 perly, lex talionis 3 and it had the desired effed , for, as 



