ON THE NATIONAL UTILITY OF HUNTING. 13 



degree, call forth the same qualities, but none — if we except 

 deer-stalking, and that is within the reach only of a select few — 

 call for them all in such a high degree as the chase, which is 

 open to every one who has the means of keeping a horse. 



Since civilization and luxury have advanced to such a height 

 amongst us, the development of these qualities in our youth is 

 nothing less than of national importance. We never know the 

 day or the hour when we may be called upon to defend those 

 near and dear to us with our strong right hands, and should the 

 time unfortunately ever come, what immense allies will these 

 qualities of which I have treated be found. A second Waterloo 

 may be won, not only in the playing-fields of our public schools, 

 but on the broad pastures of our hunting counties. 



Xenophon, who said the art of hunting was from the gods, 

 incited his countrymen to it as the best means of preparing, both 

 mentally and physically, for military service, as well as keeping 

 them from loose and enervating pleasures, and rendering them 

 virtuous and good citizens, saying, " Those who make it their 

 study, accordingly, to be continually labouring and learning 

 something, choose toilsome pursuits and cares for themselves, 

 but secure safety for their own communities ; but those who 

 decline to be taught anything because it is laborious, and prefer 

 to spend their lives in improper pleasures, are characters of the 

 very worst nature." 



In our own times Charles Kingsley, poet, pastor, and not 

 least, let us add, sportsman — for no man has written better or 

 more lovingly on the subject — has said, " Woe to the class or 

 the nation which has no manly physical training ! Look at the 

 manners, the morals, the faces of the young men of the shop- 

 keeping classes if you wish to see the effects of utterly neglecting 

 the physical development of man; of fancying that all the 

 muscular activity he requires under the sun is to be able to 

 Itand behind a counter, or sit on a desk-stool without tumbling 

 dS". Ee sure that ever since the days of the Persians of old, 

 iffeminacy, if not the twin-sister of cowardice and dishonesty, 



