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CHAPTER IV. 



THE ANTIQUITY OP HUNTING. 



I was with Hercules and Cadmus once, 

 When in a wood of Crete they bay'd the bear] 

 "With hounds of Sparta : never did I hear 

 Such gallant chiding ; for, besides the groves. 

 The skies, the fountains, every region near 

 Seem'd all one mutual cry. I never heard 

 So musical a discord, such sweet thunder. 



It may seem going over needless ground to devote a chapter to 

 the antiquity of hunting, as it must be pretty well agreed on all 

 hands that, from a very early period after the flood, men resorted 

 to the chase either from necessity or for pleasure. It is popu- 

 larly accepted that Mmrod gained his kingdom from his pro- 

 ficiency in hunting ; or, perhaps, rather that his labours in the 

 chase gave him the hardihood and skill to gain the mastery over 

 others, who accepted him first as leader, afterwards as king. In 

 his case, I incline to the belief that his sport was rather the 

 offspring of pleasure than necessity, or perhaps it was undertaken 

 to clear the country round his habitation of such beasts as would 

 be likely to prey on his flocks and herds, and that, having suc- 

 ceeded in this, others came to him to enjoy impunity from their 

 ravages, and thus in time formed a kingdom, over which he 

 reigned. In the case of Esau, being sent forth to kill venison 

 and make savoury meat for his father before receiving his 

 blessing, we have a distinct proof that hunting by him was 

 carried on as a sport, and that Isaac had as keen an appetite 

 for the proceeds of the chase as any old gentleman who holds 



