26 RIGHT OF COUNTRY. 



The third class were, the badger, the wild cat, and 

 the otter, which showed " great dysporte." The fox is 

 also classed by some old authors among the beasts of 

 " stinking flight," to distinguish them from the beasts 

 of " sweet flight," as the buck, doe, hare, and some 

 others. 



But as the fox is the only one of this number, the 

 chase of which belongs to the contents of this article, 

 I shall content myself with treating on the hunting of 

 that animal alone, although I may occasionally refer 

 to other beasts of chase, and bring forward anecdotes 

 connected with them. The old laws relative to hunting, 

 are supposed to have been introduced into this country 

 by the Saxons, as no mention is made of their exist- 

 ence previous to that period. Canute the Dane, was 

 also much attached to the chase, and enacted many 

 laws for the preservation of the game in the royal 

 forests, granting at the same time to proprietors of 

 estates, the privilege of hunting on their own lands 

 and woods ; this prince also prohibited the exercise of 

 hunting or hawking on the Sabbath day.* 



According to the accounts given by various autho- 

 rities, these laws were exceedingly severe ; they have 

 by degrees, however, been repealed, and although the 

 legislature has given protection to the preservers of 

 deer, hares, pheasants, &c., the chase of the fox is alone 

 countenanced by sufferance, and supported by bye- 

 laws framed and acknowledged by the admirers of the 

 sport. These laws refer chiefly to the lines of demar- 

 cation which divide one fox-hunting country from 

 another, or in other words, what covers a master of 



• Leges Canuii apud Lainbord, cap. 77, from Strutt. 



