HUNTING DIRECTORY. 11 



Hunting of our Ancestors. 



Normans might be somewhat different from our modern 

 stocks ; but they -were, no doubt, well adapted to the 

 state of the country, and the mode of hunting then 

 pursued ; and were, hi all probability, of the old Talbot 

 kind, whence have sprung, I am inclined to think, all 

 the various ramifications of the hound tribe which may 

 be seen in various parts of the kingdom at the present 

 day. 



Somervile's ideas upon the subject of the hunting of 

 our remote ancestors perfectly agrees with the opinion 

 above expressed, as will be seen by the following quota- 

 tion from his expressive and elegant poem: — 



— — " Devotion pure, 



And strong necessity, thus 6rst began 

 The chase of beasts : though bloody was the deed. 

 Yet without guilt. For the green herb alone, 

 Unequal to sustain man's labouring race, 

 Now every moving thing that liv'd on earth 

 Was granted him for food. So just is Heaven, 

 To give us in proportion to our wants. 

 Or chance or industry in after time 

 Some few improvements made, but short as yet 

 Of due perfection. In this isle remote, 

 Our painted ancestors were slow to learn. 

 To arms devote, of the politer arts 

 Nor skill'd nor studious; till from Neustria's coasts 

 Victorious William, to more decent rules 

 Subdu'd our Saxon fatlicrs, taught to speak 

 The proper dialect, %vith horn and voice 

 To cheer the busy hound, whose well-known cry 

 His listening peers approve with joint acclaim. 

 From him buccessive huntsmen leara d to join 

 In bloody social leagues, the multitude 

 Dispers'd, to size, to sort their various tribes, 



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