HUNTING DIRECTORY. 143 



in Fox-hounds. 



necessary you may think these requisites in a hound, I 

 cannot but flatter myself they are to be acquired by less 

 exceptionable means. The method I have already men- 

 tioned to make hounds obedient, as it is practised in my 

 own kennel — that of calling them over often in the ken- 

 nel, to use them to their names, and walking them out 

 often amongst sheep, hares, and deer, from which they 

 are stopped to use them to a rate, in my opinion, would 

 answer your purpose better. The teaching your hounds 

 to hunt is by no means so necessary as you seem to ima- 

 gine. Nature will teach it them, nor need you give 

 yourself so much concern about it. Art only will be ne- 

 cessary to prevent them hunting what they ought not to 

 hunt — and do you really think your method a proper one 

 to accomplish it ? 



" The first and most essential thing towards making 

 hounds obedient, I suppose, is to make them understand 

 you ; nor do I apprehend you will find any difficulty on 

 their parts, but such as may be occasioned on yours. — 

 The language we use to them, to convey our meaning 

 should never vary : — still less, should we alter the very 

 meaning of the terms we use. — Would it not be absurd 

 to encourage, when we mean to rate? and if we did, 

 could we expect to be obeyed ? — You will not deny this, 

 and yet you are guilty of no less an inconsistency, when 

 you encourage your hounds to run a scent to-day, which 

 you know, at the same time, you must be obliged to 

 break them from to-morrow : — is it not running counter 

 to justice and reason ? 



" I confess there is some use in hunting young hounds, 

 where you can easily command them ; but even this you 



