HUNTING DIRECTORY. 169 



Anecdote of Will Dean. 



to act in a subordinate capacity, except when circum- 

 stances require that he should act otherwise. If, for 

 instance, the huntsman happen to be thrown out, it is 

 the duty of the first whipper-in to supply his place. — 

 Beckford says, " I prefer an excellent Avhipper-in to an 

 excellent huntsman. The opinion I believe is new ; — I 

 must endeavour to explain it. My meaning is this, that 

 I think I should have better sport, and kill more foxes, 

 with a moderate huntsman, and an excellent whipper-in, 

 than with the best of huntsmen, without such an assist- 

 ant. You will say, perhaps, that a good huntsman will 

 make a good whipper-in ; not such a one as I mean; his 

 talent must be born with him. My reasons are, that 

 good hounds, (and I would not keep bad ones) stand 

 oftener in need of the one than the other ; and genius, 

 which in a whipper-in, if attended by obedience, his first 

 requisite, can do no hurt ; in a huntsman, is a dangerous, 

 though desirable, quality : and if not accompanied with 

 a large share of prudence, and I may s^y humility, will 

 often spoil your sport, and hurt your hounds. A gen- 

 tleman told me, he heard the famous Will Dean, when 

 his hoimds were running hard in a line with Daventry, 

 from whence they were at that time many miles distant, 

 swear exceedingly at the whipper-in, saying, " What 

 business have yoti here?" the man was amazed at the 

 question, 'W/y dont you know" said he, "and be d — 'd 

 to yon, that the great earth at Daventry is open ?" — 

 The man got forward, and reached the earth just time 

 enough to see the fox go in. If therefore whippers-in 

 are at liberty to act as they shall think right, they are 

 much less confined than the himtsman himself, wlio must 



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