OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 51 



cause the master of the hounds who happens to 

 hunt it at the time is not approved of by the 

 owner of the covert ; the same sort of prejudice 

 nn'ght be taken against him in his own hunt, 

 and he may hkewise have a misunderstanding 

 with some one who will easily find an excuse to 

 warn him off his property, and at the same time 

 make a proposition to some other pack to hunt 

 it. What would be his astonishment if a neigh- 

 bouring pack should come into the heart of his 

 country, and into one of his best coverts, find 

 a fox, have a good run, and kill him ? 



If customary laws are to be invaded to answer 

 the caprice of individuals, the confusion and 

 anarchy that would naturally occur in a short 

 time would set a whole country together by the 

 ears, and threaten the very existence of fox- 

 hunting. A master of hounds is as liable to the 

 misfortune of having a misunderstanding as other 

 people — therefore when a covert is offered to 

 another under such circumstances, he ought politely 

 to refuse it. 'We all know, by law the owners 

 of coverts can allow whom they please to hunt 

 them ; if, therefore, the boundary of a country 

 is not held sacred, it is impossible to say what 

 will be the consequence, or how it will end. I 

 mention this subject of course in a way which I 

 hope will not be thought offensive or personal 



