88 OBSERVATIONS ON FOX-HUNTING 



from experience, nothing pleases the yeomanry so 

 much. No doubt it is often won by trick, I 

 mean by a horse which belongs to some one out 

 of the hunt, that has been a winner before, and 

 is named by some obscure farmer ; and the cup 

 frequently ornaments the sideboard of one who 

 is the least deserving of it ; but that is no reason 

 at all why it should be discontinued. It is the 

 intention of the thing which pleases, as a sort 

 of grateful return for the supposed injury done 

 to the farmer. I am confident, that by this 

 means, I have gained the good will of many an 

 opulent yeoman, who was before inimical to fox- 

 hunting. I have heard them say to each other, 

 " it is very kind of the gentlemen to think of 

 us." I remember a farmer coming up to me at 

 one of our hunt-races, whom I before suspected 

 of killing foxes, and addressing me thus, — " My 

 woodman. Sir, told me, he thought an old vixen 

 would lay up her cubs in our home-wood ; if 

 it should so happen, I give you my word. Sir, 

 not one of them shall be destroyed." The wood- 

 man was right in his conjecture ; my friend kept 

 his word ; we found a litter of foxes in the home- 

 wood, and the honest farmer ever afterwards was 

 a sincere well-Avisher to the hunt. 



I have avoided as much as possible writing 

 on subjects unconnected with fox-hunting, but I 



