NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 17 



they began blacking, they were reduced to about fifty head, and so 

 continued decreasing till the time of the late Duke of Cumberland. It 

 is now more than thirty years ago that his highness sent down an 

 huntsman, and six yeoman-prickers, in scarlet jackets laced with gold, 

 attended by the stag-hounds ; ordering them to take every deer in this 

 forest alive, and to convey them in carts to Windsor. In the course of 

 the summer they caught every stag, some of which showed extraordi- 

 nary diversion : but in the following winter, when the hinds were also 

 carried off, such fine chases were exhibited as served the country 

 people for matter of talk and wonder for years afterwards. I saw 

 myself one of the yeoman-prickers single out a stag from the herd, and 

 must confess that it was the most curious feat of activity I ever beheld, 

 superior to anything in Mr. Astley's riding-school. The exertions 

 made by the horse and deer much exceeded all my expectations; 

 though the former greatly excelled the latter in speed. When the 

 devoted deer was separated from his companions, they gave him, by 

 their watches, law, as they called it, for twenty minutes; when, 

 sounding their horns, the stop-dogs were permitted to pursue, and a 

 most gallant scene ensued. 



LETTEE VII. 



TO THE SAME. 



THOUGH large herds of deer do much harm to the neighbourhood, yet 

 the injury to the morals of the people is of more moment than the 

 loss of their crops. The temptation is irresistible ; for most men are 

 sportsmen by constitution : and there is such an inherent spirit for 

 hunting in human nature, as scarce any inhibitions .can restrain. 

 Hence, towards the beginning of this century all this country was wild 

 about deer-steeling. Unless he was a hunter, as they affected to call 

 themselves, no young person was allowed to be possessed of manhood 

 or gallantry. The Waltham blacks at length committed such enor- 

 mities, that government was forced to interfere with that severe and 

 sanguinary act called the " Black Act," * which now comprehends more 

 felonies than any law that ever was framed before. And, therefore, a 

 late Bishop of Winchester, when urged to re-stock Waltham Chase, t 

 refused, from a motive worthy of a prelate, replying " that it had done 

 mischief enough already." 



Our old race of deer-stealers are -hardly extinct yet : it was but a 



* Statute 9 Geo. I. cap. 22. 



t This chase remains un-stocked to this day ; the bishop was Dr. Hoadly. 

 t Poaching and its effects are deplored in Letter VII., and the reduction of the 

 stock of deer kept in the forest, the maintenance of which could not be of any 

 very great public or private utility, was then in consequence resolved upon. The 

 propriety of keeping up of the large stock of deer in the royal forests being 

 for these and other reasons at the present time questionable, a reduction was 







