26 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



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. 



LETTER Vn 



Though large herds of deer do much harm to the neigh- 

 bourhood, 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-stealing. 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 enormities, 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 little wliile ago that, over their ale, they used 

 to recount the exploits of their youth ; such as watching 

 the pregnant hind to her lair, and, when the calf was 

 dropped, paring its feet with a penknife to the quick to 

 prevent its escape, till it was large and fat enough to be 



* statute 9 Geo. I. c. 22. 



t This chase remains unstocked to this day ; the bishop was Dr. 

 Hoadly. 



