32 NATURAL HISTORY 



LETT,ER VII. 



TO THE SAME. 



T. HOUGH 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 begin- 

 ning of this century, all this country was 

 wild about deer-stealing^. Unless he was 

 a hunter, as they affected to call them- 

 selves, no young person was allowed to 

 be possessed of manhood or gallantry. 

 The Waltham blacks at length commit- 

 ted such enormities, that government 

 was forced to interfere with, that severe 

 and sanguinary act called the black act,^ 

 which now comprehends more felo- 



* Statute 9, Geo. I. c. 22. 



