The Watch-box. they kill a dozen brace of foxes in a feafon. My hounds kill double that number; ought it to be inferred from thence that they are twice as good? All countries are not equally favourable to hounds. I hunt in three, all'as different as it is poffible to be; and the fame hounds that behave well in one, fometimes appear to behave indifferently in another. Were the most 129 of my next: and in the mean time, I remain, Gentlemen, Your's, &c. ACASTUS: For the SPORTING MAGAZINE. The WATCH-BOX; a Tonigh Gentleman, at a convivial famous pack, therefore, to change A meeting fome time ago, re their good country, for the bad one I here allude to ; though, without doubt, they would behave well, they certainly would meet with lefs fuccefs than they are at prefent used to; our cold, flinty hills would foon convince them, that the difference of ftrength between one fox and another; the difference of goodnefs betwixt one hound and another-are yet but trifles, when compared with the more material difference of a good fcenting country, and a bad one. Great inequality of fcent, is very unfavourable to hounds. In healthy countries, the fcent always lies, yet I have remarked that the many roads that crofs them, and the many inclofures of poor land that furround them, render hunting in fuch countries, at times, very difficult to hounds; the fudden change from a good fcent to a bad one, puzzles their nofes, and confufes their understandings; and many of them, without doubt, follow the fcent unwillingly, owing to the little credit that they give to it. In my opinion, therefore, a fcent which is lefs good, but more equal, is more favourable to hounds, quested that any one of the company would be fo obliging as to inform him, whether thofe men, whom we fee equipped with poles and lantherns o'nights in and about the metropolis owe their appellation of Watchmen, to watching over the lives and properties of their fellow-citizens, or watching Time in his courfe, in order to announce his arrival at the feveral ftages marked upon the dial. The fimpleft queftions fometimes occafion a diverfity of opinion-fuch was the effect of this fentiments were divided with respect to the origin of the word under confideration, but all were unanimous in allowing that vigilance in either cafe was indifpenfably neceffary-that fome of the fraternity might fometimes be caught napping was likewife admitted. As an inftance of it, one of the company told us the following particulars of a trick put on a watchman within his remem-. brance, which, as well as memory will enable me, I fhall give you in his own words. "A party of bons vivans, who were difpofed for a frolic, after having made the glass circulate pretty freely In the former part of my let- at a tavern, fallied forth in queft ters (if I recollect right) I men of adventures. In their walk, tioned my diflike to bag foxes; they difcovered a watchman afleep. and, with your leave, my objec-in his box, and immediately retions to them fhall be the fubject folved to punish the unfortunate VOL. VII. No. XXXIX. R селе 139 The Hiftory of Hunting. centinel for his fupineness. One | every now and then be crying propofed taking away his lantern and pole; D-me,' fays another, fnatching up his rattle, let's play you a tune on your own inftrument, old boy? A third hero would have nailed up his box; but this, as well as the former, was over-ruled, for fear of waking him, which they had no mind to do, until fome fcheme had been carried into execution that might be a memento to him, and afford them fome fun. whofe diftrict they were to pafs, To the Editors of the Sporting (well knowing, by experience, people of this clafs are feldom proof against hufh-money) they RESUMING you have not PR readers any account of a fimilar as yet laid before your nature with the prefent, refpect ing the Hiftory of Hunting, I take The Hiftory of Hunting. HUNTING, in its general fenfe, includes the purfuit both of hairy and feathered game; but in its moré proper and reftrained fignification, it is only applicable to beafts of venery and chace. F. De Launay, profeffor of the French laws, has an exprefs tread tife of hunting. We hud, that, among the more civilized nations, as the Perfians, Greeks, and Romans, it always made one of their genteeler diverfions; and as to the wilder and more barbarous, it ferved them with food and neceffaries. The Roman jurifprudence, which was formed on the manners of the firft ages, made a law of it, and established it as a maxim, that as the natural rights of things, which have no mafter, belongs to the firft poffeffor; wild beafts, birds, and fishes, are the property of him, whoever he be, that can first take them. had vanquished; their chiefs and leaders began to appropriate the fight of hunting, and inftead of a natural right, to make it a royal one. Thus it continues to this day; the right of hunting, among us, belonging only to the king, and thofe who derive it from him. And hence have arifen all our laws and charters of the forelt, laws and regulations for prefer vation of the game, &c. The hunting ufed by the ancients was much like that now practifed for the rein deer; which is feldom hunted at force, or with hounds: but only drawn with a blood-hound, and foreftalled with nets and engines. Thus did they with all béafts; whence a dog is never commended by them for opening, before he has difcovered where the beaft lies: hence they were not in any manner curious as to the mufic of their hounds, or the compofition of their kennel or pack, either for deepnets, londness, or fweetnefs of cry, which is become a principal point in the hunting of our days. Their huntfmen, indeed, were accustomed to thout and make a great noife, as Virgil obferves in the third of his Georgics: ingentem clamore premes ad retia cervum. But that clamour was only to bring the deer to the nets laid for him. The Sicilian way of hunting had something in it very extraor dinary. The nobles or gentry being informed which way a herd of deer paffed, gave notice to one But the northern nations of another, and appointed a meeting, barbarians, who over-ran the every one bringing with him a Roman Empire, bringing with cross-bow or long-bow, and a them a ftronger tafle for the di- bundle of flaves, mod with iron, verfion, and the people being now the heads bored, with a cord paffpoffeffed of other, and more eafying through them all: thus promeans of fubfiftence from the vided, they came to the herd, and lands and poffeffions of those they cafting themfelves about in a R2 large large ring, furrounded the deer. -Then each taking his ftand, unbound his faggot, fet up his stake, and tied the end of his cord to that of his next neighbour, at the distance of ten feet from one another. Then taking feathers, dyed in crimson, and faftened on a thread, they tied them to the cord; fo that with the leaft breath of wind, they would whirl round. -Which done, the perfons who kept the ftands withdrew, and hid themselves in the next covert. Then the chief ranger entering within the line, with hounds to draw after the herd, roufed the game with their cry; which flying towards the line, were turned off, and ftill gazing on the shaking and fhining feathers wandered about as if kept in with a real wall or pale. The ranger till purfued, and calling every perfon by name, as he paffed by their ftand, commanded him to hoot the firft, third, or fixth, as he pleafed; and if any of them miffed, or fingled out another than that affigned him, it was counted a grievous difgrace. By fuch means, as they paffed by the feveral ftations, the whole herd was killed by the feveral bands. Hunting, confidered as an exercife, is perhaps the beft that can poffibly be contrived for ftrengthening the general habit, and procuring health and vigour. The feafon of the year, the time of the day defined for this amufement, and the motion neceffary on this occafion, are all admirably adapted to the reftoration and continuance of health. It is, befides, of no fmall importance to have the mind recreated at the time the body is exercifed; for this admirably affifts the due circulation of the fluids through the minute canals deftined for their conveys ance; and there are few people not utterly abandoned to idleness and debauchery of some kind or other, who do not perceive a fpontaneous flow of fpirits when they ride at or about the rite of the fun, when they refpire the pureft air, when variety of perpetually changing fcenes prefent themfelves, and when the mind is agreeably agitated concerning the event of the chace For the SPORTING MAGAZINE. ON CHRISTMAS Box. N looking into history, we find that this cuftom derived its existence much about the time that mafs was first said by a Catholic prieft. Rome, which originally gave birth to fuperftition, had an incredible number of clergy to fupport, and among other devices, this was invented as one, and took its name of mas from the Latin word mitto (to fend). This word mitto was a kind of remembrancer, or rather dictator, which faid, "fend gifts, offerings, and oblations to the priefty, that they may intercede with Chrift to fave your foul by faying fo many males. Hence it was called Chrift's mafs, or, as it is now abbreviated, Christmas. 1 Thus far the etymology of the word is indifputable, and every man who has attended to the minutia of facred hiftory, muft know the fact to be as here related. The word box, is a part of the fame prieft-craft trade, and took its origin from the following cir cumftance: Whenever a fhip failed from any Character of the Mahrattás as Horfemen, &c. 133 any of thofe ports where the religious profeffion was under the authority of Rome, a certain faint was always named, unto whofe protection its fafety was committed, and in that fhip there was a box, and, into that box every poor perfon put fomething, in order to induce the priests to pray to that faint for the fafe return of the vessel, which box was locked up by the priests, who faid that the money thould not be taken out until the veffel came back. This box was called "Chrift's Mafs-box." a To vaffals and fervants, who at that time compofed a great part of the lower order of the people, there was allowed liberty of foliciting gifts from the rich, in order to enable them to put money into the box, as well for maffes, and for the fafe return of the fhip, as for the benefit of their own fouls, and the forgiveness of fins. tinues a cuftom, although what was folicited for the benefit of the foul in former days, is in the prefent time appropriated to the fenfual gratifications of the body; as what the priests got for fasting and praying, is now Ipent by the laity in eating and drinking. CHARACTER of the MAHRATTAS. "men and farriers," fays HE Mahrattas, as horfe the author," affuredly deferve the beft cattle, from the care they bestow on them: a Mahratta, when difmounted, is continually fhampooing his horfe: this is performed by rubbing him violently with his elbows and wrifts, and bending the animal's joints quickly backward and forward with a cenfiderable exertion of strength; by these means, a This proving lucrative to the horfe will keep his flesh with half clergy, they fo contrived in due the quantity of provifion that he time, that the custom became will require when they are neguniverfal, and the priests had lected. Very few horfes beboxes wherever there was a cha-longing to inferior people in the pel in which mafs was faid: and Mahratta camp had more than a as without the penny there was no feer and a half per day, and, if paternofter, fo it became a regular forage was plentiful, a feer, or cuftom at the feftivals of the Na- lefs, perhaps, would be his altivity, of Eafter, and of Whitfun-lowance; the ufual quantity tide, to put money in thofe given to our hories was four or boxes. five feers a day, and they never looked better than the Mahrattas'; it must, however, be obferved, that without good look In procefs of time, the hipmoney was totally laid afide, and the priests took hold of Lent as the principal time to collect mafing after, it is a common practice money for the remiffion of fins; but ftill the old cuftom of poor people foliciting gifts continued ; and as the winter feafon was beft adapted to excite charity, the money for Chrift's Mafs box was folicited at the clofe of the year, and from that time to this, con with the fies, or grooms of Eu. ropean gentlemen, to embezzle a part, and not unfrequently a confiderable part of the horse's grain; and not being equally interested with the Mahrattas, are not at equal pains to fhampoo their master's horses. " As |