e who think that women are in the way
out hunting, and in my experience I have always considered they do much
less harm than the men." Nice, truthful man, and great favourite as he
deserves to be. The celebrated Beckford appropriately gives as a
frontispiece, in his _Thoughts on Hunting_, a portrait of Diana, the
goddess of hunting, having her sandals girded on for the chase, and
explains the picture by saying: "You will rally me perhaps on the choice
of my frontispiece; but why should not hunting admit the patronage of a
lady? The ancients, you know, invoked Diana at setting out on the chase,
and sacrificed to her at their return; is not this enough to show the
propriety of my choice?" How much nicer the ancients must have been than
many moderns are! They often provoke poor Diana when setting out for the
chase, and sacrifice her to their bad tempers on their return! According
to Jorrocks, hunting men must be vainer than we are, for we do not wear
pink. That great sportsman found that "two-thirds of the men wot come
out and subscribe, wouldn't do so if they had to ride in black!"

Another admonition which should receive the serious attention of the
hunting tyro comes from Whyte Melville, who says: "Now I hope I am not
going to express a sentiment that will offend their prejudices and
cause young women to consider me an old one, but I do consider that in
these days ladies who go out hunting ride a turn too hard.... Let the
greatest care be taken in the selection of their horses; let their
saddles and bridles be fitted to such a nicety that sore backs and sore
mouths are equally impossible, and let trustworthy servants be told off
to attend them during the day. Then, with everything in their favour,
over a fair country fairly fenced, why should they not ride on and take
their pleasure?

"But even if their souls disdain to follow a regular pilot (and, I may
observe, this office requires no little nerve, as they are pretty quick
on a leader when he gets down), I would entreat them not to try 'cutting
out the work,' as it is called, but rather to wait and see at least one
rider over a leap before they attempt it themselves.... What said the
wisest of kings concerning a fair woman without discretion? We want no
Solomon to remind us that with her courage roused, her ambition excited,
all the rivalry of her nature called into play, she has nowhere more
need of this judicious quality than in the hunting field." Possibly the
wri