Tohim，inaccordancewithhisexistingideas，rurallifeundersuchcircumstanceswouldbeimpossible。Asmallpanofcharcoal，andanhonourabledeath—bed，wouldgivehimreliefafterhisfirstexperienceofsuchaninvasion。
NorwouldtheEnglishfarmerputupwiththeinvasion，iftheEnglishfarmerwerenothimselfahuntingman。Manyfarmers，doubtless，donothunt，andtheybearit，withmoreorlessgrace;buttheyareinuredtoitfromtheirinfancy，becauseitisinaccordancewiththehabitsandpleasuresoftheirownrace。
Nowandagain，ineveryhunt，somemancomesup，whois，indeed，morefrequentlyasmallproprietornewtothegloriesofownership，thanatenantfarmer，whodeterminestovindicatehisrightsandopposethefield。Heputsupawire—fenceroundhisdomain，thusfortifyinghimself，asitwere，inhiscitadel，anddefiestheworldaroundhim。Itiswonderfulhowgreatistheannoyancewhichonesuchmanmaygive，andhowthoroughlyhemaydestroythecomfortofthecovertsinhisneighbourhood。But，strongassuchanoneisinhisfortress，therearestillthemeansoffightinghim。Thefarmersaroundhim，iftheybehuntingmen，maketheplacetoohottoholdhim。Tothemheisathingaccursed，amantobespokenofwithallevillanguage，asonewhodesirestogetmoreoutofhislandthanProvidence，thatis，thananEnglishProvidence，hasintended。Theirownwheatisexposed，anditisabominabletothemthatthewheatofanothermanshouldbemoresacredthantheirs。
Allthisisnotsufficientlyrememberedbysomeofuswhentheperiodoftheyearcomeswhichistryingtothefarmer\'sheart，whentheyoungcloverisgrowing，andthebarleyhasbeenjustsown。Farmers，asarule，donotthinkverymuchoftheirwheat。Whensuchridingispracticable，ofcoursetheyliketoseementaketheheadlandsandfurrows;buttheirheartsarenotbrokenbythetracksofhorsesacrosstheirwheat—fields。I
doubt，indeed，whetherwheatisevermuchinjuredbysuchusage。
Butletthethoughtfulrideravoidthenew—sownbarley;and，aboveallthings，lethimgiveawideberthtothenew—laidmeadowsofartificialgrasses。Theyareneverlarge，andmayalwaysbeshunned。Tothemthepoachingofnumeroushorsesisabsolutedestruction。Thesurfaceofsuchenclosuresshouldbeassmoothasabilliard—table，sothatnowatermaylieinholes;
and，moreover，anyyoungplantcutbyahorse\'sfootistroddenoutofexistence。Farmersdoseeeventhisdone，andlivethroughitwithoutopenwarfare;buttheyshouldnotbeputtosuchtrialsoftemperorpockettoooften。
Andnowformyfriendthehuntingfarmerinperson，thesportsmanwhomIalwaysregardasthemostindispensableadjuncttothefield，towhomItendermysparecigarwiththemostperfectexpressionofmygoodwill。Hisdressisnearlyalwaysthesame。Hewearsathickblackcoat，darkbrownbreeches，andtopboots，verywhiteincolour，orofaverydarkmahogany，accordingtohistaste。Thehuntingfarmeroftheoldschoolgenerallyridesinachimney—pothat;but，inthisparticular，theyoungerbrethrenoftheploughareleavingtheiroldhabits，andrunningintocaps，nethats，andotherinnovationswhich，I
own，aresomewhatdistastefultome。Andthereis，too，theostentatiousfarmer，whoridesinscarlet，signifyingtherebythathesubscribeshistenorfifteenguineastothehuntfund。
Buthere，inthispaper，itisnotofhimIspeak。Heisamanwhoissomuchlessthefarmer，inthatheisthemoreanordinarymanoftheordinaryworld。Thefarmerwhomwehavenowbeforeusshallweartheoldblackcoat，andtheoldblackhat，andthewhitetopboots，ratherdaubedintheirwhiteness;andheshallbethegenuinefarmeroftheoldschool。
Myfriendisgenerallyamodestmaninthefield，seldommuchgiventotalkingunlesshebefirstaddressed;andthenheprefersthatyoushalltakeuponyourselfthechiefburdenoftheconversation。Butoncertainhuntingsubjectshehashisopinion，indeed，averystrongopinion，andifyoucandrivehimfromthat，youreloquencemustbeverygreat。Heisveryurgentaboutspecialcoverts，andevenastospecialfoxes;andyouwilloftenfindsmoulderinginhisbosom，ifyoudivedeepenoughtosearchforit，ahalf—smotheredfireofindignationagainstthemasterbecausethecountryhas，accordingtoourfriend\'sviews，beendrawnamiss。Insuchmattersthefarmerisgenerallyright;butheisslowtocommunicatehisideas，anddoesnotrecognizethefactthatothermenhavenotthesameopportunitiesforobservationwhichbelongtohim。Amaster，however，whounderstandshisbusinesswillgenerallyconsultafarmer;andhewillseldom，Ithink，orperhapsnever，consultanyoneelse。
Alwaysshakehandswithyourfriendthefarmer。Itputshimathiseasewithyou，andhewilltellyoumorewillinglyafterthatceremonywhatarehisideasaboutthewind，andwhatmaybeexpectedoftheday。Hisday\'shuntingistohimasolemnthing，andhegivestoitallhisseriousthought。Ifanymancanpredicateanythingoftherunofafox，itisthefarmer。
Ihadalmostsaidthatifanyoneknewanythingofscent，itisthefarmer;butofscentIbelievethatnoteventhefarmerknowsanything。Butheknowsverymuchastothelieofthecountry，andshouldmygentlereaderbychancehavetakenaglassortwoofwineaboveordinaryovernight，theeffectofwhichwillpossiblybeatemporarydistastetostraightriding，noone\'sknowledgeastothelineofthelanesissoserviceableasthatofthefarmer。
Astoriding，thereistheambitiousfarmerandtheunambitiousfarmer;thefarmerwhorideshard，thatis，ostensiblyhard，andthefarmerwhoissimplycontenttoknowwherethehoundsare，andtofollowthematadistancewhichshallmaintainhiminthatknowledge。Theambitiousfarmerisnotthehuntingfarmerinhisnormalcondition;heiseitheronewhohasaneyetosellinghishorse，and，ridingwiththatview，losesforthetimehispositionasfarmer;orheissomeexceptionaltillerofthesoilwhoprobablyisdangerouslyaddictedtohuntingasanothermanisaddictedtodrinking;andyoumaysurmiserespectinghimthatthingswillnotgowellwithhimafterayearortwo。Thefriendofmyheartisthefarmerwhorides，butrideswithoutsputtering;whonevermakesashowofit，butstillisalwaysthere;whofeelsittobenodisgracetoavoidarunoffenceswhenhisknowledgetellshimthatthismaybedonewithoutdangerofhislosinghisplace。Suchanonealwaysseesaruntotheend。Letthepacehavebeenwhatitmay，heisupintimetoseethecrowdofhoundshustlingfortheirprey，andtotakepartinthebuzzofsatisfactionwhichtheprosperityoftherunhasoccasioned。Butthefarmerneverkillshishorse，andseldomrideshimeventodistress。Heisnottobeseenloosinghisgirths，orlookingatthebeast\'sflanks，orexamininghislegstoascertainwhatmischancesmayhaveoccurred。Hetakesitalleasily，asmenalwaystakemattersofbusinessinwhichtheyarequiteathome。Attheendoftherunhesitsmountedasquietlyashedidatthemeet，andhasnoneofthatappearanceofhavingdonesomethingwonderful，whichonsuchoccasionsissoverystronginthefacesoftheyoungerportionofthepinkbrigade。
Tothefarmerhisday\'shuntingisverypleasant，andbyhabitisevenverynecessary;butitcomesinitsturnlikemarket—day，andproducesnoextraordinaryexcitement。Hedoesnotrejoiceoveranhourandtenminuteswithakillintheopen，asherejoiceswhenhehasreturnedtoParliamentthecandidatewhoispledgedtorepealofthemalt—tax;forthefarmerofwhomwearespeakingnow，thoughherideswithconstancy，doesnotridewithenthusiasm。
OfortunatisuasibonanorintfarmersofEngland！Whointhetownisthefarmer\'sequal？Whatisthepositionwhichhisbrother，hisuncle，hiscousinholds？Heisashopkeeper，whoneverhasaholiday，anddoesnotknowwhattodowithitwhenitcomestohim;towhomthefreshairofheavenisastranger;
wholivesamongsugarsandoils，andthedustofshoddy，andthesizeofnewclothing。Shouldsuchanonetaketohuntingonceaweek，evenafteryearsoftoil，menwouldpointtheirfingersathimandwhisperamongthemselvesthathewasasgoodasruined。
Hisfriendswouldtellhimofhiswifeandchildren;and，indeed，wouldtellhimtruly，forhiscustomerswouldflyfromhim。Butnobodygrudgesthefarmerhisday\'ssport！Noonethinksthatheiscrueltohischildrenandunjusttohiswifebecausehekeepsanagforhisamusement，andcanfindacoupleofdaysintheweektogoamonghisfriends。Andwithwhatadvantageshedoesthis！Afarmerwilldoasmuchwithonehorse，willseeasmuchhunting，asanoutsidememberofthehuntwilldowithfour，and，indeed，oftenmore。Heishisownhead—groom，andhasnoscrupleaboutbringinghishorseouttwiceaweek。Heasksnolivery—stablekeeperwhathisbeastcando，buttriesthepowersoftheanimalhimself，andkeepsinhisbreastacorrectrecord。
WhenthemanfromLondon，havingtakenallhecanoutofhisfirsthorse，hasriddenhissecondtoastand—still，thefarmertrotsuponhisstout，compactcob，withoutasignofdistress。