THE LOVE OF SPORT is a feeling inherent in most Englishmen, and whether
in the chase, or with the rod or gun, they far excel all other nations.
In fact, the definition of this feeling cannot be understood by many
foreigners. We are frequently ridiculed for fox-hunting: 'What for all
dis people, dis horses, dis many dog? dis leetle (how you call him?) dis
"fox" for to catch? ha! you eat dis creature; he vary fat and fine?'

This is a foreigner's notion of the chase; he hunts for the pot; and by
Englishmen alone is the glorious feeling shared of true, fair, and manly
sport. The character of the nation is beautifully displayed in all our
rules for hunting, shooting, fishing, fighting, etc.; a feeling of fair
play pervades every amusement. Who would shoot a hare in form? who would
net a trout stream? who would hit a man when down? A Frenchman would do
all these things, and might be no bad fellow after all. It would be HIS
way of doing it. His notion would be to make use of an advantage when an
opportunity offered. He would think it folly to give the hare a chance
of running when he could shoot her sitting; he would make an excellent
dish of all the trout he could snare; and as to hitting his man when
down, he would think it madness to allow him to get up again until he
had put him hors de combat by jumping on him. Their notions of sporting
and ours, then, widely differ; they take every advantage, while we give
every advantage; they delight in the certainty of killing, while our
pleasure consists in the chance of the animal escaping.

I would always encourage the love of sport in a lad; guided by its true
spirit of fair play, it is a feeling that will make him above doing a
mean thing in every station of life, and will give him real feelings of
humanity. I have had great experience in the characters of thorough
sportsmen, who are generally straightforward, honourable men, who would