By Derek Fanning
A look at the hunting classic “Thoughts On Hunting” by Peter Beckford
A late 18th Century hunting scene
P
eter Beckford lived from 1740 to 1811 in the small parish of Iwerne Stepleton in Dorset. On the death of his father he inherited Stepleton House and its estate and is easy to see why his book, “Thoughts on Hunting,” has remained popular since it was published in London 241 years ago. The book is written in an accessible and elegant style and it also has many insightful passages which outline the reasons why people love fox hunting. Towards the end of the book Beckford points out that “the ways of the countryside” are an antidote for the stressful and unpleasant aspects of human existence. For him the ways of the countryside incorporate a broad spectrum, including ploughing the fields, sowing the land, looking after livestock; as well as taking part in the pleasures of hunting; or simply relaxing, taking your ease, in the midst of the beauties and peace of the fields, streams and woodlands. 44
The countryside, its heritage and its practices, is like a medicine for our minds, whether we are hunting people, farmers or weekend escapees from the Big Smoke. Beckford turns briefly to Virgil and Horace who wrote beautifully about this topic. He quotes Virgil, who wrote, “O fortunatos nimium, sua si bona, norint, agricolas!” This sentence, if written in contemporary English, would translate as, “The farmers would count themselves lucky, if they only knew how good they had it.” Virgil knew full well that being a farmer was not an easy life, but he also knew that it had compensatory beauty and charm. He points out that while the farmer's life can be demanding and hard work it is certainly better than life in the city, where there's squalor and filth, as well as the temptation of getting involved in the ugly, cynical machinations of politics and power games. He also points out that for many ex-army veterans suffering from black moods the
Spring 2022 Irish Country Sports and Country Life
tranquil mood and the loveliness of the countryside can be a soothing balm “far from the din of war the kindly earth pours forth an easy sustenance.” Beckford's quote from Horace is the famous “Beatus ille qui procul negotiis”, which translates (in the full quote) as “happy the man who, remote from busy life, is content, like the earlier race of mortals, to plough his paternal lands with his own oxen, freed from all borrowing and lending.” An overly busy life and the excessive burden of debts are problems which of course remain very strongly with us. We hunting people in the 21st century share a bond with these ancient Roman poets and with this 18th Century English aristocrat because we all turn to the countryside to soothe our minds when faced with these anxieties. He represented the best qualities of people of the Enlightenment period. These cultured, philosophical people wanted to bring the world out of the
