He abhorred cruelty to dumb creatures but found vegetarianism more than mildly ridiculous. He was very fond of animals but generally represented fanatical pet-owners as somewhat contemptible. He had a dog named Marx but kept him engaged in a working farm. He adored fishing but it’s impossible to imagine him bothering to keep a fish in a bowl. He loved the landscape but didn’t want it depopulated — as it had been in English history — to make room for sheep or pheasants or deer.
