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PIERCE EGAN'S 
 
 BOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 AND 
 
 MIRROE, OF LIFE: 
 
 EMBRACING 
 
 THE TURF, THE CHASE, THE RING, AND THE STAGE 
 
 INTKRSPEKSKD WITH 
 
 ORIGINAL MEMOIRS OF SPORTING MEN, ETC. 
 
 Homo sum, humani nil a mb ajuienum puto. — Terence. 
 
 DEDICATED TO 
 
 GEORGE OSBALDESTON, Esq. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 PRINTED FOR WILLIAM TEGG AND Co., 73, CHEAPSIDE 
 
 R. GRIFFI.V AND CO., GLASGOW J CUMMING AND FERGUSON, DUBLIN. 
 1847. 
 
GEORGE OSBALDESTON, ESQ. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 In accordance with the axiom that PubUc Men are public 
 property, I have done myself the honor of dedicating the Book of 
 Sports to your notice ; and, in my humble opinion, I trust that I have 
 done so from the right sort of Taste, nay more, ''good Taste;" or, as 
 an Artist might observe, I hope that it is" in perfect keeping" with the 
 Character of the work : — 
 
 To gild refin'd s;old, to paint the lily, 
 To throw a perfume oa the violet ! 
 
 (as our immortal Bard has so beautifully expressed it) 
 
 Is wasteful and ridiculous. 
 
 Therefore, Sir, Flattery, or any thing in the shape of it, is entirely 
 out of the question; and far, very fai, rest assured, from my aim: 
 although I feel not the slightest hesitation, asserting, that it is nothing 
 else but a " bit of good truth" in addressing "the Squire,"* as the 
 
 ATIiAS OF THE SPOilTi:WG ^WORIi3>. 
 Indeed, Sir, I feel so strong in my opinion the above title is correct, 
 and universally acknowledged to be such by every Sportsman, from 
 one end of the Kingdom to the other, that I consider it is Three to 
 One in my favor. 
 
 Success, in an unparalleled degree. Sir, has attended your exertions 
 in numerous Matches with which you have been engaged, that it would 
 be utterly impossible to enumerate one half of them without making 
 this Dedication as long as " Patterson's Road Book." 
 
 In every point of view in which you have been connected with the 
 Sporting World, it is a well-known fact that the whole of your movements 
 have rendered you conspicuous by the Game, Blood, and Bone which 
 you have displayed in them — either in your own person ; or, in that 
 show of excellence, which has characterized the high-bred cattle under 
 your control. 
 
 As a Breeder of Hounds, it is acknowledged that " the Squire's 
 hlood is de facto in the highestrepute in the Sporting World !" 
 
 As a mighty Hunter, and a passionate Lover of the Chase, no man 
 ever distinguished himself in the field with so much superiority and 
 talent — realizing a complete portrait of the thorough-bred Sportsman ; an 
 intrepid and daring Leader ; neck or nothing ; regardless of any thing 
 like fear, and only 
 
 HARK FORWARD ! SEE THE GAME, ITS IN VIEW ! t 
 
 On the Race Course, Sir, in performing the part of a Jockey in 
 your own right, as a Rider, the name of Osbaldeston, has claimed 
 notoriety for its excellence from the best Judges of Horsemanship. 
 
 ♦ During the period that Mr. Osbaldeston had the Quorn Hounds, three of the 
 four packs which hunted iu the same county, were the property of Noblemen ; and 
 for the sake of distinction, his friends conferred on him the familiar title of " The 
 Squire. ' 
 
 t It was his custom to turn out every day in the week, weather permitting ; and, 
 after Christmas, as the days increased in length, he had often TWO PACKS, out on 
 the same day, a circumstance before unheard of. Besides, for a succession of Sea- 
 sons in Leicestershire he hunted his own hounds six days a week. 
 
IV DEDICATION. 
 
 As a Cricketer of the very first class, either with the Bat or the 
 Ball, you have always been hailed with the greatest delight by the lovers 
 of that manly and noble game. 
 
 And, upon the Water, S'w, no Gentleman 
 
 Has feathered his oar with so much skill and dexterity, 
 Winning each heart and deligliting each eye ? 
 
 like yourself, as if O Id Father Thames had been the only element for 
 " the Squire " to have shown off his capabilities to the world, in order 
 to win, and nothing else. Equally so, Sir, have you proved yourself 
 completely ' at home' with the 'use of the scull,'* with which, in several 
 ' funny ^ matches, the admirers of Aquatic Sports have pronounced you a 
 blade of the first water. 
 
 For the skill, nerve, and tact, which you have displayed at all 
 times, in various Trotting Matches ; I have not * travelled out of my 
 road' to observe, that you have astonished the "Knowing Ones." 
 You also have handled the ribbons ; out alcng the^rad; and as a Whip, 
 " the Squire " stands equally conspicuous in the Annals of Trotting. 
 
 To bring down your bird ; bag lots of game ; and floor myriads of 
 pigeons .from the trap, I have only to name the Red House; when the 
 crack Shots, one and all of them will cry out — " Enough !" 
 
 But, lest any thing might be thought to be wanting to show that I 
 had not made out a strong case in my favor, respecting the Dedication 
 of the Book of Sports to George Osbaldeston, Esq. as a matter of 
 * good Taste !' I have only, by way of a climax, to call to my aid, the 
 Herculean Match of riding Two Hundred Miles in the hitherto unheard- 
 of short space of time — Eight Hours and 39 minutes; and then, I 
 prove myself a winner to all intents and purposes. 
 
 If I cannot use the brush with the excellence of a Landseer to 
 convey my sentiments with that sort of rich colouring which the sub- 
 ject so justly deserves, I trust that my pen and ink sketch of "The 
 Squire" will not be pronounced out of drawing ; but rather on the con- 
 trary, true to the principles of Nature, I likewise hope the light and 
 shade of my Sporting Portrait will be found correct ; and the likeness 
 most clearly show to the Sporting World, that the appellation of a 
 Nonpariel — a Phenomenon — and an OUT-AND-OUTER apply, in 
 every point of view, to the character of George Osbaldeston, Esq., 
 and the motto to be placed under it — 
 
 "What Man dare, I dare!' 
 
 Then, Sir, long, very long, may you continue to prove the delight 
 and ornament of the Sporting World ; and also to ' keep the game 
 alive !' In so doing, I flatter myself that your constant attachment 
 towards all manly sports will not let you overlook the Ring, as a 
 requisite article, towards Match-making. 
 
 I have the honor, Sir, to remain, 
 
 with the most manly sincerity and freedom, 
 your very humble Servant, 
 
 July 21, 1832. PIERCE EGAN. 
 
 * If I might fake the liberty to pun, or indulge in a 'tiny bit' of ^porting phra- 
 seology (at the same time anxious to avoid offence), I should say, without the fear of 
 contradiction, and also independent of Dr. Spurzheim, that " the scull of the SoniRE* 
 is screwed on the right way !" 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S 
 BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 THE SWELL DRAGSMAN OF " THE AGE." 
 
 With spiiits gay vje mount the box, the tits up to the traces, 
 Ouv elbows square, all so prime, dash oft" to Epsom Races: 
 With Buxtou bit, bridoon so trim, three chesnuts and a grey. 
 Well couple up, my leaders tliere ! Ya I hip ! we bowl away. 
 
 It may, perhaps, be necessary to observe, in 
 commencing the " BOOK of SPORTS," 
 hat to " START well" is one of the greatest 
 objects in life ; in fact, a good start, as the 
 Stewards assert, backed by the knowing or 
 experienced sort of folks at Epsom, Ascot, 
 and Doncaster races, is half-way towards 
 winning the gold cup ; therefore, the Editor 
 of the Book of Sports is most anxious to 
 obtain the start; or, in other words, that he 
 
 may be enabled to get over the ground like 
 nothing else but a " good one," and also 
 to arrive at the winning-post with ease, 
 in style, and to a certainty : 
 
 Hark forward, my boys, see the game it's in view : 
 
 we, therefore, hope that our vehicle on the 
 Road of Life will be found compact, firm, and 
 " all right, " and composed of the best 
 materials; that our cattle will prove them- 
 B 
 
2 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 selves to be ihorough-hred, and that our cha- 
 rioteer will not be found wanting to render 
 the journey, at all times, pleasant, full of in- 
 terest, and of importance to the traveller. 
 
 But, as the Editor has always been, and 
 always will be, fond of "a bit of good 
 TRUTH," he does not want the courage to 
 assert, that it is far from his intention to be as 
 prim as a Puritan, or as low and saucy as a 
 donkey boy in his travels ; yet, perhaps, a tiny 
 bit of the Paul-Pry may be seen attached to 
 his efforts, in order to procure information ; 
 but nevertheless, he trusts that nothing of 
 " the Marplot" will be discovered in his 
 character. To resemble the busy bee, if pos- 
 sible, by " sipping sweets from every flower," 
 but without leaving any of the sting behind 
 him, will be one of the Editor's most de- 
 cided points in the Book of Sports, i. e. 
 " Nothing extenuate, or set down aught in 
 malice." In short, " Variety is our motto — 
 every thing by fits and starts — and nothing 
 long, dull, or prosing, to occupy our columns ;" 
 indeed, to make it a "BOOK for every 
 Body ;" in which, topics will be introduced to 
 interest the Duke and attract the Commoner, 
 to please the Rich Man and afford amusement 
 and information to the Poor One ; but never 
 to give the slightest offence, by " o'erstep- 
 ping the modesty of Nature!" A book to 
 be found welcome at all tables — a cheerful 
 tire-side companion ; and an interestingfellow- 
 traveller, either in a post-chaise, or a stage 
 coach. Under the Poet's idea, that " the 
 proper study of mankind is man ;" and to 
 catch the manners living as they rise : — 
 
 " One negro say one ting, you take no offence, 
 Black and uhite be one colour a hundred year 
 
 hence ; 
 And when Massa Death kick him into a grave, 
 He no spare negro, buckra, nor massa, nor slave : 
 He dance, and he sing, and a banger thrum, thrum, 
 Hefonlish to tink what tomorrow may come. 
 Lily laugh and be fat, de best ting you can do. 
 Time enough to be sad when you kickura-boo." 
 
 So says the Editor; therefore he wishes that 
 sadness may always be a day's march behind 
 us ; and to follow the excellent advice, given 
 gratis by the late Lord Chancellor Erskine, 
 " that a little mirth in this melancholy life is 
 a good thing." Therefore, it is our intention 
 to be merry and wise ; and although we do 
 not puff ourselves off as an Atlas, capable of 
 carrying the world upon our shoulders, neither 
 «s strong as a Samson, who slew thousands 
 
 with the jaw bone of an ass, nor so romantic 
 a chevalier as Don Quixotte, who attacked 
 wind-mills ; yet, nevertheless, we mean to 
 Boole all the wit that crosses our path — to 
 note down all the talent we meet with in our 
 pursuits through life ; and to make use of our 
 eyes towards keeping a good look out upon 
 all occasions, to increase our stores of amuse- 
 ments ; that is to say, to be alive to all the 
 movements of the Sporting World ; to 
 
 Chant the pleasures of sporting, the charms of a race. 
 And ne'er be at fault at a mill or the chace. 
 
 To be awake at the Theatres, in order to per- 
 petuate the doctrine of our immortal Bard, 
 " to hold, as it were, the mirror up 'to Na- 
 ture ;" and be able to show our passport, if 
 required, at the turnpike-gate of Knowledge, 
 as to an acquaintance with society in general — 
 
 FoRTCNE in men has some small difference made. 
 
 One Haunts in rags, one flutters in brocade ; 
 
 The cobler apron'd, and the parson gown'd. 
 
 The friar hooded, and the Monarch crown'd. 
 
 " What differ more (you cry), than crown and cowl V 
 
 I'll tell you, friend, a wise man and a fool! 
 
 If then, in the recital of our anecdotes, we 
 cannot prove ourselves as funny as Jack 
 Reeve, we will endeavour to keep him in 
 our eye, as an excellent model to produce 
 mirth and laughter : also, if it is not within 
 our grasp to tell our stories like Liston, to 
 keep our readers continually on the broad 
 grin; nevertheless, we will put as comical a 
 face upon the subject as our capabilities will 
 allow us to do ; and lastly, though not 
 the least, in the Court of Momvs, if we should 
 not be able to give that sort of pith and 
 strength of humour by way of illustration 
 to our tales, like the much-admired, irresist- 
 ible comedian, Charles Mathews, we shall 
 exert ourselves to be as near " at home," as 
 possible ; or, in other words, no exertions 
 shall be wanting on our part (if we cannot 
 command it), to deserve success. We now 
 start for the winning-post, with a sketch of 
 real life : — 
 
 THE SWELL DRAGSMAN OF 
 "AGE!" 
 
 THE 
 
 Or, in plain English, a well-dressed Stage 
 Coachman ; but the character of the thing 
 must be preserved — and a driver of four 
 ' good uns' ought not to be described with 
 any thing like the gravity of a parson, whose 
 " good ones" are of another guess sort ; there- 
 fore, if a 'tiny bit' of slang now and then 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK Uh SPORTS. 
 
 i^Iiould pop out, it must only be consiflercd 
 ill keeping with the picture. 
 
 His late Majesty, King George the Fourth 
 when Prince of Wales, could ' push along,' 
 keep moving, with his four ' nonesuches,' and 
 give the ' ^o-by' to all his nobles like fun ; 
 indeed, the Prince was the delight of all the 
 jockies and coachmen in the kingdom ; but 
 amongst the grooms, huntsmen, and whippers- 
 in, at Brighton, Windsor, Newmarket, &c., 
 he was their idol. His late Majesty had 
 always a taste for driving, and very much at- 
 tached to the turf. Not very long liefore he 
 died, he asked one of his grooms, with whom 
 he Avas conversing on the subject of his 
 racing stud — " Well," said the King, " and 
 what do they say of me at Newmarket?" — 
 *' What do they say of your Majesty," replied 
 the groom, " why they say that you are the 
 most varmint of 'em all, and they wish that 
 ■hey had you back again at Newmarket." 
 The phrase " varmijif was a cant term in the 
 days of the merry monarch Charles II., and 
 was frequently used when speaking of him. 
 
 The late high-minded, splendid, Duke of 
 Bedford, who never stood still at trifles, but 
 got over the ground with all the ease of a 
 bowling-green, with a ' turn-out' worthy of 
 one of the highest rank in the peerage, was 
 also considered a first-rate coachman ; and 
 likewise the never-to-be-forgotten Squire Mel- 
 lish in the sporting world — who would not 
 be second to any body, or at any thing — a 
 first-rate charioteer, and nothing else, upon 
 all occasions — with * neck or nothing' for his 
 motto — galloping up and down the Brighton 
 iiills, with all the playfulness of style and 
 ease of manners, like the best bred gentleman 
 iu a ball-room. I think I see him now on a 
 Race Course, surrounded by characters of 
 the first rank in society, communicating life 
 and spirits to the circle ; indeed, he was a 
 ' magnificent' fellow on horseback ; a com- 
 plete hero on the box ; and an ' out-and-outei' 
 in every other point of view upon the Turf, 
 and all the et ceteras belonging to it ; and, 
 * take him for all in all,' I have seen nothing 
 liketlie late Squire Mellish since that foe to the 
 human race. Death, placed him under it. And 
 last, though not least in the ' Scale of Merit' 
 in the whip line, the present venerable Sir 
 John Lade, bart., the father of the driving- 
 school for gentlemen. The ease and elegance 
 displayed by Sir John in handling the reins, 
 was quite a picture to the admirers of good 
 coachmanship — his eye was pi-ecision itself, 
 and he was distinguished for driving to an 
 inch. Sir John'smemorable wager of driving 
 through a gate only wide enough to admit his 
 
 carriage, almost with the rapidity of light- 
 ning, two-and-twenty times in succession, 
 and scarcely allowing himself room to turn 
 round, sets this matter of fact at rest : — 
 such a superiority of command had the 
 once gay, dashing, baronet over his high-bred 
 cattle. This will account, in some degree, 
 
 for the Brighton road having been conspicuous 
 
 for upwards of the last fifty years for tirst-rate 
 coachmen; indeed commoners, mere whips- 
 ters, would not have been able to have kept 
 their seats, but have been voted, by the 
 visitors of this splendid watering place, of 
 • no jise,' and compelled to retire from the 
 stage. 
 
 Tlie late George Shncofik, as the term goes 
 now-a-days, was a ' rum one to look at,' but 
 a ' good one' to get over the heavy ground on 
 the Forest as light as he could, by keeping 
 liis leaders to their work, and also making 
 the wheelers do their duty; indeed, George 
 was admitted to be a sound, practical coach- 
 man, and the lives of his passengers were 
 considered safe under his protection ; and a 
 truly facetious fellow into the bargain. He 
 had a tale for every body on the coach, and 
 one or two to spare for his friends in the 
 evening, when he left his coach to ' blow a 
 cloud,' take his glass, and keep the ' game 
 alive,' until the hand of the clock pointed 
 out to him it was time to ' rack up' for the 
 night, and also that coachmen, like other 
 folks who have business to look after, must 
 go to roost. George had a great many merry 
 little ' dodges' belonging to his character — 
 and was a great favorite both up and down the 
 road. The gentlemen passengers he caused 
 to laugh heartily at his comical jokes ; and 
 the fair ones to smile, but not to blush ; his 
 wit was always so well wrapped up ; George 
 being a family man, and fully aware of the 
 necessity of 'keeping the line.' But it was 
 a perfect treat to hear him get the Johny 
 Raws ' in a string,' by telling them to have 
 a care of the phantasmagoria sort of sights, 
 which would stare them full in the face at 
 every turn in the metropolis. ' The London 
 ghosts are a queer set of chaps,' said George, 
 ' and very likely to make your teeth chatter 
 again, if you only look at them ; but, if you 
 touch them, it is all up with you ; therefore, I 
 say, be on your guard. Why, you would 
 scarcely believe it, that a friend of mine, a 
 very strong countryman, who had the hardi- 
 hood to tackle one of those nothing sort of 
 things, as he thought, to his great surprise, 
 during the struggle for victory, every hair of 
 his head became as thick as a broomstick,' 
 The passengers, in general, were laughing 
 from the beginning of their journey to the 
 end of it ; and the whole of them felt sorry 
 when George touched his castor, and said, 
 " The coachman !" — " Remember the coach 
 man !" said a gentleman one day, "d — n the 
 fellow! I shall never forget him. I shan't 
 get my jaws right again for some time, they 
 have been so widely extended with laughing 
 during the journey." 
 
 " Why," said George, to a country fellow 
 who expressed his astonishment at Simcock's 
 lingo, '* when you have been as long upon 
 the stage as I have, you then, perhaps, may 
 see as many strange sights as I have seen." — 
 " Lord ! Measter Simcock," replied the Johny 
 Raw, " What, have you ever been upon the 
 
 B 2 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 ttage; one of those strolling player sort of 
 chai)S that go about the country living by 
 iheir wits? I never heard of it before, I de- 
 clare." — " Yetf," answered George, " to be 
 Bure I have ; and performed a great many 
 parts ii. my time : don't you see I am on the 
 stage now," ~" Lord, so you, be Measter 
 Siincock," said the yokel, " how droll ! — 
 well, I never thought of that before. You 
 really are such a funny fellow, it is worth all 
 the fare only to keep you company up to 
 London. " It is well known that poor George 
 Simcock was the delight of that stage on 
 wliich he exercised his talents ; but, like 
 other great actors, with all his knowledge 
 and care, he suffered ' Old Death' to get the 
 whip-hand of him, and who compelled George 
 to quit his box against his will, and also to 
 laugh on the other side of his mouth. It is 
 also true that his place has been supplied ; 
 but his box has never since been filled by 
 any of his successors like the original ' rum 
 one.' No, indeed ; ' no more like my father 
 than I am to Hercules.' — Peace to his manes! 
 Sum Goodman and ' the S)iows' were well 
 known on the Brighton road as first-rate 
 coachmen — safe drivers — prime cattle — with 
 elegant turn-outs, and gentlemanly behaved 
 men in every point of view, long, very long, 
 before the late Harry Stevenson had ever 
 entertained the slightest notion of mounting 
 the box as a coachman for hire, and becoming 
 a competitor with the above experienced 
 dragsmen. In fact, it might almost have been 
 observed that the road, which they had passed 
 over so many years with credit to themselves 
 and satisfaction to their passengers, exclu- 
 sively belonged to them ; they were so punc- 
 tual to their time, did their business like 
 clock-work, and civil and attentive to all 
 their patrons, that nothing, it was thought, 
 would have had any chance with them, they 
 played their parts so well upon the stage. 
 For months together were Goodman and Snow 
 seen driving up to London and down again 
 to Brighton every day, actually performing 
 six hundred and twenty-four milts in the 
 course of every week, regardless of wind and 
 weather, and in opposition to clouds of dust, 
 storms of hail and rain, and violent tempests 
 of thunder and lightning. Indeed, it was 
 the general opinion of the inhabitants of 
 Brighton that any thing like an opening for a 
 new coach was entirely out of the question ; 
 that Sam Goodman, as the punsters had it, 
 was nothing else but a ' good' man ; indeed, 
 his points were all good. He was lively in 
 conversation — full of anecdote — anxious to 
 give satisfaction to all parties ; and Sam 
 could handle subjects in general with as 
 much ease and freedom as he handled his 
 reins. And although the quotation of Shaks- 
 peare might be made use o' against his op- 
 ponent Snow — " Wert thou as chaste as ice, 
 or as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape 
 calumny," yet, nevertheless, he stood equally 
 ja favor with the visitors to and from Lou- 
 
 don ; and, in spite of a hot burning sun at 
 times, and during the nielting moments of 
 summer, yet Snow was always to be seen as 
 a fixture upon his box, completely unchanged 
 in his duty towards his passengers and liis 
 horses. The obstacles thus thrown in the 
 way of Stevenson to deter him from the at- 
 tempt of starting a new coach at Brighton 
 had not the desired effect ; he thought other- 
 wise, and therefore with the advice of bis 
 friends — he " took the road." 
 
 Stevenson, it appears, had received his 
 education at Cambridge ; but, notwithstand- 
 ing the degrees he had taken at that cele- 
 brated seat of learning, pi~udence and economy 
 were not amongst them. He soon got rid of 
 his patrimony in mixing with society, and 
 " keeping it up," as otlier swells of his ac- 
 quaintance were wont to do. Harry Steven- 
 son was ultimately " told out." The treasury 
 became empty ; and it was with him, " pockets 
 to let, unfurnished." "He could not beg," 
 and " to dig he was ashamed ;" to become a 
 clerk, or to stand behind a counter, were 
 ideas too groveling to be adapted to tlie taste 
 of a ci-devant gentleman ! Yet something 
 must be done to make the pot boil : breakfast 
 was absolutely necessary to keep up an ap- 
 pearance in life ; dinner he could not dispense 
 with ; a cup of t'lankey, and a muffin, were 
 equally essential to prevent the human frame 
 from decay ; and supper, by way of winding 
 up the day, a most important feature in the 
 history of man's career. A glass of grog also 
 wanting to iceep up the spirits — a cigar to 
 cogitate over as to future events — or a bottle 
 of wine to make the " wisit pleasant," if the 
 funds and numbs could procure it. The stage 
 then was the only thing that struck his fancy 
 as the readiest road to preferment and riches; 
 or, pernaps, a more humble phrase might better 
 elucidate the matter, namely, " to keep the 
 wolf from the door." In this dilemma— this 
 state of nothingness — Stevenson was too high- 
 minded to perform the character of Sponge, 
 although a living must be procured for him 
 some how or other. He was considered a 
 crack gentleman driver — the hero of the tale — 
 amongst all his pa/s who could " toolajervy," 
 and also voted by them " a proper marvel- 
 lous man" to appear before the public in the 
 personification of a regular dragsman. Tlie 
 practicability of the thing was canvassed by 
 all his immediate friends — the points well 
 considered — and the result — that Harry Ste- 
 venson should make his debut not in a box at 
 the opera, with an eye-glass to stare his way 
 into elegant society amongst the Corinthians, 
 but upon the box of a stage-coach, with a 
 whip in his hand, to persuade the horses that 
 they had a master behind them ; and likewise 
 to obtain the good opinion of (whom, all in 
 public or in private worship) the Town? 
 
 His noble pals, fellow-collegians, and 
 sprigs of nobility, were fully acquainted with 
 the doctrine and advantages laid down by the 
 late Lord Chesterfield, that a prepossessing 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOBTS. 
 
 appearance ia every tiling in Society — there- 
 fore, in onler to lieigliten the dttnU of Steven- 
 son upon the stage, directions were given for 
 a new drag to" be made by the best workmen, 
 calculated to " take tlie shine" out of every 
 thing on the road. His (its, as tine as stars, 
 possessing the qualities of race horses for 
 speed, blood, and bone, with harness tasteful 
 in the extreme, and placed on the pntds with 
 as much studied attention and care as the 
 diamond necklace round the lovely alabaster 
 neck of a beautiful duchess, or the gold chain 
 upon the most handsome countess in the world, 
 to attract admirers ; and tiien the coachman, 
 to correspond, or rather to harmonize, with 
 the whole, a complete Pklham in his walk of 
 life ; his dress was good, and his address of 
 the same quality : his manners mild and in- 
 teresting; his figure slight, but carrying with 
 it the air of a gentleman, and his " pickers 
 and stealers," as the classic might call them; 
 his fingers and hands, as the sober sort of 
 folks would term them ; or, as the sporting 
 men would have it, his " bunch of fives," 
 were protected from the inclemency of the 
 rude elements by " white kid gloves." 
 
 No "petted" race horse was ever brought 
 to the starting post in better trim than the 
 late Henry Stevenson ; indeed, he was 
 ushered upon the stage under patronage of 
 the very first quality, a young honorable, the 
 son of a very eloquent nobleman in the House 
 of Loids, placing himself by his side on the 
 box, the roof of the coach also covered with 
 several young gentlemen connected with some 
 of the highest families in the kingdom. The 
 state of the crowd was completely gratified ; 
 his cad (or assistant) also better attired than ' 
 usual, to keep the unison of things perfect, 
 who placed the boxes, and handed up the 
 passengers. Stevenson paying no other at- 
 tention but to his horses, and when the signal 
 was given "all riglit," his start was a first 
 rate thing altogether— a 7'</n'/iowi piovement : 
 and he handled the ribbons with as much 
 ease and confidence as Paganini when playing 
 one of his favorite solos on the violin ; he 
 likewise held up his prads compact, firm, and 
 coachman -like, and he left Castle Square, 
 Brighton, triumphantly; he turned the corner 
 of North Street like a charioteer ; he was 
 upon the London Road in a twinkling, and 
 almost out of sight before you could utter 
 " Jack Robinson !" The spectators crying 
 cut, in the words of Goldfinch, "That's your 
 sort." 
 
 He had scarcely made his appearance on 
 the stage, as an actor, before he became a 
 great favourite with "the Town :" in fact, he 
 was immediately patronized by all the beaus 
 and belles as one of the " great creatures" of 
 tlie AGE in which he lived, wheo the capabili- 
 ties of a stage-coachman be(;ame the theme of 
 discussion. Stevenson was quite a feature 
 up and dmvii the road ; " mine liosts " were all 
 " cap in hand " to him when he pulled up at 
 their doors ; and the good-nafarcd smiling 
 
 hostesses always greeted him with a kindly 
 welcome ; and the dashing bar rnaids looked 
 "unutterable things," in favor cf the gentle- 
 man dragsmaii. The " fine women" from the 
 metropolis would always go with Stevenson, 
 he was such a nice, kind, genteel, obliging, 
 coachman ; and the Corinthians, and better 
 sort of folks, would always hook with him for 
 the sake of being in " good company." 
 
 But, notwithstanding the above high flights 
 of patronage cf the "young swells," who 
 were always upon tlie tout for him, united 
 with the smiles and interest of some of the 
 best dressed and most attractive females of 
 the day, yet Harry Stevenson, nevertheless, 
 had his " tcork" to do ; it was an Herculean 
 task to attempt to get the best cf such bang up 
 drivers — " old stagers on *he road from boys 
 to manhood." It was true — he had pictured 
 to himself the accomplishment of " great 
 things," but it was scarcely possible to achieve 
 any thing like improvement in the Coach De- 
 partment, every portion of which, was so well 
 done on all sides. Stevenson, however, was 
 resolved upon making a dash — to try the ques- 
 tion, at all events, he was determined ; when 
 he Avas immediately viewed as a dangerous 
 rival by the " old uns ;" his exertions to pro- 
 duce novelty were scanned with jealousy ; 
 and all his niovenients were watched with 
 the most scrutinizing eyes by his knowing 
 opponents. Sam, tlie pleasant, much re- 
 spected Sam Goodman, was always a fast 
 coachman ; Snow (the good-natured, jolly 
 fellow, fond of life and all the good things 
 attached to it, in his business) was equally 
 on the alert to keep " his time," nay, to get in 
 before the appointed minute : indeed, all the 
 dragsmen were on the look out to be placed 
 any where on the list by the proprietors, 
 except the last! They were all "quick 
 chaps," and every one of them endeavoured to 
 make their prads put their best legs foremost 
 to get over the ground with all the celerity of 
 ten miles an hour. There was nothing like 
 dozing to be witnessed on the boxes, nay, on 
 the contrary, they were compelled to be 
 " tcide awake," in order that they might not 
 give half-a-chance away likely to be turned 
 to good account by their learned; accom- 
 plished, and leary rival, who was anxious to 
 stand very high in the opinion of the public. 
 
 Although it should seem that Stevenson's 
 box was not exactly a " bed of roses" to his 
 feelings, but rather a difficult place to be 
 firmly seated upon ; yet there was a certain 
 " sort of style" about his conduct tiiat caused 
 him to be attractive in his line: — " the Gen- 
 tleman Coachman!" The most perfect 
 stranger could not view Stevenson with in- 
 ditference, either when standing by the sides 
 of his horses, or seated upon his " box :" in- 
 deed, the appellation of " the gentleman 
 coachman," is such that few men can obtain 
 the name, without it is attached in an eminent 
 degree to their personal requisites as to stamp 
 the character; gentiiity of demeanour is utt 
 
PIERCE EGA^N'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 one of those coramon -place sort of things to 
 be assumed at will by every body ; neither is 
 ii (o be put on with as much ease and indif- 
 ference as the stage coachman puts on his 
 upper tog when tlie rude elements assail his 
 outward man. The " smart fellow" is another 
 sort of appearance in the eye of the critic ; 
 "the good-looking man" a different caste al- 
 logether, to the common observer of men and 
 manners; and the "dashing, knowing sort of 
 driver," who has crept up by degrees to ob- 
 tain a seat upon the box, and a good suit of 
 clothes into the bargain, is considered to 
 partake more of the swaggering qualities of 
 human nature, in the mind's eye of the painter, 
 than any thing like the idea of conveying the 
 portrait of " a gentleman." 
 
 The remarks which took place as Stevenson 
 passed up and down the road from London to 
 Brighton, were often extremely amusing to 
 the passengers, of whioh the following well- 
 known anecdote, perhaps, will suffice : two 
 London costard mongers, with their donkeys, • 
 who wer« selling their turnips and greens at 
 the door of a gentleman's house at Streatham, 
 when "the Age" stage coach passed by 
 them, gave birth to the under-mentioned dia- 
 logue. " My eyes, Jem,'' said one of them to 
 his pal, " only look out, did you ever see sich 
 a heavy load of swells in your natural life 
 time before ? I never did." " Vy," answered 
 the other dealer in apples, &c., " that ere is 
 nothing new to him ; his drag is always 
 crammed both inside and out with the tip-top 
 sort of customers ; and as to the beautiful fe- 
 male vomen he brings along with him, lord 
 bless their pretty faces, it does one good to 
 look at them, I never saw sich pictures of 
 flesh and blood since I was out of my egg- 
 shell ! I siiould like to know as how where 
 they grows sich handsome things. That ere 
 Stevenson is a lucky sort of chap. He has 
 got all the top sawyers in a string ! I should 
 like to take a Zen/ out of his Book — it would 
 be vorth having at any price, that's vot it 
 voud." " Vy, Jem, I will tell you to a 
 nicety how he does it ; you might come over 
 the folks i' the same sort of vay if you voud'n't 
 be so independant — veil then, listen to me, 
 you see citvility costs nothing, and he has got 
 a bag full of it, and which he always takes 
 with him every journey that he goes ; and he 
 pulls it out as he vants it; he gives ahandfuU 
 of ciwility to some of his customers, and a hat 
 full to others, just as they will stand it ; 
 therefore, do you see as how if you will play 
 your cards with as much judgement as the 
 swell dragsman does, you are sure to vin the 
 game, and no mistake.' 
 
 The following outline of Stevenson, written 
 by ourselves, under the designation of " Bill 
 Put-'em-along," in the " Finish to the Ad- 
 ventures of Tom, Jerry, and Logic;" and 
 which appeared during the lifetime of Ste- 
 venson : we therefore extract it towards the 
 completion of his character, and for the 
 amusement of our readerg : — 
 
 " Our hero now mounted the box, along 
 with Bill Put-'em-along, who was every 
 thing but a dummy ; in fact, originally, he 
 had been intended by his relatives to sustain 
 the sacred functions of a clergyman ; and ac- 
 cordingly he had received his education at 
 one of the colleges at Cambridge. Wha» 
 progress he had made in his studies during 
 his novitiate to obtain the character of a 
 ' learned Pundit,' had never been a subject of 
 argument amongst his fellow-collegians ; but 
 for a trotting match, as a good shot, and as an 
 amateur whip, they would back him to * push 
 along, keep moving, and to get over the 
 ground,' against most of the stage coachmen 
 of the day. His papa and mamma had long 
 been called to that ' bourne from whence no 
 traveller returns ;' and he was left wholly to 
 the guardianship of a rich old uncle. A 
 ' good living' was also in store for him, when 
 he arrived at a proper period of his life to 
 conduct it with propriety and rectitude. The 
 least thing Bill partook of at College was 
 learning, it being the most troublesome. He 
 could much sooner dispose of a bottle or two 
 of Champagne, than descant upon the Ele- 
 ments of Euclid; mount his tit with greater 
 celerity than quote a passage from Virgil ; 
 and make use of the gloves with more tact 
 than expatiate on the beauties of Pa ley. 
 Bill never expected preferment in the Church 
 — to become a Dean never entered his 
 thoughts — to be made a Bishop, quite out of 
 the question ; and as to filling the high situa- 
 tion of an Archbishop of Canterbury, it was 
 visionary in the extreme. Therefore, scveiilij 
 of STUDY did not belong to his book — he 
 turned over the leaves of the Racing <]^ 
 LENDER with pleasure and profit ; and nolod 
 down the ODDS at Tattersall's several times 
 with an interesting account : and in the true 
 spirit of the thing. Bill often used to give it 
 as a matter of taste amongst his brethren of 
 the gown, when enjoying the ' gaily circling 
 glass,' during the hours of relaxation at Col- 
 lege. ' For my money,' said he, ' I'll have 
 DoNCASTER for 'BooK-ing against Cambridge ; 
 for 'NoB-work, I'll bet odds Epsom in pre- 
 ference to Oxford ; and for Readers, New- 
 market 50 to 1 against both the schools of St. 
 Paul's and Westminster. Ten Ponies on 
 York, for the production of scholars, as to 
 knowledge and calculation, against all the deep 
 studies acquired at Eton ; and Ascot, de- 
 lightful splendid Ascot, for pedigree, bottom 
 bone, and blood, ^ all to nothing' against the 
 ' training' at the Charter-house! 
 
 " Put-'em-along, it was soon discovered 
 preferred the range of the world, to the con 
 fined state of the closet, and he was deter 
 mined to risk his fortune upon the Granrf 
 Theatre of Life, rather than stick to the ' old 
 musty, fusty rules of College.' He soon ran 
 through his patrimony ; the advice of his 
 uncle had not been attended to, and Biii 
 felt quite satisfied that the * good living' was 
 coi^pletely out of sight ; something must be 
 
PIERCE EGA.NS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 done ; a gentleman without means, he found 
 to be the most afflicting state in society, and 
 of 'no use' at all in the Metropolis; he, 
 therefore, turned his attention towards ' the 
 road !' Yet not after the mode of a celebrated 
 dramatic hero, to 'turn the lead into goldf 
 neither to trifle away his time with the 
 'pretty Pollies' and 'fond Lucies ;' but 
 without hesitation he mounted the box, stuck 
 to his leaders, handled the ribbons, and 
 picked up, after all, a 'g-ood /JD»(g',' without 
 quoting a single text from Scripture. Such 
 was the outline of Bill Put-'em-along. He 
 was patronised by the Swells; his fellow- 
 collegians also stuck to him like glue ; and 
 his civility and attention to his passengers 
 rendered him a host within himself. His ap- 
 pearance was likewise prepossessing ; his 
 manners mild and interesting ; and he was 
 always dressed like a gentleman. In fact, 
 the passengers were afraid to offer him the 
 usual tip at the journey's end, until he 
 faintly observed, ' the Coachman !' His 
 drag was also in unison with the rest of his 
 character, by possessing much more the swell 
 look of a gentleman's Four-in-hand, instead 
 of a regular vehicle for public hire ! That 
 Bill should prove himself a most interesting 
 feature on the box, by his observations, and 
 his knowledge of the various classes of society 
 that he was compelled, from his daily occu- 
 pation, to mix with, will not be doubted for 
 an instant ; he was also a most cheerful and 
 lively companion in every point of view, and 
 perfectly capable of answering any questions 
 put to him by the passengers, respecting the 
 seats along the road, and the characters of 
 the various nobility and gentry who inhabit 
 them. Alongside of the road, too. Bill had 
 liis friends amongst the landlords of *he va- 
 rious inns, who said of Coachy, 'that there 
 was nothing of the screw about him, and 
 wluit he axed for, he tipped for, like a Gent., 
 which was more than many dragsmen did as 
 how they could mention, although it was no 
 matter howsomdever, here or there.' Put- 
 'f.m-along was likewise a bit of a favorite 
 with the comely hostesses, the dashing bar- 
 maids, and prime smart chambermaids, who 
 always gave it as their opinion, when Bill's 
 character was inquired into as a Coachman, 
 ' that he was such a nice man, and so atten- 
 tive to the females, that it was really a plea- 
 sure to go a journey with a person like Mr. 
 Put-'em-along." 
 
 Jerry iiad scarcely seated himself along- 
 side the Coachman, when the fat knight said, 
 " Sir, I am very glad you have joined us ; you 
 will iind Coachy here as good as an almanac, 
 intelligent upon most subjects, and Avitty upon 
 all of them ; I have been joking with him 
 about the uncertainty of human affairs, the 
 change of occupation from grave to gay: the 
 lingo equally at variance with the two situa- 
 tions in life ; Tillotsun giving way to Gold- 
 finch, in order to comply with the phraseology 
 of the road ; and the dress necessary to render 
 
 the character complete. I am glad to see 
 that INIr. Put-'em-along has got the ' whip 
 hand' of his opponents; and, though not ex- 
 actly ' holding forth' for the improvement of 
 his flock, yet, nevertheless, he is ' holding 
 them up,' and still so much confidence is 
 placed in his exertions, to make ' all right,' 
 that a great variety of souls and bodies are 
 continually under his immediate care, in order 
 that they may be kept in the right road, and 
 arrive safe at the end of the journey." 
 
 Respecting the tax, which numerous pas- 
 sengers find fault with, of being compelled, as 
 it were, to pay the Coachman, in addition to 
 their fare, it might be urged, that the anxiety 
 naturally attendant upon driving a four-horse 
 stage ; keeping strange horses at times well 
 together, and to do their work ; the duty to 
 be performed, vvhether in hot or cold weather, 
 wet or dry ; the safety of the passengers 
 always in view, either up or down the hills ; 
 the absolute necessity of keeping time; the ■•■'''*' 
 different tempers to please, inside and out of 
 the coach; civilities always required; and 
 satisfaction to be given to the various pro- 
 prietors. When all the above circumstances 
 are taken into consideration, the liberal mind 
 must be clearly satisfied, that " the Laeourfr 
 is worthy of his hire .'" The stage coachmen, 
 within the last twenty-five years, throughout 
 England, are an improved race of men alto- 
 gether ; the WASTE-bult sort of Chap is en- 
 tirely removed from tlie box ; drinking at 
 every inn quite exploded; and the drivers in 
 general so well togged, their linen white as 
 snow, and viewed not only as one of the best 
 dressed, but frequently the best behaved men 
 upon the coach ; full of anecdote ; anxious to 
 please all parties; cheerful and merry; fre- 
 quently humming some well-known air, by 
 which means a journey of fifty or sixty miles 
 now-a-days is disposed of so quickly, as to 
 appear more like a matter of pleasure, than 
 the dull heavy routine connected with busi- 
 ness and fatigue. 
 
 The mind of the " Swell Dragsman" was 
 strong enough to bear up against the wind and 
 the weather ; but his delicate spare frame 
 could not withstand the heat and the cold, the 
 hail and the rain, the frost and the snow, and 
 all the ' other rude elements which stage 
 coachmen are heirs to.' But, as the punning 
 Mercutio observes, in Romeo and Juliet, 
 at the end of the combat with Tybalt, wheu 
 the sword of the latter merely touches the 
 body of Mercutio, " What, scratch a man to 
 death ! But no matter whether it is as deep 
 as a well, or as wide as a barn door ! it w ill 
 do ! I shall be a grave man to-morrow." Ex- 
 actly so with the poor Swell Diagsman ; one 
 of his great toes was frost-bitten ; considered 
 simple in itself, as an attack upon his person, 
 but, neglected, it ultimately produced those 
 consequences to the ' Swell of the Age," be- 
 fore he expected, or was prepared for it, " a 
 notice to quit." Thus suffering the ' king of 
 terrors' to get the' wliip-hand of him,' also to 
 
8 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 drive liim off the road, and, as the last scene 
 of his eventful history, to exchange his upper 
 Benjamin (the envy of all his brother coach- 
 men), for an article of a more lasting descrip- 
 tion, — a WOODEN SURTOUT ! — Sic transit gloria 
 mvnd f 
 
 Pleasure hath harnessed thy horses, all eager to run. 
 
 Fiery and swift as the steeds of the sun I 
 " Ah, this is life, happiness, splendor, and glee : 
 
 Mount, mount, my sweet damsel, and journey with 
 me." 
 But, ah ! that grim king, who sat at the feast. 
 
 Hath followed the track of thy chariot wheel ; 
 He heeds not the cry of anguish for rest. 
 
 Nor the sorrows that time will never heal : 
 I*Io,— he follows thee, thou gay and vain, 
 
 And all thy schemes of pride will mar; 
 He takts the wheel from thy splendid car, 
 
 And hurls thee prostrate on the plain ! 
 Nature heeds not thy parting groan, 
 Ko more than thou didst the heggar's moan. 
 The sky-lark amid the full sun blaze is singing, 
 A\ hile down the lone valley thy death-shriek is ringing. 
 
 Ah ! what are worldly pomp and glory ? 
 An empty shadow, a nuisy story I 
 While earthly pleasure is a fleeting dream. 
 And honor but the meteor's gleam. 
 
 Stevenson was by no manner of means a 
 " lushy Cove," as his helper told a nobleman 
 who was enquiring tlie cause of the absence of 
 the coachman. " Ah, Sir," said the tad, rub- 
 bing the moisture off his peepers with his 
 bunch of fives, a ' tiny bit,' after corporal 
 Trim's affecting style of eloquence, " the 
 swelVs bolted ! Poor Harry's gone ! He's 
 left the drag ! There's not a dry eye all along 
 tlie road, since his death ! The landlords are 
 quite chop-fallen, to think as how such a werry 
 nice man should have been brushed off the box 
 so soon. An't it a pity. Sir ? my lord, I mean 
 to say, your honor. But it's nothing new, 
 when one comes to think on it ! We are here 
 this morning, and in Lunnon to-night: I 
 should have said, we are here to-day, and gone 
 to-morrow. The poor landladies are all in 
 grief at his loss, and the bar, and chamber- 
 maids, — you never see sick vork with them, — 
 they are all napping their bibs, like winking ; 
 tliat's vat they ai'e ; only on account of poor 
 Harry's being such a genteel, well-behaved 
 fellow. He vas a nonpariel in his vay ! Yet 
 the swell was a married man ; but no matter 
 for that, my lord : he always did vat vas right, 
 and never did wrong, not to nobody ! He 
 stuck to his own wehicle, the Age ! the bang- 
 up Agk ; the out and out AGE ! Although 
 he was quite a young one : but the good ones 
 always go first. Vasn't it a picture of a drag, 
 Sir, my lord ? What a turn out ! a prince 
 might not have been ashamed to have tooled 
 her. Such tils too ! and sich harness — my 
 eyes — lord mayor's show was nothing to it. — 
 But, my lord, you must excuse me : I cannot 
 g'o on any furder, it cuts me up so. I might 
 as well bolt myself, now my best friend's laid 
 up in lavender ! Ah, sir, it was an unlucky 
 day when Harry's toe napt it, forthe^g-e. It 
 vas a bad job for me too. Sir, my lord, I mean. 
 I have been out o( luck ever since." The cud 
 jn:ide his bo^v. and was off like a shot, leaving 
 
 his lordship almost as much in the dark re- 
 specting the fate of poor Stevenson as if he had 
 not been listening to the flash story of the 
 chaffing helper. 
 
 The ' Swell Dragsman' was likewise a well- 
 known feature in the sporting world, and upon 
 all the movements out of town, his Rattler was 
 sure to be full, both inside and out on the road 
 to a prize mill, with Cantabs, young sprigs of 
 nobility, in training to become greater folks ; 
 and those sort of choice spirits who are always 
 ready for a ' spree,' a ' lark,' or a * turn up,' 
 out of doors, to keep them from getting into 
 more serious mischief at home. His book was 
 equally filled for Epsom, Ascot races, &c. : 
 indeed, his gay patrons were so anxious to give 
 him a turn to witness every ' caper on the 
 board' in life, likely to produce fun, afford 
 amusement, or to hold out a chance to win a 
 few of those ' screens for misfortunes,' his 
 pals were ' never backwards in coming for- 
 wards,' to do honor to the Age ! The king, it 
 is true, might have spared a better man in 
 society ; and yet he would not have been 
 missed half so much as the late Harry Steven- 
 son ! But, sorrow is dry ! 
 
 In order as a ' set-off,' or, more properly 
 speaking, to show the contrast between the 
 above " Swell Dragsman" and a coachman 
 of a more tceighty description in the scale of 
 horsemanship, we have been induced to 
 quote, with great pleasure, from the facetious 
 pen of Tommy Hood, the celebrated punster, 
 the patlietic ballad of ' John Day,' which ap- 
 pears in his last ' Comic Annual,' recently 
 published : — 
 
 John Day — A Pathetic Ballad. 
 A Day after the fair — Old Proverb. 
 
 John Day he was the biggest man 
 
 Of all the coachmen-kind, 
 With back too broad to be conceived 
 
 By any narrow mind. 
 
 The very horses knew his weight, 
 
 VV'hen he was in the rear, 
 And wished his box a Christmas-box., 
 
 To come but once a year. 
 
 Alas ! against the shafts of love 
 
 What armour can avail ? 
 Soon Cupid sent an arrow through 
 
 His scailet coat of mail. 
 
 The barmaid of the Crown he loved, 
 
 from whom he never ranged, 
 For though he changed his horses there. 
 
 His love he never changed. 
 
 He thought her fairest of all Jar es. 
 
 So fondly love prefers ; 
 And often, among twelve outsides. 
 
 Deemed no outside like hers. 
 
 One day as he was sitting down 
 
 Beside the porter-pump — 
 He came, and knelt with all his fat. 
 
 And made an offer plump. 
 
 Said she, my taste will never learn 
 
 To like so huge a man. 
 So I must beg you will come here 
 
 As little as you can. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 V 
 
 But still he stoutly urged liis suit, 
 With vows, aud sighs, and tears, 
 
 "Vet could not pierce her heart, although 
 Ho drove the dart for years! 
 
 In vain he wooed, in vain he sued. 
 The maid veas cold and proud, 
 
 \nd sent him off to Coventry 
 While on the way to Stroud. 
 
 He fretted all the way to Stroud, 
 
 And thence all back to town ; 
 The course of love was never smooth, 
 
 So his went up and down. 
 At last her coldness made him pine 
 
 To merely bones and skin ; 
 But stiil he loved like one resolved 
 
 To 10V3 through thick and thin. 
 Oh, Mary ! view my wasted back. 
 
 And see my dwindled calf; 
 Though I have never had a wife, 
 
 I've lost my better half. 
 Alas, in vain he still assailed, 
 
 Her heart withstood the dint ; 
 Though he carried sixteen stone. 
 
 He could not move a flint. 
 Worn out, at last, he made a vow 
 
 To break his being's link ; 
 For he was so reduced in size, 
 
 At nothing he could shrink. 
 Now some will talk in water's praise. 
 
 And waste a deal of breath, 
 But John, though he drank nothing else. 
 
 He drank himself to death. 
 
 The cruel maid that caused his love 
 
 Found out the fatal close — 
 For, looking in the butt, she saw — 
 
 The butt-end oi his woes. 
 
 Some say his spirit haunts the Crown, 
 
 But that is only talic — 
 For, after riding all his life. 
 
 His g/iost objects to walk. 
 
 Frederic II. of Prussia — His Attacmment 
 TO Dogs. 
 ' Kings have their fancies like other foiks.' 
 ' Fredoric's attachment to his dogs, which 
 had been one of his earliest passions (observes 
 liis biographer, Lord Dover) continued un- 
 abated to the end of his life. The breed which 
 lie preferred was that of the Italian grey- 
 hound, of which he had always five or six in 
 the room with him. Zimmerman describes 
 them as placed on blue-satin chairs and 
 couches, near the king's arm-chair; and says 
 that, when Frederic, during his last illness, 
 Dseti to sit on his terrace at Sans Souci, in 
 order to enjoy the sun, a chair was always 
 placed by his side, which was occupied by 
 one of his dogs. He fed them himself, took 
 the greatest possible care of them when they 
 were sick, and, when they died, buried them 
 in the gardens at Sans Souci. The traveller 
 may still see their tombs (flat stones, with 
 the names of the dogs interred beneath en- 
 graved upon them) at each end of the' terrace 
 at Sans Souci, in front of the palace. The 
 king was accustomed to pass his leisure mo- 
 rn rts in playing with them ; and the room 
 where he sat was strewed with leather balls, 
 with which they amused themselves. As tliey 
 were all much indulged, though there was 
 
 always one especial favorite, they used to 
 tear the damask covers of the chairs in the 
 king's apartment, and gnaw and otherwise 
 injure the furniture. This he permitted with- 
 out rebuke, and used only to say, ' My dogs 
 destroy my chairs ; but how can I help it? 
 And if I was to have them mended to day, 
 they would be torn again to-morrow ; so I 
 suppose I must bear with the inconvenience.— 
 After all, a Marquise de Pompadour would 
 cost me a great deal more, and would neither 
 be as attached nor as faithful !' 
 
 ' The most celebrated of the dogs of Frede- 
 ric were Biche aud Alcmena. Biche made 
 the campaign of 1745 with him ; and was with 
 him when, one day, having advanced to re- 
 connoitre the position of the enemy's troops, 
 he was pursued by a party of Austrian hussars. 
 He hid himself under a bridge, with Biche 
 wrapped in the breast of his coat. The dog, 
 though generally of a noisy and barking dis- 
 position, seemed aware of its master's danger, 
 and remained quiet and hardly breathing, till 
 the Austrians had passed over the bridge, and 
 were at a distance. At the battle of Soor 
 Biche was taken with the king's baggage, 
 but was restored to her master. General 
 Rothenbourg. who brought her, upon her re- 
 turn, into the king's room, found the monarch 
 so entirely occupied in writing, that he did not 
 look up when his favorite entered. The dog 
 immediately jumped upon the table, and put 
 her two front paws on the king's neck, who 
 was moved to tears at this proof of her affec- 
 tion. Alcmena was a favorite greyhound be 
 longing to the King of Prussia, to which he 
 ■was so much attached, that, at its death, foi 
 a day or two, he abandoned himself to his 
 grief; and it was long before he would allow 
 the corpse of the dog, although it had become 
 putrid, to be taken frcm his apartment and 
 buried.' " 
 
 Affection of the Arabian Horse. 
 
 In that admirable and interesting work; 
 ' The Library of Useful Knowledge,' the 
 writer states there are three breeds of Arabian 
 horses; — the Attechi, or inferior breed; the 
 Kadischi, literally, horses of an ui kuoVTa 
 race ; and the Kochlani, horses whose geie- 
 alogy, according to the Arab account, is 
 known for two thousand years. 
 
 We may not, perhaps, believe all that is 
 told us of the Arabian. It has been remarked 
 that there are, on the deserts where this horse 
 traverses, no mile-stones to mark the distance, 
 or watches to calculate the time ; and the Be- 
 douin is natu.ally given to exaggeration, and, 
 most of all, when relating the prowess of the 
 animal which he loves as dearly as his child- 
 ren : yet it cannot be denied that, at the 
 introduction of the Arabian into European 
 stables, there was no other horse comparable 
 to him. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 The Arab horse is as celebrated for his do- 
 cility and good temper, as for his speed and 
 courage. In that delightful book, " Bishop 
 Heber's Narrative of a Journey through the 
 Upper Provinces of India," the following in- 
 teresting character is given of him. " My 
 morning ridea are very pleasant. My horse is 
 a nice, quiet, good-tempered little Arab, who 
 is so fearless, that he goes, without starting, 
 close to an elephant, and so gentle and docile, 
 that he eats bread out of my hand, and has 
 almost as much attachment and coaxing ways 
 as a dog. This seems the general character of 
 the Arab horses, to judge from what I have 
 seen in this country. It is not the fiery dash- 
 ing animal I had supposed, but with more ra- 
 tionality about him, and more apparent confi- 
 dence in his rider, than the majority of English 
 horses." 
 
 The kindness with which he is treated from 
 a foal, gives him an affection for his master, a 
 wish to please, a pride in exerting every en- 
 ergy in obedience to his commands, and, con- 
 sequently, an apparent sagacity which is seldom 
 seen in other breeds. The mare and her foal 
 inhabit the same tent with the Bedouin and his 
 children. The neck of the mare is often the 
 pillow of the rider, and more frequently of the 
 children, who are rolling about upon her and 
 the foal : yet no accident ever occurs, and the 
 animal acquires that friendship and love for 
 man which occasional ill-treatment will not 
 cause him for a moment to forget. 
 
 When the Arab falls from his mare, and is 
 unable to rise, she will immediately stand still, 
 and neigh until assistance arrives. If he lies 
 down to sleep, as fatigue sometimes compels 
 him, in the midst of the desert, she stands 
 watchful over him, and neighs and rouses him 
 if either man or beast approaches. An old 
 Arab had a valuable mare that had carried 
 him for fifteen years, in many a hard-fought 
 battle, and many a rapid, weary march ; at 
 length, eighty years old, and unable longer to 
 ride her, he gave her, and a scimitar that had 
 been his father's, to his eldest sou, and told 
 him to appreciate their value, and never lie 
 down to rest until he had rubbed them both as 
 bright as a looking-glass. In the first skirmish 
 in which the young man was engaged, he was 
 killed, and the mare fell into the hands of the 
 enemy. When the news reached the old man, 
 he exclaimed that " life was no longer worth 
 preserving, for he had lost both his son and 
 his mare, and he grieved for one as much as 
 the other ;" and he immediately sickened and 
 died, 
 
 Man, however, is an inconsistent being. 
 The Arab who thus lives with, and loves his 
 liorses, regarding them as his most valuable 
 treasure, sometimes treats them with a cruelty 
 scarcely to be believed, and not at all to be 
 justilied. The severest treatment which the 
 English race-horse endures is gentleness com- 
 pared with the trial of the young Arabian. 
 Probably the filly has never before been 
 mounted ; she is led out ; her owner springs 
 
 on her back, and goads her over the sands and 
 rocks of the desert, at full speed, for fifty or 
 sixty miles, without one moment's respite. 
 She is then forced, steaming and panting, into 
 water deep enough for her to swim. If, imme- 
 diately after this, she will eat as if nothing 
 had occurred, her characteris established, and 
 she is acknowledged to be a genuine descend- 
 ant of the KochJani breed. The Arab is not 
 conscious of the cruelty which he thus inflicts : 
 it is an invariable custom ; and custom will 
 induce us to inflict many a pang on those whom, 
 after all, we love. 
 
 The following anecdote of the attachment 
 of an Arab to his mare has often been told, but 
 it comes home to the bosom of every one pos- 
 sessed of common feeling. " The whole stock 
 of an Arab of the desert consisted of a mare. 
 The French consul offered to purchase her, in 
 order to send her to his sovereign, Louis XIV. 
 The Arab would have rejected the proposal at 
 once with indignation and scorn ; but he was 
 miserably poor. He had no means of supply. 
 Ing his most urgent wants, or procuring the 
 barest necessaries of life. Still he hesitated ; 
 — he had scarcely a rag to cover him — and his 
 wife and children were starving. The sum 
 offered was great, — it would provide him and 
 his family with food for life. At length, and 
 reluctantly, he consented. He brought the 
 mare to the dwelling of the consul, — he dis- 
 mounted, — he stood leaning upon her ; — he 
 looked now at the gold, and then at his fa- 
 vorite ; he sighed — he wept. ' To whom is 
 it,' said he, ' I am going to yield thee up ? To 
 Europeans, who will tie thee close, — who will 
 beat thee, — who will render thee miserable. 
 Return with me, my beauty, my jewel, and 
 rejoice the hearts of my children.' As he 
 pronounced the last words, he sprung upon 
 her back, and was out of sight in a moment." 
 
 The next anecdote is scarcely less touching, 
 and not so well known. Ibrahim, a poor, but 
 worthy Arab, unable to pay a sum of money 
 which he owed, was compelled to allow a 
 merchant of Rama to become partner with 
 him in a valuable mare. When the time came, 
 he could not redeem his pledge to this man, 
 and the mare was sold. Her pedigree could 
 be traced, on the side of sire and dam, 
 for full five hundred years. The price was 
 three hundred pounds ; an enormous sum in 
 that country. Ibrahim went frequently to 
 Rama to inquire after the mare : he would 
 embrace her, — wipe her eyes with his hand- 
 kerchief, — rub her with his shirt sleeves, — 
 and give her a thousand benedictions during 
 whole hours that he remained talking to her. 
 ' My eyes !' would he say to her, ' my soul ! 
 my heart ! must I be so unfortunate as to have 
 thee sold to so many masters, and not keep 
 thee myself? I am poor, my antelope ! I 
 brought thee up in my dwelling, as my child. 
 I did never beat nor chide thee ; I caressed 
 thee in the proudest manner. God preserve 
 thee, my beloved ! thou art beautiful, thou art 
 sweet, thou art lovely ! God defend thee from 
 envious eyes !'' 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 It 
 
 Sir Joiin Malcolm gives two anecdotes to 
 the same purpose, but of a more amusing ua- 
 ture. 
 
 " When the envoy, returning from his former 
 mission, was encamped near Bagdad, an Arab 
 rode a bright bay mare of extraordinary shape 
 and beauty before his tent, until he attracted 
 liis attention. On being asked if he would 
 sell her .— ' What will you give me ?' was the 
 reply : ' That depends upon her age ; I sup- 
 pose she is past five ?' ' Guess again,' said 
 he. ' Four ?' ' Look at her mouth,' said the 
 Arab, with a smile. On examination she Avas 
 found to be rising three. This, from her size 
 and symmetry, greatly enhanced her value. 
 The envoy said, ' I will give you fifty toman' 
 (a coin nearly of the value of a pound sterling), 
 ' A little more, if you please,' said the fellow, 
 apparently entertained. 'Eighty. A hundred.' 
 He shook his head and smiled. The offer at 
 last came to two hundred tomans ! * Well,' 
 said the Arab, 'you need not tempt me further; 
 — it is of no use. You are a rich elchee (no- 
 bleman). You have fine horses, camels, and 
 mules, and, I am told, you have loads of silver 
 and gold. Now,' added he, ' you want my 
 mare ; but you should not have her for all 
 you have got.' " 
 
 " An Arab sheick or chief, avIio lived within 
 fifty miles of Bussorah, had a favorite breed of 
 horses. lie lost one of his best mares, and 
 could not, for a long while, discover whether 
 she was stolen or had strayed. Some time 
 after, a young man of a different tribe, who 
 had long wished to marry his daughter, but 
 had always been rejected by the sheick, ob- 
 tained the lady's consent and eloped with her. 
 The sheick and his followers pursued, but the. 
 lover and his mistress, mounted on one horse, 
 made a wonderful marcli, and escaped. The 
 old chief swore that the fellow was either 
 mounted upon tiie devil, or the favorite marc he 
 had lost. After his return, he found the latter 
 was the case ; that the lover was the thief of 
 his mare as well as his daughter ;-and that he 
 stole the one to carry off the other. The chief 
 was quite gratified to think he had not been 
 beaten by a mare of another breed ; and was 
 easily reconciled to the young man, in order 
 that he might recoverthe mare, which appeared 
 an object about which he was more solicitous 
 than about his daughter." 
 
 One of our own countrymen, the enterpiis- 
 ing traveller, major Denham, affords us a 
 pleasing instance of the attachment with which 
 the docility and sagacity of the horse may 
 inspire the owner. He thus relates the death 
 of his favorite Arabian, in one of the most 
 desert spots of Central Africa. His feelings 
 needed no apology. We naturally honor the 
 man in whom true sensibility and undaunted 
 courage, exerted for useful purposes, were 
 thus united. 
 
 " There are a few situations in a man's life in 
 which losses of this nature are felt most keenly; 
 and this was one of them. It was not grief, 
 but i( was 3 mething very nearly approaching 
 
 to it ; and though I felt ashamed of the degifc 
 of derangement I suffered from it, yet it was 
 several days before I could get over the loss. 
 Let it, however, be remembered that the poor 
 animal had been my support and comfort, — 
 nay, I may say, companion, through many a 
 dreary day and night ; — had endured both 
 hunger and thirst in my service ; and was so 
 docile that he would stand still for hours, in 
 the desert, while I slept between his legs, his 
 body affording me the only shelter that could 
 be obtained from the powerful influence of a 
 noon-day sun , — he was yet the fleetest of the 
 fleet, and ever foremost in the chase." 
 
 Our horses would fare badly on the scanty 
 nourishment afforded the Arabian. The mare 
 usually has but one or two meals in twenty- 
 four hours. During the day she is tied to the 
 door of the tent, ready for the Bedouin to 
 spring, at a moment's warning, into the saddle; 
 or she is turned out before the tent, ready sad- 
 dled, the bridle merely taken off, and so 
 trained that she gallops up immediately at her 
 master's call. At night she receives a little 
 water ; and with her scanty provender of five 
 or six pounds of barley or beans, and some- 
 times a little straw, she lies down, content, in 
 the midst of her master's family. She can, 
 however, endure great fatigue ; she will travel 
 fifty miles without stopping ; she has been 
 pushed, on emergency, one hundred and 
 twenty miles, and, occasionally, neither she 
 nor her rider has tasted food for three whole 
 days. 
 
 To the Arabian, principally, England is 
 indebted for her improved and now unrivalled 
 breed of horses for the turf, the field, and the 
 road. 
 
 On the Usefulness of Pugilism. 
 
 Of late years, it has been so much the caiit 
 of the puritanical part of society to run down 
 the Sports and Amusements of the people of 
 England ; and also, if possible, not only to 
 reduce them in their manly spirit and cha- 
 racter, but to change their good old habits 
 and feelings into a strait-httired race of im- 
 postors and hypocrites. Perish the thought ' 
 We hope, nay we feel assured, that we sliali 
 never see the arrival of that day, when the 
 TRUE courage of Biitons will be frittered 
 down into mere dandyism, so conspicuous to 
 "resent an injury," or "to forgive an in- 
 sult" and which have rendered the British 
 flag triumphant, both in our fleets and armies, 
 all over the world. 
 
 The following opinion of that enlightened 
 senator the late Right Hon. W. Windham, 
 who so animatedly delivered his sentiments 
 in parliament in favor of the sports and 
 amusements of the people of England, is a 
 complete answer to all the cant and humbug 
 in opposition to it : " True courage," said 
 Mr. Windham, " does not arise from mere 
 boxing fr(»m the mere beating or being beaten, 
 
12 
 
 PIERCE EGAN S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 but from the sentiments excited by the con- 
 templation and cultivation of such practices." 
 In support of which doctrines may be added, 
 the undaunted and persevering traits of a 
 Shaw (the life-guardsman and pugilistic 
 champion) at the memorable epoch in the 
 history of nations, the great battle at Waterloo, 
 so pointedly described by that illustrious 
 poet, Anacreon Moore : — 
 
 " Oh, shade of the cheesemonger ! you who, alas ! 
 Doubled up by the dozen those Mounseers in brass, 
 On that great day o{ milling when blood lay iu lakes, 
 V/hen Ki.NCS keld the bottle, and Europe the stakes '■" 
 
 " I was preparing to say 'Good night,' after 
 handing the young lady down stairs at the 
 Opera House, when her brother, with the 
 pleasant freedom of an old acquaintaince, 
 pressed me to take a sandwich in St. James's 
 Street, and as his sentiments, as far as they 
 had been communicated, agreed with mine, I 
 accepted his invitation with the same frank- 
 ness with which it was made. The female 
 between us, we proceeded along Pall Mall ; 
 and turning up St. James's Street, two men, 
 apparently in a state of intoxication, reeled 
 out of an entry, and attempted to seize hold 
 of the lady, who at that moment was un- 
 guarded on the right hand, her brother being 
 a few paces in the rear. The street, as far as 
 we could distinguish, was unoccupied, not 
 even the voice of a watchman interrupted 
 the solemn silence ; but the moon shone with 
 resplendent lustre, and my new friend, 
 alarmed by his sister's screams, with the 
 swiftness of a feathered Mercury, flew along 
 the pavement, and with one blow, laid the 
 foremost of our assailants in the kennel. I 
 was the more surprised at this, because his 
 stature did not exceed five feet, and from the 
 view I had of him, I was not prepared for 
 uncommon strength. Our enemies were 
 seemingly tall, raw-boned coal-heavers, and 
 though one of them was for the moment ren- 
 dered incapable, our case appeared so despe- 
 rate, that to the lady's cries, I added a call 
 for the watch ; but my companion, nothing 
 daunted, bade me take care of his sister, and 
 fear nothing: ' for,' continued he, ' if I cannot 
 manage such rascals as these, I deserve to be 
 d — d.' The second ruilian, seeing his fellow 
 on the ground, resumed his sobriety, and 
 aimed a blow at me, but in so clumsy a man- 
 ner, that I not only avoided it, but preserved 
 my fair charge from harm ; on which our 
 little champion rushed forward, received the 
 blow on the point of his elbow, and returned 
 another in the pit of the stomach, which so 
 staggered the wretch, that he reeled several 
 paces, and finally tumbled headlong into an 
 area, at least three yards deep. What I have 
 employed so many words in relating was the 
 work of a moment. Having taught his foes, 
 to bite the ground, our skilful champion seized 
 hold of his sister's disengaged arm, and not 
 Buffering the grass to grow under our feet, 
 >ve arrived in safety at his house. 
 
 " This anecdote will, I think, establish the 
 USEFULNESS OF PUGILISM ; had my friend been 
 as little knowing in the science as his adversa- 
 ries, very dreadful miglit have been the conse- 
 quences, because might in that case would 
 have overcome right, unless the fellows 
 would have had patience to wait till he ran 
 home for his sword; and then, indeed, he 
 might have killed them in a gentleman-like 
 manner. 
 
 " Every thing has its uses and its abuses. 
 But, though this be granted, shall we neglect 
 the use, because it may possibly bring the 
 abuse along with it ! I have heard declaimers 
 against the science of bruising say, ' that a 
 knowledge of self-defence makes people 
 quarrelsome.' If I may speak, from very 
 limited experience, I think the contrary. 1 
 was well acquainted with Perkins, and never 
 in my life saw a more harmless, quiet, inof- 
 fensive being. I have the pleasure of knowing 
 GuLLEY : — yes, reader — the pleasure! I would 
 rather know him than many Sir Byllis and 
 Sir Dillys, and he is neither quarrelsome, 
 turbulent, nor overbearing. 
 
 " One evening, I accompanied honest 
 Jack Emery to a tavern in Carey-street, kept 
 by John Gullev. As we passed along, 
 Emery said, ' You conceive, I dare say, 
 Romney, that I am going to introduce yoa 
 into a society of rogues and pick-pockets, and 
 if you can compound for the loss of your purse 
 and handkerchief, it will be a lucky escape ; 
 but rest assured you are mistaken — Gulley's 
 house is, of course, open to all descriptions, 
 but the majority of his customers are people 
 of reputation and respectability.' 
 
 " This account, I confess, was some relief to 
 my mind, where a considerable degree of pre- 
 judice existed against prize-fighters, and the 
 houses they frequent, Gulley' was unfortu- 
 nately from home, but Crib, the champion of 
 England, was officiating as his locum-tenens, 
 and handing about pots of porter and grog 
 with persevering industry. Mrs. Gulley, a 
 neat little woman, civil and attentive, super- 
 intended the business of the bar ; where, 
 through Emery's interest, for I found he was 
 in high favor , we obtained leave to sit. 
 Crib uncorked and decanted, but could not 
 give us his company (which to me, as a novi- 
 tiate in such scenes, would have been a treat) 
 owing to the business of the house, which he 
 seemed to pursue much to its master's interest. 
 Crib, who had obtained popularity by his 
 prowess, was originally a coal-heaver, and 
 has several brothers in the same employment: 
 he is sturdy and stout built, about five and 
 twenty, stands five feet eight inches, clumsy 
 in appearance, rather hard featured, with a 
 profile not unlike Cooke the tragedian. Me 
 is, I believe, a good-natured, quiet fellow, 
 and after we had detained him a few minutes 
 in conversation, "Well," said Emery, "what 
 do you think of the greatest man in his way, 
 or perhaps any other can boast ? for Gpllbt 
 has altogether declined the btisinees." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 13 
 
 " ' Why, to speak the truth, notwHhsi.anding 
 your caution, I expected, in a house kept and 
 frequented by boxers, to have seen nothing 
 but blackguards, and lo have heard nothing 
 but blasphemy ; but I am so pleasingly de- 
 ceived, and so comfortably situated, that I 
 believe this will not be the last visit I shall 
 pay Mrs. Gulley.' " — Rilei/s Itinerant. 
 
 Lord Byron's Taste for Boxing. 
 Among the least romantic (says his Lord- 
 hip's biographer, Mr. IMoore), perhaps, of 
 the exercises in which he took delight was 
 that of boxing or sparring. This taste it was 
 that, at a very early period, brought him ac- 
 quainted with the distinguished professor of 
 that art, Mr. Jackson, for whom he continued 
 through life to entertain the sincerest regard, 
 — one of his latest works coniaining a most 
 cordial tribute, not only to the professional, 
 but social qualities of this sole prop and orna- 
 ment of pugilism. During his stay at Brighton 
 this year, Jackson was one of his most con- 
 stant visitors, — the expense of the professor's 
 chaise thither and back being always defrayed 
 by his noble patron. He also honored with 
 his notice, at this time, D'Egville, the ballet- 
 master, and Grinialdi, to the latter of whom 
 he sent, as I understand, on one of his benefit 
 nights, a present of five guineas. 
 
 Having been favored by Mr. Jackson 
 with copies of the few notes and letters, which 
 he has preserved out of the many addressed 
 to him by Lord Byron, I shall here lay before 
 the reader one or two, which bear the date 
 of the present year, and which, though refer- 
 ring to matters of no interest in themselves, 
 give, perhaps, a better notion of the actual 
 life and habits of the young poet, at this 
 time, than could be afforded by the most elab- 
 orate, and in other respects important cor- 
 respondence. They will show, at least, how 
 very little akin to romance were the early 
 pursuits and associates of *he authorof Childe 
 Harold, and, comoined with what we know 
 of the still less romantic youth of Shakspeare, 
 prove how unhurt the vital principle of genius 
 can preserve itself even in atmospheres ap- 
 parently the most ungenial and noxious to it. 
 
 TO MR. JACkSOJ*. 
 
 " N. A. Notts, Sept. 18, 1808. 
 
 " Dear Jack, — I wish you would inform 
 me what has been done by Jekyll, at No. 40, 
 Sloane-square, concerning the pony I returned 
 as unsound. 
 
 " I have also to request you will call on 
 Louch at Brompton, and inquire what the 
 devil he meant by sending such an insolent 
 letter to me at Brighton ; and at the same 
 time tell him I by no means can comply with 
 the charge he has made for things pretended 
 to be damaged. 
 
 " Ambrose behaved most scandalously 
 about the pony. You may tell Jekyll if he 
 does not refund the money, I shall put the 
 
 affair into my lawyer's hands. Five and 
 twenty guineas is a sound price for a pony, 
 and by — , if it costs me five hundred pounds, 
 I will make an example of Mr. Jekyll, and 
 that immediately, unless the cash is returned. 
 " Believe me, dear Jack, &c. 
 
 However singular it may appear, it is true, 
 that on the morning of the funeral of his 
 mother, having declined following the remains 
 himself, he stood looking, from the abbey 
 door, at the procession, till the whole had 
 moved off; then turning to young Rushton, 
 who was the only person left besides himself, 
 he desired him to fetch the sparring-gloves, 
 and proceeded to his usual exercise with the 
 boy. He was silent and abstracted all the 
 time, and, as if from an effort to get the better 
 of his feelings, threw more violence, Rushton 
 thought, into his blows than was his habit; 
 but, at last, the struggle seeming too much 
 for him, he flung away the gloves, and retired 
 to his room." 
 
 The late Lord Byron, to use a sporting 
 phrase, "set-to" with the gloves better than 
 most gentlemen, leaving noblemen entirely 
 out of the question. He was fond of sparring 
 as a science ; he also admired it as a manly, 
 noble art — an art that taught him the value 
 of self-defence, and to support the true cha- 
 racter of an Englishman, wit hout resorting to 
 the aid of the dagger, pistol, ball, or any 
 other deadly weapon. He was likewise 
 attached to sparriyig as an e.rercise, in •which 
 he was well assui-ed had its advantages 
 towards the promotion of h'='alth, cheerfulness, 
 and long life. His Lordship, like his poetry, 
 always entered into the spirit of the thing ; — 
 he viewed hoxhig as a national propensity — 
 a stimulus to true courage ; and, like the 
 most illustrious personage in the kingdom, he 
 was not afraid of •A'ltnessing a fight in the 
 prize ring. In setting-to, his lordship was 
 never afraid of meeting the attack, but, on 
 the contrary, ho received with coolness fioni 
 his antagonist, and returned upon his oppo- 
 nent with all the vigour and confidence of 
 a master of the art. If his Lordship was 
 not a Don Juan in every part that he undei*- 
 took, he nevertheless must be viewed in the 
 character of a hero; a common-place situation 
 in any department of life would not suit the 
 enlarged mind of the author of " Childe 
 Harold." Lord Byron saw things in a very 
 different light from most other men ; and, with 
 all his errors, his premature death was an 
 immense loss to his country. His Lordship 
 soared above the humbug, jant, and prejudice 
 of his day ; and in the most laudable manner 
 he exposed hypocrisy wherever it crossed liis 
 path, and, rather unlike the "privileged order" 
 to which he belonged, he appeared quite at his 
 ease, and made himself as comfortable and 
 agreeable in the humble dwelling of an ac 
 quaintance to those he saw around him as if 
 he had been sojourning in the loftiest palace 
 in t'ae kingdom. Lord Byron admired abili'y 
 
14 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 in every shape ; his Lordship was a man of 
 the world, and not that fastidious sort of per- 
 sonage to view men, as it were, through a 
 microscope, to obtain a knowledge of their 
 feelings and manners. He mixed with society 
 in all its different shades ; he heard men talk 
 according to their situations in life ; he saw 
 their gestures, and he listened to their opinions, 
 as a kind of finger post to become acquainted 
 with the various traits of human nature ; he 
 warmly supported his brother poet's idea : 
 " That a man 'a a man for a* and a' that." 
 The late Lord Byron has been seen with 
 several other first-rate characters in the 
 veteran Tom Cribb's house enjoying his glass 
 ofwine.and conversing upon subjects connected 
 with the sporting world, in the most animated 
 style; indeed, his lordship was well aware 
 that an author whose intentions were to dis- 
 play something like originality in his writ- 
 ings, ought to view every thing in the different 
 walks of life with the most marked attention. 
 The movements of mankind were very import- 
 ant features in the " tablet of his memory," 
 and to be treasured up with advantage to 
 himself, in order to be improved upon at his 
 leisure, and made known to the public at 
 some future period of his existence, with all 
 .he embellishments of a superior artist, after 
 he manner of 
 
 " Tiie poet's eye in a fine phrensy rolling." 
 As a proof of the above assertion, it should 
 seem that Lord Byron was most anxious to 
 establish himself in the opinion of the world 
 as a painter of real life— that his Ukejiesses 
 were correct to a shade, and likewise his 
 characters on the canvas should discover their 
 own natural dialogue, without the aid of art. 
 His Lordship, to show his versatility of 
 talent, and his intimate knowledge of the 
 various grades of society, had no objection 
 now and then to give the " sublime and beau- 
 tiful" touches of his pen a holiday, that he 
 might descend a few steps from his high 
 abode in the literary world, even with pro- 
 priety, as a writer on men and manners, 
 amidst the lowest of the "low folks," 
 to describe some " doings," with a pecu- 
 liarity of touch ; exhibiting a fidelity of 
 research; and sanctioned by the glowing 
 colours of truth. The following quotation 
 from the poem of Don Juan, Canto XL, stanza 
 19, and notes, will amply suffice :— 
 "He fiom the world had cut oflf a great man 
 
 Who in his time had made heroic bustle ; 
 Who in a row, like Tom, could lead the van, 
 
 Booze in the ken, or at the syell-i^en hustle ! 
 Who queer a flat ! Who (spite of Bow-street s ban) 
 
 On the high toby-spice so fl-ash the muzzle ; 
 Who on a lark, with black-eyed Sal (his blowing J 
 So prime, so well, so smutty, and so knowing!* 
 * If there be any gemman so ignorant as to require 
 a traduction, I refer him to my old friend and corpo- 
 real pastor and master, John Jackson, Esq., professor 
 of pugilism ; who, I trust, still retains the strength 
 and synr.metry of his model of a form, together with 
 nis good humour, and athletic as well as mental ac- 
 XHnplifihmeuts. 
 
 The advance of science and of language 
 nas rendered it unnecessary to translate the 
 above good and true English, spoken in its 
 original purity by the select mobility and 
 their patrons. The following is a stanza of 
 a song which was very popular, at least in 
 my early days : — 
 
 " On the high toby-spree flash the muzzle 
 
 In spite of each gallows oltl scout. 
 If you at the spell kin can't hustle 
 
 You'll be hobbled in making a clout. 
 Then your blowing will wax gallows haughty. 
 
 When she hears of your scaly mistake. 
 She'll surely turn smitch for the forty. 
 
 That her Jack may be regtilar weight." 
 
 N. E. In accordance with the above wish 
 of the late Lord Byron, although at the dis- 
 tance of several years since Don Juan made 
 its appearance before the public, the numerous 
 friends in the sporting world of Mr. Jackson 
 will be pleased to hear that he does retain 
 his good humour, and athletic as well as 
 mental accomplishments ; the following 
 letter having been lately received by the 
 editor of the " Book of Sports." 
 
 4, Grosvenor Street West, 
 
 Grosvenor Place. 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 I am sorry I have only the Sport- 
 ing Magazine from 1S22 to 28, which I pre- 
 sume will furnish you with no information 
 you are not in possession of. Should you 
 wish to see them they are quite at your 
 service. I have annexed Mr. Galley's address 
 Wishing you every success in all your under- 
 takings, and that you and family are quite 
 well, I remain. 
 
 Very sincerely yours, 
 Jan. 18, 1832, JOHN JACKSON. 
 
 P. Egan, Esq. 
 
 Daniel Dabb! 
 Written by Thomas Tucker, one of the Crack* 
 Club. 
 The present period appears to be " the 
 reign of the Tommy's," in the world of poetry, 
 and, rather singular to observe, they have all 
 amused the state, and the community have 
 been highly pleased with their productions. 
 There are to be met with, if the reader should 
 have the good fortune to pounce upon them, in 
 some of his strolls of an evening in the metro- 
 polis, the justly celebrated Anacreon Tommy 
 Moore; the delightful " Pleasures of Hope," 
 Tommy Campbell ; the merry Punster, Tommy 
 Hood; the Spelli Writer, Tommy Dihdin ; 
 the Crack Poet, Tommy Tucker; "and 
 last, though not least, in our dear loves," 
 the convivial Poet, "Tommy Hudson, who 
 not only writes his songs, but sings them 
 " excellently well" into the bargain, and in a 
 style of real comic humour, peculiar to him- 
 self. In consequence of Dan. Dab. being a. 
 
 • Crack, the; or, All the Crack. The fashion 
 able theme. The Gol— Grose, 
 
 f Spell—a. cant term for the Theatre 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S KOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 15 
 
 crack article in the regions of fun and 
 laughter, and some of the literary pirates of 
 the day having made an attempt to rob 
 Tommy Tucker of the merit due to his song, 
 w-e are induced more especially, on that ac- 
 count, to give publicity to it, that Tommy 
 may enjoy the crack of his own composition. 
 
 SONC. 
 
 There was a man, named Daniel Dabb, 
 
 (A hapless man was ho), 
 Who sometime lived in a sea-port, 
 
 But it was not Pnrt.sra. 
 He dealt in fish and mended shoes. 
 
 But could not make it do. 
 Although he sometimes sold njislt. 
 
 And sometimes soIkI a shoe. 
 So of a quack he learned to bleed. 
 
 And draw teeth with precision. 
 And as he knew the /leeltng art. 
 
 He set up as physiciaji. 
 He took a cellar, which you know 
 
 Is always under ground. 
 And sometimes licel'd a pair of shoes. 
 
 And sometimes IteaVd a wound. 
 ' By fish and shoes and drugs,' said Le^ 
 
 ' I hope I shall rise higher. 
 For by a cellar I can't live. 
 
 Unless I have a buyer. 
 On wealth I've staked my all and last. 
 
 And trust that I sliall win it. 
 For if a tray of trades won't win, 
 
 1 think the deuce is in it.' 
 But people would not have teeth drawn. 
 
 Because it gave them pain ; 
 And bleeding, when folks will not bleed, 
 
 You know is all in vein. 
 One day, when at his ccllar-licad 
 
 He sat with doleful face, 
 A servarft maid came up to him. 
 
 And asked him for a plaice. 
 He'd herrings shotten, though not shot, 
 
 ITiat shone like any gem. 
 And though he placed thera all in rows. 
 
 Roes had no place in them. 
 Sayi* Sue, ' they are all skin and scales. 
 
 And full of bones within ;' 
 Says he, I've mii.istls without bones, 
 
 And very little s/cin .' 
 Says Sue, 'they're poison, though I own 
 
 That I for some with soy long ; 
 And as for poison I've heard say. 
 
 The French call all fish poisson. 
 But I should like a little fish.' 
 
 Says Dan, • I ve no white bait; 
 And as the eels are slippery things, 
 
 You'd better take a skate.' 
 ' Oh no, a plaice 1 want, 'says Sus :' 
 
 Says Dan, ' this is the case. 
 Because I was not out in time. 
 
 You see I'm out of plaice.' 
 ' Indeed,' says Sue, ' why so am I, 
 
 My mistress wants one stronger ; 
 And though she says I am too short, 
 
 She does not want me lunger.' 
 ' If that's the case, dear Sue,' says Dan, 
 
 ' Why something must be done 
 So as we two are out of place. 
 
 Why let us two make oue. 
 To mend folk's shoes, and serve them fish, 
 
 Some want of help I feels ; 
 So while I drive nails in their toes. 
 
 Why you can skin your eels.' 
 ' Oh, no,' says Sue, ' that will not do ! 
 
 I'll find some other work ; 
 For since you are a mussel-man 
 
 You'd use me like a Turk. 
 So off she ran, and left poor Dan 
 
 A disappointed elf; 
 And when he'd cried fish all that day. 
 
 At night he cried himself. 
 
 .^'ext morn on a large nail he hung 
 
 And hung till he was pale ; 
 For though death took him off the hooks 
 
 He could not off the nail. 
 And when they bore him to the grave. 
 
 She wrung her hands and cried ; 
 And some one rung his knell, although 
 
 It was for Sue-he-sighed. 
 Feb, 1830, 
 
 Dr. Abernethy and the Foxhuntek. 
 
 Exercise is the best Physic. 
 
 In spite of the doctor's well-known confi- 
 dence, he was to be managed — and he was 
 frequently defeated against his will, when he 
 least expected it : although eccentric to the 
 very echo of eccentricity, yet the eccentric man 
 had the best chance with him in overcoming 
 his peculiarities : the blunt man often got the 
 better of the doctor's rudeness ; and the bold 
 hero, something after the manner of " Greek to 
 Greek," more than once or twice proved his 
 master. The following incidents will illustrate 
 his eccentricity. A jolly-hearted fox-hunter 
 in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, one of 
 those choice-spirits who had lived rather " too 
 fast" for his constitution — devoted to his lass 
 and his glass — fond of his dog and his gun — 
 and " Yoicks ! hark forward, tally ho !" to 
 him far sweeter sounds than Braham's ' Beau- 
 tiful maid' — felt himself out of sorts — in other 
 words, he could not tell what was the matter 
 with him ; he therefore consulted the Bolus of 
 the place, of whom the whole parish declared 
 no man could better 
 
 GUd a pill. 
 Make a bill. 
 Or bleed or blister ! 
 
 But the country apothecai7, with all his Caleb 
 Quotem sort of talent, proved of no use to the 
 fox-hunter ; the complaint of the latter got 
 worse and worse, and he was determined to 
 consult, without any more delay, one of the 
 faculty in London. Abernethy was pointed 
 out to him as most likely to make him hearty 
 again ; but, at the same time, it was intimated 
 to him the reception he would probably meet 
 with on making his bow. " Never mind," 
 said he, " if I do not prove myself a match for 
 the doctor, may my mare refuse the first leap 
 she comes to ; may I never again be in at the 
 death." On stating the nature of his com- 
 plaint to Abernethy, the latter replied, " Sir, 
 the sooner you go back, the better ; you have 
 come on a fool's errand. I am no doctor." The 
 fox-hunter, in great surprise, observed, " Per- 
 haps, Sir, I have mistaken the house ; and if I 
 have intruded myself into your company I am 
 sorry for it. May I ask, Sir, is your name 
 Abernethy ? " " Yes," replied the doctor, 
 " Abernethy is my name." " Abernethy, and 
 no doctor !" said the fox-hunter ; " but I have 
 been told you are a joker — though a joke to a 
 man who has come 200 miles is rather too much 
 out of place for him to relish it !" " Joke or 
 no joke," answered Abernethy, " you will finjt 
 I am no doctor ; and the sooner you quit my 
 
16 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 house the belter," (getting up to ring tlie bell 
 for the servant.) " Hear me, doctor Aberne- 
 thy," replied the fox-hunter (pulling out his 
 purse at the same time), '' I have not much 
 knowledge it is true, but I trust I have too 
 much sense to put my purse in competition 
 with my constitution ; therefore, name your 
 fee, and, be it great or small, I will give it to 
 you. That you are a doctor, and a man of 
 great skill, Fame reports all over the kingdom: 
 your talents have induced me to travel 200 
 miles expressly for your advice ; therefore none 
 of your tricks upon travellers. 1 will not be 
 disappointed ! Advice I come for — and ad- 
 vice I will have !" (running immediately up to 
 the door, lacking it, and putting the key into 
 his pocket.) He then held out his wrist to the 
 doctor. " You icill have advice," echoed the 
 doctor in a rage, " Insolent man ! not from me. 
 I again tell you that I am no physician," The 
 fox-hunter, putting himself in a boxing atti- 
 tude, advanced towards Mr. Abernethy, and, 
 in an offensive manner, exclaimed, " Then, by 
 G — I will make a doctor of you ; and if you 
 do not feel my pulse without any more equiv- 
 ocation, I will feel yours, and also administer 
 to you some points of my practice. I will 
 likewise give you an emetic, without the 
 smallest particle of physic in it, that shall 
 make you sick for a month." The doctor, re- 
 treating, said, with astonishment, " What are 
 you about? Are you going to strike me?" 
 "Yes," replied the fox-hunter, " I am as cool 
 as a cucumber : and nothing shall stop me in 
 my pursuit : dangers I fear not ; and to leap 
 over a steeple is a trifling concern to me when 
 the game is in view ; therefore, I again repeat, 
 feel my pulse, or else " The doctor im- 
 mediately laid hold of his arm, and in a sort of 
 whisper, as the players have it, aside — exclaim- 
 ed — " and a d d strong pulse it is !" then, 
 
 in a louder tone, " suppose I had not felt your 
 pulse — what then ?" " Why," replied the fox- 
 hunter, with a most determined look attached 
 to the expression, " I would have run you 
 down sooner thun I would a fox : and have 
 made you more timid than a hare, before you 
 could have sung out for the assistance of either 
 of the colleges." " The devil you would," 
 said the doctor ; •* nevertheless, I admire your 
 candour ; and I am not at all disposed to quar- 
 rel with your bluntness ; and as you have been 
 so extremely explicit with me, I will render 
 myself as perfectly intelligible to you, and also 
 with as much sincerity. Your pulse tells me 
 that you are a far greater beast than the horse 
 you ride; indeed the animal is the most prefer- 
 able character of the two by comparison — your 
 horse feels the spur and attends to it; the whip 
 to him is not applied in vain ; and he eats, 
 drinks, and takes his rest more like a rational 
 being than his master. While, on the con- 
 trary, the man with a mind, or at least who 
 ought to possess something like the exercise 
 of intellect, is all excess — he drinks to excess 
 — he eats to excess — he hunts to excess— he 
 smokes to excess." " Bravo, doctor, nay more. 
 
 my friend," replied the fox-hunter, quite 
 pleased, " only say that my pulse has been 
 abused, but not worn out— that I shall once 
 more be upon the right scent, and that the 
 effects of training will enable me again io 
 enjoy the * view halloo !' accompanied by rosy 
 
 health, and I will be yours, &c., for ever I 
 
 will do any thing, I will apologise to you — " 
 " Retract one word that you have uttered," 
 suppressing a smile, answered the doctor, 
 " and I will be dumb ! and you will lose that 
 advice you almost fought to obtain : first, buy 
 my book, then let nature be your principal 
 guide in future, and when you are at fault, 
 Mr. Fox-hunter, consult page — , and you will 
 be able to decide upon your own case." " Buy 
 your book ?" said the fox-hunter, " aye, that I 
 will ; and I should think it cheap, if it cost as 
 much as Rees's Cyclopajdia. I will purchase 
 it in a canter, and it shall be as bible-proof to 
 me for the remainder of my life." " Do then, 
 and make your exit without delay— 1 have lost 
 too much time already," answered the doctor. 
 " I am off like a shot," replied the fox-hunter, 
 " but the first toast I shall propose at the club 
 on my return home, will be ' Long life to Dr. 
 Abernethy.' " " Fox-hunter, farewell ! " said 
 the doctor, " Remember that your horse is 
 your example — drink only when you are dry — 
 satisfy your hunger when it requires it — and 
 when Nature points it out to you, take rest !" 
 The fox-hunter behaved liberally as to the fee 
 — they shook hands together like meu who 
 had a respect for each other — the doctor being 
 perfectly satisfied that his patient belonged to 
 that class of persons who are vulgarly deno- 
 minated "rum customers;" and the fox-hunter 
 did not quit the house of Mr. Abernethy, with- 
 out being equally impressed that the" doctor 
 was one of those extraordinary men not to be 
 met with amongst 20,000 human beings ! — 
 Metropolitan Mag. 
 
 Love of Bears. 
 It has been observed, with a great deal of 
 truth, that " one man's meat is another man's 
 poison," and the same assertion might be 
 made respecting the difference of taste and 
 attachment. In the recently published Tour, 
 by Captain Frankland, in his visit to ths 
 courts of Sweden and Russia, he observes, 
 that " Count Ottermann was more remark- 
 able for his love of bears than of the fine arts. 
 It is i-elated of him, that when he gave a 
 great dinner, he used to cause to be placed 
 behind the chairs of his guests, a bear, which 
 thrusting his shaggy head over the shoulder 
 of the conrire, would growl out his supplica- 
 tions for food, and extend his pawless stumps 
 (for he was mutilated to prevent mischief) 
 towards the table. How strange that a man, 
 who ought to have passed his days in the ca- 
 verns of the Orsine species, should have 
 built and lived in a palace of marble and 
 gold ! This is, indeed, barbarous magnifi- 
 cence." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 17 
 
 MIRABILE DICTU! SHAVING A HORSE!!! 
 
 ** The loj2;er we live," it is said, "the more 
 '.vs shall see ;" but, in opposition to the above 
 old adage, the quibblers assert, " there is 
 nothing new under the Sun. !" But we most 
 decidedly enter our protest against this doc- 
 trine, and the ' Tale, or Circumstance,' we 
 are about to unfold, will enable us to show 
 that we have quite a New Feature in the 
 history of our times, to lay before the public. 
 
 It is true, that we have heard of the mighty 
 doings of the Flying Childers ; the Phenome- 
 non Trotting Mare ; the out-and-out Tom 
 Thumb ; and the celebrated Eclipse. We have 
 also seen Mr. Ducrow perform his unrivalled 
 feats with his wonderful cattle ; in fact, evei-y 
 thing connected with horses, has excited our 
 attention, from the high-mettled racer down to 
 the crib-biters, roarers, jibbers, and Rosinantes 
 of all descriptions ; but, most certainly, we 
 
 'i. 
 
 never, before the present instance, heard of in 
 our lives, since we tirst saw the day-light. — 
 a HORSE BEING SHAVED!!! But, 
 without any furtlier remarks upon the subject, 
 as facts are stubborn things and speak for 
 themselves, we shall content ourselves with 
 
 A round, unvamish'd tale I 
 
 It must be admitted as one of the most ex- 
 traordinary circumstances in the year 1831 ; 
 nay more, as a capital ' wind-up' to that event- 
 ful period; then thus it is : — 
 
 Court of Conscience ! 
 Field, a {Barbatic), versus Wells, Gent. 
 The above personages did not employ coun- 
 sel to assist them in this knotty affair ; but 
 preferred, as the best mode of saving expenses, 
 C 
 
18 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 to have a * Battle of Brains'' between them- 
 selves ; and the Commissioners accordingly 
 sat as umpires upon the occasion. The above 
 cause excited considerable interest amongst 
 the contending parties, as a question of some 
 considerable importance between the Bur- 
 batics of the metropolis and the dealers in 
 horseflesh. The court was crowded to excess 
 by the above description of characters ; and 
 numerous bets were laid — siich as a gallon of 
 ale to two quarts of heavy whet, and a bottle 
 of rum to a quartern of max ; both parties 
 were very sanguine as to the verdict ; there- 
 fore, it was the ' Barbatic against the Prad ;' 
 and, on the other hand, the ' Hanimal against 
 the Barbatic.^ 
 
 The case was opened by Mr. Field, the 
 horse shaver; most certainly, not in that su- 
 perlative style of eloquence, which distin- 
 guishes the celebrated orations of Counsellor 
 Phillips, who possesses the extraordinary fa- 
 cility of language to give elegance to a mud 
 cabin, and also to paint the heroine of it in all 
 the glowing charms of a Venus de Medicis ; 
 yet, nevertheless, Mr. Field opened his case 
 in prime twig. He not only lathered his sub- 
 ject well, but shared it from all doubts as 
 clean as a whistle ; and also convinced the 
 Commissioners that he had got a head upon 
 his shoulders, and ' summut' inside of it. He, 
 however, apologized for the awkwardness of 
 his situation, and said he would be as ' brief 
 as possible.' He had been told by one of his 
 customers that ' Brevity was the soul of wit;' 
 therefore, he would come to the point at once, 
 without any more gammon. His appearance 
 in the Court of Conscience, Mr. Field ad- 
 mitted, was quite a new feature in his his- 
 tory ; it was most true, that he had hid, in his 
 little way of business, a great deal more to do 
 with the head than with the heart ; he, there- 
 fore, was extremely sorry that he could not 
 quote Latin to answer his purpose, in order 
 that he might put his argument in a proper 
 train for the clear comprehension of the Com- 
 missioners, whom he was given to understand 
 were learned men, and much above his humble 
 station in life. But he remembered reading 
 somewhere or other, that when " Needs must, 
 the Devil <lrives." That was his case ; in- 
 deed, he was very much confined in his cir- 
 cumstances ! Time was his principal capital ; 
 and the sum of Thirty Shillings much too 
 large to be absent from his empty till. He, 
 therefore, appeared in the extraordinary situ- 
 ation of a Barber, to obtain Thirty Shillings 
 for Shaving a Horse ! 
 
 *'■ Shaving ahorse!" exclaimed the Com- 
 missioners; the court convulsed with laughter. 
 
 " Yes, your Worship, 'pon my soul, it's no 
 lie ; the defendant, Mr. Wells, who is in court, 
 brought his horse to me to be shaved." 
 
 It appeared that the Barbatic (the plaintiff) 
 was a man of first rate abilities as an artiste 
 in his most useful line, not only to give decency 
 to his Majesty's re-formed subjects, but also 
 tu give them a clean iiuposiug sort of look in 
 
 society ; or, in other words, a prepossessing 
 appearance. No man could ' cut a head' 
 with more elegance and taste than Mr. Field ; 
 indeed, he operated with the scissars with all 
 that sort of ease and freedom, which charac- 
 terise the hands of an artist in sketching the 
 (human face divine !) With the razor he was 
 equally an adept, and expert to the echo that 
 applauds again ; he could remove a beard of a 
 week's growth from the iron cheek of a black- 
 smith, in a twinkling ; in fact, his powers of 
 lidivation were immense ; he could lop off 
 the exuberant hairs of a Numscull, like elec- 
 tricity ; but for the production of a curl, he 
 was the tippy, the go, the non-such : in truth, 
 Mr. Field was a nonpareil Barbatic ; and no 
 doubt can be expressed, that he was the iden- 
 tical man to perform the difficult job in dis- 
 pute before the Commissioners. 
 
 The plaintiff, in continuation, stated, that 
 the horse was shaved with the intention of 
 having a ' new cou^,' upon the animal.' " Now, 
 Gentlemen," said he, " that was an excellent, 
 nay better, an original idea, and leaving the 
 taste of the thing altogether, it .showed that 
 Mr. Wells had some nous in his head. A new 
 coat ! every body is aware of the great ad- 
 vantages of a new coat in society — the 
 bows, the scrapes, and the polite nods it brings 
 to the wearer. It is like meeting an old friend 
 with a new face!" 
 
 Here a friend of the magistrates whispered 
 to one of the commissioners, saying, ' it has 
 been observed by the witty George Colman, 
 
 ^Vhat's expected from a horse, with an Apothecary on 
 his back. ? 
 
 not much, perhaps, but when there is an artist 
 to be found in the world that can effect so de- 
 sirable a change — to metamorphose a horse 
 with a rugged, ugly, dingy, uncouth appear- 
 ance ; to remove a coat as rough and unsightly 
 as a hedgehog ; and, strange to say, to give 
 him a new feature at Tattersall's, the Horse 
 Bazaar, or Jack Morris's establishment, and 
 turn him out as a complete new article to sur- 
 prise, the gentlemen ; to humbug the Jerveys ; 
 take in the dealers in horseflesh ; and the 
 auctioneer, not ' up to it,' — why then I do as- 
 sert the talents of such a barber or any other 
 artist are cheap at any price. 
 
 The plaintiff said, the horse had been at- 
 tempted to be shaved by the defendant on the 
 part of the rump, but, from the want of skill 
 in the art, the poor beast was most miserably 
 notched ; and, indeed, he was quite a sight. 
 The defendant also got tired after four hours' 
 working, when he threw down the razor and 
 pot of lather with disgust, vexation, and dis- 
 appointment, and, in his rage, swore it was a 
 worse attempt than washing a blackamoor 
 white. The poor teazed horse was then 
 handed over to the plaintiff to finish the job, 
 '' And a pi-ecious job it was," said he, " the 
 razors in my shop were in a state of requisi- 
 tion for ten days, during which time the 
 shaving was going on. It was nothing else 
 
PIERCE EG\N*S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 1.9 
 
 but lather and sharpen, lather and sharpen 
 the razor from day-light in the morning 
 until the darkness of the night gave him some 
 relief, I was also obliged as I went on, to 
 wrap up the bald parts to prevent the horse 
 from catching cold. It was totally impossible 
 that the Commissioners could have any idea 
 of the trouble he had had — they could not 
 possibly judge of the difficulty of shaving a 
 HORSE ; comparisons were out of the question 
 in shaving' themselves {roars of laughter). It 
 was a different sort of business altogether, 
 and he defied any barbatic to " go over" such 
 a sized animal for less than three shillings per 
 day, besides going over the chins of his usual 
 customers in the same time. In truth, his cus- 
 tomers had but a sorry time of it ; he had had 
 so much to do with the previous kicker that 
 he could only give them a " lick and a pro- 
 mist; [ incessant peals oflaughter.~^ 
 
 Mr. Myers, of St. IMichael's Alley, one of 
 the worthy commissioners, endeavoured to as- 
 sume a gravity if he possessed it not ; and, 
 with as stern a countenance as the chancellor 
 on the woolsack, asked what objection was 
 made to the charge ? 
 
 The defendant (Mr. Wells) said, that he con- 
 sidered the sum of 30s. for merely taking the 
 hair off a horse certainly too much ; especially 
 as he had done a good deal of the job himself. 
 The plaintiff, with much warmth, declared 
 that the part on which the defendant had 
 attempted to operate was so badly done that, 
 if it had not been shaved again, tlie coat 
 of the horse would have been as rough upon 
 the rump as a hand-saw ; while, on the con- 
 trar/, all the rest was as smooth as the body 
 of a new-born-babe [^roars of laughter ; and 
 the cry of silence useless]. 
 
 The defendant said, that any horse-clipper 
 would have completed the business for much 
 less money. 
 
 The plaintiff, in a rage, answered, it was 
 impossible : it was true, he had never shaved 
 a horse before, and it would be lucky for 
 them if they ever caught him in such a pre- 
 dicament again — it was a regular sweater! 
 He had lost at least, by the violent exercise 
 he had undergone in performing the disagree- 
 able task, added to the fears of getting a kick 
 for his pains every minute, upwards of a 
 stone and a half in his weight. And, if he 
 undertook any more jobs of such a dangerous 
 description, he was afraid that he should 
 lose so much flesh off his bones that the boys 
 in the neighbourhood, would shout out, 
 " there he goes, the living skeleton" [^luitd 
 laughter^. The perspiration had rolled down 
 his cheeks like soap-suds down a gulley-holp 
 — he never was in such a pickle before in 
 the %vhole course of his life. 
 
 Mr. Myers asked the defendant what he 
 generally paid for a shave for himself? 
 
 The defendant (feeling his chin), Why, two 
 pence I think is generally the price. 
 
 Mr. Myers. — Aye, a penny a cheek ! Now, 
 how many of your jaws do you think would 
 
 make up for the size of a horse ? [The laughter 
 was here so loud that some time elapsed before 
 the reply could be heard.] 
 
 The defendant said such a question ought to 
 have been put to the accountant-general, who 
 was a dab in figures, and not to an unlettered 
 man like himself; indeed, it was a subject for 
 a master in chancery to give an opinion upon. 
 One thing he knew, they had got him in chan- 
 cery, and he wished himself well out of it. 
 But he was sure there was less delicacy re- 
 quired in sharing a horse than a man ! 
 
 Mr. Myers, with one of Jack Reeve's sort 
 of comical flourishes, observed, not a bit more 
 than in shaving an ASS ! 
 
 [It was some minutes before the court re- 
 sumed its gravity.] 
 
 The plaintiff, with a face full of anxiety, 
 said, only look at a horse, and the chance of 
 a kick from him might spoil any man all the 
 days of his life afterwards. Besides, I went 
 over the beast as clean as possible. I turned 
 him out as smooth as a looking glass, and as 
 nice as a new made pin, down to the fet-locks. 
 He was completely metamorphosed ; the old 
 ostler that had looked after him for several 
 months did not know him again — no one knew 
 him again — I did not know him, he was so 
 much altered for the better. [Laughter.] 
 
 Mr. Myers said he was surprised at the re- 
 fusal to pay thirty shillings for the job : indeed, 
 he always thought it impossible to perform a 
 thing of the kind : and he believed that to be 
 the general belief; for was it not usual for 
 people to say, when they heard a bouncing lie, 
 next comes a horse to be shaved, and a monkey 
 holds the bason. [Roars of laughter.] 
 
 The plaintiff said that it was a very hard 
 matter to shave some parts of a horse ; because 
 the skin here and tliere, upon being tickled, 
 itched very much. He was very near getting, 
 at one time, a settler for life ! — it was ' all but' 
 a Coroner's Inquest. His dear wife ha I 
 nearly become a widow, and his children left 
 fatherless. He, herefore, hoped tliat the 
 Commissioners would take that circumstance 
 into their most serious consideration ; not that 
 he asked for any thing like damages to be 
 awarded to him, but to show to the Com- 
 missioners, to the world, to the whole race of 
 horse-dealers, from one end of the kingdom to 
 the other, that his claim was well founded, 
 just, and honourable. It might also operate 
 as a precedent, in future what sum ought to 
 be paid for Shaving a Horse ; and save a 
 great deal of argument at the bar, whenever 
 a case like the above stated be determined by 
 the Big Wigs ! For his choice, he would 
 rather go over an army of soldiers, for they 
 were steady, and no mistake, to the word " at 
 tention," soldiers pay the greatest respect 
 and deference ; but what could a simple 
 Barber do against an obstropolis horse ; an 
 animal that frequently would not answer the 
 whip; play tricks in spite of the curb; kick 
 over the traces ; and ' bolt' right av/ay from 
 all his drivers, and no help for it. But 
 C2 
 
20 
 
 FIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 to shave a horse was any thing but a treat : 
 one pill was a dose ; and if he could not use 
 his razors to a better purpose than horse shav- 
 ing, he would let them get rusty, and throw 
 stones to a pavior. He would have no more 
 of it. [The defendant was then ordered to 
 pay thirty shillings and costs.] — " And not 
 cheap, neither," said Mr. Wells ; " You 
 have not only made me pay for shaving my 
 horse extravagantly ; but you have shaved my 
 pockets into the bargain, — you have cleaned 
 me out. I never was so much lathered before 
 in my life ; and this ' Knight of the Block' 
 has beaten me against my will. 
 
 [The plaintiff, on pocketing the cash, said, 
 with a smile, " Well, never mind, Mr. Wells, 
 come as often as you like, without your horse, 
 and I'll shave you for nothing."] 
 
 The finale to this ^Shaving Case,' was quite 
 theatrical: indeed, it is not 100 to 1, but 
 either Mr. Moncrieff, or Mr. Buxton, do not 
 seize upon the subject for theatrical represen- 
 tation, and it makes its appearance, with 
 great eclat at the Adelphi or Coburg Theatres. 
 The ' Knights of the Block' were crowing 
 like cocks at the successful termination of the 
 event ; and a proposition was made to cheer — 
 no, to ' chair' the eloquent ' Dicky Gossip' to 
 his residence ; but his modesty and good 
 sense would not let him partake of that mark 
 of distinction which his friends, in their good 
 nature, wished to confer upon his humble 
 efforts. Mr. Field took his leave, like other 
 great orators in the public cause, by observ- 
 ing, " That he had done no more than his 
 duty, and although he did not like to fuff 
 himself off, yet he might aver, that if he had 
 not powder-ed his opponent, he had, never- 
 theless, shaved him clean respecting his errors 
 of payment for shaving a horse; and that 
 his antagonist had had a fair Field to try the 
 contest in ; but that he had shown himself 
 little more than a Block-head, to suffer his 
 conscience to be summoned into Court upon 
 such a subject." 
 
 The Horse Dealer. 
 
 We are not sufficiently aware whether the 
 facetious Tommy Hood has been out-jockied, 
 or the ' double' put upon him, by any of the 
 dealers in horse-flesh in London, respecting 
 ' soundness,' but, it does appear that his opin- 
 ions are not only sound about those ' good sort' 
 of folks to be met with in stable yards, Smith- 
 field market, &c., yet he endeavours to get the 
 whip-hand of them before the public, by laying 
 * his lash' on their hides, like ' cut and come 
 again.' He observes, without ceremony, that 
 a " horse-dealer is a double-dealer, for he deal- 
 eth more in double meanings than your punster. 
 When he giveth his word it signifieth little, 
 howbeit it standeth for two significations. He 
 putteth his promises, like his colts, in a break. 
 Over his mouth, Truth, like the turnpike man, 
 writeth up 'No Trust.' Whenever he speaketh, 
 his spoke hath more turns than the fore wheel. 
 He tellcth lies, not white only, or blacky 
 
 but likewise gray, bay, bald, chesnut, brown, 
 cream, and roan pyebald, and skewbald. He 
 sweareth as many oaths out of court as any 
 man, and more in ; for he will swear two ways 
 about a horse's dam. If, by God's grace, he 
 be something honest, it is only a dapple, for 
 he can be fair and unfair at once. He hath 
 much imagination, for he selleth a complete 
 set of capital harness of which there be no 
 traces. He advertiseth a coach, warranted ou 
 its first wheels, and truly the hind pair are 
 wanting to the bargain. A carriage that hath 
 travelled twenty summers and winters, he de- 
 scribeth well-seasoned. He knocketh down 
 machine-horses that have been knocked up ou 
 the road, but is so tender of heart to his 
 animals, that he partcth with none for a fault ; 
 " for," as he sayeth, " blindness or lameness 
 be misfortunes." A nag, proper only for dog's 
 meat he writeth down, but crieth up, " fit to 
 go to any hounds;" or as maybe, " would suit 
 a timid gentleman." String-halt he calleth, 
 " grand action," and kicking, " lifting the feet 
 well up." If a marc have the farcical disease, 
 he nameth her " out of Comedy," and selleth 
 Blackbird for a racer, because he hath a run- 
 ning thrush. Horses that drink only water 
 he justly warranteth to be " temperate," and 
 if dead lame, declareth them " good in all their 
 paces," seeing that they can go but one. Roar- 
 ing he calleth " sound," and a steed that high 
 bloweth in running, he compareth to Eclipse, 
 for he outstrippeth the wind. Another might 
 be entered at a steeple-chase, for why ? — He 
 is as fast as a church. Thorough-pin with 
 him is synonymous with " perfect leg." If a 
 nag cougheth, 'tis " a clever hack." If his 
 knees be fractured, he is " well broke for gig 
 or saddle." If he reareth, he is '' above six- 
 teen hands high." If he hath drawn a tierce 
 in a cart, he is a good fencer. If he biteth he 
 shows good courage; and he is playful merely, 
 though he should play the devil. If he runneth 
 away he calleth him " off the Gretna road, and 
 has been used to carry a lady." If a cob 
 stumbleth he consideretla him a true goer, and 
 addeth, " the proprietor parteth from him to 
 go abroad." Thus, without much profession 
 of religion, yet is he truly Christian-like in 
 practice, for he dealeth not in detraction, 
 and would not disparage the character even of 
 a brute. Like unto Love, he is blind unto 
 all blemishes, and seet'a only a virtue, mean- 
 while he gazeth at a vice. He taketh the kick 
 of a nag's hoof like a love-token, saying only, 
 before standers by, " Poor fellow, he knoweth 
 me !" — and is content rather to pass as a bad 
 rider than that the horse should be held restive, 
 or over mettlesome, which discharges him 
 from its back ! If it hath bitten him besides, 
 and moreover bruised his limb against a coach- 
 wheel, then, constantly returning good for evil, 
 he giveth it but the better character, and re- 
 commendeth it before all the studs in his 
 stable. In short, the worse a horse may be, 
 the more he chaunteth his praise, like a crow 
 that croweth over Old Ball, whose lot it is oh 
 a common to meet with a common lot. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 21 
 
 Tricks ok Horse Dealers. 
 In order to dispose of a diseased horse with 
 facility, says 3Ir. Vouat in his Velerinunj 
 Lectures, they deem it expedient to conceal 
 the existence of glanders, to accomplish 
 ■which the dealers are said sometimes to give 
 a brushing gallop, in order to clear the air 
 passages; they then inject a solution of alum, 
 or sulphuric acid, up the nostrils, by the 
 astringent power of which the discharge is 
 for a while stayed. The animal is doubtless 
 tortured ; but I can hardly believe that the 
 astringent effect would continue so long, or 
 in fact could be established, from the im- 
 probability of being able to bring the liquid 
 in contact with the diseased surface. W hen 
 the discharge is from one nostril alone, some 
 are said to introduce a piece of sponge too 
 far up that nostril ; there will still remain, 
 however, the indurated and adherent gland, 
 or the lividness of chronic glanders, or the 
 intense intiammation produced by the caustic 
 that was injected ; either of these would ex- 
 cite suspicion, and, if the examiner is at all 
 on his guard lead to certain detection. 
 
 The Dog Billy. 
 This celebrated Hero of the canine race, to 
 the great joy of the rats, lost his wind on Mon- 
 day, February 23, 1829, in Panton-street, 
 Haymarket. The body-snatchers and dog- 
 Jtriggers are outdone upon this suit, and the 
 remains of Billy, instead of being obscured in 
 clay, are preserved in an elegant glass case and 
 gilt frame. The Ex-Champion, Tom Cribb, 
 who liked Billy when nlive, still likes him 
 although tnld out. Billy was the property of 
 Charley Aistrop when he last barked out an 
 adieu ; although Cribb was his tender nurse up 
 to the time when he gave up the ghost. The rats, 
 it is said, are extremely glad to find that Billy 
 has left no sttccessor to give them a nip ! 
 Monody on the above Rat Killer. 
 Not a bark was heard— but a hideous grow! 
 Burst now and then— or a piteous howl- ^ 
 (For grief will have vent, in man or brute, 
 Wheu the cause is great, and the sense acute.) 
 Not a bark was heard— but a mournful whine 
 JJroke in cadence slow from the race canine ; 
 And the prick 'd-up ear, and the wagging tail, 
 W ere drooping low 'mid the geu'ral wail. 
 Not a bark was heard— for the warlike hound 
 Had ceas'd o'er the hedge and ditch to bound. 
 And the timid stag, with his antlers tall. 
 Shook no more at the sound of the huntsman's call. 
 Not a bark was heard— for the mastiff bluff 
 liaci inactive crouch'd, and his voice so gruff 
 Was hush'd, as the wind on a summer'seve. 
 So o'erwhelming the pang when mastiffs grieve. 
 Not a bark was heard— e'en the snarling cur 
 Had his ivories clos'd— and without demur 
 The dustman, and Oegf;ar, and sneep let pass, 
 so down in the mouth the whole race, alas I 
 Not a bell was toll'd— not a shop was shut, 
 Nor a searcher deigu'd her fives to put 
 On the lifeless corse of the Prince of Dogs, 
 Whose history every history flogs. 
 Not a bark was he?>-d-but a lively squeak , 
 Was echoed from rat to rat (a whole week), 
 l-roic VVhitechapel church to Piccadilly, 
 Of " Long life to grim Death— for boning Billy !" 
 
 DAFFY. 
 
 The Country Manager. 
 
 " I could a tale unfold, whose lightest word 
 
 Would — 
 
 Shaksptare. 
 " The manager welcomed our hero to Scanty 
 Corner with a most llattering smile, and a 
 hearty shake of the hand, observing to Pere- 
 grine, "Your lordship's right welcome to 
 Denmark." Screw was a complete actor in 
 every part he undertook, excepting characters 
 upon the stage. No man knew his cue better 
 than the Brown Paper Manager. He was 
 always perfect without the aid of a prompter 
 The entrances and exits of life he had marked 
 with a shrewdness scarcely equalled, but 
 never excelled, by any of his brethren of the 
 sock and buskin. Screw had self-possession 
 to the very echo ; but his feelings, except pro- 
 fessionally, were like the rock on which the 
 rain that printless falls : yet he could laugh 
 and cry herever those incidents were set 
 down in his manuscript, and sometimes with 
 tolerable humour, and even pathos. In his 
 portraiture of bronze no artist could compete 
 with him. His stock was so immense that 
 he could have furnished twenty cross-exam- 
 ining Old Bailey Barristers, without missing 
 a single drop of it. In pursuit of a be-speak^ 
 he was not to be denied with the common 
 courtesies of life : rebuffs to him were never 
 remembered ; the door shut against his re- 
 peated calls was no offence; but he solicited, 
 solicited, and solicited again, till the besieged 
 party had no other resource left to get rid of 
 his importunities but by granting him his re- 
 quest. He was never seen to blush in. the 
 whole course of his eventful history ; and 
 often candidly conf -ssed he could not repre- 
 sent such a passage, however strongly it 
 might have been marked by the author. Mr. 
 Screw and his name were never at variance, 
 admitting the extremity of the pun. He 
 was a most careful treasurer to himself, and 
 always had a good balance in his own favour. 
 His superior knowledge of accounts, in di- 
 viding the shares of the receipts of his house 
 between the company was above the compre- 
 hension of all his performers: the Accountant 
 General would have had no chance v/ith Mr. 
 Screiv ; and Cocker driven out of the field. 
 He was prepared at all points to treat with a 
 stage-struck youth : Mr. Screw baited his 
 trap so fninaringly that his heroes were 
 caught, for a time, as fast as if they had been 
 keld by a vice ; and when the delusion had 
 subsided a little, the Brown Paper Manager 
 was so well versed in the arts of dissimulation 
 as to obtain a conquest a second time, by per- 
 suading his " fresh caught victim" that he 
 would form a better judgment on the merits 
 of the case when time had mellowed his 
 opinions. The weakness of youth answered 
 his purpose ; and to manage the unsuspecting 
 person was mere routine to Mr, Screw. His 
 travels from town to town had done more for 
 him towards obtaining a perfect knowledge 
 of mankind, and an intimate acquaintance 
 
22 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 with men and things, than the nobleman with 
 his tutor at his elbow, traversing foreign 
 countries in search of information. 
 
 Proteus was exactly the sort of per- 
 sonage to suit the calculations of Mr. 
 Screw. Peregrine was fiery, ardent, am- 
 bitious ; bent upon a peculiar object, and 
 not to be thwarted from his purpose by 
 any trifling obstacle. " Mr. Proteus, per- 
 mit me to show you the theatre," said Screw, 
 " and introduce you to your brotherperformers 
 in the green room.* You will tind amongst 
 them several actors of immense talent. In my 
 . theatre, some of the great dons who are now 
 " strutting and fretting their hour " upon the 
 boards of the Theatres Royal, made their 
 first appearance as actors. I have, I assure 
 you of the fact, Mr. Proteus, taught the best 
 of them to speak, to walk, to sigh, to laugh, 
 to start, to fence, to make love, to weep, and 
 to do every thing that elevates the profession 
 above all the other arts : but when I have 
 done all this, sir, so ungrateful have these 
 persons behaved to me that they have left my 
 theatre for other engagements : the truth is, I 
 am too liberal in bringing young men for- 
 ward : I put them into all the good parts : I 
 make no reserve for myself, like all other man- 
 agers : indeed, I am content to doublei any 
 character, and only anxious to make the most 
 of every little bit. I have almost sworn that 
 I would never teach another person the 
 rudiments of our great art — that art, sir 
 which makes the audience mistake art for 
 nature : but I believe I must make an excep- 
 tion in your favour, Mr. Proteus : you have 
 been so strongly recommended to my protec- 
 tion." You flatter me, Mr. Screw, 1 am 
 afraid," replied Peregrine. " No ! upon 
 my honour, I do not. However, I have 
 merely to mention that Mr. Truncheon is my 
 first tragedian, but he gives way to Mr. Pro- 
 teus, owing to the brilliant character he has 
 heard of his abilities. He is a Talma, a 
 Kemble, a Kean, and a Young : that is to 
 say, Mr. Proteus, he has a small taste of all 
 ♦hose great actors combined in his own person. 
 " Miss Made-up is my heroine : she is posi- 
 tively an actress of all work ! a female Ros- 
 cius. She is own sister to Melpomene and 
 
 * Much as I have been about theatres, and inti- 
 mately as. 1 have been acquainted vi^ith the sons of 
 T/iespis, it never occurred to my mind to inquire the 
 origin of the title of the Green Room ; but in Mr. 
 Screw's company no explanation -was required by Pe- 
 REORiNE. It appeared to the astonishment of Proteus, 
 most certainly, a green room, the grass growing- under 
 his feet. A thin partition only separated the per- 
 formers from a couple of animals belonging to the 
 dairy. It was the cow-house contiguous to the bam, 
 which had been engaged for the occasion, and fitted 
 up, for a few nights only, by Mr. Screw as a theatre. 
 Peregrine, on entering this most delectable recess, 
 exclaimed, in the words of Bloomfield — 
 
 The fields his study — Nature was his book. 
 
 t By the word double is meant the necessity which 
 often occurs in travelling companies, of the same in- 
 dividual personating two characters in the same per- 
 formance. 
 
 Thalia. Miss Made-up is a Siddons in the 
 highest walk of the tlrama ; and a perfect 
 Jordan in the paths of comedy. She is a 
 delightful creature. The fact is, Mr. Pro- 
 teus, she is too beautiful for my theatre ; and 
 I ought to have ten police oflicers in the pit 
 to keep the gallants in order. You will make 
 a fine Romeo to her Juliet. And I am only 
 candid when 1 say, bewSre of her charms. 
 In the balcony scene she is irresistible. 
 
 ' Alack ! there lies more peril m thine eye 
 
 Than twenty of their swords ? .ook thou but sweet, 
 
 And I am proof against their enmity.* 
 
 " Then, sir, we have Miss Scream-out^ 
 who takes the lead in my operas. She 
 is all nature. She despises art. You 
 might encore her twenty times ; she is so 
 strong, and so passionately fond of <«inging, 
 that she never tires. Miss Scream-out has 
 done more, in her professional exertions, Mr. 
 Proteus, than ever Mrs. Billington did, or 
 Catalani into the bargain. She has performed 
 for me at twenty fairs, and sung thirty songs 
 a day — No, no, I beg pardon, I should have 
 said towns. Iler pitch is very high ; and she 
 can descend with the utmost ease and rapidity, 
 to the lowest note in the scale. But I suppose 
 I shall not be able to keep her : those fellows 
 from the Italian Opera have been buzzing 
 about her lately, with the most tempting 
 offers to sing upon their stage. I have been 
 in griej about it for the last week ; and did 
 not sleep a wink during the night, so restless 
 have I been upon the subject. I really don't 
 know who would be a manager, Mr. Proteus. 
 
 " In my ballet department I have a treasure 
 indeed. JVIiss Kick-her-hef.ls is not to be 
 equalled in the United Kingdom : I have seen 
 them all. I am an old manager, Mr. Proteus, 
 I have the whole corps-de-ballet, as it were, 
 under my eye ; and most of them have danced 
 upon my stage, though I suppose they are too 
 proud now to own it. The attitudes of Pari- 
 soT were superlatively good ; she was grace- 
 ful, elegant, and fascinating : and Del Caro, 
 in her line, delightful ; but, nevertheless, give 
 me Miss Kick-her-iieels against any dancer 
 I ever saw. Her Columbine is far superior to 
 the once celebrated Mrs. Wybrow ; and the 
 Messrs. Adams and Dennets, the cracks of 
 their day, must yield the palm to my heroine. 
 On the slackwire, the rope, the ground, and 
 cutting in the air, she is a none-such 1 For 
 a hornpipe, sir, rely upon my Avord, there was 
 not a Jack tar throughout the fleet but would 
 have sooner forfeited a fifty pound share of 
 his prize money than have missed the never-to- 
 be-forgotten steps of the lively Miss Kick- 
 her-heels. All Portsmouth was in an 
 uproar during her stay ; and Nancy Dawson 
 looked upon as a fool, by comparison with my 
 lady. Here again I must be candid, Mr. 
 Proteus, and beg of you to be upon your 
 guard against the very powerful attractions 
 of Miss Kick-her-heels ! 
 
 " Then last, but not the least, in the com- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 2b 
 
 pany is my low comedian, Mr. Ephraim jNIhg- 
 CUTTER. The history of the stage cannot 
 boast such an original cutter of mugs as 
 Ephrahn. He is a century before all the 
 actors in the kingdom, living or dead : Tom 
 Weston, Shuter, Noakes, Dodd, Parsons, 
 Edwin, Mnnden, Dowton, Blanchard, Ox- 
 berry, Matthews, and Emery, all very great 
 men in their line I admit, but little ones when 
 l^laced in competition with Ephraim. With 
 as much pliability as putty, he can cry on one 
 half of his face, and laugh on the other side 
 at the same time. I will back him at odds 
 against the Emperor of FACE-wiaAers (Mr. 
 Liston) ; in fact, Mr. Proteus, I have been 
 strongly pressed, nay, offered a handsome 
 premium by the artists of the metropolis to 
 let Mr. Mug-Cutter stand to them for a study. 
 He has a fine face, abounding with expression, 
 and full of capabilities, in which may be 
 witnessed, highly tinted, all the great passions 
 of Le Brun. Mug-Cutter is the very fool, 
 too, that follows the advice of Shakspeare : 
 he speaks no more than what is set down for 
 him by his author, except when I give hiiii 
 the word ad libitum. His comprehension is 
 lively in the extreme : and inslantly he un- 
 derstands every move and wink of my eyes. 
 Mug-Cutter is a truly valuable fellow for 
 ^pulling them in:' I must be permitted to 
 correct myself, IMr. Proteus, I should have 
 said, to invite an audience to witness the per- 
 formances at my theatre. But after all, the 
 greatest quality he possesses, in my mind, is 
 his gratitude for the instruction he has re- 
 ceived under my tuition : the Bank of En- 
 gland, sir, could not tempt Mug-Cutter to 
 leave my stage. Whenever he lets loose the 
 reins of his imagination, my powers fail me, I 
 must not attempt to give even an outline of 
 his comic humour.^ At a country wake the 
 other day, in grinning through a horse 
 collar, for the prize of a pound of tobacco, 
 several of the country boobies went into fit's 
 with laughter. Mug-Culter was really great, 
 Mr. Proteus, in the collar; lie~bad not the 
 trick of the stage to second his efforts, and it 
 was a rich portrait of nature. To sum up his 
 character in little, the Blue Devils are put to 
 flight in his presence ; the malady of the hypo- 
 chondriac is forgotten in his company ; and 
 the phrase, so incessantly made use of by the 
 French, of ennui, is never to be experienced 
 within one hundred yards of Mr. MvG-Cutter ! 
 " I had almost forgotten to introduce to 
 your notice, Mr. Proteus, my leader of the 
 band, Mr. Teazer. He is a perfect Orpheus 
 in his line, although he cannot draw sti-cks 
 and stones after him. I never exaggerate 
 sir,Iassure you, but itis truly extraordinary, 
 as well as laughable, to witness the effects of 
 his violin upon the nerves of the country 
 people in general. During our circuit the 
 other day, in removing from one town to 
 another, we stopped at an inn to partake of 
 some refreshment, when Mr. Teazer took out 
 his violin, and played two or three tuues so 
 
 sweetly as to occasion in an instant a general 
 movement throughout the house. The land- 
 lady could not stand still in her bar; and 
 tnine host approached his customers in the 
 most ludicrous style ; it was a hop, skip, and 
 jump, with the waiters ; tlie daughters of the 
 innkeeper left off mixing brandy and water 
 to join in a reel ; and tiie whole of the com- 
 pany kept nodding their heads, and shaking 
 their feet, to keep time to the ravisiiing 
 instrument of Mr. Teazer: such are the 
 powers of my leader. To my taste, Mr. 
 Proteus, and it is said of me, whether I de- 
 serve the compliment or not, that I possess 
 an excellent ear for music, the celebrated 
 Giordani, Yiotti, Pinto, Salomon, Cramer, 
 Weischell, and Spagnioletti were mere apolo- 
 gies, compared with Mr. Teazer. His 
 touches are so exquisitely fine, and his swell 
 prodigiously grand and imposing. Handel 
 would have been delighted with his know- 
 ledge of harmony ; Mozart captivated by the 
 brilliancy of his tones ; and Storace in ecstasy 
 with the rapidity of his execution. Yet, 
 nevertheless, I am sorry to say that Mr. 
 Teazer is too fond of a ' drop,' which miglit 
 prove a very distressing circumstance to my 
 feelings, had I not brought my company to 
 such a high pitch of excellence as to be 
 enabled to perform an opera without the aid 
 of music ! We can do stranjje things at country 
 theatres, Mr. Proteus, which the metropolilai) 
 places of amusement dare not attempt. 
 
 " In pantomimes we are quite at home ; 
 and, if our harlequin is not quite so elegant 
 in his attitudes as those displayed by the 
 father of Oscar Byrne in the party-coloured 
 hero; so spirited as Jack Bologna; or so 
 lively and active as Ellar, there is no ballet 
 performer can strip hi:ii of his laurels on the 
 ground. His pedigree is good ; indeed it is 
 of the first quality in the pantomimic line : he 
 is descended from the celebrated harlequin, 
 Phillips, so celebrated in the days of George 
 the Second at Southwark Fair, who, to please 
 his majesty, and to show the deception and 
 talent of his art, Phillips, at the command of 
 his sovereign, leaped down his own throat. 
 Our clown is no fool neither. He can dis- 
 tance them all except Joey Grtmaldi. Du- 
 bois, Delpini, Jack Follett, and Laurent, 
 came the nearest to my hero amongst the 
 host of clowns in town or country. It is 
 saying no little for my fool in placing him 
 second to Grimaldi ; in fact, I never saw au 
 equal to the latter performer during the 
 whole of my professional life. 
 
 " When the managers of the classic thea- 
 tres in the metropolis descended to employ 
 horses to draw audiences to their houses, I 
 trust, Mr. Proteus, that I need not make 
 any apology in stating to you I once went 
 round the country as the proprietor of a 
 moving circus. 
 
 " At Astley's I always admired the melo- 
 dramatic pieces produced with the assistance 
 of horses ; and considered them perfectly in 
 
24 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 character ; and I have also Deen most agree- 
 ably entertained at the Royal Chcus with 
 such like productions to represent the seat of 
 war. But to a lover of the regular drama as 
 I am, Mr. Proteus, you may depend upon it 
 that I will never suflFer any performer of mine 
 to be annoyed by the introduction of horses 
 on the boards of my theatre. 
 
 " But I will not tease you any more, sir, 
 with the incalculable merits of my other per- 
 formers : perhaps I may be too liberal in my 
 disposition. Yet I never feel happy if I do 
 not praise and reward merit as it deserves. 
 However I will conclude with stating that 
 you will meet with a combination of excel- 
 lence in my company — in a word Mullum in 
 parvo. And with the addition of the abilities 
 of Mr. Proteus (making a low how), Tpermit 
 me to say, we shall carry every thing before 
 vs. I shall now take my leave for a short 
 period, having to meet by appointment the 
 Duchess of Never-fail, to bespeak a play. A 
 fine chance for your opening. The Duchess 
 isamostkindheartedand liberal creature ; her 
 smiles are the very high road to patronage 
 and fame. I will speak to her Grace about 
 your performance. In the interim I have 
 no doubt you will soon become acquainted 
 with the invaluable members of mycompany. 
 — Egan's Life of an Actor. 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the Prize Ring. 
 Dick Curtis and Perkins. 
 
 This match, which had excited considerable 
 interest throughout the Fancy, both at Oxford 
 and London, was decided on Tuesday, Decem- 
 ber 30, 1829, in Parish Meadow, Hurley Bot- 
 tom, Berks, 34 miles from the Metropolis, for 
 £100 aside. The Pet of tke Fancy was known 
 to every person connected with the Milling 
 Circles ; but Perkins, who had obtained the 
 designation of the " Oxford Pet," was little 
 more than a stranger to the London Ring. 
 Perkins, it is true, had defeated Raines in 
 good style ; and had also beaten Price, the 
 Oxford Sticker. It is urged that Curtis had 
 spoken rather contemptuously of Perkins, as 
 a Milling Cove, and this circumstance brought 
 about the match in question. Curtis went into 
 training at Hartley Row ; and Perkins under 
 the care of Mr. Shirley, at the New Inn, 
 Staines. Six to four was betted without any 
 hesitation upon Dick, when the match was 
 first made, but, before fighting, the takers be- 
 came more numerous ; five to four was greedily 
 accepted : and upon the day of fighting draw- 
 ing near, Perkins had risen so high in the con- 
 fidence of his friends, that scarcely any odds 
 were asked at all. The road on Monday 
 evening, although it was uncommonly dark, 
 dreary, Sind foggy, nevertheless, such was the 
 interest manifested by the Fancy to see the 
 Pet once more in the P. R., that every inn in 
 the route to Maidenhead was overflowing with 
 
 company ; and the dabs, generally speaking, 
 were all occupied. Brentford, Colnbrook, and 
 Windsor, were overdone with visitors ; and 
 even Tom Cox [the Prad and the Slavey], at 
 Datchet, could not find roosting-places for his 
 numerous customers. A stranger, on meeting 
 with a polite refusal to his request, observed 
 to ' Mine Host,' " It is a new landlord, cer- 
 tainly, that keeps this house, an't it ? It was 
 kept by one of the greatest blackguards of the 
 name of Cox, in the kingdom, for some years ?" 
 " Nfo, Sir," said Tom, making a grand salam, 
 " my name is Cox ; but owing to the King, 
 God bless him, being a gentlemanly sort of 
 man, a neighbour of mine, and the Court so 
 near to me, I have taken lessons out of Ches- 
 terfield, for the purpose, and d — mme, I beg 
 pardon, but I have become quite a genteel 
 man ever since." Owing to the assistance we 
 derived from Ben Black's improved carriage 
 lamp (more particularly after groping our way 
 in the dark so long), we trotted along towards 
 the scene of action with as much ease and se- 
 curity as if it had been broad day-light. We 
 have no hesitation in recommending them to 
 the Fancy and public in general, who set any 
 thing like a value upon their lives, to use 
 Black's lamps, which enables the driver to 
 possess a most powerful light, sixty yards and 
 upwards from his gig, along the road. Vehi- 
 cles of every description were seen early on 
 the Tuesday morning, both from Oxford and 
 London, to arrive in time at the scene of action. 
 So many persons have not been seen at a Mill 
 for several years past. The ring was made in 
 the best part of the field ; but in many places 
 near the ropes it was ancle deep in mud, and 
 flooded with water. Some thousands of per- 
 sons were present. At one o'clock Curtis 
 appeared, and threw his hat into the ring ; he 
 was dressed very genteel, « His colours wore 
 orange. He was seconded by Josh. Hudson 
 and Young Sam. Perkins followed almost 
 immediately, and repeated the token of defi- 
 ance. Tom Spring and Harry Holt were his 
 seconds. His colours were crimson. On meet- 
 ing each other in the ring, like true English- 
 men, they shook hands together. It was the 
 general opinion that " Dick tvas overmatched .'" 
 The odds had got down rapidly ; and ten 
 pounds to nine were taken by several of the 
 friends of Perkins. The rnen and the seconds 
 crossed their hands in friendship, and the 
 battle commenced : — 
 
 Round I. — Curtis peeled well : placed him- 
 self in an excellent attitude ; and viewed his 
 opponent from head to foot with the utmost 
 confidence, seeming to say, " I'll soon tip the 
 Yokel what he will not like !" Perkins was 
 cool, collected, and quite ready for the com- 
 bat. His appearance altogether was decidedly 
 in his favor ; and had he not been op- 
 posed to the " all-conquering Curtis" the dis- 
 parity of size between him and the Pet, must 
 have insured his being backed at odds. His 
 shoulders were round and good, and indicated 
 strength ; his arms were muscular ; and pins 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 25 
 
 i-ound and firm. His nob a fighting one ; svake- 
 lieaded, such as the Fancy like ; and such as 
 the Fancy assert belongs to a '■' good-un." 
 Tiie eye of Dick was fine and penetrating : he 
 kept a good loolc out, and was determined as 
 soon as the opportunity offered to give the 
 * Oxford Scholar' summut for himself! Dick 
 crept in by degrees, made a feint ; it would 
 not do, Perkins was aicake ; Dick, like an 
 auctioneer's catalogue, came ditto, ditto, ditto, 
 and ditto — but it was of no use, the ' Cove 
 was leary,' and not to be gammoned ; he Avould 
 not give half a chance away, kept his position, 
 did not offer to return a blow, but stood as 
 firm as a rock, with his weather eye up ! FIVE 
 MINUTES ! and not a blow struck ! This, 
 most certainly, was a new feature in the battles 
 of Curtis ; and extorted from the backers of 
 tlie Pet, that Perkins was " a troublesome cus- 
 tomer !" " Go to work," was the cry. Dick 
 at length placed a slight facer ; and in the ex- 
 change of hits, in a rally, he napt a rum one 
 between the chaffer and the sneezer, wlien 
 Spring called out " First blood ! and we shall 
 win it !" This was also another 7iew feature ! 
 The Pet was on the alert, and planted a heavy 
 blow on Perkins's domino box! In fact, he 
 would not be denied, and was determined to 
 try the pluck of his opponent. Severe counter 
 hits again occurred, and the left Peeper of 
 Perkins napt it, and the claret followed. 
 "That's a tie," said Josh," Claret on both 
 sides." Curtis, on the bustle, went to work ; 
 blows were exchanged, when the ' Oxford 
 Scholar' went down from a slight hit. Thun- 
 ders of applause from all parts. The Kent- 
 street Lads ; the Bermondsey Boys ; the Old 
 Fanciers ; the principal part of the Boxers ; 
 hU roaring out like Fun, at the success of the 
 Pet. 
 
 2. Curtis, active and ready, again appeared 
 at the scratch ; and endeavoured to take the 
 lead. It was evident, at this early part of the 
 fight, to the spectators, that the Pet had got his 
 'work to do, and the length of his adversary 
 made him appear rather at fault. Perkins 
 had been well counselled, the feints of Dick 
 had not the desired effect, and he would not 
 be gammoned to alter his position. Curtis 
 planted a right-handed blow, but Perkins was 
 "with him. In a sharp rally it was give and 
 take : the sensitive plant of the Oxford Scho- 
 lar received a small taste : and Dick did not 
 get off gratis. In finishing the round Perkins 
 "went down from a hit ; it was not received as 
 a knock down blow. Another roar of artillery ; 
 " Bravo, my little Pet, you will soon make it all 
 right >" 
 
 3. The Oxford Boy was as cool as a cucum- 
 ber ; and acted upon the defensive. The Pet, 
 like a skilful general, kept a good look out, 
 tried a variety of manoeuvres ; but on letting 
 fly, Perkins stopped the blow in admirable 
 style. [" Well done ' Peggy Perkins,' from 
 the Oxford Su-ell Dragsrnan ; he'll soon be 
 stopped altogether. Why, hv's got the whip 
 hand of the Pet noiv.'''''\ Perkins endeavoured 
 
 to plant a rum one ; but the stopper was put 
 on. Curtis, full of gaiety, went in to punish, 
 and as the Oxford kept retreating, he was sent 
 out of the ropes. — It is impossible to describe 
 the joy manifested by the backers of Curtis, — 
 and in the pride of the moment, ten to five was 
 offered by them. " It is as right as the day 
 now." 
 
 4. This was a capital round : the Pet satis- 
 fied his friends of his fine knowledge of the 
 science ; and Perkins astonished the crowd 
 with his skill and ability as a Pugilist. The 
 mug of Curtis appeared agitate-d ; and the 
 handy-yvork of his opponent was also visible. 
 After a little manoeuvring, Curtis hit out, but 
 was stopped. [" Be41itifol !" from the C/as- 
 sical part of the audience.] The Pet now was 
 compelled to adopt a new mode, and made 
 very free with the Grub Warehouse of his op- 
 ponent. [" Capital," said young Sam ; "what 
 a fine way of improving digestion."] Perkins 
 on the alert, cleverly planted a right-handed 
 hit. " Good," said the Gent, from the Bowers, 
 near the Seat of Laming : " one slap-up now 
 and that will do for me : they all count towa'ds 
 winning." Dick was very successful in 
 making body blows ; but yet they did not ap- 
 pear to reduce either the strength or confidence 
 of Perkins ; counter-hits, and mischief done 
 on both sides. The science of Dick was here 
 praised by all the admirers of Pugilism ; he 
 stepped in and out ; he toed his opponent, to 
 make his hitting secure, and boldly went in to 
 finish the round, but his left hand was open. 
 In a rally, spirited on both sides, the chaffing- 
 box of Dick had the worst of it. The vhiret 
 was also discovered on both of their faces — 
 indeed it was pepper alley on the side of Dick ; 
 Cannon i9/reef administered by Perkins. Job, 
 versus hit went on to the end of the Chapter, 
 until the Oxford Scholar measured his length 
 on his mother earth. The cheering was loud 
 all round the ring ; and the backers of Curtis 
 again were happy. " The little one is as good 
 as gold ; there is nothing like him on the list. 
 We can't lose it now." 
 
 5. Dick, on appearing at the mark, shewed 
 symptoms of distress ; and that the bustling 
 system was rather too much for him : in fact, 
 in all his other battles, he generally put his 
 opponents on the/re< ; but, in this contest with 
 Perkins, the case was altered. The grubbery 
 was again knocked about by the Pet, but the 
 firmness of Perkins enabled him not to flinch 
 from the coming blow. An exchange of blows 
 occurred in a rally ; in struggling for the throw 
 both went down, but the Oxford Scholar un- 
 dermost. The applause was still on the side 
 of Dick ; and his friends stuck to him. 
 
 G. Curtis very cautious, yet anxious to do 
 mischief, let fly at Perkins' nob, but the latter 
 parried it off, in first-rate style. Dick again 
 punished his opponent's body, when Stockman 
 roared out, " Dick, have some mercy on his 
 palings, do not knock them in." [Laughter.] 
 The Oxford Scholar now satisfied the specta- 
 tors that he was no Yokel, but a good boxer, 
 
2G 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 and up to a trick or two. The Pet, in a clever 
 manner, got away from a quietus blow aimed 
 at his head. In a rally some sharp blows were 
 exchanged. Jack as good as his master, until 
 the Oxford Scholar went down. " It is a 
 capital tight," was the cry ; and who ever saw 
 any other boxer do so much with Curtis, as 
 this countryman. 
 
 7. The Pet's mug looked a little queer ; it 
 did not display its usual serenity ; his mouth 
 was parched, and he relieved his thirst with 
 some brandy and water. He planted two hits 
 in succession on the body ; but the Oxford 
 boy seemed to say " who cares for that? — I'm 
 as tough as wire, and I can stand it for a 
 month." The steadiness displayed by Per- 
 kins claimed tlie admiration of the whole 
 ring. Perkins received a heavy blow on his 
 neck ; and had he not retreated from danger, 
 summut might have been the matter. The Pet 
 also finding that head-work was not to be got 
 at witiiout great difficulty, again resorted to 
 the Grub Warehouse, and he made three suc- 
 cessful moves towards digestion. " The first," 
 said young Sam, " wasa taste from Cambridge; 
 the second, a hint from Oxford ; and the third, 
 a sort of finishing touch of education, from the 
 London New University." The Pet, rather 
 angry, tried to put on the polish, and boldly 
 went up to tlie head of his opponent, who re- 
 treated towards the ropes. In closing, Per- 
 kins went down, and Dick upon him. Great 
 cheering for Curtis — " He is a fine, brave little 
 fellow ! but he is overmatched," observed the 
 
 Sage of the East. " Such a match ought not 
 to have been made. But I supposes as how we 
 must now leave it all to the Cook \" 
 
 8. The Oxford Scholar now showed his 
 Passport as to a good Boxer ; the stops on 
 both sides were cheered by tiie spectators. 
 The fight had now become truly interesting — 
 Hopes and fears were seen in the countenances 
 of the Backers of Dick ; and the (ixonians 
 were all in the stirrups as to Victory. The 
 conduct displayed by Perkins, against so ac- 
 complished a Pugilist as Dick Curtis, had 
 satisfied them their judgment was correct. 
 Both of tlie men rallied like nothing else but 
 out-and-outers ; and lots oi claret trickled down 
 their faces. The blows were hard and fast, 
 and a lunging one from Perkins, floored the 
 I'et like a shot ! The row teas immense ; the 
 Classical Gents were almost out of their senses 
 with joy at this sudden slice of luck." " Per- 
 kins for ever ! Perkins fur lOOOl." The Lon- 
 doners WERE I'ANic SThCCK. — The bolting of 
 the Great Stakeholder near the Blunt Magazine, 
 could not be worse to their feelings ;— the latter 
 hit was a Rowland for an Oliver — they were 
 all reduced to Dummies in the twinkling of 
 an eye — silence was the order of the day — 
 their choppers as long as Patterson's Road 
 Book, and blue, green, yellow, and all man- 
 ner of colours, summut like the incantation 
 scene in Der Frieschutz, It was a sort of 
 charmed bullet for the Oxonians — one of whom 
 exclaimed, with all the solemnity of a preacher, 
 
 " Curtis will have to say, * Farewell, a long 
 farewell to all my greatness !!!'" 
 
 9. This last touch was another new feature 
 in the milling history of Curtis. Dick came 
 up game, but he could not conceal his dis- 
 tress; he was piping; nay, very far from 
 home ; indeed, several of the Oxonians would 
 have it he was quite abroad. He commenced 
 an attack upon the grubbery, and also rather 
 wildly tried to nob Perkins. The latter re- 
 treated skilfully to the corner of the ropes, 
 when punishment was given on both sides. 
 The strength, length, and FRESHNESS 
 here told with tremendous effect ; but the Pet, 
 who is nothing else but blood, game, and bone, 
 fighting almost upon the system of ' Death or 
 Glory,' exerted himself to the utmost, to get a 
 turn in his favour. But the day was gone by, 
 he could not reach the upper-works of his op- 
 ponent with effect ; his blows fell too short, 
 yet there was Pepper about them. In closing, 
 Curtis captured his opponent's ' knowledge- 
 box,' and was endeavouring to weave it under 
 his arms, but the Oxford Boy said, ' it was no 
 go !' and slipped skilfully down out of mis- 
 chief. The Backers of Dick were now 
 changed into Alarmists — the hedging system 
 was immediately adopted by those that were 
 lucky ; and who got their ' money off like 
 winking !' 
 
 10. The strength of Dick was rapidly on 
 the decline; but not his pluck — he had been 
 bustled about too much. " Do not Josh," 
 said Tom Owen, " let him play at lung bowls 
 — keep him close to his work, he can only 
 win upon that suit, d'ye mind me, John liull !" 
 The Pet went boldly in to mill, exchanges 
 took place between them, and Curtis met with 
 a rum one on the side of his head. In a rally, 
 mischief was meant on both sides ; but by 
 comparison as to taking it, Dick might be 
 compared to a man in a consumption, while 
 Perkins, on the contrary, possessed the 
 strength of rude health. Ultimately Perkins 
 went down, and Dick upon him. The Uni- 
 versity Coves were now as jolly as Sand 
 Boys, and looked upon the Long Odds as 
 their own ; nay, the battle reduced to a cer- 
 tainty, and only to ask for the blutit ; and the 
 Knight of the Whip, to make the " wisit 
 pleasant," was humming part of the Old 
 Stave, " Will you come to the Bowers? which 
 I have planted for you?" 
 
 11 th and last. " The pitcher goes once too 
 often to the well :" and such was the unfor- 
 tunate case of the darling of the Fancy. The 
 Pet was quite aware that sparring would be 
 of no use to him ; and nothing else but down- 
 right punishment oould reduce Perkins to his 
 grasp. He, therefore, made up his mind to 
 try what severe nilling would effect in his 
 behalf; but Perkins was satisfied that he had 
 * got the Pet.' The blows on both sides were 
 severe indeed, and Curtis received in turn a 
 blow for every one he planted upon his ad- 
 versary. Perkins, at length, put in a tre- 
 mendous stunner on the side of Dick's nvb, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 2? 
 
 and he went down as insensible as a sack of 
 flour. He was picked up by his seconds, and 
 every exertion made use of by them to restore 
 animation, but when " Time'' was called, 
 the Pet of the Fancy was as dead as a house. 
 It is impossible to pourtray the feelings of 
 Dick's backers at this electric shock, that 
 shook all their rag into the dies of their op- 
 ponents. To paint their faces would be more 
 difficult ; they were of all manner of shapes — 
 and the horrors clearly depicted on every 
 cheek. On the hat being thrown up, Perkins 
 in the joy of the moment, left the ring ; but 
 he came back to make his victory certain, and 
 the decision complete. Poor Dick, for the 
 first time in his life, was taken senseless out 
 of the ring to his drag, and immediately con- 
 veyed to Maidenhead. The battle was over 
 in 25 minutes. 
 
 " Can such things be ? 
 And overcome us like a summer cloud 
 Without our special wonder?' 
 
 The Pet of the Fancy — the admiration 
 and delight of his brethren of the Bunch of 
 Fires — the Champion of the light weights — 
 the Hero of the Prize Ring — the pride of the 
 Tennis Court, to be Hcked in TWENTY- 
 FIVE MINUTES, and by an Out-side Boxer 
 — a Yokel!.'! Would that we could have 
 said—" Forbid it. Fate ! Forbid it. For- 
 tune." Forbid it— but the ' die is cast,' and 
 the once gay, lively, scientific, elegant, and 
 pluck Boxer, poor little Dick Curtis, now 
 ranks amongst the defeated men in the pages 
 of the ' Book of Sports.' 
 
 But who can rule the uncertain chance of 
 war? Napoleon was floored! Marc An- 
 tony was defeated! Suwarrovv licked! 
 Tippoo Saib ' done over!' all great masters 
 in the art of war — and a thousand others have 
 been compelled to surrender in turns to su- 
 perior TACTICS. Weep, ye Kent-street lads ; 
 drop a tear, ye ' over the water coves ;' pipe 
 your eye ' Young Sam,' — your^model, your 
 delight as a fighter, and your intimate friend, 
 has lost the proud title of Conqueror. Makers 
 of matches, be on your guard in future ! The 
 folhj of poor Dick ; the imprudence of his 
 backers; and the strong attachment, not to 
 say flattery, of the Fancy in general, have 
 placed him in his recent unfortunate situation. 
 He was looked upon as INVULNERABLE 
 to a STONE above his weight, in comparison 
 with several good boxers well known in the 
 Prize Ring ; but the idea of any Countryman 
 defeating the Pet of the Fancy was laughed 
 at, treated as absurd and ridiculous, and con- 
 sidered to betray a want of milling judgment. 
 That he has been licked is too true for him- 
 self and friends, and cleverly defeated by a 
 stranger, a yokel, and, worse than all, an 
 OUTSIDER!!! Now let us argufy the 
 topic : Curtis, with all his clothes on, weigh- 
 ing 9st. 31bs., after having fought FIFTEEN 
 BATTLES : facts are stubborn things : — 
 only look : — 
 
 1. Watson . . . 
 
 2. Ned Brown 
 
 3. Lenney . . . 
 
 4. Cooper (Gypsy) 
 
 5. Peter Warren . 
 
 6. Peter Warren . 
 
 7. Peter Warren . 
 
 8. Hares . . . 
 
 9. Peter Warren . 
 
 10. Peter Warren . 
 
 11. Barney Aaron . 
 
 12. Teasdale . . . 
 Conquests out of 
 
 13. Ned Savage 
 
 14. Ned Stockman 
 
 15. Phillips, a Coal- } 
 
 heaver . . \ 
 
 Min. 
 .25 
 .57 
 .38^ 
 .10 
 20 
 
 June 27, 1820 
 Aug. 28, 1820 
 Oct. 24, 1821 
 May 26, 1822 
 July 23, 1822 
 April 16, 1823.. 37 
 July 8, 1823.. 9 
 May 25, 1824.. 20 
 May 19, 1825 . 8 
 July 19, 1825.. 18 
 Feb. 27, 1827,. 50 
 Oct. 9, 1827.-62^ 
 the Prize Ring. 
 Aug. — , 1825.. 16 
 May 16,1826.. 7 
 
 Jan. 2 ,1828.. 20, 
 
 After defeating the above men, ana 
 open to all England for three months to 
 any man of his weight, or half a stone 
 above it, his challenge not accepted, he for- 
 mally retired from the Prize Ring, nobly to 
 repose upon his laurels. Fond of a bit of 
 life ; a gay boy in principle ; frequently 
 meeting with Mr. Lushington ; and paying 
 kind visits of an evening to Nancy, Betsey, 
 Maria, Kate, Lucy, Peggy, Fanny, Susan, 
 &c. &c ; having retired also from hard knocks 
 and the Seat of War, to the softer enjoyments 
 of the Court of Love ; likewise living in the 
 lap of ease, training out of the question, and 
 the care of his constitution not an object of 
 consideration, Dick, too late, has now found 
 out that he viewed his opponent rather lightkj. 
 Perkins is longer, stronger, above a stone 
 heavier, and under twenty years of age. A 
 fine fresh young man ; a good stopper, a leary 
 fighter, and a hard hitter. Several persons 
 remarked Curtis never fought so bad in any 
 of his previous battles ; it certainly did ap- 
 pear so to most of the spectators ; but, in our 
 humble opinion, we never saw him exert him- 
 self more to win a fight. Dick tried all he 
 knew ; the science he displayed was beautiful ; 
 he manoeuvred upon every attack to get a 
 successful move on the board, and his courage 
 was of the finest quality. But the truth is, 
 his heart was broken ; he was stopped at 
 every point ; his opponent was not to be gam- 
 moned, bnt Perkins waited for him ; rallied 
 with the Pet, and floored him. After the 
 knock-down blow Curtis received, his 
 strength appeared to leave him, and he was 
 of ' no use' towards victory. Dick is up- 
 wards of eight years older than Perkins. The 
 Pet was hit out of time; and the battle being 
 at an end much sooner than had been anti- 
 cipated by the spectators, murmurings dici 
 certainly occur by several persons who had 
 betted heavy stakes, and the odds upon 
 Curtis, that summut was wrong, 
 
 " But it is cruelty to load a fallen man I" 
 Curtis, although defeated, is by no means 
 disgraced! It was the expressed opinion of 
 Young Sam, that Perkins ought to have been 
 
28 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 matched against him rather than Dick. Cur- 
 tis was taken out of the ring ; while, on the 
 contrary, Perkins jumped about like a dan- 
 cing-master. In a few minutes after the 
 battle' was over, the Oxford Pet appeared as 
 if nothing was the matter, walking round the 
 ring with his friends. His 9106 was not much 
 damaged, excepting a cut over the left eye ; 
 his mug was puffed a little, but his Grub 
 Warehouse, we think, must have been very 
 tender, from the numerous podgers Dick 
 planted upon it. The above defeat will teach 
 persons in future not to put one of the best 
 little men in the ring to fight above his weight. 
 Perkins is very likely to prove a teazer to 
 most of the light weights. His victory over 
 so celebrated a pugilist as the Pet of the 
 Fancy, of course, must increase his confi- 
 dencei 
 
 The Castle Tavern, on the Friday night 
 after the fight, was crowded to excess ; Cur- 
 tis and Perkins were present. The Chair- 
 man, in a very manly speech, regretted that 
 Curtis had been induced to make such a 
 foolish match, but his friends had thought 
 him " INVULNERABLE." Some murmurs had 
 transpired respecting the defeat of Curtis, 
 " that it was not all right :" he was anxious, 
 before he parted w.th^the Battle-money, to 
 leave it open to any gentleman to state his ob- 
 jection. A suflRcieut time being allowed, and 
 no person offering any sort of objection, the 
 money was paid over to Perkins, who ge- 
 nerously presented Dick with 51. The Chair- 
 man then proposed a subscription in behalf 
 of Curtis, which was immediately entered 
 into by several gentlemen present. 
 
 A. NEW SONG, TO AN OLD TUNE, BY A COVE 
 FROM THE WEST. 
 Dick Curtis was as brare a youth 
 
 As ever graced Pierce Egan's story; 
 And warmly sighed, with equal truth. 
 Sometimes for Love— and then for Glory ! 
 
 Oft had he met the foe with pride. 
 And shone a Star on stages gory, 
 
 'Till, over-matched, his best he tried. 
 Gave in to Fate— but fell with Glory! 
 
 Again his skill he means to try 
 
 Ere time shall turn his head-piece hoary ; 
 And show us, in another shy. 
 
 He has not lost, but lent his Glory ! 
 
 Antiquity of Wrestling. 
 The oldest British Sport. 
 The first account we have of Wrestling, 
 according to Mr. Litt, in his Wrestliana, 
 places it, in point of antiquity and respecta- 
 bility, not only the first, but infinitely superior 
 to any other amusement at present prevalent 
 in the whole \^orld. For the truth of this 
 assertion, we quote no anonymous author, 
 whose authenticity might well be disputed ! 
 No ! the precedent we will quote was even 
 anterioi to such writers as we have described. 
 
 It is one which no christian can, or will, dis- 
 pute : — it is to be found in tiiat Book which 
 treats of the creation of man, and the begin- 
 ning of the world ; authenticated by divine 
 command, and written by that sacred and in- 
 spired historian — even Moses himself! 
 
 We find in the 32d chapter of Genesis, that 
 Jacob having passed his family over the brook 
 Jabbok, was left alone. In its history of events 
 at this early period of the world, with a brevity 
 commensurate with its high importance, the 
 Bible minutely relates only those particular 
 occurrences which refer to some covenant, or 
 promise, then made, renewed, or fulfilled. It 
 narrates facts, without commenting upon 
 them. Therefore, although Jacob's wrestling 
 with the Angel was too remarkable an inci- 
 dent to be omitted, yet we are not told in 
 what manner he came, nor of any preliminary 
 conversation, or agreement between them. It 
 however appears very evident, that, until the 
 Angel manifested his miraculous power, 
 Jacob believed his opponent was a mere 
 mortal like himself ; and on whichever side 
 the proposal originated, it was acceded to by 
 the other either as a circumstance not unusual, 
 or as an amicable amusement, which might 
 be practised without the least infringement 
 on cordiality. 
 
 It is a common and received proverb, that 
 " A Man is known by his works, and a 
 Tree by its fruits." Here then is an amuse- 
 ment peculiarly chosen not only by one of the 
 best of Men, but by one better, and greater 
 than any man : — and if to give strength and 
 firmness, combined with quickness -dndelasticitij 
 to the Limbs ; discrimination and vigour to 
 the Body ; coolness to the Head, amd percep- 
 tion to the Mind : the whole forming an ener- 
 getic combination of the whole power given 
 to Man ! no exercise could have been selected 
 tending more to exalt his character, and from 
 which such typical illustrations could have 
 been deduced for his spiritual advantage. — 
 Here then we take our stand. — Advocates for 
 any other diversion, be it whatever it may, 
 can you produce an origin, either so ancient 
 or so honourable? 
 
 Having proved the existence of this amuse- 
 ment at so remote an era, it would be neither 
 necessary nor important to trace tiie practice 
 of this art through that period of time which 
 intervenes from the time of Jacob to the for- 
 mation of the Grecian Republics. The blind- 
 ness and wilful transgressions of the Jews, 
 and the barbarous ignorance of those nations 
 whom God permitted to chastise them, render 
 their exercises a matter of neither curiosity 
 nor utility. But when Greece, emerging from 
 obscurity and ignorance, began to take the 
 lead in civilization, in military knowledge, 
 and in the cultivation of learning and sciences : 
 the utility of public games, not only to infuse 
 a generous and martial spirit into the minds 
 of the young men, but to improve their bodily 
 strength, was too apparent to be neglected. 
 Accordingly we find these athletic exercises 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 not only practised and ciicourajjed in each 
 pai-ticular state, but tlie highest honours and 
 rewards bestowed on the victors at the 
 Olympic, Neniean, and other games, where 
 prizes were awarded, and contended for before 
 the whole nation. 
 
 The influence of these sports in advancing 
 Greece from a few petty states, not equal in 
 extent of territory to one half of England 
 alone, into the most powerful Kingdom at 
 that time in the World, is universally 
 acknowledged by all historians and commen- 
 tators who have ever treated of the subject. 
 And it is singular to remark, that while the 
 fact is admitted by all modern legislators, 
 few or none have recommended an imitation 
 of them. 
 
 It is strange that Homer, who was perhaps 
 the greatest poet that ever lived, and who 
 himself had often witnessed the celebration 
 of these games, has given us so confused and 
 even incomprehensible an account of the 
 wrestling at the funeral of Patroclus (though 
 many years antecedent to bis time,) between 
 Telamon Ajax, the strongest, and Ulysses, 
 the wisest man in the Grecian army. Its 
 translation, by Pope, is as follows : — 
 
 " Tlie third bold gnme Achilles next demands, 
 And rails the wrestlers to the level sands: 
 A massy tripod for the victor lies, 
 Of twice six oxen its reputed price ; 
 And next, the loser's spirits to restore, 
 A female captive, valued but at four. 
 Scarce did the chief the vipoiirous strife propose 
 When tower-like Ajax and Uljsses rose. 
 Amid the ring each nervous rival stands, 
 Embracing rigid with implicit hands ; 
 ■Close loek'd above, their heads and arms are mixt, 
 Below their planted feet, at distance fixt : 
 Like two strong i afters whicli the builder forms. 
 Proof to the wintry winds and howling storms. 
 Their tops connected, but at wider space 
 Fixt on the centre stands their solid base. 
 Now to the grasp each manly body bends, 
 The humid sweat from every pure descends ; 
 Their bones resound with blows : sides, shoulders, 
 
 thighs. 
 Swell to each gripe, and bloody tumours rise : 
 Nor could Ulysses, for bis art renown'd, ^ 
 
 O'erturn the strength of Aja\ on the ground ! 
 Kor could the strength of Ajax overthrow 
 The watchful caution of his artful foe ; 
 While the long strife e'en tir'd the lookers-on, 
 Thus to Ulysses spoke great Telamon : 
 Or let me lift thee, chief, or lift thou mc : 
 Prove we our force, and Jove the rest decree. 
 
 " He said, and straining, heav'd him off the ground 
 With matchless strength, that time Uljsses found 
 The strength t' evade, and where the nerves combine 
 His ankle struck — the giant fell supine ; 
 Ulysess following, on his bosom lies ; 
 Shouts of applause run rattling through the skies 
 Ajax to lift, Ulysses next essays. 
 He barely stirrM hira, but he could not raise : 
 His knee loek'd fast, the foe's attempt denied, 
 And grappling close they tumble side by side." 
 
 This account seems as ridiculous as it is 
 incomprehensible to a modern wrestler : 
 ridiculous ! in regard to the duration of the 
 contest, and the strange proposition of Ajax ; 
 ar.d incomprehensible as it appears, Ulysses 
 was the winner of the first fall : and the 
 second was a disputed, or what is vidgarly 
 termed, a dog-fall. One thing, however, 
 seems clear enough to us — that it was a bad 
 
 wrestle ; and though we imagine neither 
 gained much honour by the struggle, both 
 were sufficiently rewnrded for it. 
 
 It appears, that in the celebrated interview 
 between Henry the Eighth of England, and 
 the French king, Francis, which exceeded in 
 magnificence and splendour any spectacle of 
 modern times, wrestling was deemed the 
 most manly and entertaining amusement then 
 exhibited in the presence of these two mighty 
 monarchs, and their courts. A grand national 
 and scientific display of this athletic art took 
 place between a number of champions selected 
 from both nations, in which our countrymen 
 were victorious. However, one mortified 
 French historian pretends their king left better 
 wrestlers at home than those who accom- 
 panied him ; and by way of redeeming the 
 defeat of his countrymen, asserts that Francis 
 himself was a most excellent wrestler, and in 
 a contest between the two rival monarchs 
 threw Henry with great violence. 
 
 Antecedently to this period, wrestling was 
 a favorite amusement, as well among the 
 nobility as the yeomanry and inferior classes ; 
 the prize varying according to the rank of the 
 combatants. At some particular times and 
 places there appears to have been some 
 acknowledged and customary prize — this as 
 usually a ram and a ring. Thus in Coke's 
 tale of Gamely n, ascribed to Chaucer : — 
 
 There happed to be there beside 
 
 Tryed a wrestling ; 
 And therefore there was y-setten 
 
 A ram and als a ring. 
 
 And likewise at a still earlier period we see 
 in RKson's Eobin Hood: — 
 
 By abridge was a wrastling 
 
 And there taryed was he : 
 And there was all the best yemen 
 
 Of all the west conntrey. 
 A full fayre game there was set up, 
 
 A white bull up y-pight, 
 A great courser with saddle and brydle 
 
 With gold burnished full bryght ; 
 A payre of gloves, a red golde ringe 
 
 A pipe of wyne good fay : 
 What man bereth him best I wis, 
 
 The prize shall bear away. 
 
 In which the prize was still greater ; being a 
 white courser, well accoutred, a pair of 
 gloves, a gold ring, and a pipe of wine. 
 
 It is rather a remarkable coincidence that 
 onr modern Horaer should have given nearly 
 as lame an account of wrestling matches as 
 his mighty predecessor. Thus we see in the 
 fifth canto of the Lady of the Lake, the fol- 
 lowing account of one : — 
 
 " Now, clear the ring, for hand to hand. 
 The manly wrestlers take their stand. 
 Two o'er the rest superior rose. 
 And proud demanded mightier foes. 
 Nor called in vain, for Douglas came. 
 For life is Hugh of Larbert lame. 
 Scarce better John of Alloa's fare. 
 Whom senseless home his comrades bear. 
 Prize of the wrestling match, the kiog 
 To Douglas gave a golden ring." 
 In the first couplet, the method, viz., " hand 
 to hand," seems introduced solely for the pur- 
 pose of getting on ; and certainly ia not cal- 
 
30 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 ciliated to produce the dreadful consequences 
 that ensue. In llie second, all order is vio- 
 lated by the two last standers, instead of con- 
 testing the last fall, calling out for fresh men ! 
 nor are the remaining couplets less faulty in 
 regard to Douglas's treatment of his oi)po- 
 nents, in the immense superiority of strength 
 ascribed to him. The match between lioth- 
 well and Burley, in the Scottish novels, is 
 likewise one of the worst things in the whole 
 series. It would have much gratified us, if a 
 writer ^.vhom we so highly value, had given 
 us some better account of such contests, how- 
 ever cursorily introduced. But alas ! the 
 baronet is probably no wrestler ; and truly 
 we are sorry for it. 
 
 We are likewise equally mortified to remark 
 that the immortal Bard of Avon, in his 
 comedy of " As You Like It," although he 
 has combined in Orlando rank, character and 
 wrestling, tells us a truly pitiful, but dreadful 
 and improbable story, concerning if. The 
 justly celebrated James Hngg, the Ettrick 
 Shepherd, has, in his Tales, occasionally 
 introduced wrestling. And although we con- 
 less we do not exactly comprehend the fatality 
 of Geordie Cochrane's heelchip, yet we cer- 
 tainly think the wrestling between Polmood 
 and Carrcichael by far the best illustration of 
 the art, either of ancient or modern date we 
 have met with: we will offer no apology for 
 extracting it for the gratification of such of 
 o'lr readjers as are not in the habit of perusing 
 books of that description. 
 
 " Sixteen then stripped themselves to try 
 their skill in wrestling, and it having been 
 enacted as a law, that he who won in any 
 one contest was obliged to begin the next : 
 Polmood was of course one of the number. 
 They all engaged at once by two and two, 
 and t ight of them having been consequently 
 overthrown, the other eiglit next engaged by 
 two and two, and four of these being cast, 
 two couples only remained. 
 
 " Some of the nobles engaged vvere so ex- 
 pert at the exercise, and opposed to others so 
 equal in strength and agility, that the con- 
 tests were exceedingly equal and amusing. 
 Some of them could not be cast until com- 
 pletely out of breath. It had always been 
 observed, however, that Polmood and Car- 
 niichael threw their opponents with so much 
 ease, that it appeared doubtful whether these 
 opponents were serious in their exertions, or 
 only making a sham wrestle ; but when it 
 turned out that they two stood the last, all 
 were convinced that they were superior to the 
 rest either in strength or skill. This was the 
 last prize on the field, and on the last throw 
 for that prize the victory of the day depended, 
 which each of the two champions was alike 
 vehemently bent to reave from the grasp of 
 the other. '1 hey eyed each other with looks 
 askance, and with visible tokens of jealousy, 
 rested for a minute or two, wiped their brows 
 and then closed. Carmichael was extremely 
 hard to please of his hold, and caused his 
 
 antagonist to lose his grip three or four times, 
 and change his position, Polmood was, how- 
 ever, highly complaisant, although it appeared 
 to every one beside that Ciirmichael meant 
 to take him at a disadvantage. At length 
 tiiey fell quiet, set their joints steadily, and 
 began to move in a circular direction, watch- 
 ing each other's motions with great care. 
 Carmichael ventured the first trip, and struck 
 Polmood on the left heel with considerable 
 dexterity. It never moved him, but in return- 
 ing it he forced in Carmichael's back with 
 such a squeeze that the by-standers affirmed 
 they heard his ribs crash, whipped him lightly 
 up in his arms and threw him upon the ground 
 with great violence, but seemingly with as 
 much ease as if he had been a boy. The 
 ladies screamed, and even the rest of the 
 nobles doubted if the knight would rise again. 
 He however jumped lightly up, and pretended 
 to smile, but the words he uttered were 
 scarcely articulate ; his feelings at that mo- 
 ment may be better conceived than expressed. 
 A squire who waited the king's commands 
 then proclaimed Norman Hunter of Polmood, 
 the victor of the day, and consequently on- 
 titled, in all sporting parties, to take his place 
 next to the king, until by other competitors 
 deprived of that prerogative." 
 
 Altiiough this account may not have much 
 fact to recommend it ; yet it is nevertheless 
 apparent Mr. Hogg was conscious the prac- 
 tice was not uncommon among the Scottish 
 nobility at that periird ; and that this was the 
 case, might easily be proved by indisputable 
 authority. At this period it is wortliy of re- 
 mark lew discoveries of distant countries had 
 taken place; and consequently the great 
 landed proprietors spent much more of their 
 time in their own countries, and on their own 
 estates. But no sooner had that ceased to be 
 the case, tlian degeneracy and effeminacy 
 crept in apace ; and those exercises in which 
 it had been the pride of their ancestors to ex- 
 cel, ceased ; and from that time, few above 
 the rank of yeoman chose to exhibit in a ring, 
 either for their own pleasure, or that of 
 others. 
 
 But we are now arrived at that period 
 when the attention of most of the European 
 nations, and particularly England, began to 
 be as much directed to new discoveries, and 
 consequent settlements abroad ; as to the iii- 
 tf-nial prosperity of the Mother Countries. 
 This no doubt had its due effect upon the 
 manners, customs, and amusements of the 
 people. Our immense acquisitions in America, 
 and in Eastern and Western India, added to 
 the great improvements in the art of gunnery, 
 which rendered nugatory all previous modes 
 of warfare, alike contributed to hasten the 
 downfall of all athletic exercises among the 
 higher ranks. The art of war became a 
 more complicated science — gunnery, engineer- 
 ing, fortification, and all the minutia of 
 tactics attendant on these studies, becanse of 
 proportionally more importance to men of 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 31 
 
 rank, either in the civil or military depart- 
 ments, than those exercises calculated to 
 promote the display of personal strength, 
 valour, or activity. 
 
 In the proudest days of chivalry, no exer- 
 cise was so well adapted to enable king, 
 lord, or knight, to excel in tilt or tournament, 
 as wrestling: as in it were combined, dex- 
 terity in personally coping with an antago- 
 nist, and the power of acquiring bodily vi- 
 gour and stamina, so requisite for enabling 
 the combatant to endure a protracted contest 
 without detriment. But the days of ciiivalry 
 are gone — tilt or tournament is no more — the 
 listed ring no longer boasts rf patrician ex- 
 hibitions ! but still within it we view all the 
 remains of that chivalric spirit, which has 
 distinguished the most celebrated conquerors 
 in all ages ; — for, according to one of our 
 justly esteemed writers^ had he been placed 
 by Providence in a different station, 
 
 " He that the world subdued, had been 
 But the best wrestler on the grten." 
 
 And we will venture to mention, that it is to 
 that generous spirit of emulation which ani- 
 mates the wrestler to acquire celebrity in the 
 ring, that we are indebted for the glorious 
 victories of Agincourt, Trafalgar, Waterloo, 
 &c. There are many who will argue that 
 athletic sports have no direct tendency to in- 
 spire additional confidence and courage in 
 the breast of tie soldier on the day of battle ; 
 but we confidently aver, that all who assert 
 this, speak without due consideration — for 
 that such exercises wnl have their due effect 
 even in the present mode of warfare, let us 
 suppose the following case : — Let one indi- 
 vidual, or any certain number of the most 
 courageous men, be selected from the bravest 
 regiment in Great Britain, let them all pos- 
 sess hearts that never knew fear, and bring 
 them to the charge against the same number 
 of men, equally disc-plined, and all expert 
 wrestlers, and what would be the unavoid- 
 able result? Might not one party say, I have 
 only to parry the first onset of my antagonist, 
 and close with him, and then victory is cer- 
 tain ? I can in a moment dash him to the 
 ground, and either kill or take him prisoner 
 at my pleasure. Would not the other natu- 
 rally observe, this is not a fair contest, there 
 are fearful odds against me ? I meet a man 
 whose sinews have gained additional strength 
 by practising athletic exercises. If I charge 
 him freely, a parry will enable him to close 
 with me, and then I am inevitably gone. 
 When men fight under these impressions the 
 result cannot be doubtful. Again, are not 
 the English superior to any other nation in 
 the junction of active and passive courage 
 and IS it not a fact that, the French, during 
 the late war, frequently charged the troops 
 of all the continental nations with whom they 
 were engaged, with the bayonet; whde they 
 scarcely ever ventured to cross one with 
 ours ? will any man imagine this had not 
 some influence in regulating- the tactics of the 
 
 contending armies ? In even a distant engage- 
 ment under a heavy fire the British soldier 
 might exclaim, " Notwithstanding they gall 
 us now, they dare not stand our bayonets!' 
 Supposing the case had been exactly iice 
 versa, and they had had to observe, ''We 
 must endure this or run away, for we dare 
 not come in close contact with them." Whe- 
 ther of these considerations, let me ask, is 
 better calculated to infuse courage, and in- 
 spire with hopes of victory, the boldest men 
 on earth? The answer is too obvious to any 
 man of common sense to require i. sertion. 
 In the battle of Waterloo, the success of our 
 cavalry when opposed to the French cuiras- 
 siers, a body of men confident in themselves, 
 and of invincible courage, was principally 
 occasioned by their superiority in the science 
 of the sword, arising from the universal 
 adoption of learning the proper use or science 
 of the stick. This practice owed its introduc- 
 tion to the circumstance of an Irish peasant 
 thrashing with that weapon some of the best 
 men in a celebrated regiment of horse, then 
 quartered in the north of Ireland ; and it 
 would be absurd to suppose that superiority 
 will not have its due effect in all future 
 cavalry engagements. 
 
 As a proof that the practice of athletic ex- 
 ercises is not confined to this kingdom, or 
 even to Europe, we quote the following ac- 
 count of an entertainment given in the island 
 of Tongataboo, to Captain Cook in his third 
 voyage to the Pacific Ocean :— 
 
 '' While the natives were in expectation of 
 this evening exhibition, they engaged, for the 
 greatest part of the afternoon, in wrestling 
 and boxing. When a person is desirous of 
 wrestling, he given a challenge by crossing 
 the ground in a kind of measured pace, and 
 clapping smartly on the elbow joint of one 
 arm, which is bent and sends forth a hollow 
 sound. If no opponent steps forth, he returns 
 and sits down ; but, if an antagonist appear, 
 they meet with marks of the greatest good 
 nature, generally smiling, and deliberately 
 adjusting the piece of cloth that is fastened 
 round the waist. They then lay hold of each 
 other by this cloth, and he who succeeds in 
 drawing his opponent to him, instantly endea- 
 vours to lift him on his breast, and throw him 
 on his back, and if he can turn round with 
 him in that position two or three times before 
 he throws him, he meets with great applause 
 for his dexterity. If they are more equally 
 matched, they quickly close, and attempt to 
 throw each other by entwining their legs, or 
 raising each other from the ground ; in which 
 struggles they display an extraordinary exer- 
 tion of strength. When one of them is thrown, 
 he immediately retires, while the conqueror 
 sits down for a minute, then rise.", and goes 
 to tiie side from which he came, where the 
 victory is proclaimed aloud. After sitting 
 for a short time, he rises again and chal- 
 lenges; and if several antagonists appear, he 
 has the privilege of choosing which of them 
 
32 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 he pleasps to engage with : he may also, if he 
 should throw his competitor, challenge again, 
 till he himself is vanquished ; and thon the 
 people on the opposite side chant the song of 
 victory in favour of their champion. It fre- 
 quently happens, that five or six rise from 
 each side, and give challenges together, so 
 that it is not unusual to see several sets en- 
 gaged on the field at the same time. They 
 preserve great temper in this exercise, and 
 leave the spot without the least displeasure 
 in their countenances. When they find that 
 they are too equaUy matched, they desist 
 by mutual consent ; and if it does not clearly 
 appear which of them has had the advantage, 
 both sides proclaim the victory, and then they 
 engage again. Bat no one, who has been 
 vanquished, is permitted to engage a second 
 time with the conqueror. 
 
 " Tliose who intend to box advance side- 
 ways, changing the side at every pace, hav- 
 ing one arm stretched out before, the other 
 behind ; aad holding in one hand a piece of 
 cord, which they wrap closely about it, when 
 they meet with an opponent. This is proba- 
 bly intended to prevent a dislocation of the 
 hand or fingers. Their blows are dealt out 
 with great quickness and activity, and are 
 aimed principally at the head. They box 
 equally well with either hand. One of their 
 most dexterous blows is, to turn round on the 
 heel, just after they have struck their ad- 
 versary, and to give him another pretty vio- 
 lent blow with the othei hand backwards. 
 In boxing matches, unless a person strikes 
 his antagonist to the ground, they never sing 
 the song of victory; which shows that this 
 diversion is less approved among them than 
 wrestling. Not only boys engage in both 
 these amusements ; but it not unfrequently 
 happens, that little girls box with great obsti- 
 nacy. On all these occasions, they do not 
 consider it as any disgrace to be overcome ; 
 and the vanquished person sits down with as 
 much indifference as if he had never been en- 
 gaged. Some of oi'« people contended with 
 them in both exercises, but were generally 
 worsted." 
 
 It does not seem reasonable that Captain 
 Cook's men should have proved equal to these 
 Islanders in exercises which requirepractice 
 to become expen in; and probably not one 
 of his crew was either a scientific wrestler or 
 boxer. Had that been the case, notwithstand- 
 ing their different mode of procuring hold, 
 we have no doubt the result would have been 
 in this instance, what it always has been, 
 when British prowess has fairly and equally 
 been brought into action: nor would the su- 
 peiioiity of a Belcher or a Cribb have been 
 mere conspicuous over these good natured 
 Islarders, in the use of their fists, than the 
 science of a Nicholson or a Richardson in 
 vanquishing, even in their own manner of 
 ■wrestling, the whole of their heroes in rota- 
 tion% From the preference given to wrestling, 
 it ia evideiit the natives of Tongataboo con- 
 
 sidered it as the less hurtful and dangerous 
 to the combatants ; and affording equal, if 
 not superior scope for the display of personal 
 address, activity, and quickness. — More anon. 
 
 Sagacity and Feeling of a Dog. 
 During a severe snow-storm in Falkirk, a 
 remarkable incident of the brute-reasoning 
 kind occurred at a farm-house in this neigh- 
 bourhood. A number of fowls were missed 
 one evening, at the hour when they usually 
 retired to their roost, and all conjectures were 
 lost in trying to account for their disappear- 
 ance. \V hile sitting around the kitchen ingle, 
 cursing all the " gangred bodies" who had 
 been seen that day near the house, the atten- 
 tion of the family was roused by the entrance 
 of the house-dog, having in his mouth a hen, 
 apparently dead. Forcing his way to the fire, 
 the cautious animal laid his charge down 
 upon the warm hearth, and immediately set 
 off. He soon entered again with another, 
 which he deposited in the same place, and so 
 continued till the whole of the poor birds 
 were rescued. Wandering about the stack- 
 yard, the fowls had become quite benumbfid 
 by the extreme cold, and had crowded toge- 
 ther, when the dog observing them, effected 
 their deliverance. They had not laid long 
 before the glowing ribs ere they started on 
 their legs, and walked off to their bawks, 
 cackling the hen's inarch, with many new va- 
 riations, in thanks to their canine friend. 
 
 RANDOM RHYMES, 
 
 From W. L. R.to hisFrienu PIERCE EGAN. 
 
 Success to thee Ecan tho' I am afar, 
 
 My wishes are with you, wherever you are ; 
 
 y^our name wakcus visious of many a scene. 
 
 That I long ago niimber'd with things that have been : 
 
 Of moments, most dear tn my mind, to my heart. 
 
 When night saw us meet, and the dawn saw us part. 
 
 Alas I ev'ry day is to me an apprizer, 
 
 That tho' growing older I'm not growing wiser ; 
 
 Now far from the spot where I rambled with thee, 
 
 I sigh for the frolic, the fun, and the spree, 
 
 For the friendship that gave to existence its zest. 
 
 And the joke that ne'er carried a sthig with its jest. 
 
 I can't but remember (tho' far apart now). 
 
 That we've met at a mill — that we've shard in a row ; 
 
 That over the bowl we've forgotten our woes, 
 
 Drank success to our friends, and reform to our foes ; 
 
 At many a scene of delight jie have met, 
 
 That tho' suett to remember, 'twere tvise to forget. 
 
 You'velaunch'd afresh bark on your ocean, the Town, 
 Good luck be your pilot, your harbour— renown. 
 She's a trim little frigate, well rigg'd and with pride. 
 And unlike other vessels, she sails in C/wajjside, 
 The tide of success bears her on, for who fails 
 When fame brings the breezes, and friends furnish 
 
 sails (sales). 
 My glass is o'erflowing ! I drain it to thee, 
 And your prow that rides on Popularity's sea. 
 May fortune bring daily some port into sight. 
 In bliss may you swing in your hammock at night. 
 And be mi/ life's breezes brisk, pleasant, or fierce. 
 From my heart I shall still say— SUCCESS TO THEE 
 
 PIERCE. 
 
 Scotland. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 t>3 
 
 THE "(iREAT COMIC LION" AT THE ADELPHI THEATRE. 
 MR. JOHN REEVE AND HIS JACK ALL. 
 
 A merrier man, 
 Within the limit of becomiug mirth, 
 1 never spent an hour's talk withall. 
 His eye begets occasion for his wit, 
 For every object that the one doth catcii 
 The other turns to a mirth-moving jest. 
 
 Skak. 
 
 In our time we liave seen nothing like 
 John Reeve ; nor do we think from reading, 
 or according to the report of our theatrical 
 forefathers, any such artor has appeared on 
 llie English stage since the period of Nohes: 
 in truth, the performances of the " Great 
 (3omic Lion" ought not to be termed acting- — 
 it is not acting, but to call it impulse would 
 be much noare • the mark. The extravaganzas 
 of John Reeve emanate from his mind ; a 
 mind of the liveliest description — the pun 
 whcih p res- ents itself he adopts without the 
 
 slightest hesitation; and, should a ' comic in- 
 cident' strike him during any of the scenes 
 in which he is engaged, he risques all his 
 well-earned fame, rather than let the oppor- 
 tunity slip through iiis fingers. 
 
 In (he Court of Fun, John Reece has long 
 been crowned- ' The Emperor,' without any 
 dispute to the Title ; indeed, in that respect, 
 Jack is legitimacy itself ! His staff! yes, ye 
 Gods ! his staff, although it does not elicit 
 such harmonic sounds as Paganini's bow ; 
 yet he flourishes it with such a triumphant air 
 amongst his brethren of the Sock and Buskin, 
 that lie never fails to produce a variety of 
 Capers ! 
 
 If we cannot again quote Shakspeare exactly 
 for our purpose, " Leave off your danmable 
 faces and begin" we will say (supposing our- 
 D 
 
34 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 selves seated in the front of the theatre) come 
 forth Jack Reei'e, and only show thy face to 
 the audience, which will instantly produce 
 roars of laughter, obtain lots of applause, 
 and prevent any thing like an apology for this 
 iketcn : — 
 
 Let me play the fool. 
 With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come. 
 And let my liver rather heat with wine, 
 Thau my heart cool with mortifying groans, 
 AVhy should a man wliose blood is warm within. 
 Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster, 
 Sleep when he wakes, and creep into the jaundice. 
 By being peevish ? 
 
 Our immortal Bard, in his advice to the 
 Clowns, begs them to say " no more than 
 what is set down for them ;" but Jack, funny 
 Jack, irresistible comic Jack Reeve, is not 
 particular to a shade in that respect, nay, 
 some authors have averred that the " Great 
 Comic Lion" has not given utterance to half 
 their dialogue. Be that as it may, he has ob- 
 tained for himself the character of an impro- 
 visatore actor ; and under that title he thinks 
 and says what v/ill answer his purpose best ; 
 or what will tell most with the audience. 
 With all his imperfections, it is said of him, 
 that he does far more for his author tlian 
 most other actors ; and if he does not give the 
 whole of their words — his substitutes, \)erha.'ps, 
 are of far greater value to the writer than the 
 omission of a few sentences. The very arms 
 of Jack Reeve tai^k to the audience ; his legs 
 also speak to them ; his eye converses with 
 the spectators all over the house ; his nose 
 looks unutterable things ; and his checks are 
 on the qui vive to communicate a few brvad 
 grins. His spirits likewise are in a ferment, 
 and the effervescence of his wit may be seen 
 to rise like sparkling champagne when Jack 
 is about to " go it .'" His teeth always chatter 
 towards a comic purpose ; his little finger 
 when held out is full of meaning ; and in 
 pointing his toe, there is also eloquence at- 
 tached to it. His lips, as a pendulum to the 
 comic machine, display a magazine of good 
 things ; and the tout-ensemble is one of the 
 finest pieces of fun, humour, drollery, laugh- 
 ter, eccentricity, talent, and character, ever 
 concentrated in the human frame; or to be 
 witnessed upon the boards on which Jack 
 Reeve sports a toe ; or on any other theatre 
 in the world. Indeed he might exclaim as a 
 broad Comedian : — 
 
 I have CO brother— 1 am like no brother I 
 I am myself — akone. 
 
 In the character of Abrahamides, in ' Quad- 
 rupeds,' Jack Reeve is without a ri\al — the 
 throne of the Fituls is decidedly freehold pro- 
 perty to him ; but it might be too much to say 
 it will descend to his heirs in regular succes- 
 sion. But no more of that — for himself, view- 
 ed as a ' Bonibastes Furioso ' sort of touch, 
 it is the grand climacteric of the art, and one 
 of the richest things on the stage extant. Jack 
 Reeve proves himself throughout the action a 
 
 flint of ihc fieriest quality— every touch pro- 
 duces sparks of intellect which set the actors 
 in the scene with him all on fire with emula- 
 tion ; and the audience may be seen burning 
 with impatience to applaud the blazing qua- 
 lities of the ' Great Creature' at the conclusion 
 of the piece. 
 
 As a dancer, he is light as cork upon his 
 legs ; and if Jack Reeve does not show the 
 line of beauty, or that his movements are not 
 of so fascinating and elegant a description as 
 the late Mercandotti — a Ronzi Vestris — a 
 Noblet — or a Taglioni, he nevertheless steps 
 into the good opinion of the audience in quick 
 time, and frequently obtains an encore. Such 
 a sure /oot-ing does Jack Reeve make with 
 the house in general. 
 
 In the burlesqne drama, entitled the 
 'Lions of Mysore' (and which the preced- 
 ing wood-cut so characteristically portrays), 
 Jack Reeve showed himself off as a ' Great 
 Creature' to all intents and purposes ; whether 
 with his head on or ofi^ his shoulders ; or 
 playing at ' all fours ;' and if Tommy Hood 
 will not think we are poaching too much upon 
 his manner, by paying a visit to Punster's 
 Hall to take a leaf or two out of his book, we 
 should say, the very tail of the lion told a 
 good story. The request of the lion to have 
 twenty-four pounds of raw meat per day, and 
 a lioness to sooth his cares, was modest in 
 the extreme ; and the gratitude of the mana- 
 gers ought to have been shown by allowing the 
 above ' Great Creature' to have Luniber Court 
 for the supply of fish ; Leadeniiall-iVlarket fur 
 a bit of hollow ; Newgate-Market for the raw 
 stuff; and Covent Garden as a make-weight 
 to him for vegetables and fruit. In truth, the 
 Managers could not do too much for such a 
 Lion, whose * roars' were not only of such 
 inmiense service to the place, but produced 
 ' roars' in return to the echo that applauds 
 again. The above burlesque piece gave birth 
 to the following in)promptu : — 
 
 The Manager's Gag. 
 
 Fun, gig, and humour, quite a feajit^ 
 
 Managers relied on ; 
 Cliang'd their great actor to " a beast I" 
 
 Made Ri^ve — a comic Lion! 
 
 Loud Jack did roar, and us'd his paw — 
 
 'I'he cause, he did espouse ; 
 That " necessity Lad no law," 
 
 So he must have a Spouse ! 1 
 
 Laugliing John Bull, pleased with the fun, 
 
 Howe'er the Critics lail ; 
 Great Houses brought — the ' Beasts' did run. 
 
 With Jack Reeve's merry tail (tale) I 2 
 
 1. Strictly according to the law of nature, and per- 
 fectly in keeping with the character of a lion I 
 
 2. Something different in the opinion of the mana- 
 gers, who are calculating sort of folks ut all limes, 
 from a 
 
 Tale tolJ by an ideot. 
 Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing 
 
 and, if not tlic richest on the boards of the lively 
 Adelphi Theatre, most certainly one of the tnerriext 
 Tales ever introduced amongst tiie actors and actresses. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 35 
 
 The giic was gflod I the thought well done ! 
 
 Old i^udibras did .'<iiig ; 
 liitriusic value — battle won, 
 
 Money — " tbe Beasts did bring !"3 
 
 The leading journal of the day, or, as it is 
 called by some persons, the ' Great Creature 
 of Intellect;' by otliers, 'the Political Giant 
 and his leaders ;' but in general the " Moun- 
 tain of Talent," though by the Proprietors 
 simply ushered into the world as " The 
 Times," in their remarks upon a piece of a 
 similar description at another theatre, ob- 
 served, that the roarer of the forest was 
 " Nothing like the Lion of John Reeve, 
 
 Which roar'd so loud, and lonk'd so prim. 
 His very s/uidow durst not follow him !" 
 
 But tlie climax of John Reeve's perform- 
 ances is to be witnessed in his Marmaduke 
 Magos, the beadle of the parish, in the 
 ' Wreck Ashore ;' which representation, if it is 
 not absolutely perfection, it is the nearest 
 thing to it that can be imagined or seen upon 
 any stage. Indeed, communication of its ex- 
 cellence is totally impossible ; and it must be 
 seen to be duly appreciated. Report cer- 
 tainly goes a great way to elevate the merits 
 of a painting, raise the character and abilities 
 of an actor, and also to give importance to 
 an orator in the House of Commons : but in 
 several instances many persons have been 
 disappointed by such high sounding panegy- 
 rics, and their anticipations never realized. 
 Yet it is not too much to observe that, viewed 
 as a display of genuine humour, it is the real 
 thing, and nothing else but the real thing — 
 that Marmaduke Magog, as represented by 
 Jack Reeve, cannot be over-rated ! 
 
 Tm a very knowing prip. 
 
 With my laced coat and wig. 
 Though they say I am surly and bearish : 
 
 Sure I look a mighty man. 
 
 When 1 flourish my rattan. 
 
 To fright the little boys, 
 
 Who in church time make a noise. 
 Because 1 am the Beadle of the Parish. 
 
 Here and there — every where, * 
 
 Halloa, now ! — Wliat's the row ? 
 
 Fine to do — Who are you ? 
 Why zouBdsI I'm the beadle of the parish. .^_ 
 
 For the production of 'Broad Grins' and 
 roars of loud laughter, it puts aside all 
 etiquette and gentility in the boxes, and com- 
 pels the haughty Exclusive to laugh as hear- 
 tily as the illiterate and humble dustman, the 
 first time that the latter was ever in a place of 
 amusement. The simpering, smiling, refined, 
 woman of the highest quality, who would 
 scarcely separate her pretty rows of pearl to 
 admit a single pea — Marmaduke Magog now 
 makes the fine lady extend her elegant jaws 
 with roars again, till she almost bursts her 
 sides ; breaks her lace in two, and leans back 
 
 3. A ' good account' from the Treasury renders a 
 piece far more valuable in the eyes of the proprietor 
 than the mo^t flattering report in any of the journals 
 of the day. 
 
 on the seat to irecover herself from her ex- 
 hausted state ! Thus the woman of quality 
 enjoys it with as much gout as the poor pot girl 
 who clubs her pence together, until they 
 amount to a white-headed Bob, to join the 
 gods to ' see the play ;* aye, the ' Wreck 
 Ashore' is the thing that makes poor ' Potty' 
 shout again with delight ; also clapping her 
 hands together with the fun of the scene be- 
 fore her eyes ; and, by way of conclusion, 
 stamps her feet again and again to the ground 
 to give vent to her pleasant feelings, which 
 Marmaduke Magog has given to her heart. 
 Such are the capabilities possessed by Jack 
 Reeve in the funny department of the theatre, 
 that even Niobe, had she been seated for 
 only a few minutes at the Adelpki theatre, 
 her tears would have been dried up in a 
 twinkling, and the scene of her grief changed 
 to an immoderate fit of loud laughter. 
 
 In consequence of Mr. Rodwell, sen., father 
 of the present George Rodwell, Esq., the 
 celebrated composer, witnessing the perform- 
 ance of Jack Reeve, in Sylvester Daggerwoodj 
 at Mr. Pym's elegant private little theatre, 
 Wilson Street, Gray's-Inn Lane, he requested 
 Reeve to play Sylvester for him at Drury 
 Lane theatre, on his benefit night, June 8, 
 1819. Jack immediately gave his consent — 
 upon which performance the ' Theatrical In- 
 quisitor' thus observes : — ■ 
 
 " His imitations we do not hesitate to pro- 
 nounce to be the best we have hitherto seen. 
 They do not consist in the mere adoption of 
 some single characteristic of an actor ; they 
 embody the whole of his peculiarities of voice, 
 gesture, and manner — thej"^ identify the man 
 — and you might almost persuade yourself he 
 stood before you. The least striking were 
 those of Liston and Harley. Of the latter he 
 gave the tread and manner only, but could 
 not touch his voice. The most perfect were 
 those of Munden, Farren, Mathews, Kean, 
 and D. Fisher. That of Munden, as Dozey, 
 in Past Ten o'clock, was excellent. He comes 
 much nearer to Kean than any one that has 
 yet attempted it ; and D. Fisher he perfectly 
 identifies in his voire, action, manner — every- 
 thing. We are yet inclined to give him more 
 praise for his imitation of Mr. Farren than 
 any other, because we conceive it to be the 
 most difficult ; Mr. Farren does not possess 
 any broad peculiarity which can be easily 
 seized on. His action is chaste, and free 
 from all distortion ; and therefore it must re- 
 quire a very close study to give any idea of 
 his manner. This imitation was admirable — 
 were we not too well acquainted with Mr. 
 Farren, we should have thought him on the 
 stage. Whether this gentleman's powers are 
 confined to imitations, we are not in a situation 
 to judge ; we can never believe there is much 
 genuine genius where this genius for imitation 
 prevails; and yet we are inclined to suspect 
 that the young man has in him some humour 
 of his own. Before attempting any thing like 
 
 I) 2 
 
;«} 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 * character, it will be necessary for him to 
 "ay an embarg^o on a pair of very long legs, 
 which seem to have an irresistible inclination 
 to run, jump, and dance away with him. We 
 never saw any body but a harlequin display so 
 much vivacity and agility on the stage. His 
 person is never quiet; he is incessantly 
 dancing and jumping round the stage— jump- 
 ing over the chairs, tables, and even over the 
 actors ; and we were in some doubt whether 
 he would not fly into the pit, or one of the 
 proscenium boxes." 
 
 His performance not only proved such a 
 decided hit, that Reeve consented to repeat it 
 on the next night for the benefit of Mr. Lanza, 
 but it also effected a complete revolution in 
 Mi'is future prospects in life : — 
 
 A youth, by fate designed 
 For culling simples, but whose stage-struck mind, 
 Nor fate could rule, nor his indentures bind ! 
 
 His fame now ran before him, and Mr. 
 Arnold, of the English Opera House, offered 
 Reeve an engagement, and the foUowiUfj 
 bagatelle was written for him, and he was an- 
 nounced, July 17, 1819, to sustain five cha- 
 racters in it, thus : — 
 
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 
 By Advertisement. 
 
 Harry Alias, "\ 
 
 Dr. Endall, / 
 
 Sam Dali.is, V by Mr. ***** 
 
 Sir Peter Teazle, I 
 
 Mr. M. -^ 
 
 This soi't of mysterious announcement had 
 the desired effect ; the public were anxious to 
 learn who Mr. ***** was, and a good 
 house was the result. The following criticism 
 appeared on the above performance.— "Much 
 as we deprecate and regret the prevailing 
 rage for imitation, justice to the author, the 
 exhibitor, and the manager, will not allow us 
 to be silent when merit appears, either in the 
 piece or the performer. That such is the 
 case in the present instance, in our opinion, 
 does not admit of a doubt ; and, although a 
 writer in the Sunday Monitor informed us he 
 considered the whole as ' very la la indeed ;' 
 a declaration that does as much credit to his 
 powers of expression as his critical judgment, 
 we do not hesitate to pronounce Mr. ***** 
 one of the best imitators of the present day, 
 and the piece itself a pleasant little vehicle 
 for the exertions of this whimsical mimic." 
 
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, was received with great ap- 
 plause, but Reeve did not appear in any new 
 characters until his benefit, when he performed 
 Pedrillo and Crack, after the manner of 
 Munden. 
 
 On the opening of the Adelphi Theatre, 
 under the management of Messrs. Rodwell 
 and Jones, in October, 1819, he appeared as 
 Squire Rattlepate, in the Green Dragon, and 
 Lord Grizzle, in Tom Thumb ; and proved 
 successful in both of them. At the close of 
 the season he appeared at Cheltenham and 
 BristoL 
 
 But Mr. Reeve, who had afforded so much 
 amusement to the public during his engage- 
 ment at Bristol, in which city he proved an 
 immense favourite; the life-blood of the 
 theatre ; the delight of every company he 
 mixed with ; and his home, his attractive 
 home, the climax of all his happiness^ in 
 one little month was changed to a barren 
 desert, leaving an awful chasm in his mind 
 that nothing else but time, change of residence, 
 and fortitude, could eventually overcome, by 
 an unexpected reverse of fortune — which all the 
 consolations of his friends could not reconcile 
 him to his melancholy fate — the afflicting loss 
 of his young and amiable wife, who caught a 
 severe cold during her accouchement, from 
 which she never recovered, and dying left an 
 only son. For several years he did not re- 
 cover from the severity of the shock ; and 
 when the bustle of the theatre was over, and 
 he retired to his chamber alone, the unhappy 
 circumstance preyed upon his feelings more 
 than description can unfold : — 
 
 Oh, no ! it weakness ne'er ran be, 
 
 When woe-begone, to show our feeling! 
 
 To shed the sympathetic tear, 
 
 in mournful silence, o'er tlie bier 
 
 Of one so loved in memory, 
 
 Such grief, alas, there's no concaaliug ! 
 
 At the Coburg Theatre he performed with 
 considerable success; mid in 1822 he returned 
 to the Adelphi Theatre. In conjunction with 
 Mr. Wilkinson, in an entertainment, after the 
 manner of " Mr. Mathews at Home," called 
 " Trifles light as air ;" Mr. Wilkinson per- 
 forming the dialogue part at the table ; and 
 Mr. Reeve a monopologue, called Bachelor's 
 Torments, in which he sustained nine charac- 
 ters with the most decided success ; the quick- 
 ness with which he appeared in the characters, 
 having to change his dress eighteen times, 
 stamped him with the public as an actor of 
 no common mould. In the course of the en- 
 tertainment, Mr. Wilkinson having to fulfil 
 engagements at other theatres, Mr. Reeve 
 added to his reputation by performing the 
 whole of the entertainment. 
 
 In 1826, Mr. Reeve was engaged at the 
 Haymarket, and made his first appearance in 
 Ralph, in Lock and Key, after twelve o'clock at 
 night ; but, nevertheless, his friends did not 
 desert him, and his performance was highly 
 successful; he performed a variety of cha- 
 racters : Caleb Quotem, Major Sturgeon, 
 Buskin, Paul Pry, &c. Although not the ori- 
 ginal Pry, united with the great disadvantages 
 of appearing in the above character — more 
 especially upon the same boards where Liston 
 had rendered himself so great, and deservedly 
 a favourite? in the above ludicrous, inquisitive 
 hero — yet, nevertheless, John Reeve triumphed 
 over the difficulties by which he was sur- 
 rounded — first impressions. Reeve displayed 
 great originality in the Paul Pry which he 
 personified after his own manner and ideas 
 upon the subject, nightly, with the approba* 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 37 
 
 lion of crowJed audiences, and likewise as- 
 sured the public that there were two ways of 
 telling a story, and both of them might be 
 well told, and received with general satisfac- 
 tion : such was the fact. 
 
 It however appeared to us, but perhaps we 
 might have grounded our opinion in error, that 
 Jack Reeve did not exactly appear ' at 
 Home' at the Haymarket ; and likewise that 
 he was not much nearer to it, during his en- 
 gagement at Covent Garden Theatre, which 
 he relinquished after the first season. His 
 reception at the latter house, in Acres, was 
 truly flattering to him ; and also the applause 
 he met with in Jerry Hawthorn, in Life in 
 London. Yet the above spot — the classic spot 
 — the legitimate spot for actors (which all in 
 public or in private sigh to obtain a sure foot- 
 ing upon), did not appear to be the identical 
 spot for the display of his peculiar coniic ex- 
 ertions. \\ hether Mr. Reeve felt his situa- 
 tion at the Haymarket and Covent Garden 
 Theatres, as we describe, we have not been 
 able to ascertain ; but, since the periods al- 
 luded to, he has returned to the Old Spot — 
 that merry little spot, for the production of 
 novelty, fun, and laughter, which affords him 
 such ample room to treat the town with in 
 succession — Abrahamides, the Cloniic Lion, 
 and Marniaduke Magog. In the latter por- 
 trait, it is not only our opinion, concerning the 
 superiority of the comic powers possessed by 
 John Reeve, but it is strongly backed by a 
 rival actor, a man of first-rate talent, and 
 often opposed to Jack in ' the cunning of the 
 scene,' that the late Mr. Munden with all his 
 richness of humour, splendid abilities, and al- 
 lowed to be the greatest comedian of the time' 
 he 'strutted andfretted his hour upon the stage' 
 — in no one character did that justly eminent 
 actor produce such general and continued peals 
 of laugliter, orever display such indescribable 
 comicality as Jack Reeve, in the Beadle of 
 the Parish. 
 
 John Reeve, it is generally admitted, has 
 no pretensions to the character of a sentimental 
 actor on the stage; indeed, he is quite aware 
 of that feeling towards him by his patrons, 
 although once, in his early theatrical career, he 
 did attempt to personify Othello ; but he has 
 since allowed the criticism of his friends to be 
 perfectly just— and in the words of the cha- 
 racter he has very sensibly exclaimed — 
 
 Farewell ! Othello's occupation 's gone. 
 
 But, as a ' Man of Feeling ' off the boards, 
 with his ' heart in the right place,' he is one 
 of the best and most feeling performers con- 
 nected with the Sock and Buskin : he und-'r- 
 stands the right way of conferring a favour, — 
 " to do good by stealth, and blush to find it 
 fame ;" something after the manner of 
 
 \\'hy what's that to \ou, if my eyes I am wiping ? 
 
 \ tear is a. pleasure d'ye see in its way ; 
 1 1 s nonsense for trifles 1 own to be piping — 
 
 13 ut they that an't pity — why I pities they ! 
 
 There is no pnlacer about Jack Reeve ; and no 
 person detests flattery more than the ' great 
 comic lion' does ; — although as an Actor be- 
 fore the public he is anxious to merit the 
 esteem of the world ; and he is also fond of 
 the meed of approbation due to the performer 
 who exerts himself to deserve it — general ap- 
 plause. Reeve is a Man of the World ; and 
 it is true that he has not lived in it for nothing ; 
 but like most travellers he has seen ' strange 
 things.' That he has viewed many characters 
 in his walks through society, that may have 
 been afterwards turned to a good account by 
 him, there can be little doubt — and, in * shoot- 
 ing folly as it flies,' Jack has likewise proved 
 himself a good marksman. 
 
 Reeve is a sociable, friendly companion ; 
 neither has he any objection to a glass of ge- 
 nerous wine ; and by no means of a reserved 
 character amongst his acquaintances — yet he 
 has an immense aversion to be viewed as the 
 ' plaything of the hour' in private parties — or, 
 in other words, the Tyger of the company. 
 He does not relish " Mine Host" inviting his 
 friends to dine with him, under the proposition 
 that the visitors will have a rare treat, as the 
 celebrated John Reeve takes his food at such 
 an hour, in his house, and in the course of the 
 evening he will be shown up by Mr. Merry- 
 man, if not stirred up with a ' long pole' by some 
 of the guests. This sort of thing — Jack de- 
 tests altogether ; therefore ' a word to the wise' 
 may prove sufticient; and likewise the hint 
 not altogether thrown away upon those gentle- 
 folks who invite Theatrical Persons to their 
 tables, not only as a source of attiaction, but 
 as a make-weight to their parties. 
 
 As a burlesque actor, Mr. Reeve is un- 
 rivalled ; he enters into the scene with so much 
 spirit, that he positively identifies himself with 
 the character he represents. There is nothing 
 like him on the stage, since the decease of the 
 late Mr. Oxberry. 
 
 The imitations of Mr. Reeve are not so nu- 
 merous as those of Mr. Matliews or Mr. Yates ; 
 but they are generally considered on a par 
 with those celebrated Comedians. 
 
 His parodies are remarkably well executed ; 
 and his astonishing falsetto, which possesses 
 great sweetness, affords him considerable as- 
 sistance in the execution of his songs. 
 
 The <'(illowing parody was nightly encored 
 with the most tumultuous approbation : — 
 
 Heavy whet ! heavy whet ! whet, 1 cry ; 
 Full and fair pots when I'm dry,— . 
 If so be you aies where, 
 J hey are sold '! I answers there ! 
 
 Where the jovial ^!W/5 are met, 
 Tliere's the shop for heavy whet I 
 Heavy whet ! heavy whet, whet, I cry ; 
 Full and fair pots when I'm dry ! 
 
 Instead of r'ipeating the above parody, in an- 
 swer to the encore, to the great "urpriso and 
 pleasure of the audience, he introduced the 
 following; new versions of it : — 
 
38 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Mutton chops ! mutton chops I chops, I cry ; 
 
 Fat or lean one's, both I'll try : 
 
 But, if you would have my coin. 
 
 You must cut them off the loin : 
 
 When the cook for nothing stops. 
 
 That's the time for mutton chops ! 
 
 Mutton chops I mutton chops ! chops, I cry ; 
 
 1 was hungry and as dry ; 
 
 Let me have them nice and hot. 
 With a murphy and chaJot ; 
 When the lip with hunger drops. 
 That's the time for mutton chops. 
 
 Cherry bounce ! cherry bounce ! bounce, I cry ; 
 
 Fill a full glass on the sly ; 
 
 If so be you ask me where. 
 
 To the Blue Posts we'll repair 
 
 When we heavy whet renounce, 
 
 That's the time for cherry bounce ! 
 
 Cherry bounce ! Cherry bounce ! bounce, I cry ; 
 
 When my sweetheart's standing nigh, 
 
 And with passion I'm beguil'd. 
 
 When I wish to draw it mild ; 
 
 Then her fears of me to trounce. 
 
 Then. I call for cherry bounce ! 
 
 Although John Reeve can manage the au- 
 dience, as it is termed, and do almost what he 
 pleases ■with them, so high does he stand in 
 their good opinion, yet he displays great 
 FEVERisHness of mind in the representation of 
 any new character. There is a kind of stage 
 fright' hangs over his exertions, which he 
 cannot shake off, and some nights must elapse 
 before he feels himself quite at his ease to add 
 those finishing touches of humour and character 
 to the part for which he is so justly cele- 
 brated. The following song, written for him 
 by the late ThomasRodwell, Esq., in Bachelor's 
 Torments, affords him considerable scope for 
 the display of his peculiar traits of excel- 
 lence.* 
 
 VID DE GRACE EXTRAORDINAIRE. 
 
 First vid de grace extraordinaire, 
 
 I use de foil, and I hit you dere ; 
 
 If vid de gentilhomrae I parry quarte— () ! 
 
 Ca, Ca, I tip him on the right-hand-heart — O I 
 
 But if vid de demoiselles I parry tierce — O ' 
 
 ■Vy den de little left-hand-heart I pierce — O f 
 
 Frappez deux fois, ne bouges pas ii la garde, I say ; 
 
 Avaccez, retirez-vous, im, deux, trois, developez. 
 
 Den on de theatre I play so free, 
 
 You never shall see one act well like me. 
 
 In comedy I send so far away — O ! 
 
 Parlet and Potier, and Brunet — O ; 
 
 In tragedy I do so tear about-a, 
 
 You tink poor 'I'alma but a stupid lout a. 
 
 Regardez look I see my tragic grace. 
 
 In Comedy, I have anoder fate. 
 
 * Some few years since, being at the Brighton 
 Theatre, and cliance having placed me in the same box 
 yith Mrs. IMountain and Mr. Tom t ooke, I overheard 
 the foUowinj; remarks made by Mrs. M., during the 
 time Reeve was singing the above song. " Who is 
 tliat young man, Mr. Cooke,'' said Mrs. Mountain, " I 
 really am veiy much pleased with his performance : 
 I have not seen .-iO much real talent for a long time ; 
 and ihaveno doubt buihewill arrive attlie very top of 
 his profession." 'I'he prediction of Mrs. Mountain, 
 whose reputation as a first rate songster, and whose 
 exptrience enabled her to form a correct judgmen 
 «n theatrical affairs, and the merits of performers 
 biive long since been verified to the utmost extent. 
 
 Den at de Opera so much I shine, 
 
 Dey cry bravo bis, bis, 'tis quite divine. 
 
 I out so neat, and so long up remain — O ! 
 
 ■^'ou tink I shall never come down again — O ! 
 
 And if in pirouette so light I hop i, 
 
 You ask yotir ami if I never stop i : 
 Chassez croissez, chaiue entiire, demoiselles, halencea 
 Dos-a-dos promenade, cavaliers avancez. 
 
 Den ven in love, such dolce tings I tell her, 
 In soft Italian so I call her " bella;" 
 And on my knees I stay three hours or more — O 
 She di pietade takes me from the floor— O ! 
 I press her mano to my poor cuore, 
 Dat she may feel how fr^me is my ardore. 
 Cara, sweetest ! it is for you I die, 
 " Ah ! no non more !" she so sweet reply. 
 
 Den for de song, — ah, ah ! I quickly soon 
 
 Shall put de very angels out of tune : 
 
 In seriosa I've more force den any. 
 
 And make look foolish de great Tramezzani : 
 
 To talk of Naldi, pooh ! it's all stuff a. 
 
 You crack your very side when I sing bufTa. 
 
 Now sotto voce, et concompiacenza, 
 
 Stiam furiosa — finish a la cadenza I 
 
 A short time since Jack Reeve very narrowly 
 escaped an accident which might have proved 
 of a most serious nature to him ; the above 
 Son of Momus, always upon the alert to pro- 
 duce novelty and fun, identified himself so 
 much with the passing scene in " Robert le 
 Diable," in order to give greater effect to the 
 character, that in his rush down the stage, he 
 lost his balance, and unexpectedly fell into 
 the orchestra. Mr. Reeve sprained his back 
 so severely, that the ' Lyons of Mysore' was 
 changed to ' Freaks and Follies.' Upon 
 which curious coincidence, almost an allusion 
 to the above accident, a wag present composed 
 the following impromptu : — 
 
 The Lion now has got a stall, 
 
 ' Great Creature' in a rage ; 
 By music caught in a VlT-JalU 
 
 His fury to assuage. 
 
 Tho' bad the fall, and fast the run. 
 Strange I without mist or fog I 
 
 But hope nothing will stop the fun 
 Of M.iRMADUKE Magog. 
 
 Then Fare thee well. JACK REEVE, may 
 health prove thy best friend ; may he stick to 
 thee like glue ; but be sure thou dost not 
 abuse him. Remember the public have a life 
 interest in thy career ; also may that merry 
 trio, fun, frolic, and harmony, be always 
 thy attendants, and never be found out of 
 place or out of tune ; and may wit, talent, 
 laughter, bustle, incident, pun, whim, drol- 
 lery, joke, all that sort of thing, and every 
 thing in ihe worl I, never refuse thee their 
 potent aid to the end of the chapter; but, 
 above all,may ^ AbrahamidestheYirsi, the Last, 
 the only Abrahamides,' always prove a Flint 
 at his post ; may the ' Great Comic Lion' never 
 want a ' head' at all times to set the table in a 
 roar ; and may Marmaduke Magog, the re- 
 nowned Beadle of the Parish, always have his 
 work to do, i. e. to ' take himself up' as a 
 model for all jther beadles, to please and 
 gratify the public, is the sincere wish of the 
 Editor ^f the Boor of Sports. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 39 
 
 To all SPORTING COVES, NORTH, EAST, anrf 
 SOUTH; by OH E from the WEST. 
 
 PIERCE EGAN, on the course again. 
 
 Another race begins ; 
 And, mounted well, with spur and rein. 
 Declares that ev'ry nerve he'll strain. 
 
 Until the ir/iif) he wins I 
 
 The race he runs is not alone 
 
 For profit, but for fame ; 
 Since, ij'euck rider had his own. 
 To all the ivorld would soon be known. 
 
 The worth of KGAN'S name! 
 Some say he rides a slender nag. 
 
 Whose points and pace bespeak, 
 That he who baelis him should not brag 
 Much of his syeeil—\)\it mum their mag — 
 
 He'll rini them leeek by week. 
 
 'Tis true his mettle will be tried, 
 
 With prads high bred and bold, 
 But, lo ! — their skins are scarified. 
 With cuts, so close, no skill can hiJe 
 How dull they are, and old I 
 
 Whilst EGAN'S COLT is from a stud 
 
 Unrivall'd yet, for strength; 
 And, let his rivals chew the cud, 
 In spite of f-EEuiNG, bonk, and hlood, 
 /It'll beat them by a length. 
 Devonshire. 
 
 Tom Thumb. 
 
 The Celebrated American Trotting Horse. 
 
 The unparalleled feat of trotting 100 miles 
 in harness, in ten successive hours and a half, 
 £200 to £100, was accomplished on Monday, 
 February 2, 1829. AVhen this match was first 
 made, Mr. Melville contemplated making the 
 attempt with the celebrated Paddington mare, 
 which had exhibited extraordinary powers 
 both as to speed and lasting qualities, and she 
 was put into regular training, but ultimately 
 relinquished, and the preference given to a 
 horse recently arrived in this country from 
 America. To this horse, which is an Ame- 
 rican by birth, standing about fourteen hands 
 high, and twelve years of age, he turned his 
 attention ; and the horse was put into train- 
 ing (having but about ten days to prepare for 
 his extraordinary task), and the whole of the 
 stake-money was made good ; but, owing to 
 some dispute, the bargain for the American 
 was relinquished. However, at a late hour 
 on Saturday night, the negociation was re- 
 newed, and his request generously complied 
 with. Little time was now left to prepare for 
 action. The horse was fortunately in excel- 
 lent condition, and on the Sunday afternoon 
 was walked from the neighbourhood of New 
 Cross, on the Deptford-road, to the Red Lion 
 at Hampton, a distance little short of twenty 
 miles, while the match cart, in which he was 
 to perform his feat, was sent, " under cover," 
 to the same place. The proprietor of the 
 horse, being himself somewhat indisposed, 
 placed him under the care of his own groom, 
 and of Mr. Harry England, of the Kent-road, 
 who undertook the superintendence of the 
 match, and, by his admirable arrangements. 
 
 succeeded in effecting it in the mosttriuinphant 
 manner. 
 
 The betting was very limited, time being 
 backed to a small amount only at two to one. 
 The articles having stipulated that the match 
 sliould be performed on Snnbury Common, it 
 was agreed that it should be done over a five- 
 niile piece, from mile-stone to mile-stone ; and 
 it was at first arranged that the start should 
 take place from the Staines end, which would 
 have been the case had the mare started. The 
 American, however, having been elected, 
 which was at Hampton, an altercltiou took 
 place, and it was determined that the arduous 
 task should be commenced at the fifth mile- 
 stone from Staines, close to the George pub- 
 lic-house, and from thence to Staines and 
 back. Two umpires and a referee were 
 chosen on the same night, and every pre- 
 liminary arranged. Relays of horses and 
 gigs being on the spot to carry the umpires 
 and referee, as well as those persons who 
 were appointed to watch the progress of the 
 match. 
 
 At four o'clock on Monday morning, the 
 American groom, who seemed to regard his 
 horse with the affection of a relative, was on 
 the alert. He slept in the same stable, and 
 roused him from his slumbers to give him a 
 substantial feed. At six^ accompanied by Mr. 
 Henry England and Mr. Frederick Smith, 
 who rode as umpires for the horse — all set out 
 for the five-mile stone, wheie the other parties 
 had assembled. The distance from the Red 
 Lion was about a mile and a half, and although 
 not yet light, it was evident that the little 
 horse was all life and spirit. He was driven 
 by the groom, who weighs about 140lbs., or 
 ten stone. The match-cart, which was made 
 in America, was one of the lightest we have 
 ever seen, not more than 108lbs., and decid- 
 edly the most compact, although not the most 
 elegant, that has met our notice. The shafts 
 ran level with the body of the horse, and the 
 seat, which was lined with leather, was as 
 near the axle-tree as possible, so as to give 
 room for the driver to stretch his legs. The 
 principle seemed to be, to place the weight 
 close to the draught; and, in fact, the slightest 
 exertion set the machine in motion. The 
 horse was unseemly in his aspect — rough in 
 his coat, and, at first sight, slouching in his 
 gait; in truth, anything but what an f^nglish 
 eye would select for such a performance. He 
 had four good legs, however, and a brightness 
 in his eye which led the connoisseurs to " cal- 
 culate" there was something more than com- 
 mon in his qualities, and many began to 
 "guess" that he would vindicate the fame of 
 the Yankee breed of trotters, which are ac- 
 knowledged to be the best in the world. Two 
 watches, having been regularly timed by the 
 umpires, were now produced, and having 
 been stopped at the same moment, half-past 
 six, were, at a given signal, started at the 
 saiiie instant, and with them the horse — and 
 we must here pay a compliment to the excel- 
 
40 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 lent plans of Mr. England, who, having been 
 appointed referee, rode tiie whole of tlie 
 match before the American, in a gig, having 
 been supplied with excellent relays of horses 
 for the purpose. Mr. E. foresaw that, to per- 
 form so long a journey, the wisest plan would 
 be to prevent over-exertion at first ; and, 
 although he knew the speed of the horse was 
 equal to fifteen miles an hour, he resolved to 
 keep him to a steady pace of about ten miles 
 an hour, thus husbanding his strength for the 
 last, if it should be necessary; and in order to 
 effect tliis, he further resolved to drive before 
 him hJmself, with his watch in his hand, so 
 as to regulate his time. This plan had the 
 additional advantage of encouraging the 
 animal, and checking that desire to increase 
 his speed, which, if the road had been clear 
 before him, and horses were travelling on 
 each side of him, he would have evinced, and 
 which to check, would only have produced 
 fretfulness. It is needless to say that, to 
 effect this, Rlr. E. was provided with some 
 good tits, Avho throughout were not permitted 
 to let the grass grow under their feet. To 
 Mr. Frederick Smith also great praise is due 
 for his activity, zeal, and attention throughout 
 the match. He rode the whole hundred 
 miles on five horses, and was indefatigable in 
 giving notice for the necessary refreshments for 
 the horse, and spared no pains to secure suc- 
 cess. A stable was prepared for the reception 
 of the American, close to the Five-mile-stone, 
 into which he was taken at the end of every 
 twenty miles. Gruel was his only food, but 
 he occasionally took a snap of hay, and never 
 once showed a disinclination to grub. 
 The distances were thus performed : — 
 
 E. M. 
 
 First twenty miles 1 59 
 
 Taken out and in stable ..... 8 
 
 Second twenty miles ] 50 
 
 Taken out and in stable 8 
 
 Third twenty miles 1 58 
 
 Taken out and in stable 11 
 
 Fourth twenty miles 1 42 
 
 Taken out and in stable 8 
 
 Last ten miles but one 52 
 
 Stopped to wash mout'i with gruel, 
 
 which he took with good appetite 2 
 
 Last ten miles 1 
 
 10 7 
 Thus performing the hundred miles in ten 
 hours and seven minutes, and having twenty- 
 three minutes to spare of the time allotted him 
 for the task ; and, we must add, he came in as 
 fresh and as lively the last ten miles, and at as 
 brisk a pace and witli as free a will, to all ap- 
 pearance, as when he first started. In fact, Mr. 
 ICngland stated, that he had no hesitation in 
 saying he could have done fourteen miles in 
 the last hour, if necessary ; and his owner de- 
 clared that, if humanity would permit it, he 
 should have no hesitation in oacking him to do 
 thirteen miles in the succeeding hour with 
 perfect safety. The conclusion of this most 
 
 extraordinary feat was hailed with loud 
 cheers, and the little Phenomenon, as he may 
 be well called, was walked back to the Red 
 Lion at a pace of four miles an hour. On 
 being groomed, and furnished with a fresh 
 supply of gruel, he was as playful, and 
 seemed to go to work on the hay with as good 
 an appetite, as if he had been merely perf^onn- 
 ing an ordinary task. 
 
 The road throughout was immensely crowded 
 during the day with gigs and trotters of every 
 description, but especially at the Staines end, 
 Avhere a most fashionable assemblage was col- 
 lected, including a brilliant display of the 
 fair sex, who seemed to take a deep interest 
 in the match, and every time the horse ap- 
 proached received him with loi;d cheers. 
 His last return was marked by more than 
 ordinary exultation, and many rushed forward 
 to touch him, a desire which the groom 
 gratified by letting him stand for nearly two 
 minutes. 
 
 The day was uncommonly favourable, and, 
 although the road was hard in the morning, 
 still it ran light, and, as the warmth of the 
 sun increased, got better. The groom had but 
 ten miles' relief during the whole journey, 
 when a light boy was substituted ; but this 
 youngster was incapable of holding him in, 
 and poor Bill was obliged to resume his seat, 
 and finish his labours with a steadiness and 
 regularity highly to be commended. Through- 
 out the journey, although a small whip was 
 provided, it was never once used, nor did the 
 little animal on any occasion show the slightest 
 vice or want of temper. A more extraordinary 
 horse has, perhaps, never before graced the 
 annals of horse-flesh in this country. 
 
 Shooting in America. 
 
 The Landlord proposing a route by which 
 we might connect a little sporting with it, and 
 his son, a fine intelligent youth, to accompany 
 me (says Mr. John Fowler, in his Journal of 
 a Tour in America), I began to feel my cha- 
 grin rapidly abating ; and slipping on a shoot- 
 ing dress, we were shortly in the woods with 
 our guns, attended by a pretty good pointer 
 dog. We found a few woodcocks and squir- 
 rels, but, upon the whole, had iudilFerent 
 success. As to what tee denominate game, it 
 is by no means abundant in the country, ex- 
 cept quail, which are generally plentifu!. 
 Hares and pheasants there are none ; and i)ar- 
 tridges (in some places called pheasants) are 
 scarce. Woodcock and snipe are uncertain, 
 both as to season and situation. 'Tis true that 
 great quantities of other birds may someti'ues 
 be killed ; for instance, t/;t/d ducks and pigeons, 
 which are occasionally seen in fiocks of many 
 miles in extent; but, after all, and much as I 
 iiave heard of American shooting, in my opinion 
 it is a poor, insipid diversion, compared with 
 the English, pursued without any kind of 
 system or science, and reminding me more of 
 
VIESiCE nOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 41 
 
 tie onsets of our mechanics and shopmen, let 
 loose <it Christmas, and on holidays, to ranf;;c 
 the fiel.ls, no matter irhere, and ])ouncc upon 
 nl', vo matter uIkU, than of any thing worthy 
 the name of shooting. Let no Kn}:flish sjjorts- 
 man think to better himself by emigration in 
 tills respect ; I'll answer, xipou trial, for his 
 total disappointment. 
 
 There is not, there cannot be, an individual 
 living, who Iiolds our game-laus in greater ab- 
 horrence than I do,eonsidcringthenias barbar- 
 ous and absurd as they arc wantonly tyran- 
 nical and unjust, — the yery fag-end of the old 
 Jeudal system, when barons could lord it over 
 their debased vassals at tiieir pleasure, and 
 when in the liuviane diction of the day, if one 
 of them " did course or hunt, either casvaUy 
 or wilfully, a beast of the forest, so that by the 
 swiftness of the course the beast did pant, or 
 was put out of breath,'' he was authorized to 
 flay liitn alive. These days, thank Heaven, 
 have passed away, and tlie doctrine of equal, 
 rights and eqvul privileges is becoming rather 
 more fashionable, somewhat better understood, 
 — and 1 hope yet to live to see this blood- 
 thirsty code altogether expunged from a sta- 
 tute book it has so long disgiaced ; but if I 
 must sport, I confess 1 should prefer meeting 
 every unpleasantness still attendant upon these 
 odious enactments, an! shooting at English 
 game in English style, to going a gunning \v\lh 
 the most unbridled license, after the American 
 fashion. 
 
 On several other days, or parts of days, one 
 of our party and myself were occupied in pe- 
 r;»nibulating the neighljouring country, with 
 our guns. We met with little other game than 
 woodcock, which, had we been provided with 
 a brace of good English pointers or setters, 
 would have afforded "as excellent diversion : 
 as it was we killed a considerable number. 
 My friend was more successful than myself; 
 owing in part, perhaps, to the situations in 
 which we found the birds, — chiefly amongst 
 Indian corn, and to whicli he hatl learned 
 better to accommodate himself. It frequently 
 grew so high, and so far out-topped me, that 
 I often heard the rise of a bird within fen 
 yards of me, without seeing any thing of it, 
 and could only get suap-slwts at best. The 
 few «piail which we saw were uncommonly 
 wild ; in fact, between buck-wheat, which is 
 a very favorite resort, and Indian corn, it was 
 almost impossible to get them on the wing, 
 l.'he best month for shooting here is Novem- 
 ber : it is usually very fine : the corn is all 
 gathered, and the game has nearly attained 
 •ts full growth, so as to be strong enough, 
 whether on wing or foot, to give it n chance 
 fur its life, and the latter system has no attrac- 
 tions for me. All the diversion which I could 
 ever discovt-r attaching to shooting consists 
 in anticipation, in pursuit, in the exciteuicnt 
 of Bceking and finding the game : there can be 
 none in the mere killing, except asundcniable 
 evidence of a good shot, — an attainu>cnt few 
 ambjtiaus of such distinction, with, moderaie 
 
 self-possession and jjractice, need desjiair of; 
 but the exercise, wiiich persons in general 
 would never take without the accompanying 
 stimulus of dog and gun, is worth all the rest 
 put together. Whoever designs to sjjort here, 
 though, as I have said, it will bear no coiiv- 
 parison with English shooting, shimld take 
 care to provide himself with good dogs ; they 
 are scarce, and frequently sell for extravagant 
 prices. 
 
 ARCHERY. 
 
 Archery was so much approved of as a 
 bodily exercise by Bishop Latimer, that he 
 even preached a sermon in favor of it before 
 Edward VI. After the Restoraiion, A/{- 
 CHERY became the general amusement; 
 Charles II. himself took such delight in it, 
 that he even knighted a man for excelling an 
 excellent shot,* whose portrait is in tlie pos- 
 session of the Toxopholite Society. After the 
 death of Charles, it again began to decline, 
 and was confined in practice to a few couniies 
 only, till about thirty years ago, when it was 
 revived with increased splendor throughout 
 every part of England, as will appear by the 
 number of societies that were instituted ; 
 many of which exist and continue their yearly 
 and monthly meetings to this day. 
 
 It is seldom in this stern and strifeful 
 world that an instrument of destruction be- 
 comes altogether converted into an instrument 
 of harmless gratification, and yet such is the 
 case with the arrow, if we except its use by 
 a few hordes of savages that are still without 
 the pale of civilization. From the earliest 
 period to which the pages of history lead us, 
 to the time when a restless monk, insiead of 
 counting his beads, amu&ed himself in com- 
 pounding saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal, it 
 has been the principal missile weapon in war, 
 and through it hath many a momentous day 
 been lost and won. Had some benevolent 
 philosopher of old been told, that such a 
 change would happen in the employment of 
 the mortal shaft, he might have supposed that 
 it would come when Bellona had been driven 
 from the earth. But, alas! he would have 
 given too much credit to future ages ; ihe ar- 
 row and the javelin have been abandoned by 
 the soldier, merely that deadlier weapons 
 might supply their place. 
 
 This is especially an interesting subject to 
 us, as never was the arrow in more able hands 
 than when ia the grasp of the Englisli archer. 
 They who have attentively perused the ac- 
 counts oT our earlier battles must be well 
 aware of this historical fact. Talking about 
 English archery also brings to our recollec- 
 tion the well-known tale, so fas. inating to 
 our boyhood, of the unequalled oui;,aw, 
 Robin Hood, and liis merrv nirn ; hut tnosc 
 days are gone, and live onl jn . ncienl lays 
 
 Sir Will 
 
42 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 and legends. Sherwood's goodly trees have 
 disappeared — and the stout earls of the North 
 no longer " to drive the deer with hound and 
 horn " lead their " bowmen bold " to the de- 
 bateable coverts of Chevy Chace. 
 
 The Archery Meetings, or Bow Meetings, 
 as they are variously called, at present es- 
 tablished in this country, are, so far as our 
 knowledge extends, a national peculiarity. 
 We have seen our horse-racing imitated, 
 however imperfectly, in Germany, France, 
 America, and even India, but they have, as 
 yet, been imitated no where. In these days 
 of refinement, when the recreations of the 
 wealthier orders are too often luxurious and 
 enervating, and when their semi-foreign 
 habits of life have too much estranged tliem 
 from the interchange of domestic hospitalities, 
 we hail with pleasure a rural and elegant 
 amusement, having a strong tendency to cor- 
 rect both these evils. It is a curious, but 
 well-ascertained fact, that these meetings are 
 in some degree merely a revival of the cus- 
 toms of former times. Our forefathers made 
 a law, and an admirable one it was, that 
 in every parish, or hundred, as might be 
 convenient, a certain portion of ground should 
 be set apart for the practice of archery, and a 
 butt and target erected at the public expense. 
 It accorded well with the manly and warlike 
 character of the people, and old chroniclers 
 tell us that it was a favorite pastime among 
 the young and active peasantry on holydays, 
 or on a summer's evening, when their hours 
 of labour were past. Does not this circum- 
 stance let us into one grand secret of tiie su- 
 periority of British bowmen over all their 
 competitors ? It also in some measure ac- 
 counts for the wonderful rapidity with which 
 effective armies were raised and brought into 
 the field during the wars of York and Lan- 
 caster, and other periods of trouble in England. 
 When the spirit of a proud people is aroused 
 by a call upon their honor, or even by a fa- 
 vorite war-cry, it is not difficult to bring 
 them en masse into action ; but no such armies 
 could have been raised in such a space of 
 time, had not the arts of military life been 
 much cultivated throughout the land. 
 
 It is highly honorable to the natives of 
 this island that, even when little more than 
 semi-barbarians, they disdained to use the 
 poisoned arrow, after the fashion of some 
 more civilized eastern nations. Indeed the 
 same may be said, generally speaking, of all 
 the different states in the quarter of the globe 
 of which Britain forms so distinguished a part, 
 ind it is one of the finest illustrations of the 
 European character. A few exceptions may 
 be found, but exceptions should be thrown 
 into the shade in all great national pictures. 
 
 However, in what we have hitherto written, 
 as in the speeches of old Nestor, it may be 
 observed that too much has been said about 
 the past, and too little about the present. To 
 those who may have never chanced to witness 
 such a tiling, a brief description of a modern 
 
 Archery Meeting may net be uninteresting. 
 There may be various regulations and obser 
 vances in the many established throughout 
 the country, but, in the leading and most 
 essential points, they are nearly alike. A 
 sufficient number of members having first 
 been elected, the meetings occur at stated in- 
 tervals, during the season of the year favor- 
 able to such amusements. 
 
 Non cuivis homitii contingitadire Corinthum, 
 says the proverb, and it is not every one that 
 can conveniently give an Archery INIeeting. 
 Two things are indispensable — a fortune able 
 to bear the expense, and a park, or other 
 grounds, favorable to the purpose ; and such 
 members as are without these advantages are 
 not expected to give one. A uniform is ap- 
 pointed, which is always (to our knowledge) 
 green, but may vary in minor points according 
 to the caprice of fashion or of taste ; and those 
 members who do not appear in it are fined. 
 It is this costume that chiefly imparts the 
 characteristic and beautiful appearance to the 
 scene, which it must be allowed to possess, 
 especially if laid in some wild and romantic 
 park. It is then and there that the lover of 
 antiquity might muse on ancestral times, and 
 fancy that they were again about to return. 
 
 Prizes, proportionate to the funds of the 
 society, and as appropriate as the good taste 
 of the directing party can make them, are 
 prepared for the occasion; there being dif- 
 ferent ones, of course, for the male and female 
 archers. Of themselves alone they are not of 
 any great value, but, by the glory attached to 
 them, they become, like the monarch's glove 
 to Fluellin, doubly and trebly enhanced in the 
 estimation of those who obtain them. 
 
 Everything being prepared, they who have 
 the direction of affairs give the signal to com- 
 mence ; and we may say with the poet — 
 
 Protinus jEneas celeri certare sagitta 
 Invitat, (jui forte velint, et prsemia ponit : 
 
 The distance at which the gentlemen shoot 
 is one hundred yards — that of the ladies 
 sixty ; and the skill with which the latter 
 frequently acquit themselves shows that 
 Queen Bess was not the only Englishwoman 
 who could " draw a long bow." Sometimes, 
 during the pastime, the company are enlivened 
 by the music of an attending band. When 
 the sports are ended, the judges declare aloud 
 the names of the winners of the prizes, who 
 receive them on the field, according to the 
 true principles of chivalry. To prevent any 
 mistake, the arrows of every one should bear 
 some particular mark or motto, that they may 
 be distinguished when in the target ; else it 
 would be very difficult, if not sometimes im- 
 possible, to declare the victors. The evening 
 is generally concluded by a ball, which need 
 only be mentioned as differing from other 
 balls with respect to the costume of the as- 
 sembled party ; but that circumstance gives 
 to it a very unique and pleasing appearance. 
 
 Such are the leading features of a modem 
 Bow meeting. Of course, as in all such out- 
 
PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 43 
 
 of-dooT amusements, much depends upon the 
 weather ; but, wiien that is favorable, it 
 may easilj' be conceived to be a scene of much 
 pleasure and animation. It moreover pos- 
 sesses tlie advantage of beinp; one of those 
 morning amusements, of which the gentler 
 sex can partake, without in the slightest de- 
 gree infringing upon the rules of elegance 
 and strict pr)priety. Tiiough admirers of the 
 chase ourselves, we quite agree with the poet 
 when he counsels the British fair against — 
 
 The cap, the whip, the masculine attire. 
 In which they roughen to the sense, and all 
 The wnmfng softoess of their sex is lost. 
 
 But the female archer does not come under 
 the lash of such satire. The ancient Greeks, 
 who well knew what arts of life accorded best 
 with feminine grace and purity, disdained 
 not to paint Diana with the quiver upon her 
 shoulder, and the bow in her hand ; and 
 Virgil, when describing the magnificence with 
 which Queen Dido was attired for the hunt, 
 tells us that she wore a golden quiver. In- 
 deed, the very act of discharging the arrow 
 froni the bow, to be done properly, must be 
 done gracefully. 
 
 The chief natural requisites for shooting 
 well, we should describe to be a quick 
 and steady eye, and a quick and steady 
 hand. The proper position in which the 
 bow should be held and its string drawn 
 back, which cannot well be shown upon 
 paper, having been acquired, art and expe- 
 rience have to instruct the archer, first, to 
 point the arrow in a direct line ; and secondly, 
 to elevate it according to the distance of the 
 mark, and the strength of the bow. One 
 thing should be most particularly attended to 
 — that the strength of the how be well adapt- 
 ed to the strength of the arm^that has to bend 
 it. The command of Richard to his army on 
 Bosworth field, " Draw, archers, draw your 
 arrows to the head," was in the true language 
 of an able warrior. It is also essejitial that 
 the arrow should be drawn to its head with a 
 steady hand, which is not likely to be the case 
 if the bow require more strength than the arm 
 can conveniently give ; and the consequence 
 of which is, that the shaft is apt to swerve 
 from the direct line, and fly unsteadily. On 
 the other hand, if a bow of great power is not 
 beyond the strength of the archer, it is the most 
 effective, as the arrow may then be shot hori- 
 zontally to a greater distance, and is, conse- 
 quently, likelier to hit the target than when 
 it requires to be much elevated. 
 
 Archery, however, is an art, and, like all 
 other arts, requires practice to reach peri'ec- 
 tion ; and thus, while surprise and admiration 
 are often raised by some of the most expert, 
 laughter frequently follows the attempts of the 
 unskilful, who are generally new hands, and 
 who, like the suitors of Penelope, sometimes 
 make sad failures. Let the novice bear in 
 mind the saying of Xenophon — that it was 
 " downright impiety for such as h.ad never 
 learned to ride, to supplicate the Gods for 
 
 victory in engagements of horse ; or for such 
 as had never learned the use of the bow, to 
 ask the superiority at that weapon over those 
 who understood it." 
 
 Of course, the point of an arrow formed 
 merely for amusement, is very dilferently con- 
 structed from such as were used in warfare, 
 but the effect even of the former, when well 
 shot, is such as few unacquainted with it 
 would be likely to imagine. Me remember 
 to have seen one, that, having missed the 
 target, and struck against a strong tin quiver 
 lying near, drove its point right through. 
 Due precautions against accident are therefore 
 needful, but the arrangements are generally 
 so good, that we never heard of the slightest 
 unpleasant circumstance of the kind. Those 
 who are sceptical about the force of an arrow, 
 and we have heard some who are, might soon 
 be undeceived by witnessing it. The effemi- 
 nate courtier, in the play, may tell Harry 
 Percy that 
 
 " but for these vile guns 
 He would himself have been a soldier. — " 
 
 We much doubt, however, whether the man 
 who would shrink from the sound of cannon, 
 would have felt at all comfortable had he been 
 confronted by the merry bowmen of old Eng- 
 land. 
 
 During the last few years these meetings 
 have been much upon the increase. We look 
 upon it as a good omen. iVny innocent re- 
 creation, tending to encourage good fellow- 
 ship in a neighbourhood, is beneficial in many 
 respects, but is in none more so than in the 
 opposing influence which it possesses with the 
 gay and inconsiderate, against the fascinations 
 of a continental residence. We would rather 
 see our youth, beauty and chivalry, enjoying 
 themselves upon their native green sward, or 
 shaded by the wide-spreading foliage of the 
 aboriginal oak, than revelling in Parisian 
 saloons, or amidst the midnight carnivals of 
 Italy. Let those who choose decry, as did 
 the partisans of Cromwell, the unoffending 
 amusements of the different orders of society, 
 as immoral and ungodly. We are not of that 
 class, but rather agree with Mr. Burke, when 
 he says that " to make us love our country, 
 our country ought to be lovely ;" and are un- 
 philosophical enough to believe that those 
 a.musements, especially if hallowed by time, 
 are esteemed at a higher rate by the people, 
 and have a happier tendency on the general 
 mind, than sophists, or political economists, 
 may write down in their tablets. 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the 1'rizf. Ring 
 Tom Gaynor and Ned Neai.. 
 
 The rain came down in torrents all the 
 morning, but notwithstanding the ardour 
 of the Fancy could not, and would not, be 
 dwmped by " the pitiless jielting sliowers ;" and 
 if theroad did notdisplay numerous barouches, 
 drags, &:c., as a IMay-day morning, neverthe- 
 
44 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK. OF SPOUTS. 
 
 less, most of the ohl rins-goers came out to 
 witness the mill. The turnpikes of course, 
 hadaturn; the innkeepers were busy; Iheblunt 
 changed masters; and the penny was turned 
 to a good account. The battle between Neal 
 and Gaynor took place on Tuesday, March 
 1.5th, 1831, in the same field where Neal de- 
 feated the great gun {Tom dirtnon), called 
 Warfield, in the parish of Wingfield, Berk- 
 shire. At one o'clock, Neal, attended by 
 Spring AxiA Young Sam, threw his hat into the 
 ring, and was received with loud shouts of 
 approbation : he walked up leisurely, and, in 
 the most composed manner, tied his blue fogle 
 to the slakes. Gaynor soon afterwards made 
 his aj>pearance, and shied his tile also within 
 the ropes — waited upon by Harry Holt, and 
 the lively kid (Ned Stockman), when the yel- 
 Inwman was tied to the blue emblem. Curtis 
 was to have undertaken the office of bottle- 
 holder to Gaynor; but, as he said, a violent 
 attack of the screw-matics prevented him. 
 Simon Byrne was also expected to have acted 
 as second to Neal ; but as he did not appear, 
 Josh, Hudson was mentioned ; neither of the 
 above boxers was on the ground. Neal was 
 decidedly the favorite at "> and G to 4, pre- 
 vious to setting to. Tom Cannon observed ti, 
 Neal, " this is your lucky ground, but it is 
 softer to-day." On Gaynor entering the ring, 
 Neal went up to him, asked him how he did, 
 and shook hands with him. The spot selected 
 for the ring was perfectly dry : the office was 
 given for the men to itecl; when the battle 
 i;omnienced. 
 
 Round 1. Neal looked remarkably well, 
 his condition was good, and owing to the re- 
 novating effects of training, no traces were 
 visible of his recent battle with Sam : his 
 weight was nearly the same, 12 stone 3 lbs. 
 On being asked the question, Neal leplied, 
 " he had not been to scale since his las. ught." 
 Gaynor astonisiied his friends and backers i)y 
 the improvement his frame had undergone in 
 the course of a few weeks, by his careful at- 
 tention to regimen and exercise : he had also 
 completely shakvn-ojf all the up-all-night ap- 
 pearances of a Lush-crib in the heart of the 
 metropolis — the u-aste-bntt sort of thing — the 
 nails in the colfin, and the general stale ap- 
 pearance connected with the character of a 
 fighting man and a London Landlord. Tom iiad 
 made the best use of his time : he entered the 
 ring slap up to the mark, confident of success, 
 aid made up his mind lo nothing else but 
 winning. The attitude? of the men were ex- 
 cellent ; the stakes were high ; the combatants 
 were perfectly aware of each other's milling 
 talents, and both were determined not to give 
 half a chance away. It was therefore cau- 
 tion, extreme caution, and CAUTION to the 
 very echo. Tiiey Jodge-l each other, kept a 
 good look out, and both prepared for any 
 opening thr.t might offer. Ned hopped from 
 any thing like mischief as quick as a squirrel ; 
 and Gaynor jumped out of danger like a pos- 
 ture-master. Several minutes occurred, when 
 
 Gaynor rubbed his hands, as if tired of doing 
 nothing. At the expiration of Fifteen mi- 
 nutes, Tom put down his hands, and stood 
 completely still, smiling [Applause]. Gaynor 
 at length made an offer, but Neal got away. 
 " Wake him up," said Stockman, " and let 
 Ned know he is in the ring." Twenty-two 
 minutes had now expired, and not a blow 
 struck. " Go to work," from all parts of the 
 ring. Thirty -fire minutes, and nothing like 
 mischief, when Gaynor let fly with his right 
 hand, which was beautifully stopped by Neal 
 [Applause]. The spectators were almost 
 tired with watching the movements of the 
 combatants — the caution observed ou both 
 sides was so excessive. Neal hit out, when 
 Gaynor stopped the blow capitally. Ned also 
 followed his opponent up in the corner, and 
 made himself up for mischief — when the 
 peepers of the crowd were on the stretch ex- 
 pecting smashing work ; but it not appearing 
 exactly safe to Neal. he retreated backwards, 
 to the great disappointment of his friends. 
 FORTY-THREE MINUTES had elapsed, 
 when Gaynor, as if worn out with attitudi- 
 nising, made play with his right hand, which 
 was immediately returned by Neal ; several 
 blows were exchanged ; and, in closing, Neal 
 tried to fib his adversary ; the struggle for the 
 throw was severe on both sides, but Gaynor 
 obtained it. Both down, but Neal under- 
 most. 
 
 2. Nothing the matter, but both ready for 
 the attack. After a little dorfghig, Neal fol- 
 lowed up Gaynor to the ropes, but missed a 
 tremendous right-handed blow, which, if it 
 had touched the listener of Gaynor, mjght have 
 altered the state of affairs. In closing, Gay- 
 nor was extremely active with his mauleys: 
 Neal was by no means idle, and the fibbing 
 system was adopted on both sides, until Neal 
 went down. Great shouting. " The Queen's 
 Head," said Stockman, " shall now be the 
 King's Head — we shall win it without a 
 scratched face ; and I'll crown my man with 
 laurels." 
 
 3. The left eye of Gaynor was touched a 
 little. " Look," said Sam, " at the mouse I" 
 " Never mind," replied the lively kid, " your 
 man will soon smell a rat. You ought not to 
 have brought the man here. You took the 
 fight out of him! But he is ready made to 
 our hands." Neal stopped a rum one aimed 
 at his nob, and Gaynor also got out of mischief. 
 The latter hit Neal on his ribs, and Ned re- 
 turned slightly. Caution on both sides. Gay- 
 nor ran in, and in closing, after a most des- 
 perate struggle, got Ned down. Lots of ap- 
 plause for the hero of the Queen's Head. 
 During the half minute while Gaynor was sit- 
 ting on his second's knee. Spring exclaimed — 
 " First blood !" pointing to Gaynor's n»outh ; 
 this was most vehemently disputed by Holt, 
 but to us a very slight tinge oi claret appeared 
 on Gaynor's ivories. 
 
 4. This was a short lound. After tv/o or 
 three blows, Neal went down. Gaynor sung 
 
1»1ERCE EGA^'S BOOK OF SPOUTS 
 
 45 
 
 out — '' Take notice, the first knock-down 
 blow \" This was denied by tlie seconds of 
 the opposite party — but no opinion is of any 
 • alue to decide the event as to betting, except 
 *he umpires and referee. 
 
 5. — Both down — Gaynor uppermost. 
 
 6. The face of Neal looked red, but nothing 
 more. He stopped, in a most scientific style, 
 two hits. Exchanges, when Gaynor laughed, 
 and pointed at his opponent — indicating he 
 did not value his attempts. In closing, Neal 
 struggled violently to obtain the throw, but 
 Gaynor, who is a first-rate wrestler, got Neal 
 down. Loud shouting. The claret was visi- 
 ble enough on the to|) of Neat's nose. 
 
 7. The left hand of Neal told on his oppo- 
 nent's mug, when he ran in and caught hold 
 uf Gaynor so tightly, that, in spite of the 
 str\iggles of the latter, Neal positively lifted 
 nim off the ground and threw him so heavily 
 as to be pronounced almost a burster. 7 to 4 
 on Neal. 
 
 8. 9. These rounds were decidedly in favor 
 of Neal. He touched Tom upon some of the 
 old places, the scars of former brave contests, 
 and the claret was seen trickling down his iron 
 ;-heek. But he was as game as a pebble. In 
 closing, both down. 
 
 10, The scienceof bothof themen was much 
 admired, and the stops on both sides were of 
 the first character of the Art of Sftlf-Dpfonce. 
 Gaynor it treated from mischief, and Neal took 
 care of himself. The strength of the latter 
 was here manifested in a great degree ; he 
 again got Gaynor off his legs — threw, him on 
 the ground with severity enough to take the 
 fight o it of any one — Gayuor's head made a 
 dent in the ground. " Bravo, Neal — he must 
 win it — he has too much wear-and-tear for 
 Gaynor." Two to one. 
 
 11, 12, 13, 14, 1.5, 16. These rounds were 
 like the former ; they partook more of wrest- 
 ling than milliiig ; and altiiough Neal was 
 decidedly the favorite, the old ring-goers and 
 his immediate friends perceived that^his ener- 
 gies were on the wane ; he did not, as hereto- 
 fore in his former battles, go right up to his 
 opponent's head, and fight with him ; in fact, 
 he was too cautious, and retreated at times 
 when he might have done some severe execu- 
 tion. During some of these rounds 3 to 1 had 
 been laid on Neal. 
 
 17. Gaynor, although piping, was confident, 
 and in a masterly style he threw Neal. Great 
 applause, and " well done, Gaynor." 
 
 18. The men were now on their mettle, and 
 mining was the order of the round. Som.e 
 sharp hits occurred between them. Gaynor's 
 nob showed the Aandv-work of his opponent, 
 and the left peeper of Ned was considerably 
 damaged, and put on the winking list. Gay- 
 nor ran after Neal, but Ned was not to be 
 had. Both down. One hour and a quarter 
 had elapsed. 
 
 I'J. This was one of the best rounds in the 
 fight ; and, as the Sage of the East would 
 hare said, had he but seen the men, ihelookers' 
 
 on had the best of it. They stood up to each 
 other well — exchanging hits — the c<,aret on 
 both their mugs, until both down. " A\'ell 
 done, on both sides," and applause from all 
 parts of the ring. 
 
 20, 21, 22. Neal stood well on his pins — 
 his wind was also good — and the general 
 opinion entertained round the ring was, that 
 ne must win ; in fact, the 2Vfrt^ites could not 
 *ay out their blunt, no takers were, except in a 
 few slight instances, to be met with, Gaynor 
 undermost in both of these rounds. 
 
 23. This was a truly distressing round to 
 Tom, and, after some blows were exchanged 
 between them, Ned, by the dint of strengtli, 
 threw Gaynor, who fell upon his head, and 
 Neal went down upon him. Harry Holt, a 
 capital second at all times, never exerted hijn- 
 self more to bring up his man clean and well 
 than he did throughout the fight ; he placed 
 Gaynor's head right — indeed it was almost out 
 of place, so great was the shock he had re- 
 ceived. " It will soon he over — it is as right 
 as a trivet — hoiv can Neal lose it ?" from tiie 
 Blue Fogle party. " By de powers of IMoll 
 Kelly," said a J'atlander, " do dat again for 
 me, Ned, and you shall have all the four 
 
 Misses , with £2000 per annum, for your 
 
 wives ; and I'll give you the ould widow into 
 the bargain." 
 
 24. Gaynor came to the scratch a tiny bit 
 groggy — witii bellows to mend — but never- 
 theless his game was tiie delight of all the 
 spectators. He sparred a short time f(^r wind 
 — when he made play, and some hits were 
 exchanged. In closing, he threw Neal, The 
 applause was great, and " we don't know what 
 to make of it." 
 
 25. Short. Both down. Gaynor under 
 most. 
 
 2G, 27, 28, 29. Although the friends of 
 Neal had made up their minds, at this period 
 of the fight, that he must win the battle, they 
 did not approve of his fondness to obtain the 
 throws— they were aware it must ultimately 
 tear him to pieces. He now and then made 
 use of his left hand, which told on the mug of 
 his opponent ; but, in general, the defensive 
 mode was too prominent : it wanted more of 
 the fighting character. Both down in these 
 rounds, after severe struggles for the falls. 
 
 30. Short. Exchanges. Both down. 
 
 31. Neal commenced fighting, and Gaynor 
 stood well up to him ; counter hits, and not 
 light ones. Both down. 
 
 32. Gaynor planted a severe facer. "Bravo ■! 
 that's the way, Tom," said Stockman, " He 
 don't like it ; two more of the same sort will 
 do the trick — and I'll order a diamond neck- 
 lace from my jeweller's on Ludgate-hill, fo» 
 the Queen's Head — I always patronize merit." 
 Ned drove Gaynor to the ropes, where they 
 were hanging on for a short period, until both 
 down. 
 
 33. Again at the ropes, when Neal held fast 
 by one of the stakes, and ultimately threw 
 Gaynor on his head. Neal uppermost 
 
46 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 34. Oaynor endeavoured to serve out Neal, 
 but he escaped from punishment, and went 
 dowrn, " Take your man out of the ring," 
 said Curtis to Holt, " you have won it." Ned 
 vent down without a blow. The Pet was 
 very attentive to the battle — watching every 
 movement, with his ticker in his hand, to see 
 the time kept correctly, and how long the 
 battle lasted. 
 
 35. Nothing the matter in this round. Both 
 down. 
 
 36. This was a fighting round. Ned's 
 peeper was almost closed ; but, nevertheless, 
 his backers were quite sanguine as to the ter- 
 mination of the battle. Both their mugs were 
 clareted. Tom was terribly distressed, but he 
 was not down upon his luck. In closing, 
 both down, Gaynor undermost. 
 
 37. Gaynor planted another facer, and was 
 following it up, when Neal went down, " He's 
 as dead as a house," said Stockman. " You 
 are wrong, my lively kid," replied a Patlander, 
 " Ned is as strong as a Hercules, and will soon 
 put on the polish, honey." 
 
 38. 39. "The appearance of Neal's mug, ex- 
 cepting his nearly darkened peeper, did not 
 show much punishment ; and his wind was 
 good. In closing, the Jibbing system was re- 
 sorted to, and Gaynor had none the worst of 
 it. Both down. The friends of Gaynor were 
 now on the qui vive. He'll win it now ! 
 " Win it!" said Reuben Martin, " How can 
 Tom lose it ? Neal is as slow as a top ; it 
 will soon be over." 
 
 40, 41, 42. To the spectators in general, 
 Ned appeared fresh and strong enough to fight 
 for half an hour longer ; but one of his imme- 
 diate friends, also a bacV.er, and a near rela- 
 tive of Neal's, said in a sort of whisper — a 
 sighing kind of ejaculation— upon perceiving 
 an alteration in his countenance for the worse, 
 "By J — s, the battle's lost!' Gaynor re- 
 viving, made play, planted two hits ; ex- 
 changes, and Ned down. 
 
 43, and Last. On coming to the scratch, 
 Ned, as usual, made himself up for milling, 
 but on Gaynor's attempting to plant a hit, he 
 retreated to tlie ropes. Tom followed him, 
 and in closing, Gaynor threw Neal, which 
 gave the latter a sort of twist in his neck, and 
 likewise fell on him. Upon Spring and Sam 
 picking up Neal, he was insensible ; and 
 although the ex-champion pulled his head on 
 one side, and the young phenomenon on the 
 other, Ned could not be tvaked, and was deaf 
 to the call of time. Gaynor jumped for joy, 
 and received the shouts of the spectators as 
 the conqueror, and the congratulations of his 
 friends. The battle continued for ONE 
 HOUR AND FIFTY -ONE MINUTES. 
 Gaynor walked to his barouche and four, when 
 the yellow fogle was soon hoisted over the 
 fallen blue bird's eye out of the window, and 
 the prads went off at a smart rate for Shirley's, 
 his trainer, at Egham ; while, on the contrary, 
 Ned was carried to his vehicle, and conveyed 
 with the utmost speed to Sunning Hill, at- 
 
 tended by his seconds, put to bed, and bled by 
 a medical man, to make " all right." Ned 
 complained of his right shoulder. Gaynor 
 went to bed at Egham for a couple of hours, 
 and then started for town, where he arrived at 
 the Queen's Head, Duke's Court, Bow Street, 
 about nine o'clock. His house was overflow- 
 ing with company to hail his return ; and also 
 a complete mob outside the doors. 
 
 OnSERVATIONS. 
 
 Neal may now say, in the words of Shak- 
 speare, " A pox on both your houses !" in al- 
 lusion to Sam and Gaynor, or perhaps the 
 phrase might be more appropriate — " between 
 you both, I have been bothered out of my 
 fighting qualities ! — I have lost my fair fame, 
 and terminated my milling career as a losing 
 man !" According to his intimate friends 
 and backers, having two matches on at once 
 proved rather too much for his mind — after 
 his severe defeat by Sam — having only eight 
 clear weeks, or fifty-six days, to get over the 
 mortifying recollection of his loss of glory, and 
 to appear again at the scratch, fighting his man 
 £300 to £200. To say the least of it, the 
 match was ill judged ; but the fault did not 
 rest with Neal ! his backers made the match 
 without consulting him, and he would not let 
 tliem forfeit their deposits. Indeed, so confi- 
 dent was he of success, that he put down 
 £200 of his own money towards the stakes. 
 But tiie truth must be told; and, to sum up 
 in little, Ned is nothing like so good a man 
 as heretofore ; he wants energy ; his fighting 
 points have left him ; his perception is nothing 
 like so acute, as in his previous battles, to 
 seize upon an opening likely to lead to 
 victory, after the illcln&er of a Xelson, or 
 a Wellington, and to turn it to a successful 
 account. His determination, resoluti'^n, game, 
 fortitude, gluttony, bottom, or devil, which- 
 ever the reader likes best, does not now attach 
 to his once warlike pugilistic character. He 
 does not like to be a receiver — it does not suit 
 his constitution. Owing to the above cir- 
 cumstances he lost his fight Avith Sam ! But 
 it ought never to be forgotten by the fancy, 
 and the milling coves in general, "that he 
 
 HAS DONE THE RING SOME SERVICE, AND THEY 
 
 KNOW IT !" He never did wrong ; and his 
 conduct as a boxer was always straight for- 
 ward. Out of EIGHTEEN BATTLES in 
 the Prize Ring, /our times only he experienced 
 defeat. 
 
 Respecting the conqueror, Tom Gaynok, as 
 a scientific fighter, he is well known and re- 
 spected ; and as a game man he must be 
 admired. His caution in the early part of the 
 battle proved his sound judgment towards 
 obtaining victory. Gaynor only weighed 11 
 stone 31b., a stone less than his opponent ; it 
 will be admitted that caution became neces- 
 sary — cmd he was perfectly aware that, to- 
 wards the latter part of the fight, irameness 
 was essential — nay, without it he could not 
 have proved the conqueror. We are extremely 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 47 
 
 glad to hear that Neal has taken his leave of 
 the ring; and we sincerely hope ToM Gaynok 
 will adopt the same resolution. 
 
 GOING TO SEE THE FIGHT. 
 
 Tune. — "The night before Imyxi was stretched." 
 
 "To be, or not to be, that's the question." 
 
 Tommy Hudsox. 
 The watchmaD was crying " |iast four," 
 
 When lanky Tom I>enuy arose ; 
 He jump'd out o' bed on the lioer, 
 
 Aud groped in Die dark, for his c'.othes- 
 Him, cross eyed Billy Smart, 
 
 And Sam Grope bad agreed ovei- night ; 
 Aud borrcw'd Aby Long's liorse and cart, 
 Togo down and see Ihe figlii. 
 
 The morning was lourii and wet. 
 
 The clouds seem'd leady to bui-st ; 
 Say? Sam, " no good hick I shall get, 
 
 I got out o' bed backside first ' 
 Says Tow, " we shall do well enough, 
 
 Tlie day light will make it all right ; 
 Such old woman's sayings are stiift'. 
 
 Ar'n't we going to see the fight 1" 
 
 Says Bill, " it looks queer, for my part. 
 
 We've only one horse 'tis true ; 
 Bar.h him 'tween the shafts of the cart, 
 
 And then you'll see he'll be to." 
 Says Tom, " clap a stop on your muns. 
 
 And buckle that belly-band tight ; 
 We don't want none of your puns, 
 
 'Cause we're going to see the fight." 
 
 The three all, without more ado, 
 
 Jump'd into the cart all alive. 
 And had then a rare filliloo. 
 
 Concerning which on 'em should drive. 
 Says Bill, " we must go pretty sharp, 
 
 To get back to town by night : 
 So iet s have no rows, — come orp ! 
 
 We're going to see the fight." 
 
 The pike man at Tyburn Gate, 
 
 About the mill not at all knowing. 
 Cried out, " why you drive a rare rate. 
 
 Gentlemen, where are you going 1" 
 Says Bill, " why, Pikey, yo ho! 
 
 Cup, hand up the change— all right ; 
 We all on us, if you must know, 
 
 Are going to see the fight." 
 
 They guv'd him a bad half-crown, 
 
 ' Twas so dark that he could not see ; 
 And, though the rain still pattered down, 
 
 They started again off with glee. 
 The mare went along pretty prime, ^ 
 
 Aud now it began to get light ; 
 They hoped to be there in time. 
 
 Thus going to see the fight. 
 
 To Wormwood Scrubbs then they got. 
 
 All three well wet to the skin ; 
 Of porter they call'd for a pot. 
 
 And three half-quarterns of gin. 
 The landlord laughed, ready to burst. 
 
 Says he, " why your scent is not right ; 
 Vou mubt go to Moiilsey Hurst, 
 
 If you want to see the fight. 
 
 Then all held a council of war. 
 
 As tr what was best to be done ; 
 Tom Lenny he said 'twas too fur 
 
 For Aby Long's mare to run. 
 Bill Smart said, " O that's all my eye. 
 
 The mare is in very good plight : 
 1 motes that we do go — foi why ■? 
 
 Why we com'd out to see the fight." . 
 The mare again put in the cart, 
 
 'Cross the country to Moulsey to roam; 
 But not liking that way to start. 
 
 She bolted straight forwards for home. 
 She ran as if drove by a witch: 
 
 Tom Lenny held the reins tight; 
 She capsized then\ all in a ditch. 
 
 Going to see the fight. 
 
 Tom Lenny got out of it first. 
 
 And all round about him did stare ; 
 Sam Grope swore, hallofd, and curs'd, 
 
 And Bill Smart he wallopd the mare. 
 The shafts and the axletree broke 
 
 Left the cart in a pitiful plight ; 
 All of 'em thought it uojoke. 
 
 Thus going to see die fight 
 he mare was much hurt by the fall. 
 
 They found totheii iiding a baulk ; 
 She scaicely could toddle at all. 
 
 So they weie oifinuted to walk. 
 To a stable they got her at la.st. 
 
 While the cart in the mud stuck so light ' 
 hey walk d up to town,— not so fast 
 , As they'd gone down to see the fight. 
 When Aby Long heard it next day. 
 
 He blow'd iij) all three of them roun'J ; 
 And made 'em the damages pay, 
 
 A matter of five or six pound. 
 My advice now may not be the worst. 
 
 Never choose a man with a cross sight ; 
 Nor get out of bed backside first. 
 
 When you're going to see a tight. 
 
 THE LAST WORDS AND TESTAMENT 
 
 OF 
 
 ROBERT LOGIC, ESQ. 
 
 [Froyn Pierce Egan's Finish to Life in London. '\ 
 Being ■wide awaLe— my upper sTOR'i" in per- 
 fect repair — and down to what I am about — I 
 have seized hold of the feather, with ^ firm 
 hand, to render myself intelligible, and also 
 to communicate the objects I have in view : 1 
 give and bequeath unto my friend, Jerry 
 Hawthorn, F^sq., my tile, my ca.stor, my topper, 
 my upper-crust, my pimple- cover er, otherwise 
 MY HAT, which, I hope, will never be the 
 means of changing the app»^arance of " an 
 old friend with a new face." To my out-and- 
 out friend and companion, Corinthian Tour, 
 . I give my spread, my sianmer-cdbbuge, niy 
 uuter-plitnt , but more generally understood as 
 my i/MP.RELLA ; who, I feel assured, will never 
 let it be made use of as a shelter for duplicity, 
 ingratitude, or huml/uggery of any sort ! 
 Also, to Jf.krv Hawthorn, Esq., I resign my 
 fam-snalchers, i. e. my gloves, under the con- 
 sideration, if he ever should part with them, 
 that they are only to be worn by those per- 
 sons who have " a hand to give, and a heart 
 that forgives !" Likewise to Jerry Haw- 
 thorn, Esq., I bequeath my four- eyes, my bar- 
 nacles, my green specs., but, amongst opticians, 
 denominated spectacles. It is ray sincere 
 wish, that nothing greeii will be ever seen 
 api(ertaining to them, except their colour: I 
 also hope they will not, upon any occasion 
 whatever, magnifij trifles into diffiouliies : 
 but enable the wearer to see his way through 
 LIFE as clear as crystal ! I press upon Jerry 
 Hawthorn, Esq., his acceptance of my f ogle, 
 my wipe, my clout., my sneezer, politely termed 
 a SILK HANDKERCHIEF. This article has often 
 been used to wipe oft' the tear of pity, and 
 always forthcoming at a tale of distress ; may 
 it be ever at hand on such Christian-like 
 occasions ! To Philip Timothy Splintd-i 
 Esq., I bequeath my upper tog, my Benjamin, 
 my wrapper, generally called a top coat, with 
 the advice, that however it may be mended 
 
48 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 mended, and mended again, he will never let with his kindness towards the failings of 
 it be turned against unavoidable misfortunes, others, teaches him to tread lightly o'er the 
 poverty, and charity. My ticker, my tattler, ashes of the dead ! To prevent mistakes re- 
 my thimble, otherwise my watch, I bequeath specting my bit, I have not a bit to leave ; it 
 to Jerry Hawthorn, Esq., as an emblemat- having been with me for some time past — 
 ical gift to keep TIME upon all occasions — to Pockets to Lt.T, unfurnished; Sic transit gloria 
 remember its inestimable value ; and also to mundi ! But, nevertheless, I trust that i 
 recollect that he will, some day or another, be have always proved amicus humani gerieris ! 
 wound-u]) for the last time. My two seals I My books having been long booked for their 
 give conjointly to my most valued and dear value, and afforded me consolation and sup- 
 friends, Corinthian Tom and Jerry Haw- port in the hour of need — 1, therefore, leave 
 THORN, Esqrs., in order, if possible, that the as I found it, for other folks to bustle in, that 
 bonds of friendship may be more firmly seated great volume— the WORLD ! which, upon 
 between them, to the end of their lives. To all occasions, was my sheet anchor ! assisted 
 Miss Mary Rosebud, I give and bequeath my by the following good old maxims, as my 
 DIAMOND RING, as a representative of her ex- guide : — 
 
 cellent brilliant qualities, and also as a golden Tempus edax rerum. 
 
 fence, to secure her virtue, reputation, and Vincet Veritas. 
 
 dignity. To my worthy friend, Sir John Principiis obsta. 
 
 Blubber, Knt., I give and bequeath my pad- Vitiis nemo sine nascitur. 
 
 ders, my stampers, my buckets, otherwise, my Spes mea in Deo. 
 
 BOOTS, whose knowledge of mankind, united Spero meliora. Robert Logic. 
 
 Was erected in remembrance of 
 
 ROBERT LOGIC, Esq. 
 
 A^ho was viewed throughout the circle of his acquaintances as 
 A MAN, 
 In every sense of the word, ^ 
 
 VALUABLE AS GOLD ! 
 
 Mirth and Good-Humour were always at his elbows ; but 
 
 DULL CARE 
 
 Was never allowed a seat in his presence. 
 
 He played the first fiddle in all companies, and was never out of tune : 
 
 BOB was a wit of the first quality ; 
 
 3ut his satire was general, and levelled against the follies of nieinkind ; 
 
 PERS'„^A^1TV and Scandal he disclaimed : 
 
 His exertions were always directed to make others happy. 
 
 As a CHOICE SPIRIT, he was unequalled ; 
 
 And as a sincere friend, never excelled ; but in his character of a 
 
 MAN OF THE WORLD, 
 
 BOB LOGIC was a Mirror to all his Companions. 
 
 Mankind had been his study ; and he had perused the Great 
 
 With superior advantages ; and his Commentaries o 
 
 MEN AND MANNERS 
 
 Displayed not only an enlarged mind ; but his opinions were 
 
 gentlemanly and liberal. 
 
 His intimate knowledge of vice had preserved him from being vicious ; 
 
 by which source he was able to discriminate with effect ; and 
 
 Virtue appeared more beautiful in his eyes. 
 
 Truth was his polar star ; and integrity his sheet anchor. 
 
 Adversity could not reduce his noble mind. 
 
 And Prosperity was not suffered to play tricks with his feelings : 
 
 HE WAS A MAN UNDER ALL CIRCUMSTANCES! 
 
 Flattery he despised ; while Candour obtained his respect ; and 
 
 the corner-stone of his character was^-SINCERlTY. 
 
 Ke was charitable, but not ostentatious, and a well-wisher to all the world. 
 
 His Friends 
 
 TOM AND JERRY, 
 
 Lamenting his severe loss in Society, trust, that upon the 
 
 AWFUL DAY OF RECKONING, 
 
 The Great Auditor of Accounts will find his BALANCE SHEET 
 
 Correct, {errors excepted) : 
 
 And as the whole tenour of BOB LOGIC'S life had been a volume 
 
 OF pleasure, they sincerely hope it will be 
 
 WELL BOUND at the last ! 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 4^ 
 
 PAUL PRY 
 
 TAKING A SYNOPSIS OF 
 
 Well, I hope T don't ii trade, but I wish I 
 may die if ever I saw so lively a sip,ht ! 'tis 
 beautiful ! All bustle, all glorious confusion ; 
 but, nevertheless, all happiness. I am sorry 
 my Paulina is not here, she is so very fond of 
 a bit of sport — my Kib would enjoy it so 
 much. I really don't wish to intrude ; but 
 one cannot intrude here. I should think they 
 are such a set of jolly dogs, all hail fellow 
 well met. Sporting of al' sports — pick and 
 choose, as my fruit- woman says, where you 
 like best, according to your fancy. Here's 
 
 HORSE-RACING, HUNTING, MILLING, CRICKET, 
 SAILING, BOXING, ANGLING, SHOOTING, &C. 
 
 Every body is on the qui vii-e — some to look 
 after the blunt — others to ' drop it,' as the 
 sporting folks say. What funny fellows they 
 are ! Lots of sharps to be met witli, and 
 plenty of flats to be picked up ! But it is al^ 
 4. 
 
 THE SPORTING WORLD. 
 
 right : what precious dull ' Old Fogeys we 
 should soon be, if we had not sometliing now 
 and then to divert our a teution from the 
 crosses and losses in this life, and to rub off the 
 rust of ' Care' from our minds ! we might also 
 lay down and die with grief, and according 
 to the song, 
 
 '' Let us all be unhappy together." 
 
 No, no — that will never do (or Patd Pry. 
 Blow me, if I don't love a bit of life; and I 
 am not one of those sort of chaps who say 
 they enjoy the ' luxury of woe 1' I am for the 
 other side of the picture — to laugh and grow 
 fat. Besides the old English sports do good 
 to all classes of life — the money is continually 
 changing masters at such times — the rich man 
 spends it freely, and the poor fellow finds the 
 advantages resulting from these sort of 
 
 K 
 
60 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 amusements for the sale of his wares. As the 
 late Lord Byron said, 
 
 Cash does, and cash alone ; 
 Cash rules the grove, and fells it too besides ; 
 Without CASH, camps v/ere thin, and courts were none ; 
 
 Without CASH 
 
 I wish I may die, " if I an't all my eye and 
 Betty Martin :" and Lord Byron, great a man 
 as he was, if he were alive now, he could not 
 say a bit more to the purpose. Therefore, as 
 I often tell my Paulina over onr twankey, and 
 Sally Lunn. when she and I can't match our 
 horses together, every one to his/awcy : and 
 so it ought to be — there is nothing like variety 
 — and the sporting world gives you a fine 
 sample of it. May I be hanged, if I don't like 
 to hear those sporting chaps cAq^, as they call 
 it ; you cannot be dull in their company ; yet, 
 nevertheless, there is a great deal of routine 
 about their conversation, and they scarcely 
 ever open their mouths without finishing the 
 sentence with, " I'll bet you 2 to 1 ; 6 to 4 ; 
 and so on, that you do not name the winner :" 
 indeed, without a bet amongst these sort of 
 gentry, any thing like interest seems to eva- 
 porate from their minds, and the whole of 
 their arguments become little else than 
 *' stale, flat, and unprofitable." 
 
 Blow me, if ever I shall forget it the longest 
 day I have to live; indeed, it always makes 
 me laugh whenever the circumstance flashes 
 across my memory, although the first time that 
 I told it to Paulina I thought she would 
 have snapped my nose off. She looked at me 
 with such an ill-natured frown that I did not 
 know what to make of it, when she observed 
 that, I ought to have been ashamed of myself — 
 itreally was profane, nay, quite awful. Some- 
 thing like making game of the church. But 
 Lord bless your unsophisticated soul, an- 
 swered I, you never Paulina were more in the 
 basket in your life time, to think that I would 
 make game of the church ! Indeed, I know 
 myself too well for that: because I am well 
 assured there are several good one's amongst 
 them at all events. I have lived long enough 
 to know that the ' Devil is never half so black 
 as he is painted ;' and in spite of all the songs 
 and balderdash made against the clergy, I 
 shall always pay respect to the ' good ones' 
 of the cloth : — 
 
 At the sign of the horse. 
 Old Spintext of course. 
 
 Each night took his pipe and his pot ; 
 O'er a jorum of nappy, 
 Quite pleasant and happy. 
 
 Was plac'd the canonical sot ! 
 
 However, that is neither here nor there to my 
 story ; but that Tom Six-to-Four was such a 
 precious fellow for betting, that I happened 
 once accidentally to meet him in a chapel, 
 when he, witiiout the least hesitation, offered 
 me a wager of 3 to 2 that he would mention 
 the time by five minutes nearer than I did, 
 when old Spintext had finished his sermon. 
 Blow me, if ever I felt so much ashamed in 
 all my life, and I did not know where to put 
 ray head ; therefore, I was compelled to bolt. 
 
 and cut the sermon, in order to prevent be- 
 having ill towards the minister, or disre«. 
 spectfully to the congregation. 
 
 But, nevertheless, there are a gay, high- 
 spirited, liberal-minded, set of fellows, who 
 forget and forgive in spite of all their little 
 ' blowings up' to get a point the best of one 
 another in a bet : and likewise the right sort 
 of chaps to make the money fly, as the trades- 
 men call it, and, to keep trade moving. 
 Blow me if I don't remember the " Fot;u- 
 IN-HAKD Club," as they called themselves : — 
 that was the ' time of day' for the Sporting 
 World, as my friend Jack Dash used to say, 
 when you might meet witli a ' mub of swells' 
 in every street at the west end of the town, 
 and ' well breeched' into the bargain, with 
 lots of goldfinches to make the ' wisit pleasant.' 
 Talk of the procession of the mail coaches 
 compared with ' the fours,' why they must not 
 be mentioned in the same day with the elegant 
 turn-outs ofthe Club. It was quite a treat to 
 see them start from Hyde Park Corner ; such 
 prime cattle, I never saw before nor since, 
 proper high-bred ones, quite beauties : and t 
 wish I may die, if every one of their drags, 
 yes, they used to call them drags, I well re- 
 member, were not complete pictures to look 
 at, and ought to have been framed and glazed 
 for the honor ofthe coachmakers, and to per- 
 petuate the taste of the club. They were in- 
 deed, real gentlemen coachmen — dressed like 
 gentlemen — and also looked like gentlemen, 
 although their toggery was sporting like, and 
 appeared rather knowing. I think now I see 
 Mr. Charles Buxton, their leader, mount tlie 
 box and give the signal for starting : I fancy 
 he was a fine fellow to put-'em-along ; an or- 
 nament and honor to the road ; followed by 
 Lord Haivke, nothing else but a good one to 
 get over the ground ; and close after him the 
 Earl of Portarlington, an excellent whip. 
 Mr. Akers, also a capital coachman ; and 
 then Mr. Osbaldeston with his ' Canary,' as 
 those high bred ones used to call his vehicle ; 
 indeed, it was slap-up to the echo, that is. 
 slap up again ; you could not keep your eyes 
 off his drag, it was such an elegant article — 
 a pattern for all other coachmen. The 
 Hon. Captain Agar, %vho well knew what to 
 do with four prime tits before him ; Sir 
 Harry Vane Tempest was likewise 'bang up' 
 to the mark ; and >he S. S. of the Club ; Sir 
 John Rogers, who could handle the ribbons 
 with as much ease and dexterity as he did 
 his feather, to make " all right" The Earl 
 of Sefton pushed along with all the style of a 
 first rate charioteer ; Mr. Wedderburne Web- 
 ster, equally on the qui live to add style to 
 the club ; and the Hon. Lincoln SUmhope, full 
 of life and fire, scarcely able to hold in his 
 prime ' goers' they were such out-and-outers. 
 Major Pelhy, safe, pieasant, and easy, driving 
 with all the sang froid, as if toddling over a 
 bowling green. Sir Bellingham Graham, at 
 home to a peg. A regular sporting hero — 
 well furnished for the box, the chace, or the 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 51 
 
 race course. Nothing to learn, but complete 
 at all points — the proprietor, horses, -jntl drag, 
 all of a-piece — excellent. Sir Godfrey Web- 
 ster — a regular dash, neck-or-notlung, turf or 
 turnpike, and no odds about the matter. 
 Never on the fret, but who looked aftej- the 
 leader, and made the wheelers do their work 
 —might have got a birth for a regular drags- 
 luan, and no questions asked — the whip look- 
 ed well in his hands. Sir Charles Bam/ijlde, 
 pluck to the back bone — too game to be 
 beaten on any suit- — with the prads quite 
 under his command. Mr. Champion, nothing 
 wanting to 'show off' well. 3Ir. Harrison, a 
 right one, and never at fault ; and, though last 
 not least in the catalogue of excellence, Sir 
 John Lade, the emperor of whips — whose title 
 precludes the necessity of any further com- 
 ments. Blow me, if I would not walk, nay, 
 almost hop, ten miles to see such a club start 
 now-a-days ; but the young Swells do not ap- 
 pear to me to have half the spunk the above 
 ' Choice Spirits' possessed. They were, 
 indeed, nothing else but rummy ones ! 
 
 The proprietor of race-horses will en- 
 tertain you for hours together with the blood, 
 bone, and pedigree of his high-bred cattle ; 
 but ask him to trace his family connections, 
 and he will laugh at you for being a bore, and 
 wonder how you could waste your time upon 
 such dry uninteresting details. Telling you, 
 at the same time, to let the dead rest in their 
 graves, as he ias objects of greater import- 
 ance in view . 
 
 See the Course throng'd with gazers, the sports are 
 
 begun. 
 What confusion, but hear ! I'll bet yoii. Sir ! done ! 
 Ten thousand strange rujnours resound far and near. 
 Lords, hawkers, and jockeys, assail t'ne tir'd ear ; 
 While with neck, like a rainbow, erecting his crest, 
 Pamper'd, prancing, aud pleas'dj nis head touching 
 
 his breast 
 Scarcely snuffing the air, he's so proud and elate, 
 TheHinH-METTLEU RiCKR first starts for the plate 
 
 What a beautiful race ! A. handkerchief 
 might cover the whole of them ! Haw charm- 
 ingly Fanny moves her legs ! What speed ! 
 She's a picture of a horse I There's nothing 
 like her on the course for blood and bone ! 
 The mare wins the Cup for 1000 gs. " Done ! 
 once more, if you like !" " Done !" " I'll do 
 it again. Sir !" " You do to the end of the 
 chapter ! She is not the favorite, and that's 
 quite enough for me to lay upon her. Bar 
 Long Legs and the Duke, and I'll take the 
 field." 'My eye, did you ever see such 
 whipping and slashing ! There's jockeyship ! 
 Neck and neck ! What prime ones ! It must 
 be a dead heat!" "No, no!" "Huzza! 
 Fanny's got the lead — she keeps it ! What a 
 plungn ! Go along, my dear Fanny— she 
 passes the winning post ! She's won the 
 Cup! That's the time of day.— Hnzza! 
 Huzza!" I wish I may die, if this sort of 
 sporting lingo is not very moving: it keeps 
 all our senses upon the alert; and, for the 
 time being, the interest is kept up so strongly 
 on our minds, that nothing e'se is thought of 
 but the winning horse 
 
 And then the fox-hunter, who thinks he 
 is always at the heels of the fox, if you listen 
 to his discourse ; yet, I wish I may die if it 
 don't do one good to hear him, there is su 
 much spirit in his description : — 
 
 -Hark I what loud shouts 
 
 Re-echo through the groves ! he breaks away : 
 Shrill horns proclaim his flight. Each straggling' 
 
 hound 
 Strains o'er the lawn to reach the distant pack. 
 'Tis triumph all, and joy." 
 
 It was the fox 1 saw as he came down the 
 hill : those crows directed me which way to 
 lool<, and the sheep ran from iiim as lie passed 
 along. The hounds are now on t!ie very 
 spot, yet the sheep stop them not, for tliey 
 dart beyond them. Now see with what 
 eagerness they cross the plain ! Galloper no 
 longer keeps his place. Brusher takes it : 
 see how he flings for the scent, and how im- 
 petuously he runs ! How eagerly he took the 
 lead, and how he strives to keep it ! yet 
 Victor comes up apace. He reaches him ! 
 See what an excellent race it is between 
 them ! It is doubtful which will reach the 
 cover first! how eagerly they strain! — now 
 Victor, Victor! Ah ! Brusher you are beat; 
 Victor first tops the hedge. See there ! see 
 how they all take it in their strokes ! The 
 hedge cracks with their weight, so many jump 
 at once. Blow me, if I an't all in raptures 
 with their discourse — it is all life : and as I 
 say to my Paulina, when I can't get her out 
 of bed in a morning, it is exercise is the best 
 doctor — I hate apothecary's bills — and I al- 
 ways cry out when I see their draughts come 
 into my house ; ' throw physic to the dogs, 
 I'll have none of it.' And the best way too, 
 I'll be hanged if it an't? 
 
 Neither is the pigeon-shooter at a loss for 
 arguments to support his favorite sport; and 
 he will also keep you engaged in conversa- 
 tion for half a day together, to hear about his 
 exploits at the Red House : that he may be 
 backed with safety, as he is in the possession 
 of a gun that never misses the bird, either from 
 the trap or in a preserve, he is such a good 
 marksman. Blow me, if it does not make 
 me laugh heartily sometimes to hear some of 
 these cnaps praise themselves, and lay it on 
 as thick as mustard — they ' out-herod Herod,' 
 so much with their would-be crack shots ; 
 but then, as I tell my Paulina, there is no- 
 thing like being good-natured — that ' more 
 flies are caught with honey than with vinegar ;' 
 so I accommodate them and swallow it all as 
 gospel what they assert. By which means I 
 never lose a friend. And I wish I may die 
 if it an't the best way — there is nothing got 
 by contradiction. Then sometimes in an even- 
 ing I drop in to near a bit of a cha7it after 
 they have killed baskets full of birds — which 
 gives a zest to their glasses of liquor ; and 
 which also enables them to blow ' dull Care' 
 away with the whiffs from their cigars : — 
 
 There's no rural sport surpasses, 
 PIGEON SHOOTING, cirUiug glasses, 
 E2 
 
62 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Fill the crystal goblet «ip ; 
 
 Fill the crystal gohlet up ; 
 No Game Laws can ever tliwart us, 
 fioT qui tarns nor Habeas Corpus, 
 For our license Venus grants. 
 
 Let's he grateful ; here's a bumper ; 
 
 For her bounty, here's a bumper. 
 
 The lovers of Sailing are equally eloquent 
 in support of their amusement; and I wish I 
 may die, if they don't study how to look and 
 act the character of a sailor with as much 
 care as a performer on the stage ; and they 
 also knock about nautical phrases to the 
 great astonishment of the natives of the vil- 
 lages both up and down the river — with the 
 most perfect ease and confidence. But blow 
 me if I don't like to go a short voyage in a 
 sailing boat — you enjoy so delightfully the 
 breezes, and also avoid the dust : indeed, my 
 Paulina will have it that sAort voyages are the 
 safest on board such boats. "That is a pre- 
 judice, my dear Paulina," says I ; " Did you 
 ever hear now of a sailing boat being lost ?" 
 *' No, Paul," she replied ; " I must admit 
 that I did not." " Well, then," I answered, 
 "as Bill Bet-all says— it is all the amateur 
 sailing boats on Old Father Thames to one, 
 that there is no going to the boitom about it 
 and I hope I may never have another squint 
 to get hold of a secret, if I don't like the gal- 
 lantry attached to those clubs — they name 
 their boats after their sweethearts, or some 
 favorite girl ; and if ever I have the luck to 
 have one built, blow me if she can't be called 
 * the Paulina :" in accordance with the follow- 
 ing song: — 
 
 My love's a vessel, trim and gay, 
 
 Rigg'd out with truth and stor'd with honor. 
 As thro' life's breeze she cuts her way, 
 
 All ejes with rapture gaze upon her. 
 
 Built, ev'ry wond'ring heart to please. 
 The lucky shipwright's love and fancy 1 
 
 From stem to stern she sails with ease, 
 And at her launch they called her Nancy. 
 
 If you pay attention to the Patron of Scien- 
 tific Pugilism, you will find that he is equally 
 as much devoted to Milling as the lover of 
 racing, the ardent fox-hunter, and the patient 
 angler, are to their various sports. He is 
 quite eloquent in his mode of delivery upon 
 the subject: — " Only look at his condition," 
 says he, at the boxer he is going to back, 
 " he is as fine as a star ; as full of bone and 
 blood as a thorough bred racer, and as nimble 
 on his pins as a greyhound. He is a picture 
 to look at ; and such a boy to hit and get 
 away, and never distressed ! He is quite an 
 artist in his line — he paints after nature ; and 
 the late Sir Thomas Laurence, with all his 
 tip-top excellence, never produced such beau- 
 tiful colours. View him as a polisher, and the 
 French are a complete century behind him 
 for talent — he polishes off his antagonist in 
 such quick time : but for putting in & floorer, 
 what an author would term a climax, and the 
 actor a denouement ; he is nothing else but a 
 Nonpareil — and he must prove the winner. 
 ' Lombard Street to a China orange,' and no 
 .mistake : — 
 
 First, my muse I'll invoke— the brave Sires of the 
 
 Fist, 
 Those heropsof old who stand high on the list, — ■' 
 To Figg, father Broughton, and veteran Slack, — 
 Tom JoHJisoN, Mich. Ryan that brave P»tioy 
 
 WUACK ! 
 To do thom all justice I cannot now stay. 
 Nor half their brave actions and feats here display, 
 But couw^r.v or colour to us are the same, 
 Only anxious are we in preserving the Game. 
 
 And then the quiet angler, who prides him- 
 self on his favorite sport, viewing all other 
 sorts of amusement as little better than loss of 
 time, who will sit, throughout a long summer's 
 day, like 
 
 Patience on a monument. 
 Smiling 
 
 And yet he appears completely satisfied with 
 his day's sport, if he only obtains " a nibble." 
 Well, blow me if there is any accounting for 
 the different tastes of men ; yet, nevertheless, 
 the adage is perfectly true, that " one man's 
 meat is another man's poison :" only hear the 
 angler : — 
 
 Oh, my beloved nymph ! tair dove ! 
 Princess of rivers ! how I love 
 
 Upon tby flowery banks to lie 
 And view thy silver stream 
 When gilded by a summer beam, 
 
 And in it all thy wanton fry, 
 
 Playing at liberty ; 
 And, with my angle upon them, 
 
 The all of treachery 
 
 1 ever learn'd industriously to try. 
 
 May I never again pick up a bit of inform- 
 ation on the sly, if it is not quite a treat to 
 hear the ' chaff-cutting' between the chaps in 
 the Sporting World, denominated * Trotters ;' 
 their very souls, as it were, seem interested 
 upon nothing else but ' trotting-matches,'— it 
 is quite a mania among them, from the proprie- 
 tor of the humble donkey, the natty kill-bull, 
 up to the Heavy Swell, The leading feature 
 of their discourse, at all times, is concerning 
 the capabilities of their cattle : i. e., what a 
 horse can perform in an hour, either to walk, 
 trot, or to gallop. " I have got one of the 
 fastest things alive," observes an old Trotting 
 JMan to his company, — '' there is nothing like 
 my mare in this country; or in the next to it ; 
 and also a great way further off — the whole 
 world." Blow me if I have not -often stared 
 again with surprise at the strange remarks I 
 have heard : and, when the subject has been 
 completely exhausted, then you are sure to 
 hear it brought forward again in verse, — 
 
 Come, I ride as good a trotting-horse as any one in 
 
 town, 
 He'll trot you sixteen miles an hour, I'll bet a hundred 
 
 pound : 
 He's such a one to bend his knees, and tuck his 
 
 haunches in, 
 That to heave the dirt in people's eyes, he thinks it 
 
 not a sin. 
 
 So he rides away, trots awiy, &c. 
 
 In fact, in every different pursuit in the 
 Sporting World-, you will find persons equally 
 animated in the praise of that peculiar sport, 
 in which they feel the most interested ; and 
 the Cricketer will tire out your patience 
 with the abilities of Jem Never-lose. " Jem,'' 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 5;> 
 
 says he, " is such a prime chap to catch a ball, 
 to bowl down a wicket, or to stump his man 
 out, that there is notliing like him in the list 
 of cricketers. He is a very poor fellow, but 
 that is of no consequence to Sporting Men ; 
 he possesses such knowledge of the game of 
 cricket, that the Swells from all parts of the 
 kingdom always send for Jem when they are 
 making any match of consequence ; in fact, 
 they can't do without Never-lose, if they mean 
 to tciii the match ; besides, he is such a good 
 one to make up ' an Eleven' against all Eng- 
 land." I wish I may die, if Jem an't so much 
 interested in the game of cricket, that he does 
 not care one farthing respecting the success of 
 the Reform Bill, — paying off the National 
 Debt, — or who ' rules the Roast;' so that he 
 can catch a ball, or bowl his opponent out. 
 Blow me, if Never-lose did not get me into a 
 string for one whole evening, upon the merits 
 of the different cricketers in England, that 1 
 could not get a word in edge-ways ; however, 
 upon leaving Jem, I told him the ' innings' I 
 had had that night at cricket, would last me 
 all my life time ! 
 
 The admirers of Cocking are not destitute 
 jf arguments to back their favorite sport; 
 indeed, at tiie present moment, in several of 
 the cock-pits, both in town and country, are 
 to be seen noblemen of the highest rank in the 
 peerage, and some of the oldest members of 
 l!ie House of Lords, giving it their support 
 and sanction. " Well, blow me if I can make 
 it out, to witness the sums of money won 
 and lost upon the different mains all over Eng- 
 land ! But such is the fact, and my answer 
 to the Cockers is, if I can enjoy my amusement 
 without restraint, you may fight cocks till you 
 are tired of it." Bob Heerem-well, a great 
 cocker, and a fellow who had also the gift ot 
 the gab, used frequently to ask, with a sort of 
 confidential triumph, " I should like to know 
 what any body has got to say against cock- 
 fighting. Aye, who has got any thing to say 
 against cock-fighting ? If they have, only let 
 them hear what I have got to urge in its favor. 
 then let them judge and determine ; and I'U 
 bet it is two to one in my favor." Bob Heel 
 'em-well was quite eloquent in his recital of 
 the following well-known anecdote : — 
 
 When Theimistocles led an army of his 
 countrymen againsttheirbarbarian neighbours, 
 he beheld two Cocks engaging in furious com- 
 bat ! The spectacle was not lost upon him ; 
 he made his forces halt, and thus addressed 
 them : — 
 
 " Those Cocks, my gallant soldiers, are not 
 fighting for their country, their paternal gods, 
 nor do they endure this for the monuments of 
 their ancestors, for their offspring, or fd^ the 
 sake of glory in the cause of liberty : the only 
 MOTIVE IS, that the one is heroically resolved 
 vot to yield to the other!" This impressive 
 harangue rekindled their valour, and led them 
 to conquest. After their decisive victories 
 over the Persians, the Athenians decreed by 
 law, that one day should be set apart in every 
 
 year for the public exhibition of COCK 
 FIGHTING, at the expense of the state.' 
 Now, says Bob, with exultation, I think 1 
 have put on the 'stopper!' concluding his 
 argument with the following verse of a sport- 
 ing song :— 
 
 I'll race my Jack, or bait a bull, 
 
 Or fight ray Dnorile-doo ! 
 I'll flash a quid with any cull. 
 
 And fly a pigeon blue : 
 
 The Wrestlers are quite ' up in the stir- 
 rups' respecting the antiquity of their sport ; 
 and offer to bet any odds that ivrestling is the 
 oldest on the list of sports. Be that as it may, 
 ■within the last few years it has made great 
 progress in several of the counties in England ; 
 and Devonshire and Cornwall have contended 
 for the championship, in the persons of Cann 
 and Polkinhorne, witli great spirit and ardour 
 on both sides, reminding us that the ' days of 
 chivalry are not o'er.'" Polkinhorne and 
 Cann are esteemed as the two best wrestlers 
 in the kingdom : — 
 
 " Now clear the Ring ! for, baud to hand. 
 The manly Wrestlers take their stand. 
 Two o'er the rest-superior rose. 
 And proud demanded micjhtier foes. 
 Nor called in vain ; for Douglas came. 
 — For life is Hugh of Lambert lame. 
 Scarce better John of Alloa's fare, 
 Whom senseless home his comrades bear. 
 Prize •){ the ttrestliiii; match, the King 
 To Douglas gave a golden ring. 
 
 The iMetropolis also has been the scene for 
 the decision of several great matches between 
 Cann, Gafney, Copp, Thome, Murray, &c. 
 The principal places of resort for the wrestling 
 fanciers to meet have been at the Golden 
 Eagle, Mile-end-road ; and at the Eagle Ta- 
 vern, City-road ; kept by the well-known 
 sporting Tom Rouse. The latter person has 
 endeavoured to ' keep the game alive,' by 
 offering prizes of £50, £25, £1.5, for the best 
 player; and also several Silver Cups have 
 been given to the winners, by the landlord of 
 the Eagle Tavern. 
 
 But i wish I may die if I should like to be 
 pulled and hauled about, and my shins kicked 
 as I have seen some of them, for all the plate 
 in Rundell and Bridge's shop; no, I am blowed 
 f I should, — but every one to his liking. 
 Abraham Cann is a very fine wrestler ; indeed,- 
 there is a certain sort of superiority about his 
 action, that I never met with in any other 
 wrestler I ever saw throw a man. But most 
 of the counties have different modes of wrest- 
 ling. Cann is considered by the men as a 
 very fine, well-made, athletic man ; but, 15y the 
 females, rather handsome, and something of 
 the Adonis attached to his person. He has got 
 a good head, with fine glossy, black, curling 
 hair — something after the manner of the late 
 Lord Byron, which rendered him extremely 
 attractive in the eyes of the ladies. Blow me 
 if the women an't funny creatures after all — so 
 I tell Paulina ; indeed there is no being up to 
 them. The Sporting World may boast of their 
 fancies; but may I be hanged if it an't all 
 nonsense to the fancy of a female • — if she 
 
54 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 takes a. fancy to any thing, she must have it : 
 or mischief is sure to be the result — which I 
 think the following anecdote will clearly 
 illustrate : — 
 
 The present wife of Mr. Cann, a female 
 connected with a most respectable family, and 
 a pretty woman into the bargain, was so much 
 attached to Cann, during the time he was en- 
 gaged in paying his addresses to her, that all 
 opposition to their union was useless. A gen- 
 tleman of fortune, and also a man of fashion 
 and high repute in the neighbourhood of Exe- 
 ter, appeared in the character of a rival to 
 Cann, the poor wrestler, and offered to make 
 her his bride : but, without the least hesita- 
 tion, she refused the dazzling offer, by ob- 
 serving that she would sooner be the mistress 
 of one of Abraham Cann's pretty glossy curls, 
 than all his fortune — his lands — his house — 
 his carriages — and his own person as a make- 
 weight to the bargain. Blow me if it an't 
 impossible to account for the laste of women- 
 folks ! 
 
 I wish I may die, if there an't my old 
 acquaintance the keeper of the Une, Deux, 
 Cinque Table : my Paulina and I cannot agree 
 at all upon this matter, and, petticoat-like, she 
 insists it ought to be called One, Two, Five, in 
 downright English, as she will have it. With 
 all my rhetoric I can't persuade her she is 
 in the wrong. I said to her the other day, 
 now, my dear Paulina, who would stop to look 
 at a play bill with plain Mr. or Mrs. — ^-^ 
 upon it ; but only let Madame and Monsieur 
 
 be announced from Paris, and a crowd 
 
 of folks will assemble around it immediately : 
 foreign names always excite attention in Eng- 
 land. Therefore, I say, a little mystery is the 
 thing ; or what the play-folks call " doing 
 the trick !" People in general don't under- 
 stand what is meant by the words Une, Deux, 
 Cinque ; and that accounts why they wish to 
 learn all about the game. A French phrase, 
 introduced here and there, always gives im- 
 portance to the subject ; but I will say no 
 more respecting if, as Paulina will not give it 
 up. However, I will just take a peep at his 
 tent, to see if any improvement has taken 
 place inside of it since 1 last sported my half- 
 crown. As a chaff-cutter,' I think him one 
 of the Greatest Creatures in the History of 
 the ' gift of the gab !' Matthews, Libton, or 
 Keeve, would be at fault to have a turn-up 
 with him in a ' Battle of brains ;' indeed. Sir 
 James Scarlett with all his experience in the 
 knowledge of ' blowing-up ;' a witness would 
 be totally at a loss to ' reply ;' the great Chan- 
 cery lawyer, Sugden, would be bothered and 
 upset altogether, if not run the danger of 
 getting his own 7iob in chancery ; and Coun- 
 sellor Phillips, as good a gammoner as ever 
 sailed down the Liffey, with all his high stilts 
 in the oratorical line, would be double dis- 
 tanced in a twinkling ; in truth, the whole Bar 
 would be ' told out' in competition with my 
 cAo^ng- acquaintance. He does not lose any 
 time to pick his Avords ; in truth, they flow from 
 
 his lips like the rapidity of a water-fall, sweep- 
 ing, as a mighty flood, every thing before it. If 
 Chesterfield suit his purpose, then a touch 
 of the ' elegant' makes its appearance ; but if a 
 slang phrase from Grose will give greater effect 
 to his argument, or render him more intelli 
 gible to his audience, he adopts it without the 
 slightest hesitation. " I hope I don't intrude 
 Mr. Une, Deux, Cinque, I merely " droiiped 
 in" to see hoAv you kept the game alive ? 
 " Intrude, my dear fellow," replied the Chaffer^ 
 " I beg you will not mention it? You never 
 were more welcome in your life. What do 
 you say, Mr. Paul Pry, to a sparkling glass of 
 pink Champaigne to put you into spirits, there 
 is nothing like it upon the course, and you are 
 as welcome to it as the flowers in May ; or, a 
 tiny drop of Eau d'vie, all France cannot 
 boast of better ; and king William has not got 
 in his palace at St. James's any liquor of finer 
 flavour, than I can present to you from my little 
 snuggery ; indeed, it is what we chaps call 
 the illuminating stuff; it lights up your whole 
 frame, in an instant you are almost in a blaze 
 and you become as gay and brilliant as the 
 sun in the month of July, before you know 
 where you are, But I will not press it ! You 
 are a man of the world, and know what pleases 
 you best, and also how to conflnot yourself. 
 But, if you prefer Madeira, it is at your service; 
 or Hock, Barsac, Port, Sherry, or any other 
 wine, only mention it, and a glass of either of 
 the above good things of this life shall be at 
 your elbow before you can say, quick, presto, 
 begone. My dear fellow, me and my pals are 
 only here for the accommodation of the public. 
 Pleasure is the order of the day with us ; and 
 win or lose, you will find our faces as steady 
 and without the slightest alteration, exactly 
 like Old Windsor Castle in the distance. 
 But we, ourselves, like our friends always to 
 win : " 'pon my soul, it's no lie, I'll bet a 
 thousand." Strangers may do as they please, 
 that is their business and not mine ; but let 
 us hope we shall all be lucky to day. 
 We are well-breecaed for the occasion, and 
 Fortune's favorites will have a rare chance if 
 they have any pluck about them to sport their 
 blunt. We have nearly emptied the bank at 
 Windsorof all their sovereigns, andcVeared out 
 all the large and small inns in the neighbour- 
 hood of half-crowns and their tills, without any 
 pewter. We are determined to do the thing in 
 style this time ; and every facility given to 
 change notes of the largest amount with all 
 the celerity at a banker's counter ! in order to 
 give the visitors a chance to make their for- 
 tunes : yes, I repeat the word, fortunes ! 
 
 There is a tide iu the affairs of men, 
 Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune ! 
 Once omitted all the rest of their lives 
 Are bound by shallows. 
 
 Then follow the advice of Shakspeare : here 
 the flood gates to riches are open to every 
 body : I say to every body, and no distinction 
 made to persons so as they are prepared with 
 the needful. Take notice One half-crown may 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 5« 
 
 be made into Five, only by the stopping of a 
 ball ! " Tis as easy as lying !" Brains are not 
 wanting ; and study is out of the question at 
 this noble game of chance called tine, Deux, 
 Cinque ; recollect, there are no puzzling situ- 
 ations belonging to it like games of science ! 
 A baby can win as well and as quiet as tlie 
 Accountant General if he only puts down his 
 cash on the right colour. But I will not 
 deceive you, gentlemen, I hate deceit ; indeed, 
 any thing like deceit would ruin our charac- 
 ters. But I must say that pluck is necessary ; 
 therefore, if any gentleman does not stand 
 " shilly-shally," half afraid, and dare not put 
 down his cole but, on the contrary, if he 
 comes up like a thorough-bred one to the 
 winning post, the Une, Deux, Cinque Table, 
 he may win more gold in a minute than he 
 can count in half an hour ; and ever after- 
 wards snap his fingers at any of the ' Upstarts 
 in Life' for the remainder of his days. This 
 glorious circumstance has been accomplished : 
 can be accomplished : and may be accom- 
 plished again and again by the lucky adven- 
 turer. But delays are dangerous — now is the 
 time, or never —remember we are here to-day 
 and gone to-morrow ; and the next day, how- 
 ever you may wish it, we are not to be found. 
 Then, I say, make your game, gentlemen, the 
 chiinces are as clear to you as the sun at noon- 
 day ; but I will explain them once more to 
 you in order that no person may complain of 
 ignorance : Une is one ; Deux is two ; and 
 Cinqiie is five ; therefore lose no time but 
 make your game : twenty can play as well as 
 one, but the more the merrier : so now if you 
 wish to win make your game. Well, I wisii 
 I may die, if the dialogue of this capital 
 chaff-cutter does not operate on my feelings 
 so strongly that I appear under the influence 
 of a load-stone — I cannot quit the spot. But 
 nevej-theless, it must be viewed as a " bit of 
 life" on a race course ; and when I grow old, 
 and cannot quit my fire-side, all I know about 
 the matter is — I then cannot lose ipy money at 
 Une, Deux, Cinque, 
 
 I wish I may die if I don't see in the Royal 
 Stand, our king William, God bless liim ! He 
 is the right sort of a king — a king of kings ; 
 and a good citizen into the bargain. He is a 
 lover of liberty, to the echo that applauds 
 again ; and Freedom had never a stauncher 
 friend to the cause, than our out-and-out mo- 
 narch. He is a good husband ; and in the 
 character of a father he is a pattern to all 
 other fathers in the kingdom. Blow me, what 
 I now assert comes from the bottom of my 
 heart — it does come from my heart : — I have a 
 prime little crib of my own, and I do not want 
 any place or pension to burthen my country ; 
 therefore I cannot, will not be looked upon as a 
 flatterer. Our king is a friend to the people — he 
 is one of us — an Englishman to the back bone : 
 he has lived amongst us ; he is acquainted with 
 our wants from his own eyes and ears ; he iS 
 also awai'e of our difliculties and privations ; 
 and be loudly praises our subdued ftelini';s 
 
 towards love of country. King William has 
 now arrived at the top of the tree — the English 
 oak ; and he is most anxious to do all the good 
 he can for his loving subjects, and all his ex- 
 ertions are directed towards making them 
 happy. He does not want to deprive the peo- 
 ple of their little sports and amusements ; and 
 he will not in the slightest degree abridge the 
 sports of his subjects. There is nothing like 
 cant and humbug about the conduct of our 
 beloved sovereign ; but, after the manner of a 
 true-hearted sailor, it must be all fair above 
 board, or else he will shiver their timbers 
 who may try to deceive him under false colours. 
 
 May I never cock my eye-glass again if I 
 don't well remember seeing that great person- 
 age when he was his royal highness, the duke 
 of Clarence, at a mill, at Moulsey Hurst ; and 
 blow me, why should I be ashamed to tell the 
 truth ? I shall never forget the English-like 
 conduct of his royal highness upon that occa- 
 sion : I was delighted with it — and every 
 person present was in raptures with the re- 
 marks which issued from the lips of the royal 
 duke. Indeed, his majesty is too well aware 
 that " TRUE courage" is the key stone to the 
 greatness of Old England, 
 
 One of those aristocratic boroughmongering 
 lords, who had left his carriage for a few mi • 
 nutes, as he was accidentally passing Uie spot, 
 to take a peep at the " Sports of the People/ 
 felt himself very much annoyed that he was 
 not immediately recognized, and a 'bed of 
 roses' prepared for him, to prevent the rude 
 wind from interfering with his dignity : one of 
 those sorts of persons in the peerage, whom 
 the late facetious Petei- Pindar has so finely 
 sketched : — 
 
 But then I'm told agen, tliat grandeur's swre. 
 At owning obligations to the poor ; 
 Such thanks cut no figure in disco jrse. 
 To say, I'm much obligd to " a horse." 
 Now such forgetfulness is most unpleasant ; 
 The man that doth receive a hare or pheasant 
 Might certainly somewhat from manners spare, 
 And say, I thank ye for the bird or hare. 
 
 But there was nothing like thanks in the 
 composition of the noble lord alluded to ; nay, 
 quite on the contrary, he looked down upon 
 the spectators with the most aristocratic sort • 
 of contempt, and appeared quite restless for 
 fear the slightest touch from a plebeian should 
 contaminate his olfactory nerves. The royal 
 duke, observing the uneasiness of the noble 
 lord, thus addressed him : " My lord, you ap- 
 pear rather to be annoyed ; but be pleased to 
 recollect that we are all Englishmen alike 
 here ; and as to places, we must do the best 
 we can for ourselves." Blow me, but this slap 
 of the chops, as I called it, operated like a 
 cordial to my feelings ; nay, better than a 
 thumping glass of brandy ; and I remember it 
 as well as if it only occurred yesterday, saying, 
 well, I wish I may die if ever iiis royal high- 
 ness comes into jjower, he will be the right 
 sort of a king to make (he people happy ; and 
 hang me but niy conjectures have proved " 
 bit of good truth." 
 
so 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 It is at Ascot, delightful Ascot races, where 
 the public have the opportunity of beholding 
 his Majesty, and of hearing his remarks with- 
 out the least reserve. The course at Epsom 
 races, on the Derby day, displays thousands of 
 well-dressed persons, with plenty of dash, and 
 here and there sprinkled with some fashion- 
 able folks ; and is, in reality, a most beautiful 
 and interesting sight ; but on Ascot Heath 
 the splendour of the scene is unrivalled ; and 
 the truth is verified to the echo which applauds 
 again, that the king's name is a tower of 
 strength. Ascot may be deemed the rallying- 
 point for all the nobility and gentry, for miles 
 round Windsor, to pay homage to their beloved 
 monarch. It is also at Ascot that dukes, 
 duchesses, marquisses, earls, &c., are to be 
 met with in numbers, promenading up and 
 down the course, as much at their case as if 
 walking on a private lawn. It is also truly 
 interesting to view the king at his ease, di- 
 vested of the paraphernalia and etiquette of 
 the court, habited like a private gentleman, 
 easy of access, and conversing with the utmost 
 affability and attention to all his auditors. To 
 behold a monarch of a mighty and powerful 
 nation, without his guards (but possessing a 
 more firm and lasting support than stone walls, 
 or fixed bayonets), secure in the hearts of hi§ 
 people's love : it is English from top to toe ; 
 and not only a most gratifying, but a real pic- 
 ture of the independence and liberty of the 
 country. The distance of Ascot from Lon- 
 don gives it also a preference over Epsom : 
 the set out and return to the Metropolis, is too 
 long a journey for a single day, and tends to 
 operate more like fatigue, than hours devoted 
 to pleasure. The ride through the great park, 
 the apftearance of the noble trees, the beauti- 
 ful surrounding picturesque scenery, the 
 dashing charioteers along the road, the ve- 
 nerable castle, enriching, and giving the pros- 
 pect a perfect climax, altogether make the 
 journey to Ascot races one of the most desira- 
 ble places for a week's pleasure in the kingdom. 
 His present majesty, king William, has not 
 been so much interested on the turf as his 
 royal brother, the late king George, and his 
 royal highness, the duke of York. The latter 
 august personage first made his debut in the 
 Sporting World, at Ascot races, in 1789; and 
 his royal highness was extremely attached to 
 horse-racing ; and, at one period of his life, 
 his stud was said to be unequalled. But, 
 nevertheless, his present Majesty enters into 
 all the spirit of the lively scene, and appears to 
 enjoy it equal to any of the sporting characters 
 present. During the last races, after the king 
 was asked how many of his horses should start 
 for a certain plate, his majesty answered, with 
 great naivete, " O let all the fleet run !" 
 
 But blow me, if it an't all the same thing, 
 after all — talk as you like, and say what you 
 will about the matter — every man has his 
 hobby in this world, and will ride him 
 after his own pleasure. When I was a young 
 one (and I wish I may die if I should have 
 
 any objection to peg back a few years ; for, \o 
 tell the truth, I am not so tired of the pleasures 
 of this world, as to wish to give them up yet 
 a-while ; and, indeed, my Paulina says that 
 she should have no objection if I could make 
 myself a bit younger — as youth is the season 
 made for joys. Very true, my dear Paulina, 
 says I, but you know very well that we cannot 
 have our cake, and eat it. Yes, when I was 
 a young one I was a tiny bit of a Sporting 
 Character, and rather a sort of hankering after 
 the fancy, and was generally considered a 
 'good man' by all my acquaintances: but, very 
 soon after my Paulina took a ' fancy' to me, I 
 was compelled to take a leaf out of another 
 sort of book ; indeed, I became completely 
 changed in my habits and general disposition, 
 and being rather of an inquisitive turn of mind, 
 I obtained the title of Paul Prv. Blow me, 
 if one of the Sporting Fellows, for a joke, cr 
 chaffing- me, as he said, endeavoured to give 
 my pedigree to the company, one night, when 
 I accidentally ' dropped in' to the Pig and 
 Tinder Box, to have a few whiffs on the sly : 
 " Why," said he— the people all laughing, 
 " that sire of yours, Paul, was not half a good 
 one; he was nothing better than a pitiful 
 sneak — poking his nose into every company, 
 where he was never invited, and pretending 
 to know every body's business, and a complete 
 stranger to his own affairs ; and, to wind up 
 his character, a most disagreeable, impudent 
 fellow. In this state, during his rambles, 
 where he ought not to have rambled, he met 
 Avith ftliss Curiosity, a sort of slip-slop per- 
 sonage — a back-biter — fond of making mis- 
 chief, and a promoter of scandal. She was 
 never welcome any where, either at home or 
 abroad — dear at any price ; and must have 
 been knocked down by every auctioneer in the 
 kingdom, as a " shocking bad lot !" This was 
 your precious dam ; and the pedigree of your 
 parents. The above union produced a colt — 
 yourself — who was named Paul Pry — a chip 
 of the old block, but, most certainly, worse in 
 quality and quantity than either your no-no- 
 thing sire, or your presuming, ignorant, vain, 
 self-sufficient dam. Now, if you think you 
 can get a sounder pedigree of your family, or 
 a better character for yourself, why all that I 
 have to say more on the subject, is, you may 
 go and look for it." Blow me if this chuffing, 
 as he called it, did not procure him lots of ap- 
 plause, and roars of laughter ; and I could 
 not help joining in it with the comical dogs ; 
 as it was not so much out of the way, neither, 
 as a body might say — and people in general 
 might not obtain such a good pedigree by 
 paying for it at the Herald's office. 
 
 I wish I may die, if the Sporting World 
 is not a complete world within itself— it 
 has its laws, customs, manners, peculiarity 
 of language, and style of dress ; and a very 
 funny world it proves to many folks — there 
 are a great number of ups and downs in it; 
 and worse falls are experienced by Sporting 
 men than any tumbles they meet with in 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 r>7 
 
 bunting. Blow me, if I have not heard 
 liie sporting world compared to a pawn- 
 broker's shop — tliat the chances arc Two to 
 One against any person who enters it as a 
 matter of speculation to realize a fortune ; 
 although it cannot be denied that such achieve- 
 ments hare been accomplished, and may be 
 accomplished again ; but the instances are 
 very rare.* But, nevertheless, it has its 
 advantages as well as its evils ; and the races, 
 in many parts of England, not only aflbrd 
 pleasure to numerous classes of society, but 
 enable many poor country folks to pay their 
 rent ; indeed, who look forward to the time of 
 the races as a sort of land-mark, from which 
 the above advantage is derived by the great 
 influx of strangers which generally attend 
 such sports, and likewise from the sums of 
 money which are expended at them. The 
 sporting world also ofiers great encouragement 
 towards promoting the breed of horses, dogs, 
 &c., and many noblemen, and gentlemen, 
 attached to the British sports, expend great 
 jiart of tlieir fortunes by giving employment to 
 lliousands of persons. Howe^ er, it cannot be 
 denied that the attractions of the sporting 
 world are very alluring to the high-spirited, 
 the tlioughtless, and unwary persons to 
 speculate with their money on sporting 
 events ; that ruin, precipitate ruin, is too 
 often the serious consequences before any such 
 result is anticipated. There is also great 
 
 * Mr. John Guiley, out 0! the best juages of horse 
 rsj-ug in the kingdom but obtained by unwearied in- 
 dustry and practical experience. His nord on the 
 turf is good tor thousands, nay, to any amount : his 
 integrity also in iKii/hi/^ has never been impeached, 
 and his conduct honorable and gentlemanly thiough- 
 out the Sporting World. His knowledge of the odds . 
 is snp.erlative ; and his calculations upon the above 
 subject rapid in the extreme : indeed, he stands so 
 high in this respect that the first accountants in the 
 kingdom could not " get the best of him," either on 
 the score of quickness, or in point of accuracy in 
 placing the odds upon the various horses. It is true 
 Mr. OuUey has been one of the favorites of the pow- 
 erful and all worshipped goddess, and he has obtained 
 for himself a large fortime ; but it is equally true he 
 has proved by his conduct throughout h;s family 
 worthy of that great success which has attended his 
 speculations on the turf. And in the character of a 
 good son, an aftectiouate husband, an indulgent fond 
 father, and a kind hearted brother, he has never been 
 surpassed. In other situations a warm friend, and a 
 worthy companion. Since the days of Colonel 
 O'Kelly on the turf, we have had nothing like the 
 enterprise of Mr. Guiley: on Mcmnon alone tlie winner 
 of the St. Leger Stakes, in 18'2.5, he netted f22,()'JU. 
 Ae has been the proprietor of Hare Park, near New- 
 market, where he took up his residence for some 
 time ; but he has since disposed of it, and now lives 
 in (irkwrii;ht Park, near Pontefact, also purchased by 
 him — where he is visited by persons of the first de- 
 scription in .Society : and no man " doe:* the honors 
 of the table" with a better specimen cf ' good breed- 
 ing' than Mr. Guiley. The words of Pope are 
 strongly verified by the conduct of this gentleman. 
 
 Honor and shame from no condition nSc 
 Act well your part, tUere all the honor lies. 
 
 The great flow of riches into his coffers hare not 
 spoiled the man, neither has his great success elevated 
 liim a jot above his old friends and acquaintances. 
 He still remains the same plain unassuining person, 
 and highly respected Joh.v Gli-lev.— iV;^ to Ascot 
 Jiaces. 
 
 ambition in the sporting world like other 
 movements in life, that some rnen wish to pos- 
 sess the best stud in the kingdom ; or a crack 
 pack of hounds ; and superior animals of 
 every description ; and no doubt but great 
 sums of money have been expended in this 
 manner. It is equally true that many per- 
 sons are to be met with in the sporting world, 
 who obtain a livelihood, as it is termed, on the 
 " chance of the thing ;" but nevertheless it does 
 not follow that all sporting men are gambleus : 
 indeed, the contrary is the fact ; there are 
 numbers of breeders of horses, and backers 
 of men, who contribute towards the stakes or 
 prizes given for certain things, to be. accom- 
 plished in the sporting world as a reward for 
 trials of skill and exertions, in the true sense 
 of supporting British sports, but who never 
 risque a shilling on any event in a gamblinf^ 
 point of view. However such things must find 
 their own level ; and notw ilhstanding the rapid 
 strides the March of Intellect has made to- 
 wards the improvement of society, we have 
 not heard amongst the numerous patents which 
 have been specified, that one has been ob- 
 tained possessing the qualities of changing a 
 fool into a wise man; to put brains into an 
 empty scull ; or to convince an obstinate 
 man against his will ; but, until something 
 like this can be procured to regulate the pro- 
 pensities of mankind, orators may declaim 
 against the pernicious effects of the sporting 
 world, and parsons preach (ill they become 
 hoarse, and yet obtain no proselytes. Blow 
 me, as often as I have said to my Paulina, 
 men who have their eyes open ought to see 
 tlieir way ; or, in other words to ' look before 
 they leap ;' and if they have ears to hear, 
 why do they not listen to good advice, and 
 avoid the glaring errors committed by the 
 thoughtless and dissipated part of society f 
 and again, why do not men in general profit 
 by the terrible examples which daily cioss 
 their paths, to beiiold men of immense property 
 reduced to wretchedness and beggary, and 
 all owing to their improper conduct ? " Why, 
 my dear Paul,'' said Paulina, laughing, "you 
 are become quite a preacher, you have been 
 prying for something, I think ?" " Yes," I 
 replied, " Paulina, I must admit I have had 
 a little of the talk this time to myself, and 
 you must not expect to keep all the preaching 
 to yourself in future ; and, therefore, by way 
 oi finale to my synopsis, the next opportunity 
 that occurs I shall take another peep at the 
 sporting world, or as my learned friend in the 
 temple. Dr. Latitat, observes — more anon. 
 
 The Huntsman and Whipper-in. 
 
 It is no uncommon practice, among our 
 young 'squires, to take the first wide-throated 
 attendant that offers his service, and make him 
 his huntsman; imagining the colour of his 
 coat will qualify him for the office : but cer- 
 tainly no one is lit for it who is not born wi'h 
 
68 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 a natural cast and readiness of mind, and has 
 not improved those talents by long study, ob- 
 servation, and experience. 
 
 Peter lieckford, Esq., in his Thoughts on 
 Hunting, makes it appear that a good hunts- 
 man must be an amiable, as well as an ac- 
 complished character. — " A good huntsman," 
 says he, '' should be young, strong, active, 
 bold, and enterprising ; fond of the diversion 
 and indefatigable in the pursuit of it ; he 
 should be sensible and good-tempered ; he 
 ought also to be sober ; he should be exact, 
 civil, and cleanly ; he should be a good horse- 
 man, and a good groom ; his voice should be 
 strong and clear, and he should have an eye 
 so quick as to perceive which of his hounds 
 carries the scent when all are running ; and 
 should have so excellent an ear as always to 
 distinguish the foremost hounds when he does 
 not see them. He should be quiet, patient, 
 and without conceit. Such are the excel- 
 lencies which constitute a good huntsman : he 
 should not, however, be too fond of displaying 
 them till necessity calls them forth. He 
 should let his hounds alone whilst they can 
 hunt, and he should have genius to assist 
 them Avhen they cannot." 
 
 It is well known that the conquest of a 
 hare, like that of an enemy, does not attend 
 on vigorous attacks or pursuits, but there are 
 a hundred accidents to which the success of 
 the field is obnoxious, and which ought always 
 to be in the head of the huntsman, if he 
 would come off with glory. 
 
 A huntsman must not forget that a hare has 
 her particular play ; that, however, that play 
 is occasioned or changed according to the 
 variation of wind and weather, the weight of 
 the air, the nature of the ground, and the de- 
 grees of eagerness with which she is pursued. 
 Nor IS he to be unmindful of the numerous 
 accidents she may meet with in her way, to 
 turn her out of her course — to cover her flight 
 — to quicken her speed, or to furnish her with 
 an opportunity of new devices. It is not 
 enough to have a general knowledge of these 
 things before the game is started ; but in the 
 heat of action, when most tempted to be in 
 raptures with the melody of the cry, and the 
 expectation of success ; at every step he 
 should calmly observe the alterations of tiie 
 soil — the position of the wind — the time of the 
 year ; and no less take notice with what 
 speed she is driven — how far she is likely to 
 keep on forward — or to turn short beliind ; 
 whether she has not been met by passengers 
 — frightened by curs — intercepted by sheep ; 
 w hether an approaching storm — a rising wind 
 — a sudden blast of the sun— the going off of 
 the frost — the repetition of soiled ground — the 
 decay of her own strength, or any other pro- 
 bablc turn of affairs. 
 
 Other things are equally necessary to be 
 remembered by tiie huntsman, as the particu- 
 lar quality and character of each dog ; whether 
 tlie present leaders are not apt to overrun it ; 
 which arc most inclined to stand upon the 
 
 double ; which are to be depended on in the 
 highway, on the ploughed ground, or a bare 
 turf, in an uncertain scent, in the crossing of 
 fresh game, through a flock of sheep, upoa 
 the soil or stole-back. The size and strength 
 of the hare will also make a difference ; nor 
 must the hounds themselves be followed so 
 closely, or so loudly cherished when fresh 
 and vigorous, as after they have run off their 
 speed and mettle, and begin to be tired. 
 
 A young huntsman, when the scent lies 
 well, should always keep himself pretty far 
 behind. At such a time, especially if it be 
 against the wind, it is impossible for the poor 
 hare to hold it forward ; nor has she any trick 
 or refuge for her life, but to stop short by the 
 way, and, when all are passed, to steal imme- 
 diately back, which frequently occasions an 
 irrecoverable fkult in the midst of the warmest 
 sport and expectations, and is the best trick 
 the poor hare has for her life in scenting 
 weather ; whereas, if the huntsman were not 
 too forward, he would have the advantage of 
 seeing her steal off and turning her aside, or 
 more probably the pleasure of the <logs, re- 
 turning and thrusting her up in view. 
 
 It often happens that the fleet dog is the 
 favorite, though it would be much better if 
 he were hanged or exchanged. Be a dog ever 
 so good, in his own nature, he is not good in 
 that pack which is too slow for him. There 
 is generally work enough for every one of the 
 train, and every one ought to bear his part ; 
 but this the heavy ones cannot do if they are 
 out of breath by the unproportioned speed of 
 a light-heeled leader. For it is not enough 
 that they are able to keep up, which a true 
 hound will labour hard for, but he must be 
 able to do it with ease, with retention of 
 breath and spirits, and with his tongue at 
 command. It must never be expected that 
 the indentures of the hare can be well cover- 
 ed, or her doubles struck off (nor is the sport 
 worth a farthing), if the harriers run yelping 
 in a long string, like deer or fox-hounds. 
 
 Sportsmen should hang up every liar and 
 chanter, Avithout sparing even those that are 
 silly and trifling-, without nose or sagacity. 
 It is common in many kennels to keep some 
 for their music or beauty, but this is extremely 
 wrong. It is a certain maxim that dogs 
 which do no good must certainly do much 
 harm ; they serve only to soil the ground, and 
 confound the scent ; to scamper before and 
 interrupt their betters in the most difficult 
 points. And long experience authorises me 
 to affirm, tliat four or five couple, all good 
 and trusty hounds, will do more execution 
 than thirty or forty, where a third of them are 
 eager and headstrong, and, like coxcombs 
 among men, noisy in doing nothing. 
 
 To join with strangers is an effectual method 
 to spoil and debauch tlie staunchest hounds, 
 to turn the best-nieilled into mad -headed 
 galloppers, liars, and chatterers ; and to put 
 them on nothing but out-running their rivals 
 and overrunning the scent The emulation ot 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 59 
 
 leading (as well in dogs as their masters) has 
 been the absolute ruin of many a good cry. 
 Nor are strange huntsmen more desirable 
 than strange companions ; for, as the skill and 
 existence of these animals consist in use and 
 habit, they should always be accustomed to 
 the same voice, the same notes or hallooing, 
 and the same terms of chiding, cherishing, 
 pressing, or recalling ; nor should the country 
 fellows be allowed, in their transports, to ex- 
 tend their throats. 
 
 Change of game should be avoided, but 
 many sportsmen would think it a hardship to 
 have nothing to kill when hares are out of 
 season ; it is, however, certain, that the best 
 harriers are those which know no other. 
 
 Mr. Beckford, speaking on this subject, 
 says, he always thought a huntsman a happy 
 man; his office is so pleasing, and at the 
 same time so flattering ; we pay him for that 
 which diverts him, and he is enriched by his 
 greatest pleasure ;* nor is a general, after a 
 victory, more proud than a huntsman who re- 
 turns with his fox's head. 
 
 I shall finish my remarks on the necessary 
 qualifications for hunting with an anecdote 
 related by the gentleman above-named : — " I 
 have heard that a certain duke, who allowed 
 no vails to his servants, asked his huntsman 
 what he generally made of his field -money ; 
 and gave him what he asked instead of it : 
 this went on very well for some time, till at 
 last the huntsman desired an audience: — 
 ' Your Grace,' said he, ' is very generous, and 
 gives me more than ever I got for field-money 
 in my life ; yet 1 come to beg a favor of 
 your Grace : that you would let me take 
 field-money again, for I have not half the 
 pleasure now in killing a fox that I had be- 
 fore.' " 
 
 Permit me, gentlemen, before T conclude 
 this long epistle, to say something on the 
 perfections and duty required of a whipper- 
 in. He should be attentive and obedient to 
 the huntsman ; and, as his horse will proba- 
 bly have most to do, the lighter he is the 
 better: but, if he be a good horseman, the 
 objection of his weight will be sufliciently 
 overbalanced. He should always maintain 
 to the huntsman's halloo, and stop such 
 lijunds as divide from it. 
 
 When stopped, he should get forward with 
 them after the huntsman. 
 
 He must always be contented to act an 
 under part, except when circumstance^ re- 
 quire that he should act otherwise ; and, the 
 moment they cease, he must not fail to resume 
 his former station. When the huntsman can- 
 not be up with the hounds, the whipper-in 
 should ; in which case it is the business of 
 the huntsman to bring on the tail hounds 
 along with him. 
 
 Where there are two whippers-in, the first 
 should be considered as a second huntsman, 
 auc? should have nearly the same good quali- 
 
 * The field money which ij collected at the death 
 of the fox. 
 
 ties. When whippers-in are left at liberty 
 to act as they shall think right, they are much 
 less confined than the huntsman, who must 
 follow his hounds; and consequently they 
 have greater scope to exert their genius, if 
 they have any. 
 
 A Day at Epsom Races. 
 It is a poor heart that never rejoices! 
 
 The family of the Twankey's are great 
 tea-dealers in the metropolis. Old Twankey, 
 as the phrase goes, had done all his dirty- 
 work, and, to use his own words, " when he 
 commenced business, he could scarcely jingle 
 two shillings together:" he was originally 
 a porter to a large tea-warehouse, and Mrs. 
 Twankey was the cook ; but having found fa- 
 vor in each other's eyes — what with the per- 
 quisites of the kitchen, and the 'funds and 
 numbs' of the place of porter, they put their 
 odd matters together, and swore constancy at 
 the hymeneal altar. In consequence of such 
 union their interests became as one ; they had 
 an eye to the main chance of life, and, enter- 
 taining the old but true notions that servitude 
 is no inheritance, took a shop for themselves, 
 scarcely bigger than a nobleman's salt-box. 
 Up early, and to bed late, their shop was 
 always opened the first in the neighbourhood, 
 and was the last with the shutters closed. 
 Mrs. Twankey, being above vulgar preju- 
 dices, lent a helping hand to fill the till by 
 waiting upon her customers : success crowned 
 their exertions ; the coppers soon rolled into 
 shillings, the silver into pounds, the sovereigns 
 into notes ; their cash became too bulky to 
 keep at home ; stock was purchased at the 
 Bank; freeholds were bought; a residence 
 among the barristers and fashionable cits in 
 Gower-street was taken, and Mr. Twankey 
 ultimately became one of the Common Council, 
 with an aspiring eye towards becoming an al- 
 derman, and all that sort of city greatness 
 which might ultimately place him in the 
 golden coach. 
 
 Their union was blessed with a boy and a 
 girl, named Theophilus Henry and Penelope 
 Georgiana — two prime chits in tlieir way. 
 Education was forced upon these children, just 
 as much as it had been neglected by the pa- 
 rents. Gentility was the idol of the young 
 folks, while, on the contrary, all the cutting- 
 out and padding of the tailor could not polish 
 old Mr. Twankey ; nor could the superior 
 embellishments of the dress-maker and mil- 
 liner give address to Mrs. T. — No, they were 
 always designated the " Rich Old Grocer and 
 his Wife " Old Twankey and his rib had 
 scarcely had a day's pleasure in their lives- 
 working from morning to night was their 
 bobby ; and the shop, the shop, and nothingelse 
 but the shop, their continual theme of delight. 
 But as Mrs. Twankey got up in the world, 
 and heard so much about Epsom Races 
 amongst her new and tip-top acquaintances, 
 she was determined, for once in her life, to do 
 the ' genteel thin-;,' and give her £on and 
 
CO 
 
 PIERCE EGA^ » nOOR OF SPOUTS. 
 
 darter a treat to sec the ' Darby' — " Derby, 
 mamma," replied Penelope f with a blush upon 
 her cheek, and in a whisper), " Mamma, pray 
 be upon your guaid when we are upon the 
 Course, and near to the nobility !" " For 
 God's sake ! do mother," cried Theophilus — 
 " Should any slip of that sort occur, it would 
 ruin me in the estimation of my schoolfellows 
 and acquaintances ; they would set me down 
 as an upstart, in spite of our property." 
 " Never fear, my boy and girl," cried Old 
 Twankey, " let them laugh that likes ; I have 
 got that in my pocket, if I have it not iu my 
 head, which will make you, your sister, the 
 old woman, and myself intelligible through 
 life ; so let us get ready, the coach will be 
 here in a few minutes." The coach camo : 
 " Now, Mrs. Twankey, take your seat, and 
 make yourself comfortable," said Mr. Twan- 
 key. " I likes the look of the carriage very 
 well indeed," observed Mrs. T. '' But, post- 
 boys, are the horses sure-footed ? Your master 
 received particular orders from my husbaad, 
 last night, not to send any stumbling crea- 
 tures." " Why, as to that ere. Ma'am — my 
 Lady, I should have said — I believe no man 
 iu our line would insure his cattle from going 
 down. Accidents will happen, and the best 
 of us are liable to make slips at times." " Yes, 
 it may be so, but that won't do for me ; 1 
 Avouldn't have them trip up for all the tea 
 in- -" " Hush ! my dear Mamma," cried Miss 
 Pen., " we are out upon pleasure, not 
 business." " It is all perfectly safe," said 
 Theophilus in a subdued tone of voice. 
 " Do not, mother, ask any more questions — 
 What will the men think of us?" " Get on 
 boys," said the Old Grocer; and they did 
 get on. The horses were good ; the boys 
 pushed along, passing every thing on the 
 read. Clouds of dust, myriads of horsemen, 
 vehicles of all sorts — a complete world in 
 motion. " ]My dear husband," observed Mrs. 
 T., " v/hat a rate we are going ! I am fright- 
 ened out of my wits !— We shall be over- 
 turned I am sure ! — I tremble every limb of 
 me ! — I am choked with dust !— All my clothes 
 will be spoiled! — My four-guinea bonnet will 
 be done for!— I shall never be able to wear 
 my silk pelir.?e anymore! — O dear! I wish 
 I had not comr-; I would sooner have been at 
 home behind tho coun — " " Mamma, mamma ! 
 think where ycu are," cried Miss Pen. "It 
 is fine talking, ray love, but all my thoughts 
 are jolted out oi me — I wish I could stop the 
 coach." " It will soon stop," said Theophilus 
 Henry, with a frin on his countenance. — 
 " Here is a turnpike at hand." " Come, be 
 quick, Sir — your ticket!" bawled out the 
 man at the gate. '' You ought to have got it 
 ready, and not be fumbling in your pockets 
 for it all the day — Don't you see the string of 
 carnages- behind you?" " It is our coach," 
 angrily replied Mrs. Twankey. " Yes, 
 Ma'am, I supposes it is — for the day ; but you 
 can't gammon me ; it an't job for all that — we 
 Knows the hack-horses — we are up to snufF — 
 
 such tales von't do for Jem and I, so ve must 
 have the day-ticket, or you don't go througli — 
 that's the long and short of the matter.'" 
 " Wtiat an impudent fellow to talk to gentle- 
 folks ! I wish I was a man, I'd teach you 
 better manners !" said Mrs. T., bursting with 
 rage. " That may so appear as how to you, 
 Ma'am, and we turnpike folks are considered 
 a little bit imperent on race-days by the 
 Greenies, who don't know vat travelling is — 
 a parcel of folks who puts by a penny a-weeic 
 to give themselves a holiday once in their 
 lives. We can't lose our time in bowing and 
 scraping to people, or picking our vords ; we 
 have our vork to do, and that must be done, 
 or else our props will give us the go-by, or, 
 in other vords, turn lis up. Ve do every 
 thing in the reg'Iar vay — If you have no 
 tickets, you are of no use to us ; therefore, as 
 how you see, ve must have the blunt, or else 
 you don't go through. I believe as how, at 
 least I never heard of it, did you Jem ? — that 
 any Hact of Parliament had been passed to 
 teach us turnpike chaps to diskiver gentle- 
 folks from commoners." 
 
 The dispute about the ticket having been 
 arranged, by the Old Grocer paying for the 
 negligence of the boys, the turnpike-man's 
 cry of " All's right !" again set the vehicle in 
 motion, and the lads, scarcely having room to 
 clear an inch of the other carriages, made the 
 best of their way through numberless gigs, 
 curricles, tandems, fours, overloaded waggons, 
 crowded carts, glass-coaches, shatter-dans, 
 flys, &c., contesting every bit of the road 
 with the sixteen-mile-an-hour tits, down to 
 the roarers, the gibs, the limpers (only fit for 
 the dogs) : in truth, such was the eagerness 
 displayed by the inhabitants of the first city 
 in the world to witness the great Derby 
 Stakes contended for at Epsom, that every 
 thing in the shape of a horse was brought 
 into play, to the complete ' clean-out' of all 
 the livery-stables in the metropolis. 
 
 The boys pulled-up at the inn-door at 
 Ewell. Mrs. Twankey eagerly inquired the 
 cause of the delay. " Why, Ma'am," re- 
 plied the lads, " please ye, my lady, we must 
 stop a little bit, ye see, to take the dust out of 
 the poor hanimals' mouths ; for, if we push 
 forward to the ground, we may not be able to 
 get water uuder a shilling for half a pailful ; 
 therefore you see. Ma'am, the spur is of no ser- 
 vice, and the whip will not do any good. If 
 we do not attend upon our cattle, they will not 
 move. — Lord bless you, my lady, the horses 
 know as well as we do, that it is race-time, 
 and they will have refreshment. We boys 
 too (by the bye, two old men) if you please, 
 my lady, likewise stand in need of a little 
 summut to drink." " Bless my soul !" ex- 
 claimed Mr. Twankey, " and is water really 
 so dear ? — What a fine speculation it would 
 be for the New River Company to furnish 
 water at such a price !" 
 
 The course appeared to the delighted eyes 
 of the whole of the Twankey family. *' I 
 
PIEUCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Gl 
 
 am, indeed, astonished !" said Mrs. Twankey ; 
 " the more I cast my eyes around, the more 1 
 have to admire.— What a beautiful building !" 
 " Yes, Mamma," replied Miss Pen., " it is an 
 elegant Stand — the sight altop;ether surprises 
 me — "What an immense assemblage of persons! 
 — I must confess, I was not at all prepared 
 for it — I am delighted beyond measure." 
 " Well," said Mr. Twankey (rubbing his 
 hands in ecstacy), " this sight will repay us 
 for all the dust and other disagreeables 
 we have had to encounter during our long 
 journey — won't it my dear Mrs. T. ? — Come, 
 lads, get us a good place near the Stand, and 
 take out the horses, that we may take a walk 
 over the Course, and look at the booths and 
 other novelties." 
 
 The Twankey family, having settled the 
 above preliminaries to their mind, went to 
 view the Course. The first thing that at- 
 tracted their notice was an ele;;antly fitted-up 
 mi, deux, civque booth ; and they listened with 
 great attention to the invitation given by the 
 man at the door, ' Walk in, walk in, ladies and 
 gentlemen, to the royal game of ' un, den.r, 
 cinque;' we are liberal to the echo; we are 
 not like your London play-managers, we do 
 not charge for admission ; therefore, I say, 
 walk in. Now is the time to make your for- 
 tune if you only bring plenty of sovereigns 
 with you, and mind you are lucky — that is the 
 grand art of making your fortunes. — You may 
 also perceive, ladies and gentlemen, that I give 
 you advice gratis ; that is, in plain English, 
 for nothing. I like to make myself intelligible 
 to all parties to prevent mistakes. This game 
 is a royal game, therefore it is strictly fashion- 
 able ; no commoners are permitted to put 
 down their money, or to mix with the first- 
 rate quality, which always visits this here 
 grand booth at this partiklar time of the year. 
 — Sland by, good people, for the dukes, lords, 
 and ot?Jfi>" persons belonging to the Upper 
 House, who are eager to walk in without any 
 interruption. — There is the retj colour for 
 those that approve of red ; and, for those per- 
 sons who do not appro.'R of red, there is the 
 black colour by way of variety; but, should 
 any lady or gentleman fancy the blue, there 
 is the blue colour for them : and no questions 
 will be asked.' " This man talks very fair," 
 said Mr. Twankey, " suppose we go in and 
 take a peep ;" when young Theophilus soon 
 lost a few half-crowns by way of paying to- 
 wards the expenses of the booth. 
 
 " Who is that gentleman nodding to you 
 upon that carriage in so family a manner, my 
 dear Pen f " Familiarly !" whispered Theo- 
 philus to his mother. " See Mamma," an- 
 swered Miss Penelope, " don't you ? — it is 
 Mr. Smithers, the gentleman we met one night 
 last season at Vauxhall. in company with my 
 f liber's friend Mr. IMolasies ; he knows every 
 thing :— -Mr. Smithers — if you remember, you 
 said he was as good as an almanack, as in- 
 telligent as a bill of the play, as instructive 
 as the Court Guide, and as communicative 
 as the London Directory." " Yes, Penn., 
 
 you are nght," answered Mrs T., " he was 
 very entertaining, and most excellent com- 
 pany ; he knows everything." " Does he ?" 
 said Theophilus with a sneer — " he knows 
 every thing but his own business — I hate 
 him — he is such a presuming, self-important 
 fellow, and I long to tell him so !" " O fie !" 
 replied Mrs. T., " you must be polite to him 
 now ; another time say what you like — I per- 
 ceive he is making up to us." After the 
 usual congratulations had passed between 
 tliem, " You are come very opportunely," said 
 Miss Pen. ; " we shall become acquainted 
 with all the public characters now you are 
 with us, Mr. Smithers." " You flatter me, 
 Miss," replied Mr. Smithers ; '' but you may 
 command my services. Well, then, to com.- 
 mence — Have you met with any of the con- 
 veyancers in your walk over the Course ?" 
 "Conveyancers! Who do you mean, Mr. 
 Smithers ?" exclaimed Mr. Twankey. " The 
 conveijancers," said Mr. S., laughing, " are 
 a set of men who convey property from one 
 to another without the use of parchment, or 
 the aid of lawyers ; by other intelligent per- 
 sons they are styled artists, being in the 
 drawing profession, although they are ex- 
 tremely averse to having their own like- 
 nesses taken ; but by the vulgar sort of folks 
 they are ignorantly alluded to as pick-pock- 
 ets." " O dear ! Mr. Smithers," said Mrs. 
 T., " be kind enough to point out some of these 
 conveyancers to us." ''' Not for the world, 
 Madam — my life would be at stake ; and I 
 might be conveyed to a bone-house to be 
 owned, by making my exit from society before 
 my time was come. I have put you on your 
 guard at all events — I must leave you for the 
 present to return to my party ; but 1 will join 
 you again before the rare commences." On 
 their I'eturn to their vehicle, their attention 
 was arrested by a man with a small table, upon 
 which were three thimbles with peas under 
 them, similar to the jugglers with the cups 
 and bal's. " Now's your time to make money," 
 said the fellow, playing with the thimbles; 
 " I'll bet five pounds the pea is under that 
 thimble," — pointing to it. " It is not," said 
 Mr. T., " I saw him throw the pea away." 
 " You never could see in your life," replied 
 the hero of the thimble ; " you can't see the 
 pea v.'lien you look at it : besides, I'll bet you 
 live pounds you an't got a shilling in your 
 pocket; and, if you have, you borrowed it. 
 Why you know, ould chap, you only got your 
 togs down the spout last night" — (a loud laugh 
 from his confederates) — " This poor ould fel- 
 low is superannivated, he does not know 
 what he says." Don't I, you insolent fellow," 
 answered Mr. T., angrily ; " do you think I 
 can't believe my own eyes?" No, my old 
 covey," replied the man, " and I'll bet you a 
 sovereign the ball is under that thimble.'' 
 " VfeW," said Mrs. Twankey, " you shall bet 
 him a sovereign for his impudence ; you are 
 sure to win, that the sovereign is not undci 
 the thimble." Mr. T. put down the sovereign 
 in a rage — when the bubble soon burst — the 
 
62 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S DOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 old grocer lost his money, amidst lotid shouts 
 of laughter from the thimble-nian and his con- 
 federates. The latter fellows now taunted 
 Mr. T. to have " another shy, as he might be 
 more lucky next time." This language pro- 
 duced a sort of pushing of several of them 
 against the grocer and his family, who, with 
 great difficulty, extricated himself and his 
 wife from their clutches. " I am very glad, my 
 dear," said Mrs. T., " we have got safe from 
 those fellows ; never mind the sovereign." 
 " The Course now looks interesting indeed ; 
 every part of it seems filled with company," 
 exclaimed Miss Penn., " and they all appear 
 so happy, taking their dinners and wine. I 
 think we had better get to our coach as fast 
 as possible, and take some refreshment ; it 
 will not be long before the horses start, I sup- 
 pose. Papa, be kind enough to tell me how 
 the time goes ?" Mr. Twankey, on putting 
 his hand to his fob, almost ready to faint, said, 
 " It is gone ! O the rascals \" " What is 
 gone, Mr. T. ?" asked his wife. " My gold 
 watch, chain, and seals— all are gone I by 
 those cursed conveyancers that Mr, Smithers 
 talked about." On recovering himself a little, 
 he made his loss known to a police-officer, 
 while the family made all haste to their car- 
 riage, not in the best humour. 
 
 During the time they were lunching, and 
 lamenting their losses, a dispute occurred be- 
 tween the coachman of a duke and a costard- 
 monger, by the latter fellow insisting upon 
 standing behind the carriage in spite of the 
 coachman and footman attempting to displace 
 him. " What does I care for a duke," said 
 he, " any more than a dustman ! The King, 
 God bless him ! I knows would let me stand 
 behind his wehicle if I axed him. I sup- 
 poses as how as I am made of the same flesh 
 and blood as any of them there dukes who 
 hold their heads so high— why I know'd the 
 duke when he wanted a shirt." " You lying 
 scoundrel !" replied the coachman, " how dare 
 you abuse my master?" "It is no abuse," 
 answered the costard-monger; "and I'll bet 
 you a kavarten of Seager's brilliant tha.t it is 
 a bit of good truth. Why, you stupid fool, 
 he was born like other men — without a shirt. 
 Well, he wanted onethen, didn't he, spooney?" 
 
 In England, it is this sort of saucy inde- 
 pendence which distinguishes its mob. Deny 
 them not their pleasures — let them have their 
 say, and beard the great folks if it suits their 
 whim — grumble at any thing they do not un- 
 derstand or like— ^nd contentment is the 
 result. The names of oppression and power 
 bring forth thousands in an instant to oppose 
 them. This sort of championship against, or 
 perhaps in reality jealousy of, power of all 
 kinds, even in the lowest ranks, peculiarly 
 marks the national character. 
 
 When the foregoing battle of words had 
 subsided, Mrs. Twankey missed her reticule. 
 While she was listening to the fracas, some 
 person had got up behind the carriage, and 
 carried it off with its valuable contents. 
 " This is all through coming to the races !" 
 
 exclaimed Mrs. T. in a tone of agony. " 1 
 shall godistracted — I am mad already — robbed 
 in this manner and no redress to be had, it is 
 abominable !" " Compose yourself, my dear 
 mamma," said Miss P. ; "I see Mr. Smithers 
 coming towards us — he will tell you and papa 
 the proper means to get the watch and reticule 
 back again." The plausible manner of Mr. 
 S. went a great way towards the consolation 
 of the Twankeys. " I will," said he, " as 
 soon as I get back to town, speak to my friends 
 the magistrates about your loss, and I have 
 no doubt but it will be rectified. I will set 
 all the thief-takers in London after the rascals 
 — so a truce to melancholy now, my dear 
 Mrs. and Mrs. Twankey. Depend upon it, I 
 will be as good as my word." This soothed 
 the unhappy couple for a time. 
 
 " I never saw so much beauty and fashion," 
 said Miss Pen., looking up at the Stand, " in 
 my life !" " There are some pretty women, I 
 admit," replied Mr. Smithers, " and also a 
 sprinkling of beauty and fasliion ; but for the 
 rest" (shrugging up his shoulders), " they 
 come under the denomination of well-dressed 
 folks, nothing more — persons wholly indebted 
 to the tailor and dress-maker for their ap- 
 pearance." " You are too severe," answered 
 Miss Pen. ; but pray who is that fashionably- 
 dressed female, who seems in such high spi- 
 rits, and to whom all the gentlemen are paying 
 so much attention ?" " O, I perceive," said 
 Mr. S., " the person you allude to is a lady 
 newly come to a title; but I hate scandal, 
 'pon my honor I do — yet they do say she had 
 at least five keepers before." '* Poor dear 
 lady ! out of her mind !" answered Mrs. Twan- 
 key ; " what a pity to be so afflicted !" " O 
 no, my dear madam," said Mr. S., suppressing 
 a laugh, " before she could get any one in 
 the mind to be her partner for life — "(whisper- 
 ing in her ear). " Indeed ! you surprise me, 
 Mr. S." replied Mrs. Twankey. " Nothing new 
 for fashionable people to marry so — an every- 
 day sortof thing — a mere bagatelle!" answered 
 Mr. S. " Who is that sallow-complexioned, 
 smirking-looking gentleman near her ?" asked 
 Mrs. Twankey. *' He is a great lawyer when 
 
 on the bench, Mr. Justice ," said Mr. S. 
 
 laughing; "but having left his wig behind 
 him, he has not a particle of either law or jus- 
 tice now attached to his person." "O fie!" 
 observed Miss Pen., " you are really too se- 
 vere ; but who is that gentleman appearing to 
 be rather lame, whom the crowd are gazing 
 upon — is he not some public character?" 
 " Yes, ny dear Miss Penelope," answered 
 Mr. S., "he is a very public character, but 
 strange to say he is always at home." " How 
 very odd," said Miss Pen., " Not at all, Miss 
 Pen. ! I should have said his talents are of 
 such superior description he is at homo 
 everywhere." But I should like to know 
 if you can tell me, Avho is that young 
 gentleman, in conversation with the dashing 
 young lady near the corner of the Stand ? " 
 Mr. S. replied with a smile, '' He is one of 
 oifr celebrated singers, and a good fellow into 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 63 
 
 the bargain ; but, however his notes may 
 prove attractive elsewhere, they will not pass 
 current here, without they are indorsed with 
 the cash account for the sport. ' That's the 
 time of day ' to the jockies and trainers ; the 
 pleasing sounds to them are ' Post the poney 
 — down with the dust — P. P.' but you must 
 excuse me, my dear Miss Penelope, every 
 thing in its place, when we are at Rome, you 
 know, ■we must do as Rome does. " 
 
 " But hark ! I hear the bell rings for sad- 
 dling," observed Mr. Smithers, — "look out, 
 my dear friends, make the most of your time, 
 
 and listen to B there. Goldfinch, in the 
 
 Road to Ruin, is a mere apology to B — — for 
 the description of a race. He is an eccentric 
 character altogether, — look — his hands, his 
 his legs, his arms, his head, are all at work ; 
 his frame is almost reduced to a jelly with 
 agitation. The Bank — the Reform question, 
 the world, in fact, every thing is lost sight of 
 in his anxiety at the race ; he is one of the 
 favorites of fortune. He is kno%vn to carry 
 with him one of his fine Holland pillow- 
 cases to fill with the money produced from his 
 bets ; and he brings his dog-cart with him, 
 after the races, to Tattersall's to carry off the 
 large sums he wins to the Bank. Listen ! 
 There they go — now they are off — Hasmus 
 takes the lead : Bras de Per second ; Cuidad 
 Rodrigo following, accompanied by Slight 
 and Colwich ; good — well meant — I like it. 
 Look at Riddlesworth, Vestris, Caleb, Afri- 
 canus, Fordonsi, and Pigmy, on the outside : 
 just as I wish them, — Judgment ! Excellent ! 
 and not lost in the mob. Now they are on the 
 turn :- See— see — see — Colwich is distressed; 
 Rattler no chance ; Roadster out of it altoge- 
 ther ; Surprise attracts no notice, and Cres- 
 sida done up ! The corner is gained, I am all 
 alive again — Beautiful ! Delightful ! Charm- 
 ing ! — See how close they are together. Be- 
 hold Hiemus, Riddlesworth, Cuidad, and 
 Fordonsi, all in front. Go along my pretty 
 ones ; the winner is amongst thefli ! Riddles- 
 worth for a thousand. Ha ! do my eyes de- 
 ceive me — Spaniel and Incubus appear to be 
 creeping up in a good place ; Silenus is of no 
 use ; she lags — declines. What a picture for 
 an artist ! There's stepping out for you — only 
 look at the action : talk of Opera dancers — 
 Psha ! Take notice : Incubus, Fordonsi, and 
 Ciudad are as close together as ^ pill-box. 
 What a prime racer is Riddlesworth ! — a pic- 
 ture of a horse, there's nothing like Rid. on 
 the Course for blood and bone. The whip — 
 the whip ! make play, my boy, and you can't 
 lose it ! Take care of that Spaniel ! Now I 
 look again it is dangerous. Spur Riddles- 
 worth, boy — get over the ground if it break 
 your neck! The race is between Riddles- 
 worth and Spaniel : it will be a near thing. 
 You don't name the winner for a thousand — 
 thoy are neck and neck. See what a plunge 
 Spaniel has made ; very near winning it." 
 
 " Near it !" exclaims the steward, " Spaniel 
 has won by three-quarters of a length." 
 
 '■ Only look, my dear Mrs. Twankey, at 
 
 the long faces of the losers,'' exclaimed Mr. 
 Smithers, " the knowing ones have dropped 
 their blunt. I beg pardon ; thsy have lost 
 their money — they are done brown !" 
 
 " How can you tell a knowing one?" asked 
 Mr. Twankey. 
 
 " Why," replied Mr. Smithers, " 1 must 
 admit that's a puzzler. Instead of knowing, 
 they should be termed ' foolish ones.' As a 
 proof of their sagacity and turf-knowledge, 
 .50 to 1 was the betting against the winning 
 horse ; in fact, Spaniel was never named as 
 having any chance by the knowing ones." 
 
 Mr. Smithers having made his bow, the 
 Twankeys immediately prepared themselves 
 to leave the Course; but as many things happen 
 between the cup and the lip, the 'pitiless 
 pelting storm' soon made its way through all 
 their finery ; and, before they could close up 
 their carriage, another misery of life presented 
 itself; the carriage hinges were out of repair, 
 and some considerable time elapsed before 
 they were protected from the weather. " Get 
 on, post-boys," cried Theophilus Heniy, " and 
 stop at the first respectable inn you come to." 
 The lads went off at a good round pace ; but, 
 on their coming in contact with numberless 
 carriages, where the roads meet, smack went 
 a pole through the pannels, the violent shock 
 of which nearly upset the whole of the Twan- 
 keys in the mud. To describe the conster- 
 nation and fright of Mrs. and Miss T. is im- 
 possible : life could scarcely be kept in them. 
 After the confusion and swearing had a little 
 subsided, and they had recovered themselves 
 without injury, — the supposed aggressor 
 having left his card by way of reparation for 
 the damages done to Mr. T.'s coach, which in 
 their hurry they did not perceive had only the 
 name of Thompson on it— thus getting rid of 
 the accident altogether, and saddling the ex- 
 pences upon the Twankeys. They again made 
 progress on the road, when the carriage pulled 
 up at a tolerably-looking decent house. On 
 getting out, a mob of boys had assembled 
 round the door, and the first salutations the 
 Twankeys met with — ' What a shocking bad 
 bonnet that female woman has got on her 
 head !' ' Only look at that queer tile upon 
 that old chap's nob !' and other like most 
 agreeable greetings, accompanied with loud 
 shouts of laughter, and other marks of ridi- 
 cule. To mend the matter, or rather to make 
 a bad introduction worse, every room was 
 crowded with company • the bells incessantly 
 ringing ; the cries of ' AVaiter — waiter,' from 
 the top of the house to the bottom ; plenty of 
 orders, but no attention paid to them ; and 
 several persons intercepting the servants, and 
 fighting for hot water, bread and butter, &c. 
 
 After the patience of Mrs. T. was com- 
 pletely tired out, and calling the waiter fifty 
 times at least, she said, " I insist, man, you 
 will pay some attention to what I want." 
 
 " Insisting won't fit here. Ma'am," replied 
 the waiter, " you may insist as much as you 
 please, but who cares for it? You are only 
 one of God A'mighty's customers ; and if the 
 
64 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 chovies had'n't come down so fast, and drove 
 you into this here house, ve shou'dn't have 
 had you at all : but I can tell you, JNIa'am, 
 for your comfort, the cream is all gone — no 
 milk is to be had ; and if you stop here until 
 midnight, you will not get any thing : we are 
 drained quite dry with every thing in the 
 liquor vay." 
 
 The Twankeys found it useiess to complain, 
 and bore all their misfortunes with a kind of 
 stoic consolation — that their troubles would 
 soon be over ; but, after repeated exertions 
 made by Theophilus at the bar, with persua- 
 sions and almost threats, some refreshments 
 were obtained for his almost exhausted mother 
 and sister. The post-boys had attended to 
 their horses, and the Twankeys, being in a 
 little better humour, made another start for 
 London. 
 
 The streets of the metropolis were duly 
 gained ; the gas-lights seemed to send forth 
 more brilliant rays than ever to the anxious 
 eyes of Mrs. Twankey. The old grocer 
 began to chuckle to himself, that like his pre- 
 decessor, Johnny Gilpin, he had gone farther 
 than he intended, but got safe home at last. 
 The horses, like hack horses in general, upon 
 feeling the stones under their feet, trotted 
 along merrily without the whip; even the 
 post-boys were glad their tiresome joarney 
 was at an end. Miss Penelope Twankey, 
 quite disappointed, fatigued, and out of tem- 
 per, that neither her 'dear self nor her great 
 fortune had made any conquest ; and Theo- 
 philus, the best informed of the family of the 
 Twankeys, equallydisgusted that the day had 
 turned out a bore instead of a record of plea- 
 sure. The name of Twankey, on the shiping 
 brass-plate, was never viewed before with 
 half such pleasure by the family. The knock- 
 er's rattling peal occasioned the door to open 
 in a twinkling, and the family were at lengtii 
 seated by their own fire-side. The joy of Mrs. 
 Twankey was so great, that she could not 
 disguise it, and began humming the well- 
 known air : — • 
 
 'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, 
 Still be it ever so humble, there's no place like 
 Home. 
 
 It is true, that Mrs. T. did not sing the above 
 pathetic ballad exactly after the penetrating 
 strains of Miss M. Tree, neither did it re- 
 semble the harmonious notes of Mrs. VVaylett ; 
 but, nevertheless, it came from the heart. 
 *' Thank God," said she, upon seating herself 
 in her elbow chair, " I am once more at home : 
 the watch and reticule we shall have again, I 
 hope, through Mr. Smithers ; if not, I am at 
 home and no matter ; if ever they catch me 
 again at the races, why then my friends shall 
 tell me my name is not Twankey, and I am 
 not satisfied with my h;)me." 
 
 " Yes, my dear," echoed Mr. T., and I will 
 allow those blackguard little boys again to 
 insult me with the prevailing, foolish, un- 
 meaning phrase of 'What a shocking bad hat 
 
 you have got!" if ever they lay hold of me 
 more. No more races for me. No more 
 thimbles for me ; I shall hate the sight of a 
 thimble till the last hour of my life." 
 
 "La! Pa," exclaiined Miss Penelope, do 
 not be so angry about the loss of a sovereign." 
 
 " Well, I wont ; I'll bear in mind with 
 cheerfulness," said old Twankey, " one of my 
 copies which I used to write when I was a 
 school-boy — ' all's well that end's well!'" — 
 Metropolitan Mag. 
 
 Caninl Ingratitude. 
 
 The dog, of all the animals in the creation, 
 has ever been regarded as the peculiar friend 
 and companion of man. Among the most con- 
 spicuous of those qualities which bind him to 
 his master, and render him amiable to mankind, 
 is that of gratitude; gratitude, which no ill 
 usage can shake, nor neglect can destrov. But 
 anomalies are no less frequent in animals thau 
 in man ; the latter have their moral deviations, 
 and the former their instinctive contradictions. 
 As a striking proof of the justness of these de- 
 ductions, we will present to our readers the 
 following accredited fact. 
 
 A butcher of Mitcham in Surrey, had reared 
 a mastitf-dog from a puppy, and was so attach- 
 ed to him, that he was his constant company 
 wherever he went. One day this mastiflT had 
 been eatiug very plentifully of some horse-flesh 
 which his master had purchased for liim, and 
 having lost some part of it, the butcher at- 
 tempted to take hold of it, in. order to lay it 
 by : the dog instantly seized his arm, and tore 
 the flesh in a most dreadful manner ; not con- 
 tent with this, the furious animal flew up at 
 his master's throat, where he fastened himself, 
 and was not loosened from his hold, till some 
 neighbours tied a rope round his neck in order 
 to strangle him. The moment the dog felt the 
 cord, he let go ; and such was the extraordi- 
 nary attachment of the butcher to this favorite 
 mastiff, that although his life was in imminent 
 danger, he would not suffer the animal to be 
 destroyed. It is generally supposed that 
 eating such a quantity.of raw horse-flesh occa- 
 sioned the ferocity of the animal ; for, till this 
 circumstance happened, he had always been 
 remarkably docile. 
 
 ADVANTAGES ARISING FROM HAVINf; 
 
 DUMMY FOR YOUR PARTNER, AT WHIST. 
 If I sit down with some, I am rhcck'd and abus'd, 
 Into ridicule turn'd, and, indeed, so ill us'd — 
 I'.ut when for my Partner grave Dummy I take. 
 He ever looks kind should 1 make a mistake ; 
 If 1 play a wrong card, takes the will for the deed, 
 Nor sajs ought if I fail in returning his lead ; 
 Should I trump his best card, or forget what is out 
 (A very great error in playing, no doubt), 
 Yet he never reproves me as others would do — 
 Nor says, "I ne'er saw such a player as you ; 
 " Why the Ace Sir, was o<it— what a sad stupid thing, 
 " You should, certainly, Partnei:, have put on your 
 
 King." 
 And then, should we win, and the losers pay toll, 
 Dum quiet remains, though I pocket ihe whole ; 
 But let me observe (by the way rather loth), 
 Should Dum and I lose — I must pay stakes for both. 
 
PIERCE EGAN's book OF SPORTS. 
 
 65 
 
 TOM SPRING'S PARLOUR; 
 
 Otherwise the " Temple- of the Fancy!" Castle tavern, Holborn. 
 
 Then let ns be merry. 
 
 While drinking our Sherry, 
 For friend-hip and hiirmony can't last too long : 
 
 Be still our endeavour 
 
 That nothing shall fever 
 The Ladi of the Fancy, at the Castle so strong. 
 
 The Castle Tavern was first opened as a 
 Sporting House, about two and twenty years 
 ago, by the well-known Bob Gregson ; but 
 designated, at that period, under the familiar 
 title of Bob's Chop House : 
 
 His house is known to all the milling train ; 
 He gives them liquor, and relieves their pain. 
 
 Vlie Castle Tavern was also viewed as a sort 
 of ' finger post' by his countrymen, as the 
 ' Lancashire House ;' and considered by them 
 a most elegible situation to give their Cliam- 
 pion a call, on their visits to the Pdetropulis. 
 It is rather singular to relate that Bob Gregson 
 rose in the estimation of the Sporting World, 
 
 from defeat ; he fouj^ht only three battles in 
 the P. R., and lost them all. Indeed, Bob's 
 character as a boxer reminds us of the anec- 
 dote, or rather the jmn, mentioned in the 
 House of Commons, by the late right honor- 
 able Charles James Fox, who observed of the 
 fighting Austrian, General Clairfayt, who had 
 been for several years engaged in one an** 
 twenty battles in the cause of his country, that 
 the General might be compared to a drum ; 
 for he was never heard of but when he was 
 beaten! Just so with Gregson : however, the 
 Castle Tavern, as a Sporting House, got ra- 
 pidly into note, soon after Bnh showed himself 
 as the landlord of it. The appearance of 
 Gregson was prepossessing — he was in height 
 six feet one inch and a half, weighing about 
 fifteen stone six pounds : and in the course of 
 a long day's walk in the Metropolis, or during 
 the continuance of a w^ek in I^ondon, a finer, 
 
 F 
 
CO 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 or belter proportioned, athletic man could not 
 be met with, than the host of the Castle Ta- 
 vern. He was considered by the celebrated 
 professor of anatomy, at the Royal Academy, 
 Mr. Carlyle, a most excellent subject to des- 
 cant upon ; and he publicly declared that from 
 his neck down to his waist, he never saw any 
 man who possessed so much anatomical beauty 
 as the late Dob Gregson. He was likewise 
 selected by the late SirThomas Lawrence, Mr. 
 Daw, &;c., as a fine subject for their pencils to 
 portray the beauty of human proportion. 
 Bob possessed a constitution truly robust, with 
 a vivacious eye, calculated to dazzle every 
 spectator with its importance ; and an arm 
 that was 
 Active and strong, and vigorous to all its purposes. 
 
 Possessing good intellectual faculties, his 
 general deportment was above all absurd 
 affectation ; nothing supercilious was to be 
 found in his manner ; and ambition was totally 
 exempt from his breast ; nay, on the contrary, 
 
 Far other aims bis heart had learn'd to prize — 
 More bent to raise the valiant than to lise. 
 
 Gregson, in addition to his other prepossessing 
 requisites, was always well, nay fashionably 
 dressed ; and, in the common phrase of the 
 day, ' he had a good deal to say for himself;' 
 and the right sort of a man, not only to attract 
 company to his house, but to keep them toge- 
 ther by his tact and knowledge of society. 
 He was a good-natured fellow, and extremely 
 liberal in his conduct ; indeed, without resort- 
 ing to a piin, at that period he was viewed as a 
 " Great Creature" in the SportingWorld. Bob, 
 according to his owu account, considered him- 
 self a ' tiny bit' of a poet,* and he was very fond 
 of reading the works of our great poets. In 
 consequence of the following song, written by 
 him in honor of Tom Cribb's victory over Mo- 
 lineux, he was unanimously voted, by his 
 brethren of tlie fist, to the honorable situa- 
 tion of poet-laureate to the Prize Ring ; 
 indeed, it was reserved for Bob Gregson 
 alone, from his union of Pugilism and Poetry, 
 to recount the deeds of the Boxers in heroic 
 verse, like the bards of old, by sounding the 
 praises of their warlike champions. 
 
 British Lads and Black Millers. 
 
 You gentlemen of "ortune attend unto my ditty, 
 A (ew lines I have penu'd upon this great fight. 
 
 In the ciiitii' of England the noble place is pitched on, 
 For the Valour ov this Country, or America's 
 
 ■ ililiuht : 
 
 * The celebrated bard, ToMMr Moore, under the 
 assumed signature of " Tom Cribb's Memorial to Con- 
 gress," a little volume replete with wit, slang, know- 
 ledge of life, and also inimitable as a rich specimen of 
 the Burlesque style of writing, has not failed to recog- 
 oize the poetic fervour of the late Bob Gregson : — 
 A pause ensued — 'till cries of " Gregson" 
 Brought Bob the Poet on his legs soon — 
 (My eyes, how prettily Bob writes!) 
 
 "Talk of your Camels, Hogs, and Crahs, 
 And twenty more such Pidcock frights — 
 
 Bob's worth a hundred of these dabs, 
 For a short tur7i-up at a sonnet, 
 
 A round of odes, a pastoral bout. 
 All Lomiard-slreet to nint-pence on it 
 Bobby's the boy would clear them out I 
 
 The sturdy black doth swear, 
 
 The moment he gets there, 
 The planks the stage is built on, he'll n rkc them blaie 
 and smoke : 
 
 Then Cribb, with smiling face, 
 
 Says, these boards I'll ne'er disgrace; 
 They're relations of mine, they're Old English oak. 
 
 Brave Molineux replied, I've never been denied 
 
 To fight the foes of Britain on such plank? as those : 
 If relationship you claim, by-and-bye you'll know my 
 name : 
 I'm the swellish milling cove that can drub my foes. 
 Then Cribb replied with haste, 
 You slave, I will you baste 
 As your Master us'd to cane you, 'twill bring things to 
 your mind. 
 
 If from bondage you've got clear, 
 To impose on Britons here. 
 You'd better stopp'd with Christophe, you'll quickly 
 find. 
 
 The garden of freedom is the British land we live in. 
 And welcomes every slave from his banish'd isle ; 
 Allows them to impose on a nation good and generous 
 To incumber and pollute our native soil : 
 But John Bull cries out aloud, 
 We're neither poor nor proud. 
 But open to all nations, let them come from where they 
 will. 
 The British lads that's here. 
 Quite strangers are to fear ; 
 Here's Tom Cribb, with bumpers round, for he can 
 them mill. 
 
 In Mine Host s parlour, or little snuggery 
 behind the bar, considered a sort of Sanctum 
 Sanctorum — a House of Loris to tbe F.iac}', 
 where Commoners never attempted to intrude 
 upon the company, Bob carried on a roaring 
 trade. ' Heavy whet,' or any thing in the 
 shape of it, except at meal-times, was entirely 
 excluded from this *' Repository of Choice 
 Spirits ;" and where Champagne of the best 
 quality was tossed off like water ; Madeira, 
 Claret, Hock, and other choice wines, handed 
 about with the utmost sang-froid ; and Port 
 and Sherry the common drink of the snuggery. 
 It might be invidious, if not improper, to 
 mention the names of some of the visitors who 
 spent an hour or two on different occasions 
 in this little spot, famed for sporting, mirth, 
 harmony, and good fellowship ; but let it suf- 
 fice, and with truth, to observe, that persons 
 of some consequence in the State were to be 
 seen in it, independent of artists, and other 
 men of ability, connectid with the gay Metro- 
 polis. 
 
 The late Jack Emery, so highly distin- 
 guished as a comedian on the boards of 
 Covent Garden Theatre, in a number of 
 characters which he made exclusively his 
 own ; and a man of immense talent in every 
 point of view, spent many of his leisure hours 
 in the above snuggery. Emery was a great 
 patron of Bob's ; and Gregson, in return, was 
 most sincerely attached to the entertaining, 
 liberal-minded comedian. Nature, enriched 
 by art, had rendered the late Mr. Emery a 
 man not often to be met with in the walks of 
 society : as a comic actor he was unrivalled ; 
 and, viewed as an amateur artist, some of his 
 paintings, which he exhibited at Somerset 
 House, were greatly admired. In the cha- 
 racter of a musiciau he was considered above 
 par. And though he could not produce 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 .m 
 
 captivating sounds from his fiddle, like a 
 Spagnioletta, yet it was generally admitted he 
 could discourse most ' eloquent music' with 
 it ; but, as a comic singer, and a writer of 
 songs for himself, he was at the top of the 
 tree : his anecdotes and tales were told with 
 so much richness of colouring and good taste, 
 as to enrapture all his hearers : and, as a 
 general companion, as the song says, '' he was 
 the boy for bewitching 'em !" Emery, as it is 
 termed, was strong in the ^ Fancy f and, if 
 necessary, he could turn his hands to good 
 account ; and it was one of those excellent 
 Old English maxims, he used to say, for a 
 man to be capable of standing up in his own 
 defence ; indeed, he was very much attached 
 to all kinds of sporting. The above comedian 
 was quite at home in the capacity of President, 
 at a Sporting Dinner ; nay, perfect to a letter 
 in the part, without any rehearsal. It was 
 impossible to be dull in his company ; every 
 toast was introduced with an appropriate re- 
 mark ; and with the most cheerful compliance 
 he was ever ready to give his song to add to 
 the mirth of the meeting, when called upon 
 by any of the visitors. Those gentlemen who 
 remember the inimitable talents displayed by 
 the late Mr. John Emery, not only when sing- 
 ing, but the rich acting he introduced into his 
 songs at the same time, will, we feel quite 
 assured, acquitusof any intention of colouring 
 his portrait too highly. In the following song 
 he was irresistible — the various passions in his 
 face which depicted the pretended love of the 
 lass for the sailor, and her ingratitude, and 
 contempt for him at his departure, together 
 with the noble characteristic of the Jack Tar, 
 was viewed as a master-piece in the style of 
 comic singing. — 
 
 THE SAILOR'S WILL AND HIS POWER. 
 
 Early one morning, a jolly brisk tar. 
 
 Signal being made for iiailing, 
 Nimbly stepped down and told his dear, 
 
 Who was of her loss bewailing : 
 " Orders are come ship to unmoor, 
 
 Boats alongside lay waiting; 
 Come, come, my dear Molly, for you most ashore, 
 
 For this is no time for prating." 
 
 Moll, with her arms around his neck. 
 
 Looked as if life had left her ; 
 To hear such words come from her dear Jack, 
 
 Quite of all speech bereft her. 
 Fte saw her face began to look wan, 
 
 He smiled at the silly yonng creature. 
 Till, from her heart, the blood began 
 
 To brighten up every feature. 
 
 " Molly, my dear, now since I must go, 
 
 Why such recoils at parting I 
 For you may be liappy, you very well know, 
 
 'Long with other men's wives concarting " 
 " No, no, no; it's no such thing, 
 
 I never shall cease frnm crying, 
 For I may, perhaps, rejoice and sing 
 
 While you on the deck lay dying." 
 
 Vo sooner she spoke than old Trinculo'a call 
 
 All hands a-hoy did rattle, 
 Says Jack, with a smile, " Come, come, my dear Moll, 
 
 This is no time for prattle ; 
 Boat's alongside, ship's under weigh;" 
 
 Poor Molly went snivelling over; 
 At every step she heaved a sigh ; 
 
 Her sighs did her fears discover. 
 
 Now, afar off, with watery eye, 
 
 She beheld the ship a-sailing; 
 EaL;er she looks, and thus she cries. 
 
 For the loss of her true love bewailil-f , 
 "There he goes! that's a good job, 
 
 He's been going this quarter of an l.oui ; 
 Oh I that the bullets may scuttle his nob. 
 
 For I've got his will and his power." 
 
 Now, as along the beach she strayed, ^ 
 
 Quite forgot was poor Johnny ; 
 Eagerly, instantly, otf she sped 
 
 Into the arms of her Tommy. 
 Close in her arms she did him embrace. 
 
 She called him her joy and her honey, 
 " How could you think that I loved that there mac f 
 
 'Twas only to finger his money." 
 
 Bob one evening complained to his friend, 
 Emery, in the snuggery, that some vain pre- 
 tender to poetry had abused the verses of 
 Gregson ; when the Comedian, laughing, took 
 out his pencil, and wrote the following cou- 
 plet : — 
 
 Never mind 'em. Bob— in turn, tip them bruises ' 
 I'll bet the odds you could y^ooy all the Muses ! 
 
 Mr. Emery was so great a favorite with the 
 Sporting World in general, that he was voted 
 to present the silver cup, of the value of 
 Eighty Guineas, to the champion, Tom Cribb, 
 at the Castle Tavern, on December 2, 1811, 
 after a sporting dinner, in honor of his victory 
 a second time over the sable hero, Blolineaux. 
 The following speech was made by Mr. Emery 
 upon that occasion : — 
 
 " Thomas Cribb— I have the honor this 
 day of being the representative of a numerous 
 and most respectable body of your friends, 
 and though I am by no means qualified to at- 
 tempt the undertaking which has devolved on 
 me, by a vote of the subscribers, yet the cause 
 will, I am confident, prove a sufficient excuse 
 for my want of ability. You are requested to 
 accept this cup, as a tribute of respect for the 
 uniform valour and integrity you have shown 
 in your several combats ; but most particu- 
 larly for the additional proofs of native skill 
 and manly intrepidity displayed by you in 
 your last memorable battle, when the cause 
 rested not merely upon individual fame, but 
 for the pugilistic reputation of your native 
 country, in contending with a formidable fo- 
 reign antagonist. In that combat, you gave 
 proofs that the innovating hand of a foreigner, 
 when lifted against a son of Britannia, must 
 not only be aided by the strength of a lion, 
 but the heart also. 
 
 " The fame you have so well earned ha* 
 been by manly and upright conduct, and such 
 conduct, I have no doubt, will ever mark 
 your very creditable retirement from the ring, 
 or stage of pugilism. However intoxicated 
 the cup, or its contents, may at any future pe- 
 riod make you, I am sufficiently persuaded 
 the gentlemen present, and the sons of John 
 Bull in general, will never consider you have 
 a cup too much." 
 
 It has been remarked, by an old friend and 
 admirer of the late Mr. Emery, that in 
 
 Each part he shone in, but excell'd in none. 
 So well as husband, father, friend, and son, 
 His heart was warm, and aid was ever granted 
 Whene'er it whispered him, "there, York, yoii'r* 
 wanted t" 
 
68 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Great is the public li.ss, but.wliile the tear 
 
 Of memory bedews the actor's bier, 
 
 Think on the man whom private worth endears — 
 
 Think on the anguish of a widow's tears." 
 
 The poet well may assert, " Gi'eat is the 
 public loss." He was the Morland of the 
 stage; and nature might exclaim, " Tliis is 
 niy son, indeed !" His portraits were, all of 
 them, masterpieces in the art of acting. The 
 fine tracric powers he displayed in Tyke, not 
 only astonished the late John Kemdle ; but 
 that truly great performer publicly declared 
 to his friends he could not find words of suf- 
 ficiently strong import to convey his praise 
 and ad.miration of the acting of Mr. Emery, 
 in the School of Reform. In Giles he was 
 equally eminent ; Dniidie Dinmont all that 
 could be wished by the most fastidious critic 
 of the age; and his Fai-mer A sirfield positively 
 witiiout a fault. Most persons expressed their 
 astonishment that so highly-gifted an actor 
 should have died poor — the tale, however, is 
 soon told : he was too generous in disposition 
 to every person who applied to him for relief, 
 but, to his family, his kindness knew no 
 bounds ; his aged father and mother were en- 
 tirely supported by liis talents ; he had several 
 children to provide for and to educate. He 
 was the admiration of all those individuals 
 who saw him on the stage, and beloved as an 
 honest man and a sin'cere friend by every 
 body off of it. He was clever in every thing he 
 undei'irook — either in music, poetry, or paint- 
 ing. The loss of such a man must be felt for 
 many years, without any disparagement to 
 the men of talent who attempt to supply his 
 place on the stage. 
 
 Tiie late Mr. George Kent was also a strik- 
 ing feature in this little snuggery, towards 
 keeping the game alive : he was of a gay dis- 
 position, fond of life in every shape, and, when 
 perfectly sober, was one of the most peace- 
 able fellows in the kingdom, and an excellent 
 companion ; but, when tie got a little liquor 
 into ills noddle, a word and a blow were too 
 often the leading features of his character. A 
 good mining was quite familiar to his feelings; 
 a hlaclc nje a common occurrence; carried 
 home by the Charleys, out of all calculation ; 
 and locked up in tlie scout-ken so rejieatedly, 
 that his person and name were as well known 
 to the keepers, as Sunday, in the Almanack ; 
 and his eventful historj of sprees and mid- 
 night rambles, would positively have filled a 
 volume. Punished in his person, and com- 
 pelled to pay in his purse, ever and anon, to- 
 wards "making it up" for his night's adven- 
 tures, yet nothing could cure him of his 
 penchant for milling; and George was pro- 
 nounced incorrigible by all his acquaintances 
 and friends. He was a complete man of the 
 world : Kent possessed courage of the highest 
 order; and, with a frame as hard as iron, his 
 person seemed almost insensible to the at- 
 tacks of common opponents. George was 
 likewise an adept in the fistic art, a great 
 lover of the science, a sort of oracle amongst 
 the milling coves, and a sparrer above me- 
 
 diocrity. In the metropolis, his fame for a 
 spree was perfectly established at the Police 
 Offices; and he very often proved himself a 
 troublesome customer at the theatres. His 
 foibles out of the question, the late George 
 Kent was far from an ill-natured man, and 
 often expressed his sorrow for what had oc- 
 curred on the preceding evening when he had 
 given any offence; he said it was not his 
 fault, and the disturbance he created ought to 
 be attributed to the right cause — too intimate 
 an acquaintance with the Lushington family. 
 He commenced three or four sporting publica- 
 tions, connected with the boxers, but he never 
 completed any one of them. Ilis slang was 
 well applied in his pugilistic articles — ex- 
 tremely witty and full of point. Several of 
 the most learned writers of the age have 
 stepped aside from their studies to peruse the 
 milling articles of Kent with pleasure and 
 amusement. At one period of his life he was 
 a sort of oracle to Bob Gregson ; in fact, he 
 v/as such an attractive feature at the Castle 
 Tavern, that the word and opinions of Mr. 
 Kent were, in the eyes of the Lancashire 
 hero, completely orthodox. 
 
 The late Captain D , connected with 
 
 one of the most noble families in the kingdom, 
 and denominated one of the highest fanciers 
 in the Sporting World, in consequence of 
 being six feet four inches and-a-half in height, 
 was likewise a great frequenter of the " Re- 
 pository of Choice Spirits." The Captain 
 was a remarkably well-proportioned man ; a 
 finished scholar ; a great musician ; a man of 
 sense and talent ; a strong supporter of the 
 Fancy — a real gentleman, and a most delight- 
 ful companion. He was also a man of pro- 
 digious strength ; and few of the boxers could 
 stand before him with only the * gloves' on ; 
 his blows were so powerful. One anecdote 
 of the Captain is worthy of recital : during 
 the run of Bartholomew Fair, just after he 
 had left Harry Harmer's in the evening, 
 where he had been with a few friends, taking 
 a glass or two of wine, he was accosted in his 
 walk through the fair by two dandies, who 
 had a very dashing lady between them — " My 
 eyes," observed the biggest of the two, "only 
 look here — the Giant is out for an airing ?" 
 The Captain made no reply, btit, with the 
 utmost sang froid, caught hold of him by the 
 collar of his coat, and held him up in the air, 
 with as much ease as he would have held a red 
 herring, wliere hekept him dangling for a short 
 period, to the no small laughter and shouts of 
 the crowd. The lady interfered, and begged 
 for mercy ; and the other dandy also offered 
 to make any atonement in his power for the 
 improper conduct of his friend. " Well," 
 said the Captain, " let the gentleman get 
 down if lie can." "That is totally impos- 
 sible," answered tlie lady," who appeared to 
 be a woman of mind ; " but, my dear Sir, I 
 am sure you are a gentleman, and I only beg 
 to call to your recollection, that it is 
 
 Excellent to possess a giant's strength ; 
 But it is tyrannoi'.s to use it like a giant 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 09 
 
 ** Enough, my dear young lady," replied the 
 Ciptain, who was a man of p;allantry, " I am 
 subdued ; the lion is turned to a lamb !" at tlie 
 same time letting the dandv feel the ground 
 once more, whose nerves were rather agitated 
 from the iron-like grasp of the Captain. " Let 
 this foolish young man keep his tongue within 
 his teeth, and never give an unprovoked 
 insult in future, for fear of the consequences. 
 Therefore, Sir, I let you oft" this time ; but 
 immediately place yourself under the pro- 
 tection of that lady and you will be safe; attend 
 to her instructions fur a short tinie, when, 
 perhaps, ' you may be trusted alone.' The 
 Captain then made his bow to the lady, and 
 retired from the fair amidst the loud applause 
 of the spectators. 
 
 Numerous other "Choice Spirits" might 
 have been introduced, full of character as the 
 preceding ones ; but the above three gentlemen 
 will be quite sufficient to give an outline of 
 the company to be met with in Bjb Gregson's 
 snuggery — where there was wit at will; the 
 parties sought out each other to please and be 
 pleased, where 'Dull Care' could never ob- 
 tain a seat — and fun to be had at all times. 
 Sporting the general theme amongst the par- 
 ties, but not to the exclusion of the topics of 
 the day. Very heavy matches have been 
 made in the snuggery: and most certainly the 
 period alluded to might have been termed the 
 " Corinthian Times of the Fancy." It is 
 true, perhaps, that Sterne might not have 
 been pleased with many of the Sentimevts 
 made use of at the Castle Tavern ; and Rous- 
 SEAO have altogether disliked the tenor of the 
 arguments of the orators ; but for feeling, 
 practical feeling , on any distressed subject in- 
 troduced to their notice, the Fancy have 
 proved themselves, without the aid of one 
 word of sentiment, generous to a fault ; 
 " Charitable upon most occasions, and never 
 visiting the sins of the fathers upon the 
 children ;" and always ready with their 
 mites to help a fellow-creature out of his 
 troubles. Such circumstances have occurred, 
 times and oft, at the Castle Tavern, in spite of 
 all the calumnies * which have been heaped 
 upon the members of the Sporting World. 
 
 • In spite of the »ant and humbug which esist ia the 
 world, and the "flattering nnctioii" which many per- 
 •ons take to themselves, that they are better than other 
 folks, and not like those wicked fellows who frequent 
 horse-raoes, hunting, and piize-fights ; it iiiiist, limv- 
 ever, be pleasant to the feelings of those men who mix 
 with all sorts of 50i;iety, and who endeavour to conduct 
 themselves as well as they can, that they have the 
 opinion of one of the greatest Law Lords who ever sat 
 on the Bench to administer justice in this kingdom, 
 that according to the ScripUireM, " He di«l not like 
 people righteous over m;ich." The Lord Chancellor 
 Thurlow, on being told that " Mr. Mtllish was a gr*:at 
 favorite of the populace," observed, "They like him 
 «s a brother blackguard: I am of their opiniun : 1 dis- 
 like your pious heroes: 1 prefer Achilles to Hector — 
 and Turnus to jEneas." When at Cambridge his Lord- 
 ship was consider<!d to read remarkably well, and 
 Satan's speeches were nis especial favorites ; and on 
 his fini<'hing one of ihim he was frequently heard to 
 •ay, " He wa« a fine feHow ! I wish he had won !" 
 
 TheSun for a long time shone brilliantlyover 
 the " Temple of the Fancy ;" but poor Rob, 
 like too many of his class, did not make hav 
 while it was it in his power; when the scene 
 changed, the clouds of misfortune overwhelmed 
 him ; and the once sprightly, gay Lancashire 
 hero was compelled to take a voyage on board 
 his Majesty's Fleet, not only for the recovery 
 of his health, but to obtain a certificate against 
 all future attacks of the enemy. Thus ended 
 the reign of Bob Gregson, at the Castle Ta- 
 vern, Holborn. 
 
 For a few months, a sort of inter-regnum 
 occurred at the Castle ; the Sporting World 
 were missing ; and little else but dreary 
 silence rei.'ned throughout the house: when 
 the sprightly, stylish, well-conducted Tom 
 Belcher, in the summer of 1614 (under tlie 
 auspices of his sincere friend, and almost 
 father, Mr. John Shelton) appeared in the 
 character of landlord at the above tavern. 
 The house had undergone some repairs ; the 
 rooms were all retouched by (he painter ; ele- 
 gance and cleanliness, backed by civility, 
 became the order of the day ; a prime stock 
 of liquors and wities weie also laid in to 
 command the attention of the public. Turn's 
 opening dinner was completely successful, and 
 the Fumy immediately rallied round him — 
 rallied round a hero who had nobly contended 
 for victory in thirteen prize battles. To.-n 
 was also considered the most accomplished 
 boxer and sparrer of the day ; and the remem- 
 brance, likewise, that he was the brother of 
 the renowned Jem Belcher, were points in 
 themselves of great attraction in the Sporting 
 World ; and the above Tavern again became 
 one of the most favorite resorts of the Fancy 
 in general. 
 
 " The Castle Tavern, as a sporting House, 
 is conducted upon those principles of honor 
 and rectitude that must ensure its success. 
 Propriety is the order of the day ; and no 
 man appears more anxious or eager to ac- 
 commodate his visitors, and at the same time 
 none more scrupulously exact in asserting his 
 right as a landlord to prevent the introduction 
 of improper company, and to do the thing tlint 
 is right, than Tom Belcher. In this respect 
 the uii.nagement of the house is entitled to 
 univeiaal praise ; and the inquiring stranger, 
 whom curiosity might have tempted to taktj a 
 peep at the scieutitic pugilists, feels not the 
 least restraint in visiting the Castle Tavern ; 
 but fn;ni the spirit, life, and entertainment, 
 wliich the company atTords him, repetition is 
 generally the reoult. The long room is neatly 
 fitted up, and lighted with gas; and the ru- 
 merous sporting subjects, elegantly frat' ed 
 and glazed, have rather an imposing el'cct 
 upon tiie entrance of the vi.^itor, and anung 
 which may be recognised animated likene.-sea 
 of the principal pugilistic lieioes in the Faney. 
 with a variety of other subjects conncciea 
 with the Sporting World. 
 
70 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 " During the time Tom Belcher was the 
 landlord of the Castle Tavern, the Daffy 
 Club* was stalled by Mr. James Soares. The 
 above Club is a complete antidote to the Blue 
 Devils, and has to boast of greater advantages 
 than any other Society in the Metropolis, from 
 its members being always in Spirits ! For- 
 mality does not belong to this Institution ; it 
 has no written rules to bind its members ; no 
 specified time of meeting ; no fines for non- 
 attendance ; but the corner-stone is, " to do 
 WHAT IS RIGHT !" The Sporting World is its 
 hobby; and respecting ohiginal anecdotes 
 of the Turf ; the incidents of the Prize Ring ; 
 the merits of the swift Pedestrians of the day ; 
 a knowledge of the first rate Trotters; an 
 acquaintance with the best Shots ; good 
 Cockers ; great Cricketers ; distinguished 
 Anglers; and thorough-bred Cattle, Dogs, &c., 
 most of the Club can prove themselves not 
 deficient riders, whenever necessity requires 
 them to mount. One of the antidotes of the 
 Daffy Club is starch; the members having 
 " lived" all the days of their life, and are 
 therefore not to be slighted by tlie self-import- 
 ance of a soi-disant Swell, nor be broke in 
 upon by the rudtness of a Blackguard. 
 
 This h\v\i. spirited Society is also character- 
 ized by a FEATURE totally unknown, and not 
 acknowledged by any other Institution, 
 namely, its ACCOMMODATION. The 
 Munchausen traveller can relate all his mar- 
 vellous adventures without the fear of con- 
 
 * Notwithstanding the writer of this article most 
 anxiously wishes his KEY should /i< well, and that 
 every person who is in possession of it should be able 
 with the utmost ease to unlock the door that afibrds a 
 peep into the movements of the Sporting World ; yet 
 rather than attempt to gammon any of his reader x — 
 efj/inologt/ being out of the question — the only defini- 
 Hon he can give to the term " DAFFY" is, that the 
 phrase vvas coined at the Mini of tlie Fancy, and has 
 since passed current without ever being overhauled 
 as queer. The Colossus of Literature, after all his 
 nou.t and acute researches to explain the synonyms of 
 the English Language, does not appear to have been 
 down to the interpretation of " D4FFY ;" nor indeed 
 does B\YLEY or SHERIDAN seem at all ^3, to it; 
 and even slanp GROSE has no touch of its extensive 
 signification. The squeamish Fair One who takes it 
 on the sli) merely to cure the vapour^, politely names 
 it to her friends as " H'hile H'ine." The .Swell chaffs 
 it as " Blue Ruin" to elevate his notions. The Laun- 
 dress loves dearly a drain of " Ould Tom," from its 
 strength to comfort her inside. The drag Fiddler 
 can toss off a quartern of " Max" without making a 
 wry mug. The Coster iMonger illumines his ideas 
 with " a fi-ash of lightning I' The hoarse Cyprian 
 owes her existence to copious draughts of " jucky." 
 The lAnk lioy and Mud Larks, in joining their browns 
 togetlier, are for some " Stark Naked." And the 
 Out and Outers, from the addition of bitters to it, in 
 order to sharpen up a dissipated aud damaged Vic- 
 tualling Office, cannot take any thing but " Fuller's 
 Karth." Much it should seem, therefore, depends 
 upon a name ; and as a soft sound is at all times pleasing 
 to the li}it: H' r — to have denominated this Sporting 
 Society the " GIN CLUB," would not only have 
 proved barbarous to the ear, but the vulgarity of the 
 chnunt might have deprived it of many of its elegant 
 friends. It is a subject, however, which must be 
 admitted has a prood deal of Taste belonging to it — and 
 as a Sporting Man would be nothing if he was not 
 flash, the DAFFY CLUB meet under the above 
 title. - Picture of the Road to the Fight. 
 
 tradiction ; the good-breeding of the Club is 
 so game in this peculiar respect ! And should 
 the relator of any event happen to do it rather 
 too brown, (for instance, such as stating, with- 
 a face of clay, what he terms a. fact, that in 
 the country he ran a mile in three minutes 
 and a half) so as almost to spoil the steadi- 
 ness of the mugs of the Club, and to endange' 
 its general rules, the President gently re- 
 minds them, as being staunch Members, " that 
 of course they will accommodate the gentleman 
 in his story." The chaffing of the Club, one 
 to another, is then generally, " You believe 
 it?" If the Catolla* can stand the grin 
 well, this sort of playful satire affords much 
 laughter ; frequently good punning, and ex- 
 cellent amusement. 
 
 Although every member of the Daffy Club 
 is expected to be in spirits, yet Mr. Lushington 
 is always viewed as an unwelcome visitor. 
 Harmony is the basis of the Daffies ; and 
 between the different heats of betting, some 
 good characteristic chaunting often adds an 
 interest to the scene at the CasUe. The fol- 
 lowing song is so connected with this Tavern, 
 and has repeatedly received the approbation 
 of the Club, and throughout all the sporting 
 circles, that no apology is necessary for it^ 
 insertion : — 
 
 Tune—" The Land of Sweet Erin." 
 
 Y^ou LADS OF THE FANCY, who wish to impart 
 The tokens of Friendship and soundness of heart. 
 To BELCHER'S repair at the Castle so strong. 
 Where he'll serve you all well — and you'll hear a good 
 
 song : 
 The company cheerful, and SPORTING'S the go- 
 Though milling's the theme, you'll not meet with a 
 
 foe ; 
 But each, in good humour, enjoying his pipe. 
 With tales of the FANCY— and knowledge of life. 
 Then let us be merry 
 While drinking our Sherry, 
 For friendship and harmony can't last too long — 
 Be still our endeavour 
 That nothing shall sever 
 The LADS OF THE FANCY at the Castle so strong J 
 
 First, my muse I'll invoke — the brave sires of the fist. 
 Those heroes of old, who stand high on the list — 
 To FIGG, father BROUGHTOM, and veteran SLACK, 
 Tom Johnson, Mich. Ryan, that brave Paddy wha 
 To do them all justice I cannot now stay. 
 Nor half their brave actions or feats here display. 
 But country or colour — to us are the same, 
 Only anxious are we in preserving the GAME. 
 Then let us, &c. 
 
 • This phrase is a recently coined one, and may be 
 termed a new reading for the oMfash terms of " a 
 precious sam — a spooney — a muff — a flat — a go-alonger, 
 &c. or in plain English, a fool. The original CATOL- 
 LA (the name of a man who was in the habit of 
 using the Castle) was distinguished for his mar-plot 
 qualities, and stupid bets. Also in offering wagers, that 
 when called upon to cover, it generally turned out 
 he had no blunt to stake. Catolla, from proving too 
 annoying, was ultimately laughed out ; but unfortu- 
 nately his family are very numerous, and still con- 
 tinue to furnish amusement for the Daffies and other 
 frequenters of the Castle Tavern, very few evenings 
 pas.sing over without some Catolla or other making; 
 his appearance 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 71 
 
 Well stor'd is our Castle, a long siege to stand. 
 To parley oi fight we can all take a hand — 
 Like trumjis stick together, afraid of no plot. 
 But beware of being floored by TOMMY'S ^rape- 
 shot ! 
 To banish dull care, or to roar out a catch, 
 Take part in a glee, or in making a MATC H ; 
 Chaunt the pleasures of Sporting — the charms "f a 
 
 race. 
 And ne'er be at fault — at a mill or the chase. 
 Then let us, &c. 
 
 Now, L\US OF THE FANCY, assist me to sing. 
 That nothing unmanly takes place in the ring, 
 May no fear nor revenge e'er embitter your lives. 
 And be fond of your sweethearts, and true to your 
 
 wives. 
 Then give no offence, but with courage take part. 
 And show the right trait of an Englishman's heart. 
 To recent or forgive, to him 'tis the same — 
 And may LADS OF THE FANCY still never want 
 
 GAME. 
 
 Then let us, &c. 
 
 During the principal time of Tom's residence 
 at the above tavern, the members of the Sport- 
 ing World were in ' fine feather,' and milling, 
 * glorious mining,' was the order of the day. 
 Patrons 'came out' in mobs to give it support, 
 necessary to make it a striking feature with 
 the bloods, the bucks, the men of ton, and the 
 et cetera, which make up the sporting circles. 
 Tom always kept his weather eye up towards 
 the main chance ; and no man on the list knew 
 better how to get up a purse ; make a match ; 
 or back a man, than the late hero of the 
 Castle Tavern. Tom was quite a Swell in his 
 way- he was always well dressed, and as 
 smart and as nice as a new made pin ; when- 
 ever he made his appearance in the ring, or 
 upon a race course ; indeed, in any situation 
 before the public. Belcher was a keen observer 
 of society — he measured his way through life ; 
 and every step he took he turned it to good 
 account. The proverb was not lost upon Tom. 
 " To make hay while the sun shines." He 
 had lots of sporting dinners ; numerous gay 
 little suppers ; and always plenty of matches 
 on the board to excite the attention of the 
 fancy. The Daffy Club, a prime hit,* also 
 became very popular in the Sporting World ; 
 and for a long time crowded to excess almost 
 every night : indeed. 
 
 Fortune seem'd buckled to his back I 
 Every thing went right: Tom stuck to the 
 Castle, he was always to be found at his post 
 — and the Castle, in turn, proved a rich Castle 
 to him : it fortified him at all points ; and 
 although Tom was spirited at times, to win a 
 good heavy bet, yet nevertheless prudence 
 was generally at his elbow to prevent him 
 from getting out of his depth. Tom was far 
 from a gambler ; the hazard table had no 
 charms for Belcher ; and he scarcely ever 
 sported a shilling except upon a horse race, or 
 
 • To add to the notoriety of the Daffy Chib, a fac 
 simile of the interior of the Coffee Room was painted 
 by the celebrated Tom Greenwood, Esq., and repre- 
 sented in the drama of " Life in London," written by 
 Pierce Egan, for Sadler's Wells and tlie Olympic 
 theatres, where it was performed for 200 nights without 
 intcrmissiop* 
 
 a Mill. His principal style of betting wrs 
 to use his own words, " Blow my dickey, I'll 
 beta guinea and a goose?" and if he did not 
 like to make a bet, he would observe, " I'll 
 leave it all to the Cook ?" 
 
 Tom Belcher, after fourteen years' residence 
 at the Castle Tavern, was enabled by his civil 
 conduct, attention to business, and good luck 
 (we must not leave " good luck" out of the 
 statement, as we feel assured that ^ good luck' 
 is a great point towards realising a fortune) 
 to retire from the busy world. It is true, that 
 Tom had, tolerably well, skimmed the cream 
 off the Fancy before he made his bow to them ; 
 indeed, it might be said that milling had been 
 rather on the umne before Tom had any idea of 
 giving up the Castle Tavern. The times had 
 changed for the worse — the blunt had got 
 rather taper ; and numerous patrons of the 
 P. R. were growing too old to give it their 
 usually animated support, and tbeyoung swells 
 were not rich enough in the ' cash account' to 
 prop up the ' decline ' and almost ' fall of the 
 ring.' However, at all events, T\om Belcher 
 had had not only a long but a rich innings ; 
 and if he did not exactly retire from the Castle 
 Tavern in a ' shower of gold,' he nevertheless, 
 put by a good quantity of the ' Sweeteners of 
 Life,' to render his retreat to the country safe 
 and pleasant, but he had also got ' Bank 
 security' against a rainy day. 
 
 In the character of a Freeholder, the lucky 
 Tom Belcher now passes his days in a very 
 handsome cottage on Finchley Common, living 
 at his ease like a man of fortune, with his dog 
 and his gun, to traverse the fields when he 
 feels inclined for a day's shooting to ' bag the 
 game ;' and Tom is well known as a good 
 marksman. He has also got his prad and his 
 gig, to visit his old friends in the Metropolis 
 whenever it suits his inclination to quit his 
 fireside; and the climax of all his hopes, 
 in the possession of a glass of good wine after 
 his dinner, when Tom never fails to drink as a 
 toast (we suppose by way of gratitude for 
 past favors) " Here's success to milling !" and 
 with a smile on his countenance says Tom, 
 " my friends may flatter me as much as they 
 please about my fine fighting, but, blow my 
 dickey, of all the hits I ever made in my life, 
 none of them were to be compared with the 
 hit I made at the Castle." Tom sensibly 
 feels quite satisfied with the result of his 
 exertions in life, and the burthen of his 
 song is — 
 
 Contented I am, and contented I'll be. 
 For what can this world more afford ? 
 
 Than a girl that will socially sit on my knee. 
 And a cellar that's plentifully stor'd. 
 My brave boys. 
 
 But the designation of Tom Bei.cher will 
 never be erased from his escutcheon. Not a 
 longtime after Tom had taken up his residence 
 on Finchlev Common, a iSue// enquired of the 
 ostler at the Bald Face Stag if lie could 
 direct him towards the house of Mr. Belcher? 
 "Belcher? Belcher?" echoed the ostler. 
 
72 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 scratching his head, and cudgelling his brains 
 for a minute or two for a reply. — " No, no," 
 said he, '' we have no gentleman of that name 
 on the common, I be sure." " You are wrong," 
 answered the Swell ; " I know that Mr. Bel- 
 cher's ri'sidence is somewhere about here, I 
 had it from his own moutli, and I must find it 
 out before I go, as I have some business to 
 settle with hin)." '' No," said the ostler," I 
 am certain there is no such a person about 
 these parts ; as I have lived here all the days 
 of my life, boy and man." The Swell drove 
 olf rather angrily, inuttering to himself, " what 
 a stupid set of ft- Hows these country chaps 
 are; there is no getting a decisive answer from 
 them !" But he had scarcely got the distance 
 of five hundred yards, when the ostler out of 
 breath running after liim, exclaimed, just re- 
 collecting himself — "Sir, sir! Do you mean 
 Tom Belcher, the fij^hting man ?" " Yes to be 
 sure," replied the Swell. " He once was a 
 pugilist, but now he lives in another charac- 
 ter !" " O, then, you did mean him. Idid'n't 
 understand. If you want Tom Belcher, he 
 Jives at that handsome cottage," pointing to 
 it, " about half a mile off." The Swell gave 
 a nod, smilins;; and in a very short time after- 
 warils he found himself in Tom's delightful 
 and elegantly fuinished fieehold. — Non sum 
 qualis erain. 
 
 True Hope ne'er tires ! 
 
 Although it might have been urged by his 
 friends, as a kind of drawback against the at- 
 tempt, that the " show had gone by ;" yet 
 Tom (Winter) Spring,* who had not only 
 been losing his time amongst his countrymen 
 at the Booth- Hall, in the city of Hereford, but, 
 what was worse, his hard-earned money ; he 
 was determined when the opportunity offered 
 to have another ' shy' in London ; therefore, 
 after the setts-to had taken place between the 
 ' two Toms,' the match made, and the hlunt 
 posted— TOM SPRING appeared in the cha- 
 THCter of" mine Host," at the Castle Tavern, 
 Hoi orn. 
 
 T m Spring did not enter upon his new 
 capacity without possessing considerable 
 claims to the notice of the patrons of boxing ; 
 indeed, he was well known (rom his victorious 
 career, to the sporting world : and no man, 
 from his general conduct and deportment, 
 was considered so eligible in every point of 
 view 'to succeed Tom Belcher, as the present 
 landlord ol the CasUe Tavern. Torn Spring 
 was born at Fownhnpe, within six miles of 
 Hereford, on the 22d of February, 1795: he 
 
 ♦ To the best of our recollection. Old Paddington 
 Jones was Tom's godlatlier. Ou Winter's fiist appear- 
 ance at the I'ives Court, and the spectators crying out 
 " Name, name ? " Jones, seeing Vv inter a fine looking 
 young man, and without enquiring his name, in the 
 M.ipulse of the moment, exclaimed," Young Syring!" 
 ■which designation Winter has held ever since ; and it 
 is mo.«t likely the appellation of Spring wilf csntinue 
 witli him until the day of his death. 
 
 fought and won several batties in his own 
 neighbourhood before he arrived in London ; 
 however, it is rather singular to state, that 
 although he experienced defeat in one of his 
 battles, yet he has beaten all the men he ever 
 fought with in the Prize Ring. The following 
 are a list of the Ex-Champion's battles : — 
 
 1. stringer . . 
 
 Sept. 
 
 9, 
 
 1817. 
 
 .0 39. 
 
 .29 
 
 2. Painter . . 
 
 April 
 
 1, 
 
 1818. 
 
 . 1 29. 
 
 .31 
 
 3. Ditto . . . 
 
 Aug. 
 
 7, 
 
 1818., 
 
 .1 4. 
 
 .42 
 
 4. Carter . . 
 
 May 
 
 4, 
 
 1819. 
 
 . 1 6.5. 
 
 .71 
 
 5. Ben Burns . 
 
 Dec. 
 
 20, 
 
 1819. 
 
 .0 18. 
 
 .11 
 
 6. Bob Burns . 
 
 May 
 
 IG, 
 
 1820. 
 
 .0 30. 
 
 .18 
 
 7. Josh Hudson 
 
 Tune 
 
 27, 
 
 1820. 
 
 .f 10. 
 
 5 
 
 (This was a turn-up 
 
 under peculiar 
 
 cir- 
 
 cumstances.) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Tom Oliver . 
 
 Feb. 
 
 20, 
 
 1821. 
 
 .0 .55. 
 
 .25 
 
 9. Bill Neat . 
 
 May 
 
 20, 
 
 1823. 
 
 .0 37. 
 
 . 8 
 
 10. John Langan 
 
 Jan. 
 
 27, 
 
 1824. 
 
 .2 29. 
 
 .71 
 
 11. Ditto . . . 
 
 June 
 
 8, 
 
 , 1824. 
 
 .1 49. 
 
 .76 
 
 The Castle Tavern still maintains its rank 
 amongst the Sporting Houses ; and on any par- 
 ticular occasion it is tilled to an overflow ; but 
 in general, it has a very good share of custom. 
 It is well situated for business : and strangers 
 from all parts of the country are continually 
 ' dropping in' in the course of the day ; and 
 it is also a good half-way house betweeii the 
 East and West End sporting gentry to call in 
 and settle their matters. But in the evening 
 it is an attractive feature altogether ; and a 
 great deal of cuviosliy attaches to the Castle 
 Tavern as a sporting house : more especially, 
 thp landlord of it having been once the cham- 
 pion of England — the very sound of which 
 carries importance along with it — and those 
 persons, particularly from the country, who 
 have never visited such houses, in general, 
 feel anxious to take a peep at the resort of 
 the Fancy, merely to " see what it is like !" 
 It also offers the opportunity of viewing the 
 heroes of the ring ; and other persons who 
 are considered ' public characters' connected 
 with the turf, &c. The Castle Tavern is most 
 respectably conducted under its present pro- 
 prietor, in spite of the calumny which is con- 
 tinually heaped on such places by hypocrites 
 and canting knaves : — 
 
 Yet more, the OifF'rence is as great betteeen 
 
 The optics seeing as the object seen ; 
 
 All manners take a tineture from our own. 
 
 Or some discolour'd through our passions shown; 
 
 Or Fancy's beam enlarges, multip'ifs, 
 
 Contracts, inverts, and gives ten thousand dyes. 
 
 The appearance of " Mine Host " is very 
 much in his tavour; and there is a manly dig- 
 nity about his person which is prepossessing; 
 his language is also mild and perfectly cor- 
 rect; and his behaviour at all times truly 
 civil and attentive to his customers. A night 
 spent at Tom Spring's may not be regretted 
 by the most fa^itidiuus visitor ; and, perhaps, 
 more amusement and information may be de- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 73 
 
 rived from the pro and con's afloat there, than 
 from a ^^ residence of six hevks at Long's." 
 The Castle Tavern, most certainly, is con- 
 sidered and called a fighting house; but, 
 nevertheless, fighting is expressly forbidden 
 in it by the landlord. '• Words," says he, 
 "cost nothing; indeed they are little more 
 than wind ; and you may make use of as 
 many of them as you like to support your ar- 
 gument ; but blows are not only painful and 
 sometimes dangerous, but very often prove 
 expensive: therefore, you may talk about 
 fighting as much as you please to promote 
 milling, but not a blow shall pass in my pre- 
 sence. However, if you are determined to 
 have a mill, and inclined to " show off" in it, 
 I advise you to get a ring made a few miles 
 from Town, where you will have plenty of 
 scope for your exertions, and fair play into 
 the bargain." 
 
 The groiipes to be met with in the Coffee 
 room, at times, as the embellishment repre- 
 sents, are highly characteristic of the different 
 grades of life — abounding with oraGiNALS of 
 all sorts — a kind of Masquerade, with this 
 difference only, where the characters play 
 their parts without resorting to the assistance 
 of masks ; yet, nevertheless, a great many 
 persons ' pop in on the sly,' who have not 
 courage to acknowledge who they are ; and 
 ■who are equally cautious, if possible, to pre- 
 vent recognition. But there is no need of this 
 display of setisilive feeling;* the visitor may 
 be as quiet as a mouse ; or as talkative as a 
 clown outside a show if he has any desire 
 to amuse the company. You may be seated 
 next to an M. P. without being aware of that 
 honor; and you may likewise rub against 
 some noble lord without committing a breach, 
 of privilege. You may meet poets on the 
 look out for a hero ; artists for subjects ; and 
 boxers for customers. Young surgeons you 
 may likewise meet with at the Castle tavern 
 who will cut you up in argument, if they can- 
 not in any other way : and " modest men," 
 according to the late witty brilliaat orator and 
 writer, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Esq., " are 
 dumb ;" we therefore suppose, that accounts 
 for the numerous dummies who are nightly 
 seated at the above Temple of the Fancy ; 
 but then have not these persons a most excel- 
 lent excuse for their taciturnity — '' to hear 
 much and speak little, is laudible." If the 
 ears cannot at all times be gratified with the 
 
 • One of the lower order of ra 'ting preachers, 
 contiguous to Bolton-in-the-Moors, a few years since, 
 addressed his au'Jiiors in tlie following -metaplioiical 
 language : — " I dare say you'd all pay to see a boxing 
 inarch between iumer and Randall ; aud yet you 
 dou"t like to pay for seeing a pitched battle between 
 me and Beelzebub. Oh, my friends, many a hard 
 knock, and many a cross-buttock have I given the 
 l)luck bruiser {or yuar saik.e'. Pull! do pull off these 
 gay garments of Mammon ; strike the devil a straight 
 blow, and liai ken his spii itual daij-liglUs. At him 
 manfully, and 1 11 be your bottle holder. I ask no- 
 thing but the money, wlricb 1 hope you'll not forget 
 btftfre you go." 
 
 various topics of argument brought forward 
 at the above tavern, the eyes have no cause 
 for complaint, the coflee room and everv pari 
 of it is covered over with some attractive 
 device ; and if there are not so many pictures 
 for criiicism as may be seen at the ' Exhibi- 
 tion,' yet thex'e are a number of most excellent 
 sporting subjects well worthy the attention of 
 the observer. One of the most prominent 
 amongst them for a display of talent, is a 
 " Picture of the Road Going to a fight," 
 drawn and etched from life by Robert Cruik- 
 shank, Esq.* 
 
 The company, in a great measure, may be 
 viewed as rather promiscuous ; therefore, any- 
 thing like a set of routine faces are not to be 
 met with every evening as fixtures to the 
 apartment ; and it is this perpetual change «)f 
 visitors that gives fresh life to the scene. The 
 order at all times is excellent ; and which 
 good conduct renders the Castle Tavern a 
 desirable place to pass away a dull or leisure 
 hour, which might otherwise hang very heavily 
 on a person's hands : and although we are 
 quite aware that the landlord is more of a 
 Sinner than a Saint ; also, that the Castle 
 Tavern is not exactly the ' Paradise' of the 
 Fancy ; yet it is well known that any thing in 
 the shiipe of ' Hell'\ does not form any portion 
 of the premises ; and upon all sides of the 
 question, it is generally admitted that Tom 
 Spring is nothing else but a " good man." — 
 As an example — the following song says a 
 ' tiny bit' about his " goodness .'" 
 
 * " For that sketch," observes the author of the 
 " Every-Night Book," ou tie opposite wall round 
 which three or four persons are laughing so heartilj, 
 we are indebted to the burine of our young Hogarth — 
 George Cruikshank, the matchless, delightful Cruik- 
 shank. We have laughed until laughter hath become 
 a pain to us, at his productions : and, in gratitude for 
 the jocund moments his pencil hath afforded us, we 
 would, and we could, even take a wrinkle from his 
 brow, and place it on our own." This is not the fact, 
 and as the oiipoi tunity occurs we hasten to set the 
 matter right, in order that every tub may stand upon 
 its own bottom ; or, in other words, that the saddle 
 may be put on the right horse. Soon after the above 
 ' Picture of the Road to the Fight' was hung up at 
 the Castle Tavern, I met thi^re one evening my two 
 friends, Mr. Hone (the very clever editor of the ' Every 
 Day Book' and several other publications of merit,) 
 and Mr. George Cruikshank. On looking at the pic 
 tnre, Mr. Hone said to me, after praising it to the 
 skies, George has out done himself !" " No," I re- 
 plied," you mean Bob Cruikshank." Indeed, I do 
 not," answered Mr. H., " 1 repeat, that George has 
 outdone himself ; and more clever touches of an i 
 never saw— they are beautiful!" " Well," said I, " if 
 you are so positive, Mr. Hone, I will bet you any thing 
 yon like, from a glass of grog to a five pound note, 
 that Bob Cruikshank accompanied myself down the 
 Road to Moulsey Hurst, to accomplish the above pic- 
 ture." Upon Mr. Hone appealing to George Cruik- 
 shank on the subject, the latter celebrated artist, with- 
 out the least hesitation, answered, " I had no hand 
 in it." After this declaration, Mr. Hone did not 
 attempt to retract the compliments he had paid to the 
 merits of the picture in question ; but, of course, they 
 now operated with double effect on the talents of Mr. 
 Robert Cruikshank. 
 
 t //fi^— The cant phrase for a gambling house; 
 nothint, of Uie kind being permitted to take place at 
 the Castle Tavern. 
 
74 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 THE TRUE BOTTOM'D BOXER; 
 
 OK, THE CHAMPION OP FAMB. 
 
 (T. Jones.) 
 Air—" Ok! nothing in life can sadden us." 
 Spring's the boy for a Moulsey-Hurst rig, my lads. 
 
 Shaking nj/ipjier, and milling a pate ; 
 FihOing a nob is most excellent gig, iny lads. 
 
 Kneading the dough is a turn out in state 
 Tapping the claret to him is delichting, 
 
 Belly-go-Jir iters and clicks of the gob; 
 For where arc such joys to be found as in fighting, 
 
 And measuring mugs far a chancery job : 
 With flipping and milling, and fobbing and nobbing. 
 
 With belly-go-firsters, and kneading the dough. 
 With tapping of claret, and clipping and gobbing. 
 
 Say just what you please, you must own he's the go. 
 
 Spring's the boy (or flooring and flushing it, 
 
 Hitting and stopping, advance and retreat, 
 For taking and giving, for sparring and rushing it. 
 
 And will ne'er say enough, till he's downright dead 
 beat ; 
 No crossing for him, true conrage and bottom all. 
 
 You'll find hira a rum un, try on if you can ; 
 Yon fhy cocks, he shows them no favur, od rot'em all. 
 
 When he fights he tries to accomplish his man ; 
 With giving aiu\ taking, and Roaring anA flushing. 
 
 With hitting and stopping, huzza to the ring. 
 With chancery suiting, and sparring and rushing. 
 
 He's the champion of fame, and of manhood the 
 Spring. 
 
 Spring's the boy for rnm going and coming it. 
 
 Smashing and dashing, and tipping it prime. 
 Eastward and westward, and sometimes back-slumm- 
 ing it. 
 
 He's for the scratch and come up too in time ; 
 For the victualling office no favor he'll ask it. 
 
 For smeller and ogles he feels just the same ; 
 At the pipkin to point, or upset the bread basket. 
 
 He's always in twig, and bang up for the game ; 
 With going and tipping, and timing and priming, 
 
 'Till groggy and query, straight forward's the rig; 
 With rgles and smellers, no piping and chiming. 
 
 You'll own he's the boy that is always in twig. 
 
 Mortality in the Prize Ring. 
 
 Oh monrn not for prize-fighting kiddies inglorious ; 
 
 Lament not the fate of those swells of " the Ring ;" 
 The CJiampionship's mine ! for I'm ever victorious. 
 
 And fam'd Botiana my prowess shall sing! 
 Then hoist the black fogle ; let marrow bones rattle ; 
 
 And push round the skulls which with f iare< o'erflow; 
 Drink, drink to the Champion, who, fairly in battle. 
 
 The fam'd men of mutcle for ever laid low ! 
 
 Within the last twenty-five years the mor- 
 tality in the P. R. has been very great indeed : 
 — the renowned Jem Belcher, the pride of 
 Bristol, and the admiration of the London 
 Ring; the out-and-out game chicken. Hen. 
 Penrce, a boxer of rare pretensions, and never 
 defeated ; and the confident, gay, anglo-Irish 
 boy, Jack Pnicer, that could ' hit and get 
 away' from every body, except the grand 
 finisher of the human race ! Bob Greg'son, the 
 Poet-Laureate to the P. R., was likewise 
 compelled to yield to his devouring gripe, in 
 the midst of a ,S^onne< ; the Nonpareil, Jnck 
 Uiindall, who could get out of trouble like 
 magic, but, with all his science, he could not 
 escape from the paralizing corner of the 
 " gristly foe ;" and the hardy Welshman, 
 Ned Turner, who never turned his back upon 
 danger, was floored to rise no more ! Old 
 Dutch Sam, the phenomenon, who had aston- 
 ished every body else with bis tactics, was 
 ultimatelyastonished, surprised, and captured, 
 bcfure he was prepared for the attack of the 
 
 grim general. The leary Caleb Baldwin, of 
 Tothill Downs notoriety ; the tremendous 
 Molineux, and the iron-like man of colour, 
 Sutton, all of wliom were compelled to knock 
 under, and obey the awful summons. The 
 lively, entertaining Bill Richmond, better 
 known as " Lilly-white," was cut short in one 
 of his funny stories ; the corner-stone of the 
 P. R., the illustrious hero of the Fancy, Bill 
 Gibbons,* likewise was compelled to bolt, -And 
 leave his office to other boxers ; and the face- 
 tious, punch-drinking Irish Champion, Dan 
 Donnelly, was called away quite in spirits! 
 Th3 unflinching glutton. Bob Purcell, who 
 would never strike his colours to any man, 
 while a chance remained, could not resist the 
 all-powerful grasp of the grim Tyrant ; the 
 scientific Bill Eales ; the prime chanter, Peter 
 Warren ; Jack Curtis, a bold one, and brotlier 
 to the Pet ; the bottom, Jack Ford ; Bristol 
 Cabbage ; the iron-armed copper-smith, Elias 
 Spray ; and Pat Halton : all bowed before 
 him, and obeyed his terrifying notice. The 
 swell, DanDogherty, never listened to a decree 
 with so much real sorrow and regret ; and the 
 brilliant George Head, who had so often ' set 
 the table in a roar,' with ' all the family,' was 
 suddenly missed one night at the festive board. 
 Tom Tring, one of the finest made men of his 
 time, porter to the late king, George IV., when 
 prince of Wales, and who challenged all- 
 England for f 1000 aside, was, after all his 
 boasting, defeated in a second by the skeleton 
 boxer : the ferocious, determined, neck-or- 
 nothing gas-light, man, Tom Hickman, received 
 his quietus in an instant; and the muscular, 
 hardy, strong White-headed Bob, was forcibly 
 
 • Tliis was indeed a death-blow to the " hopes of 
 the Fancy." It is true that we did not hear the last 
 words of poor Bill (to his credit be it spoken, he was 
 never heard to take an oath in conversation), but we 
 have no doubt he said, " Burn my breeches" (his fa- 
 vorite expression) to the mighty chief of the bone- 
 house, " you have tripped nie up on tho sly, and also 
 taken advantage of me in an unguarded moment ; but 
 if I had had half a chance, I would have served 
 yon out for such unfair conduct." Gibbons was a great 
 feature in the Prize Ring for fifty years ; and the anec- 
 dotes respecting him, if published, would form a most 
 interesting volume. Bill was considered one of the 
 best judges of dogs in the kingdom; in consequence 
 of which he became acquainted with several of the 
 great dons in the upper circles of society, and he wa» 
 also selected by them to procure spaniels, and other 
 fancy animals, for their ladies. Through the above in- 
 troduction added to Bill's being termed an " insinni- 
 vating" sort of fellow; extremely humble in his deport- 
 ment, and mildness itself when addressing the above 
 high-l)orn dames, he used to sell them valuable shawls, 
 French laces, veils, &c. Gibbons io\A the ladies he had a 
 knack of getting them into his possession, but the 
 Excise Officers called it smuggling, and, on one memo- 
 rable occasion, they would insist upon it they were 
 right. The Commissioners also backed their opiuion, 
 and very politely informed Mr. Gibbons he must pay 
 into court £200 for his error. Bill shrugged up his 
 shoulders on hearing the fine ; but he had a friend at 
 court who made it " all right " for him ; and he never 
 afterwards heard any thing more about the matter. 
 We remember to have seen written, in the hand of 
 one of the most fashionable women at the west end of 
 the town, a note addressed to her shoemaker—" Make 
 the illustrious Bill Gibbons a most excellent pair o€ 
 boots; and spare no expeme." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 76 
 
 ejected from his prime ' lush crib' before lie 
 could return a blow. The ' lively kid' Stock- 
 man, proved saucy and desperate to the last 
 moment of his existence, and even struggled 
 with Death to obtain the victory. — " He's 
 coming, Jem," said he to his brother, " it's all 
 up !" And again, as if trying to stop him in 
 attitude, shouting, " D — n his eyes, he's com- 
 ing!" fell backwards, and gave up the ghost. 
 And Old Joe Ward, the father of the Prize 
 Ring, who had for numerous years parried off 
 the blows of his terrific opponent, was grubbed 
 by him one night, ' on the sly,' before any of 
 his friends could render him any assistance. 
 
 Well ! so I've ' floor' d those fancy' fighting cocks, 
 And finisli'd tliem in style ! Presumptuous fellows ! 
 They ' chaff 'd' oi science — and, forsooth, would box 
 With one whos ' hits' are sure to touch the ' bel- 
 lows. 
 Conci ited mortals, thus to spar with Death, 
 
 Wuoae fame's as old almost as the Creation ! — 
 For knock-down blows which take away the breath, 
 
 I've even had a first-rate reputation : 
 T/iei/ talk of Championship ! — what next, I wonder ! 
 Did they imagine Death would e'er ' knock under !' 
 And yet these heroes of the science tistic,- 
 
 Poor stupid drones ! — 
 Thinking I conld'nt "come it pugilistic," 
 Threw up their " castors," stak'd the " ready bustle," 
 " Peel'd and prepar'd with Death to have a tussle — 
 As though iheir Jiesh and blood and muscle. 
 Were proof against my bones ! 
 
 ould they, in fact, suppose 
 I car'd about their blows 1 
 I! who can "draw the claret" when I please — 
 " Fib," or " cross-buttock" 'em, or close their " peepers!" 
 /.' who can "double up" the " swells"* with ease. 
 And make 'em senseless as the seven sleepers ! 
 Not 7, indeed ; — and so, it seems, they found. 
 For there they all lie sprawling on the ground ; 
 They'll never " come to time " again — no, never — 
 At least-not /itre — 
 For 'twill appear, 
 When 1 their business do, 'tis done for ever I 
 No, no ! — nor had they each a thousand lives. 
 Could they have stood against my rattling " bunch of 
 fives."t 
 
 The veteran, Dan Mendoza, the Father of 
 the Prize Ring, and once its pride and orna- 
 ment as a scientific boxer, now and then may 
 be .seen of an evening at the Castle Tavern, 
 talking of " O the days when I was youn"." 
 It is forty-five years since Mendoza first ap- 
 
 • The Fancy, in general, thought it was " werry 
 cruel, nay, werry unfeeling" of Mister Death, to de- 
 prive them of t«o such heuvtf swells, and great patrons 
 of the ring, in the persons of the late splendid Mr. 
 Mellish, and the truly libeial-hearted Fletcher Reid, 
 Esq. 
 
 t Death has not merely the authority of Pierce 
 Egan, Lexicographer and Chronicler to "the Fancy" 
 (observes Mr. Samuel Maunder, a gentleman of con- 
 siderable research, and general literary talents, in 
 "Death's Doings," from which the above extracts have 
 been made) for using the scientific tciins here intro- 
 duced, and specially marked for the benefit of the un- 
 initiated, but he is also sanctioned by the classic 
 Blackwood, in whose pages may be found sonic high 
 encomiums on the transcendent merit of that eloquent 
 style of composition xmlgarly called flash ! And i? not 
 its use sanctioned by the sweetest of all sweet poets — 
 the " bard of Erin?" — What bettei precedents viould 
 \\%e critics have .' 
 
 peared as a pugilist, with INIartin, the Bath 
 butcher, at ]5arnet races. 
 
 The ' YoungRuffian,' so denominated from his 
 athletic figure and determined resolution, and 
 who fought with the renowned Jem Belcher, 
 may also be seen at the Castle Tavern some 
 evenings, but so reduced in appearance as to 
 be little better than a mere ' walking skeleton,' 
 almost sans eyes — sans taste — sans blunt, and 
 sans every thing But the visitors are not 
 unmindful of his former efforts in the P. R., 
 and frequently contribute their mites to alle- 
 viate his distressed state. 
 
 Old Jack Scroggins, the ' gentlemanly sort 
 of man,' as he styles himself, generally pays a 
 visit every night to his friend Tom Spring ; 
 ■who, indeed, is a friend in reality towards 
 poor Jack. Scroggins is full of humour, and, 
 when the ' grog is not too much aboard,' con- 
 trives to keep the visitors alive ; he is full of 
 milling anecdotes, and talks over * battles 
 nobly fought, and bravely won,' like the old 
 generals Blucher and Suwarrow, 
 
 The gay old Tom Owen, known by the 
 title of the Sage of the East, occasionallydrops 
 in for ' aiild lang syne;' also the game Ben 
 Medley; and on various evenings in turn, the 
 whole of the heroes belonging to the P. R. 
 
 One of the most striking characters who 
 frequently visits the Castle Tavern, is the re- 
 nowned frosty-face Jack Fogo, to have a bit 
 of a chit-chat; also to see how the 'world 
 wags,' and to throw ' off a chant.' After the 
 death of Bob Gregson, he aspired to the situ- 
 ation of poet-laureate to the P. R. No oppo- 
 sition being offered to his claims, he was 
 declared duly elected, and took his seat ac- 
 cordingly. He has published a small volume 
 of chants, recording the heroic deeds of the 
 Prize Millers. The following is a specimen 
 of his style : — 
 
 Of all the fighting men, 
 
 Down from Johnson to Big Ben, 
 I'll tell you of a suell that was so handy, O ! 
 
 At once to raise his fame. 
 
 He fought on Moulsey plain, 
 But he proved nothing else but a dandy, O. 
 
 Jack originally was a translator of soles, 
 and a protector of * Utile feet,' but Fogo turned 
 up both those callings, to look after the 'bodies' 
 of the fighting men, as a more lucrative con- 
 cern. He is a facetious sort of fellow ; a 
 jolly companion, and a man of considerable 
 importance connected with the P. R., and the 
 benefits of the boxers. Since his accession 
 to the Ring he has become a kind of walking 
 Boxinna ; having all the fights, as the saying 
 is, at his fingers' ends. 
 
 Who cries the Ring uncivilizes youth, 
 Outraging common sense and common truth I 
 When science wakes the peasant's dormant wit, 
 His hands with elegance protect or hit ; 
 Soon he discards the rustic's sluggish mien, 
 With grace and gallantry 'o tread the green. 
 Full oft the conquer'd kicks and clubs assail. 
 Where wood, and heath, and ignorance prevail. 
 
 It is curious to witness the great anxiely 
 displayed by the members of the King, on 
 
w 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 those nights when Matches are made of great 
 importance ; and it should seem to the visitor 
 that as much argument is made use of to pre- 
 vent the losivg, or to concede a point to each 
 other, as if the fate of nations depended upon 
 the issue of it; something like settling the 
 boundaries between Holland and Belgium. 
 And so much interest has been manifested by 
 the public upon the decision of any great bat- 
 tle, that it has been necessary to employ 
 several police officers to prevent the crowd 
 from doing mischief, and also to keep the 
 door way clear at the Castle Tavern. 
 
 In order to give variety to the evening's 
 entertainment at the above Tavern, a most 
 excellent Free and Easy has been established 
 every Friday evening, where some first-rate 
 singing is always to be heard. Tom con- 
 tributes himself frequently towards the har- 
 mony of the evening, and who is also consi- 
 dered a very fair chanter. Spring is a favorite 
 with several of the professionals connected 
 vs^ith the theatre ; and who at times are not 
 backward in giving him a turn. 
 
 As a matter that might be expected, the 
 ' Paul Pry sort of folks' who visit the Castle 
 Tavern, are generally on the alert to ascertain 
 who's who ? The old stagers are thus fre- 
 quently bored by the inquisitive stranger, with 
 — " Pray, sir, can you tell me who that gen- 
 tleman is," &c., &:c. A circumstance like the 
 above occurred some time since : — a young 
 swell from Oxford observing a person wishing 
 Spring good night, asked Tom the name of 
 that tall, gentlemanly-looking man, with spec- 
 tacles on, who had just left the coffee-room. 
 I am sure, said the Oxonian, he is some public 
 character ; and he appears to me to be a very 
 well-informed man. " Well-informed ! — I be- 
 lieve you," replied mine host, rather animat- 
 edly, " the gentleman you allude to is Mr. 
 Vincent Dowling, well known in the Sporting 
 World, and who is likewise the Editor of 
 Bell's Life in London. In him the Fancy 
 have found a most sincere friend, and who are 
 much indebted to his exertions, his independ- 
 ence, and his fair and manly support towards 
 the men of the Ring; and I wish I could say 
 as much for many other persons connected 
 with the press ! " " Well done, Tom," said 
 an old Ring-goer, who was ' blowing a cloud' 
 in one corner of the room. I am glad you 
 have done justice to that gentleman ; and it is 
 really no more than he deserves from the 
 Sporting World. I have known him for se- 
 veral years, and no man, in his literary capa- 
 city, has afforded greater amusement to the 
 public, than Mr. Dowling. I believe it was 
 through the exertions of Mr. D., in the Ob- 
 server, who first gave the public a taste for 
 Police Reports ; and I have been told that 
 Mr. Dowling first appeared in the P. R. as a 
 reporter of /ights, on Jack Randall's contest 
 with the latfc Ned Turner. I am also anxious 
 to observe that his experience as a public 
 writer has taught him to ' temper justice with 
 mercy,' and, in acting up to the admirable 
 
 advice of our immortal bard, ' nothing exten* 
 uate, or set down aught in malice,' he has 
 generally reflected credit on himself by the 
 independent manner with which he has treated 
 those subjects which called forth remarks from 
 his pen. The Editor of a Sporting News- 
 paper is no ' bed of roses' for the mind of any 
 man ; and he has only one course to direct 
 him through his very arduous undertaking — 
 namely, the *' straight forward one." He is 
 a most excellent companion ; cheerful, witty, 
 and satirical at all times ; but, in the latter 
 display of his talents, the feather appears more 
 than the razor — he tickles his adversaries, 
 rather than wounds their feelings. In his 
 recital of an ' Irish tale' l\e is quite at home ; 
 and the late Andrew Cherry, with all his 
 peculiar excellence in that line of humour, 
 could not produce more fun, or create louder 
 roars of laughter than the Editor of Bell's Life 
 in London. Mr. Dowiing possesses immense 
 tact as a caterer for the public, backed by 
 industry which never tires ; and if information 
 can be procured by looking after it from one 
 end of the kingdom to the other, why then he 
 may be compared to the wary general at his 
 post, who sleeps with one eye open, in order 
 to give the other rest. In a word — Mr. D. 
 must be viewed as a ' great card' towards the 
 support of the Fancy. 
 
 For myself, I must acknowledge that I 
 have spent many evenings in my life, during 
 my connexion with the sporting world, with 
 f^reat delight and satisfaction at the Castle 
 Tavern ; and the succeeding days I have re- 
 viewed them with equal pleasure, and felt 
 perfectly satisfied that I had derived consi- 
 derable information from the various classes 
 of socitfty I had mixed with, teaching me that 
 
 The proper study of mankind is man. 
 
 In truth, for many years since the recollection 
 of them has not caused me the slightest regret ; 
 but, on the contrary, they have told with in- 
 creased pleasure on my feelings, that other- 
 wise I might have remained in my garret — 
 
 Hail, towering spot! sublime retreat I 
 Full six good stories from the street, 
 From whence I view luxuriant crops. 
 Of lead, and tile, and chimney tops, 
 Where 1 the immortal Nine invoke. 
 Midst amorous sparrows, cats, and smoke ! 
 
 poking the ashes out of my scanty grate, find- 
 ing fault with the follies of society, and brood- 
 ing over the anticipated miseries of mankind. 
 But, no ! I ha'.e seen thi tear of sorrow steal 
 dow.i the cheeks of some of the roughest 
 sons of Nature ; I have felt the strong grasp 
 of friendsiiip froci the most uncouth looking 
 beings — a forbidden outside, with a meltinjt 
 heart within : * Surh things as passeth show '• 
 and I have witnessed again and again, 
 Charity bestowed, where the bestowcr of the 
 mite had scarcely bhint enough left in bis 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 71 
 
 pocket to purchase a breakfast the next morn- 
 ing. Such are some of the advantages of 
 mixing with society. 
 
 But (hen it has often been "flung in my 
 ;ePth," that the fancy has very bad members 
 ielon^ins to it : too many bad members, I 
 l^iust admit, it has attached to its pursuits; 
 but, by comparison to the ' Mountain of 
 UooD Ones,* who still remain in the sporting 
 world, they must be viewed as a mere specie. 
 But mi»ht I not re(ort with severity, if it 
 suited my purpose, upon some of the best 
 educated parts of society, to observe — that a 
 Bishop has been compelled to quit his country 
 for an ab jminable crime ; a Reverend Divine 
 been executed for murder ; and a Banker 
 hung for forgery ; and so on to the end of the 
 chapter? But, after all the arguments that 
 might be produced for and against the sports 
 of society — it comes to the old conclusion — 
 there are bad and good of all grades; and 
 that the members cf the sporting world are 
 aot tvorse than their neighbours. 
 
 In conclusion, 1 have only to observe that 
 the Castle Tavern is open at all times to the 
 visitor, eithei to confute my representation of 
 it, or to verify the truth of my assertion — but 
 of this circumstance I feel strongly assured 
 that an evening spent at the ahove sporting 
 house will never prove a source of regret to 
 the stranger who is anxious to witness some 
 of the peculiarities of Life, or cause him to 
 assert — " / icas sorry that 1 ivas last night at 
 TOM Spring's!" 
 
 Royal Anecdote. 
 
 It is a point of etiquette in the Royal hunts, 
 that no one be permitted to ride before his ma- 
 jesty, for which purpose the prickers are ap- 
 pointed to prevent a too near approach to the 
 person of the king. It happened, however, 
 during one of the chases in the New Forest, 
 that a young sportsman, unable t» govern his 
 horse, rode pa.st the late king', George III., 
 and the heels of his horse threw some dirt into 
 that monarch's face ; the prickers were on the 
 alert to resent this affront, but his majesty ex- 
 claimed, in the most good-natured manner, 
 " Stop, stop ! — never punish a man for what 
 he cannot help." 
 
 AN EPITAPH ON A SPORTSMAN. 
 
 Beneath this turf, pent in a narrow grave. 
 Lies a tnie sportsman, gcufrnus, gieat, anj brave ; 
 It was his principal, and t;recitciit pride, 
 I'o have a fowling-bai; slung b> his .■-i.lr ; 
 Thro' woods and fields to la'jour, toil, and run, 
 In quest of game, with (lointer, scrip, and gun. 
 His random shot was seldom known to spare, 
 The woodcock, pheasant, or the tini'rous hare : 
 Till death (that sable lurcht-r) lay conceal'd, 
 Surpris'd, and shot our hero in the field ; 
 )''..cn in this covert ma) he safely rest, 
 'Jill rous'd to join with co\ ios of ttie blest ! 
 
 Great Trotting Match between Miss 
 Turner and Rattlep 
 
 The above match, which excited so much in- 
 terest in the Sporting World, between Rattler, 
 (the American horse,) and Miss Turner, (the 
 Welsh mare,) for 200 sovereigns, was decided 
 on Saturday, April 2.5th, 1829, over ten miles 
 of ground, between Cambridge aud Godman- 
 chester, commencing at the second mile-stone 
 from Cambridge, and terminating at the 
 twelfth. This was the first occasion on 
 which the merits of Rattler were brought into 
 action in this country, although he had won 
 all his matches in America. IMiss Turner had 
 been in training at Smitham-bottom, Surrey, for 
 two months, and was completely up to the 
 mark. Both were in Cambridge on Friday — 
 Rattler at the Greyhound, and Miss Turner 
 at the Eagle and Child ; and, the Newmarket 
 Meeting having closed, several of the turfites 
 came over to witness the match. A meeting 
 between the proprietors of each horse took 
 place at the Hoop, in Cambridge, on Friday 
 evening, when the time, ])lace of trotting, and 
 some other necessary preliminaries were ad- 
 justed ; but betting was still shy, and two to 
 one on Rattler would be accepted only to a very 
 trifling amount. Some small bets were made 
 on time, the American being backed to do the 
 ten miles in thirty-two minutes. 
 
 Shortly before twelve, both the animals and 
 their proprietors were at the starting stone. 
 Rattler was ridden by AVilliam Haggerty, the 
 American groom, dressed in a light flannel 
 'jacket, blue silk cap, olive-green velveteen 
 trowsers, and boots without spurs, and a small 
 whip in his hand ; his stirrups were wrapped 
 roundwith list, to preventhisfeetfrom slipping; 
 he rode with a common snaffle bit and mar- 
 tingale. The mare was ridden by little Davy, 
 in a jockey silk cap and jacket, boots and 
 spurs. According to the terms of the match, 
 the American groom was to weigh ten stone, 
 while the mare was not confined to weight, 
 and Davy, saddle and all, did not^ weigh more 
 than seven stone. The colour of the horse 
 was dark bay, and the marc a chesnut ; both 
 were about the same size, fifteen hands tw'o 
 inches, and in age we believe they Avere pretty 
 much on a par — between eight and nine years. 
 The coat of the American was rough, while 
 that of the mare was sleek, and indicative of 
 fine training. Previous to the start, the Ame- 
 rican was trotted up and down several times ; 
 and at last the groom, whose appearance was 
 any thing but of the dandy-cut,exclaimedtohis 
 master, that he was full ready for his jump ; 
 and, indeed, the fire and vigour which the an- 
 imal displayed confirmed this assertion. The 
 mare was also full of spirit and activity, and 
 excited general admiration. The umpires were 
 now chosen — Mr. Morton, jun., of Epsom, for 
 the proprietor of the American, and J\]f. An- 
 gles for the proprietor of the mare. The for- 
 mer, of course, rode with the mare, and the 
 latter wiih the horse, with the understanding, 
 
78 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 according to the terms of the articles, that 
 should either break from the trot into a gallop, 
 he or she should be turned round, according 
 to the usual laws of trotting. 
 
 Shortly after twelve o'clock, all being in 
 readiness, the road was cleared, and at a 
 given signal the mare was started at a spank- 
 ing pace of at least twenty miles an hour. 
 A clear minute having elapsed, Rattler was 
 let go, and almost instantaneously laid himself 
 down to his work, with extraordinary speed. 
 It was soon seen that he was gaining on the 
 mare, and he was urged, we think rather un- 
 wisely, to increase his pace, and improve his 
 advantage. Both soon broke out in a profuse 
 perspiration, and by the conclusion of the 
 third mile Rattler was fast closing on the 
 mare, and in about half a mile futher he was 
 alongside of her. The mare was now urged 
 to increased swiftness, and in consequence 
 broke, and was turned twice. This accident 
 gave Rattler, who kept on steadily to his 
 work, an additional advantage, and by the 
 fourth mile he headed her in grand style. 
 Still the mare proceeded with unabated vi- 
 gour, while Rattler continued to stretch far- 
 ther a-head. Shortly before she reached the 
 fifth mile the mare again broke twice, and was 
 tamed, while Rattler, in passing the fifth 
 mile-stone, was full sixty yards in advance, 
 and his proprietor, as well as Harry England, 
 called to the groom to keep steady — an order 
 which he obeyed, and kept pulling his horse 
 with all his strength. Both horse and man 
 were in a complete bath of sweat ; and in the 
 course of the sixth mile, in which there was a 
 slight descent, the mare broke, and was turned 
 no less than four times— ^a circumstance, in 
 our opinion, attributable to one of her friends 
 riding too close to her quarters, and urging 
 her to increased exertion. In passing through 
 the village of Fenny Stanton, the horse was 
 full two hundred yards in front, when a sharp 
 trotter was laid alongside of him, and pro- 
 duced such a degree of irritation, that it re- 
 quired all thp physical strength of the groom 
 to hold him in so as to prevent his breaking. 
 The interference of and remonstrance of 
 Harry England at last prevented the con- 
 tinuance of this unfair conduct : but the ef- 
 fect of it was, that the mare, who had been 
 going in admirable style, although she broke 
 four times afterwards, was fast gaining on 
 the horse, and had approached within ninety 
 yards of him at the commencement of the 
 ninth mile. From the short distance which 
 was yet to be completed, and from the dif- 
 ficulty of checking the progress of the horse, 
 itwas now clear that the mare had not a chance: 
 and in fact, at the close of the tenth mile, 
 the horse was full sixty yards in front, hav- 
 ing completed the distance in thirty minutes 
 and forty seconds ; a feat unparalleled in the 
 history of horse-flesh in this country. The 
 time of the mare was thirly-one minutes, forty- 
 two seconds, and, making allowances for 
 breaking and turning, the credit due to her 
 
 was scarcely inferior to that given to the horse. 
 In speed, the latter, however, had a decided 
 advantage ; and we have no hesitation in say- 
 ing, that had he been in better trim, or had he 
 been urged, certainly without occasion, to 
 greater exertion, that he would have done his 
 work in shorter time. Giving to Rattler all 
 due praise, and he certainly must be pro- 
 nouned a phenomenon, we must still say, that 
 the mare has proved herself the fastest trotter 
 which has yet been bred in this country; and 
 as a brood mare, for which her muster intends 
 her, must be highly valuable. On being- 
 pulled up, both were somewhat distressed ; 
 and we need not say, that the liorses of um- 
 pires and followers, which were kept at the 
 top of their galloping speed the whole dis- 
 tance, were not a little blown at the conclu- 
 sion of their labours. The horse and mare 
 were then walked gently back to Fenny 
 Stanton, a distance of two miles and a half, 
 where the American groom dismounted, and 
 went to scale ; his weight being then found, 
 including the saddle, and without the bridle, 
 upwards of lOst. 5lbs With this the umpire 
 of the mare expressed imself perfectly satis- 
 fied, and thus ended this extraordinary match, 
 in a manner highly honorable to all parties, 
 and without the most distant approach to 
 wrangle on either side. There was some talk 
 of a fresh match for a longer distance, but 
 this was met by the owner of Rattler offering 
 to back him against any thing living, for any 
 distance, in or out of harness, from any sum 
 from 200/. to 5000/. 
 
 The Eecapitated Fighting Cock! 
 
 Xlie codk. that fights and runs away 
 May live to fight another day ; 
 But he that is in battle slain 
 Will never rise to fight again. 
 
 The following pathetic and heart-rending 
 account of an old lady and her cock occurred 
 a short time since at Union Hall : an elderly 
 female, in widow's weeds, approached the 
 magistrates' table with tears trickling fast 
 down her cheeks. She stood for some time, 
 and appeared so absorbed in grief as to be 
 unable to give utterance to her feelings. The 
 magistrates, perceiving she was in great 
 trouble and anxiety of mind, desired her not 
 to agitate herself, and a chair was placed for 
 her to sit down upon until she became more 
 composed. In the interim a trivial case of 
 assault was disposed of, upon which Mr. 
 Chambers, observing that she had recovered 
 in some measure from her agitation, inquired 
 the nature of her application. The ques- 
 tion was scarcely asked, when the appli- 
 cant drew forth from under her silk cloak the 
 headless body of a cnck, and holding it up in 
 her hands by the legs, while the blood fell in 
 drops from the lacerated neck, ' There,' said 
 she, uttering a convulsive sob, ' there, youi 
 worship, you see tny cock without a head ' 
 
PIEPXE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 79 
 
 The display of the dead cock, and the emo- 
 tion exhibited by the poor widow for the loss 
 of her darling bantam, caused great laughter, 
 instead of the sympathy it was evident she 
 expected from all who heard her complaint. 
 ' VVell madam,' inquired Mr. Chambers, ' how 
 came your cock in that condition, ttilh its hea/l 
 cut off i' Applicant, still weeping, ' Your 
 worship, the poor thing's head was struck off 
 by Mr. Glasscock, my next door neighbour, 
 with a sabre, whi'ie his cock and my cuck were 
 fighting together ; and I want to know if I 
 cannot obtain redress for so diabolical an act, 
 for I can call it nothing else ' Mr. Ciiambers 
 inquired how the cocks came to engage with 
 one another ; whetlicr they had been matched 
 to fight by the applicant ? The applicant said 
 that her cock got over tlie wall into Mr. Glass- 
 cock's yard, and then the two cocks began at 
 one another, when, in the midst of the fight, 
 Mr. Glasscock ran out with a drawn sword in 
 his hand, and with one blow severed the head 
 off her cock. A voice here from amongst the 
 crowd listening to the case called out, ' Well, 
 old lady, you can have cock broth now as soon 
 as you please.' The applicant, hearing the 
 words, said, ' Me eat this poor cock — no, not 
 for a thousand pounds. My poor mother, who 
 died at ninety-six years of age, reared the 
 poor bird, and out of respect for her memory — 
 for I know she was fond of it — I was anxious 
 to keep it as long as I lived, had it not been 
 for my cruel neighbour, Mr. Glasscock, who 
 deserved to have his head cut off for serving 
 out the poor bird in this manner. (The appli- 
 cant here gazed at the dead cock, and, smoothing 
 down the feathers on its back, said, ' Well, it 
 had as pretty a plumage as any cock in the 
 kingdom, and could fight well, too, but I did 
 all in my power to prevent any thing of the 
 kind.') Mr. Chambers, ' Well, madam, I 
 have listened very patiently to all you have 
 had to say relative to the dead cock, and now 
 must inform you that I can afford you no re- 
 dress. You can summon Mr. Glassrock to 
 the Court of Requests for the value you set 
 upon your cock, and that is all the advice I can 
 give you.' The applicant here dropped a low 
 curtsey, and while engaged in tying up the 
 body of her cock in a pocket handkerchief, she 
 shook her head over it, and exclaimed aloud, 
 on leaving the office, ' I shall never, never 
 more, see its like again.' " 
 
 Singular Battle at TattersaU's between 
 A Cock Sparrow and a Mouse. 
 
 At the above highly famed Sporting Esta- 
 blishment, the visitors, some time since, were 
 interested upon the following accidental turn- 
 up, which occurred near the Subscription 
 Room : — 
 
 A Sparrow, who was in the daily habit of 
 picking up the crumbs of bread which were 
 thrown out from one of the rooms (and which, 
 it appears, he viewed as his exclusive right). 
 
 was suddenly interrupted in his pursuit by a 
 little hungry Mouse, who, with tears in his 
 eyes, had been some time without food ; he at- 
 tacked the Sparrow, seized upon the crumb 
 of bread, and endeavoured to run oflf with his 
 prize. The Sparrow immediately showed 
 fight ; and nobbed the Mouse so successfully 
 with his beak, that RTousey bolted, and made 
 for a hole in the wall, to escape from the fury 
 of his antagonist ; but the hole being too small, 
 POOR Mousey stuck fast for a little time, when 
 the Sparrow punished him severely. Five 
 and six to four on the Feathers. The Mouse, 
 in his own defence, was compelled to return 
 to the charge ; and was again so milled that he 
 ran a little way up the wall, but falling down, 
 from weakness, the Sparrow once more had 
 the best of him. Two to one was offered by 
 the surrounding spectators (who were now so 
 much interested upon the event, that Randall 
 and Martin could not, for the instant, have 
 proved more attractive to their feelings) that 
 the gay bird won it. Mousey, who was not 
 destitute of pluck, determined to have another 
 shy for the crumb, and made a desperate effort 
 to bear it off"; but the little cock bird served 
 him out so hard mdfast, that Mousey left the 
 ground with the speed of a Priam, and got 
 out of the clutches of his opponent by falling 
 down an area. The Sparrow now followed 
 the Mouse till he lost sight of him, cocking his 
 little ogles down the area after his antagonist, 
 and strutting with all the pride of a first-rate 
 miller, as if chaffing to himself, " I have given 
 it you, my Mousey, for your temerity ;" then, 
 returning to the spot, he finished the crumbs 
 at his ease and leisure, amidst the laughter of 
 the surrounding spectators. The cock sparrow 
 is well known to be a very game bird ; indeed 
 both of these little creatures seemed as if they 
 were inspired by the sporting ardour which 
 breathes throughout every department of this 
 splendid establishment. 
 
 Newmarket in the Reign of Queen Anne- 
 
 A gentleman who made a very extensive 
 tour in the eastern parts of this island, in the 
 reign of queen Anne, and published his re- 
 marks in that of George I., speaking of New- 
 market, says — " Being there in October, I 
 had the opportunity to see the horse-races, 
 and a great concourse of the nobility and 
 gentry, as well from London as from all 
 parts of England ; but they were all so 
 intent, so eager, so busy upon the sharping 
 part of the sport, their wagers and bets, that 
 to me they seemed just so many horse-coursers 
 in Smithfield, descending, the greatest of 
 them, from their high dignity and quality, to 
 the picking one another's pockets, and biting 
 one another as much as possible ; and that 
 with so much eagerness, as it might be said 
 they acted without respect to faith, honor, or 
 good manners. 
 
 " There was Mr. Frampton, the oldest, and, 
 as some say, the cunningest jockey in Eng- 
 
no 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 land ; one day he lost 1000 fcuineas, the next 
 he won 2000 ; and so alternately. He n)ade 
 as light of throwing away £500 or £1000 at 
 a time, as other men do of their pocket money, 
 and was as perfectly calm, cheerful, and un- 
 concerned, when he had lost £1000 as when 
 he had won it. On the other side there was 
 sir R. Fagg, of Sussex, of whom fame says 
 he has the most in him, and the least to show 
 for it, relating to jockeyship, of any man 
 there ; yet he often carried the prize. His 
 horses, they said, were all cheats, how honest 
 soever their master was ; for he scarcely ever 
 produced a horse but he looked like what he 
 was not, and was what nobody could expect 
 him to be. If he was as light as the wind, 
 and rould fly like a meteor, he was sure to 
 look as clumsy as a cart-horse, as all the 
 cunning of his master and grooms could make 
 him ; and just in this manner he bit some of 
 tiie greatest gamesters in the field. 
 
 " I was so sick of the jockeying part, that 
 I left the crowd about the posts, and pleased 
 myself with observing the horses; how the 
 creatures yielded to all the arts and manage- 
 ment of their masters ; how they took their 
 airings in sport, and played with the daily 
 heats which they ran over the course before 
 the grand day ; but how, as not knowing the 
 difference equally with their riders, they 
 would then exert their utmost strength, as 
 much as at the time of the race itself, and that 
 to such an extremity, that one or two of them 
 died in the stable, when they came to be rub- 
 bed after the first heat. 
 
 " Here I fancied myself in the Circus Ma.r- 
 imus at Rome, seeing the ancient games, and, 
 under this deception, was more pleased than 
 I possibly could have been among the crowds 
 of gentlemen at the weighing and starting 
 posts ; or at their meetings at the coffee- 
 houses and gaming-tables, after the races were 
 over. Pray take it with you as you go, that 
 you see no ladies at Newmarket, excepting a 
 few of the neighbouring gentlemen's families, 
 who come in their carriages to see a race, and 
 then go home again." 
 
 Cunious Bond. 
 
 The following Bond, given for breaking of a setter, show* 
 the price of such labour upwards of a century agoi 
 and the nature of the contract to perform it. 
 
 Ribbe-'iford, Oct. 7, 1685. 
 " I John Harris, of Wildore, in the parish 
 of Hartlebury, in the county of Worcester, 
 yeoman, for and in consideration of ten shil- 
 lings of lawful F.nglish money, this day re- 
 ceived of Henry Hurbert, of Kibbesford, in 
 the said county, Esq., and of thirty siiillings 
 rcore of the like money by him promised to be 
 hereafter paid me, do hereby covenant and 
 promise to and with the said Henry Hurbert, 
 his executors and administrators, that I will 
 from tiiis day of the date hereof, until the 
 tirst day of March next, well and sufficiently 
 iir.iintain and keep a Spanish bitch, named 
 
 Quand, this day delivered into my custody 
 by tlie said Henry Hurbert, and will, before 
 the first day of March next fully and eflfectually 
 train up and teach the said bitch to set 
 partridges, pheasants, and other game, as well 
 and exactly as the best setting dogs usually 
 set the same. And the said bitch, so trained 
 and taugiit, I shall and will deliver to the said 
 Henry Hurbert, or to whom he shall appoint 
 to receive her, at his house in Ribbesford, 
 aforesaid, and on the first day of March next. 
 And if at any time after the said bitch shall, 
 for want of use or practice, forget to get game 
 as aforesaid, I will, at my costs and charges, 
 maintain her for a month, or longer, as often 
 as need shall require, to train up and teach 
 her to set game, as aforesaid, and shall and 
 will fully and effectually teach her to set 
 game, as well and exactly as is above men- 
 tioned. 
 
 " Witness my hand and seal, the day and 
 year first above written. 
 
 "John Harris. X his mark.' 
 
 " Sealed and delivered in the presence of 
 "H.Payne. X his mark.'' 
 
 Dr. Franklin's advice to a Young Sports- 
 man. 
 
 A gentleman of this description, from a too 
 eager pursuit of the follies of high fashion, had 
 spent the last guinea of his patrimony. At 
 length, after receivinginsults from those whom 
 he had protected, and being denied a meal by 
 those whom he had once fed, fortune, in one 
 estate, more valuable than the first. Upon the 
 possession of it, young Nimrod waited upon 
 the late celebrated Dr. Franklin, who had 
 been the friend of his father, to beg his advice. 
 " What were the causes of their late misfor- 
 tunes?" enquired the doctor. " Lawyers, 
 quacks, gamesters, and footmen," replied the 
 applicant. " The four greatest parts of your 
 metropolis," rejoined Franklin. " Butpoisons 
 (continued the doctor) in the political, as well 
 as medical world, nay, when judiciously ap- 
 plied, become antidotes to each other; my 
 advice, therefore, is, that you remember the 
 past coaductof the lawyers; this remembrance 
 will teach you to go to law, and by this you 
 will preserve your new-acquired property 
 from chicanery ; the practice of the quacks 
 should teach you to live temperately, and by 
 this you will escape the miseries created by 
 those mercenary monsters ; the gamester may 
 show you the necessity of forbearance, and 
 remind you of the old proverb, that ' only 
 knaves and fools are adventures ;' and by this 
 your vigilance will be excited to take care of 
 your ready money : as to the idleness and in- 
 solence of footmen, these will teach you the 
 pleasures of waiting upon yourself, in which 
 you will be sure to escape the mortification of 
 paying for torment in your own house. Go, 
 son of my friend, ponder these antidotes, and 
 be happy." 
 
PIERCE EGAN S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 81 
 
 The "FINISH" 0/ TOM MOODY— fAe crack Huntsman ! 
 
 One favor bestow— ''tis the last I shall crare, 
 Give a rattling view halloo, thrice over luy grave ! 
 
 Nature makes us poor, only when we want 
 necessaries, observed the late Dr. Johnson, 
 but custom gives the name of Poverty to the 
 want of superfluities. The biography of hunts- 
 men, in general, independant of their feats in 
 the chase, might almost be contained in the 
 ■■pace of a few nut shells. From tiie best in- 
 formation that we could obtain from a very 
 old Shropshire huntsman, respecting the late 
 TOM MOODY, we understand that for up- 
 wards of thirty years he had been the 
 ' whipper-in' to Squire Forrester's pack of 
 hounds in Shropshire ; and also that he died 
 in the service of that gentleman. 
 
 It is said of the late Turn bloody, that he 
 was one of the happiest fellows in the king- 
 dom ; and likewise that he had not a spark of 
 envy in his whole composition ; indeed, gen- 
 erally speaking, he was happier than his 
 monarch, or the whole race of kings, if the 
 statement of the Poet be any thing like cor- 
 rect, that 
 
 Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown } 
 
 It is true that Tom Moody now and then 
 went to bed with rather a ' funny nob,' but it 
 was not distracted with the cares of the world ; 
 in truth, he had aothing to rijie his thoughts ; 
 to plague his mind ; or to put him on thefrtt 
 respecting his finances. Day light cpened 
 
 G 
 
IVl 
 
 PIERCE EGANS UOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 upon Tom with pleasure, and the evening 
 biouglit him mirth and harmony ; indeed iiis 
 life %vas one complete steady course : he had 
 iiis regular employment for the Summer ; and 
 the sports of the field occupied his time 
 throughout the M' inter. Tom Moody was com- 
 pletely provided for— as the term goes — he 
 had no taxes to pay, his master made that 
 sort of troublesome afl'air to most folks ' all 
 right' to him; and the idea of getting over a 
 tailor's bill never alarmed the * crude hunts- 
 man :' all that he cared about Mr. Snip 
 -was, that the latter gave to his to^g^eiii a regu- 
 lar sporting CM< ; well knowing that the Squire 
 made-the ninth part of a man ' all happiness' 
 at Christmas, on the cash account. Tom 
 Moody was generally called by his acquaint- 
 ances ' a t/ec;) one ;' but he was quite out of 
 the hunt as to anything like a politiciau, and 
 he had, individually, as much respect for the 
 Outs as the Iinis ; but, nevertheless, as if by 
 instinct, he had a very great respect for the 
 high-sounding character of a Paiiinment man ; 
 and Totn always appeared to stand in great 
 awe when in the presence of such a person ; 
 indeed, he had been taught from his cradle 
 to have a most inviolable respect for his 
 '* BETTP.RS !" Tom Bloody never soared in 
 society above the idea of a ' serving man,' 
 and he felt contented and happy in his situa- 
 tion ; but he was \ery anxious to be called a 
 good ' whipper-in ;' and also to have the 
 character of being an excellent huntsman. 
 He was a jolly companion, and quite ' a 
 featuie* in the village contiguous to the 
 'Squire's Estate' — 'and the name of TOM 
 MOODY the whipper-in,' was well known 
 for miles round the country. 
 
 It was whispered that, in his early days, 
 Tom was very fond of the company of the fair 
 sex ; but, nevertheless, he always had the 
 reputation of being too sound a sportsman 
 to attempt anything like poaching on the 
 manors of other persons ; yet a present now 
 and then of a partridge, pheasant, or any oti er 
 little article of game, always rendered Tom 
 Moody a welcome visitor at the house of his 
 frienrls ; indeed, whenever he could spare 
 any time from the sports of the field, he used 
 frequently to declare to his brother sports- 
 men, that he never felt happier than when en- 
 gaged in a little ^ small talk' with the fair 
 daughters of the creation. The actions of 
 Tom Moody were simpliciiy itself: and if he 
 did not feel the expressions of Anacreon, 
 ]\Ioore's celebrated song in praise of ' Lovely 
 Woman,' or he could not give so elegant a 
 turn to the verses contained in the ballad as 
 Bome of the high-bred swells, yet Tom was 
 equally alive to the ' milk of human kindness' 
 possessed by the softer sex, and entered into 
 all the spirit of the words with as much 
 gallantry : — 
 
 De4.r creatures we can't do without 'cin, 
 riiey are nil so sweet and seducing to man I 
 
 But, at the village ale-house, Tom was quite 
 
 ' at home !' and if, perchance, he let his scM-e 
 run to a greater lenglh from accident or other 
 circumstances, making rapid progress towards 
 Chalk Farm,* it operated coiisideiahly more 
 upon his feelings until the sponge had per- 
 fornieil its useful office, than the accumula- 
 tion of the National Debt did on the minds 
 of our alarming financiers. Tom, it should 
 seem, had made up his mind to live all 
 the ' days of his life ;' and although not 
 addicted to drinking, and very far from the 
 character of a Sot, yet he was by no means 
 viewed as an abstemious man ; indeed, on the 
 contrary, he was fond of a glass of grog ; and 
 as to choice, Tom preferred it being made 
 slijf-ish than otherwise ; and he could also 
 take oil" a pint or two of ' humming October,* 
 without moving a muscle or winking his eye. 
 The constitution of Tom BJondy was as sound 
 as a roach — " a pleasant, cheerful glass or 
 two," said Tom to his friends, " will never 
 hurt any body, provided they do as I do — to 
 get up early in the morning and snuff the 
 fragrant gale — take plenty of exercise in the 
 open air; and a day's hunting is sure to put 
 any little excess over night to rights, without 
 the aid of Old Drench'tm, the apothecary. " 
 
 Better to hunt in fields for health unhought, 
 Thany'ee the doctor for his iiauseotis draught. 
 
 Tom never troubled his friends that he was 
 out of sorts, or that he was labouring under the 
 complaint of the head-ache ! He was always 
 happy to meet his acquaintances in the even- 
 ing to recount over the sports of the day ; and 
 it was quite a treat to hear Tom Moody give 
 the ' view halloo !' He was a merry fellow 
 and fond of hearing a good chaunt at all times, 
 but he preferred those songs which related to 
 sporting ; neither was Tom in the least degree 
 backwards when called upon to add to the 
 harmony of the evening. The following 
 ballad was a gieat favorite with him, and 
 the spirit and character which he infused 
 into it, rendered the above song not only a 
 crack affair in its way, but it frequently pro- 
 duced for Tom a very loud encore ; so much 
 satisfaction did this chaunt give to the mem- 
 bers of the club : — 
 
 THE PLEASURE OF THE CHASE. 
 
 A southerly wind, and a cloudy sky, 
 
 Priiclaiiii a hunting mornini;. 
 Before tlie sun rises we iiinibly fly. 
 
 Dull sleep and a downy bed scorning. 
 To lioise, my boys, to liorse away. 
 Tile chase admits of nn delay : 
 On hois; back we've got, together we'll trot I 
 On horseb.icfc, &c. 
 
 Leave ott' your chat, see the cover appeal 
 The hound that strikes first, cheer him withont fear; 
 Drag on him ' all, wind him, my steady gooil lioumts ■, 
 Drag on him ! ah, wind him, the cover resounds. 
 
 • " Chalk. Farm." A cant phrase for credit at .a 
 ptihlichouse : sliowing the extent of a cii.=tnn»er's 
 orders by the number of chalks scored apainst his 
 name behind the door inside the bar, or upon a slate ; 
 ii likewise points out the pooi/aith possessed by ihe 
 landlord towards his debtor. 
 
PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 a i 
 
 How comiiltte tlie cover ami furze lliey draw ! 
 
 Who talks of Barry or Meynell ? 
 Young Lasher lie fluurislies now thro' the shaw, 
 Aiifi Sauce-box roars out in his kennel. 
 
 Away we lly, as quick as thought ; 
 
 The new-sown ground soon makes them fault ; 
 Cast round the sheep's train, cast round, cast round, 
 Try back the deep lane, try back, try back. 
 Hark ! I hear some hound challenge in yonder spring 
 
 sedge ; 
 Comfort bitch hits it there, in that old thick hedge. 
 Hark forward I hark forward ! jia-ve at him, my boys. 
 Hark forward ! hark forward I Zounds, don't make a 
 
 noise. 
 
 A stormy sky, o'ercharg'd with r.iin, 
 
 Both hounds and huustsmen opposes ; 
 In vain on your mettle you try, boys, in vain. 
 But down, you must, to your noses. 
 
 Each moment now the sky grows worse 
 
 Enough to make a parson curse : 
 Pick through the plow'd ground, pick through, pick 
 
 through. 
 Well hunted, good hounds, well hunted, well hunted, 
 If we can but get on we shall soon make him CjUake; 
 Hark ! I hear some honnds clialler.ge in the n)idst of 
 
 Ihe brake, 
 Tallio ! tallio, there ! across '.he green plain ; 
 Tallio ! tailio, boys 1 have at him again ! 
 
 Thus we ride, whip, and spirr, for a two hours' chase, 
 
 Our horses go panting and sobbing, 
 Young Madcap and Riot begin now to race, 
 Ride on Sir, and give him some mobbing. 
 But, hold — alas ! you'll spoil our sport. 
 For, though the hound, you'll head him short. 
 Clap round him, dear Jack, clap round, clap round, 
 Hark Drinumer, hark hark hark, hark, hark, 
 back. 
 He's jumping and dangling in every bush ; 
 Little Iliot has fastened his teeth iu his brush ; 
 Who-hoop, who-hoop, he's fairly run down ! 
 Who-hoop, Sec. 
 
 Tom Mondy used frequently to po to the 
 Stag's Head to have a look at the Shropshire 
 Neivs paper, but he scarcely ever glanced his 
 eyes towards the price of stocks ; the majority 
 in the House of Commons ; or the advertise^ 
 ments of " Sales by Candle!" " Aye," said 
 Tom, " Here is what I want to see, who won 
 the last great main at cocks at York ! The 
 winner of the St. Leger Stakes at Doncaster 
 races ! and how the odds are upon the high 
 bred cattle entered for the Derby — these are 
 the subjects that I like to inquire- into !" Any 
 thing concerning a steeple chase he would 
 peruse every line of it with the most rapturous 
 delight! But for a Fox hunt I it was worth 
 any thing to behold his ecstacy and view his 
 actions — his whole frame was at work ! he 
 would not only read the account of it with 
 the most unbounded glee, but he felt such an 
 animated enthusiastic interest in any thing 
 respecting the chase, that on his concluding 
 the paragraph he would give the " AVho- 
 hoop !" so loud as nearly to crack the ears of 
 the by slanders, and almost strong enough to 
 endanger the safety of old dame Bungard's 
 china cups and saucers in the bar, which had 
 been handed down from father to son for up- 
 wards of a century ! Upon one memorable 
 occasion, when Tom was in better trim than 
 usual, the old lady observed, " La ! ]\Ir. 
 Moody, you have given the ' who-who-boop' as 
 you call it, so very loud and strong to day, that 
 you have absoliitely set all my tea cups and 
 
 saucers dancing !" " I am not at all surprised 
 at (hat circumstance," said a gentleman from 
 London wlio was present — " his voice is music 
 ilself: I am astonished, delighted, and 
 scarcely know how to praise it enough, I 
 never heard any thing half so so attractive 
 and inspiring before, in the whole course of 
 my life ; and the tones of it are as fine, deep, 
 and mellow as a French horn !" Indeed, 
 Turn Moody well deserved the title of a ' crach 
 Huntsman ;' and a better one, it is said, could 
 not have been met with all over England ; he 
 was nothing else but a huntsman — it was meat, 
 washing, and lodging to him ; nay, breakfast, 
 dinner, and supper to Tom the whole year 
 round. He was a very high-couraged rider : 
 and he performed such extraordinary leaps 
 at times, as to have intimidated the boldest 
 horsemen in the neld ; but Tom Moody had 
 been reared and trained to the duties attached 
 to the character of a huntsman from a mere 
 boy ; and he was fond of it to excess ; in his 
 cups he often swore, that other persons might 
 say what they thought proper about enjoy- 
 ment or pleasure, but to him " th<-re icas 
 nothing lilte hunting !" Tom would not suffer 
 a pacii of hounds to hunt through a field of 
 sheep ; neither would he have them taken oft' 
 their noses ; and he also possessed one of the 
 first requisites towards constituting a good 
 huntsman, a never-tiring activity. 2'om Bloody 
 was neither conceited nor obstinate ; but he 
 impi'oved his knowledge by experience, and 
 turned it to good account upon all occasions. 
 Another most important feature in his conduct 
 was, that he always kept his hounds healthy 
 and steady, and he likewise made them love 
 and fear him. In fact, no huntsman ever 
 knew how to make tiie most of a pack of 
 hounds better than tiie late Tom Moody did ; 
 or, to bring them into the field wiih greater 
 vigour. As a judge of the constitution oi his 
 hounds, he was truly eminent ; and whenever 
 they were at fault he always made his cast 
 with judgment ; he was likewise patient and 
 persevering at all times, and never gave up a 
 fox whilst there remained a chance of killing 
 him. Such were the qualities possessed by 
 the late Tom Moody towards establishing his 
 character as a " crack Huntsman." 
 
 Amongst the oddities, who visited the club 
 at the Stag's Head, was " Old Amen," the pa- 
 rish clerk, one of the Caleb Quotera sort of 
 folks in society : 
 
 geography is my delight, 
 
 Ballads, Epitaphs, I write. 
 Almanacks 1 can indite, 
 Graves I dig, compact and tight, 
 
 Steeple sound. 
 
 Corpse to the ground, 
 
 Chymery, 
 
 Rliymery, 
 
 Songs inditing. 
 
 Epitaphs writing, &c. 
 
 who would undertake evfery thing, but who 
 did nothing well ; yet one of the corner-pins 
 of the club, and who was very much attached 
 to Tom Moody. He was a prime wet soul ; 
 G 2 
 
84 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 but, nevertheless, a complete man of business ; 
 and it used to be his boast, when checked now 
 and then by some of the sober members of the 
 club, on account of his being too mucli ad- 
 dicted to drinking. " Never mind," retorted 
 Old Amen, " I can give you Scripture proof 
 for every thing that I do ; therefore listen, ye 
 Pharisees, ye reprobates, ye sinners, and 
 learn, that there is a time for every thing in 
 this probationary life — there is a time to dance, 
 a time to sing, and a time to drink; and, if 
 these three things do not make a man dry, 
 why then you may say, that Old Amen is no 
 conjurer." The parisli-clerk was a sort of 
 butt for the club to crack their jokes upon ; 
 but he, nevertheless, took it all in good part ; 
 observing, at the same time, that he would much 
 sooner put up with a skit upon him, than lose 
 a good customer ; besides, said he, I shall 
 have my time when I will be one with them. 
 
 Tom Moody, who was very fond of having a 
 bit of fun with Old Amen whenever the 
 opportunity offered, ' would blow out his 
 jacket ; or, as they say in the country, would 
 give him a ' skin full' of the prime old brew- 
 ing at the squire's, which had been in the 
 cellar for a great number of years, and in point 
 of quality was more like brandy than ale. 
 This Tom did on purpose to hear the clerk 
 chant with rather more than an audible voice 
 above all the congregation at church — which 
 made the parson stare — all the folks to stare ; 
 but no person was in the secret, except Tom, 
 that it was owing to the potency of the squire's 
 ale, such sonorous sounds were produced from 
 the lips of the clerk. 
 
 Old Amen, in order to be grateful to Tom 
 Moody, for his attention and good nature to- 
 wards him, one evening, when the former was 
 at the clubj and rather 'fresh,' he mustered 
 up courage, and thus addressed the ' crack 
 huntsman' : — " My dear Tom, you know we 
 are all liable to die once in our life time ; and, 
 perhaps, it may come to my turn first — you know 
 we are here to-day, gone to-morrow ; put under 
 the sod next ; and perhaps forgotten altogether 
 in a little month ; but, for the friendship I bear 
 towards you, if I live the longest, I will write 
 your epitaph ; and may I be d — d if I will 
 suffer you to be * earthed ' without leaving some 
 remembrance behind you. ToM Moody, the 
 prime ' whipper-in ' shall not be forgotten by 
 his friends ! " "I am much obliged to you, 
 Old Amen," replied Tom, " I want no 
 epitaph ; I have done nothing in life to deserve 
 an epitaph." " Stop, stop a bit," said the 
 clerk, with a loud hiccough, *' but you are a 
 good fellow, and all good fellows deserve an 
 epitaph. Besides, it encourages trade, and 
 that is a substantial reason why you should 
 have an epitaph ; only ask the stone-mason 
 if I am not right." " No, no, my Old Boy," 
 replied Tom Moody, " I thank you all the 
 same, but I will not trouble you to write an 
 epitaph on my account. I have been often and 
 often in at the death, and repeatedly joined in 
 tlie loud huzzas ; therefore, 1 should not like 
 
 exactly to steal off, as it were, to my cover, 
 without some of my friends saying, there goes 
 poor Tom Moody, we will see the last of him. 
 And as I do not think it would be proper or 
 decent for you, Old Amen, as one of the per- 
 sons belonging to the church, to join in what 
 I am now going to request of the club to do 
 for me, I take the will for the deed. But 
 if the members of the club will give A 
 RATTLING VIEW-HALLOO OVER MY 
 GRAVE, when I am called by the Master of 
 all things to give up the chase, I shall die 
 contented." The members of the club at the 
 Stag's Head assured Tom, that the persons 
 who might chance to survive him, would 
 almost split their windpipes in his service, 
 not only out of respect to him as a prime mem- 
 ber of the club, but to do him that justice he 
 deserved as a ' crack Huntsman.' " And," 
 said the Old Clerk, " why certainly, Tom, my 
 occupation is a grave one ; and my office re- 
 quires propriety of demeanour ( hiccoughing J, 
 if I must not join in the halloo, I can wink at it, 
 and that will be all the same. But come, Tom," 
 said he, " don't be down-hearted, because we 
 have been talking of ' giving up the Ghost,' 
 you are worth a thousand 'dead ones' yet; 
 therefore, give us a toast, and one more song, 
 when we shall finish the evening like jovial 
 souls : (singing). 
 
 'Tis my will, when I die, not a tear should be shed, 
 
 No liicjucet engraved on my stone ; 
 But pour on my coffin a bottle of red. 
 
 And say that my drinking is done. 
 
 '' You are a jolly Old Cock," replied Tom, 
 " and I cannot refuse you any thing ; and 
 now for the huntsman's toast: " Here's horses 
 strong, dogs healthy, earth's stopped, and 
 foxes plenty !" " Bravo ! " said Old Amen, 
 " you see my glass is empty ! Silence, Gen- 
 tlemen, for Mr. Moody's song :" — 
 
 Tuiu Moody was my father, and Tom Moody's son am 
 I, 
 
 And down in these parts I were bom, 
 When but a saucy urchin, scarce half a handful high, 
 
 I loUowed the fos aud merry horn ; 
 Both dad and mammy prais'd me, I was their only 
 
 joy— 
 
 And they call'd me their very merry, sportmg-headed 
 boy ! 
 To be with horses, dogs, and sporting men, it ever was 
 
 my joy. 
 Which so pleas'd the merry, little, sporting-headed 
 
 boy. 
 But soon 1 shot up taller, ill weeds they grow apace, 
 
 No boy was more fond of life and fun, 
 The ruddy glow of healthfulness stood laughing in 
 my face, 
 Aud i brought down the birds with my gun. 
 So 1 shot the game, kiss'd the girls, my life was full of 
 joy, 
 See theie goes the merry, funny, sportmg-headed 
 boy. 
 For hunting, shooting, fishing— indeed, sporting was 
 my jo\ , 
 And with the hounds all alive was the sporting 
 headed boy 
 
 Now dad aud mam are dead and gone, and I'm crack, 
 wliippcrin, 
 The view halioo is my great deUgbt! 
 Then I rise with the .-uu, and to kill the fox think 
 no sill. 
 To me what a glorious sight! 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 86 
 
 Then to be a prime huntsman, that will only crown 
 
 'Twill make me dance a>id sing, like a sporting headed 
 boy. 
 1 like my lass, take my glass— for friendship is 
 my true joy - 
 
 And ' () the days when I were young'— a sporting- 
 headed boy. 
 
 The drinking of the above toast produced 
 ano her, and another sentiment ; the song also 
 gave a greater zest to the evening's amuse- 
 ment ; and after the glasses were emptied, as 
 a matter of course, ' Old Amen ' and Tom 
 Moody could not part without having some- 
 thing more to drink : thus glass succeeded 
 glass, the parish clerk, according to the mem- 
 bers of the club, got gloriously pious ;* nay, 
 quite troublesome, and Tom Moody was com- 
 pelled to get off the Old Parish Clerk as well 
 as he could ; but the former quitted tlie club- 
 noni, reeling and singing: — 
 
 Mat Mudge, the sexton of o\ir town, 
 
 Thouiili o!t a little heady. 
 The drink not st his wits could drown. 
 
 But some excuse was ready : 
 Mat said the I'arson lov'd a sup, 
 
 And eke also the clerk ; 
 But then it kept his spirits up, 
 
 'Mongst spirits in the dark! 
 Swore 'twas his predecessor's fault 
 
 A cursed drunken fellow, 
 The very bells to ring he taught. 
 
 As if they all were mellow ; 
 Hark ! hark ! cried he, in tipsy peal, 
 
 Like roaring topers as they reel — 
 Hark ! wha* a diunken pother : 
 
 Another cup and then — What then ? — 
 Why anothej'. 
 
 " Another cup and then,' said Mr. Round- 
 paunch, the Churchwarden, that old Amen, 
 I verily believe, would empty the largest 
 butt in the cellar, with a cup at a time, and 
 never leave it till he was carried home ; and 
 then he would not be satisfied without 
 another!" But, if I am not mistaken, it is 
 the same with most of the parish clerks in the 
 kingdom ; they eat and drink so much at other 
 people's expense, that they never know when 
 to leave off." If there is a weeding " Old 
 Amen " comes in for his fee, and perhaps for 
 something to whet his whistle ; if it is a christ- 
 ening, of course the parish clerk must drink 
 the health of the young Christian ; and if it is 
 •A funeral, sorrow becomes dry — and he wets 
 both eyes, in order to keep up his maxim, that 
 " there is a time to drink" — and grieving's a 
 folly ! " 
 
 The above Club at the Stag's Head was well 
 attended once a-week by the " topping" trades- 
 men of the town, who, after the fatigues of 
 the day were over, used to unbend a little, by 
 hob-nobbing together, as it is called, in order 
 to attend to business the next morning with 
 more vigour. The ' stags,' as they were 
 called, were generally a bit ' sporting like ; ' 
 and as the squire was a great feature in the 
 
 • " Pious !" A cant phrase for a person being very 
 much intoxicated ; but it is rather a perversion of the 
 word we must confess, without it is ironically used 
 •doinst the cloth I" 
 
 neighbourhood — his splendid establishment, 
 his crack pack of hounds, and his fine stud of 
 horses, and the numerous gentlemen and vi- 
 sitors from London, who attended the hunts, 
 gave a decided tone and feeling to the conver- 
 sation contiguous to the mansion of the esquire- 
 The blacksmith WHS interested in it; t\\e farrier 
 obtained work through the hunts, and the 
 tailor found employment, either to repair or to 
 make garments for the dashing fellows, who 
 appeared in the field. The butcher, of course, 
 could not be done without, after the sports of 
 the day were over ; the saddler was a person- 
 age in very great request, connected with the 
 hunting establishment ; and the stationer also 
 came in for his share of business, as to pens, 
 ink, and paper : in short, a variety of other 
 trades felt the importance of the hunts — it 
 gave a spur to business — and the cash circu- 
 lated merrily through a variety of other hands, 
 which otherwise might have wanted business, 
 and the tradesmen become as flat as pancakes. 
 It, therefore, will not excite any surprise, that 
 the leading toasts amongst the ^stags' was 
 " Success to Hunting ;" and the club never 
 separated without drinking the health of the 
 squire as one of their standing toasts. 
 
 Indeed, during the hunting season the peo- 
 ple were all as merry ns grigs ; satisfaction 
 appeared on all their faces, and it was es- 
 teemed by them—" Life in the Country." 
 Such are the good results from the circulation 
 of money in different parts of England where 
 such establishments are kept, and patronized 
 by noblemen and gentlemen. On those nights 
 when Tom Moody was the president— the 
 chair being taken by the members in rotation 
 — out of compliment to the ' crack whipper-in,' 
 the chair and room were decorated with tro- 
 phies connected with Sporting. But while 
 
 Thus the Nightingale Club nightly kept up their 
 
 clamour. 
 And were nightly knock'd down by the president's 
 
 hammer : 
 
 Tom held in his hand the ' brush of Reynard,' 
 and, waving it over his head, cried out, — 
 ' swiftly, swiftly !' in allusion to the fleetness 
 of the Fox, and that " Time flies,"— also ac- 
 companied by the ' who hoop,' to signify the 
 ' game was in view ;' or, in other words, that 
 attention was required to be paid to the har- 
 mony of the evening. Mr. Wellboiind, the 
 stationer to the club, who always looked upon 
 himself as the best-informed man belonging 
 to the * Stags, ' or rather one of the best of 
 the members, from his immediate acquaint- 
 ance with books — when called upon for a 
 chant, with a great deal of importance pre- 
 faced his song with the following observa- 
 tions :— " Mr. President, 1 like to be in cha- 
 racter with my brother members : and 1 am 
 fond of hunting to a certain extent; but, 
 nevertheless, I like to display something like 
 good sense and learning in every thing that I 
 undertake ; therefore, I will sing you a clas- 
 sical Sporting song, written by one of oiT 
 greatest poets of the old times : — 
 
Rd 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 HUNTING THE HARE. 
 
 Songn and ionnots, and rustical roiinddajs, 
 
 Fuinis 111 fancies are wliistled on reeds, 
 
 Songs to solace yoiini; nymphs upon holid.iys 
 
 Are too unworthy for wonderful deeds; 
 
 PhiX'bns ingenious 
 
 VVitli witty Silenus, 
 His haus;hty genius taught to declare; 
 
 III words nicely coin'd, 
 
 And verse better join'd, 
 How stars divine lov'd hunting the hare. 
 
 Stars ena'TOiir'd with pastimes Olympical, 
 Stars and planets that beautifully shone, 
 Would no longer endure that mortal man only 
 Should svviin in pleasure, while they but look on • 
 Hound about horned 
 L;icina they swarmed. 
 And her informed how minded they were, 
 Kach god and goddess. 
 To take human bodies, 
 As lords, and ladies, to follow the hare. 
 
 Chaste Diana applauded the motion, 
 
 And pale Pioserpina sate in her place, 
 Wliicli guides the Welkin and governs the ocean, 
 While she conducted her nephews in chase ; 
 
 Till by her example 
 
 Their father to trample 
 The earth old and ample leave they the air ; 
 
 Neptune the water. 
 
 And wine Liber Pater, 
 And Mars the slaughter to follow the hare. 
 Young god Cupid mounted on Pegasus, 
 
 Beloved by nymphs, with kisses and praise. 
 Strong Alcides upon cloudy Caucasus, 
 
 Mounted a Centaur, which proudly him bare; 
 
 Postilion of the sky, 
 
 Swift-footed Mercury, 
 Makes his courser fly, fleet as the air ; 
 
 Tuneful Apollo 
 
 The kennel doth follow. 
 With whip and hollow after the hare. 
 
 Young Amintas th.ought the gods came to breathe. 
 
 After their battle, themselves on the ground, 
 Thirsis did think the gods came here to dwell beneath. 
 And that hereafter the world would go round. 
 Corydon aged, 
 With Phil is engaged, 
 Was much enraged with jealous despair. 
 But fury was faded, 
 And he was persuaded, 
 When he found they applauded hunting the hare. 
 
 Stars but shadows were, joys were but sorrows, 
 They without motion, these wanting delight ; 
 Joys are jovial, delights are the marrows 
 Of life and motion, the axle of might. 
 
 Pleasure depends 
 
 Upon no other friends. 
 But still freely lends to each virtue a share ; 
 
 Alone is pleasure 
 
 The ineasuic of treasure. 
 Of pleasure the treasure is hunting the hare. 
 
 Drowned Narcissus from his metamorphosis. 
 
 Roused by Edio new manhood did take ; 
 i.nd snoring Si.iniius up-started from Cimmeri=, 
 The which this thousand year was not awake 
 
 To see club-footed 
 
 Old Mulcibes booted. 
 And Pan t' o promoted on Corydon's mare, 
 
 Proud Pallas Pouted, 
 
 And jEiliis shouted) 
 And Momus flouted, yet followed the hare. 
 
 Hymen ushers the Lady Aslrea, 
 
 The jest lakes hold o"f Minerva the bold 
 Ceres the brown, with bright Cytherea, 
 Willi Thetis the wanton, Bellona the bold. 
 
 Shame-faced Aurora, 
 
 With witty Pandora, 
 And Maia with Flora did company bear ; 
 
 But Juno was stated 
 
 Too high to be mated, 
 jilibough she hated not hunting the hare. 
 
 Three broad bowls to the olympical rector, 
 i he Troy-born boy presents on his knee, 
 Jove to Phabus carouses his nectar. 
 
 And Phrehus to lleniics, and Hermes to me; 
 
 Wherewith infused 
 
 I piped and mnsfd. 
 In language unused, their sports to declare. 
 
 Till the house of Jove, 
 
 Like the spheres round do move, 
 Health to all those that love hunting the hare. 
 
 It should seem that the late Tom Moody 
 was so much attached to the life of a hunts- 
 man, that he had every thing nearest his 
 person which could continually put him iu 
 mind of it ; and the walls of his bed-room 
 were covered with Sporting pictures — of race- 
 horses, favorite hounds, game cocks, &c. 
 Over his mantle-piece also were displayed 
 the tiophies of fox hunting — the brush of sly 
 Reynard; his cap, boots, spurs, &c. Indeed, 
 every article connected with the Sports of the 
 Chase were exhibited to give a character to the 
 resting place of the ' crack huntsman.' — 
 
 His cotiversation had no other course 
 
 Thau that presented to his simple view ; 
 Of v/hat conoern'd his saddle, groom, or horse, 
 Beyond this theme he little car'd or knew ; 
 Tell him of beauty, and harmonious sounds, 
 He'd show his mare, and talk about his hounds. 
 
 Tom Moody, according to the account of 
 some of his old and intimate acquaintances, 
 was extremely happy iu his description of a 
 Fox Chase: indeed, it was said to be a fine 
 piece of acting altogether. However, as we 
 never had the felicity of hearing Tom give the 
 ' vieto halloo !' in order to render our sketch 
 complete, nay, more, to give a regular climax 
 to the * crack Huntsman,' we are induced to 
 quote Peter Beckford's, Esq., characteristic 
 account of a Fox hunt. — " A fox-chase is 
 not easy to be described — yet, as even a faint 
 description of it may serve, to a certain degree, 
 as an answer to the various questions you are 
 pleased to make concerning that diversion, I 
 shall prosecute my attempt in such a manner 
 as I think may suit your purpose best. The 
 hour in the morning most favorable to the di- 
 version is certainly an early one, nor do I think 
 I can fix it better than to say the hounds 
 should be at the cover at sun-rising. Let us 
 suppose we are arrived at the cover side. 
 
 Delightful scene ! 
 
 Where all around is gay, men, horses, dogs ; 
 And in each in smiling countenance appeai-s. 
 Fresh blouming health, and universal joy." 
 
 Now let your huntsman throw in his hounds 
 as quietly as he can, and let the two whippers- 
 in keep wide of him on either hand, so that a 
 single hound may not escape them; let them 
 be attentive to his halloo, and be ready to en- 
 courage or rate, as that directs : he will, of 
 course, draw up the wind, for reasons which 
 I shall give in another place. Now, if you 
 can keep your brother sportsmen in order, and 
 put any discretion into them, you are in luck ; 
 they more frequently do harm than good : if 
 it be possible, persuade those who wish to 
 halloo the fox off, to stand quiet under the 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 «7 
 
 cover side, and on no account to halloo him 
 too soon ; if they do, he most certainly will 
 turn back again ; could you entice them all 
 into the cover, your sport, in all probability, 
 •would not be the worse for it. 
 
 How well the hounds spread the cover ! — 
 the huntsman, you see, is quite deserted, and 
 his horse, ^viiich so lately had a crowd at his 
 heels, has not now one attendant left. How 
 steadily they draw ! — you hear not a single 
 hound, yet none are idle. Is not this better 
 than to be subject to continual disappointment 
 from the eternal babbling of unsteady hounds ? 
 
 -Far o'er the rocVy hills we rani;*, 
 
 See ! how they range 
 
 Dispersed, how busily this way and that 
 They cross, examining with cnricms nose 
 Each likely haunt. Hark ! on the drag I hear 
 Their doubtful notes, preludiii<; to a cry 
 More nobly full, and swell'd with every mouth.' 
 
 How musical tiieir tongues !— ^Now, as they 
 get nearer to him, how the chorus fills ! 
 Hark ! he is found.— Now, where are all your 
 sorrows, and your cares, ye gloomy souls ? 
 Or where your pains and aches, ye complain- 
 ing ones ? One halloo has dispelled them all. 
 — What a crash tliey make I and Echo seem- 
 ingly takes pleasure to repeat the sound. The 
 astonished traveller forsakes his road, lured 
 by its melody : the listening ploughman now 
 stops his plough ; and every distant shepherd 
 neglects his flock, and runs to see him break. 
 What joy ! what eagerness in every face ! 
 
 " How happy art thou, man, when thou'rt no more 
 Thyself! when all the pangs that grind thy soul. 
 In rapture and in sweet oblivion lost. 
 Yield a short interval and ease from pain !" 
 
 Mark how he runs the cover's utmost limits, 
 yet dares not venture forth ! the hounds are 
 still too near. — That check is lucky : — now, 
 if our friends head him not, he will soon be 
 off — hark ! they halloo : by G— d he's gone. 
 
 ' Hark ! what loud shouts 
 
 Re-echo through the groves ! he breaks away ; 
 Shrill horns pruclaim his flight. Each straggling hound 
 Strains o'er the lawn to reach the distan^pack. 
 'Tis triumph all, and joy.' 
 
 Now, huntsman, get on with the head hounds 
 the whippers-in will bring on the others after 
 you : keep an attentive eye on the leading 
 hounds, that, should the scent fail them, you 
 may know at least how far they brought it. 
 
 Mind Galloper, how he leads them ! It is 
 difficult to distinguish which is first, they run 
 in such a style : yet he is the foremost hound. 
 The goodness of his nose is not less excellent 
 than his speed. How he carries the scent ! and 
 when he loses it, see how eagerly he flings to 
 recover it again. There — now he's at head 
 again — see how they top the hedge ! Now 
 how they mount the hill ! Observe what a 
 head they carry ; and show me, if you can, 
 one shuffler or skirter amongst them all : are 
 they not like a parcel of brave fellows, who, 
 when they undertake a thing, determine to 
 share its fatigue and its dangers equally 
 amongst them 
 
 An<l dangerous our course ; but in the brd\ 
 Tnie corragc never fails. In vain the stieaia 
 In foaming eddies whirls, in vain thediich 
 Wide gaping threatens death. The craggy steep, 
 Where the pour dizzy shepherd crawls with care. 
 And clings to every twig, gives us no pain ; 
 But down we sweep, as stoops the falcon bold 
 To pounce his prey. Then up th'opponenl hill. 
 By the swift motion slung, wc mount aloft : 
 So ships, in winter seas, now sliding sink 
 Adown the steepy wave, then toss'd on high. 
 Ride on the billows, and defy the storm.' 
 
 It was then the fox I saw as we came down 
 the hill : those crows directed me which way 
 to look, and the sheep ran from him as he 
 passed along. The hounds are now on the 
 very spot ; yet the sheep stop them not, for 
 they dash beyond them. Now see with what 
 eagerness they cross the plain ! Galloper no 
 longer keeps his place. Brushcr takes it : 
 see how he flings for the scent, and how im- 
 petuously he runs ! How eagerly he took the 
 lead, and how he strives to keep it ! yet Victor 
 comes up apace. He reaches him ! See what 
 an excellent race it is between them ! It is 
 doubtful which will reach the cover first. 
 How equally they run ! how eagerly they 
 strain !— now Victor, Victor ! Ah ! Brusher, 
 you are beat : Victor first tops the hedge. 
 See there ! see how they all take it in their 
 strokes ! The hedge cracks with their weight, 
 so many jump at once. 
 
 Now hastes the whipper-in to the other side 
 the cover : he is right, unless he heads the 
 fox. 
 
 Heav'ns! what melodious strains! how beat our 
 hearts 
 Big with tumultuous joy ! the loaded gales 
 Breathe harmony ; and as the tempest drives 
 From wood to wood, through ev'ry dark recess 
 The forest thunders, and the mountains shake.' 
 
 Listen !— the hounds have turned. They are 
 now in two parts. The fox has been headed 
 back, and v/e have changed at last. 
 
 Now, my lad, mind the huntsman's halloo, 
 and stop to those hounds wiiich he encourages. 
 He is right .'—that, doubtless, is the hunted 
 fox. Now they are off again. 
 
 'Whit lengths we pass! where will the wand'ring chase 
 Lead us bevviUler'd ! Smooth as swallows skim 
 The new shorn mead, and far more swift, we fly. 
 See my brave pack ! how to the head they press, 
 Jostling in close array, then more dittnse 
 Obliquely wheel, while from their op'ning moutha 
 The vollied thunder breaks. 
 
 Look back and view 
 
 The strange confusion of the vale below, 
 
 Where sore vexation reigns ; 
 
 Old age lameiils 
 
 His vigour spent : the tall, plump, brawny youth 
 Curses his cumbrous bulk ; and envies now 
 The short pygmean race, he whilom kenn'd 
 With proud insulting leer. A chosen few 
 Alone the sport enjoy, nor droop beneath 
 Their pleasing toiisi' 
 
 Ha ! a check. Now for a moment's patience. 
 We press too close upon the hounds ! — Hunts* 
 man, stand still : as yet they want you not. 
 How admirably they spread ! how wide they 
 cast ! Is there a single hound that does not 
 try .' If such a one there be he ne'er shall 
 
88 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS- 
 
 hnnt again. There, Trueman is on the scent : 
 be feathers, yet still is doubtful ; 'tis right ! 
 how readily they join him ! See those wide- 
 casting hounds, how they fly forward to re- 
 cover tlie ground they have lost ! Mind 
 Lightning, how she dashes; and Mungo, how 
 be works ! Old Frantic, too, now poshes 
 forward : she knows, as well as we, the fox 
 is sinking. 
 
 ' Ha ! yet lie flies, nor yields 
 
 To black despair. But one loose more, and all 
 His wiles are vain. Haik! through yon village now 
 The rattling clamour rings. The barns, the cots. 
 And leafless elms return the joyous sounds. 
 Through ev'ry homestall, and through ev'ry yard. 
 His midnight walks, panting, forlorn, he flies : 
 
 Th'unerring hounds 
 
 With peels of echoing vengeance close pursue.' 
 
 Huntsman! at fault at last? How far did 
 you bring the scent ? — Have the hounds made 
 their own cast ? — Now make yours. You see 
 that a sheep-dog has been coursing the fox : 
 get forward with your hounds, and make a 
 wide cast. 
 
 Hark ! that halloo is indeed a lucky one. 
 If we can hold him on, we may yet recover 
 him ; for a fox so much distressed must stop 
 at last. We now shall see if they will hunt 
 as well as run ; for there is but little scent, 
 and the impending cloud still makes that little 
 less. How they enjoy the scent ! See how 
 busy they all are, and how each in his turn 
 prevails ! 
 
 Huntsman, be quiet ! Whilst the scent was 
 good, you pressed on your hounds : it was 
 well done. Your hounds were afterwards at 
 fault ; you made your cast with judgment, 
 and lost no time. You now must let them 
 hunt : with such a cold scent as this you can 
 do no good. — They must do it all themselves. 
 — Lift them now, and not a hound will stoop 
 again. — Ha ! a high road, at such a time as 
 this, when the tenderest-nosed hound can 
 hardly own the scent ! — Another fault ! That 
 man at work, then, has headed back the fox. 
 — Huntsman ! cast not your hounds now ; 
 you see they have over-run the scent ; have a 
 little patience, and let them, for once, try 
 back. 
 
 We now must give them time. — See where 
 they bend towards yonder furze brake ! I 
 wish he may have stopped there ! Mind that 
 old hound, how he dashes over the furze ; I 
 think he winds him ! — Now for a fresh en- 
 tapis .' — Hark! they halloo!— Ay, there he 
 goes ! 
 
 It is nearly over with him : had the hounds 
 caught view he must have died. He will 
 hardly reach the cover. See how they gain 
 upon him at every stroke ! It is an admirable 
 race ! yet the cover saves him. 
 
 Now be quiet, and he cannot escape us : 
 we have the wind of the hounds, and he can- 
 not be better placed. — How short he runs ! — 
 he is now in the very strongest part of the cover. 
 —-What a crash ! every hound is in and every 
 
 hound is running for him. That was a quick 
 turn! again another! he's put to his last shifts. 
 Now Mischief is at his heels, and death is not 
 far off. — Ha ! they all stop at once ; all silent, 
 and yet no earth is open. Listen ! — now they 
 are at him again ! Did you bear tliat hound 
 catch view? They had over-run the scent, 
 and the fox had Iain down behind them. Now, 
 Reynard, look to yourself! How quick they 
 all give their tongues ! — Little Dreadnought, 
 how he works him ! the terriers, too, they 
 now are squeaking at him. How close Ven- 
 geance pursues ! how terribly she presses I 
 It is just up with him ! — Gods ! what a crash 
 they make ! the whole wood resounds ! That 
 turn was very short! — There! — now — ay, 
 now they have him ! — Who-hoop ! " 
 
 Old Amen and Tom, Moody spent many 
 pleasant evenings at the club together after the 
 memorable Epitaph night ; nay, many years 
 rolled over their heads with pleasure and 
 delight — the song, and the story often repeated, 
 and the ' view halloo,' &c., given again and 
 again to the great danger of dame Bungard's 
 china cups and saucers ; but according to the 
 old parish clerk's version of things, * there 
 was a time for every thing,' and so it appeared : 
 Tom Moody's time arrived, and like other 
 men the lease of his premises was out, and he 
 received * notice to quit :' to the immense 
 regret of his numerous acquaintances and 
 friends ! and none more than ' OldAwEN,' who 
 dropped a sincere tear over the grave of his 
 old comoanion ! 
 
 Hark ! the fierce halloo througli the forest resounds I 
 
 As full in sight the wild stag bounds ; 
 
 Then darts away like a beam of light, 
 
 While the hviuters pursue like a thunder cloud at 
 
 night. 
 Caps high are waved to cheer the glad rout. 
 While the valleys re-echo with their hoarse savage 
 
 shout. 
 But here is one of that motley crew. 
 On a shadowy steed of ghastly hue, 
 'Tis Death on his pale horse who follows the throng. 
 But joins not the laugh, the shout, or the song. 
 Ha ! who is there with blood-streaming wound ? 
 The young hunter his courser hath dash'd to the 
 
 ground I 
 With that sad groan fled his last breath, 
 Thy human game is won — O Death ! 
 
 We are rather apprehensive, without wish- 
 ing at all to detract from the poetic talents of 
 ' Old Amen,' or his warmth of friendship 
 into the bargain towards the 'crack huntsman,' 
 that provided he had penned an epitaph for him, 
 whether it would ever have had half the effect 
 of the following song, written after his death, 
 and which was delightfully sung by the late 
 Mr. Charles Incledon, at the Theatres Royal ; 
 it just suited his melodious expressive voice, 
 and he gave it such a superior style of manly 
 excellence that we do not expect to hear any 
 thing like the execution of it again. The 
 Death of Tom Moody has likewise been a 
 great favorite at all sporting and convivial 
 meetings — it is full of character, and a fine 
 portrait of a thorough -bred huntsman : — 
 
PIERCE EGAIS'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 89 
 
 DEATH OF TOM MOODY. 
 
 The noted whipper-in ; Jiell kiionm to tht Sports- 
 men of Shropshire. 
 You all know Tom Moody, tlif wliippcr-in, Wfll ; 
 Tlie bell. just done tolling was honest Tom's kuell : 
 A more able sportsman ne'er followed a hound, 
 Thio' a coniitry well-known to him fifty miles round 
 No hound ever open'd with Tom in the wood, 
 But lie'd challenge the tone, and could tell if 'twas 
 
 g;on(i — 
 And all with attention, would eagerly mark. 
 When he ihi-or'd up the pack — " Hmk; 
 
 To Rockwood, hark! hark! 
 
 Higli ! — Wind him ! and cross him ! 
 
 Now Rattler, boy! — hark!" 
 
 Six crafty earth-stoppers, in hunter's green drest, 
 Supported poor Tom to an "earth" made for rest: 
 His horse, which he styl'd his " Old Soul," next 
 
 appear'd 
 On whose forehead the brush of his last fox was rear'd; 
 Whip, cap, boots, and spurs, in a trophy were bound. 
 And here and there follow'd an old straggling hound. 
 AU ! no more at his voice yonder vales will they trace ! 
 Nor the Wrekin* resound his first buist in the chase! 
 
 "With high over! — Now press him ! 
 
 Tally ho! tally he!" 
 
 Thus Tom spoke his friends, e'er he ga^feup his breath — 
 " Since I see you're resolv'd to be in at the death. 
 One favour bestow — 'tis the last I shall crave — 
 Give a rattling view-halloo thrice over my grave : 
 And unless at that warning I lift up my head, 
 My boys, you may fairly conclude I am dead !" 
 Honest Tom was obey'd, and The shout rent the sky. 
 For ev'ry voice join'd in the Tally-ho cry. 
 
 'Tally-ho!— Hark forwards! 
 
 Tally-ho !— Tallj-ho I" 
 
 DE5ciirP"ii )N OF A Fox Chase by a French 
 Gentleman. 
 
 I vend me much relate von great chasse to 
 you, Monsieur Editor, I have just vitnessed 
 avec de chiens de ftlonsieur Crsiving, at the 
 chateau of mi Lor Chichester, von league from 
 this ville. 
 
 " I vas me sitting at mine dejeune cematin 
 ven I view von Gentlemans ride past upon a 
 vite clieval, vit him a coleure de rouge coat 
 on, and von long vip in him hand. Vat for dis 
 Gentleman coat ? I demande of de vater ; 
 shall it be de King ? ' No, sare,' said he, ' it 
 be Monsieur Jacque Bunce going a hunting.' 
 — ' Vot him hunt?' said 1. — ' De fox,' said he. 
 ' Ah d J renard ! I have me much heard of this 
 hont de renard in Angleterre ; I most me cer- 
 tainly go. I vill me get my pistolets tout 
 suite.' — ' You must have an orse,' said the 
 vaiter. * Certainement !' said I ; ' a vite orse 
 same as Monsieur Bunce ;' but the stoopid 
 vellow got me one black, at vich I vas much 
 enrage, as I thought I vood be ridicule, for I 
 did me see another gentlemans on a vite orse 
 same as Monsieur Bunce ; and de stoopid 
 veilovv brought von saddle sans chose pour les 
 pistolets, and so being in moch hurry I did 
 me pot them in mine surtout poche. 
 
 " A great fracas vas at my behind, and ven 
 I look me round I shall find von fine English 
 lady attired in rouge and blue gallop along de 
 street in moch haste, and anoder gentlemans 
 
 • The famous mountaxn in Shropshire. 
 
 on anoder vite cheval, same as Monsieur 
 Bunce, gallop vit her, and him had rouge on 
 also. 
 
 " At de chateau vare many peoples had 
 come, and a large flock of dogs, and tvs^o gen- 
 tlemens in rouge habits and black bonnets, 
 who vere grand chasseurs under Monsieur 
 Craving, de grand maitre de chiens. — ' Ou 
 est votre mousquet? vere is your musquet?' 
 said I to von of these gentlemens, but he 
 touch him bonnet and said noting. Then com 
 Monsieur Craving, and they both did de same 
 to him. ' How be de vind, George ?' said he 
 to the grossest von ; * shall ve have moch 
 scent to-day ?' ' De vind be in the East,' said 
 George, ' but I think de scent may do.' — 'Vill 
 you accept some scent from me ?' said I to 
 George, offering him von flacon. ' Be it gin V 
 said he. 'No, not gin, but bouquet du Roi, 
 vare fine scent, trois franc cinque sous per 
 bouteile.' By my vord the stoopid dem vel- 
 low he did him drink de perfume, and then he 
 spit it out. 
 
 " * Ve shall go,' said Monsieur Craving ; 
 an avay ve all vent in moch speed. ' Vere de 
 renard ? vere de renard?' I demanded. ' Hold 
 your jaw !' said von gentlemans in de b >i)net ; 
 ' You vill make him steal away.' 'Ah, him 
 steal moch poulet, moch Turque, n'est-ce- 
 pas ?' de same in France, de same in France ; 
 him vare great voleur ; I shall him shoot, i 
 shall him shoot 1' 
 
 '•' ' De Gentleman be mad,' said Monsieur 
 Craving, ven I produced my pistolet. • Hav 
 a care, George, he vill himself shoot.' ' Pas 
 de tout ! pas de tout ! I vill me shoot de 
 renard sans doute, but not non myself.' Just 
 den dcre vas great scream— Oh dear! him 
 poor gentlemans be moch hurt I fear. ' Gone 
 avay ! gone avay ! forvard ! forvard ! hoop ! 
 hoop ! tallivo ! tallivo !' shouted Monsieur 
 Craving and all de other gentlemans : some 
 blew a trumpet, and de flock of dogs came up 
 howling and barking. ' Old hard !' said Mon- 
 sieur Craving, ' old hard ! Pray, sare, do 
 you think you can catch de fox yourself?' 
 said he. ' I vill me try,' said I, ' but vere 
 him be?' — ' Dere him go, said Monsieur 
 Bunce, as de dogs began to howl vonce more, 
 and all de gentlemens gallop after them. ' I 
 vill be first,' I said. So I charge de whole 
 flock of dogs, and knocked over three of 
 them. Oh how dem swore because I beat 
 dem all ! Then ve got to end of vood, and I 
 thought de renard should him come back again; 
 but Monsieur Bunce he jumped a gate, and 
 then look back at me, and said, ' Now, you 
 Tinker, catch dem if you can.' De gate was 
 open, and I gallop along in v-are great haste, 
 for ve vare all in moch hurry ; but I arrive at 
 von large fosse, and de lady in rouge demande 
 voud I take it? 'Si vous plait, Madame;' 
 and I spur mine orse, but de stoopid nete torn- 
 bled into it ; and voud you believe it, but de 
 lady jomp over it and me and my orse ? 
 
 " ' Pick up de pieces,' said von gentlemans 
 as he passed by. ' Vot, old poy, are you 
 
90 
 
 PIEUCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 floored already ?' said anoder. * Com lo me, 
 and I vill help you up,' said a third, as him 
 gallop along. Indeed, they all make some 
 compliment as they pass ; but my orsc him 
 manage to get up, and 1 found I should not 
 be much damage ; so I gallop again over de 
 soft grass fur great distance, mine orse blow- 
 ing vare much. 
 
 " ' This dem fox will never stop,' I said : 
 by my vord it is quite ridicule riding after 
 him in this stoopid manner ; he will surely 
 never dare find his vay back to mi Lor Chi- 
 chester's poulets ; so vy should ve fatigue us 
 lo hont him any further?' 
 
 " ' Shov along, ye skrew,' said a gentle- 
 mans, vondering at vot I vos stop ; ' de foxis 
 sinking.' — ' Vot him no svim ? but vere de 
 vater ?' — 'Dere he go, up de hill,' said he : but 
 how de fox could sink up de hill I could me 
 not discover ; but Monsieur George made 
 moch noise, as did Monsieur Craving, and all 
 de other gentlemens ; and at last I saw de 
 dogs overtake de renard near von vood. He 
 vas kill, but Monsieur George took him up and 
 vip de dogs avay, and all de gentlemens got 
 off orse and valk about ; and Monsieur Crav- 
 ing come to me and said, Sare, you vare near 
 kill my best hound, but make me de pleasure 
 to accept de broosh.' ' Thank you, Sare !" 
 said I, ' but I should prefere von comb,' par- 
 ceque mine hair vas moch disorder ; and Mon- 
 sieur Craving laugh and say, ' It be de fox's 
 broosh I offer you Sare : you have rode vare 
 veil, and I am moch think you will make von 
 vare fine sportsman.' But I say to him, ' I 
 thank you. Monsieur Craving, for dis com- 
 pliment ; but, by my vord, your English hont 
 de renard is moch ridicule : you have now 
 com trois L.gue after dis dem animal, tired 
 3'our orse, dirty your breeches, tore your 
 habit, throw mod in my face, and ven you 
 catch da creature you give him to de dog. If 
 you desire a renard, set von trap, and catch 
 him by de leg, or let Monsieur George shoot 
 him vit de mousquet as him com out of de 
 vood, but never give yourself de trouble of 
 honting liim in this fashion.' 
 
 " But Monsieur Craving him laugh moch, 
 and say, — ' Sare, I tink you shall not com- 
 prehend our sport.' ' Perhaps not,' I say, 
 ' because I shall not tink it sport :' derefore, 
 I vill you vish, ftlonsieur Editor, bon jour. " 
 
 Extirpation of Beasts and Birds. 
 
 In a most delightful and interesiing work, 
 recently published by Charles Lyall, F. R. S., 
 " being an attempt to explain the former 
 shanges of the earth's surface, by reference 
 to causes now in operation," he observes : — 
 
 " Let us make some inquiries into the ex- 
 tent of the influence which the progress of 
 society has exerted, during the last seven or 
 eight centuries, in altering the distribution 
 of oi:r indigenous British animals. Dr. Flem- 
 ing has prosecuted this inquiry with his usual 
 
 zeal and ability, and in a memoir on the 9ub> 
 ject has enumerated the best authenticated 
 examples of the decrease or extirpation of 
 certain species during a period when our po- 
 pulation has made the most rapid advances. 
 We shall offer a brief outline of his results. 
 
 " The stag, as well as the fallow-deer and 
 the roe, were formerly so abundant, that, ac- 
 cording to Lesley, from five-liundred to a 
 thousand were sometimes slain at a hunting 
 match; but the native races would already 
 have been extinguiihed, had they not been 
 carefully preserved in certain forests. The 
 otter, the marten, and the polecat, were also 
 in sufficient numbers to be pursued for the 
 sake of their fur ; but they have now been 
 reduced within very narrow bounds. The 
 wild cat and fox have also been sacrificed 
 throughout the greater part of the country, 
 for the security of the poultry-yard or the fold 
 Badgers have been expelled from nearly 
 every district which at former periods they 
 inhabited. 
 
 " Besides these, which have been driven 
 out from some haunts, and every where re- 
 duced in number, there are some which have 
 been wholly extirpated ; such as the ancient 
 breed of indigenous horses, the wild boar and 
 the wild oxen, of which last, however, a few 
 remains are still preserved in the parks of 
 some of our nobility. The beaver, which was 
 eagerly sought after for its fur, had become 
 scarce at the close of the ninth century, and 
 by the twelfth century was only to be met 
 with, according to Giraldus de Barri, in one 
 river in Wales, and another in Scotland. The 
 wolf, once so much dreaded by our ancestors, 
 is said to have maintained its ground in Ire- 
 land so late as the beginning of the eighteenth 
 century (1710), though it had been extirpated 
 in Scotland thirty years before, and in England 
 at a much earlier period. The bear, which 
 in Wales was regarded as a beast of the chase 
 equal to the hare or the boar, only perished 
 as a native of Scotland in the year 1057. 
 
 '* Many native birds of prey have also been 
 the subjects of unremitting persecution. The 
 eagles, larger hawks, and ravens, have disap- 
 peared from the more cultivated districts. 
 The haunts of the mallard, the snipe, the red- 
 shank, and the bittern, have been drained 
 equally with the summer dwellings of the 
 lapwing and the curlew. But these species 
 still linger in some portion of the British 
 isles; whereas the large capercailzies, or 
 wood grouse, formerly natives of the pine 
 forests of Ireland and Scotland, have been 
 destroyed within the last fifty years. The 
 egret and the crane, which appear to have 
 been formerly very common iu Scotland, are 
 now only occasional visitants. 
 
 " The bustard (Otis tarda), observes 
 Graves, in his ' British Ornithology,' ' was 
 formerly seen in the downs and heaths of va- 
 rious parts of our island, in flocks of forty 
 or fifty birds ; whereas it is now acircumstance 
 of rare occurrence to meet with a single indi 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 t>l 
 
 vidual.' Bewick also remarks, ' that they 
 were formerly more common in this island 
 than at present ; they are now found only in 
 the open countries of the south and east, in 
 the plains of Wiltshire, Dorsetshire, and some 
 parts of Yorkshire.' In the few years that 
 have elapsed since Bewick wrote, this bird 
 has entirely disappeared from Wiltshire and 
 Dorsetshire. 
 
 *' These changes, we may observe, are de- 
 rived from very imperfectmemorials, and relate 
 only to the larger and more conspicuous 
 animals inhabiting a small spot on the globe ; 
 but they cannot fail to exalt our conception 
 of the enormous revolutions which, in the 
 course of several thousand years, the whole 
 human species must have effected. 
 
 "The kangaroo and the emu are retreating 
 rapidly before the progress of colonization in 
 Australia; and it scarcely admits of doubt 
 that the general cultivation of that country 
 must lead to the extirpation of both. The 
 most striking example of the loss, even within 
 the last two centuries, of aremarkable species, 
 is that of the dodo — a bird first seen by the 
 Dutchwheu they landed on the Isle of France, 
 at that time uninhabited, immediately after 
 the discovery of the passage to the East Indies 
 by the Cape of Good Hope. It was of a large 
 eize and singular form ; its wings short, like 
 those of an ostrich, and wholly incapable of 
 sustaining its heavy body even for a short 
 flight. In its general appearance it differed 
 from the ostrich, cassowary, or any known 
 bird. 
 
 " Many naturalists gave figures of the dodo 
 after the commencement of the seventeenth 
 century ; and there is a painting of it in the 
 British Museum, which is said to have been 
 taken from a living individual. Beneath the 
 painting is a leg, in a fine state of preserva- 
 tion, which ornithologists are agreed cannot 
 belong to any other ktown bird. In the 
 museum at Oxford, also, there is a foot and a 
 head, in an imperfect state, but M. Cuvier 
 doubts the identity of this species with that 
 of which the painting is preserved in London. 
 " In spite of the most active search, during 
 the last century, no information respecting the 
 dodo was obtained, and some authors have gone 
 so far as to pretend that it never existed ; but 
 amongst a great mass of satisfactory evidence 
 in favor of the recent existence of this species, 
 we may mention that an assemblage of fossil 
 bones were recently discovered, under a bed 
 of lava, in the Isle of f ranee, and sent to the 
 Paris museum by M. Desjardins. They al- 
 most all belonged to a large living species of 
 land- tortoise, called Testudo Indka, but 
 amongst them were the head, sternum, and 
 humerus of tlie dodo. M. Cuvier showed me 
 these valuable remains in Paris, and assured 
 me that they left no doubt in his mind that 
 the huge bi|;d was one of the gallinaceous 
 tribe." 
 
 Sagacity of the Shepherd's Doo. 
 
 The following well-authenticated anecdotes 
 and curious history of the dog are to be met 
 with in Mr. Hogg's "Shepherd's Calendar." 
 We extract two of the most striking instances : 
 the first relates to an affecting anecdote of a 
 dog which belonged to Mr. Steel, " flesher, in 
 Peebles." 
 
 " Mr. Steel had such an implicit depend- 
 ence on the attention of this animal to his 
 orders, tliat whenever he put a lot of sheep 
 before her, he took a pride in leaving it to 
 herself, and either remained to take a glass 
 with the farmer of whom he had made the 
 purchase, or took another road, to look after 
 bargains or other business. But one time he 
 chanced to commit a drove to her charge at 
 a place called Willenslee, without attending 
 to her condition as he ought to have done. 
 This farm is five miles from Peebles, over wild 
 hills, and there is no regularly defined path 
 to it. Whether Mr. Steel remained behind 
 or took another road I know not; but, on 
 coming home late in the evening, he was as- 
 tonished at hearing that his faithful animal 
 had never made her appearance with the 
 drove. He and his son, or servant, instantly 
 prepared to set out by different paths in 
 search of her; but, on their going out to the 
 street, there was she coming with the drove, 
 no one missin,';; ; and, marvellous to relate, 
 she was carrying a young pup in her mouth ! 
 she had been taken in travail on the hills ; 
 and how the poor beast had contrived to 
 manage her drove in her state of suffering is 
 beyond human calculation ; for her road lay 
 through sheep the whole way. Her master's 
 heart smote him when he saw what she had 
 suffered and effected ; but she was nothing 
 daunted ; and, having deposited her young 
 one in a place of safety, she again set out full 
 speed to the hills, and brought another, and 
 another, till she brought her whole litter, one 
 by one, but the last one was dead." The 
 other remarkable instance of the niceness of 
 canine instinct or sagacity is related to have 
 been displayed after a snow storm. It is 
 wonderful. " When (says the author) we 
 came after the storm to the ground where the 
 sheep should have been, there was not one of 
 them above the snow. Here and there, at a 
 great distance from each other, we could 
 perceive the heads or horns of stragglers ap- 
 pearing ; and these were easily got out, but, 
 when we had collected these few, we could 
 find no more. They had been lying all abroad 
 in a scattered state when the storm came on, 
 and were covered over just as they had been 
 lying. It was on a kind of sloping ground, 
 that lay half beneath the wind, nnd the snow 
 was uniformly from six to eight feet deep. 
 Under this the animals were lying scattered 
 over at least one hundred acres of heathery 
 ground. It was a very ill-looking concern. 
 We went about boring witii our long poles, 
 and often did not find one sheei) in a quarte 
 
92 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 of an hour. But at length a white shap^y 
 colly, named Sparkle, that belonged to the 
 cowherd boy, seem to have comprehended 
 something of our perplexity ; for we observed 
 him plying and scraping in the snow with 
 great violence, and always looking over his 
 shoulder to us. On goin^ to the spot, we 
 found that he had marked straight above a 4heep. 
 From that he flew to another, and so on to 
 another, as fast as we could dig them out, and 
 ten times faster, for he sometimes had twenty 
 or thirty holes marked beforehand. 
 
 " We got out three hundred of that division 
 before night, and about half as many on the 
 other parts of the farm, in addition to those 
 we had rescued the day before ; and the 
 greatest part of these would have been lost 
 had it not been for the voluntary exertions of 
 Sparkle. Before the snow went away (which 
 Jay only eight days) we had got out every 
 sheep on the farm, either dead or alive, except 
 four ; and that these were not found was not 
 Sparkle's blajne, for though they were buried 
 below a mountain of snow at least fifty feet deep, 
 he had again and again marked on the top of it 
 above them. The sheep were all living when 
 we found them ; but those that were buried 
 in the snow to a certain depth, being, I sup- 
 pose, in a warm, half-suffocated state, though 
 on being taken out they bounded away like 
 roes, were instantly after paralyzed by the 
 sudden change of atmosphere, and fell down, 
 deprived of all power in their limbs. We did 
 not, however, lose above sixty in all ; but I 
 am certain Sparkie saved us at least two 
 hundred." 
 
 THE ANGLER'S PROGRESS. 
 
 When I was a mere scbool-boy, ^ 
 
 (ere yet I'd learu'd my book), 
 I felt an itch for Angl'iig 
 
 in every little brook ; 
 An osier rod, some thread for line, 
 
 A crooked pin for hook. 
 And thus equipp'd, I angled 
 
 In every little brook ; 
 Where Prickle-backs and Minnows, 
 
 each day I caught in store, 
 With Stone-loaches and Millers'-thumbs— 
 
 those brooks afford no more : 
 And thus the little Angler 
 
 with crooked pin for hook, 
 Wonld shun each noisy wrangler, 
 
 to fish the murm'ring brook. 
 
 Then next I bought some farthing hooks, 
 
 and eke a horse hair line ; 
 An hazle rod, with whale-bone top, 
 
 my play-mates to outshine ; 
 With which 1 soon aspired 
 
 to angle with a float. 
 And where I could not fish from shore, 
 
 1 aagled from a boat ; 
 Then Roach and Dace and Bleak I took, 
 
 and Gudgeons without end, 
 And now and then a Perch I'd hook, 
 
 which made my rod to bend ; 
 And thus the little Angler, 
 
 pleas'd with his line and hook. 
 Would shun each noisy wrangler, 
 
 to fish the murm'ring brook. 
 
 Bream, Chub, and Barbel, next 1 sought, 
 
 their various haunts I try'd. 
 With scower'd worms, greaves, cheese and paste 
 
 and various baits beside ; 
 With hooks of Kirbu-bent well chose, 
 
 and gut that's round and fine. 
 So by gradation thus I rose 
 
 to fish with running line ; 
 A multiplying winch I bought, 
 
 wherewith my skill to try, 
 And so expert myself 1 thought, 
 
 few with me now could vie ; 
 And thus the little Angler, 
 
 with rod, and line, and hook. 
 Would shun each noisy wrangler, 
 
 to fish the murm'ring brook. 
 My mind on trolling now intent, 
 
 with live and dead snap-hook ; 
 I seldom to the rivers went, 
 
 but rike or .lack I took ; 
 Near banks of bull rush, sedge, and reed ; 
 
 (a dark and windy day :) 
 And if the Pike were on tlie feed, 
 
 I rarely miss'd my prey. 
 If baits are fresh, and proper size, 
 
 no matter what's the sort; 
 At Gudgeons, Roach, or Dace, they'll rise •; 
 
 with all by turns I've sport. 
 So now a dexfrous Angler, 
 
 with rod, and line, and hook, 
 I shunn'd each noisy wrangler, 
 
 to fish the murm'ring brook. 
 
 And now to cast a fly-line well, 
 
 became my chiefest wish ; 
 I strove each sportsman to excel, 
 
 and cheat the nimble fish ; 
 Now I'rout and Grayling I could kill 
 
 if gloomy was the day, 
 And Salmon also, at my will, 
 
 became an easy prey ; 
 Now flies and palmers I could dress, 
 
 aquatic insects too. 
 And all their various seasons guess, 
 
 their uses well I knew : 
 So now a dexfrous Angler, 
 
 with line and rod and hook 
 I shunn'd each noisy wrangler, 
 
 to fish the murm'ring brook. 
 So now to close this charming scene, 
 
 which none but .sportsmen feel. 
 Be sure you keep the Golden Mean, 
 
 nor arm your hearts with steel : 
 The fish with moderation take, 
 
 and to the Fair be kind ; 
 And ne'er with them your promise break, 
 
 but virtue keep in mind : 
 So Wives and Sweethearts now let's drink, 
 
 let each man fill his glass. 
 And may we never speak or think, 
 
 to disconcert our Lass ! — 
 Then, when our lines are all worn out, 
 
 and feeble grows the hook. 
 They'll ne'er forget the Angler, 
 
 that angled in the brook. 
 
 The English Horse. 
 The earliest record of the horse in Great 
 Britain (according to the Editor of the Library 
 of Useful Knowledge) is contained in the his- 
 tory given by Julius Cassar of his invasion of 
 our island. The British army was accompa- 
 nied by numerous war-chariots, drawn by 
 horses. Short scythes were fastened to the ends 
 of the axletrees, sweeping down every thing 
 before them, and carrying terror and devas- 
 tation into the ranks of their enemies. The 
 conqueror gives a most animated description 
 of the dexterity with which the horses were 
 managed. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 93 
 
 What kind of horse the Britons then pos- 
 sessed, it would be useless to inquire ; but 
 from the cumbrous structure of the car, and 
 the fury with which it was driven, and from 
 llie badness or nonexistence of the roads, 
 they must have been both active and powerful 
 to an extraordinary degree. Caesar deemed 
 them so valuable, that he carried many of 
 them to Rome ; and the British horses were, 
 for a considerable period afterwards, in great 
 request in various parts of the Roman empire. 
 
 Horses must at that time have been ex- 
 ceedingly numerous in Britain ; for we are 
 told that when the British king, Cassibellanus, 
 dismissed the main body of his army, he re- 
 tained four thousand of his war-chariots for 
 the purpose of harassing the Romans, when 
 they attempted to forage. 
 
 The British horse now received its first 
 cross ; but whether the breed was thereby im- 
 proved cannot be ascertained. The Romans, 
 having established themselves in Britain, 
 found it necessary to send over a numerous 
 body of cavalry to maintain a chain of posts 
 and check the frequent insurrections of the 
 natives. The Roman horses would breed 
 with those of the country, and to a greater 
 or less extent change their character ; and, 
 from this time, the English horse would 
 consist of a compound of the native and those 
 from Gaul, Italy, Spain, and every province 
 from which the Roman cavalry was supplied. 
 
 It would appear probable, however, that 
 Athelstan, the natural son of Alfred the Great, 
 and the second in succession to him, paid 
 some attention to the improvement of the 
 horse ; for, having subdued all the rebellious 
 portions of the Heptarchy, he was congratu- 
 lated on his success by some of the continen- 
 tal princes, and received from Hugh Capet 
 of France, who solicited his sister in marriage, 
 various presents, doubtless of a nature that 
 would be thought most acceptable to him ; 
 and among them several German running 
 horses. Hence our breed received another 
 cross, and probably an improvement. - 
 
 Athelstan seems to have seriously devoted 
 himself to this important object ; for he soon 
 afterwards decreed (a. d. 930) that no horses 
 should be sent abroad for sale, or on any 
 account, except as royal presents. This 
 proves his anxiety to preserve the breed, and 
 likewise renders it probable that that breed 
 was beginning to be esteemed by our neigh- 
 bours. In a document bearing date a. d. 
 1000 we have an interesting account of the 
 relative value of the horse. If a horse was 
 destroyed, or negligently lost, the compensa- 
 tion to be demanded was thirty shillings; a 
 mare or colt, twenty shillings ; a mule or 
 young ass, twelve shillings ; an ox, thirty 
 pence ; a cow, twenty-four pence ; a pig, 
 eightpence ; and it strangely follows, a man, 
 one pound.* 
 
 * Accordinj to the Anglo Saxon computation, forty- 
 eipht shillings ruaile a pound, equal in silver to about 
 thrt e pjunds of our present money, in value to fifteen 
 or sixteen pounds, and five penro nsade ono shilling. 
 
 In the laws of Howell the Good, Prince of 
 Wales, and passed a little before this time, 
 there are some curious particulars respecting 
 the value and sale of horses. The value of a 
 foal not fourteen days old is fixed at four- 
 pence ; at one year and a day it is estimated 
 at forty-eight pence ; and at three years sixty 
 pence. It was then to be tamed with the 
 bridle, and brought up either as a pal/rey or 
 a serving horse ; when its value became one 
 hundred and twenty pence ; and that of a 
 wild or unbroken mare sixty pence. 
 
 Even in those early days, the frauds of 
 dealers were too notorious, and the following 
 singular regulations were established : The 
 buyer was allowed time to ascertain whether 
 the horse were free from three diseases. He 
 had three nights to prove him for the staggers ; 
 three months to prove the soundness of his 
 lungs ; and one year to ascertaiu whether he 
 was infected with glanders. For every blemish 
 discovered after the purchase, one-third of 
 the money was to be returned, except it should 
 be a blemish of the ears or tail. 
 
 The practice of letting horses for hire was 
 then known, and then, as now, the services 
 of the poor hack were too brutally exacted. 
 The benevolent Howell disdains not to legis- 
 late for the protection of this abused and val- 
 uable servant. " Whoever shall borrow a 
 horse, and rub the hair so as to gall the back, 
 shall pay fourpence ; if the skin is forcetl 
 into the flesh, eightpence; if the flesh be 
 forced to the bone, sixteen pence." 
 
 One circumstance deserves to be remarked, 
 that in none of the earliest historical records 
 of the Anglo-Saxons or the Welsh is there 
 any allusion to the use of the horse for the 
 pjough. Until a comparatively recent period, 
 oxen alone were used in England, as in other 
 countries, for this purpose ; but about this 
 time, (the latter part of the tenth century) 
 some innovation on this point was creeping in, 
 and therefore, a Welsh law forbids the farmer 
 to plough with horses, mares, or cows, but 
 with oxen alone. On one of the pieces of 
 tapestry woven at Bayonne in the time of 
 William the Conqueror, (a. d 10G6) there is 
 the figure of a man driving a iiorse attached 
 to a harrow. This is the ea liest notice we 
 have of the use of the horse in field labour. 
 
 With William the Conqueror came a 
 marked improvement in the British horse. 
 To his superiority in cavalry this prince was 
 chiefly indebted for the victory of Hastings. 
 The favorite charger of William was 
 a Spaniard. His followers, both the barons 
 and the common soldiers, came principally 
 from a country in which agriculture had made 
 more rapid progress than in England. A 
 very considerable portion of the kingdom was 
 divided among these men ; and it cannot be 
 doubted that, however unjust was the usur- 
 pation of the Norman, England benefited in 
 its husbandry, and particularly in its horses, 
 by the change of masters. Some of the 
 barons, and particularly Roger de Boulogne, 
 earl of Shrewsbury, introduced llic Spanish 
 
94 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SP0RT8. 
 
 horse, on their newly-acquired estates. The 
 historians of these times however, principally 
 monks, knowing nothing about horses, give 
 us very little information on the subject. 
 
 In the reign of Henry I. (a. d. 1121) the 
 first Arabian horse, or, at least, the first on 
 record, was introduced. Alexander I., king 
 of Scotland, presented to the church of St. 
 Andrew's an Arabian horse, with costly fur- 
 niture, Turkish armour, many valuable 
 trinkets, and a considerable estate. 
 
 Forty years afterwards, in the reign of 
 Henry II., Smithfield was celebrated as a 
 horse-market. Fitz-Stephen, who lived at 
 that time, gives the following animated ac- 
 count of the manner in which the hackneys, 
 and charging-steeds were tried there, by 
 racing against one another. " When a race 
 is to be run by this sort of horses, and per- 
 haps by others, which also in their kind are 
 strong and fleet, a shout is immediately raised 
 and the conimnn horses are ordered to with- 
 draw out of the way. Three jockeys, or, 
 so)?ietimes only two, as the match is made, 
 prepare themselves for the contest. The 
 horses on their part are not without emulation : 
 they tremble and are impatient, and are con- 
 tinually in motion. At last, the signal once 
 given, they start, devour the course, and 
 hurry along with unremitting swiftness. The 
 jockeys inspired with the thought of applause, 
 and the hope of victory, clap spurs to their 
 willing horses, brandish their whips, and 
 cheer them with their cries." This descrip- 
 tion reminds us of the more lengthened races 
 of the present day, and proves the blood of 
 the English horse, even before the Eastern 
 breed was tried. 
 
 Close on this followed the Crusades. The 
 champions of the cross certainly had it in 
 their power to enrich their native country 
 with some of the choicest specimens of Eastern 
 horses, but they were completely under the 
 influence of superstition and fanaticism, and 
 common sense and usefulness were forgotten. 
 An old metrical romance, however, records 
 the excellence of two horses belonging to 
 Richard Coeur de Lion, which he purchased 
 at Cyprus, and which were therefore, pro- 
 bably, of Eastern origin. 
 
 Yn this worlde they hadde no pere*« 
 
 Dromedary nor destrere t, 
 
 Stede, RabyteJ, ne Cammele, 
 
 Goeth none so swifte, without fayle : 
 
 For a thousand pownd of gold, 
 
 N« should the one be solde. 
 
 The war-steed was defended by mail or 
 plate, much on tlie plan of the harness of the 
 knight himself. His head was ornamented 
 with a crest. The head, chest, and flanks, 
 were wholly or partially protected ; and 
 sometimes he was clad in complete steel, 
 with the arms of his master engraved or em- 
 bossed on his bardings. The bridle of the 
 horse was always as splendid as the circum- 
 tilanccs of the knight allowed, and thus a 
 
 ♦ I'ler, erjaal. +Wai horae. t Arabian. 
 
 horse was often called Brigliadore, from 
 briglia d'orn, a bridle of gold. Bells were 
 a very favorite addition to the equipment of 
 the horse. The old Troubadour, Arnold of 
 Marson, says, that " nothing is so proper to 
 inspire confidence in a knight, and terror in 
 an enemy." 
 
 The price of horses a* this period was sin- 
 gularly uncertain. In 1185, fifteen breeding 
 mares sold for two pounds twelve shillings 
 and sixpence. They were purchased by the 
 monarch, and distributed among his tenants, 
 and, in order to get something by the bar- 
 gain, he charged the great sum of four shil- 
 lings each. Twenty years afterwards, ten 
 capital horses brought no less than twenty 
 pounds each ; and, twelve years later, a pair 
 of horses were imported from Lombardy, for 
 which the extravagant price of thirty -eight 
 pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence was 
 given. The usual price of good handsome 
 horses was ten pounds, and the hire of a car 
 or cart, with two horses, was tenpenee a-day. 
 
 To King John, hateful as he was in all 
 other re&pects, we are yet much indebted for 
 the attention which he paid to agriculture ge- 
 nerally, and particularly to improving the 
 breed of horses. He imported one hundred 
 chosen stallions of the Flanders kind. 
 
 John accumulated a very numerous and va- 
 luable stud. He was eager to possess himself 
 of every horse of more than usual power ; and. 
 at all times, gladly received, from the tenants 
 of the crown, horses of a superior quality, 
 instead of money, for the renewal of grants, 
 or the payment of forfeitures belonging to the 
 crown. It was his pride to render his ca- 
 valry, and the horses for the tournament and 
 for pleasure, as perfect as possible. It could 
 not be expected that so haughty a tyrant 
 would concern himself much with the in- 
 ferior kinds ; yet, while the superior was 
 becoming rapidly more valuable, the others 
 would, in an indirect manner, partake of the 
 improvement. 
 
 One hundred years afterwards, Edward II. 
 purchased thirty Lombardy tcar-korses, and 
 twelve heavy draught-horses. Lombardy, 
 Italy, and Spain were the countries whence 
 the greater part of Europe was then supplied 
 with the most valuable cavalry or parade 
 horses. Horses for agricultural purposes 
 were chiefly procured from Flanders. 
 
 Edward III. devoted one thousand marks 
 to the purchase of fifty Spanish horses ; and 
 of such importance did he conceive this addi- 
 tion to the English, or rather mingled blood, 
 then existing, that formal application was 
 made to the kings of France and Spain to 
 grant safe conduct to the troop. When they had 
 arrived at the royal stud, it was computed 
 that they had cost the monarch no less than 
 thirteen pounds six shillings and eightpence 
 per horse, equal in value to one hundred and 
 sixty pounds of our present money. 
 
 This monarch had many runnhig-hnrse.i 
 The precise meaning of the term is not, liow- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 1)5 
 
 ever, clear. It might be light and speedy 
 horses, in opposition to the war-horse : or those 
 that were literjilly used for the purpose of 
 racing. The average price of these running- 
 horses was twenty nuirlis, or three pounds six 
 shillings and eightpence. Edward was de- 
 voted to the sports of the turf or the field, or 
 he began to see the propriety of crossing our 
 stately and heavy breed wilh those of a lighter 
 structure and greater speed. 
 
 There was, however, one impediment to this, 
 which was not for a very long period re- 
 moved. The soldier was cased in heavy ar- 
 mour. The kniglit, with all his accoutre- 
 ments, often rode more than twenty-five stone. 
 No little bulk and strength were required in 
 the animal to carry this back-breaking weight. 
 When the musket was substituted for the 
 cross-bow and battle-axe, and this iron de- 
 fence, cumbrous to the wearer and destructive 
 to the horse, was useless, and laid aside, the 
 improvement of the British horse in reality 
 commenced. 
 
 While Edward was thus eager to avail 
 himself of foreign blood, with the too frequent 
 selfishness of the sportsman, he would let no 
 neighbour share in the advantage. The ex- 
 portation of horses was forbidden under very 
 heavy penalties. Nay, so jealous were these 
 sister-kingdoms of each other's prosperity, 
 that so late as the time of Elizabeth, it was 
 felony to export horses from England to Scot- 
 land. 
 
 The English hoise was advancing, although 
 slowly^ to an equality with, or even supe- 
 riority over those of neighbouring countries. 
 Kis value began to be more generally and 
 highly estimated, and his price rapidly in- 
 creased — so much so, that breeders and the 
 dealer, then, as now, skilful in imposing on 
 the inexperienced, obtained from many of our 
 young grandees enormous prices for them. 
 This evil magnified to such an extent that 
 Richard II. (I38G) interfered to regulate and 
 determine the price. The proclamation which 
 he issued is interesting not only as proving the 
 increased value of the horse, but ~showing 
 what were, four hundred and fifty years ago, 
 what are, still, the chief breeding districts. 
 It was ordered to be published, in the coun- 
 ties of Lincoln and Cambridge, and the East 
 and North Ridings of Yorkshire ; and the 
 price of the horse was restricted to that which 
 had been determined by former sovereigns. 
 
 We can now collect but little of the history 
 of the horse until the reign of Henry VIL, 
 at the close of the fifteenth century. He con- 
 tinued to prohibit the exportation of stallions, 
 but allowed that of mares when more than 
 two years old, and under the value of six 
 shillings and eightpence. This regulation 
 was, however, easily evaded, for if a mare 
 could be found worth more than six shillings 
 and eightpence, she might be freely exported 
 on the payment of that sum. 
 
 Henry VIII., a tyrannical and cruel prince, 
 but fond of show and splendour, was very 
 
 anxious to produce a valuable breed of horses ; 
 and the means which he adopted were both 
 perfectly in unison with his arbitrary dispo- 
 sition, and very little calculated to effect his 
 object. He affixed a certain standard, below 
 which no horse should be kept.. The lowest 
 height for the stallion was fifteen, hands, and 
 for the mare thirteen hands ; and even before 
 they had arrived at their full growth, no stal- 
 lion above two years old, and under fourteen 
 hands and a half, was permitted to run on any 
 forest, moor, or common, where there were 
 mares. At "Michaelmas-tide" the neigh- 
 bouring magistrates were ordered to " drive" 
 all forests and commons, and not only destroy 
 such stallions, but all "unlikely tits," whe- 
 ther ' mares or geldings, or foals,' which they 
 might deem not calculated to produce a valu- 
 able breed. He likewise ordained, that in 
 every deer-park a certain number of mares, in 
 proportion to its size, and each at least thir- 
 teen hands high, should be kept ; and that all 
 his prelates and nobles, and all those whose 
 " wives wore velvets," should keep stallions for 
 the saddle at least fifteen hands high. These 
 ordinances perished with the tyrant by whom 
 they were promulgated. 
 
 The reign of Henry VIII. produced the 
 earliest English treatise on agriculture, and 
 the management of horses and cattle. It was 
 written by Sir A. Fitzherbert, Judge of tiie 
 Common Pleas, and contains much useful in- 
 formation. It is entitled. '' Boke of Husban- 
 dry ;" and, being now exceedingly rare, an 
 extract from it may not be unacceptable. It 
 would seem that the mare had been but lately 
 employed in husbandry, for he says, " A hus- 
 bande may not be without horses and mares, 
 and specially if he goe with a horse-plough 
 ne must have both his horses to draive ; his 
 mares to brynge colts to uphold his stocke, 
 and yet at many times they may draive well 
 if they be well handled." The learned judge 
 shared the common fate of those who have to 
 do with the horse. " Thou grasyer, that 
 mayst fortune to be of niyne opinion or con- 
 djtion to love horses, and young coltes and 
 foles to go among thy cattle, take hede that 
 thou be not beguiled as I have been a hun- 
 dred tymes and more. And first thou shalt 
 knowe that a good horse has 54 properties, 
 that is to say, 2 of a man, 2 of a badger, 4 of 
 a lion, 9 of an oxe, 9 of a hare, 9 of a foxe, 
 9 of an asse, and 10 of a woman." * 
 
 The tyrannical edicts of Henry VIII. had 
 the efl'ect which common sen.se would have 
 
 * Later wiittrs have pirated from Sir A., but liave 
 not improved upon him. The following description 
 of the horse is well known. " A good horse should 
 have three qualities of a woman, — a broad breast, 
 round hips, and a long iTinne ; — three of a lion, — coun 
 tenante, courage, and fire ; — three of a bullock,— the 
 eye, the nostril, and joints, — three of a sheep, — tlie 
 nose, gentleness, .and patience ; — three of a mule, — 
 strength, constancy, and foot; three of a deer, — head, 
 legs, and short hair ; — three of a wolf ; — throat, neck, 
 and licaring; three of a fox, — ear, tail, and trot ;— three 
 of a serpent, — memory, sight, and chiiiiing ;— *nd thn^ 
 of a hare or cat, — running, walking, and suppWrioss." 
 
90 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 anticipated,— the breed of hdfses was not ma- 
 terially improved, and their numbers were 
 sadly diminished. When the bigot, Philip 
 of Spain, threatened England, in the 
 reign of Elizabeth, with his Invincible 
 Armada, that princess could muster in her 
 whole kingdom only three thousand cavalry to 
 oppose him ; and Blundeville, who wrote at 
 this time a very pleasant and excellent book 
 on the art of riding, speaks contemptuously of 
 the qualities of these horses. 
 
 Blundeville describes the majority of our 
 horses as consisting of strong, sturdy beasts, 
 fit only for slow draught, and the few of a 
 lighter structure being weak and without 
 bottom. 
 
 An account has been given of the racing 
 trial of the horses in Smithfield market. Regu- 
 lar races were now established in various 
 parts of England. Meetings of this kind 
 were first held at Chester and Stamford ; but 
 there was no acknowledged system as now ; 
 and no breed of racing horses. Hunters and 
 hackneys mingled together, and no descrip- 
 tion of horse was excluded. 
 
 There was at first no course marked out for 
 the race, but the contest generally consisted in 
 the running of train-scent across the country, 
 and sometimes the most difficult and danger- 
 ous part of the country was selected for the 
 exhibition. Occasionally our present steeple 
 chase was adopted with all its dangers, and 
 more than its present barbarity ; for persons 
 were appointed cruelly to flog along the jaded 
 and exhausted horses. 
 
 The prize was usually a wooden bell adorned 
 with flowers. This was afterwards exchanged 
 for a silver bell, and " given to him who 
 should run the best and farthest on horseback 
 on Shrove Tuesday." Hence the common 
 phrase of " bearing away the bell." 
 
 Horse-racing became gradually more cul- 
 tivated ; but it was not until the last year 
 of the reign of James I., that rules were pro- 
 mulgated and generally subscribed to for their 
 regulation. That prince was fond of field 
 sports. He had encouraged, if he did not es- 
 tablish, horse-racing in Scotland, and he 
 brought with him to England his predilection 
 for it ; but his races were more often matches 
 against time, or trials of speed and bottom. 
 
 Although the Turkish and Barbary horses 
 had been freely used to produce with the 
 English mare the breed which was best suited 
 to this exercise, little improvement had been 
 eflTected. James, with great judgment, deter- 
 mined to try the Arab breed. Probably, he 
 had not forgotten the story of the Arabian, 
 which had been presented to one of his Scot- 
 tish churches five centuries before. He pur- 
 chased, from a merchant named Markham, a 
 celebrated Arabian horse, for which he gave 
 the extravagant sum of five hundred pounds. 
 Kings, however, like their subjects, are often 
 thwarted and governed by their servants, and 
 the Duke of Newcastle took a dislike to this 
 foreign animal. He wrote a book, and a verv 
 
 good one, on horsemanship, and described 
 this Arabian as a little bony horse, of ordinary 
 shape, setting him down as good for nothing, 
 because, after being regularly trained, he could 
 not race. 
 
 A south-eastern horse was afterwards brought 
 into England, and purchased by James, of Mr. 
 Place, who was afterwards stud-master, or 
 groom to Oliver (Cromwell. This beautiful 
 animal was called the White Turk, and his 
 name and that of his keeper will long be re- 
 membered. Shortly afterwards appeared the 
 Helmsley Turk, introduced by Villiers, the 
 first duke of Buckingham. He was followed 
 by Fairfax's Morocco Barb. These horses 
 speedily effected a considerable change iu the 
 character of our breed. 
 
 Charles I. ardently pursued this favorite 
 object of English gentlemen, and a little before 
 his rupture with the parliament, established 
 races in Hyde Park, and at Newmarket. The 
 civil wars somewhat suspended the improve- 
 ment of the breed ; yet the advantage which 
 was derived by both parties from a light and 
 active cavalry, sufficient proved the import- 
 ance of the change which had been effected ; 
 and Cromwell perceiving, with his wonted 
 sagacity, how much these pursuits were con- 
 nected with the prosperity of the country, had 
 his stud of race-horses. 
 
 At the R-estoration a new impulse was given 
 to the cultivation of the horse by the inclina- 
 tion of the court to patronise gaiety and dis- 
 sipation. The races at Newmarket were 
 restored, and as an additional spur to emula- 
 tion, royal plates were now given at each of 
 the principal courses. Charles II. sent his 
 master of the horse to the Levant, to purchase 
 brood mares and stallions. These v/ere prin- 
 cipally Barbs and Turks. 
 
 From that period to the middle of the last 
 century, the system of improvement was 
 zealously pursued ; every variety of Eastern 
 blood was occasionally engrafted on ours, and 
 the superiority of the engrafted, above the 
 very best of the original stock, began to be 
 evident. 
 
 Man is rarely satisfied with any degree of 
 perfection in the object on which he has set 
 his heart. The sportsman had now beauty of 
 form, and speed and stoutness, scarely an 
 approach to which had been observed in the 
 original breed. Still some imagined that this 
 speed and stoutness might possibly be in- 
 creased ; and Mr. Barley, iu the latter part 
 of the reign of Queen Anne, had recourse to 
 the discarded and despised Arabian. 
 
 This last improvement now furnishes all 
 that c£in be desired ; nor is this true only of 
 the thorough-bred or turf-horse ; it is to a 
 very material degree the case with every 
 description of horse. By a judicious admix- 
 ture and proportion of blood, we have ren- 
 dered our hunters, our hackneys, our coach, 
 nay even our cart horses, much stronger, more 
 active, and more enduring, than they wer* 
 before the introduction of the race-horse. 
 
PIKRCE EGAN's book OF SPOUTS. 
 
 97 
 
 The late JOHN HOWELL, Esq. (the Sporting Tuihr ! ) 
 
 Enjoying the " otium cum diyniiate''' at Margate. 
 
 (A " pattern-card" of Industry and IndeiJendence ). 
 
 " Win Gold and Weai. it." 
 
 TiiK above adage, we believe, is generally ad- 
 mitted throughout most of the commercial cir- 
 cles of society to be completely in unison 
 With the feelings of the people of England : 
 but there are so many instances, in the Metro- 
 polis, of persons from the lowest grade, in the 
 various walks of life, who have by their own 
 industry, perseverance, and talents, raised 
 themselves to eminence in the state, that, we 
 are happy to observe, volumes might be tilled 
 with an account of their exertions, and quoted 
 
 as praise-worthy examples for other folks " tc 
 go and do likewise."* 
 
 Where has commerce such a mart ; 
 So rich, BO throng'd, so drain'd, and so supply'd 
 As London, opulent, enlarg'd, and still 
 Increasing London. Biibylou of old, 
 Kot more the glory of the earth than she, 
 A more accomplish'd world's chief glory now . 
 
 It might also be remarked, that many per- 
 sons have realized large fortunes in tlie Me- 
 
 * TUe acquirement of that immense br.wery, wliics 
 beion^i'd tu the late Mr. Xhrai.e, the luriiu-i huibuia 
 
 11 
 
m 
 
 PIERJE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 tropolis, with little more ability than by mere 
 plodding, when any thing like a chance has 
 offered itself, and only been backed with care, 
 economy, and integrity. It does not appear 
 that the hero of this memoir ever possessed 
 brains enough to nave made him a Chancellor 
 of the Exchequer; neither did he display ta- 
 lents enough to have ' cut a figure' upon the 
 stock exchange ; but, nevertheless, he was 
 aware, that ' two and two' made four. To 
 ' live within his income' was the first great 
 point he had to master ; and that when pros- 
 perity shone upon his humble roof, his mind 
 still remained steady to his purpose; namely, 
 to increase his store ; thus step by step, did 
 the late John Howell move forwards in society 
 until he obtained a competency, which enabled 
 him altogether to cut trade. He then ap- 
 peared before the world in a new chaiacter — 
 when he endeavoured to net like a gentleman, 
 if he had never been ' s(ud/fd' in the part ; 
 lie, therefore, selected Margate as a place of 
 retirement well calculated to suit his purpose, 
 where he might ' spin out his thread ' and 
 'measure' his way the remainder of his life 
 with ease and pleasure — ' unbend' in any way 
 that he thought proper — either to be familiar 
 or distant in his mixture with society — to shy 
 an acquaintance, or to meet an old friend 
 
 of the present Mrs. Piozzi (a lady highly distinguished 
 for her literary talents), as related by Dr. Johnson, is 
 an anecdote well worthy the perusal of every ptraon 
 who feels any sort of anxiety to raise himself in society. 
 Mr. Thrale, to his great praise be it remembered, had 
 but a salary of twelve shillings a week in the above 
 large establishment, for uKiny jears after he had arrived 
 at a state of manhood. His talents, however, enabled 
 him to purchase that immense brewery. He also had 
 a family of twelve children, which were brought np in 
 the first style of elegance, and to whom, at his death, 
 he left very large fortunes. Another instance of an en- 
 terprising mind is to be discovered in the person of the 
 present Mr. Rothschild, who, from being a clerk in a 
 mercantile house in Manchester, has, in the course of a 
 few fleeting years, risen so rapidly in point of- wealth, 
 as to have been enabled to tak^ the whole of a Govern- 
 ment loan of five millions without assistance from any- 
 other house : a circumstance never before accomplished 
 by an individual. It is said Mr. Rothschild is worth three 
 millions of money. He has, likewise, most extensive es- 
 tablishments in France, Holland, Germany, and Spain. 
 Indeed, he may be considered the first monied man in 
 the world. It ought not to be forgotten that Mr. 
 Rothschild is one of the Jiist, also, in support of all 
 public charities. It is likewise worthy of reinaik, that 
 the present Ldke Hansard, Esq., Printer to the 
 House of Commons, treading in the steps of Mr. Thrale, 
 has equally distinguished himself. This immense lite- 
 rary establishment has been realized by Mr. Luke 
 Hansard, from his never-tiring industry alone! He 
 arrived in London without a patron, — nay, more, 
 without a friend. With the world only before him as a 
 guide to his future exertions, he has performed an Her- 
 culean attempt. Mr. H. has also brought up a large 
 family. His talents, as an expeditious printer, are so 
 great, as to be without a riv:il. The House of Commons, 
 for the last twenty-five years, have acknowledged the 
 accuracy and expedition he has displayed, with the 
 liighest encomiums on his exertions. The above fjicts 
 are introduced merely '.o show ic/iat has and tr/iat 
 MAY be done with perseverance. Indeed, the Metro- 
 polis points out many great men in this respect— and 
 surely soih conduct is entitled to the term of great : 
 volumes would not suffice to detail how many vast 
 fortunes iu L'T.'lur. have been originated. — Life in 
 London X%i\ 
 
 with the warmth and rapture of a man of thf 
 
 world. 
 
 Mr. Howell was well known for many years 
 in London, to borrow the phrase of Tattersall's, 
 as the " prime fit" of his day. He was of that 
 class of character peculiar to England : having 
 earned a fortune by industry, he held up his 
 head and pursued the bent of his inclination 
 with bold independence, though stamped with 
 considerable eccentricity. 
 
 His customers witc of the best class ; he 
 lived in the happy dajs when the cash was 
 forthcoming for his work ; and although a 
 few of his customers, to use his own words, 
 were rather " long-winded," and he consi- 
 dered it ungenteel to ask a gentleman for 
 money, yet most of the names in his books 
 were as good as the bank directors. If any 
 customer of property owed him £100, he 
 would not take £09 19s. llfd. for the debt. 
 '' Some diflference, now-a-days !'" he would 
 lately say, laughing over his pipe : " the un- 
 thinking dashing sparks whitewash their long 
 accounts for twist, tape, and buckram." Mr. 
 Howell did business for a number of gentle- 
 men connected with the turf; and the present 
 sir Henry Goodriche was one of his greatest 
 patrons. He was of a facetious turn of mind, 
 and the above conneclion first gave him a 
 taste for the sports of the field. He would 
 often slily get a day's sporting — cut the shop- 
 board, give the steel-bar rest, put hi.* mea- 
 sures on the shelf, secure his shears, give his 
 goose repose, and leave his pattern-card with 
 his foreman. 
 
 Mr. Howell himself never neglected his 
 toilet ; his clothes were always of the first 
 quality and workmanship. He was aware 
 that a " good appearance" in life had its 
 weight with every class of society. He there- 
 fore, in his relaxations, dressed himself for 
 the part — left the tradesman at home — as- 
 sumed the gay, lively, sporting character, and 
 entered into the spirit of the scene with as 
 much importance as if he had been a great 
 landed proprietor. He boasted of being a 
 good shot, and of the armies of birds he had 
 bagged in his time ; his description of a 
 coursing match was dramatic, and his ecstasy 
 in relating his enjoyment on witnessing the 
 hounds in full cry was almost without bounds. 
 
 He was a tradesman of the " old school" ia 
 his shop ; his cut was generally considered 
 tasteful, and he was successful at pleasing 
 his customers. During the time his hands 
 were employed in measuring the bust of a no- 
 bleman, or the back of a tradesman, his tongue 
 kept pace with his movemetits. He retailed 
 a good stock of anecdotes of living persons, 
 put forwards with the usual preface, " it is 
 said," " they do say," " I have heard," " but 
 the story did not originate with me," &c. 
 He was not wanting in that confidence in his 
 own acquirements, vulgarly called bronze ; 
 he ingratiated himself with most of his cus- 
 tomers by that quality, and he obtained the 
 appellation generally of an eccentric feJ40W. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 00 
 
 He used to insist upon it that if a coat were 
 made to fit a man, according to tlie shape 
 which nature had given him, he never de- 
 spaired of fjivin^ satisfaction to the wearer ; 
 but if a coxcomb, whose limbs did not seem 
 to belong to the same body, but looked as if 
 they were picked uj) in a field of battle, 
 w-anted to be fitted witii a fashionable coat, 
 then arose the diHiculty of his profession — his 
 noblest intellectual exertion, to please his 
 people who never could be pleased. The 
 dilliculty rested in the persons of such, but 
 he never could convince them of it ; and those 
 sort of creatures whom he designated dandies, 
 were mostly ill-formed fellows, padded into 
 shape. We recommend the ladies to mind 
 this hint. 
 
 For tlie first time of his life, though he 
 had reached sixty years' experience in Lon- 
 don, he found out tiiat the metropolis was un- 
 healthy : but, luckily for Mr. Howell, he had 
 *' measured " his way so well through life, 
 and played his cards with so much success, 
 tiiat he could retire to enjoy the " otium cum 
 dignitate" attached to a property in the island 
 of Thanet, where, among the vulgar, he soon 
 acquired tlio appellation of " the old London 
 buck." To the title he had not the slightest 
 objection, except that he quarrelled with the 
 word "old !" Sixty-oneyearshad rolled overhis 
 brow, yet ii" was what niiiiht be termed a green 
 old man. He never used the words of Gold- 
 finch, " D — n trade !" lest he might be thought 
 ungrateful to the source which gave him his 
 fortune ; but to the latter part of the exclam- 
 ation, " I am for life and a curricle !" he clung 
 with delight. And why not? He was an 
 Englishman, a native of the country where he 
 won his gold : he felt the words of the poet, 
 and showed he felt them: — 
 
 Honor and shame from no condition rise : 
 Act well your p rt— there all the houor lies I 
 
 Independence was his boast, though won by 
 his thimble. Honest Howell! i\iost high- 
 minded of tailors ! thou wert greater tlian 
 the autocrat of Russia — happier than a king ! 
 Thou wert thine own master, and an independ- 
 ent country gentleman, acquired without the 
 pride of birth or the insolence of office, by 
 honest industry. — 
 
 Howell determined to live all tlie days of 
 his life at Margate — 
 
 It IS a pleasant place, that Margate, still, 
 Whc-e pleasure only hath her gentle sway. 
 
 And each may walk, or ride, or drive, at will, 
 With horse, or donkey, through tlie public way, 
 
 Of gay diversion taking thus their fill. 
 I like that kind of freedom, I must say, 
 
 \\ here each may please himself, nor fear the 
 whispers 
 
 Of some half score of puppies, hardly his peers. 
 
 One Invos to see a place all recreation, 
 Sojourn of joy, and pastime's sweet abode, 
 
 ^'here revels, frolic, fun have their vacation, 
 And sport, and smiles, and laughter a^e tlie mode : 
 
 And schemes of pleasure are in agitation. 
 And happy faces meet you on the road, 
 
 And you re not bound by what the world calls 
 " fashion " — 
 
 A word that always puts me in a pas-^ion. 
 
 Bi'sides, I like the customs of (he town : 
 
 1 like to rise at .soveu, and stroll away 
 In some sweet morning waU ; perhaps go down 
 
 Uuto the sands, and saunter ttiniUgh the bay. 
 Watching the tides ; or, oa the high beach thrown, 
 
 Look out upon the waters, as tlie day 
 Fir.st glances o'er them from the land, and lightens 
 The foam that o'er the distant billows whitens. 
 
 I like, too, after breakfast, to look in 
 At HucKi.s, read the papers ; if agree 
 
 The tide, and whim to bathe, take a machine, 
 Or look from the balcony o'er the sea, 
 
 Where yet Reculver's sister spires are seen ; 
 Or listtn to some thrilling harmony — 
 
 Mozart's or Handel's— with the tones and swells 
 
 Of a grand piano, such as Bkoauwoou sells. 
 
 I like their little parties and excursions. 
 Their trips to some sweet spot, by land or sea ; 
 
 I like their sailing-boats and their diversions, 
 The laugh, the jest, the soiifi — upon the way: 
 
 i like the cars, well sheltered from the aspersions 
 Of envious skies upon a rainy day ; 
 
 And well remember th -ir whitf curtain too, 
 
 And glancing eyes, like Houris', peeping through. 
 
 I like to dine at early ho'irs, at luime. 
 
 Or in the fields, perchance, in some green spot ; 
 
 I like, in the still evening, forth to roam 
 To sweet St. Peters, or to Draper's cot. 
 
 And there tak(! tea with the old folks ; then come 
 Back to the libraries, though tliey are not 
 
 Quite to my mind, there s too much show and dress. 
 
 And nonsense ; but I like them ne'ertheless. 
 
 I like the neighbourhood too,— the ancient places 
 'I'hat bring back the past ages to the eye. 
 
 Filling the gap of centuries — the traces 
 
 Of seventeen hundred >ears, at least, that lie 
 
 Mouldering beneath your tread I — for such the case is 
 With man and man's achievemeiits-they must 
 die I — 
 
 There's Kichborough, Stonar, 'MonHton, Minster here. 
 
 And the long track where ran Domnona's deer. 
 
 I like to spend a night at the Queen's Arms ; 
 
 Or talie a walk, but stroll not too far ; 
 View Natu e s beauties — contemplate her charms. 
 
 Return and rafSe at the French Bazaar : 
 Or hie to 7'/ (w^, grand illuminated scene. 
 
 To hear delightful song, and join the throng 
 Which at lively Mxhcate, occupying every hour, 
 Where Time doth fly, a kind of magic pow'r. 
 
 I like to meet with old friends from London gaily. 
 Their wives and children — quite a fansily party ; 
 
 I like to view the steamers from the I'ier, daily — 
 To hear the band, and see the folks so hearty : 
 
 I like to have a boat, and enjoy a sail. 
 Upon old ocean, with the delightful breezes 
 
 Which give fresh vigour to the sick and ailing, 
 
 A change of scene, while others are regaling. 
 
 I like to see Margate full, and " nothing shy " 
 Of Company — happy, lively, gay, and free, 
 
 I like to catch the '• knouing ones " on the sly. 
 Who think themselves secure upon " the spree 1' 
 
 I like to sec a play, and to support the stage. 
 Great March of Iniellect to the mind. 
 
 I like the bustle, and to meet the busv throng, 
 
 And in the evening, ray glass, ci^ar, and song ! 
 
 I like the trip by steam, I must coafe.ss. 
 To view Greenwich, and those pleading features 
 
 Tilbury Fort, Gravesend, which on the mind doth 
 press 
 With chit chat and smiles with the '' dear 
 creatures." 
 
 Then the Promenade — the music — enchanting deck, 
 AH full of life and spirits with the voyage ; 
 
 To please and be pleas'd, the steamer niovis in state 
 
 1 ill the wind'nills, three, are 'spied at Mahcai i;. 
 
 Of Mr. Howell it might now be said that 
 if bodily activity and jollity of disposition, 
 had any tendency towards keeping " the fleshly 
 tenement" in repair, no man everexertea Him- 
 self more than the *' old buck" to realise the 
 
 H 2 
 
100 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 above character. It was his custom, during 
 winter and summer, to rise every morning at 
 four o'clock ; and his early habits in life hav- 
 ing taught him to wait upon himself, he made 
 his own fire, prepared his coffee, and after- 
 wards saddled his horse. He then occupied 
 his time until nine in riding through the vil- 
 la.'.es in the isle of Thanet ; and frequently 
 before breakfast he reached Canterbury, and 
 back again to Margate, a distance of thirty- 
 lour miles. He would then take what he 
 termed his " second breakfast," and make a 
 most hearty one. Immediately afterwards he 
 changed his dress, saddled another of his 
 horses, and rode again over the country for 
 four hours. On his return home he dressed 
 himself for dinner. This meal, like the great 
 NapoJ'Jon, he quickly despatched ; and after- 
 wards, by way of attenticm to his two daugh- 
 ters, he generally took either one or the other of 
 them out with him, in his chaise, until the 
 dusk of the evening. He thus tired two horses 
 daily, and frequently took an extra excursion 
 with a favorite donkey in the evening, as a 
 make-weight to his day's exercise ! He had 
 a fine horse called Blucher, that he had taught 
 to follow him every where like a dog, and it 
 was as completely under his command as the 
 best trained animal in Ducrow's wonderful 
 Btud. Howell's day's work was almost as 
 diversified as Caleb Quotem's. He was never 
 idle, and the reproach of " a stupid, sleepy 
 fellow" never attached to his character. For 
 several years he was perpetual chairman of 
 an evening club at the Queen's Arms Tavern, 
 Margate, the great resort of the cockney visitors 
 during the season. Tlie president's chair lie 
 furnished at his own expense ; the candlestick 
 wliich stood before him, and his own tobacco- 
 pipes, were purchased by him. There he sat 
 — alas ! poor Yorick ! — the liveliest companion 
 at all times. He sang his song, enjoyed his 
 glass, cracked his joke, and was a capital 
 finger-post to a landlord who wanted the glass 
 to be pushed about, and his company kept 
 together. The following was the *' Old Sport- 
 ing Swell's favorite chant : — 
 
 FAL DE RaL tit. 
 (G. Colman, sen.) 
 'Twas I learnt a preUy song in France, 
 And brought it o'er the sea by chance, 
 And when in Wapping I did dance. 
 
 Oh ! the like was never seen. 
 For I made the music loud for to play. 
 And when I had nothing left for to say. 
 Then I sung fal de ral tit, fit fal de ral. 
 Then I sung fal de ral tit. 
 As I was walking down Thames street, 
 A shipmate of mine I chanced for to meet. 
 And 1 was resolved him to treat 
 
 With a can of grog gillio. 
 A can of grog they brought us straight. 
 All for to pleasure my sliipmate. 
 And satisfaction give him straight, 
 
 Then 1 sung fal de ral tit, &c. 
 The Maccaronies then came in. 
 All drest so neat and look'd so trim. 
 
 Thinking to strike me dumb; 
 Some was short and some was tall. 
 But its very well known I banged them all, 
 For I dous'd their heads against the wall. 
 Then I sung fal dc ral tit, &c. 
 
 The landlord then aloud did say, 
 As how he wi^hed I'd go away. 
 And if I 'temiiteil lor lo stay. 
 
 As how he'd take ihe law. 
 D — n me, says I, you may do your worst, 
 For I've not sraroely quenched my thirst. 
 All this I said and nothing worse. 
 
 Then 1 sung ful de ral lit, &c. 
 
 And when i ve crossed the raging main. 
 And be come back to old England again. 
 
 Of grog I'll drink galore ; 
 With a pretty girl to sit by my side. 
 And fur her cosily robes I will provide. 
 So that she shall be satisfied. 
 
 And I'll sing fal de ral tit, &c. 
 
 The Queen's Arms Tavern has been a ' crack 
 house' of an evening for ' blowing a cloud — 
 whiffing a cigar — taking a glass of ale — or a 
 tumbler of grog, for upwards of the last 
 twenty-five years, by the visitors at Margate, 
 under its venerable and respected host, Mr. 
 Hayes ; and it still remains under the sume 
 firm, but conducted, with equal spirit and at- 
 tention to business, by Mr. Goodwin, son-in- 
 law to the worthy landlord. It is in the above 
 coffee-room, and at this club, which is termed 
 " Free and Easy," where the frequenters of 
 the above gay watering-place assemble (o 
 meet each other in the evening from town, to 
 hear a good song, to make tliemselves happy, 
 and to improve their health.* Most of the 
 ' Linns' from the Metropolis, or persons well 
 known on the pavt, ' look in' at the Queen's 
 Arms Tavern to ' unbend,' and to give pride a 
 holiday for the time being; likewise to exhibit 
 * a taste of their quality' and to ' show that 
 the right end of life is to be jolly ! ' In truth, 
 the above room miglit be termed, " A Picture 
 OF Real Life at Margate!" Every body is 
 welcome, first come, first served — there is no 
 distinction of persons, it is all * hail fellow, 
 well met ;' and the only acknowledged great 
 man amongst them is the chairman, whose 
 hammer is omnipotent. The songs, although 
 of various descriptions, are in general excel- 
 lent ; and mirth and harmony are the leading 
 features of the assembly. A concert-room 
 cannot afford any thing like such a treat ; nor 
 half so much spirit and humour : the variety 
 is so great, and every person being anxious to 
 do his best, or to excel, in order to amuse the 
 company. The lovers oi sentiment come in for 
 their share of delight — " For the love of Alice 
 Gray." The admirers of comic singing are 
 equally v/ell pleased with " Okey Pokey, 
 King of the Sandwich Islands;" and the cap- 
 tains of the various steamers, and other ves- 
 
 • To be jolly ; to leave business behind them for a 
 few days', to enjoy the saline breezes on the Pier and 
 Jetty ; and to be pleased with the delightful walks 
 which the Isle of Thanet otters to tne pedestrians, 
 perhaps might be the right sort of ckaravter of the 
 thing: but for the improvement of their health ia 
 another matter. Most of the 'gay fellows' all benefit 
 their constitutions in the morning by bathing and sharp 
 exercise ; but the potent glass in the evening., and 
 late hours, bring it much upon a par with the routine 
 nights in the Metropolis. Be it so — but then what odds 
 does it make to the writer of this article — as the man in 
 the play observes — " tliat is their business, and not 
 tnine." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S liOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 101 
 
 Bels, who ' drop in ' occasionally some time 
 during the evening, are highly amused with — 
 
 Tlu; wind that blows, 
 
 And the ship that goes, 
 
 And the lass that loves a sailor 
 
 Here the bon vivant, next in turn, whose 
 very sonl exists in the charms of the bottle, 
 sinjjs forth its praises : — 
 
 Would you be for ever gay. 
 Mortals, learn of me the way ; 
 'Tis not beauty, 'tis not love, 
 Vill alone suliicient prove ; 
 If you'd raise and charm the soul, 
 Deeply dri'ia the spicy bowl. 
 
 We have heard, in the above coffee-room, 
 old Squire Hoare (enjoying a fine green old 
 age), but as young as a boy in life's gay scene, 
 entertain the visitors with a spirited touch of 
 the olden times — giving light and shade to the 
 picture : , 
 
 'Twas on Easter-Monday, spring-time of the year. 
 When rolling Tom, the "drover, to Smithfield did repair, 
 His tegs were tight and clever, his dogs were staunch 
 
 and free, 
 AVith a blue bird's eye about his squeeze, and his 
 
 garters below his knee. 
 
 Ki fol di lid dol. 
 
 It was also at the Queen's Arms Tavern 
 (until the last season) that the late gay, de- 
 lightful companion, Bi/rOes6o?'o«g^/i, used every 
 evening to entertain the company with Dib- 
 din's sea-songs, 
 
 Desbiiroiigh many years since was compli- 
 mented, by the above celebrated naval song 
 writer, for the peculiarity of his expression, 
 and the fine feelings which Bill displayed in 
 all the songs of that Author; indeed, to parti- 
 cularize any soiig might be considered out of 
 place : he sung them all so well as to be re- 
 peatedly encored ; but, if there was one song 
 morethan anotlierentitled to a repetition, it was 
 universally allowed that the late worthy Rill 
 Deiborough had no equal in the following: — 
 
 OLD CUNWELL, THE PILOT; 
 
 OR, THE X,OOfl OUT. 
 
 (C. Dibdiu.) 
 
 Old Cunwell, fn ■ pilot, for many a year. 
 
 Had plenty of vessels in charge, 
 And knew of each sandbank and shoal to steer clear. 
 
 Whether sailing ciose haul d or at large ; 
 At last safely moor'd with a well-timbei-'d purse, 
 
 Heart and house open'd wide to his friend ; 
 M itii old Poll, once a dasher, now turn'd to a nurse, 
 
 He had bought a snug birth at Gravesend 
 
 Fro a kind of poop lantern, plac'd over the Thames, 
 
 Where he took with his messmates his prog, 
 Couud outward, or homeward, the ships and their 
 names, 
 
 Tliey'd spy, as they gtizzled their grog. 
 Now cocking the spy-glass, and clearing the Nore, 
 
 Why, Jack, there they come without end : 
 Tliere'sthe Neptune, the Glory, and, furtiier in shore, 
 
 Fame and Liberty making Gravesend. 
 
 And ftee, where the river m oranches aivides, 
 
 Cut in two all the same as a fork ; 
 How proudly the Commerce with Industry rides, 
 
 Then the Blarney — Oh! she's bound to Cork. 
 
 There's the home-ward bouni? fleets frur. the Down* 
 only see. 
 So storted their topgallant masts bena ; 
 There's the Silkworm, the Beaver, tho Ant, and 
 the Bee, 
 And all standing on for Gravesend. 
 
 There's the Fortitude yonder, at danger that mocks. 
 
 The Nimble, that swims like a tench ; 
 The bold Resolution, that steers clear of rooks. 
 
 The Britannia, that laughs at the French. 
 TTius a magnet old Thames firmly holds in his mouth. 
 
 To which all sorts of merchandize tend ; 
 And the trade of all nations. West, North, East, and 
 South, 
 
 Like the needle, points right to Gravesend. 
 
 It is here, too, that Jem Gibbons, once the 
 delightful singer of " Sweet Woodland Maid," 
 at the Theatre Royal Drury-Lane ; and who 
 often ' pops in ' of an evening to take his glass 
 and * keep the game alive.' Jem has been 
 rusticating, as it were, for several seasons past 
 at Margate ; and who still continues, regard- 
 less of ' titne,' to warble forth his notes with 
 undiminished vigour and sweetness : he is the 
 same Jem Gibbons still, good-natured to the 
 echo, and never requires to be asked twice for 
 a song, if it is in his power to oblige the com- 
 pany. In truth, Jem is one of the most plea- 
 sant and amusing features in Margate. To 
 enumerate half his attractive songs would be 
 out of character ; but we cannot pass over a 
 song of Burns, in which he is allowed to excel, 
 by all his brethren in the musical profession, 
 either in town or country : — 
 
 Oh whistle and I'll come to thee my lad. 
 Oh, whistle, and I'll come to thee, my lad. 
 Though father, and mither, and a' should go mad. 
 Only whistle, and I'll come to you, my lad. — 
 But warily tent when you come to court me. 
 Nor come na unless the back get be a-gee. 
 Syne up the back style, and let nae body see. 
 An come as ye war nae comic to me. 
 
 Oh, whistle, &e. 
 
 At kirk, or at market, where'er you meet me. 
 Gang by me as though that ye car'd na a flea. 
 But steal me a blink o' your bonny black ee 
 Yet look as ye were na a looking at me. 
 
 Oh, whistle, 4 
 
 Av, vow and protest that ye care na for me. 
 And whiles ye may lightly my beauty a-wee; 
 Bit court nae anither, though joking ye be. 
 For fear that she wiles your fancy fr.ie me. 
 
 Oh, whi.stle, &e 
 
 It is at the Queen's Arms Tavern also, of an 
 evening, that Mr. Shew* exhibits his cata- 
 logue of good things, under the superintend- 
 ance of his " Little Tommy ;" and although 
 his ' tiny foreman' has neither eyes to see, noi 
 ears to hear, and without a tongue to utter a 
 single sentence, yet, nevertheless, his jokes are 
 full of point — higher relished by the com- 
 
 • A well-known auctioneer at Margate ; a gentleman 
 of considerable information and talent ; a lively com 
 panion and a capital Ventriloquist. Upon most oc- 
 casions he is very capable of " Sliew-hiii cause " for 
 any business that he may undertake to acconipli.sh. 
 Through the means of ' Little Tummy,' he has an op- 
 portunity of sutirizhig the follies of several of his ac- 
 rjiiaintaiiccs ; but then it is done wiib so much good 
 humour, that it is next to an impcps?ihility that any 
 ottence can be taken at tlie remnUs thus Joiulatli) 
 ofiered. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 pany — not a * bad lot' amongst them, and 
 always ' knocked down' as ' good goods.' 
 
 The rimprovisateur Anglais (the English 
 extemporaneous poet), often exhibits his won- 
 derful talents here, by bringing in the vhole 
 of the company in a song : his rapidity at 
 verse-niaking, and singing it at the san)e time, 
 produces roars of laughter, and renders Mr. 
 Charles Sloman, at all times, a most pleasing 
 and interesting companion. 
 
 Here, likewise, clever little Knight, who is 
 always "af home" during the season at Mar- 
 gate, and quite enough to occupy his time with 
 his performances at the Libraries and Rooms ; 
 yet he frequently calls in at the Queen's Arms 
 during the evening, to obtain the smiles of an 
 old acquaintance ; and, with a liberality of dis- 
 position that reflects credit on his exertions, 
 he never fails to contribute his mite to add to 
 the amusements of the club. 
 
 The * Comedians,' the singers, and musi- 
 cians, from TivoU and St. Peter's, now and 
 then put in an appearance; which not only 
 produces a change of scene, but generally 
 turns out to the advantage of the company ; 
 indeed, our limits will not permit us to enu- 
 merate half the men of talent, and likewise 
 the numerous ' pleasant fellows,' who nightly 
 visit the Queen's Arms Tavern during the sea- 
 son at Margate. No man enjoyed the com- 
 pany of this room, or kept the visitors together 
 with more spirit, than the late sporting old 
 buck, Mr. Howell. 
 
 The wearing apparel of Mr, Howell was 
 costly ; his extravagance in this way had no 
 bounds, and his ambition prompted him to 
 keep the best wardrobe in the isle of Thanet. 
 His wardrobe would have furnished twenty 
 gentlemen with complete suits of clothes. On 
 Mr. Howell's presiding at a dinner at the 
 Garrick's Head, and on some compliment 
 being paid to him for the peculiar taste and 
 neatness of his dress, he remarked that his 
 present wardi-obe was arranged five years ago, 
 consisting of twenty hats, twenty coats, twenty 
 waistcoats, and ticenty pair of breeches ; and 
 that he had varied his dress ever since, and 
 could do so each day of his life without alter- 
 ing his wardrobe, " True," replied Johnston, 
 " and so you might if you had begun on the 
 day that Sharspeare was born.'' " I will 
 bet you a pound of that," said a gentleman, 
 which was taken ; when another observed he 
 would wager a dinner that the whole of the 
 amount of the national debt of England, and 
 of every other country in the world besides, 
 including the nominal capitals of all the new 
 and old companies in the kingdom, would not 
 be sufficient to pay the interest alone on the 
 single pound betted, computing it at five per 
 cent., during the time required for all the va- 
 riations of dress in the worthy chairman's 
 wardrobe, so that no precise suit and hat should 
 be used twice during the whole term. The 
 gentleman could vary his dress each day for 
 438 years and twenty days ; and the amount of 
 theinterest alone on a single pound, during the 
 
 term, will exceed eighteen hundred and 
 
 EIOHTY-FOUR IMILI.IONS OF POUNDS !! 
 
 He was highly pleased on being told that 
 his person resembled George III. ; in conse- 
 quence of which he had several wigs made, 
 after the pattern of the late venerable monarch, 
 called by the tonsors " brown Georges." 
 
 During the races at Margate he always look 
 great pains to make himself conspicuous. 
 His tandem was attractive, and his horses 
 Avould bear the nicest inspection. His posti- 
 lion, called " young Watercress," was a poor 
 ragged little urchin at other times, who pro- 
 cured his livelihood by the sale of the above 
 vegetable : upon these occasions he was ele- 
 vated to perform and look the part of a first- 
 rate servant- He was dressed in a handsome 
 scarlet jacket, covered with silver lace ; lea- 
 ther brogues, white waistcoat, and a black 
 velvet cap with a gold tassel of huge size upon 
 it. He himself was a grandee of the first rank, 
 decked out in purple velvet and gold lace, the 
 brown " George" wig, and a white broad- 
 brimmed hat. At a country-race such a turn- 
 out could not fail of producing an effect on 
 the crowd. The country-folks were astonish- 
 ed, and could not keep their eyes off the tan- 
 dem ; the gentry quizzed and smiled at the 
 old man's vanity ; and the town's-people and 
 sporting characters enjoyed the scene. Howell 
 looked gravely and loftily, unmoved, enjoying 
 the scene, and treating all the remarks upon 
 himself with the most sovereign contempt. 
 He drove up and down the course as much at 
 his ease as at other times, nodding to one, 
 chatting to another, laughing with a third 
 person, and receiving the fulsome praises of 
 the jokers at his person with all the noncha- 
 lence of the best-bred man. In this respect 
 he was bronze itself — a perfect gentleman. 
 
 His disposition was rather amorous, and 
 the gay, green old man was not destitute of 
 gallantry. Charity teaches us to " tread 
 lightly o'er the ashes of the dead." At the 
 age of sixty-five he received a hint by the 
 beadle of the parish, conveyed almost in a 
 whisper to him from the overseers of the poor, 
 that the character of his " maid"-servant had 
 been impeached by somebody, and that he 
 alone could set the matter at rest. " Let it 
 rest where it does," he replied with a smile, 
 " and tell the troublesome fellows, when- 
 ever my maid calls upon them, to find her a 
 resting-place ; I will pay for it. They may 
 depend upon it, Master Beadle, that I shall 
 be under no obligation to them for their kind- 
 ness to me. So now you have got your answer, 
 Mr. Beadle. But, however, ' Old Gold-laced 
 hat,'" said Howell, laughing, "as I know 
 you to be a civil, merry sort of fellow, although 
 you always are a crying, and you have only 
 done your duty in your capacity as ' Beadle 
 of the Parish,' more especially as you say it 
 is nothing to you or any body else, why you 
 may come in, and I will give you a glass of 
 prime ale, when you will hear my opinion 
 about the * busy bodies' of this place in a bi* 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 103 
 
 of a comic song, tliat 1 have heard my friend 
 Tom Hudson siug, when I was last in London : 
 
 I Never says Nothing to Nobody. 
 
 What a shocking world this u for scandal I 
 
 The people get worse every day ; 
 Every thin» serves for a handle 
 
 To take folks' good name away. 
 In backbiting vile each so labours, 
 
 The sad faults of others to sliow body ; 
 I could tell enough of my neighbours, 
 
 But I never says nothing to nobody. 
 
 'Tis a snug little house I reside in, 
 
 And the people who're living next door 
 Are sniother'd completely such pride in 
 
 As I never met with before : 
 But outside the door they don't roam, 
 
 A large sum of money they owe body ; 
 Folks call, but can't find them at home, — 
 
 1 never says nothing to nobody. 
 
 The butcher, so greasy and fat, • 
 
 When out he does nothing but boast ; 
 He stmts, as he cocks on liis hat. 
 
 As if he supreme rul'd the roast : 
 Talks of his wealth and his riches. 
 
 Consequence always does show body ; 
 His ugly old wife wears the breeches. 
 
 But I never says nothing to nobody. 
 The b.iker lives quite in great style, 
 
 His wife is, oh ! Lord, such a fright ; 
 New dresses she's got a great pile. 
 
 They sleep out of town every night. 
 Country cottage, completely in state, 
 
 Determin'd not to be a low body ; 
 He's been pull'd up three times for short weight. 
 
 But I never says nothing to nobody. 
 The publican, thriving In trade. 
 
 With sorrow is now looking down ; 
 His sweet litle pretty har-maid 
 Has a little one just brought to town. 
 He's not to be seen much about. 
 
 His wife is a deuce of a shrew body; 
 The beadles are on the look out. 
 
 But I never says nothing to nobody. 
 A method ist parson of fame, 
 
 I see very often go by ; 
 His heait is fiU'd full of love's flame, 
 
 Ho visits a girl on the sly. 
 Altho' this daily I see. 
 
 And surely he's but a so so body ; 
 Of course, as 'tis nothing to me, 
 
 I never says nothing to nobody. 
 The new married couple, so happy, 
 
 Seem both the quintessence of love p 
 He calls her, before every sappy, 
 
 My darling, my duck, and my dove. 
 In private there's nothing but strife. 
 
 Quarrelling, fighting o'erflow body ; 
 In short, quite a cat and dog life, 
 But I never says nothing to nobody. 
 I could tell, if I lik'd, such a state 
 
 Of neighbours all round, great and small ; 
 That surely I think, at Margate, 
 
 Would really astonish you all. 
 But here now my short ditty ends, 
 
 I don't want to hurt high or low body ; 
 I wish to keep in with my friends. 
 
 So I never says nothing to nobody ! 
 
 Although Howell was vulgarly called the 
 ninth part of a man, he possessed proper no- 
 tions of honor, and he would not be insulted 
 with impunity. He was once grossly insulted 
 by a powerful athletic person, nearly thirty 
 fears younger than himself. The aggressor 
 wanted Howell to settle it on tlie spot, a la 
 Cribb. The old man observed that, having 
 some years since injured one of his arms, his 
 
 skull having also been trepanned, s.nd his 
 right leg seriously hurt when hunting, he did 
 not consider himself a match for the aggressor 
 at fisty cuffs ; he therefore called him out to 
 meet him on the Fort the next morning at five 
 o'clock. Howell attended precisely at the 
 appointed time ; but his antagonist overslept 
 himself, and Howard retired from the field 
 covered with glory. 
 
 During the winter months he would take a 
 trip to London for a day or two, to see some 
 of his old acquaintances. At one of the well- 
 known theatrical dinners at the Garrick's 
 Head, Bow-street, he appeared like a veteran 
 military officer, his breast almost covered with 
 badges ; or, to use the words of a great ama- 
 tory poet, like a house over-insured. Oa 
 being recognized by one of his friends, who 
 asked him (Howell) the meaning of his appear- 
 ing adorned with so many " orders" — " Or- 
 ders !" replied he, bursting out into a loud 
 laugh, " these are not orders. Don't you see 
 they are medals ? they have been voted to me 
 for the service I have seen. This is my Noble 
 Grand's medal, belonging to the order of Odd 
 Fellows ; the second is the gift from the Noble 
 Druids ; the third is a present from the Bucks' 
 Lodge, &c., &c. I am also a Loyal Briton, a 
 Knight of the Cauliflower, an Old Codger, an 
 Eccentric, an Independent John, and a Phi- 
 lanthropic. I belong to these societies ; and 
 have I not a right to put on all my medals to 
 pay respect to this company ? And have I 
 not a right to sing my song if I like 1 I hare 
 been an Odd Fellow all my life ; and so I 
 shall always remain, until I get fastened up in 
 my Cupboard* at home ; and then I shall re- 
 main an Odd Fellow : — 
 
 Air— ■' LIBERTY HALL!" 
 
 This world for Odd Fellows, was ever renown'd, 
 4nd Adam the first was an Odd fellow found : 
 For if with Eve he'd not kept to his tether. 
 We never had met here — Odd Fellows together. 
 
 Tol de rol, &c. 
 WUat numbers of different Brothers we see. 
 Brother Bucks, Brother Gauls, Brother Masons, 
 
 so free. 
 But the Broth i!R that all other Brothers exceed, 
 Is an Olid Fellow, who — is a Brother indeed. 
 
 There's some kind of Brothers will lie, cheat, and 
 
 curse. 
 And other 6arf Brothers that often do worse ; 
 O may all such fellows 'mongst us ne'er be seen, 
 And Brothers — against 'em pray drop a Black bean. 
 Let good humour reign — animosity vanish. 
 Revenge from our hearts let us joyfully banish ; 
 For as it is Odd to assist one another. 
 They Odd Fellows are that relieve a poor 
 
 Brother. 
 
 To our wives and our sweethearts let's ever be 
 
 true. 
 And strive for to please them — as they may please 
 
 you ; 
 Be gentle and kind— agreeable and mellow— 
 To all men on earth, they'll prefer an OuB 
 
 Fellow. 
 
 • His Coffin ;— or, his odd piece of furniture, as he 
 jocularly tanned it to all his friends and acquaint* 
 anco». 
 
101 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Let U9 toiuli not mi politics, party, or cause. 
 Nor trouble ourselvei with the nation and laws ; 
 But rin to eaih Brother as you d be done by. 
 And Oui) Fki.i.ows you'll be— tho' you live till 
 you die. _ , „ 
 
 Tol de rol, &c. 
 
 For the last ten years of his existence he 
 was as well known to the annual visitors of 
 Margate as the lighthouse itself. Take a walk 
 on the pier, a stroll on the jetty, promenade 
 the libraries, or view the steamers start for 
 London or return to Margate— if you did not 
 run against old Howell it would be considered 
 a rarity indeed ! In his house and gardens 
 at Dane Hill, he displayed great eccentricity 
 by the manner in which they were furnished 
 and laid out. Even his weathercock was a 
 sporting character, and each of the vanes ex- 
 hibited subjects connected with the field. 
 
 The loss of his wife and daughters affected 
 him considerably : but the death of his last 
 daughter, a short time before his own, shook 
 him fearfully. He told the writer of this 
 sketch, in Sept. 1830, on the jetty at Mar- 
 gate, " That his health was excellent, but his 
 spirits were fast leaving him, and, in spite of 
 his fortitude, at times he had great difficulty 
 in rallying them ; yet," said he, " I will not 
 meet troubles half-way, and I will endeavour 
 to prove myself game to the end of the chap- 
 ter." What philosopher of antiquity ever said 
 more to the purpose ? 
 
 Five years ago, so little did he fear the ap- 
 proaches of death, that he sent for Mr. Mer- 
 rall, carpenter, opposite the theatre at Mar- 
 gate, to measure him for his coffin ; or, to use 
 his own words, to provide him with his last 
 surtout. It was made of mahogany, extremely 
 handsome, with hinges to the lid, and a lock 
 and key. A square plate of glass was also 
 fixed in the lid ; but over which was placed, 
 at his death, a solid plate of brass ; and the 
 following inscription was engravrd upon it 
 when the coffin was made : — 
 
 JOHN HOWELL, 
 Died 18 , 
 
 Aged Years. 
 
 The blanks, of course, were filled up with 
 •' Died May 31, 1831, aged 70 years." Nu- 
 merous curious visitors at Margate took a peep 
 at the coffin during the different seasons, no 
 application being refused by the maker of it 
 while it was with him. Howell's eccentricities 
 never deserted him ; and within two days of 
 his death he sent the following serio-comic 
 message to the above architect of his coffin : — 
 " Mr. Merrall, I have sent a bob for your man 
 to get my house ready for me : let him dust it 
 well, and also clean the handles." Talk of 
 sir Tiiomas Moore on ascending the scaffold, 
 after this ! 
 
 " An' if it be the last bottle," observes the 
 Editor of Death's Doings, "Death is quite 
 welcome ; for this life hath run to the very 
 dregs and lees, and there is nothing more in it 
 V hich can be called enjoyment :" — 
 
 Death comes but 07ice, the philosophers say. 
 And 'tis true, ray brave toys, but that once is a 
 clencher : 
 
 It takes us from Drinking and Invins away, 
 And spoils at a blow the best tippler and wencher I 
 
 And Death comes to all, so they tell us again, 
 Which also 1 fear, my brave boys, ix no fable ! 
 
 Yet the moral it teaches to me is quite plain, 
 'Tis to love all we can and to drink all we are able I 
 
 He was buried in the old church-yard on 
 the 7th of June. The hearse was followed by 
 two mourning coaches, containing neighbours. 
 A vast number of the inhabitants collected 
 round his grave, to pay him the last tribute. 
 If Howell did not obtain so high a character 
 at Margate as the late Beau Nash did at Bath, 
 he nevertheless was as important a personage 
 in his way ; and Napoleon is not more con- 
 nected with the history of the world, than 
 Howell with that of the town of Margate : 
 Peace to his manes ! — Metropolitan Mag. with 
 several additions by the Editor. 
 
 Field Sports for March. 
 
 " Blow, ye brave March winds — bellow in the gale — 
 
 Bend the tall mast— distend the seaman's sail — 
 
 Whistle through crumbling turrets : shake the rest 
 
 Of the fond flutterer in her ivied neat — 
 
 Fan up the dusty whirlwioid with thy wing — 
 
 (In gossip, parley ransom for a king) — 
 
 Crack your puff 'd cheeks ! — the Hunter will not 
 
 yield 
 His seat at feast-board, or his place in field : 
 ' Hark-forward !' — ' Tally-ho !'— must still resound. 
 In union jovial, with the hoin and hound ; — 
 And still your hrecze but serves Eiore strong to brace 
 Oiu- joyous spirit for the jocund chase !" 
 
 " March winds," instead of blustering, like 
 a bully, fox -hunters out of the field, are rather, 
 like a welcome guest, contributors to the plea- 
 sures of the entertainment. March is a glo- 
 rious month for the red-coats — (thank our 
 fortunes we are not at war, and therefore 
 soldiers are not meant) — it is the " maddening 
 moment" of their delight — their triumph — 
 their victory ! The cry every where — " Broke 
 cover !" — "Tally-ho f"— " Hark forward !" — 
 " Hey ! wind him, and cross him !" — " Dead 
 beat !" — Who-hoop !" 
 
 Yet, whilst March is a month in which the 
 operation of the chase (as regards the noblest 
 of all Field Sports, Fox-hunting) may be pro- 
 secuted with ardour and spirit, it also places 
 an interdiction upon other popular pastimes. 
 The Courser has no business, if he be a real 
 Courser, to slip his dogs ; nor a keeper of 
 Harriers to cheer his honnds upon a hare, 
 after February has finished his little day, and 
 ended his shortened reign. The hares, espe- 
 cially in such a mild unfrosted season as the 
 winter of 1831-2 has been, will be very for- 
 ward in gestation ; nay, we have it from au- 
 thority, as potential as any duke's, that leverets 
 have already been dropped ; and we ask, 
 therefore, if it be consistent with sporting, 
 and having our eyes to the future, that animals 
 heavy with young, or weak from dropping, 
 should be run down an inglorious prey ? No, 
 no— that " killing a March hare" might once 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 10'> 
 
 have done ; but we live in more liberal times 
 — sporting as well as political. The Test laws 
 are gone— the Game laws must follow. 
 
 The Shooter has not a very wide field for 
 his skill remaining; hut le bon ions viendra, 
 the good time will come again ; in the mean 
 while, wild-fowl will give him some employ- 
 ment, and plenty of exercise. 
 
 The Anoler (we speak now of a pleasant 
 and unobtrusive pastime, not of a Jield sport) 
 must put his " braw brass wheels" and his 
 tackle together. He may take the waters. 
 Let him, however, equally avoid the misty 
 morn and the " dewy eve" — they will be his 
 friends, his allies, when the " May flowers" 
 come; but not till then. The "glorious noon, 
 lit up by spring-tide sun," must be his hour ; 
 and then the bag may be animated, and the 
 basket moistened, by many a silver-sided dace, 
 a carp (consuming Port wine in the cookery), 
 the variegated perch (prickle-backed, and 
 armed against the pike), and other smaller fry : 
 but leave, mv good " Piscator," my gentle 
 " Scholar," the golden-spotted trout — 
 
 " 'Till April's genial, honey'd shower 
 Fills up the bud, aud paints tlie flower." 
 
 SONG.— T. Y. C. 
 
 Written for the Thames Yacht Club, by Ben Back- 
 stay, one of its Members. 
 
 Tune. — There's nae luck about the hovse. 
 When duty on a sailor calls, he scorns to tarry long, 
 And I am call'd by duty mw to sing ray friends a 
 
 song ; 
 Tho' not a " Man of Letters," still I own I'm fo'jd of 
 
 three, 
 So, for the subject of ray song, I've chosen T. Y. C. 
 And these letters shall foremost be 
 
 Where melody's the rub ; 
 And harmony the order be 
 Of this — the Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 I will not strive in others' coats a hole or flaw to pick, 
 But, tho' our motto's T. Y. C, we never go on tic ; 
 And calumny's detracting wave shall ne er our bark 
 
 o'erwhelra. 
 Whilst honesty our coxwain is, aud honour takes the 
 helm. 
 
 For the T. Y. C. shall foremost Be 
 
 When virtue is the rub ; 
 And probity the beac n be 
 Of this— the Thames Yacht Club. 
 The gods their attributes have given to aid us in ' 
 
 distress ; 
 They Friendship* have sent down from heaven the 
 
 Thames Yacht Club to bless : 
 Another gift as great and good, should Fortune's winds 
 
 blow rude, 
 To safely ride the tempest through, they've giv'n us 
 Fortitude.'' 
 
 And the T. Y. C. shall foremost be 
 
 When friendship is the rub ; 
 And amity the maxim be 
 Of this— the Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 As sage Ulysses' son possess'd Minerva by his side, 
 In Mentor's form his course to steer o'er life's tem- 
 pestuous tide. 
 So we are favoiu-'d, too, with aid celestial in its 
 
 source ; 
 The goddess still, in Mentor's form, is here to guide 
 our course. 
 
 And the T. YC. shall foremost be 
 
 Where wisdom is the rub ; 
 And honesty the roxwain be 
 Of this— th« Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 The solace of a sailor's life, and equal to his glass. 
 Is that, when all his labour's o'er, he may enjoy 
 
 his last ; 
 And Heav'n, e'er mindful of our wants, commission'd 
 
 from above, 
 And sent down Venus* to our fleet, who reigns the 
 Queen of Love. 
 
 And the T. Y. C. shall foremost be 
 
 When beauty is the rub ; 
 And gallantry the north star be 
 Of this— the Thames Yacht Club 
 We correspond with other worlds, and orbs beyond 
 
 our sphere ; 
 For in the system of our fleet a Comet* does appear: 
 And if from earth we'd soar on high, to view celestial 
 
 things, 
 'Tia done -for we can go aloft on Royal Eagles'* 
 wings. 
 
 And the T. Y'. C. shall foremost be. 
 
 Where honor is the rub ; 
 And honesty the coxwain be 
 Of this— the Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 Should e'er Old England's fabled foe, the Dragon, re- 
 appear. 
 To spit fire at our gallant fleet, we've nothing still 
 
 to fear ; 
 For harmless would be all his rage, his reign a tran- 
 sient hour. 
 For England's Champion, brave St. George,* would 
 re-display his power : 
 
 For the T. Y. C. shall foremost be 
 
 Where courage is the rub ; 
 And bravery the watch-word be 
 Of this -the Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 If lassitude o'ertake us here and rest should be 
 
 desir'd. 
 Each T. Y. C. can ride in turn the S.ahorse* when 
 
 he's tir'd ; 
 The very passions of the mind are chang'd when in 
 
 our fleet. 
 For, tho' Deception's one of us, we never use deceit : 
 And the T. Y. C. shall formost be 
 
 Where courage is the nib ; 
 And probity the maxim be 
 Of this— the Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 Now toast the Don Giovanni's crew, who bear the 
 
 prize away, 
 And may they always sail as well as they have sail'd 
 
 today I 
 Then fill each glass with sparkling wine, and bumpers 
 
 let them be, 
 And drink to Captain Davey's health -his health with 
 3 times 3 : 
 
 For the cup is won, the match is done. 
 
 And settl'd is the rub ; 
 Let mirth abound, and glee go round. 
 In this— the Thames Yacht Club. 
 
 The Corporal and his Cat. 
 
 " Every one to their fancy," said the Old 
 Woman when she kissed her cat ; and it is 
 urged that " a cat may look at a king." Be it 
 so. We have heard of the great Ca^-ter-fel to 
 and his wonderful black cat, and we have also 
 been told of a tortoise-shell Tom cat being 
 knocked down by an auctioneer, to a great 
 connoisseur in cats, an elderly maiden lady, 
 for £300. Whether Mr. Bulwer, the fashion- 
 able novelist, took his ideas from the above 
 sources, we cannot state, but, in his recently 
 published novel of Eugene Aram, he has ar- 
 gued in a cfff-e-gorical manner on the feline 
 species : although he has not produced a cat- 
 a-strophe on the subject, yet he has scratched 
 out a crt<-a-logue of the ca<-like tuluvs of the 
 
 • Names of the dirterent yachts. 
 
106 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 old Corporal's favorite pussey cat. " The 
 eat of Jack Bunting," says Mr. Bulvpor, " was 
 once more feared tlian respected throughout 
 the village." The Corporal was a cunning 
 teacher of all animals : he could learn gold- 
 finches the use of the musket ; dogs" the art of 
 the broadsword ; horses to dance hornpipes 
 and pick pockets; and he had relieved tiie 
 ennui of his solitary moments by imparting 
 sundry accomplishments to the ductile genius 
 of his cat. Under his tuttion puss had learned 
 to fetch and carry ; to turn over head and tail, 
 like a tumbler ; to run up your shoulder 
 when you least expected it ; to fly as if she 
 were mad at any one upon whom the Corporal 
 thought fit to set her ; and, above all, to rob 
 larders, shelves, and tables, and bring the pro- 
 duce to the Corporal, who never failed to con- 
 sider such stray waifs lawful manorial acqui- 
 sitions. These little feline cultivations of 
 talent, however delightful to the Corporal, and 
 creditable to his powers of teaching the young 
 idea how to shoot, had nevertheless, since the 
 truth must be told, rendered the Corporal's 
 cat a proverb and by word throughout the 
 neighbourhood. Never was cat in such bad 
 odour ; and the dislike in which it was held 
 was wonderfully increased by terror ; for the 
 creature was singularly large and robust, and 
 withal of so courageous a temper, that if you 
 attempted to resist its invasion of your property, 
 it forthwith spt up its back, put down its ears, 
 opened its mouth, and bade you fully compre- 
 hend that what it feloniously seized it would 
 gallantly defend. More than one gossip in 
 the village had this notable cat hurried into 
 premature parturition, as, on descending at 
 day-break into her kitchen, the dame would 
 descry the animal perched on the dresser, 
 having entered, God knows how, and gleaming 
 upon her with its great green eyes, and a ma- 
 lignant, brownie expression of countenance. 
 
 Various deputations had indeed, from time 
 to time, arrived at the Corporal's cottage, re- 
 questing the death, expulsion, or perpetual 
 imprisonment of the favorite. But the stout 
 Corporal received them grimly, and dismissed 
 them gruffly ; and the cat still went on, waxing 
 in size and wickedness, and baffling, as if in- 
 spired by the Devil, the various gins and traps 
 set for its destruction. But never, perhaps, 
 was there a greater disturbance and perturba- 
 tion in the little hamlet, than when, some three 
 weeks since, the Corporal's cat was known tc 
 be brought to bed, and safely delivered of a 
 numerous offspring. The village saw itself 
 overrun with a race, and a perpetuity of Cor- 
 poral's cats! Perhaps, too, their teacher 
 growing more expert by practice, the descend- 
 ants might attain to even greater accomplish- 
 ment than their nefarious progenitor. No 
 longer did the faint hope of being delivered 
 from their tormentor by an untimely or even 
 natural death, occur to the harassed Grass- 
 ddiians. Death was an incident natural to one 
 cat, however vivacious, but here was a dynasty 
 of cats ! Principes iiwrtales, respublica eterna ! 
 
 Bob Rullock the fancy uitterman's I.aj«*nT. 
 fiy loM TuoG, Jun. 
 
 Bob Rullock was a rower stout, 
 
 And in his cap lie wore 
 A jeutker, on which he plum'd himsell— 
 
 lUeJeaihtr of his oar. 
 
 No scientific wight was he. 
 
 Of knowledge over full ; 
 Dut understood phrenology. 
 
 And handled well a skull. 
 
 In rowing he took more delight 
 
 Than if it were his trade ; 
 A cutter 'twas, in which he row'd. 
 
 For each oar had a blade. 
 
 On shore he was both staunch and stifT, 
 
 Nor bent to tyrant's sway ; 
 But, when he was on board a boat. 
 
 He always did "give way." 
 
 The sprightly hornpipe he could dance 
 
 With grace and skill I vow, 
 But never put out all his strength. 
 
 Till he got to the bow. 
 
 A kinder youth than he did ne'er 
 
 To please a maiden learn ; 
 When walking he would sweetly smils°, 
 
 When rowing looked 3.-stern. 
 
 A widow fair he chanc'd to meet. 
 
 And ardent love he pleads ; 
 His heart was (like his oar sometimes) 
 
 Entangled in the weeds. 
 
 Whilst rowing once, he thought of her 
 
 For whom his bosom buru'd ; 
 He turn'd his oar within the stream. 
 
 And so he got o'er-turn'd. 
 
 WTien presently the coxwain cries, 
 
 " No crabs must here be caught; 
 Said Rob, " I did not think of them — 
 
 I thought upon my thwart." 
 
 " Pray do you angle 1" ask'd a friend, 
 " When up the Thames you go i" 
 
 Said he, " \Ve care not for the /ish. 
 We only want the row." 
 
 To Gravesend with the crew he went 
 
 (They often made such trips), 
 And when they got below bridge, all 
 
 Were rowing in 'mid shii>s. 
 
 Their boat's way oft w as stopt perforce 
 
 When vessels came athwart her ; 
 Although, when rowing against time, 
 
 They lik'd not to " back water." 
 
 " What craft is that raoor'd off the Tower T 
 
 The Ark it is I see. 
 Now, if this Ark were at the Aore, 
 
 Note's Ark it sure would be." 
 
 " A race upon our larboard bow ! 
 
 They're fouling — let's give way ! 
 There seems some Jon I work going on. 
 
 We'll go and see /air play." 
 
 " Push off!— Why, where's the boat-hook goneT 
 
 Will no one for it look ? 
 The bow-man he should always have 
 
 An eye upon the hook." 
 
 " We must put in and bale the boat 
 
 Althou-h we cannot stay 
 For she makes water quite as fast 
 
 As ever she makes way." 
 
 " The tide is tirming : if we stop 
 
 'Twill be hard work for each :" 
 " We can't reach Blackwall 'gainst the tide. 
 
 Though we may Blackwall-reach." 
 
 " Those gibbets are remov'd, whose sight 
 
 Did nxake beholders cough ; 
 There's no longer any carrion 
 
 For crows to carry off." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 107 
 
 " l"here's the beginning of Gravesend ! 
 
 " Ah ! \vhat is that you say ■" 
 " He sjieaketh truth awA feelcth it. 
 
 For he sertli Ei Itli Bay." 
 
 So now my Ballads and Gravesend, 
 I've reached, but have not stated 
 
 How Robert Rullock so/ a iiije. 
 And ever since fiot ruled. , 
 
 Alas ! his lady play'd him false, 
 
 So when he went ashore, 
 He dashed his i< nil against a wall. 
 
 And thus his li/e gave o'er. 
 
 Curious Case at Four-handed Cribbage. 
 
 Wherein not any of the four parties can 
 hold a single first point in hand, and yet 
 the dealers shall win the game the first show. 
 — Pasquin. — Example. — Let A and B deal 
 against C and D, each person to hold a three, 
 four, and six, seven, with any tenth card, 
 and each to lay out their tenth card for the 
 crib ; 1) then cuts the card for the turn up, 
 wliich proving to be a knave, A and B mark 
 two points. It being C's first play, he leads 
 with pitching his four, which B pairs, and 
 marks two points ; D then plays his four, and 
 marks six points for a pair royal ; A then 
 plays his four, making a double pair royal, 
 for which he scores twelve points ; C then 
 plays again with his three, which is paired by 
 B, who marks two points more ; D plays his 
 three, and marks six for a pair royal ; and A 
 comes in with his three likewise, which mak- 
 ing a double pair royal, and the end hole, 
 he marks for such thirteen points; C tlien 
 plays off again with his seven, and marks 
 six points ; and A, playing his seven, makes 
 a double pair royal, for which, and the end 
 hole, he marks thirteen points more ; here 
 again C plays his six, which is paired by B, 
 who scores two points ; D plays his six, and 
 marks six points ; and A, who is the last 
 player, makes a double pair royal with his 
 six, for which and the end hole, -he marks 
 thirteen points, which, with the various 
 other points played by A and B, complete the 
 game, or sixty-one points ; while C and D 
 have only been able to play twenty-four points. 
 Thus the game is won by A and B without 
 holding a single point. 
 
 Attachment of Animals. 
 
 The attachment formed by animals, from 
 living together, have produced some remark- 
 able facts. Feeling has been evinced by those 
 reckoned most insensible, and even the 
 strongest laws of nature have been set aside. 
 The cobra di capello and the canary bird, who 
 for years, inhabited the same cage at Mr. 
 Cross's, Exeter Change, are strong instances 
 of the latter ; but my communication more 
 particularly alludes to the former. When I 
 lived 'n Paris, they were two remarkably fine 
 
 ostriches, male and female, kept in the Ro- 
 tunda of the Jardin du Roi. The skylight 
 over their heads having been broken, the 
 glaziers proceeded to repair it, and, in the 
 course of tlieir work, let fall a triangular piece 
 of glass. Not long after this, tiie female 
 ostrich was taken ill, and died after an hour 
 or two of great agony. The body was opened 
 and the throat and stomach were found to 
 have been dreadfully lacerated by the sha p 
 corners of the glass which she had swallowed. 
 From the moment his companion was titkeii 
 from him, the male bird had no rest : he ap- 
 peared to be incessantly searching for some- 
 thing, and daily wasted away. He was 
 moved from the spot, in the hope that he would 
 forget his grief ; he was even allowed more 
 liberty, but nought availed, and he literally 
 pined himself to death. I heard of a curious 
 expedient the other day, which prevented a 
 similar catastrophe, and which has led me to 
 address you : — A gentleman, residing in this 
 country, had for some years been possessed of 
 two brown cranes ( Ardea pavonia) ; one of 
 them at length died, and the survivor became 
 disconsolate. He was apparently following 
 his companion, when his master introduced a 
 large looking-glass into the aviary. The bird 
 no sooner beheld his reflected image than he 
 fancied she for whom he mourned had re- 
 turned to him ; he placed himself close to the 
 mirror, plumed his feathers, and showed every 
 sign of happiness. The scheme answered 
 completely, the crane recovered his health and 
 spirits, passed almost all his time before the 
 looking-glass, and lived many years after, at 
 length dying from an accidental injury. 
 
 The Falconer and (soi-disant) Chaplain. 
 
 " There was a pleasant story of old lord 
 Cottington (observes Mr. Leigh Hunt, in his 
 novel of Sir Ralph Esher), which Hyde has 
 been heard to relate, and the particulars of 
 which were told me by a gentleman who was on 
 the spot. The king, during his stay abroad, 
 was going to make Mr. Wyndham secretary 
 of state, for no better reason than that his mo- 
 ther had been the royal nurse. Cottington 
 went to his majesty, and begged his attention 
 for a few moments to the merits of a worthy 
 person of his acquaintance, for whom he had 
 to solicit a favor — ' Let us have 'em my lord,' 
 said the king, 'and you know if I can oblige 
 the man I will. It is not money, I hope?' — 
 ' Nay, sir, had it been money,' answered the 
 lord treasurer,' ' I should have begged a little 
 for myself, to give some colour to my title ; 
 not to mention otiier reasons, which (God be 
 praised) occasionally make every body merry 
 but the baker. It is a much lighter matter on 
 wliich I come to your majesty, though of great 
 importance to the poor man.' ' Who is he, Cot- 
 tington ?' returned the king ; ' a poor man not 
 wanting money, is a marvel I would fain be ac- 
 quainted with. He is the only wild fowl of his 
 
10» 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 species, and nxist partake of the nature of the 
 bird of paradise, which, they say, lives upon 
 air. Pray let hiin take me along with him.' 
 — ' Your majesty,' resumed Cottington, ' has 
 hit wonderfully upon two points in the man's 
 fortune ; one that concerns his present estate ; 
 and one that touches, it is to be hoped, upon 
 his future. Sir, it is of Mr. Wood, an old 
 falconer of his late majesty, whose humble 
 petition I have now to make known to you. 
 He is a man extremely well versed in his art, 
 having followed it from his youth upwards, to 
 the great content of his late blessed majesty ; 
 and, I believe I may add, of his majesty's 
 successor.' — ' Old Wood,' said the king, ' I 
 know him well, and a good brisk old fellow 
 he was. He would toss up a lure in a second, 
 that one mip;ht have taken for a partridge 
 oneself.' — ' Well, sir, he can do as much now. 
 I do not believe there is a man of his art 
 breathing who is better acquainted with the 
 quality and mettle of his hawks, or more tho- 
 roughly experienced in all which they affect, 
 or whatsoever suits their individual natures. 
 He seems to know what sort of relish to give 
 their food, by the very feel of their beaks 
 under his finger.' — ' He must be a proper fal- 
 coner indeed,' said the king.' — ' Truly is he, 
 sir ; and as his knowledge, so is his care. 
 No man waters or bathes his hawks with more 
 ■ — I had almost said — fatherly attention ; nor 
 feeds and looks to their cleaning with a more 
 happy result.' — ' Nay, he's something like the 
 son of a hawk, if you come to that,' said 
 Charles. * His own beak, I suppose, by one 
 of sir Kenelm's sympathies, helps him to a 
 knowledge and consideration of all other 
 beaks.' — ' A shrewd quip, i'faith,' said Cot- 
 tington, laughing ; ' and a pity it is that sir 
 Kenelm, with his stately discourses, heard it 
 not. But, sir, to be serious with regard to 
 this poor man : money is not his most pressing 
 want ; if it were, he would forego the men- 
 tion of it, like a good subject ; but he is 
 mightily desirous of being serviceable to your 
 majesty in another way ; and, therefore, in 
 pursuance of what I have partly stated, I must 
 add, that there is not a better caterer or coper 
 of his birds 'twixt this and the land's end ; 
 none that can cut a pounce with a more mas- 
 terly nicety, or better provide against dulness 
 and overgrowth in the beak. He is, further- 
 more, one of those who scorn to have too many 
 fowls on hand, being as active as a youth in 
 taking them in due season ; and, for reclaiming 
 and keeping his hawks on the fist, I never 
 met, not only with his equal, but with any 
 man who could stand by him.' — ' Well, my 
 lord,' said the king, ' I know your love of the 
 sport, and fully credit your zeal in behalf of 
 the fowler ; and now what is it I am to do ? 
 for you know these are not the times or places 
 for adding to the list of our servants; nine- 
 tentbs of whom, as it is, have nothing to do.' 
 — ' Tis true, sir,' replied Cottington, ' but, if 
 your majesty will pardon my zeal in behalf of 
 an old brother sportsman, to whom I have 
 
 been indebted for many a day's jollity, I may 
 take the freedom of reminding you that there 
 is a vacancy in the list of your majesty's chap- 
 lains, the filling up of which with the name 
 of my honest friend, would make the poor 
 man happy for life.' — ' The list of chaplains, 
 my lord treasurer!' exclaimed the king; 
 ' surely — I would not stand upon niceties — 
 but a chaplain and a falconer — ' — 'Forgive me, 
 my dear liege,' interrupted Cottington, with 
 imperturbable gravity, * but knowing your 
 liberality in such matters, and hearing from 
 persons of good credit that your majesty was 
 about to confer the secretaryship of state on 
 worthy Mr. Wyndham, I thought I would 
 make a bold face and lose no time in endea- 
 vouring at some preferment for the no less 
 deserving Mr. Wood. He will soon learn to 
 read, if, in truth, he does not possess that ac- 
 complishment already, for I think I have seen 
 him perusing an almanac ; and, in the progress 
 of a few days, I doubt not he will be quite as 
 able to further your majesty's interests in llie 
 way I speak of, as Mr. AYyndham in his more 
 exalted station.' The king, at this discourse, 
 is said to have looked more disconcerted than 
 he had shown himself on more trying occasions. 
 He blushed, then laughed, then blushed 
 again ; and finally settled the pretensions of 
 both Mr. Wyndham and Mr. Wood, by ob- 
 serving, ' Odsfish ! my lord, you have dealt 
 me a hard knock ; but I suppose it was out 
 of love, seeing that I was going to do a foolish 
 thing ; and so I'll not be «o foolish as to per- 
 sist in it.' " 
 
 The Canary Bird. 
 
 The history of our various singing birds is 
 wonderful and amusing ; and none less so than 
 that of the Canary. This little bird, so highly 
 esteemed for its song ; reared with so much 
 care, particularly by the fair sex ; and which 
 affords such innocent amusement to those who 
 are fond of the wild notes of nature, is a na- 
 tive of those islands from which it takes its 
 name. It was not known in England till the 
 fifteenth century ; consequently, no account 
 of it is to be met with in any of the works of the 
 old ornithologists. Bellon,who about the year 
 1555 described all birds then known, does not 
 so much as mention it. At that period the 
 breed was brought from the Canary islands. 
 It was so dear that it could only be purchased 
 by people of (ortune, and these were often 
 imposed upon. It was originally called the 
 sugar bird, because it was so fond of the 
 sugar cane, which circumstance has caused 
 some surprise among naturalists — sugar being 
 poison to many fowls. Experiments have 
 shown that a pigeon, to which four drachms of 
 sugar were given, died in four hours ; and 
 that a duck, which luid swallowed five 
 drachms, did not live seven hours after. 
 
 It was only in the middle of the sixteenth 
 century that these birds began to be bred in 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S IJOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 1(9 
 
 Europe ; and the following circumstance, re- 
 lated by Olina, seems to have been the occa- 
 sion of it : — A vessel which, among other 
 commodities, .vas carrying a quantity of 
 Canary birds to Leghorn, was wrecked on the 
 coast of Italy; and these birds, being thus setat 
 liberty, flew to the nearest land, which was the 
 Island of Elba, where they found the climate 
 so favorable that they multiplied, and would 
 have become domesticated, had they not been 
 caught in snares, and divers other ways, for 
 sale ; and the breed of them there has long 
 since been extinct. 
 
 The breeding of these birds was at first 
 attended with great difficulty, as the treatment 
 they required was not known ; but vast num- 
 bers are now bred in England of the pure breed, 
 as well as a great quantity of handsome mule 
 birds, chiefly from the cross of the green lin- 
 net, whose original note surpasses that of all 
 the linnet variety. It was at one time sup- 
 posed that those birds bred on the Canary 
 Islands were much better singers than those 
 reared in England, but this does not ap- 
 pear to be the case.* As the male parrot 
 is much superior in his colour and plumage 
 to the female, so is the cock Canary bird. 
 The hen birds sometimes sing, but they are 
 much inferior in the strength of their notes 
 to the males ; neither is their plumage so 
 gay. The form of them, however, is singu- 
 larly symmetrical and elegant. 
 
 In former times various treatises were pub- 
 lished, in various languages, on the mode of 
 rearing Canary birds ; and many persons 
 made it a trade, acquiring considerable for- 
 tunes by it. In the Tyrol there is a company, 
 who, after the breeding season is over, send 
 out persons to difTerent parts of Germany and 
 Switzerland to purchase birds from those who 
 breed them. Great numbers of these are sent 
 to England, where, considering the distance 
 they are brought from, they are sold at a cheap 
 rate. 
 
 The principal food of these birds is a plant 
 called Canary seed, first supposed to have 
 been brought for this purpose from the Canary 
 Islands to Spain, and from thence dispersed 
 all over Europe. In some botanical works 
 this plant is laid down as Phalaris Canari- 
 ensis, and is supposed to be the phalaris men- 
 tioned by Pliny. A great quantity of it is 
 now sown in England, particularly in the 
 Island of Thanet, and is sold in the London 
 market at from 50s. to 70s. per quarter. 
 
 The Frenchman and the Clerical Horse- 
 Dealer. 
 A complaint, which caused a great deal of 
 conversation in Bath, was made by a French 
 gentleman, named Lafu, against a clergyman 
 who resides in the neighbourhood of that city, 
 and who is remarkable for dealing very pro- 
 fitably in horses. The magistrates applied to 
 
 * See Harrington's Paper in Philo3. Trans., Vol. 
 LXm p.a4U 
 
 on the occasion recommended that the circum- 
 stances should be stated in a court of law, 
 after having the following account from the 
 lips of the Frenchman. " I go to buy a horse 
 from him, and he ask me forty guinea. I say 
 no, by Gar, I no give that. Well, say the 
 clergyman, I tell you what ; you shall have 
 him for thirty-five guinea ; but, d — n my eye, 
 you shall no have him less." 
 
 Magistrate. You could not think of dealing 
 with a clergyman who was so ready to swear. 
 — Frenchman. Qui, I did : I thought a cler- 
 gyman would not swear any thing but true ; 
 so I paid him the money. Well, I got upon 
 him, and he go beautiful. Then I put him 
 up in the Bell's stables, and I ride him next 
 day, but he go upon three leg ; so I put him 
 up again, but he still go upon three leg, and 
 then I gave him a doctor ; but, by Gar, he 
 walk upon his knee, and so I say, if you walk 
 upon your knee, I do not walk upon your 
 back. — Magistrate. You mean that the horse 
 was unsound ? — Frenchman. Out, he got the 
 gout. — Magistrate. The gout ! horses don't get 
 the gout Frenchman. But he was a clergy- 
 man's horse, and they both have the gout. The 
 horse's leg was swelled, and so was the mas- 
 ter's. — Magistrate. Well, I suppose you sent 
 back the horse ? — Frenchman. No ; the cler- 
 gyman said, d — n his eye, he'd no have him ; 
 but I ask Mr. Bell to buy him for thirty-live 
 guinea ; but he said no, 1 not give you more 
 than five pound ; so I keep him in the stable 
 twelve week, and then I send him to be sold ; 
 and what do you think I got? — Magistrate. 
 Why, perhaps five pounds. — Frenchman. No, 
 by Gar, I got fifteen pound. — Magistrate. 
 Well, I think you received more than you had 
 a right to expect, in your transactions with 
 this worthy clergyman. — Frenchman. Re- 
 ceive ! Why, I receive nothing. I got the 
 fifteen pound to pay for the dinner. — Magis- 
 trate. For dinner? — Frenchman. Out. For 
 my horse's dinner for the twelve week in Mr. 
 Bell's stable. The unfortunate Frenchman 
 thus lost, by his dealing with the reverend 
 horse-jockey, no less than fifty pounds. 
 
 The Miser Sportsman "served out!" 
 A gentleman residing in the neighbourhood 
 of Taunton, who is notorious for the strictness 
 with which he guards his preserves, was visit- 
 ing at the house of a friend, where he was 
 introduced to a third gentleman, an utter 
 stranger to him. In the course of conversa- 
 tion this latter personage, who affected con- 
 siderable eflfeminacy and dandyism, intimated 
 that he was very desirous of enjoying a day's 
 shooting, at which sport, however, he was a 
 mere tyro. The man of preserves looked at 
 the querist, and, in an unusual fit of gene- 
 rosity, promised a day's pleasure. Accord 
 ingly, it was agreed that on the next morning 
 he should breakfast with him at his seat, and 
 thence he would accompany him to his covers. 
 Morning came, and with it our sportsman, 
 
110 
 
 PIERCE EGANS HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 dressed, not in the uruhI shooting sear, hut 
 in a full ball f1ress,\vith dancing shoes instead 
 of boots. His host stared, though rejoicing 
 that nothing more formidable was about to be 
 introduced into his preserves. The meal con- 
 cluded, he takes him to the window. " There 
 is the cover ; I regret that I cannot accompany 
 you." (Had he been an evident sportsman, 
 he would have followed him like one of his 
 own pointers.) The dandy went, and, lo ! 
 proved to be an unfailing marksman. The 
 birds rose, and fell as quickly, until the keeper 
 spied him — demanded his name — rushed to 
 his master. " He has my permission, John ; 
 the pumps and silk stockings will only frighten 
 the birds a little, aha !" " Why, Lord bless 
 me, sir, he's knocking 'em down right and 
 left — he's killed a bushel." Away runs the 
 astonished owner — the stranger had already 
 killed five hares, twenty piieasants, and two 
 cocks. Enraged, the owner eyes his mar- 
 tyred friends — an explanation ensues — the 
 never-missing shot is warned otF tlie manor- 
 pumps, silk stockings, and all. It was Cap- 
 tain M — , a celebrated sporting character. 
 
 A Sportsman of the Old School. 
 
 IMr. Harry Smith, who died in Heather's 
 Buildings, in the East Pallant, Chichester, 
 at the age of eighty-four. Tiie al)ove veteran 
 was well known by the appellation of "The 
 'Squire." He was a complete sportsman of 
 ti)e Old School— skilful in the use of the 
 cross and long bows, and at all athletic exer- 
 cises — an adept at tiie sinfrlo stick and quar- 
 ter-staff, which last he would, til! lately, turn 
 with astonishing celerity. A well known fact 
 of his prowess in the last-named exercise we 
 subjoin : — In the year 1779, a scrjcant of 
 Elliot's Light Horse being then in Chiciiester, 
 and who was reputed one of the best swords- 
 men of the day, challenged his sword against 
 " the 'squire's" staff, to draw the first blood ; 
 many are living who saw the encounter; 
 when at the expiration of four minutes, " the 
 'squire" gave his adversary the end of his staff 
 in his forehead, which laid him flat on his 
 back, and gained the victory. The staff, 
 which is seven feet ten inches in length, is 
 now preserved, and has thirteen cuts of the 
 sword in it. 
 
 The Otter. 
 
 It is well known that he is now become, in 
 Great Britain, very scarce ; so much so, in- 
 deed, that one is rarely met with, and scarcely 
 any establishment for hunting him at present 
 exists in England. The otter may he fol- 
 lowed occasionally with harriers, but the otter 
 hount', of which mention is made in several 
 old publications on the subject of field-sports, 
 is no where to be met with. Yet though 
 
 tliese antiquated tomes speak at some, length 
 on the subject of otter hunting, they are, ne- 
 vertheless, silent as to the ])eculiar character- 
 istics of the dogs in question : hence, we 
 might reasonably conclude that, at a period 
 not very remote, these hounds were very well 
 known, though the mode of producing them 
 now ajipears to be wrapped in the scarf of 
 oblivion. Thougli the chase of tiie otter is not 
 likely to become prevalent in England, yet 
 information relative to field-sports must al- 
 ways be interesting to the true sportsman ; 
 and, perhaps, some one among the number of 
 your numerous and intelligent readers may 
 be induced to favour us with a description of 
 tlie dog formerly used for this purpose. The 
 following is an account of tiie mode of catch- 
 ing sea-otlers on t!ie northeast coast of 
 America.. 
 
 In the first place, it may not be amiss to 
 observe that the Russians have, for some 
 years, carried on a very considerable trade in 
 furs procured from that coast, which princi- 
 pally consist of the skins of the sea-otter. 
 For taking these animals, the Russians retain 
 in their service many of the native inhabitants 
 of the coast just mentioned, a niimberof whom 
 proceed together in separate bidarkas;* and, 
 as any of the party perceives an otter, he 
 throws his arrow (or small harpoon) at it, and 
 pulls to the place where it plunges. He here 
 staUons his bout, and then lilts up his oar 
 The rest of the hunters, on observing the 
 signal, form a circle round it: and, the mo- 
 ment the animal shows its head above water, 
 he that is nearest throws his arrow, and then 
 liastens to tlie spot vshere the otter a^ain dis- 
 appeared ; while the hunter, by raising his 
 oar, again exliibits the signal for a second 
 circle to foim. In this manner the chase con- 
 tinues, till the animal, exhausted by fatigue, 
 as well as loss of blood, which incessantly 
 flows from repeated wouniis, is, at length, 
 taken. If, at the commencement of the chase, 
 the prey happens to receive a serious wound, 
 he is quickly captured ; but it sometimes 
 occurs that twenty bidarkas are employed 
 half a day in taking a single otter. This 
 animal will sometimes tear the arrow from its 
 body with its teeth, for the purpose of effect- 
 ing its escape, which, however, seldom hap- 
 pens, and is almost impossible, as the Cadiack 
 people, exercised from childhood to tiiis species 
 of the chase, are not only very expert at it, 
 but are able to ascertain the course of the 
 otter under-water. In fine weather, this is 
 known by the bubbles which appear on the 
 surface ; while, in rough weather, the otter 
 always directs his course against the wind. 
 
 When a female otter happens to be attacked, 
 in company with her young one, the mother 
 immediately clasps tlie young one with her 
 fore feet, and plunges beneath the surface. 
 However, as the cub is not able to remain 
 
 * A kind of small boat, peculiar to that part of tfc« 
 world. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 long under water, she is under tlie necessity 
 of risitig again very soon, and of thus exposing 
 herself to the darts of her pursuers. It some- 
 times happens, tliat the liunters come upon 
 tlie female by surprise, and separate her from 
 her young one, in which case the cub is sure 
 to be taken immediately; but the mother no 
 sooner hears its cries tlian she swims to the 
 very bidarka from which they pmceed, and, 
 regardless of all danger, shares the fate of her 
 little complaining captive. If the female has 
 two cubs, which is sometimes the case, she 
 will destroy one herself, in order that she may 
 be able to devote her whole attention to the 
 protection of the other. 
 
 When a sea-otter is killed, the hunters ex- 
 press their triumph by a general shout. 
 
 The first plunge, or dive, of that animal ex- 
 ceeds a quarter of an hour; the second is of 
 shorter duration, the third still shorter ; and 
 thus the intervals gradually diminish till, at 
 last, it can plunge no more. These creatnres 
 sometimes swim on their sides, at otlier times 
 on their backs, or in an uprijiht position. 
 When attacked, they tnake no resistance, but 
 endeavour to save themselves by flight; 
 ■where, however, they see no means of escape, 
 they will scold and grin like an angry cat. 
 On receiving a blow from a club, they turn 
 on their side, draw up their hind legs, cover 
 their eyes with their fore-paws, and thus 
 seem to prepare themselves for death. 
 
 The sea-otter is tnuch larger than the com- 
 mon otter. It is about four feet in length, of 
 which the tail occupies about thirteen inches; 
 and the largest weigh from seventy to eighty 
 pounds. 
 
 Sporting Anecdote of the late Lord 
 
 Nelson. 
 
 Lord Nelson had been shooting one day 
 near Palermo, and on his return he and Cap- 
 tain Hood came down to a small creek, where 
 only one boat lay, in which was a boy. Nel- 
 son enquired if the boy could shoue them on 
 board the flag-ship, for which he would pay 
 him well. The lad did not know him in his 
 shooting-jacket, and said he was waiting for 
 his master, who belonged to a merchant brig, 
 and he had orders not to stir from the beach, 
 so he could not do it. " Let us take the boat 
 by force," said Hood, " the owner will not 
 dare to grumble." " For that very reason I 
 won't allow it. I have marked the boy down 
 for a good one," was Nelson's answer ; " I 
 would rather swim on board, at the risk of 
 being drowned, than do an unjust and tyran- 
 nical act to one who dare not resent it. Here, 
 boy, is a dullar for so well obeying your mas- 
 ter's orders." The master came down at the 
 time, and the sportsmen were accommodated 
 with a shove alongside ; and when the boat- 
 swain's whistle, four sidesmen, and marines 
 under arms, announced it was the admiral, 
 both master and boy were alarmed ; and the 
 former was still more astonished at his great 
 
 condescension when Nelson sang out" tumble 
 up, messmate. — You shall partake of out 
 sport to-day, be it bad or good ; and a glass 
 of grog into the bargain!" 
 
 Shark Fight. By an Eye-Witness, a 
 Native of Calcutta. 
 
 In the month of May, an instance of intre- 
 pidity and dexterity, on the part of an up- 
 country native, well worthy of being recorded, 
 occurred lately in this neighbourhood. I was 
 walking on the bank of the river at the time 
 when some up-country boats were delivering 
 their cargoes. A considerable number of 
 Coolies were employed on shore in the work, 
 all of which I observed running away in ap- 
 parent trepidation from the edge of the water — 
 returning again, as if eager, yet afraid, to ap- 
 proach some object, and again returning as 
 before. I found, on inquiry, that the cause ot 
 all this perturbation was the appearance of a 
 large and strange-looking fish, swimming close 
 to the bank, and almost in the midst of the 
 boats. I hastened to the spot to ascertain the 
 matter, when I perceived a huge monster of a 
 shark sailing along — now near the surface of 
 the water, and now sinking down apparently 
 in pursuit of his prey. At tliis moment, a na- 
 tive on the Choppah roofs of one of the boats, 
 with a rope in his hand, which he was slowly 
 coiling up, surveyed the shark's motions with 
 a look that evidently indicated he had a se- 
 rious intention of encountering him in his own 
 element. Holding the rope, on which he 
 made a sort of running knot, in one hand, and 
 stretching out the other arm, as if already in 
 the act of swimming, he stood in an attitude 
 truly picturesque, waiting the re-appearance 
 of the shark. At about six or eight yards 
 from the boat, the animal rose near the sur- 
 face, when the native instantly plunged into 
 the water, a short distance from the very 
 jaws of the monster. The shark immediately 
 turned round, and swam slowly towards the 
 man, who, in his turn, notliing daunted, struck 
 out the arm that was at liberty, and approached 
 his foe. When within a foot or two of the 
 shark, the native dived beneath him, the 
 animal going down almost at the same instant. 
 The bold assailant in this most frightful con- 
 test soon re-appeared on the opposite side of 
 the shark, swimming fearlessly with the hand 
 he ha«J at liberty, and holding the rope behind 
 his back with the other. The shark, which 
 had also by this time made his appearance, 
 again immediately swam towards him ; and 
 while the animal was apparently in the act of 
 lifting himself over the lower part of the na- 
 tive's body that be might seize upon his prey, 
 the man, making a strong effort, threw himself 
 up perpendicularly, and went down with his 
 feet foremost, the shark following him so si- 
 multaneously, that I was fully impressed with 
 the idea that they had gone down grappling 
 together. As far as I could judge, they re- 
 mained nearly twenty seconds out of sight. 
 
112 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 while 1 stood in breathless anxiety, and I may 
 add, horror, waiting the result of this fearful 
 encounter. Suddenly the native made his ap- 
 pearance, holding up both his hands over his 
 iiead, and calling out with a voice that pro- 
 claimed the victory he had won while under- 
 neath the wave, ' Tan — tan ! ' The people in 
 the boat were all prepared ; the rope was in- 
 stantly drawn tight, and the struggling victim, 
 lashing the water in his wrath, was dragged 
 to the shore and dispatched. When mea- 
 sured, his length was found to be six feet nine 
 inches ; his girth at the greatest three feet 
 seven inches. The native who achieved this 
 intrepid and dexterous exploit bore no other 
 marks of his finny enemy than a cut on the 
 left arm, evidently received from coming in 
 contact with the tail or some one of the fins of 
 the animal. 
 
 Epitome of the points at vv'hist. 
 A. game consists of two points, five each ; a 
 rubber, of two games out of three ; and this 
 may be five points — two for each game, and 
 the rubber game ; consequently, a bumper 
 (that is, two consecutive games, in which the 
 adversaries do not score five in either of them) 
 is five points. In other cases, where each 
 party scores a game, single or double, the 
 points, after the deciding game, are set off 
 against what has been scored by the opponents. 
 la close games, as in the bumper (five points), 
 the l-oints are as made — viz. a double and 
 single sere four points; two singles, three 
 points (thai is, two in the first instance for the 
 points, and one for the rubber) ; a double to 
 double, and a double the deciding game, as 
 three points ; a double on one side against a 
 single on the other, ^yith a double the last 
 game, is four points ; double and singlt 
 against a double, two points ; doui)le and 
 single against a single, three points ; two 
 singles and rubber three points ; tw o singles 
 against a double, one point ; single and single, 
 and a double the last, three points ; single 
 and single, and a single the last, two points ; 
 and so on, in all (he varieties of the game — 
 the points of the losers being set oil' against 
 those of the winners, and the rubber game (no 
 matter whether consecutive or not) carrying 
 one point, and, consequently, the winner of 
 the rubber must gain one point (as above), 
 even though, in winning two singles, his ad- 
 versaries score a double (even points) against 
 them. 
 
 Races at St. Helena. 
 
 In all parts of the world it appears that a 
 little bit of sporting is very acceptable to tiie 
 inhabitants, to put them in good spirits ; and 
 the following account of the " Knowing ones 
 taken in " we have no doubt will be well re- 
 ceived by our readers. 
 
 The St. Helena Races, which took place in 
 September last, presented the sporting ama- 
 
 teurs with a novelty, such perhaps as is not to 
 be found recorded in the annals of horse-rac- 
 ing. An officer of Lowther undertook to trot 
 one of those immense dray horses which are 
 made use of in London, and which had beem 
 brought out in that ship for the purpose of 
 drawing the stores up the beach, against an 
 ambling nag of the island, whose favorite 
 pace was a canter. The match was made for 
 twenty guineas, and the distance to be trotted 
 was one mile. At the appointed time the 
 gentleman who rode the daisy cutter was up- 
 on the ground, waiting for his opponent, the 
 knight of the dray horse, who soon made his 
 appearance over the top of the last hill, which 
 he had to surmount on his way from town to 
 Deadwood, for he rode all the way up, nothing 
 fearful of fatiguing his colossal beast, of 
 whom it was truly observed, " the trembling 
 earth resounded to his tread." He was ac- 
 coutred, if not in Dandy, yet something like 
 Dandie Dinmmoiit's style, with a large white 
 frock coat; white hat, the slouching brim of 
 which had '' ample room and verge enough" 
 to shield the wearer from both sun and rain, 
 large top boots, and his dexter hand flourishing 
 a long whip. They started, and bets ran high 
 against poor Dobbin, but his opponent perhaps 
 scorning such a competition, or finding a trot 
 uneasy to his rigidity of limb, soon broke (-ff 
 into his accustomed two up and two down, 
 and was consequently obliged to return and 
 start anew. He did so, but with no better 
 success, yet still bets were in his favor. A 
 third time he started, but, " still beginning, 
 never ending," was a third time obliged to re- 
 turn. The tide now turned in Dobbin's favor, 
 who all this while kept on the even tenor of 
 his trot, 
 
 " And backward and forward lie switched his long 
 tail. 
 As a gentleman switches his cane" 
 
 Finally, by his plodding perseverance, as is 
 often the case in more important competitions, 
 men as well as horses, Dobbin carried otf 
 the prize from his fleet but unsteady rival, 
 and came in the winner of the race, amid the 
 loud laughter and acchunations of nearly all 
 the population of the island, assembled to 
 witness th-j race. 
 
 FANCY PARWDY. 
 Air— "The Minstrel Boy to the War is gone." 
 The Itari/ cove to the mill is gone, 
 
 In the V. C. ring you'll find him, 
 His blue bird's e\e he has girded on. 
 
 And has left his thime behind hira. 
 Fancy sport, cried the leary cure. 
 
 Though every Umi betrays thee, 
 One soul at least thy M/irtts shall love, 
 
 Uue faithful cliauiit shall praise thee 
 The cove was rfocr'rf, but he show d high game, 
 
 Nor like a cur knocked under. 
 His chaintt will ne er be clear agaii>, 
 
 For his nosa was split asunder. 
 I.eary cove, said his_//</»/f in a pet, 
 
 Thou pink of love and bruvery, 
 Since thou art fioor'd, I'll a service get, 
 
 And speud my days in slavery. 
 
PIERCE EGAN S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 113 
 
 BIRMINGHAM : 
 
 The Winner of the St. Leger Stakes at Doncasler in 1830, 
 (the Property of Mr. Beardsworth.J 
 
 The town of Birmingham, to the lovers of 
 Sporting, is most certainly distinguished at 
 the present moment for the possession of a 
 celebrated Race Horse ; and also for a native 
 pugilistic Champion ;* two thorough- bred ar- 
 ticles in their line ; and who have done the 
 " Sporting World " some service, and thej 
 know it. But the town of Birmingham has 
 
 • The brave, unconquered little Arthur Matthewson 
 — the JVonparifl of Birmingham, who not only tri- 
 umphed over all his antagonists in bis n'ative county, 
 but he also disputed tlie palm of excellence as a I'ujji- 
 Li.st iu the London Riug. 
 
 rendered itself much more eminent in the eyes 
 of society, by its love and support of the Fine 
 Arts ; likewise for its attaclunent to Litera- 
 ture ; and for its devotedness to the cause of 
 liberty : butrespecting a knowledge of Mecha- 
 nics it stands unrivalled. The town of Birming- 
 ham, within the last few years, has made rapid 
 strides towards importance in a political point 
 of view— and the "March of Intellect" has 
 given it more real power in society than all 
 the guns, swords, and pistols, that were ever 
 manufactured in it from tlie first minute it 
 obtained the name of Birmingham, up to the 
 
lU 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 present houi. The above town is also distin- 
 guished as the residence of several men of 
 suj erior talents, calculated to adorn any situ- 
 ation in life. * 
 
 The races at Warwick stand rather promi- 
 nent in a sporting point of view ; and are 
 generally well attended by numerous parties 
 from Birmingham ; and they are also visited 
 by numbers of Sporting men from all parts of 
 the kingdom. 
 
 Birmingham, 3d March, 1832. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 According to your wish, I have sent 
 you a print t of Birmingham, and I am sorry 
 1 have not a drawing of my establishment; I 
 have sent you a copy of a song which was 
 written on Birmingham winning the St. Leger. 
 I have also sent you a copy of a letter I re- 
 ceived on the same occasion, both o f which I 
 think you may like, and make use of. The 
 most extraordinary circumstance relative to 
 Diy horse Birmingham is, that when he was a 
 foal, and soon after I purchased him, he was 
 taken ill, and was so much reduced that he 
 could not stand to feed. In this state I left 
 him (on a Friday), and was from home ten 
 days; on my. return, I was surprised to find 
 him alive, and as I have a great dislike to see 
 a sick horse, I ordered that he should be 
 destroyed before I went to the stables. Mrs. 
 Beardsworth, who was present, begged of 
 me not to have him destroyed, and that, if I 
 would have him brought into a private box 
 near the house, she would attend to him, and 
 nurse him. He was carried by four men from 
 the box he was then in, to the other, where he 
 remained for a month, or more, without any 
 visible improvement, during the whole of 
 
 • The opportunity which presents itself is too inviting 
 for us to pass over witli neglect: therefore, amongst 
 the numerous men of ability resident in Birmingham, 
 we trust we shall be pardoned (as there is nothing 
 invidious in the selection) for referring to an old and 
 much respected friend of ours, Joskph Pahkes, Esq., 
 a gentleman of great literary research, united with 
 talents as a writei- ; a wortliy meinber of society ; a 
 man of the world ; an excellent lawyer ; and a phi- 
 lanthropist. His " Vindication of the Drama, the 
 Stage, and Public morals, in answer to the Rev. John 
 Angel James," minister of Can's-lane Chapel, Bir- 
 mingham," — a work, replete with learning, sound ar- 
 gument and an excellent E.no« ledge of society , alone, 
 is a sufficient te,stimony of the superior mind posse.ssed 
 by Mr. Parkes. The present lord chancellor, when 
 ilenry Brougham, Efq., in the House of Commons, 
 we are happy to assert, gave the meed due to the 
 above gentleman for his various litf-rary labours and 
 other exertions calculatct" to benefit mankind; and in 
 humbly seconding that great lei^al opinion, independent 
 of our own feelings on the subject, it cannot be denied 
 to us that we have acted upon " good advice." 
 
 ♦ Our spirited sketch of B/rwing/iiim is taken from a 
 irvoBt beautifully coloured plate, after nature, pub- 
 lisned by Messrs Fuller and Co., drawn by Mr. Her- 
 ring, the celebrated Horse Painter, at Doncaster, and 
 i«.one of a most splendid collection of the winners of 
 the Doncaster St. Legci Stakes; indeed, the whole of 
 the P'ates are got up with so much spirit, life, and 
 taste, that those gentlemen who are ford of decorating 
 their apartments with suhjocts of the above de.scription, 
 onglt not to be without them if they feel any desire 
 to render their cabinets complete. 
 
 which time Mrs. Beardswortli was incessant 
 in her attendance upon him, seeing him 
 always the last thing before she went to bed, 
 and frequently getting up in the night to him. 
 I several tiiiies requested lie might he de- 
 stroyed, but Mrs. B. always opposed it, and 
 said, she had a presentiment that lie would 
 recover and win the Leger. It is a singular 
 circumstance, that this is the only hors. Mrs, 
 Beardsworth ever noticed : although my house 
 is so nearly connected witii my establishment, 
 I never knew her enter a stable except to see 
 Birmingham. 
 
 Birminghnm-was bought by Mr. 1 ickinson^ 
 by auction, (at Mr. IMytton's Sale, which took 
 place at my establishment the 25lh of Nov., 
 1827,) at forty-five guineas, and I gave him 
 ten guineas for the buying. He was bred by 
 Mr. Lacy, of Colwick, near Nottingham : his 
 pedigree and performance up to the winning 
 the Leger, accompany the print — since which 
 I send it you in writing with the other. 
 
 The description you gave of the Repository 
 in your paper, I think you cannot improve. 
 I am particularly obliged by your kind offer, 
 and shall certainly make a point of commu- 
 nicating any intelligence I may think will be 
 worth your notice. 
 
 I am, dear Sir, 
 
 Yours most respectfully, 
 
 John Beardsworth. 
 Pierce Egan, Esq. 
 
 P. S. — I am sorry I have to communicate to 
 you the melancholy intelligence of the decease 
 of Mrs. Beardsworth, which took place on 
 the 12th of Dec. last, after a short illness. 
 
 Birmingham, 6th March, 1832. 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 It may be worth your knowing, that on 
 the day I purchased Birmingham, Mr.Lockley 
 purchased Independence, at tlie same sale ; 
 there were sixty-four horses sold, and these 
 were the only two that have proved of any 
 value : in fact, net one of the others have won 
 at all. It is singular, also, that these two 
 horses should be the best in Eng.'anc', Inde- 
 pendence having won cftener than any other 
 horse ; and Birmingham travelled to more 
 places, and won at each ; and even only the 
 week before he won the Leger, he won the 
 Guy Stakes, and Avon Stakes, at Warwick. 
 I am, dear Sir, 
 Yours truly, 
 
 John Beardsworth, 
 Pierce Egan, Eoq. 
 
 The following is the pedigree of Birming- 
 ham ; and also an account of the different 
 races in which the above favorite racer has 
 proved successful : 
 
 BIRMINGHAM. 
 
 By Filho da Puta ; dam Miss Craigie, by 
 Orville ; grandani Marchioness, by Lur- 
 cher ; great grandain Miss Crgdcn, by 
 Phaenomenon ; great great grandam ( Lnbo 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 { 15 
 
 rie and Baron Nile's dam) by Young Marske 
 — Silvio — Daphne, by llegulus — Brandy 
 Nan, by Sedbury — Starling — dam of Hut- 
 ton's Si ot, by a son of his Grey Barb — 
 Coneyskins — Hautboy. Filho da Puta, 
 by Haphazard ; dam Mrs. Barnet, by 
 Waxy ; grandam by Woodpecker ; great 
 grandam Hieuel, by Squirrel ; great great 
 grandam Priiicipessa, by Blank— CuUen 
 Arabian — Grisewood's Lady Thigh, by 
 I'artner — Grey liound — Sophonisba's dan;, 
 by the Curweu Bay Barb. 
 1830. 
 
 LUDLOW, 1829. — SWEEPSTAKES. 
 
 Of 25 suvs. each, tvitli 50 added, fur tivo-year 
 old colts Sst. Alb. fillies 8st. 2lb. Haifa 
 mile. (6 suhscribers.} 
 
 Mr. Yate's ch. c. Jonathan, by Tiresias, 
 out of Zora, by Selim — J. Spring . I 
 
 Mr, Pickernell's b. c. Henwick, by 
 Spectre, dam by Shuttle ... 2 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. by Filho da 
 Puta, out of JMiss Craigie, by Orville 
 
 Col. Yates's b. f. Blanche, by Filho da 
 Puta, out of Lady of the Lake, by Sor- 
 cerer ..... .0 
 
 Mr. L. Charlton's ch. f. Clementina, by 
 Manfred, dam by Poulton ... 
 Blanche the favorite. A good race. 
 
 WOLVERHAMPTON, 1829. — THE CHILLINGTON 
 STAKES. 
 
 Of 25 sots, each, for two-year old oolls 8st. 
 
 '6lb. fillies 8st. Neic Cimrse, straight half 
 
 mile. (5 suhsciibers.) 
 Mr. Bearda-\vortli's br. c, BirtiiiiioLaiJi, by 
 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigit — 
 
 S. Templeman ..... 1 
 Mr. Giffard's b. c. by Banker, out of Ne- 
 
 rissa, by M^oful ..... 2 
 Mr. Pickernell's b. c. Henwick, by 
 
 Spectre, dam by Shuttle ... 
 ftlr. J. Robinson's b. f, by St. Patrick, 
 
 dam by Smolsiisko .... 
 
 Won easy. 
 BURTON-ON-TRENT, 1829. — SWEEPSTAKES. 
 
 0/25 sors. each, for two-year old colts, 8st. 
 5lb. fillies Sst. 3/i. Half a mile. 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, 
 by Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie 
 — W. Jones 1 
 
 Sir T. Mostyu's b. f. Sprig, by Whisker, 
 out of Springe, by Scud ... 2 
 
 Cul. Yates's b. f. Blanche, by Filho da 
 Puta, out of Lady of the Lake, by Sor- 
 cerer . 3 
 
 Mr. Yates's ch. c. Jonathan, by Tiresias, 
 out of Zora, by Selim ... 4 
 
 WARWICK, 1829, — SWEEPSTAKES. 
 
 Of 25 sovs. each, for two-year old colts, Sst 
 
 2lb. fillips Sst. T.Y.C. {& subscribers.) 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, by 
 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie— S. 
 
 Darling 1 
 
 Mr. Yates's ch. c. Jonathan, by Tiresias, 
 
 out of Zora. by Selira ... 2 
 
 Mr. Sadler's ch. f. by Tramp, out of Defi- 
 ance, by Rubens ....;< 
 
 Mr. Day's b. f. by Spettre, out of Zu- 
 leika, by Gohanna .... 4 
 4 to 1 against Jonathan. Won easy. 
 
 LITCHFIELD, 1829. — SWEEPSTAKES. 
 
 Of 25 sovs. each, for two year old colts 8st. 
 
 Zlb. fillies 8st. T.Y.C. {3 subscribers.) 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie — 
 S. Darling . ... . .1 
 
 Mr. \ ates's b. ro. f. Nantz, by Mr. Lowe, 
 out of Gin, by Whiskey ... 2 
 5 to 2 on Birmingham. 
 CHESTER, 1830. — PRODUCE STAKES. 
 
 Of 50 SUVS. each, h.ft. for three-year old colts 
 8st. Alh.fi/iiesSst. (Sib. allowed, Ifc.) Two 
 miles. {14 subscribers.) 
 
 Sir T. Stanley's b. c. Lawrie Todd, by 
 Whisker, out of Maid of Lorn, by Cas- 
 trel— T. Lye i 
 
 Mr. Houldsworth's b. c. Beagle, by 
 Whalebone, out of Auburn, by Black- 
 lock (31b) 2 
 
 Mr. Yates's b. c. Edgar, by Panlowitz, 
 out of F^mmeline, by Waxy, (31b.) . 3 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, 
 by Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie. 
 
 Sir W. Wynne's bl. f. Georgiana, by 
 Welbeck, out of Banshee, by Young 
 Sorcerer 
 
 Lord Grosvenor's b. c. Barometer, by 
 Whisker, out of Boadicea, by Alex- 
 ander 
 
 Sir T. Moslyn's b. f. Ref ina, by Teniers, 
 out of Queen of Diamonds, by Diamond 
 5 to 4 against Birmingham. 2 to 1 against Lawrie 
 
 Todd, and 3 to 1 against Beagle. A bcaUfif'il riica, 
 
 ■ and w.n by a fu'l neck. 
 
 ClIESTtR, loSO. — THE DEE STAKES. 
 
 Of 50 sovs. each, h. ft.foi three-year old colls 
 Sst. Tib. fillies Sst. 2lb. The seco7id received 
 100 sors. — Once round and a distance. (14 
 .subscribers.) 
 
 Mr. Clifton's ch. f. Moss Rose, sister to 
 Velocipede, by Black lock, dam by Ju- 
 niper — G. Nelson .... 1 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie . 2 
 
 Major O. Gore's b. c. Old Port, by 
 Whisker, dam by Dick Andrews 
 
 Mr. Pickernell's b. c. Henwick, by Spec- 
 tre, dam by Shuttle .... 
 
 Mr. Yatt-s's ch. c. Jonathan, by Tiresias, 
 out of Zura, bj Selim .... 
 
 Sir T. Mobtyns b. f. Regina, by Teniers, 
 out of Queen of Diamonds, by Diainond 
 
 5 to 4 on Moss Kose. Won very easy. 
 CHESTER, 1830. — THE PALATINE STAKES. 
 
 Of 50 sovs. each, h. ft. for three-year old colls 
 Sst. 7 lb. fillies Sst. 2/6. (3/6. allowed, b)C.) 
 The second saved his stake. From the Castle 
 Pole, and once round. (9 subscribers.) 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, 
 by Filho da Puta, out.of Miss Craigie 
 
 S. Templeman 
 
 I 2 
 
116 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 Mr. Houldsworth's b. c. Beagle, by 
 Whalebone, out of Auburn, by Black- 
 lock (31b.) 2 
 
 Mr. Bower's b. f. Tartarina, by Tramp, 
 dam by Waxy ..... 
 
 Mr. Clifton's b. c. by Autonio, out of In- 
 fant Lyra, by Walton (31b.) . . 
 Even on Beagle, 5 to 2 against Mr. Clifton's colt, 
 
 and S to I against Birmingham. Won cleverly by a 
 
 length. 
 
 LUDLOW, 1830. THE LUDLOW STAKES. 
 
 Of 10 sovs. each, with 10 added, for horses of 
 all ages. — Once round and a distance. (10 
 subscribers.) 
 
 Mr. Beards worth s br. c, Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, 3 yrs. old, 6st. 7lb.— 
 J- Imy 1 
 
 M . Giffard's ch. g. Chester Billy, by 
 V< hisker, out of Sunflower, 5 yrs. old, 
 8 t. 61b 2 
 
 Mr Day's B. g. Listen, by Ambo, out of 
 Olivia Jordan, aged, 8st. lllb . . 3 
 
 Col. Yates's gr. f. Cicely, by Paulowitz, 
 dam by Paynator, 4 yrs. old, 7st lllb. 
 
 Maj. O. Gore's ch. f. Tib, by Langar^ 
 out of Wilful by Waxy, 4 vrs. old, 
 7st.9lb ' . . 
 
 Mr Pickernell's b. c. Henwick, by Spec- 
 tre, dam by Shuttle, 3 yrs. old 6st. Tib. 
 
 Mr. Vates's ch. c. Jonathan, by Tiresias, 
 out of Zora, 3 yrs. old, 6st. 71b. . . 
 
 LUDLOW, 1830. — PRODUCE STAKES. 
 
 0/50 sovs. each, h.ft. for three-year old colts 
 6st. 7 lb fillies 8st. 4lh. (3//;. allnued, ifc 
 Once round and a distance. (9 suhscrihers 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth'sbr. C.Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie— - 
 S. Darling ... . . I 
 
 Mr. Yates's b. c. Edgar, by Paulowitz, 
 out of Emmeline, by Vi'axy . . 2 
 
 WOLVERHAMPTON, 183 1.— PRODUCE STAKES. 
 
 O/50 sovs. each, h.ft. fn three-year old volts 
 8st. bib. fillies r,st. 2lb. {2lb. allowed, Sfc) 
 One mile. (9 subscribers.) 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie— 
 S. Darling , 1 
 
 Mr. Giffard's ch. c. by Tramp, out of Ac- 
 tive, by Partisan . . . . .2 
 
 Lord Grosvenor's br. c. Thermometer, by 
 Whisker, out of Michaelmas . . 3 
 Won easy. 
 WARWICK, 1830. — THE GUY STAKES. 
 
 OJ 50 SOVS. each, h. ft. for three-year old colls 
 Sst. 7lb. fillies 8st. Alb. (ilb. allowed, ^f.) 
 One mile. (31 subscribers.) 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie — 
 S. Darling ..... 
 
 Sir M. Wood's b. c. Cetus, by Whale 
 bone, out of Lamia, by Gohanna. 
 
 Sir T. Stanley's b. c. Lawrie Todd, by 
 Whisker, out of Maid of Lorn, by Ca.s 
 trel 
 
 Mr. Tomes's b. c. Port by Paulowita, oul 
 of Miss Hap, by Shuttle 
 
 Mr. West's b. c. brother to Claude Lor- 
 raine, by T^ibens. dam by Cesario . 
 
 Mr. Griffith's b. c. Thorngrove, by Srao- 
 lensko, out of Fannv Leigh, by Cas- 
 trel . . . ' . . . .0 
 
 Sir T. Stanley's ch. f. Augustina, by 
 Tramp, dam by Ditto .... 
 
 Mr. Yates's b. c. Edgar, by Paulowitz, 
 out of Emmeline, by Waxy (31b) . 
 
 Mr. Sadler's ch. f. Design, by Tramp, out 
 of Defiance, by Rubens ... 
 
 2 to 1 against Birmingham, 2 to 1 against Lawrie 
 Todd, and 5 to 1 against Cetus. Won easy. The 
 Jockey Club have decided that Sir Mark Wood is en- 
 titled to the stakes, in consequence of Mr. Mytton, 
 who named Biniiingham, not having paid up his 
 arrears. Bets are not affected by this decision. 
 
 WARWICK, 1830. — THE AVON STAKES. 
 
 Of bO sovs. each, h. ft. for three-year olds. — 
 
 Two miles. (10 subscribers.) 
 Mr. Beardsworth's br. c. Birmingham, by 
 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie, 8st. 
 
 31b. .... Walked over. 
 
 DONCASTER, 1830. — THE ST. LEGER STAKES. 
 
 Of 25 sovs. each, h. ft. for three-year old colt* 
 8st. Gib. fillies Sst. Zlb. St. Leger Course. 
 (68 siibscrihers.) 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth'sbr. c. Birmingham, by 
 Filho da Puta, out of Miss Craigie — 
 P. Connelly .... 
 
 Mr. W. Chifney's b. e. Priam, by Emi 
 lius, out of Cressida, by Whiskey— 
 S. Chifaey 
 
 Mr. Riddell's b. c. Emancipator, by 
 Whisker, dam by Ardrossan — R. John 
 son 
 
 Mr. B. Eddison's b. c. Pedestrian, by 
 Tramp, dam by Prime Minister — J 
 Garbutt 
 
 Mr. Petre's b. r. Brunswicker, by Figaro, 
 out of Maniac, by Shuttle — W. Scott 
 
 Lord Scarbrough's b. c. Chancellor, by 
 Catton, out of Henrietta, by Sir. Solo- 
 mon— G. Nelson .... 
 
 Mr. Metcalfe's b. c. Mimic, by Wanton, 
 dam by Sir Andrew^T. Lye . . 
 
 Mr. T. O. Powletfs b. f. Lady Emme- 
 line, by Young Phantom, dam by 
 Orville— Bilton .... 
 
 Mr. Grant's ch. f. The Balkan, by Black- 
 lock, dam by Walton — F. Buckle, jun. 
 
 Lord Queensberry's br. c. Hassan, by 
 Whisker, out of Panthea, by Black- 
 lock or Comus — W. Arnull ... 
 
 Lord Queensberry's b. f. Maria, by 
 Whisker, out of Gibside Fairy, by 
 Hermes — J. Day .... 
 
 Mr. Walker's ch. c. Splendour, by Sove- 
 reign, dam by Deceiver — J. Holmes . 
 
 Duke of Leeds's ch. c. Redstart, by 
 Whisker, out of Rhodacantha, by Co- 
 mus — G. Edwards .... 
 
 Duke of Leeds's ch. f. Lady Mowbray, 
 by Blacklock, out of Lady of the 
 Vale— J. Robinson .... 
 
 Mr. R. Sheph«rd's b. c. Th^^ Cardinal, by 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 117 
 
 Waxy Pope, out of Medora, by 
 Swordsman — T. Nicholson . . 
 
 Sir T. Stanley's b. c. Lawrie Todd, by 
 Whisker, out of Maid of Lorn, by Cas- 
 
 trel — S. Templeman 
 
 Lord Kelburne's ch. c. by Woful, out of 
 
 Emilia, by Abjer — G. Dockeray . . 
 Mr. Houldsworth's b. c. Beagle, by 
 Whalebone, out of Auburn, by Black- 
 lock—T. Cowley .... 
 
 Mr. T. Shepherd's ch. c. Revolution, by 
 Oiseau, dam by Don Cossack — T. 
 
 Shepherd 
 
 Mr. F. Richardson's b. c. St. Nicholas, 
 by Emilius, out of Seamew, by Scud — 
 
 H. Edwards 
 
 Mr. F. Richardson's b. f. Landrail, by 
 Bustard, out of Erin Lass, by Holly- 
 hock— Yates 
 
 Mr. F. Richardson's b. f. Jay, by Shuffler, 
 
 out of sister to Shuttle Pope— Wright 
 Mr. Clifton's ch. f. Moss Rose, by Black- 
 lock, dam by Juniper— S. Darling . 
 Sir J. Beresford's ch. c. by St. Patrick, 
 out ot Lisette, by Hambletonian — J. 
 
 Gray 
 
 Mr. Gascoigne's ch. c. by Blacklock, out 
 
 of Cora, by Waxy — Hodgson . . 
 Mr. Wright's gr. c. Idas, by Figaro or 
 Senator, dam by Hambletonian — Wea- 
 
 therill 
 
 Mr. Nowell's b. f. by Ivanhoe, out of 
 
 Rautipole, by Selim — Greethear . 
 
 Mr. Arnold's b. f. Dolly, by Figaro, dam 
 by Filho da Puta— J. Dodgsou . . 
 
 The Judge placed three only. 
 Bettiug at starting :— 11 to 10 against Priam, 13 to 
 2 against Hassan, l'2to 1 against Brunswicker, 12 to 
 1 against Moss Rose, 12 to 1 against The Cardinal, 15 
 to 1 against Birmingham, 17 to 1 against Maria, 25 to 
 1 against Lady Mowbray, 25 to 1 against St. Nicho- 
 las, 50 to 1 against Revolution, 1000 to 15 against 
 Mimic, 200 to 3 against Beagle, 1000 to 8 against 
 Chancellor, 1000 to 9 against Redstart, and 1000 to 4 
 against Splendour. 
 
 A more equal start could not have occurred, 
 all the horses getting well oflf at the first 
 word. If there was any advantage, it was 
 gained by Emancipator, who took a decided 
 lead at a very middling pace, Maria having 
 the second place, and behind her. Splendour, 
 The Cardinal, Birmingham, Brunswicker, 
 Pedestrian, Hassan, Moss Rose, and Mimic, 
 Priam lying in the centre of the lot. In this 
 order they ran as far as the hill ; and at this 
 early part of the race, Revolution, and two 
 or three more of the same grade, Ibund that 
 they had got enough of it. No other change 
 of importance took place till they got to the 
 Red-House, where symptoms of being tired 
 were evinced by Hassan, ISIoss Rose, and 
 Chancellor. (At this point of the contest, 
 Lady Emmeline, in turning the corner, came 
 in contact with Hassan and Brunswicker, who 
 were in consequence disappointed.) All this 
 time Priam had remained in the situation he 
 had occupied at the commencement ; he now 
 drew a little upon his horses, at the same 
 
 time occasioning a considerable amendment 
 in the speed, which directly afterwards be- 
 came severe. Emancipator continued the 
 lead, Maria, Pedestrian, and The Cardinal 
 lying close behind, while Birmingham and 
 Mimic were nearly abreast of Priam. Half 
 way between the end of the rails and the 
 distance, another change occurred, the Car- 
 dinal, Pedestrian, Maria, and Lawrie Todd 
 giving up further contest. At the distance, 
 Connelly called upon Birmingham— Chifney, 
 at the same time, making a strong effort with 
 Priam, At the Stand, Birmingham headed 
 Emancipator, and instantly after Priam did 
 the same. Chifney then began whipping and 
 spurring,Connelly working his horse,but with- 
 out using whip, and winning cleverly by half 
 a length. Pedestrian was fourth, and Bruns- 
 wicker fifth. 
 
 Subsequent to the race, some gentleman, 
 who, either from principle, or some less com- 
 mendable feeling, waited upon Mr. Beards- 
 worth expressly to entreat him not to make 
 Connelly more than a moderate present for win- 
 ning. " No !" replied Mr. B. " I consider 
 myself quite as much indebted to his honest 
 and skilful riding as I do to the goodness of 
 the horse and his training ; and I cannot 
 better show my sense of his conduct than by 
 presenting him with a five hundred pound 
 note !" which he did. Col. Peel gave him 
 50^., Mr. Robinson \QOl., Mr. Beardworth's 
 son and son-in-law 50/. each, besides several 
 other large gifts. It is said that the Bir- 
 mingham party had guaranteed him 1,300L if 
 he won, and, from what we have heard, he 
 netted about 1,500/. by his ride. He is a 
 very straight-forward promising jockey, and 
 cannot fail of becoming one of the most 
 popular riders of the day. It would be un- 
 just to omit noticing the admirable manner in 
 which the start was managed by Mr. Joseph 
 Lockwood— it was one of the best arranged 
 we ever witnessed, and elicited strong marks 
 of admiration from several of the Nobility ; 
 indeed, the general arrangements of the course 
 were highly creditable to Mr. L Value of 
 the Stakes— 1,700/. 
 
 On the Friday following the Leger he won 
 the three year old Stakes, amounting to 2701. 
 Giving 7lbs. 
 
 On the 19th October, he won the Produce 
 Stakes at Holywell, amounting to 4251. 
 
 At Chester, the 2d May, 1831, he won the 
 Grosvenor Stakes of 15 sovs. each, 7 sub- 
 scribers, with 50 added. On Wednesday, the 
 4th, he won the Stand Cup, added to a Sweep- 
 stakes of 10 sovs. each, 13 subscribers, 
 amounting to 230/. 
 
 At Knutsford, 28th July, he won the Gold 
 Cup, 14 subscribers, 10 sovs. each, with 50 
 added, amounting to 190/. ; and walked 
 over for the Pengwern Stakes at Hoi.yweli,, 
 of 30 sovs each. 10 forfeits. 7 subscribers. 
 
118 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 THE HORSE BIRMINGHAM. 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth, the owner of this cele- 
 brated Racer, received the following Letter of 
 congratulation, on occasion of his winning the 
 Great Doncaster St. Leger. 
 Sir, 
 
 I sincerely congratulate you on the 
 success of your Horse Birmingham, at the 
 late Doncaster meeting ; may he live long 
 and increase in speed and stamina; and (as 
 an old sporting friend of mine, when speaking 
 of any thing prospectively, would say) may 
 we live to see it. Yet, if you fairly consider 
 the qualities of his competitors in the great St. 
 Leger, his triumph must certainly not be esti- 
 mated too highly. That a Pedestrian was no 
 match for him, all must allow; and if he 
 turned his back upon Emancipation, why 
 hundreds have done so before him. I confess 
 it a little puzzles me to account for his run- 
 ning away before Lady Mowbray and Maria, 
 and that circumstance will, I fear, cast a 
 stigma upon his gallantry ; but that he should 
 disdain to be seen in company with a Car- 
 dinal, or even St. Nicholas himself, I can well 
 conceive. That he is too highbred to asso- 
 ciate with any thing so plebeian as Dolly we 
 may readily imagine, when he could uncere- 
 moniously turn his tail on Lady Emmeline and 
 the gay Lisette. He is from principle no 
 Brunswicker, neither is he friendly to Revolu- 
 tion, if we may judge of the distance he keepa 
 from both. All agree that he showed pro- 
 found wisdom by keeping aloof from the 
 Cknncellor, for with him there is little chance 
 of winning ; and it is also taken as a proof of 
 his great modesty and good sense, that he is 
 above the allurements of Sple7idour. He 
 scorns a Mi7nic as he does a Jay ; and after 
 having passed such ranges as the Balkan and 
 the Ida, it is not to be supposed that he could 
 be stayed by such trifles as a Moss Rose or a 
 Redstart : on such heroes as Hassan and 
 Lawrie Todd, he looked down with contempt, 
 and pronounced, or rather proved, them of the 
 same class as another of his competitors, 
 Wojul. It is true that old Priam was looked 
 upon with respect by him, but, like Caesar, 
 *■' ile came, he saw, he conquered" — and his 
 fame has gone forth to the North and to the 
 South, and the effects thereof are long faces 
 and light purses, to counterbalance which, I 
 am told, it has added considerable weight to 
 many cash accounts in the West. — I shall now 
 conclude, and wishing you all the success 
 your spirit and enterprise deserve, 
 
 1 remain. Sir, 
 
 Your humble and unknown admirer, 
 Pat Pry. 
 
 [The names in Italic are the names of the horses 
 that started against him in the Race ] 
 
 SOSG on the celebrated Horse Birmingham 
 winning the Doncaster Great St. Leger 
 Race, in 1830 for which twenty-eight started. 
 Written and adapted, and most respectfully 
 Dcdieated to 
 
 J. BEARDSWORTH, ESQ. 
 
 Air, — Aitaof^on in Heaven, or Old Bibo. 
 The course is well throng'd 'ere the sports are begnn^ 
 Ten thousand all eager to witness :'he fun ; 
 But who stands the fav'rite amongst all the stud ? 
 Why Priam, five hundred I bet on his blood ! ! 
 They tell me this Birmingham stands a poor chance ; 
 Why, zounds, sir, yc; need not doubt that at a glance 
 For of all the inanimate things I e'er saw. 
 He's the worst — only fit in a waggon to draw. 
 
 Pray govern your spleen, nor thus rate him so low, 
 I've heard tho' he's tame, he's a devil to go I 
 Nay more, I am told, even tho' so high bred. 
 An infant may lead him about with a thread I 
 For instance, it is not the man who brags most. 
 That's found at the push to be first at his post : 
 And if jockey'd by Connelly — mark what I say, 
 This dull Birmingham takes your St. Leger away. 
 
 Behold now, each jorkey has mounted his steed. 
 And soon 'twill be seen who can make the best speed ; 
 See Priam, how gay, how he frets to be off — 
 Yes, yes, I perceive you at Birmingham scoff : 
 But be not too sangmne,tho' Priam's your boast. 
 The horse you despise, Sir, may first smell the post I 
 And should such be the case, as it soon will 1 ween. 
 What a mass of grimaces may shortly be seen. 
 
 See now, they're all waiting the signal to start. 
 Each better on Priam still keeps up his heart ; 
 The bell rings ! they've started, now, now, for the fun I 
 Here's odds against Brummagem, fifteen to one ! 
 I'll take you— and twenty times so if you please. 
 For shortly I think that your pockets 'twill ease: 
 Only witness his speed, and you'll soon drop your jaw. 
 For instead of a waggon, your purses he'll draw . 
 
 The contest decided, all silent as death 
 
 Save groans from great losers, you'd scarce hear a 
 
 breath, 
 Fleet liirmingham struck them all dumb with surprise. 
 For he conquered Priam, and won the great prize 1 
 What think ye, sirs, now, of your fifteen to one ? 
 You see that the knowing ones are to be done 
 For tho' Priam's a good one, by thousands confess'd. 
 Still you see he was forc'd to yield Birmingham best. 
 
 Bold Beardsworth; thy conquests I need not relate. 
 For here stands a proof, in a part of thy plate :* 
 And long mayest thou live in good health to enjoy 
 Those blessings which nothing but Fate can destroy : 
 And Birmingham's mistress I here beg to name. 
 Who nurs'd him in sickness, andrear'd him to fame : 
 In a bumpe r we'll pledge them all three with three 
 
 cheers. 
 May their efforts gain prizes for many long years. 
 
 Great Ornament to the Town of Bir- 
 mingham. Mr. Beardsworth's Repository 
 and Carriage Mart. 
 
 The above splendid establishment may very 
 properly be termed the Tattersalls of Bir- 
 mingham ; in truth, it is 7 to 4 in every point 
 of view (without making any invidious com- 
 parisons), Beardsworth's against Tattersall's 
 of Hyde Park-corner, London ; and we re- 
 commend all travellers, but more especially 
 the Sporting Folks, to go a little way out of 
 their road to enjoy a treat, namely, a visit to 
 this most extensive carriage mart and repo- 
 sitory. It is unquestionably the best con- 
 ducted establishment of the kind in the 
 United Kingdom and consequently in the 
 
 * Several pieces of elegant and massive Prize 
 Plate, belonging to Mr. Beardswortli, were placed on 
 the table, at Mr. H. Cattell's St. Leger Dinner, at 
 which Mr. B. presided, and on which occasion the 
 above wo* written and sung by the Author. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 110 
 
 'vorld. The effect upon a stranger, on enter- 
 ing it, is of the most pleasing description : he 
 is at once delighted and surprised ; and can- 
 not but applaud the exertions of its spirited 
 l)roprii'tor, Mr. Beardsworth, who, in the erec- 
 tion of this building, has expended upwards 
 of twenty thousand pounds. 
 
 The front open ride is 324 feet long, and 
 150 feet wide, which is now walled in, and 
 has a pair of large gates opening to the 
 south; and, althougii this establishment is 
 near the centre of the town, there is an unin- 
 terrupted view from it of a beautiful country 
 for many miles. The covered ride is also 324 
 feet long, and 150 feet broad, supported by 
 bamlsonie pillars, whicli form regular avenues, 
 witii one roof 40 feet high ; and which con- 
 tains upwards of 300 windows and sky-lights, 
 so as to render the covered ride as light as 
 the open air. The carriage galleries extend 
 all nnind the establishment, and will contain 
 five hundred vehicles. The fronts of these 
 galleries are secured by light iron rail-woTk, 
 so that all they contain are exposed to the 
 view of the public. Under the galleries are 
 stall-stabling for 140 horses, and twelve 
 boxes. The back square contains twelve 
 larger boxes, with two stories of store rooms 
 over them. There is seldom less than 400 
 vehicles on sale, comprising every variety 
 from the most elegant and fashionable barouche 
 down to those of the most accommodating 
 description ; indeed, all classes of society in 
 Birmingham can suit themselves with car- 
 riages without the least difficulty. There are 
 also capacious rooms appropriated for sad- 
 dlery and harness ; a most extensive assort- 
 ment of which is always on hand. Sales by 
 auction, for horses and carriages, take place 
 every Thursday, commencing at eleven 
 o'clock, which generally are well attended ; 
 and on several occasions more than two 
 thousand persons have been present. Nu- 
 merous sales take place by private contract 
 daily; in fact, the business done altogether at 
 the Repositoiy is very considerable. We are 
 thus glad to find that the exertions of Mr. 
 Beardsworth are duly appreciated by the 
 public. But when we look, at the situation 
 of this Kepository, which is in the centre of 
 the kingdom, in an exceedingly populous dis- 
 trict, and amidst numerous flourishing and 
 important towns, the inhabitants of which are 
 continually havingoccasion topurchase ordis- 
 pose of property for which this establishment is 
 so peculiarly eligible ; we must repeat, that 
 when we take these points into consideration 
 and also the excellent accommodation afforded 
 on the premises : the neatness, the order, and 
 the regularity with which every thing is kept, 
 and the superior advantages of dealing with 
 responsible parties, we congratulate the town 
 of Birmingham on having an establishment so 
 useful and ornamental. 
 
 So far the Repositoky ; but the interior of 
 the 'esidence of Mr. Beardsworth is furnished 
 in tie most elegant and tasteful manner : the 
 
 drawing-room is magnificent indeed, and looks 
 more like the levee-room of an ambassador 
 or a Prince of the Blood, than the apartment 
 of a private gentleman. The chairs are costly 
 in the extreme; the curtains to correspond; 
 and four large splendid looking glasses placed 
 opposite to each other, produce an effect al- 
 most magical. Yet comfort has equally been 
 the object of the proprietor ; and sixteen spare 
 beds are kept for the use of his friends ; and 
 it is seldom but most of them are engaged by 
 persons connected with the Sporting World, 
 who are no strangers to the pleasures )f a good 
 fire-side, a convenient apartment, and a downy 
 pillow. In short, the Repository rather lose.** 
 by an attempt at description than otherwise : 
 but the visitor, in traversing through its vari- 
 ous departments, will be amply gratified with 
 the old adage, that " seeing: is believing." 
 
 We are also happy to state that the disposi- 
 tion of Mr. Beardsworth is extremely liberal, 
 upon aJl occasions, to his townsmen, consisting 
 of a population of 140,000 persons, by afford- 
 ing them an accommodation in the loan of his 
 premises for public meetings, no other place 
 in Birmingham being large enough. The 
 Fancy are also very much indebted to the 
 worthy proprietor of this establishment, who, 
 having made a good hit in life himself, is 
 forward in promoting the hits of others, by 
 granting the use of the Repository for the 
 Sparring Benefits of the Pugilists. 
 
 JNIr. Beardsworth is a jolly, facetious com- 
 panion ; he also keeps a most excellent table ; 
 and he is fond of being surrounded by his 
 friends, to partake of good cheer, and ex- 
 tremely liberal with the keys of his cellar. 
 Mr. B. has mixed a great deal with the various 
 grades of society, connected with the depart- 
 ments of his extensive concern ; and no man 
 is more entitled to the enjoyment of the " good 
 things" of this life, than the worthy proprietor 
 of the splendid Repository of Birmingham. 
 He has ' worked his way' with industry, 
 honor, and integrity, to his present eminence 
 in the world ; and Mr. Beardsworth, having 
 " won the gold," thinks he is entitled to " wear 
 it." He can now sit down comfortably and 
 happy over his glass, and enter into all the 
 spirit and feeling of the following ballad, 
 Avhich has been often chanted at his festive 
 board : — 
 
 My friend is the man I would copy through life, 
 lie harbours no envy, he causes no strife ; 
 No murmurs escape him, he plays well his card. 
 Content is his portion, and peace his reward : 
 
 Still happy in his station. 
 
 He minds his occupation, 
 
 Nor heeds the snares, 
 
 Nor knows the cares 
 
 Which vice and folly bring; 
 
 Daily working wearily. 
 
 And nightly singing cheerily. 
 Dear to him his home, his country, and hia king. 
 
 His heart is enlarged, and is free from all taunt. 
 With pleasure he lessens it for others that want ; 
 Though his dear childien's claims on his indueti y 
 
 press. 
 He has something to spare for the child of distress ; 
 
120 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 He seeks no idle squabble. 
 
 He joins no thoughtless rabble. 
 
 To clear his way 
 
 Ftom day to day, 
 
 His honest views extend ; 
 
 When he speaks it's verily. 
 
 When he smiles it's merrily. 
 Dear to him his sport, his toil, his honor and his 
 
 friend. 
 How charming to find, in his pleasant retreat. 
 That bliss so much sought, so unknown to the great; 
 The child only anxious her fondness to prove. 
 The playful endearments of infantine love. 
 
 Relaxing from his labours. 
 
 Amid his welcome neighbours. 
 
 With plain regale, 
 
 With jest and tale. 
 The happy hero see ; 
 
 No vain schemes confound him. 
 
 All his joys surround him. 
 Dear he holds his native land, its laws and liberty. 
 
 We cannot couclude our remarks without 
 observing, as we have been informed, that 
 Mr. Beardsworth has been the architect 
 of his own fortune ; and that, by unremitting 
 industry, perseverance, and enterprise, he 
 has been enabled to raise the above splendid 
 establishment, not only viewed by the inhabit- 
 ants, but by most travellers, as one of the 
 greatest ornaments to the town of Birmingham. 
 
 On Fighting. By \ Young Gentleman of 
 THE Fancy. 
 
 Fighting may be divided into — but, before 
 we begin, we earnestly recommend this ar- 
 ticle to the notice of our fair readers. Fight- 
 ing is a fine thing, and should be maintained 
 stoutly: reconciliation, to be sure, is pleasant 
 enough at times, but it has much less of esprit 
 in it. The ladies of this country know nothing 
 of contests beyond what they collect at a ge- 
 neral election. From the figure which they 
 make there, however, occasionally, we have 
 no doubt but that they would enjoj' a legitimate 
 fight. Why not, as much as a tournament? 
 We protest that we see no reason to the con- 
 trary. 
 
 The females of foreign countries have ar- 
 rived at a higher point in these matters than 
 the ladies of England. A Paris mob is nothing 
 ■without women : an auio da f6 in Portugal 
 would be even gloomy without them : and a 
 Spanish bull-fight, a bye-word — a positive 
 bait— a mere Moulsey matter, and no more. 
 We hope for improvement here at home, and 
 live accordingly. With what an air would our 
 boxers strike, did they know that bright eyes 
 were looking on them ! How delicately would 
 they " peel!" and with what an elegant indif- 
 ference would they coin e to " <Ae scratch!" 
 The consciousness in question would generate 
 the finest feelings amongst them : honour 
 would ever be uppermost in their thoughts, 
 even in a fall. They would no more hit a 
 doubtful blow, than reject a challenge from a 
 man under weight. Pity towards a prostrate 
 foe would temper the exultation of conquest; 
 and a white feather (except in a bonnet) would 
 never be seen . 
 
 How heart-stirring is it to speculate on all 
 this ! We could almost fancy that the thing 
 was accomplished ! The candidates for fame 
 are before us — they look round the arena, ^and 
 shake hands with a smile — the handkerchiefs 
 (blue, yellow, or spotted -green) are tightened 
 round their loins — the drawers, of the finest 
 flannel, are pulled cleverly up. and they begin. 
 It is quite overpowering to think of it — the 
 awful pause — the steadfast eye — the advance 
 — the retreat — the increased motion of the 
 hands — the beautiful play of the muscles about 
 the shoulders — the feint — the preparation to 
 parry — the first blow ! It is, indeed, a grand 
 sight : it is ever grand and awful ; — but, with 
 thousands of fair ones for spectators, how 
 charming might it become ! The ladies must 
 really condescend, to it at last. Let them be 
 assured that there is not often much that is 
 frightful in it. They would get accustomed 
 to it in a shorter time than to port-wine, or 
 olives. The first drop — the least drop of 
 "claret" in the world, and all apprehension 
 would be over. Should they anticipate a dull 
 hour between the appointed fights, they may 
 take " Old Mortality," or " Tom Cribb's Me- 
 morial" in their pockets, and their amuse- 
 ment for the day would be secure. There is 
 one thing more — (though we scarcely think it 
 necessary to talk of it) — be it known, then, 
 that refreshments of all sorts are distributed 
 on the ground at a moderate price : there is 
 gingerbread for the young ladies — sandwiches 
 and stout for the grown up — and liquors of 
 potent and indubitable quality for the more 
 advanced in life. We are sure that we need 
 say no more. There are topics, indeed, which 
 it is as well not to dilate upon. 
 
 Our brethren of the North would fain mo- 
 nopolize the " ring" for their own use ! Tliis 
 must not be. Ours is a civilized age, in which 
 the fine arts are common topics for all. We, 
 too, are " slaves of the ring," as well as of 
 " the lamp." We do not particularly purpose 
 following our contemporaries in any way, but 
 we may both touch, now and then, upon ground 
 debateable ; and should we chance to meet 
 them anywhere, we will spar with them good- 
 humouredly, be the demesne supposed theirs 
 or our own. We have no objection to our smart 
 brethren availing themselves of what is pecu- 
 liarly Edinburgh-i«/i. We would as soon 
 shoot a fox on our neighbour's grounds as 
 disturb them in this : we would hunt rabbits 
 rather in the dearth of other occupation. 
 They may also, if they like, appropriate to 
 themselves the claymore and the target : and 
 to these they may add the tomahawk, if it so 
 please them ; but be the muflSes ours, the 
 arrow, the pistol, and the sword ! — Time has 
 spared us a few distinctions : we must take 
 leave to preserve them. Tempus edax rerum 
 is a famous motto, and has been often quoted, 
 yet the pudding and the roast-beef remain our 
 own still. Time spares them in his voracious 
 course, as Alexander spared the house of 
 Pindai ; and we remain still boxers, by pre- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 121 
 
 scription and repeated proof. No name of 
 eminence has arisen north of the Tweed to 
 give a colour to usurpation. The fame is 
 ours : be ours the task of maintaining it. 
 
 There are certain names in history which a 
 nation treasures as its wealth. It is not in 
 the present only that the living live. The re- 
 putation of their fathers has ever stimulated 
 men in science and in fight : it has been the 
 breadth which has blown tlieir honorable va- 
 nity into a flame, and has kept it bright so long 
 as there was an ember to be moved. What 
 would the Scotch say, were we to seize upon 
 the names of Wallace and Bruce, and insist 
 upon recording exclusively their misfortunes 
 and their feats? Can we leave, then, the 
 fame of Tom Johnson and Jem Belcher in the 
 hands of strangers ? Forbid it courage, and 
 the honor of nations ! Weshould be di)ubled- 
 up for ever, were we to suffer such a cold- 
 hearted policy to prevail. What would be 
 said in the Bristol " nursery" of such a de- 
 reliction ! What could we ourselves say to 
 our children while training them up in the way 
 they should go, in excuse for so pusillanimous 
 an act ? We vow that we should blush through 
 the gloves. No ; we disdain the thought. 
 We are " championed on to the utterance," 
 and obey the voice that leads us to our duty.] 
 
 It is not our intention to indite a mere 
 eulogy on boxing : by no means. We would 
 record it, however, as one of the honorable 
 methods of annoyance and defence ; and men- 
 tioning it, in its turn, with other hostile plans, 
 leave it to take its chance with the candid. 
 No doubt but that there are various methods 
 of fighting, all equally inimical. People who 
 are well disposed are not nice in the choice 
 of their weapons. Arrow, or bullet, or fist, 
 to them, as General Bombastes philosophically 
 says, " 'tis all the same." " Short cut or 
 long," the thread of life must be severed, and 
 whetlier by scissors or knife — 
 
 (For scissors cut as well as knives) 
 
 by Atropos, or one of her sisters, 'tis no such 
 mighty matter in the end. 
 
 Almost all sorts of fighting have been cele- 
 brated. The sword has found Homer for its 
 friend ; and Milton has said something in the 
 •way of artillery. Ballads out of number have 
 touched upon the arrows of Robin Hood and 
 his merry men ; and boxing, in Mr. Cribb's 
 ingenious memorial, has not wanted an histo- 
 rian. Perhaps, however, Mr. Anstey, the 
 author of that clever work called " The Plead- 
 er's Guide," has treated the matter in the most 
 enticing way. Fighting, as he finely says — 
 but let him speak for himself — 
 
 Now fighting's in itself an action 
 
 That gives both parties satisfaction ; 
 
 A secret joy the bruiser knows 
 
 In giving and receiving blows; 
 
 A nameless pleasure — only tasted 
 
 By those who've thoroughly been basted. 
 
 With what an amateur feeling is this given .' 
 It has all th*" air of a person whose mind has 
 not been lightly made up on the matter ; it 
 seems the word of one whom '' long expe- 
 rience has rendered sage ;" and may no more 
 be controverted than a proverb or an oracle. 
 
 We had originally intended to have dis- 
 cussed the various methods used in different 
 countries of deciding disputes : but this, Ave 
 find, would occupy greater space than we can 
 devote even to the present seducing subject. 
 We must content ourselves with a few passing 
 allusions to the exploits of our neighbours and 
 strangers ; and we may, perhaps, even indulge 
 ourselves with a sneer or twowhere their cus- 
 toms happen to differ from their own. This 
 privilege has always been ceded to travellers 
 (or taken by them), and also to men of science 
 and historians ; and, as we claim to be enrol- 
 led amongst the two latter classes, we shall 
 assume the rights that belong to them all, and 
 take our measures accordingly. 
 
 Before we begin upon fighting, we may as 
 well say a few words about quarrelling. The 
 word should precede the blow at all times. 
 Quarrelling, then, has always been a subject 
 of no trifling importance to nations, as well as 
 to individuals. Whether indulged in by 
 thousands or units, it has always been a se- 
 rious matter, at least to the parties concerned : 
 blood, and noise, and foul words have gene- 
 rally been found its associates. Now, as 
 quarrelling has always been a thing of conse- 
 quence, it follows, of course, that the method 
 of putting an end to it must have partaken of 
 its importance. Blows and the shaking of 
 hands are the alpha and omega : — the life and 
 death, as it may be said of dispute. The 
 hand in one case is clenched, and in the other 
 it is open. It is strange that such a trifling 
 alteration should be the distinction between 
 peace and war ; but so it is. Formerly there 
 was no other emblematic difference between 
 rhetoric and logic ; now those two great figures 
 of speech are confounded with each other. 
 There has not been a coalition that we know 
 of, but the respective qualities of each other, 
 become merged and lost in a something to 
 which it may be difficult to afford a name. In 
 parliament we, at times, have debate without 
 either persuasion or argument. In the courts 
 of law we have speeches without much argu- 
 ment, but full of flourish and pleasant per- 
 plexities. Conviction, to be sure, follows in 
 the latter case ; but it is of the luckless cul- 
 prit instead of in the mind of the judge. In 
 Ireland, we understand, an instance or two 
 may still be found of pure unadulterated rhe- 
 toric, flourishing and flighly, without anounce 
 of argument to weigh it down. We certainly 
 should like to hear a specimen. In Scotland, 
 a few of the higher advocates are men of wit 
 and letters (we hear) as well as lawyers. With 
 us there are sotne of that stamp, but not many. 
 To return, however, for we are getting a little 
 abroad, as the phrase goes, which frequently 
 happens after making play for some time, either 
 
122 
 
 PIERCE ECAN'S HOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 Nvith your subject or an adversary. We do 
 not propose to push our inquiries too far back 
 amongst our ancestors. It is enough to know 
 thai the Druids wore clubs as well as beards ; 
 that the Picts, and Scots, and ancient Britons, 
 used certain warlike instruments, which almost 
 amounted to swords and speal-s ; and which, 
 in fact, by courtesy, passed even under those 
 names. The infancy of our country, how- 
 ever, is a thing too tender to meddle with ; 
 and the clubs and beards of the Druids are, 
 like their old groves, " holy ground," and 
 shall not be invaded by us. We leave the 
 Picts and Scots to their naked majesty — to 
 their forests and their heaths, and descend at 
 once to the doublets and corslets of later times, 
 when the arrow and the lance made their ap- 
 pearance in tourney and fight. Archery was 
 first introduced to the English in rather an un- 
 pleasant manner at the battle of Hastings. 
 William the Conqueror brought the arrow into 
 fashion, and kept it in high repute. His bow, 
 which no one else could bend, is as notorious 
 as himself. William gave his kingdom to-his 
 son ; unluckily the fashion followed, and an ar- 
 row put an end to the hunting of William Rufus. 
 Had a man called Dart or Ari-ow been then in 
 existence, we suppose he would have applied to 
 parliament to have had his name changed at 
 once ; — the assassination of the Duke de Berri 
 was, we know, too much for the loyalty of a 
 country gentleman of the name of Loutel. He 
 prayed that he might be allowed to cast off his 
 paternal title, and take up with the one which 
 his mother had abandoned. But, we believe, 
 there are but few instances of this uneasy de- 
 licacy ; nay, we hope not — for otherwise it 
 would be a hard thing upon the Smiths, and 
 Thompsons, and Jacksons, of town and coun- 
 try. The most celebrated of our archers was 
 Robin Hood : he is supposed by many to have 
 been a nobleman ; but all allow that he took a 
 purse with infinite grace. He could split ye 
 a wand at the distance of we know not how 
 many yards ; and he was successful and happy 
 in love. Sherwood forest, — " merrie Sher- 
 wood," is no more in fact, but it flourishes 
 greenly in song, and Robin Hood and his 
 archers strong still live in the immortality 
 which, we have no doubt, they hardly earned. 
 As, however, the bow and arrow do not 
 strictly belong to the art of self-defence, which 
 term is understood to mean a closer method of 
 discussing quarrels, we leave them to enjoy 
 their old fame undisturbed. 
 
 A ToDRNAMENT is the next thing that oc- 
 curs to us. A tournament was an amicable 
 representation, as every one knows, of a single 
 combat. It was the sparring of those days, 
 not so graceful or so manly indeed, but more 
 ostentatious and imposing. The spectators at 
 the Fives Court would soon be disgusted, were 
 they to witness so barbarous a proceeding. 
 What would they say to see two men mounted 
 and armed with spits, each in a sort of cup- 
 board of steel, gallopping towards each other, 
 
 for the sole purpose of the one pushing the 
 other off his horse ! The thing is really ridi- 
 culous. With the exception of the assemblage 
 of young and old who came to witness these 
 awkward exhibitions, a bull bait is beyond 
 them. A Spanish bull fight in truth, where 
 the ladies are pleased to applaud and dip their 
 handkerchiefs occasionally in blood ('tis but a 
 bull's blood), is a much more magnificent 
 spectacle. Sometimes these tournaments took 
 a serious turn, and ended in broken crowns, 
 or perhaps something worse : and at times 
 there were meetings of this sort, by no means 
 jocose, where the lance was not blunted, as in 
 sports. Then the parties went to work in a 
 bond fide manner, and, if their lances did not 
 answer their purpose, they took to their 
 swords without ceremony or loss of time. 
 When two persons were at issue with each 
 other, as to a matter of fact, our ancestors 
 deemed that the best way of getting at the 
 truth was to turn the parties into a ring to- 
 gether, and let them fight it out. It sometimes 
 happened that one of the combatants was six, 
 and the other about four or five feet high ; 
 under these circumstances it was easily sus- 
 pected on which side the truth would be found 
 to lie. The small man was always in fault, 
 and the larger acquired a privilege of lying 
 again. Such " ruffianing" now would not be 
 tolerated for a moment. We have indeed im- 
 proved to some purpose. Can it be thought 
 that young Brown would be allowed to go 
 into a ring with Tom Cribb or Shelton ? Cer- 
 tainly not. It would be like thrusting the 
 whelp into the lion's den (as was done at the 
 Tower), or feeding the Boa Constrictor with a 
 live goat (as is recorded by Mr. Macleod, of 
 tlie Alceste), or any other act equally au- 
 thentic and abominable. Oh ! pugilism is an 
 honorable thing. Let it not be trodden down 
 by the ignorant, and never be ventured upon 
 by the unskilful. It is not the sparrer of yes- 
 terday who is to be allowed a voice on a sub- 
 ject so important : and let not the man who has 
 discussed only knuckles of beef, hazard a syl- 
 lable disrespectful. When Tullus Aufidius 
 railed at mighty Rome, the conqueror of Co- 
 rioli stopped his presumptuous folly in a mo- 
 ment. For ourselves, though we nauseate it, 
 we would speak of smoking even with respect. 
 The love of smoking has in it a mystery which 
 we never could detect; we treat it, therefore, 
 with attention. It has been too much the fa- 
 shion to decry the noble science of boxing. 
 Young gentlemen of white hands and pale 
 hearts cannot abide it, and the ladies vow 
 that it is shocking. For the former we care 
 not ; we leave them " to their own aversion," 
 as Don Juan says — but for the fair and beau- 
 tiful we still have a word or two in reserve. 
 We cannot give them up without a blow. The 
 male simpleton is an absolute nought on either 
 side of the question, but the gentle infidel 
 must be ours before we cease. 
 
 I'encing. — The duelling of the Vicillc Cour 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 123 
 
 is a delicate matter. We would fain avoid it 
 were it possible, but our duty is imperative, 
 and we must say a few words on the subject. 
 We have really the utmost respect for the age 
 of Queen Anue and George II. : indeed, what 
 can be more imposing than the ruffles and flaps 
 of that stately period— the forbidding sto- 
 machers of the women, or the overwhelming 
 cnrls of the men ! We would not move a 
 muscle against them. Those were not days 
 when things were hurried over without due 
 consideration : a courtship was then a serious 
 thing, and a duel no joke. Each demanded 
 time and thought; and a lady was not plunged 
 into matrimony or widowhood, without proper 
 arrangements having been made for her com- 
 fort. Things then took their course, and a 
 gentleman was killed to the satisfaction of all 
 parties. Those were really respectable times, 
 and we are afraid that even the present must 
 suffer in the comparison. Our style of 
 fighting, however, is decidedly superior, and 
 with that we must rest contented. 
 
 Should any of our readers wish to know 
 how to handle a sword or a rapier, we com- 
 mend unto them M. Angelo's book upon fenc- 
 ing. There may be seen the English fashion, 
 tjje Spanish fashion, the Italian fashion, and 
 others. A gentleman may be put out of his 
 misery, in the most scientific way, according 
 to any fashion that may please him. Should 
 he wish to die genteelly, he may have the 
 small sword : if effectually, let him select the 
 long Spanish, and he shall be spitted like a 
 lark : — if he have any notion that the brain 
 retain its sensitiveness after the body dies, the 
 sabre may be resorted to with success. We 
 have heard that some heads have stood proof 
 against this formidable weapon ; but, with 
 the exception of honest Sancho's, there is no 
 one on record that can be relied on. Sancho, 
 thou flower of squires errant, thou hadst a 
 head indeed ! It was no more to be over- 
 come than thine appetite : it had a tongue, 
 and a face attached to it, that have made the 
 reputation of La Mancha. Thou didst immor- 
 talize thy master, honest Sancho, and~thyself: 
 thou hast pleased the people of other times, 
 and delighted those of the present, and the 
 fame of thy stomach and thy jokes will not be 
 lost upon posterity. Peace to thy bones, which 
 had but small peace on earth, thou pleasant 
 model of Iberean squires ! 
 
 It was no easy thing to please a master of 
 fence in former days. The system was too 
 artificial. The position, like that of a spread 
 eagle, was altogether inferior to that of the 
 pugilist. You had to balance yourself like a 
 rope-dancer, and hold out your " (jold iron " 
 offensively ; but you were sure to be weary 
 before your adversary was finished. Hear 
 one of the masters speak, and marvel not, 
 gentle reader, that the fashion has gone out. 
 It is Capt. Bobadil who talks, and it is Ben 
 Jonsou (old Ben) who supplies him with dis- 
 cour**, " Come on : oh ! twine your body 
 
 more about, that you may fall to a more sweet, 
 comely, gentlemanlike guard. So, indifferent : 
 hollow your body more. Sir, thus : now stand 
 fast o' your left leg, note your distance, keep 
 your due proportion of time ! Oh ! you dis- 
 order your point most irregularly." Disorder ! 
 Is it to be endured that a man must submit to 
 these distortions, and have them called grace? 
 Had Fencing been worthy of its reputation it 
 would have lived. But it is gone. The " im- 
 mortal passado" is forgotten: we scarcely 
 know the meaning of it ourselves. The most 
 elegant fencers that we know of were Etistace 
 (in Fletcher's comedy of the Elder Brother), 
 and the gay and gallant Sir Harry Wildnir. 
 They were, indeed, ethereal spirits ; yet we 
 should have liked them as well whether they 
 had fenced, or split bullets on the edge of a 
 knife. Had they been handlers of the gloves 
 indeed — but it was in vain to lament : perfec- 
 tion is not for the earth. 
 
 The Pistol is a dangerous weapon. It 
 should be used cautiously as a friend, and 
 avoided altogether as an enemy. It is, indeed, 
 an imperative weapon, and may no moi-e be 
 disputed than an invitation to Court. It is a 
 convincing weapon. It comes upon one, not 
 in the shape of an argument fine-spun or wire- 
 drawn, but like the breath of an oracle. It 
 has more of the proverb, in short, than the 
 syllogism about it. It is the ipse dixit of 
 death, which there is no refuting. The pistol 
 has done its work in England and France; 
 but it is chiefly in the sister country that it 
 has found friends. It may be said to be a 
 denizen of the Emerald Isle. Coffee and 
 pistols for two was an order to which the 
 waitei-s of Dublin were accustomed to attend 
 witliout either hesitation or surprise. There 
 were no unnecessary questions asked, but gen- 
 tlemen were left to amuse themselves as they 
 might. This was really a fine period : ti e 
 Irish are a fine people. There was the fairest 
 play in the world at their duels. The ground 
 was measured, and the pistols primed, in the 
 presence of hundreds : if the parties escaped 
 it viias well : if they did not escape, why it 
 was well still. Their courage and their virtues 
 were the theme of many a jovial party ; and 
 their names survived for weeks beyond their 
 deaths — a serious period in the Irish calendar. 
 
 When the Shillelah came into fashion we 
 cannot learn ; but, as it may be considered as 
 almost a foreign weapon, we shall not treat of 
 it. Its virtues have been principally felt in 
 Ireland — be there the record made. It is, we 
 apprehend, an unadorned stick, not unlike 
 tlie common cudgel, and used in a similar 
 manner. It has been the subject of song, and 
 the arbiter of many a dispute. 
 
 Boxing. — So many names — so many battles 
 — so many arguments, press upon us now, 
 that we suspect we shall fail from very excess. 
 We shall sliear our article of its honors from 
 the mere apprehension of awarding too much. 
 We have a sense of plethora upon us, that 
 
124 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 may perhaps scare us into dullness of speech, 
 or eventually reduce us to meagreness of de- 
 tail. How shall we break cover? Shall we 
 begin with the Greeks ? No : they were not 
 true boxers. They cased their hands in steel, 
 and pelted away at each other's heads, but it 
 was with perseverance rather than science, 
 We will commence our remarks on English 
 ground. Our course maybe rambling, but we 
 will make our stand there, till the battle be 
 done. 
 
 How pleasant are our associations with box- 
 ing ! Its name, " the Fancy !" (the Fancy !) 
 How delicate ! how distinguishing ! how free 
 from vulgarity ! what an air it has ! It 
 breathes of Moulsey. The muffles seem to 
 dance before our eyes ; the ropes are near us, 
 and the handkerchiefs fly flaunting in the 
 wind. 
 
 Historians and poets have been mighty fond 
 of scribbling at large about soldiers, as if 
 there were half the merit in annoying your 
 adversary, or defending yourself, with wea- 
 pons as without them. It is really idle to 
 waste a doubt on the subject. There is none. 
 We hear talk of heroes and laurels, and so 
 forth, at a great rate, but we must confess that 
 we never thought much of any of the feats of 
 antiquity, until we read that Milo had knocked 
 down a bull with his fist, and eaten him up 
 afterwards. That really is a serious fact, and 
 should astonish us accordingly. But let us 
 see how the matter stands. The ancients had 
 heroes, and so have we : but was Ajax braver 
 than Gregson ? — was he bigger than Perrins ? 
 — No. Was Achilles to be compared to the 
 Game Chicken? Pshaw! Hen would have 
 threshed Mars himself with very little trouble. 
 Then Jem Belcher and Tom — they may surely 
 be placed by the side of Castor and Pollux ; 
 and Dutch Sam might have been seen near 
 Agjs, or even Alexander, with advantage. 
 Molineux, bating his colour, would have been 
 a match for Hercules ; and Cribb gives one no 
 unfavorable idea of the great god Pan. Cy. 
 Davis is the beau ideal of fighters — the Apollo 
 of the ring. Spring is an absolute Greek in 
 lineament. Readers, gentle readers, weigh 
 these men in the fair scales of your opinion, 
 ■ before ye prefer other heroes to the fighters 
 of your native country. — More anon. 
 
 The Sports, Pastimes, and Habits of our 
 Forefathers contrasted with Modern 
 manners. 
 
 In an account of London, written about 
 1174 (Richard Coeur de Lion), we have a de- 
 scription of tlie impenetrable forests (the pre- 
 sent Mary-le-bone) to the north of London, 
 and of " a pleasant place called Smythefields, 
 without one of the citie gates, and even in the 
 very suburbs. Here there is a celebrated ren- 
 dezvous of fine horses to be sold. Thither 
 come earls, barons, knights, and a swarm of 
 citizens. 'Tis a pleasing sight to behold the 
 
 ambling nags so smoothly moving by raising 
 and putting down alternately the two side 
 feet together." From this it is evident that 
 our ancestors broke in their horses to that un- 
 natural pacing now witnessed only in America. 
 We find that in former times great complaints 
 were made that the dealers in Smithfield, 
 among other tricks, contrived to make the 
 horses swallow live eels or snakes, their ac- 
 tion in the belly of the horses making them 
 appear lively and frisky. The horse-races in 
 Smithfield are then described (1174). But 
 " on Shrove Tuesday the boys of all the 
 schools (of London) bring to their masters 
 each one his fighting-cock, and they are in- 
 dulged all the morning with seeing their cocks 
 fight in the school-room. After this all the 
 boys go into Smithfield or Moorfield, in the 
 suburbs, and address themselves to the famous 
 game of foot-ball. The scholars of each school 
 have their peculiar ball, and the particular 
 trades have most of them theirs. The elders 
 of the city, and the fathers, and the rich and 
 the wealthy, do come on horseback to see the 
 exercise of the youth. Every Sunday in Lent 
 a nobler train of young men take the field after 
 dinner, well mounted. The lay sons of the 
 citizens rush out of the gates in shoals, armed 
 with lances and shields ; the younger sort 
 with javelins pointed, but disarmed of their 
 steel : they ape the feats of war, and act the 
 sham fight. If the king happens to be near 
 the city, many courtiers honor them with their 
 presence, together with the juvenile parts of 
 the household of the earls, barons, and bishops. 
 At Easter the diversion is on the water. A 
 target is strongly fastened to a mast fixed in 
 the middle of the river ; and a youngster, 
 standing upright in the stern of a boat made 
 to move as strong as the oars and current can 
 carry it, is to strike the target with his lance ; 
 and if, in hitting it, he break his lance, and 
 keep his place in the boat, he gains his point ; 
 but if it happen that the lance is not shivered 
 by the force of the blow, he is, of course, 
 tumbled into the water, and away goes his 
 vessel without him. However, a couple of 
 boats, full of young men, are placed on each 
 side of the target, ready to pick him up the 
 moment he comes to the surface. The bridge 
 and -the balconies on the banks are filled with 
 spectators, whose business it is to laugh. On 
 holidays the pastime of the youth is to exer- 
 cise themselves in archery, running, leaping, 
 wrestling, casting of stones, flinging to certain 
 distances, and, lastly, with bucklers. The 
 maidens, as soon as the moon rises, dance to 
 the guitar. In the winter holidays the youth 
 are entertained with boars fighting to the last 
 gasp, and likewise with hogs, full tusked, or 
 game bulls, and bears of large bulk are baited 
 with dogs. And when that vast lake which 
 waters London to the north, Fens-bury (Fins- 
 bury), is hard frozen, the youth, in great num- 
 bers, go to divert themselves on the ite. Some 
 will make a large cake of ice, and, seating one 
 of their companions upon it, they taks hold of 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 125 
 
 one another's hands, and draw him along : 
 sometimes they do all fall down headlong. 
 Others place the leg-bones of animals under 
 their feet, by tying them round their ancles, 
 and then, taking a pole shod with iron into 
 their hands, they push themselves forward, 
 and are carried with a velocity equal to the 
 flight of a bird, or a bolt discharged from a 
 cross-bow. Sometimes two of them start op- 
 posite to each other, at a great distance. They 
 meet, elevate their poles, attack, and strike 
 each other, when one or both of them fall ; 
 and even after their fall they shall be carried 
 a good distance from each other by the rapidity" 
 of the motion. Many of the citizens take 
 great delight in fowling with merlins, hawks, 
 and such like ; and likewise in hunting, and 
 they have a right and privilege of hunting in 
 Middlesex, Hertfordshire, and all the Chiltern 
 country, and in Kent as far as the river Cray." 
 Such were the sports of our stout ancestors in 
 London, in the days of Coeur de Lion, nearly 
 seven hundred years ago. Our ancestors, 
 however, were a sad set of savages ; for, shortly 
 after, we find a mob rushing into the tower, 
 and dragging out the archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, and murdering him on Tower Hill. 
 " There lay his body unburied all that Friday, 
 and the morrow till afternoone, none daring to 
 deliver his body to the sepulture. His head 
 these wicked tooke, and nayling thereon his 
 hoode, they fix it on a pole, and set it on Lon- 
 don bridge." So poor also were our ancestors 
 about this period, that y/e find Henry III. 
 commanding the sheriffs to pay him fourpence 
 a day for the keep of a Norway bear, which 
 he had received as a present ; " and he also 
 commanded them to provide a muzzle for the 
 said bear, and an iron chain to hold him out 
 of the water, and likewise a long and stout 
 cord to hold him whilst fishing in the river 
 Thames. Two years after he ordered the she- 
 riffs to erect a house forty feet long by twenty 
 feet wide, for the reception of an elephant 
 which had been sent to him by Lewis, king of 
 France." Of this huge beast, the first seen in 
 England, great complaints were made by our 
 simple ancestors, the sheriffs representing that 
 " verily this monstxous beast from Ind does 
 consume marvelously the provisions, eating 
 up the substance of many worshipful gentle- 
 men, and it does sorely distress his majesty's 
 loyal servants. We do humbly wish we were 
 ■well rid of it, so please Providence, and be it 
 his majesty's pleasure." The bear supported 
 itself by fishing in the Thames, which, at that 
 period, was redundant of large fish, and par- 
 ticularly of salmon. The practice of " cart- 
 ing" in the city, of which so much has recently 
 been said, we trace to the year 13S3, the 
 seventh of Richard II. " The citizens of 
 London first imprisoned such women as were 
 taken in fornication or adultery, in the Tunn 
 prison, in Cornhill, and after caused them to 
 be brought forth in the sight of the world. 
 They caused their heads to be shaven after 
 the manner of thieves, and so to be led about 
 the city, with trumpets and pipes sounding 
 
 before them, that their persons might be more 
 largely known. Neither did they spare the 
 men." In November, 1552 [Elizabeth], we 
 find, by the records of the Court of Aldermen, 
 " It was this day orderyred and agryed that 
 sir Thomas Sowdeley, who did not deny, but 
 playnly confess, this day, in full Corte, that 
 he hathe kept, and viciously and carnally 
 used, an harlot in his house a long tyme, 
 namynge her to be his wyfe, shall to-morrow 
 be carried about the citie in a carte, with a 
 ray hode on his head, a whyte rode in his 
 hande, and basonnes and pannes ringinge be- 
 fore hym, according to the laur and anciente 
 customs of this gode cytie, in such case made, 
 provyded, and used." So strong was the an- 
 tipathy against acting, as to women, that, in 
 1632, Prynne denounced all female actors, 
 under the words, " women actors notorious 
 w — es." But shortly after the queen acted 
 in a private Pastoral, and the passage being 
 thought applicable to her majesty, the author 
 was severely punished. But while these 
 " cartings" were practised for sexual guilt, 
 ladies and gentlemen deemed it no great dis- 
 grace to be drunk. James I. gave a most 
 splendid entertainment to Christian IV. of 
 Denmark, his wife's brother. Sir J. Har- 
 rington says, " we had women, and wine too, 
 of such plenty as would have astonished a 
 sober beh«lder. Our toasts were magnificent, 
 and our two roya! guests did most lovingly 
 embrace each other at table. I think the 
 Dane has wrought on our good English nobles, 
 for they do wallow in beastly delight. The 
 ladies do abandon their sobriety, and do roll 
 about in intoxication. A great feast was held, 
 and after dinner was represented the queen of 
 Sheba. The lady (Salisbury) who did play 
 the queen did carry most precious gifts to 
 both their majesties, but overset her caskets 
 into his Danish majesty's lap, and fell in his 
 face. Much was the confusion, but napkins 
 were at hand to make all clean. His majesty 
 then got up, and would dance with the queen 
 of Sheba ; but he fell down, and was carried 
 to an inner chamber, and laid on a bed of 
 state, which was not a little defiled. The 
 show went forward, and most of the presenters 
 went backward, or fell down, wine did so 
 occupy their upper chambers." Such was 
 a court entertainment of those days ; and the 
 king and queen rolling on the floor tipsy was 
 no uncommon sight. Of the two most remark- 
 able duels in our chronicles, that of Branden, 
 duke of Sufl'olk, and the German Champion, 
 and that of Jeffery Hudson with the brother 
 of lord Crofts, are the most conspicuous. 
 Branden was " the most courteous knight — 
 tall, muscular, active, of portly carriage, mar- 
 vellouslie skilful at all weapons, and brave of 
 heart." This English champion had beaten 
 almost all the knights of Europe, and, at last, 
 challenged the flower of German chivalry. 
 Here a most unfair trick was played upon him ; 
 for, when he went into the list his opponent 
 had substituted a hired champion, a giant, 
 almost the largest that has e\ er appeared in 
 
126 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 Europe. The English duke, however, bravely 
 engaged him ; and, after a very long and 
 doubtful conflict, cleft his head, and left him 
 on the list3, to tlie great triumph of Henry 
 (VIII.), and to the sore disgrace of the Ger- 
 man princes. Jeffery Hudson's father " kept 
 the baiting bulls for the duke of Buckingham, 
 and was a proper man, broad shouldered and 
 chested. He was of lusty stature, as well as 
 all his children, except Jeflery." We do not 
 mean to asperse the character of ]\hs. Hudson ; 
 but, amidst his lusty brothers, Jeflery, " when 
 seven years of age, was scarcely eighteen 
 inches in height, yet without any deformity, 
 and wholly proportionable. Shortly after, he 
 was served up in a cold pie to Charles I., and 
 his consort, Henrietta Maria. At a masque 
 the king's gigantic porter drew him out of his 
 pocket, to the surprise of all beholders. This 
 favor of royalty " made that he did not know 
 himself and would not know his fatiier. In 
 the civil wars Jeifery became a captain of 
 horse, and accompanied the queen to France. 
 In that country he had the misfortune to en- 
 gage in a dispute witli Mr. Crofts, who, ac- 
 counting him an object, not of his anger, but 
 contempt, accepted the challenge to fight a 
 duel ; yet, coming armed only with a squirt, 
 the little creature was so enraged that a real 
 duel ensued, and the appointment being on 
 horseback, with pistols, Jeffery, with his first 
 fire, shot his antagonist dead." He died in 
 1C32, aged 63, and only three feet nine inches 
 high ; but he grew greatly after his duel. 
 London bridge was often the scene of despe- 
 rate duels. In the reign of Richard II. we 
 find that " a grand passage of arms took place 
 on London bridge between David Lindsey, 
 earl of Crawfort, a Scotch knight, and lord 
 John de Wells, of England. At the third 
 course with spears lord Wells was borne out 
 of his saddle. The challenge had been given 
 by lord Wells, in Scotland, and a safe conduct 
 was thrice renewed for Lindsey and his re- 
 tinue, including twelve other knights, by 
 Riciiard himself." We do not find that the 
 Irish knights were famous in duels, but we 
 have frequent mention that their common sol- 
 diers were of immense stature, and threw the 
 spear with such a force that it often passed 
 through the body of a foe, notwithstanding 
 the best armour. We may, perhaps, be al- 
 lowed to digress to two modern duellists of a 
 neighbouring kingdom. About the period of 
 the revolution, captain, afterwards marshal, 
 Junot, was the terror of Paris as a duellist. 
 He was the best broad-swordsman in Europe, 
 and had killed all whom he had fought with, 
 and which were not a few. At length he 
 quarrelled with a young man, who, in spite 
 of his fame, and the dissuasion of his friends, 
 resolved to meet him. They accordingly met, 
 and Junot received a desperate wound in tiie 
 abdomen. His antagonist proved to be mar- 
 shal Lannes,^ whose courage at the head of 
 the grenadier regiments was afterwards so 
 celebrated. 
 
 THE REJECTED VATRRMAN. 
 
 A Javorite chant ' by the Fancy' on the Thamct- 
 
 ! love has robb'd my heart of ease, 
 I've got no MiiU for roithij: ; 
 
 Vith C'lielsva Nan I've had a breczr, 
 
 And all about a Blouen. 
 You rogue, says she, says Chelsea Nan, 
 Von /art 's enough fur any iiian. 
 Vy Nan, says I, you pull too ha-rrt, 
 
 Vith me there's nouglit to fear ; 
 
 1 always steer for jour regard, 
 'I'Jien do not be austere. 
 
 Tis I'/ierry cruel CheUea Nau, 
 
 So to upset a \'aterman. 
 
 Plung'd in a tide of grief, I mourn— 
 
 My spirits ehb aadjiuw j 
 Von who so long a badge hns -vorn 
 
 She shouldn't badger so; 
 Or she may vitness vith a tear, 
 A VutermuH upon his bitr. 
 Tho' it is sad in early prime 
 
 To lie upon the shelf, 
 I've slwt the bridge, many a time, 
 
 And now I'll shoot myself. 
 My ogles see in salt tears suiimmhigr 
 Because she giv'd me such a trimmiug. 
 I vish'd the matter to explain, 
 
 Of \at shed took a note of; 
 But all my efforts vas in vain. 
 
 She bid me shone my bout off ; 
 And then she siag'd out, o'er and oVr, 
 Your vwuriugs shan't be here no more. 
 Young Vatermen now varning tate. 
 
 If you for comfort visli ; 
 Your lawful sweetheart don't forsake, 
 
 Nor angle for loose fish. 
 Or you will find, though strong your sinew. 
 That I unt and tide are both agin you. 
 
 Hanoverian Boar Hunt. 
 
 As early as five o'clock in the morning, in 
 the month of Octobei, all the people of Han- 
 over were in motion, and e\ery horse and -e- 
 hicle that could be procured at any price wen* 
 put into requisition. The ground where the 
 slaughter was to take place lay at the distance 
 of twenty English miles from town, and thither 
 did the whole population of the country repair 
 with impatient curiosity. The scenery alongthe 
 way was wild and lomantic. Segregated iiills, 
 covered with trees of a stunted growth, rose 
 on all sides, and at length we came to a thick 
 forest of vast extent, where poles with dark 
 green flags affixed to (hem served as so many* 
 guides through a region of mud, o\ er which 
 none but Germaus would have the te- 
 merity to venture a carriage. At occasiimal 
 intervals, booths and sheds were constructed 
 as places of entertainment, and the wietched 
 cheer they supplied was eagerly purchased. 
 You might see a dashing Colonel drinking- 
 schaps (spirits) out of a glass that saluted the 
 lips of some hundreds of squalid citizens ; 
 having at the same time a piece of black bread 
 in one side of his mouth, and a cigar in the 
 other, while a wedge of German sausage, sur- 
 mounted by a piece of raw bacon, gave em- 
 ployment to the thumb of his right hand. 
 After penetrating about a mile and a half into 
 the forest, we came to a place enclosed by 
 canvas and net work, witliin which the stags 
 and wild boars liad for some time before been 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 127 
 
 collected. At the extremity of the enclosure 
 a sort of pavilion was placed for the accom- 
 modation of the King, had his Majesty at- 
 tended. It was in his absence occupied by 
 the Royal sportsmen, with the Duke of Cam- 
 bridge at their head. None were allowed to 
 use fire arms but his Royal Highness, with the 
 Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, and the 
 Duke of Mecklenburgh Strelitz. At eleven 
 o'clock the work of destruction commenced, 
 and a herd of boors came down the extremity 
 of the enclosure, where the sportsmen, if so 
 they could be called, stood ready to attack 
 thein, the peasantry at the same time raising 
 loud yells through the woods, and keeping up 
 a kind of wild concert with the sound of tlie 
 bugle as they closed in upon their prey. 
 Thirty-five victims fell in the fatal attack, 
 and they were literally butchered. The poor 
 animals did not attempt any resistance ; and it 
 was shocking to see the torture in which they 
 were kept from their assailants not being adroit 
 enough in the use of the spear to put them 
 properly out of existence. I saw a boar run- 
 ning about the ground with his entrails hang- 
 ing out, and on* of the young Dnkes of 
 lirunswick thought it a proud exploit to place 
 his spear in the very part where a mortal 
 wound had already been inflicted. With the 
 exception of Lord Clanwilliam, who acquitted 
 himself like a true sportsman, there was 
 scarcely an individual that attacked the prey 
 in a fair manner. Sir Edmund Nagle, after 
 having laid four boars dead at his feet, ex- 
 ciaTmed in the language of his profession as a 
 
 tar, " me, see what I've done j I have 
 
 stove in the gun-rooms of four pigs by " 
 
 There were ninety boars killed in all ; but the 
 number of stags that fell were not consider- 
 able. The day was very wet, and it served to 
 give a deeper shade of horror to a scene which 
 no EnglLihman would ever again desire to 
 witness. 
 
 The Hippopotami, or Water Elephant. 
 
 In '' Lander's Travels," recently published, 
 we extract the following interesting nocturnal 
 passage down the river Niger. — " We passed 
 several beautiful islands in the course of the 
 day, all cultivated- and inhabited, but low and 
 flat. The width of the river ajipeared to vary 
 considerably, sometimes it seemed to be two 
 or three miles across, and at others double 
 that width. The current drifted us along very 
 rapidly, and we guessed it to be running at 
 the rate of three or four miles an hour. The 
 direction of the stream continued nearly east. 
 The day had been excessively warm, and the 
 sun set in beauty and grandeur, shooting forth 
 rays tinged with the most heavenly hues, 
 which extended to the zeiiiih. Nevertheless, 
 the appearance of the firmament, all glorious 
 as it was, betokened a coming storm ; the 
 wind, whistled through the tall rushes, and 
 darkness soon covered the earth like a veil. 
 This rendered us more anxious than ever to 
 land somewhere, we cared not where, and to 
 
 endeavour to procure siielter for the night, if 
 not in a village, at least under a tree. Ac- 
 cordingly, rallying the drooping spirits of our 
 men, we encouraged Ihem to renew their ex- 
 ertions by setting them the example, and our 
 canoe darted silently and swiftly down the 
 current. We were enabled to steer her rightly 
 by the vividness of the lightning, which 
 flashed across the water continually, and by 
 this means also we could distinguish any dan- 
 ger before us, and avoid the numerous small 
 islands with which the river is interspersed, 
 and which otherwise might have embarrassed 
 us very seriously. 
 
 *' But here a fresh evil arose, which wo 
 were unprepared to meet. An incredible 
 number of hippopotami arose very near us, 
 and came plashing, snorting, and plunging 
 all round the canoe, and placed us in imminent 
 danger. Thinking to frighten them off, we 
 fired a shot or two at them, but the noise only 
 called up from the water and out of the fen'', 
 about as many more of their unwieldy com- 
 panions, and we were more closely beset than 
 before. Our people who had never in all their 
 lives been exposed in a canoe to such hijfjp 
 and formidable beasts, trembled with fear and 
 apprehension, and absolutely wept aloud ; 
 and their terror was not a little increased by 
 the dreadful peals of thunder which rattled 
 over their heads, and by the awful darkner«3 
 which prevailed, broken at intervals by flashes 
 of lightning, whose powerful glare was truly 
 awful. Our people tell us that these formi- 
 dable animals frequently upset canoes in the 
 river, when every one in them is sure to 
 perish. These came so close to us that we 
 could reach them with the butt-end of a gun. 
 When I fired at the first, which I must have 
 •hit, every one of them came to the surface of 
 the water, and pursued us so fast over to the 
 north bank, that it was with the greatest difli- 
 culty imaginable that we could keep before 
 them. Having fired a second time, the report 
 of my gun was followed by a loud roaring 
 noise, and we seemed to increase our distance 
 from them. There were two Bornou men 
 among our crew who were not so frightened 
 as the rest, having seen some of these creatures 
 before on Lake Tchad, where, they say, there 
 are plenty of them. However, the terrible hip- 
 popotami did us no kind of mischief whatever ; 
 they were only sporting and wallowing in the 
 river, for their own amusement, no doubt, at 
 first when we interrupted them ; but, had they 
 upset our canoe, we should have paid dearly 
 for it. 
 
 " We observed a bank on the north side of 
 the river shortly after this, andl proposed halt- 
 ing on it for the night, for I wished much to 
 put my foot on firm land again. This, however, 
 not one of the crew would consent to, saying, 
 that if the gewo roua, or water elephant, did 
 not kill them, the crocodiles certainly would 
 do so before the morning, and I thougnt after- 
 wards that we might have been carried off 
 like the Cumbrie people on the islands neai 
 Yaoorie, if we had tried the experiment. 
 
128 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 "The wind kept blowing hard from the 
 eastward till midnight, when it became calm. 
 The rain then descended in torrents, accom- 
 panied by thunder and lightning of the most 
 awful description. We lay in our canoe 
 drenched with water, and our little vessel was 
 filling so fast, that two people were obliged to 
 be constantly baling out the water to keep 
 her afloat. The water elephants, as Hie natives 
 term the hippopotami, frequently came snort- 
 ing near us, but fortunately did not touch our 
 canoe. ■ 
 
 A Sketch of Newmarket Races by a 
 German Prince. 
 
 The above titled personage, in his tour 
 through England, in 1823, but recently pub- 
 lished — thus remarks : — " These races begin 
 pretty punctually at twelve o'clock. An in- 
 terminable grassy plain, covered with a thick 
 short turf, is the ground, where various dis- 
 tances, from a full German mile as a maximum, 
 to an eighth or a tenth as a minimum, are 
 marked for the course in a perfectly straight 
 line. Near the end, this course is enclosed 
 between ropes, on the outside of which rows 
 of carriages, three and four deep, are drawn 
 up, generally without horses, and covered 
 within and without, from top to bottom, with 
 spectators. At the goal itself is a wooden house 
 on wheels, very like those the shepherds have 
 in many parts of Germany, so that it can be 
 moved about in case the course is lengthened or 
 shortened : in this sits the judge. Just op- 
 posite to him is a post fixed in the ground, by 
 means of which he determines which horse's 
 nose first appears exactly on a line with it ; 
 for an inch often decides the race ; and it is 
 a very skilful piece of policy and jockyship 
 of the riders here, to betray the real speed of 
 their horses as little as possible, and to dis- 
 play only as much of it as is necessary to win 
 the race. If they see they have no chance, 
 they immediately give up ; so that those who 
 contend for victory to the last, are always very 
 nearly together at the goal. The grotesque spec- 
 tacle of a rider a mile in the rear, belabouring 
 his horse with whip and spur, like a steaih- 
 engine, is exhibited only in France and Ger- 
 many. If two horses reach the post exactly at 
 the same moment, (which frequently happens,) 
 theymust run again. The judge is upon oath, 
 and there is no appeal from his decision. The 
 English jockeys, (who are not, as foreigners 
 think, little boys, but often dwarfish men of 
 sixty,) form a perfectly distinct class, and are 
 the best practical riders I know of. You re- 
 member that I kept race-horses myself, and had 
 a Newmarket jockey for a time in my service, 
 who won a considerable bet for me at Vienna. 
 
 It amused me greatly to see this fellow 
 * training ' himself. After dosing himself se- 
 verely, he would go out in the greatest heat, 
 dressed in three or four great coats, ride a 
 certain distance at a hard trot, till the sweat 
 streamed off him in torrents, and he almost 
 sank from exhaustion ; ' mais tell 6toit son 
 plaiser,' and the more completely good-for- 
 
 nothing he felt, the better he was pleased. 
 " But there are bounds to this : for the man, 
 by excessive training, may reduce himself be- 
 low the weight which the horse is bound to 
 carry, and thus subject himself to the incon- 
 venien tnecessity of carrying lead in the girths. 
 At a certain distance from the goal, about a 
 hundred paces to the side, stands another 
 white post, called the betting-post. Here 
 the bettors assemble, after they have seen the 
 horses saddled in the stables at the beginning: 
 of the course, thoroughly examined into all 
 the circumstances of the impending race, or 
 perhaps given a wink to some devoted jockey. 
 The scene which ensues would to many appear 
 the most strange that ever was exhibited. In 
 noise, uproar, and clamour, it resembles a 
 Jew's synagogue, with a greater display of 
 passion. The persons of the di:ama are the 
 first peers of England, livery servants, the 
 ' lowest sharpers,' and ' black-legs ;' — in short 
 all who have money to bet here claim equal 
 rights ; nor is there any marked difference in 
 their external appearance. Most of them 
 have pocket-books in their hands, each calls 
 alloud his bet, and, when it is taken, edcii 
 party immediately notes it in his book. 
 Dukes, lords, grooms and rogues, shout, 
 scream and halloo together, and bet together, 
 with a volubility, and in a technical language, 
 out of which a foreigner is puzzled to make 
 any thing ; till suddenly the cry is heard, 
 ' the horses have started \ ' In a minute the 
 crowd disperses, but the bettors soon meet 
 again at the ropes which enclose the course. 
 You see a multitude of telescopes, opera- 
 glasses, and eye-glasses, levelled from the 
 carriages, and by the horsemen, in the direc- 
 tion whence the jockeys are coming. With 
 the speed of the wind they are seen ap- 
 proaching ; and for a few moments a deep and 
 anxious silence pervades the motley crowd ; 
 while a manager on horse- back keeps the 
 course clear, and applies his whip without 
 ceremony to the shoulders of any intruder. 
 The calm endures but a moment ; — then once 
 more rises the wildest upi'oar ; shouts and 
 lamentations, curses and cheers re-echo on 
 every side, from lords and ladies, far and 
 wide, ' Ten to four upon the Admiral ! ' 'A 
 hundred to one upon Madam Vestris ! 
 * Small beer against the field ! ' &c. are heard 
 from the almost frantic bettors : and scarcely 
 do you hear a ' done ! ' here and there, when 
 the noble animals are before you — past you — 
 in the twinkling of an eye ; the next moment 
 at the goal, and luck, or skill, or knavery, 
 have decided the victory. The great losers 
 look blank for a moment ; the winners triumph 
 aloud, many make ' bonne mine S, mauvais 
 jeu,' and dart to the spot where the horses are 
 unsaddled, and the jockeys weighed, to see if 
 some irregularity may not yet give them a 
 chance. In a quarter of an hour the same 
 scene begins anew with other horses, and is 
 repeated six or seven times. ' Voila les 
 courses de Newmarket ! ' " 
 
PIFRCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 129 
 
 The Gallant and Spirited Race, at Kuavesmire, in Yorks/iire, 
 
 For 500gs. and lOOOgs. bye — 4 miles — between 
 The Late Col. THORNTON'S Lady and Mr. FLINT. 
 
 See the Course throngM with gazers aud lots of " Cld 
 
 Rakes" — 
 To view the ' beautiful Heroine' start for the states, 
 With handkerchiefs waving, the spectators all clap, 
 Half dressed like a jockey, with her whip asd Lcrcap, 
 With spirits like fire, behold her mount the gay j^ad. 
 And tho cheers and the smiles make her heart light 
 
 and glad ; 
 And Mrs. Thornton's ' the favorite' through thick and 
 
 through thin. 
 And the Swells and the Jockeys all bet that she'll 
 
 win 1 
 
 The Annals of the Turf do not contain such 
 another extraordinary circumstance as the 
 above matcii ; indeed, it stands alone in the 
 0. 
 
 Sporting World, not only as a most singular 
 contest, but as a lasting monument of female 
 INTREPIDITY. IMrs. Thomton, it should seem, 
 was as much attached to the Sports of the 
 Field, as her husband, the late Colonel 
 Thornton ; she had also a great passion for 
 horse exercise, and, like Miss Pond, of former 
 celebrity, she would try her skill and nerve 
 in racing. The families of the Colonel and 
 Mr. Flint lived upon terms of the greatest 
 intimacy, the two ladies being sisters — 
 During one of their equestrian excursions in 
 Thornville park, a conversation took place 
 
 K 
 
130 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 respecting the speed of their respective horses 
 between Mr. Flint and INIrs. Thornton, when 
 some difference of opinion having occurred 
 upon the subject, the horses were occasionally 
 put at full speed for the purpose of ascertain- 
 ing the point in question, when Old Vinga- 
 rillo, aided by the skill of the fair rider, 
 distanced his antagonist every time, which so 
 discomfited Mr. Flint, that he was at length 
 induced to challenge the lady to ride on a 
 future day. His challenge was readily ac- 
 cepted (on the part of the lady) by Colonel 
 Thornton, and it was agreed that the race 
 should take place on the last day of (he York 
 August Meeting, 1804. This singular match 
 was thus announced to the public : — " A 
 match for 500 guineas, and 1000 guineas bye 
 — four miles — between Colonel Thornton's 
 Vingarillo, and Mr. Hunt's br. h. Thornville, 
 by Volunteer. Mrs. Thornton to ride her 
 weight against Mr. Flint." 
 
 On Saturday, August 25, the above match 
 was decided in the presence of upwards of 
 100,000 persons; indeed, expectation was 
 raised to the highest pitch from the novelty of 
 the match : thousands from every part of the 
 surrounding country thronged to the ground. 
 In order to keep the course as clear as pos- 
 sible, several additional persons were em- 
 ployed ; and, much to the credit of the 6th 
 Light Dragoons, a party of them also were on 
 the ground on horseback for the like purpose, 
 and which, unquestionably, saved the lives of 
 many persons. About four o'clock, Mrs. 
 Thornton appeared on the ground in high 
 spirits. Old Vingarillo led by Colonel Thorn- 
 ton, followed by Mr. liaker and Mr. H. Bayn- 
 ton, and soon afterwards Mr. Flint. Every 
 thing being in readiness, Mrs. Thornton 
 started amidst the loudest cheers ever heard 
 upon a race course ; and the betting all over 
 the ground created a great deal of mirth and 
 •witty remarks* from the spectators. She 
 
 • The Cads, and fellows with the Race Lists, were 
 thus hanking their bills and cards over the race ground 
 to obtain purchasers, " Come my worthy sporting gen- 
 tlemen from all parts of the kingdom— now's your time 
 to open your eyes and look about you, when you will 
 Bee to-day what you never saw before in your life ; and, 
 perhaps, you may never see again, if you live as long 
 as Old Methuselah. Come, I say, who's for a list— the 
 wliole list, and nothing else but a true list— besides, you 
 ■will have a correct and particular account of the terrible 
 terrible, terrible high-bred female (the lady of Colonel 
 Thornton) : there is nothing like her in the world. Old 
 Astley's troop are mere patches upon her as to managing 
 a horse, she will this day ride a match like a lady, 
 over the four mile course for 500 guineas, and 10(K' 
 guineas bye; and some hundreds of thousands are likewise 
 depending upon this most extraordinary match between 
 the "Jockey in pet t icoiits" a^Mnst that well-known 
 sporting character Mr. Flint, in his " doe skins and 
 top boots ; and looked upon as one of the best gentle- 
 inari ridefs in the nation. You have also the names of 
 the horses, and the colours of the riders, with every other 
 particular that can enlighten your minds, and make vou 
 gcnt.emen sportsmen acquainted with this lively race 
 You have now the opportunity to lay out your monev 
 according to your inclination. Tlie gentleman allows the 
 lady to rule what wi ight she likes, there being a mutual 
 understanding between them upon the subject • there- 
 fore, she will not, like commoners, go ' to scale,' as she 
 will not be handUd by any body before she starts for 
 the prlie ; indeed, the Female Jockey is not considered 
 
 mounted her horse in the true spirit of a 
 cavalier ; and there was a great deal of the 
 gallant-bearing attached to the character o^ 
 it ; the most experienced jockey could not 
 have been mnre at his ease, or have acted his 
 part in better style than Mrs. Thornton. 
 
 When first 1 strove to win the prize, 
 
 I felt my youthful spirits rise,^ 
 
 Hope's crimson Hush illiimd my face. 
 
 And all my soul was in the race ; 
 
 When dress'd and mounted 'twas my pride. 
 
 Before the starting-post to ride ; 
 
 My rival diess'd in pearly white. 
 
 The crowded Course to me delight. 
 
 In stands aronnd fair ladies swarm, 
 And mark with smiles my slender form ; 
 Tlieir lovely looks new ardour raise. 
 For beauty's smile is merits praise. 
 The flag is dropp'd — the sign to .start, 
 Away more fleet than winds we dart ; 
 And though the odds against me lay. 
 The Pktticoat shall win the day. 
 Though now no more we seek the race, 
 I trust the Jockey keeps his place : 
 For still to win the prize I feel 
 An equal wish, an equal zeal ; 
 And still can friendship's smile impart 
 Delightful tremors through this heart ; 
 Indeed, 1 feel it flutter now — 
 Yes, while I look, and while I bow. 
 
 My tender years must vouch my truth. 
 For Candour ever dwells with youth ; 
 Then sure the Sage. might well believe 
 A face like mine could ne'er deceive ; 
 If here you e'er a match should make, 
 My life upnn my luck 1 '11 stake : 
 And, 'gainst all odds, 1 think you'll say. 
 The Pr.TTicoAT shall win the day. 
 
 any weight at all. Her importance and self-possessioH 
 are the only objects for consideration. What does spirit, 
 fire, blood, and gaiety weigh, 1 should I ke to ask? 1 
 answer nothing,— my masters ! Such high bred qualities 
 are as light as air— brisk as the wind— and 2 to 1 to- 
 wards winning. You have also, at the same price, the 
 plain and simple pedigree of the female jockey. Her 
 Sire was a capital ' good un ;' her dam, a prime tieet 
 ' un," an Eclipse in character ; her brother, all that 
 could be wished upon the turf, for getting over the 
 ground like a sky rocket ; her sister, a Nonpareil at 
 all points, and above any price ; but her owner, her out- 
 and-out owner, the Colonel, from his ' upper crust' down 
 to his ' walker,' is a match for all England against any 
 thing— for every thing alive— either on the turf or turn- 
 pike— from a mouse to an elephant : and nothing else 
 but winning belongs to his stable. And lastly, though 
 not the least in the above Catalogue of Excellence,— 
 every point of the Female Jockey'is tip-lop ; her agility 
 is captivating ; and she mounts her prnd like the most 
 accomplished horseman in the world. Her movements 
 defy expression ; her nods to the females, as she rides 
 oyer the Course, delightful ! but her smiles to the ap- 
 plauding gentlemen, in answer to the winks, bows, and 
 other marks of politeness towards her, as compliments 
 tor her daring exploit, are fascinating, elegant, and no- 
 thing else but winning. She is seated upon her high- 
 bred animal with all the lirmness of a Nimrod ■ she 
 holds her reins with the most perfect ease and style • 
 and-Chifney, in the best of his days, never displayed a 
 better knowledge of horsemanship than the Female 
 Jockey, and she flourishes her whip will all the uood 
 taste of the leader of a band at a concert. In fact, she 
 IS a. None stick ! a Paragon ! ! a PHENOMENON! 1 I 
 Old y ingariUo too, her prad, is also a picture of good- 
 ness, from his peepers dow n to his fetlach s ! Therefore, 
 my worthy sportsmen, do not lose this opportunity— be 
 not too late— but purchase this great curiosity— this list of 
 ^,t<j-nothing like it having occurred in Yorkshire, or 
 in any other part of the globe since Noah's flood- -either 
 before or since that wet season of the year : and it is 
 York Minster to a brass Jarden that nothing like it 
 can occur again till we have a new generation of tte 
 human race ? That^t your sort I'! 
 
PIf RCE EOAN'S BOOK OV Sl'OK'JS. 
 
 181 
 
 Old Vingarillo, the horse, also seemed 
 proud of the ' fair charge' entrusted to his 
 care. The ladies, in general, were inter- 
 ested in the success of one of their own 
 sex, except a few old maids, who appeared 
 rather squeamish on the subject, and who 
 observed one to another, behind their fans, 
 that it was a very bold undertaking for a 
 female to contest a race upon a public race 
 course; and that the Colonel, out of respect 
 to proi)riety, ought to have prevented such an 
 exhibition taking place. "Yes ladies," ob- 
 served an old sporting gentleman, " but you 
 ere aware, sometimes, that the grey mare is 
 the better horse." It is impossible to describe 
 the intense interest which this match excited 
 during the race ; and the shouts of the " Pet- 
 ticoat FOR EvKR," resounded from one end 
 of the course to the other. On starting, it 
 was 5 and 6 to 4 on the Petticoat; and, in 
 running the first three miles, 7 to 4 and 2 to ] 
 on Mrs. Thornton's winning; indeed, success 
 seemed to be so certain on her part, that the 
 oldest sportsman in the stand betted in her 
 favor. In running the last mile she lost 
 ground, in consequence of her saddle-girths 
 liaving slackened, and the saddle turning 
 round. Her opponent, taking advantage of 
 this circumstance, pushed forward, and 
 passed her ; the lady after using every exer- 
 tion : 
 
 Push on, my dear lady — pray don't the whip stint, 
 To beat such as you, niust have the iieai t o( a. Flint ! 
 
 but, finding it impossible to win, she pulled up 
 at two distances from home, when Mr. Flint 
 won the match. 
 
 It was difficult to say, whether her horse- 
 Kunshij), her dress, or her beauty, were most 
 admired, the tout ensemble y/eiS unique. Never, 
 surely, did a woman ride in better style. 
 Tiie race was run in tiine minutes and fifty- 
 nine seconds. The dress of Mrs. Thornton 
 was a leopard-coloured body with blue sleeves, 
 the vest buff, and blue cap. Mr. Flint rode 
 in white. Thus ended the most interesting 
 race ever run upon Knavesmire. " The follow- 
 ing jeu d'esprit was handed about on the 
 occasion : — 
 
 " The heau monde-wiW condemn what I write, beyond 
 
 dnubt. 
 And sonie simpering young misses will giggle and 
 
 pout ; 
 But the odds that I bet shall be twenty to one. 
 That such an exploit ne'er by woman was done." 
 
 Not at al! dispirited by defeat, Mrs. Thornton 
 publicly challenged her antagonist to ride the 
 same match in the following year, his horse 
 Thornville against any one of three siie would 
 bring, and he might select, and which should 
 be hunted by her through the season. 'I'lie 
 challenge, however, was refused by Mr. Flint. 
 No words can express the disappointriKut 
 felt at the defeat of Mrs. Thornton. Tlie 
 spirit she displayed, and the good humour \iith 
 which she had borne her loss, greatly dimiii. 
 ished the joy of many of the winners. From 
 
 the very superior style in which she performed 
 her exercising gallop of four miles on the 
 preceding Wednesday, betting was greatly in 
 her favor; her saddle turning round was v.')t 
 attended with the slightest injury to her per- 
 son, nor did it in the least damp her courage, 
 while her hoisemansldp and close-seated riding 
 astonished the beholders, and inspired a 
 general confidence in her success. Not less 
 than 200,0007. were pending on this extra- 
 ordinary match, perhaps more, if we include 
 the bets in every part of the country : and there 
 is no part, we believe, in which there were not 
 some. It is but common justice to observe, 
 that if the lady had been better mounted 
 she could not, possibly, have failed of success. 
 Indeed, she laboured under every possible 
 disadvantage ; notwithstanding which, and 
 the ungallant* conduct of Mr. Flint, she flew 
 along the course with an astonishing swift- 
 ness, conscious of her own superior skill, and 
 would, ultimately, have out-stripped her ad- 
 versary, but for the accident which took 
 place. 
 
 A Sketch of the late Colonel Thornton. 
 The late Colonel Thornton was one of the 
 ^•a?/es<of the gay members of the turf; and dur- 
 ing his life-time he was considered one of the 
 most practical sportsmen of the age. Indeed, 
 his whole life was devoted to the Sports of the 
 Field. His family had been established for 
 some centuries in the county of York, where 
 they have enjoyed the most valuable and ex- 
 tensive possessions. The most ancient bears 
 the family name, being called Thornton cum 
 Bucksby, of which mention is made prior to 
 the period of AV'illiam the Conquero ■. Colonel 
 Thomas Thornton was born in St. James's, 
 and received the early part of his education 
 at the Charter House : from thence he went 
 to the University of Glasgow : at this seat of 
 learning he attended to his studies with the 
 most indefatigable assiduity, and acquitted 
 himself to the entire satisfaction of his instruc 
 tors, and much to his own credit. During tho 
 vacations he was accustomed to pursue the 
 sports of the field with the most lively ardour, 
 but not to the injury of his studies. At nine- 
 teen years of age his father, Colonel William 
 Thornton, died, and left him sole possessor of 
 his great estates ; but such was his good sense, 
 that he remained at the University for three 
 years afterwards, deputing his mother to '.u- 
 perintend his atrairs. '.^ he Colonel had very 
 
 • We cannot for a moment entertain an opinion, 
 tliat the ladies meant any thing unfair in the conduct 
 pur.ued by Mr. Flint during the race towards Mrs. 
 Thornton ; neither did they assert that any thing like 
 crofsing, or jostling, occurred in the four miies ; but 
 that as a man ot galliniti y, he ought to have permitted 
 his fair opponent to lia\e won the race. But, perhaps, 
 Mr. Flint would liave felt rather chagrined to have 
 had the langli against him ; and also averse to the 
 observation that lie had been " beaten against his will, 
 on horseback, by a woman ;" which, most undoubt- 
 edly, would have been the fact, if the saddle of JL«. 
 Thornton had kept its situation . 
 
132 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 early in life imbibed a strong partiality for the 
 pastime of hawking ; being determined to bring 
 that sport to the height of perfection ; and also 
 to lay the foundation of that celebrity which 
 he afterwards acquired for his breed of horses, 
 and every species of dog calculated for the 
 diversions of the field. On leaving Glasgow, 
 Colonel Thornton repaired with his hawks, 
 dogs, &c., to his estate at Old Thornville, 
 where he remained but a short time ; after 
 which he went to the Metropolis, and became 
 a member of the Savoir Vivre club, which had 
 been recently instituted : the leading plan of 
 which was intended to patronize men of genius 
 and talent ; the late lord Lyttleton, and the 
 right honorable Charles James Fox, were then 
 members of that club, as well as many other 
 celebrated characters of the day : although 
 gambling constituted one of the predominant 
 features of the Savoir Vivre, the Colonel was 
 never led to share that diversion ; indeed, he 
 was always averse to cards and dice, and, to 
 show his marked disapprobation of gambling, 
 over the chimney piece of the Library of 
 Thornville Royal was a marble slab, whereon 
 ■was graven the following words, — 
 
 " Utinam hanc veris amicis impleam." 
 
 the established rule of^this house, all 
 bets are considered to be off, if either of the 
 parties, by letter or otherwise, pay into the 
 hands of the landlord one guinea, by five the 
 next day." 
 
 After following every diversion which York- 
 ehire offered to him for several years, he be- 
 came desirous of witnessing the sports of the 
 Highlands of Scotland, whither he repaired, 
 and passed the best part of seventeen years in 
 succession, wholly occupied in the several 
 pastimes which were gratifying to his mind. 
 In Scotland he kept a regular diary of his 
 sporting pursuits, &c., and employed an artist 
 to execute drawings of the antiquities and 
 picturesque scenery of the country, from which 
 he selected a few, and caused them to be en- 
 graved in a very finished style, and published 
 in a work, under the title of " A Sporting 
 Tour through the Highlands of Scotland, by 
 Colonel Thornton." 
 
 To the great astonishment of his friends, he 
 l«rchased of his late royal highness, the duke 
 of York, AUerton Mauleverer, in Yorkshire, 
 for one hundred and ten thousand pounds ; but 
 obstacles to other men were soon overcome by 
 the enterprising disposition of the late Colonel 
 Thornton ; and, however the country gentle- 
 men in the neighbourhood thought it totally 
 impossible for him to accomplish such a heavy 
 purchase, he paid for it by instalments, ac- 
 cording to agreement, in the short space of 
 twelve months. The Colonel immediately gave 
 the above estate a new designation ; and it 
 was afterwards known by the title of Thorn- 
 ville Royal. An erroneous opinion having 
 previously gone abroad that Colonel Thornton 
 had won Allerton Mauleverer at a gaming- 
 table, from the duke of York. But, in order 
 
 to render his sporting pursuits more complete, 
 he purchased the estate of Boythorpe in the 
 Wolds, for the purpose of coursing and hawk- 
 ing, where he erected the present mansion, 
 known by (he name oi Falconer's Hall. 
 
 Thornville Royal was always the scene of 
 festive hospitality ; and no gentleman was 
 calculated to do the honors of tlie table better 
 than the late Colonel Thornton. His diversi- 
 fied talents, his quickness of repartee,, his 
 facetious stories on all topics, and his good- 
 natured acquiescence with the request of his 
 guests, rendered the table of the Colonel the 
 great resort of the neighbouring noblemen and 
 gentlemen : his wines were always of the first 
 quality ; and the Colonel was no flincher from 
 his glass ; indeed, he had obtained the cha- 
 racter of being a ' six-bottle vuni.' He was a 
 convivial subject, and all his songs were to 
 the following effect : — • 
 
 Let Philosophers prate about Reason ard 
 Rules. 
 Let Philosophers prate about Reason and Rules, 
 And preach musty maxims design'd but for fools ; 
 From a brisk sparkling bowl brighter sentiments flow. 
 And I find myself wiser the deeper I go : 
 We can teach them to live, and by practice explain 
 What in theory only they never could gain, 
 Draw the cloud from their eyes that o'ershadows the 
 
 soul. 
 And enlighten their heads with a sip from my bowl. 
 
 May the pedant be lost in his phantom pursuit. 
 While I revel in wine and with bumpers recruit ; 
 Since the wisest can never perfection attain. 
 Why should life proffer sweets and enjoyment* in 
 
 vain? 
 Let not man, then, his time in such foppery waste, 
 Or refuse mingled sweets with the bitters to taste ; 
 But thus let him waft to Elysium his soul, 
 In an ocean of liquor, — his vessel my bowL 
 
 Relaxed from the cares of the world let me live, 
 'Gainst the rude stream of life that I never may strive ; 
 With a friend to partake, and a girl to adore, 
 O what mortal more happy ? what man could wish 
 
 more ? 
 Dull, mechanical mortals nere look and repine, 
 That their hearts ne'er can glow with such feelings as 
 
 mine ; 
 But such feelings, such joys, receive birth in the soul. 
 When thus mellow'd, thus rear'd, and refined in my 
 
 bowl. 
 
 The Colonel was very much attached to 
 works of art ; and few houses had to boast of 
 a more diversified and choice collection of 
 paintings than Thornville Royal. With re- 
 spect to Sporting subjects, the most celebrated 
 pictures of Gilpin and Reinagle, painted under 
 the immediate direction of the Colonel, adorned 
 the walls of the above mansion. The celebrated 
 picture of the Death of the Fox, by Gilpin, 
 afterwards engraved by Scott, was much 
 admired in the Sporting World. Amongst the 
 Thornville Collection were to be recognized 
 several of the Italian and Flemish masters — 
 Guido,Caracci,Teniers, Wonwerman, Rubens, 
 Vandyke, &c. 
 
 As a breeder of Sporting animals, the fol- 
 lowing list sufficiently prove the acknowledged 
 excellence of the late Colonel Thornton. 
 
 Horses. — Icelander. A noted racer, bred by 
 Colonel Thornton, which won twenty-six 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 13d 
 
 nia'ches, and was the first foal bred by the 
 Co'onel. The sire of this horse was Grey-coat 
 and his grandsire Dismal. — Jupiter. This ce- 
 lebiated blood-horse was of a chesnut colour, 
 he w as got by Eclipse, dam by Tartar, grandam 
 by Mogul, Sweepstakes, &c. : in 1777 he won 
 one thousand pounds at Lewes, two hundred 
 at Abingdon, and one thousand at Newmarket ; 
 and, in 1771, two hundred and forty at New- 
 market. — Truth. A remarkably steady hunter. 
 — Stoic. A famous race-horse, which won a 
 match at Newmarket for one thousand guineas. 
 — St. Thomas. A race-horse which beat Mr. 
 Hare's Tu Quoque, the bet being five hundred 
 guineas, each gentleman riding his own horse. 
 — Thornville. A celebrated hunter. — Esterhazi/. 
 A most remarkable blood-horse, being master 
 of any weight, and active in all his paces ; of 
 which animal a very beautiful engraving h^s 
 been executed by Ward, from a picture of 
 Chalon. ^ ' 
 
 Dogs. Foxhounds. — Merlin. A well-kprnvn 
 fox-hound, bred by Colonel Thornton. — Luci- 
 Jer. A most remarkable fox-hound, the sire of 
 Lounger and Mad Cap, of equal celebrity. — 
 Old Conqueror. A matchless fox-hound, sire 
 of many well-known dogs in the annals of 
 fox-hunting. — Pointers. Dash. An acknow- 
 ledged fine pointer, which sold for two hun- 
 dred and fifty guineas. — Pluto. A celebrated 
 pointer. — Juno. A remarkable bitch, which 
 was matched with a pointer of lord Grantley's 
 for ten thousand guineas, who paid forfeit. — 
 Modish. A bitcii of acknowledged excellence. 
 — Lillij. A most remarkable steady bitch. — 
 Nun. it is only necessary to state that seventy- 
 five guineas were refused for this bitch. 
 
 Greyhounds. Major. A dog of very great 
 celebrity, and the father of Colonel Thorn- 
 ton's breed of greyhounds. Of this animal 
 a very beautiful engraving, from the masterly 
 hand of Scott, has been published. — Czarina. 
 a bitch of equal celebrity. — Skyagraphina. A 
 matchlesa hound. N. B. For each of these 
 hounds the most extravagant sums were of- 
 fered, but rejected. 
 
 Spaniels. Dash. This animal is esteemed 
 the ne plus ultra of this species of sporting 
 dog ; the Colonel having used his utmost en- 
 deavours to bring the spaniel to perfection. 
 
 Beagles. Merryman. This celebrated dog 
 is sire of a pack, which exceeds all others for 
 symmetry, bottom, and pace. The beagles of 
 Colonel Thornton would tire the strongest 
 hunters, and return to kennel comparatively 
 fresh. 
 
 Terriers. — It would be necessary to notice 
 Colonel Thornton's terriers, if it were only on 
 account of his justly celebrated Pitch, from 
 ■whom are descended most of the white terriers 
 in the kingdom. 
 
 Hawks. — Suns Quartier, Death, and the 
 Devil, were tiiree of the most celebrated birds 
 ever reared by Colonel Thornton during his 
 pursuit of hawking, and were allowed to dis- 
 tance any birds of the kind which had ever 
 been flown at the game. 
 
 In speaking of the bodily activity of Colonel 
 Thornton, few men, perhaps, have ever given 
 proofs of such extraordinary powers. Among 
 various other matches of a similar nature, the 
 following, it is conceived, will be amply suf- 
 ficient to substantiate this fact : — In a uralJcing 
 match which the Colonel engaged to perform, 
 he went four miles in thirty-two minutes anol 
 half a second. In leaping, Colonel Thornton 
 cleared his own height, being five feet nine 
 inches, the bet being considerable. In another 
 match it is stated that he leaped over six five- 
 barred gates in six minutes, and then repeated 
 the same on horseback. At Newmarket the 
 Colonel, on horseback, ran down ahare, wliich 
 he picked up in the presence of an immense 
 concourse of people assembled to witness this 
 extraordinary match. 
 
 With respect to shooting, either with the 
 fowling-piece, rifle, or air-gun, Colonel Thorn- 
 ton has given the most incontestible proofs of 
 the steadiness of his hand, and the wonderful 
 correctness of his sight, not only in bringing 
 down the game, nhen pursuing the pastimes 
 of the field, but also at a mark, in which his 
 precision has never been surpassed. 
 
 Notwithstanding the numerous pursuits of 
 a sporting nature which occupied the Colonel's 
 mind, he seldom lost sight of those refinements 
 which characterize the man of literature and 
 taste. His valuable collection of pictures, at 
 Thornville Royal, sufficiently indicate his taste 
 for the fine arts ; and the correct journals 
 which he invariably kept during all his ex- 
 cursions to Scotland, &c., are sufficient testi- 
 monies of his diversified talents and classic 
 pursuits. 
 
 During the short interval of peace with 
 France, in 1802, the Colonel repaired to Pans, 
 for tiie purpose of viewing that capital ; after 
 which he travelled through the southern pro- 
 vinces, and part of the conquered territory, 
 where he pursued with avidity the sports 
 which characterize that kingdom. On this 
 occasion the Colonel had an artist to accom- 
 pany him, and he kept a journal of the events 
 that transpired. From this diary, a very 
 entertaining tour was produced, intituled, 
 " Colonel Thornton's Sporting Tour through 
 France," &c. In the course of this tour ap- 
 pears a very entertaining and comparative 
 view of the sports of the two countries, which 
 the Colonel's acknowledged excellence as an 
 English sportsman has rendered not only 
 entertaining, but scientific and m?eful. 
 
 This gentleman was not only devoted to the 
 pursuits of Actceon and the pleasures of Bac- 
 chus, but Venus and Cupid were likewise his 
 idols, having, in the autumn of 1806, led to 
 the hymeneal altar Miss Corston, of Essex, an 
 accomplished young lady of some fortune. 
 
 Upon the Colonel's giving up his commis- 
 sion as Lieutenant-colonel of the West York 
 Militia, he was drawn into York by the sol- 
 diery, who, as a testimony of their gratitude 
 and love, presented him with a beautiful me- 
 dallion and splendid sword. 
 
134 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OP SPORTS. 
 
 With respect to the corporeal pains inci- 
 dental to human nature, Colonel Thornton 
 appeared perfectly unacquainted with them : 
 he experienced the most trying accidents, but 
 the hand of Fate seems always to have been 
 extended to preserve him. Rest is generally 
 esteemed the balm of human life ; yet the col- 
 onel copiously drank of the juice of the grape 
 and remained with his friends till the return 
 of dawn ; he was awake at the usual hour, 
 and, while the world was buried in sleep, he 
 frequently occupied an hour or two free from 
 head-ach, with a mind calm and collected. 
 It was evident the Colonel had imbibed one 
 opinion, viz. — " Time is precious : life is but 
 a span ; we should therefore make tiie best 
 use of it." In fine, the greatest persecution 
 that could have been entailed on Colonel 
 Thornton, would have been for him to have 
 passed a week in idleness. 
 
 Nature had favored the late Colonel Thorn- 
 ton with an iron-like constitution : and f;^w 
 men could compete with him over the bottle. 
 His jpirits, to the last moments of his exist- 
 fince, were buoyant in the extreme ; and it 
 might be said of him that he was determined 
 to live all the days of his life, something after 
 the manner of the pleasing and well-known 
 duet, — 
 
 Begone, dull Care, I prithee begone from me : 
 Ue^oue, dull Care, you and 1 shall never agree 
 tong time tbou hast been tarrying here, 
 
 And fain thou wovJd'st me kill ; 
 But, i'faitU, dull Care, 
 
 Thou never shalt have thy will. 
 
 Towards the latter part of his life Che Colonel 
 beoame rather embarracsed in his circunw 
 stances, owing to a variety of causes ; and his 
 fine collection of paintings was brought to 
 the hammer in June, 1819, at Hickman's Gal- 
 lery, St. James's-street. His last residence 
 in England was in Edge ware-road, but his 
 house was more like a garrison than the dwel- 
 ling of a private gentleman ; and it was to- 
 tally impossible to obtain an entrance without 
 previously being put in possesaioa of the 
 counter-sign. The Colonel was so closely 
 besieged, to use his own words, by the ' Har- 
 pies of the law,' that the above precaution 
 was absolutely necessary to prevent being 
 taken, " Body and bones," without a moment's 
 warning. But nevertheless he kept a good 
 table ; always in good spirits, and prepared 
 for the worst, ' come what might,' and where 
 he carried on the war with the most perfect 
 indifference. But not being able to settle his 
 affairs to his perfect satisfaction, he left Eng- 
 land for Paris, at Avhich gay city he made 
 himself quite at home. He took up his resi- 
 dence in a very large, but dilapidated man- 
 Bion,once belonging to a distinguished French 
 Marquis. Sporting was the theme of his 
 delight, and if the same opportunities did not 
 present themselves whereby he might enter 
 into all the spirit of Chase, as when in Eng- 
 land, he used to amuse his visitors with a 
 description o*" the various hunts, and other 
 
 species of sporting with which he had beeo 
 engaged in his native country. 
 
 The Colonel had not been in France but a 
 few months when the following paragraph 
 made its appearance, in the year IS21, in 
 most of the London Newspapers : — " Lately, 
 at Paris, after a few days illness, died the 
 celebrated Colonel Thornton, late of Thorn- 
 ville Royal, in the county of York. He was 
 not only of gTeat sporting celebrity, but was 
 also conspicuous in the field of literature, 
 having written and published a highly esteemed 
 ' Sporting Tour throvgh France and Germany^ 
 and another also, ' Through the North of Eng- 
 land and the Highlands of Scotland.' Many 
 years ago this gentleman was in the gayest 
 circles in the metropolis both of England and 
 France, and was accounted one of the most 
 polished gentlemen of the day ; no man ever 
 possessed more abundant wit, raillery, and 
 presence of mind. The mirth of the table was 
 peculiarly subject to his will, attracting the 
 eyes and ears of the party — where he sat 
 being always the centre of hilarity and atten- 
 tion. He was the original promoter, a great 
 many years ago, of the old ' Savoir Vivre' and 
 otlier clubs.*' 
 
 Upon the above paragraph meeting the eyes 
 of the gay Colonel he laughed heartily at the 
 statement, and replied to it in the following 
 good-natured, humorous style : — 
 
 " Extract of a letter v/ritten by Colonel 
 Thornton to his friend, George Hawkins, 
 Esq., in answer to a letter of condolence, ad- 
 dressed to Mrs. Thornton, on the supposed 
 death of her husband : — 
 
 Paris, Rue dc la Paix. 
 Dec. 25, 182J. 
 " My honest Brother Sportsman, 
 
 " This is Christmas-day, dedicated 
 oy me, from my youth, to gaiety and reasouable 
 hospitality, endeavouring to make all happy 
 according to the situation in which providence 
 has placed me. 
 
 " In health no man can be more hearty, but 
 n(U 9'jite stout in my knees and feet ; stomach 
 invincible; always an appetite; eat three 
 times a day : — tea, muffins, and grated hung- 
 beef at nine — at two, roasted game, or cocks' 
 combs, and about a pint of the finest white 
 Burgundy— dinner at five, and then a bottle 
 of wine— about three or four glasses of spirits 
 and water, rather weak— then to bed : sleep 
 better than ever I did in my life.— Pretty well 
 you'll say, for a dead man. Rise at eight| 
 breakfast at nine ; so we go on. Every night 
 the finest dreams. I expect some wild boar ; 
 if it comes our friend B. may be sure of a part. 
 
 " P.S. Dec. 26.— I find by the papers that I 
 died, after a short illness, much lamented, 
 &c., &c., at Paris. However that may be, I 
 gave a dinner yesterday to a dozen Sports- 
 men ; we had roast beef, plum-pudding, 
 Yorkshire goose-pie, and sat up singing most 
 gaily till two this morning. At twelve we 
 had two broiled fowls, gizzards, &c., and 
 
PIERCE EGAIS'S BOOK OF SPOilTS. 
 
 135 
 
 finished a bottle of old rum in punch. No 
 intoxication ; for I Avtnt to bed well, and 
 never rose belter. 
 
 " Thornton, Blarquess de Pont." 
 
 But, notwithstanding the Colonel had 
 laughed heartily at tiie above ruse de guerre, 
 to kill him before his time; yet Death came 
 in right earnest at last ; and before the high- 
 spirited, never-drooping Hero was aware of 
 it, he laid him flat on his back, never more to 
 rise. But then he could not complain, as the 
 sporting folks observe, the Colonel had had a 
 long hmings," enjoyed every moment of his 
 life — and lived to a fine old age : 
 
 Alexander and Cissar have vanished away, 
 And Phito and Cicero now are but clay; 
 The btave and tlie learned, Ihe good and the wise. 
 All come to the simple close of " II eke lies." 
 
 The late Colonel Thornton was one of those 
 Choice spirits that nothing on this side of the 
 grave could subdue ; and it is equally true 
 iliat he sometimes dealt a 'tiny bit' in the 
 marvellous ; but it has been urged by those 
 persons who were best acquainted with the 
 real ' bent' of his mind, that it was done more 
 with a view to produce fun, and excite laugh- 
 ter, than to impose on the credulity of his 
 friends. In one of Mr. Mathews' entertain- 
 ments the character of Major Longhoio was 
 introduced, accompanied with tiie phrase of 
 *' 'pon my soul it an't a lie, I'll bet a thou- 
 sand ;" and the critics of the day attribute the 
 above sketch as a liii against the late Colonel 
 Thornton. 
 
 Absent or dead, still let our friends oe dear : 
 A sigh the absent claim — the df.ad a tear ! 
 
 "You ask of me," said a well known 
 sporting gentleman, " what I knew of old 
 Thornton, upon whom I was soiry to observe 
 a very wanton attack, by a man with a d — 
 long name ; who, I doubt not, would, during 
 the Colonel's life-lime, have been but too 
 proud to have buckled on his spurs. I first 
 became acquainted with Colonel Thornton at 
 Paris, in October, 1822, having Ijeen admitted 
 a member of a club (of which he was the head) 
 of English, who dined together at ' The Slialcs- 
 peare,' a tavern kept by an old servant of Col. 
 T — s — , one Tillbrook, every Wednesday ; 
 where we had a plain English dinner, veritable 
 roast beef and plum pudding, to say nothing of 
 a good sea-coal fire, in an iron grate. Two of 
 the most constant attendants were, the gallant 
 Sir Sidney Smith, and the great (in every sense 
 of the word) traveller Belzoui. 
 
 "But to return to Col. Thornton. Though 
 no longer a master of fox-hounds, he always 
 dined in a scarlet straight-cut coat of the 
 whipper-in style, and his first toast was, in- 
 variably, " Success to fox-hunting !" Then 
 came ' Blerkin,* and the blood of old Con- 
 queror ;' and then, in honor of a pursuit of 
 
 • Two celebrated i'oxUounds of Ihe Colonel's. 
 
 which he was passionately fond, ' Lord Orford 
 (the late) and Falconry.' Towards the close 
 of the evening he would give us, in a style to 
 be envied by many a man of hal/his age, some 
 hunting songs that transported his listeners 
 into Leicestershire at once. 
 
 " Among the many canting prejudices of the 
 present day, there is none which I believe less 
 founded in fact than tiie idea, that the sports- 
 men of the old school were little better than 
 'Squire Westerns, either in habits, manners, 
 or conversation. Every old real sportsman I 
 have happened to meet — and 1 could instance 
 several — wercjinished gentlemen. — I only wish 
 some of our modern gents did not resemble so 
 much that agreeable blackguard, the 'Squire's 
 son-in-law, Tom Jones. The manners of 
 Thornton were highly polished, and even if 
 elevated by wine were always so, more par- 
 ticularly in his own house, in the Rue de la 
 Paix, where 1 had frequently the pleasure vf~ 
 dining, after his increasing infirmities pre- 
 vented his going out. It was the fashion to 
 accuse him of gross and palpable exaggera- 
 tion ; and I think on very slender foundation — 
 a great deal was only harmless mirth. 1 recol- 
 lect once his relating to me some deeds of high 
 name, of some of his own horses and their 
 produce. My next neighbour at the club 
 asked me afterwards, how I could listen so 
 gravely to the damned lies of the Colonel ? — 
 'Lies I' I exclaimed : ' if they are lies, why the 
 Stud Book and Racing Calender lie too !' He 
 had several very capital pictures on shooting 
 subjects, in his house at Paris, and among 
 them three beautiful ones of some favorite 
 hawks, which almost made me wish myself 
 born in olden times, and a falconer. But 
 whoo-hoop ! He is gone, and I only speak 
 to rescue the name of my friend from the voice 
 of the accursed slanderer of the dead." 
 
 It is said that he left a large trunk full of 
 MS. papers behind him ; the Colonel having 
 ratheratouchof the cacoetlies scribendi aUached 
 to his character ; and no doubt if the above 
 MSS. had been properly arranged, a great deal 
 of amusement as well as information might 
 have been afforded to the Sporting World. 
 But the task appeared of so Herculean a 
 nature to l' ' bookseller who had the posses- 
 sion of them to sift the cAq^ from the wheat, 
 that the idea of presenting the world with a 
 Memoir of the late Colonel Thornton, from 
 his own papers, was given up. 
 
 Tiger and Elephant Fight. 
 
 Mr. Crawford's work on Cochin China 
 gives the following account of an elephant 
 and tiger fight, and in which it will be seen 
 the poor tiger had any thing but fair play : — 
 
 " After tea was served to us, we were in- 
 vited to be present at an elephant and tiger 
 fight ; and for this purpose mounted our ele- 
 phant, and repaired to tiie giacis of the fort, 
 
Idd 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 %vhere the combat was to take place. The 
 governor went out at another gate, and 
 arrived at the place before us in his palanquin. 
 When the hall broke up, a herald or crier an- 
 nounced the event. With the exception of 
 this ceremony, great propriety and decorum 
 were observed throughout the audience. 
 The exhibition made by the herald, how- 
 ever, was truly barbarous. He threw 
 himself backward, projecting his abdo- 
 men, and putting his hands to his sides, and 
 in this absurd attitude uttered several loud 
 and long yells. The tiger had been exhibited 
 in front of the hall, and was driven to the spot 
 on a hurdle. A great concourse of people had 
 assembled to witness the exhibition. The tiger 
 was secured to a stake by a rope tied round 
 his loins, about thirty yards long. The mouth 
 of the unfortunate animal was sewn up, and 
 his nails pulled out. He was of large size, 
 and extremely active. No less than forty-six 
 elephants, all males of great size, were seen 
 drawn out in line. One at a time was brought 
 to attack the tiger. The first elephant ad- 
 vanced, to all appearance with a great show 
 of courage, and we thought, from his deter- 
 mined look, that he would certainly have dis- 
 patched his antagonist in an instant. At the 
 first effort he raised the tiger upon his tusks 
 to a considerable height, and threw him to the 
 distance of at least twenty feet. Notwith- 
 standing this, the tiger rallied,and sprang upon 
 the elephant's trunk and head, up to the very 
 keeper who was uponljis neck. The elephant 
 took alarm, wheeled about, and ran off, pur- 
 sued by the tiger as far as the rope would al- 
 low him. The fugitive, although not hurt, 
 roared most piteously, and no effort could 
 bring him back to the charge. A little after 
 this we saw a man brought up to the governor, 
 bound with cords, and dragged into his pre- 
 sence by two officers. This v\'as the conductor 
 of the recreant elephant. A hundred strokes 
 of the bamboo was ordered to be inflicted on 
 him upon the spot. For this purpose he was 
 thrown on his face upon the ground, and secured 
 by one man sitting astride upon his neck and 
 shoulders, and by another sitting upon his 
 feet, a succession of executioners inflicting 
 the punishment. When it was over, two men 
 carried off the sufferer by the head and heels, 
 apparently quite insensible. While this out- 
 rage was perpetrating, the governor coolly 
 viewed the combat of the tiger and the ele- 
 phant, as if nothing else particular had 
 been going forward. Ten or twelve ele- 
 phants were brought up in succession to 
 attack the tiger, which was killed at last, 
 merely by the astonishing falls he received 
 when tossed off the tusks of the elephants. 
 The prodigious strength of these animals was 
 far beyond any thing I could have supposed. 
 Some of them tossed the tiger to a distance 
 of at least thirty feet, after he was nearly life- 
 less, and could offer no resistance. We could 
 not reflect without horror, that these very in- 
 dividual animals were the same that have for 
 
 years executed the sentence of the law npon 
 the many malefactors condemned to death. 
 Upon these occasions a single toss, such as I 
 have described, is always, I am told, sufficient 
 to destroy life. 
 
 After the tiger-fight, we had a mock battle, 
 the intention of which was to represent ele- 
 phants charging an entrenchment. A sort of 
 chevaux dcfriese was erected to the extent of 
 forty or fifty yards, made of very frail mate- 
 rials. Upon this was placed a quantity of 
 dry grass, whilst a show was made of 
 defending it by a number of spearmen placed 
 behind. As soon as the grass was set on fire, 
 a number of squibs and crackers were let off; 
 the flags were waved in great numbers ; drums 
 beat, and a single piece of artillery began to 
 play. The elephants were now encouraged to 
 charge ; but theydisplayed their usual timidity^ 
 and it was not until the fire was nearly ex- 
 tinguished, and the materials of the chevaux 
 de friese almost consumed, that a few of 
 the boldest could be forced to pass through." 
 
 A Chinese Gamestress. 
 
 Yoi;ng Hod v. Old Fat. 
 
 It should seem, according to the " Canton 
 Register," that the Chinese have their 
 "Hells," as well as the English folks ; and we 
 have no doubt but they have their " Finish" 
 too, if we could find it out : but no matter — 
 Madame Fei-chung-po, i. e. Old Lady Fat, 
 now in her sixty-seventh year, in her youth 
 was the wife of a tea-merchant, and who, 
 after her husband's death, lived in the most 
 distressing poverty for some years, inasmuch 
 as she often attempted to make an end of her- 
 self. Having come into possession of a small 
 house, she sold it and commenced gamestress. 
 She was successful, and became famous 
 among all the Chinese gentlemen black-legs. 
 She gamed either with ladies or with gentle- 
 men, and was liberal to the police, and daily 
 increased in fcTtune, till she reckoned her 
 property, not by hundreds and thousands, but 
 by hundreds of thousands. However, Lady 
 Fat is now in limbo. The notable Magistrate 
 of Pwang-yu district has a prodigal son, who 
 lost one night one thousand dollars in playing 
 •with Lady Fat. He was chagrined, raised 
 the wind, and went to play again. Her Lady- 
 ship was afraid of the Magisterial gamester, 
 and refused. Young Hoo became angry — 
 laid a plot to entrap Lady Fat — had her seized 
 — tried to extort — failed — and was forced to 
 show her up to his father. The plot thickened 
 — the father was enraged at his son's tur- 
 pitude — resolved to punish all parties to the 
 utmost rigour of the law — reported it to his 
 superiors — imprisoned Lady Fat, whose offi- 
 cial friends stood aloof in the day of need — 
 and there, in prison, according to the last ac- 
 counts, where she is likely to remain, until 
 death frees her from bondage. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 137 
 
 Animal Kindness. 
 
 In the Menagerie at Brussels, in a cell 
 where a lion called Danco was kept, and 
 which was in want of some repairs ; his 
 keeper desired a carpenter to set about them ; 
 but when the workman came, and saw the 
 lion, he drew back with terror. The keeper 
 entered the animal's cell, and led him to the 
 upper part of it, while the other part was 
 retitting. He there amused himself some 
 time playing with the lion, and, being wearied, 
 he" soon fell asleep. The carpenter, fully 
 relying upon the vigilance of the keeper, pur- 
 sued his work, anxious, it may be supposed, 
 to have done with it as soon aa possible. When 
 he had finished, he called William, the keeper, 
 to see what he had done, but William made 
 no answer. Having repeatedly called in vain, 
 he began to feel alarmed at his silence, and 
 he determined to go to the upper part of the 
 cell, where, looking through the railing, he 
 saw the lion and the keeper, sleeping, side by 
 side, and immediately he uttered a loud cry. 
 The lion awaked by the noise, started up, and 
 stared at the carpenter with an eye of fury, 
 and then, placing his paw on the breast of his 
 keeper, he lay down to sleep again. The poor 
 carpenter was dreadfully frij'.htened, and not 
 knowing how he could rouse up William, he 
 ran out and related what he saw. Some of the 
 attendants of the house came and opened the 
 door, «hich the carpenter had secured with 
 several bars, and contrived to awaken the 
 keeper, who, upon opening his eyes did not ap- 
 pear in the least apprehensive on account of 
 the situation in which he found himself. He 
 took the paw of the lion, and shook it gently 
 in token of regard, and the animal quietly re- 
 turned with him to its former residence. 
 
 The Finish of tbe Sporting Kill Bun at 
 Cripplegate. 
 There is not seen (I'd hold a crown) 
 
 In beauty'8 fairest clubs, 
 A better match than Billy Brown 
 
 And little Sally Snubbs. 
 In beauty none could them surpass, 
 
 In mansion nor in villa ; 
 For Sal was quite a killing lass. 
 
 And Bill was quite a killer. 
 Bill was a Butcher bold, by trade. 
 
 Knock knee'd and hugely rumped ; 
 And Sal a habit maker's maid, 
 
 Whom liabit had made humped. 
 
 Wo wonder why they were not straight 
 
 (When causes we explain), 
 For Bill was born in Cripple-gate, 
 
 And Sal iu Crooked-lane. 
 Now Bill «as vastly fond of gin, 
 
 And Brandy toO; they say ; 
 And when he did the game begin, 
 
 It made him rum all day. 
 
 The night arriv'd, and Bill with axe 
 
 Had clos'd his work of slaughter, 
 And needs must hare a drop of max 
 
 With Mr. Snubbs's daughter. 
 'Twas on this very luckless night, 
 
 W'hen Bill was growing mussey, 
 Sal lent her lips to one Tom Wright, 
 
 But Bill obsery'd the hussey. 
 
 And said, " O Sal, for me I And 
 
 You do not care a button. 
 Which makes me wish (you're so unkind) 
 
 1 hat I was dead as mutton. 
 
 " I'd stake my life, 'tis not (I feel) 
 
 The first time o'er their drops. 
 Nor yet the last that i'om will steal 
 
 A kiss from Sally's chops. 
 
 " I never thought such lips you'd smaek, 
 
 Nor that jou'd serve me so ; 
 If thus you pay Bill s kindness back, 
 
 I'ray pay your bill and go. 
 
 " 'Tis cutting work," said he distress'd, 
 
 " Who ne'er felt sorrow 'till it ; 
 Sal, if I take you to my breast, 
 
 I'm sure with grief you'll yi7/ it. 
 
 " Tho' true a wife's a sterling friend. 
 When she's dispos'd to show it ; 
 
 Because, if you your jacket rend, 
 You know a w ife can sew it. 
 
 " But Sal, the truth I must re-veiil, 
 
 You're not the rib I thought you ; 
 'Tis awful— and it meant a deal. 
 
 When I together caught you." 
 
 ' Come, come," q'jotl Sal, " forsake your 'ass. 
 You're much too fond of liquor ; " 
 " You know," said Bill, " my faithless 1 ss, 
 I always was a sticker." 
 
 " O Tom, O lom ! the worst of men. 
 
 Your tricks have made me ill ; 
 Full well do I remember when 
 
 'Twas nothing but the Bill.' " 
 
 Thus saying, home with grief oppress'd. 
 
 He reel'd, his bed requir'd ; 
 And by the time he was undress'd. 
 
 With sadness was a-tir'd. 
 
 " O Sally dear — neat-footed duck. 
 
 This night, before wc part, 
 I'll let you see I've got the pluck 
 
 To give you up my heart. 
 
 " But, oh, as here in bed I lie, 
 
 I'm sure I'm now a dying ; 
 So let me lie in peace, now I 
 
 Am really not a lying." 
 
 Sal by the candle wept to-rights. 
 
 When she beheld time's quiver ; 
 " Oh Sally, take away your lights,' 
 
 Said Bill, " for I'm no liver. 
 " One wish dear Sal before I'm gone. 
 
 And death's cold dew anoints ; 
 Let no one my poor carcase bone. 
 
 Nor yet take up my joints" 
 
 Bill groan'd, " Good bye," tho' loth to leave her, 
 
 \V ith eyes then half shut up ; 
 And when he said, " I feel death's cleaver," 
 
 Poor Sal was quite cut up. 
 
 T. W. R. 
 
 A Conference betwixt an Angler, a Hun- 
 ter, AND A Falconer; each commending 
 HIS Recreation. 
 
 Pise. I am right glad to hear your answers 
 and, in confidence you speak the truth, I shall 
 put on a boldness to ask you, sir, whether 
 business or pleasure caused you to be so early 
 up, and walk so fast : for this other gentleman 
 hath declared he is going to see a hawk, that 
 a friend mews for him. 
 
 Ven. Sir, mine is a mixture of both, a little 
 business, and more pleasure ; for I intend this 
 day to do all my business, and then bestow 
 another day or two in hunting the otter, which 
 
138 
 
 iMERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 a friend that I ^o to meet tells me is much 
 pieasanter than any other chase whatsoever ; 
 howsoever I mean to try it ; for to-morrow 
 morning we shall meet a pack of Otter-dogs 
 of noble Mr. Sadler's, upon Amwell-liill, who 
 will be there so early, that tlicy intend to 
 prevent the sun-rising. 
 
 Pise. Sir, my fortune has answered my de- 
 sires, and my purpose is to bestow a day or 
 two in helping to destroy some of those vil- 
 lainous vermin, for I hate them perfectly, 
 because they love fish so well, or rather be- 
 cause they destroy so much ; indeed, so much, 
 that in my judgment all men that keep otter- 
 dogs ought to have pensions from t'he king to 
 encourage them to destroy the very breed of 
 those base otters, they do so much mischief. 
 
 Ven. But w hat say you to the foxes of the 
 nation ; would you not as willingly have them 
 destroyed ? for doubtless they do as much 
 
 ischief as otters do. 
 
 Pise. Oh, sir, if they do, it is not so much 
 to me and my fraternity as those base vermin 
 the otters do. 
 
 Auc. Why, sir, I pray, of what fraternity 
 are you, that you are so angry with the poor 
 otters .' 
 
 Pise. I am, sir, a brother of the angle, and 
 therefore an enemy to the otter : for you are 
 to note that we anglers all love one another, 
 and therefore do I hate the otter, both for my 
 own and for their sakes who are of my brother- 
 hood. 
 
 Ven. And I am a lover of hounds ; I have 
 followed many a pack of dogs many a mile, 
 and heard many merry huntsmen make sport, 
 and scoff at anglers. 
 
 Auc. And I profess myself a falconer, and 
 have heard many grave, serious men, pity 
 them, 'tis such a heavy, contemptible, dull 
 recreation. 
 
 Pise. You know, gentlemen, 'tis an easy 
 thing to scoff at any art or recreation ; a little 
 wit, mixed with ill-nature, confidence, and 
 malice, will do it ; but though they often ven- 
 ture boldly, yet they are often caught, even in 
 their own trap, according to that of Lucian, 
 the father of the family of scoffers. 
 
 Litcian, ■nell skill'd in scoffing, this'hath writ. 
 Friend, that's your folly which you think your wit : 
 This you vent oft, void both of wit and fear. 
 Meaning another, when yourself you jeer. 
 
 If to this you add what Solomon says of 
 scoffers, that they are an abomination to man- 
 kind, let him that thinks tit scoff on, and be a 
 scoffer still ; but I account them enemies to 
 me, and to all that love virtue and angling. 
 
 And for you that have heard many grave, 
 serious men, pity anglers — let me tcU you, sir, 
 there be many men that are by others taken 
 to be serious and grave men, which we con- 
 temn and pity. Men that are taken to be 
 grave, because nature hath made them of a 
 sour complexion ; money-getting men ; men 
 that spend all their time, first in getting, and 
 next in anxious care to keep it ; men that are 
 
 condemned to be rich, and then always busy 
 or discontented : for these poor-rich-men, we 
 pity them perfectly, and stand in no need to 
 borrow their thoughts to think ourselves so 
 happy. No, no, sir, we enjoy a contentedness 
 above the reach of such dispositons, and, as 
 the learned and ingenuous Montaigne says, 
 like himself, freely, — " When my cat and I 
 entertain each other with mutual apish tricks, 
 as playing with a garter, who knows but that 
 I make my cat more sport than she makes me ? 
 Shall I conclude her to be simple, that has 
 her time to begin or refuse to play, as freely 
 as I myself have 1 Nay, who knows but that 
 it is a defect of my not understanding her 
 language (for, doubtless, cats talk and reason 
 with one another) that we agree no better ? 
 and who knows but that she pities me for 
 being no wiser than to play with her, and 
 laughs, and censures my folly for making sport 
 for her when we two play together ?'' 
 
 I'hus freely speaks Montaigne concerning 
 cats, an.d I hope I may take as great a liberty 
 to blame any man, and laugh at him too, let 
 him be never so grave, that hath not heard 
 what anglers can say in the justification of their 
 art and recreation ; which I may again tell you 
 is so full of pleasure, that we need not borrow 
 their thoughts to think ourselves happy. 
 
 Ven. Sir, you have almost amazed me, for, 
 though I am no scoffer, yet I have (I pray let 
 nie speak it without offence) always looked 
 upon anglers as more patient, and more simple 
 men, than I fear I shall find you to be. 
 
 Pise. Sir, I hope you will not judge my 
 earnestness to be impatience : and, for my 
 simplicity, if by that you mean a harmlessness, 
 or that simplicity which was usually found in 
 the primitive Christians, who were, as most 
 anglers are, quiet men, and followers of peace ; 
 men that were so simply-wise, as not to sell 
 their consciences to buy riches, and with them 
 vexation and a fear to die ; if you mean such 
 simple men as lived in those times when there 
 were fewer lawyers ; when men might have 
 had a lordship safely conveyed to them in a 
 piece of parchment no bigger than your hand, 
 though several sheets will not do it safely in 
 this wiser age, I say, sir, if you take us anglers 
 to be such simple men as I have spoken of, 
 then myself and those of my profession will be 
 glad to be so understood : but if by simplicity 
 you mean to express a general defect in those 
 that profess and practise the excellent art of 
 angling, I hope in time to disabuse you, and 
 make the contrary appear so evidently, that if 
 you will but have patience to hear me, I shall 
 remove all the anticipations that discourse, or 
 time, or prejudice have possessed you with 
 against that laudable and ancient art ; for I 
 know it is worthy the knowledge and practice 
 of a wise man. 
 
 But, gentlemen, though I be able to do this 
 I am not so unmannerly as to engross all the 
 discourse to myself; and, therefore, you two 
 having declared yourselves, the one to be a 
 lover of liawks, the other of hounds, I shall 
 
PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 130 
 
 be most glad to hear what you can say in the 
 commendation of that recreation ^^hich each 
 of you love and practise ; and, having heard 
 what you can say, I shall be glad to exercise 
 your attention with what 1 can say concerning 
 my own recreation and art of angling, and by 
 this means we sliall make the way to seem the 
 shorter; and, if you lilce my motion, I would 
 have Mr. Faiconer to begin. 
 
 Auc. Your motion is consented to with all 
 my heart, and, to testify it, I will begin as you 
 have desired mp. 
 
 And, first, for the element tliat I use to 
 trade in, which is the air, an element of more 
 worth than weight, an element that doubtless 
 exceeds both the earth and water, for though 
 I sometimes deal in both, yet the air is most 
 properly mine ; I and my hawks use that, and 
 it yields us most recreation ; it stops not the 
 high soaring of my noble, generous falcon ; in 
 it she ascends to such an height, as the dull 
 eyes of beasts and fish are not able to reach 
 to ; their bodies are too gross for such high 
 elevations : in the air my troops of hawks soar 
 upon high, and when they are lost in the sight 
 of men, then they attend upon and converse 
 with the gods; therefore I think my eagle is 
 so justly styled Jove's servant in ordinary ; 
 and that very falcon that I am now going to 
 see, deserves no meaner a title, for she usually 
 in her flight endangers herself, like the son of 
 DiBdalus, to have her wings scorched by the 
 sun's heat, she flies so near it, but her mettle 
 makes her careless of danger ; for she then 
 heeds nothing, but makes her nimble pinions 
 cut the fluid air, and so makes her highway over 
 the steepest mountains and deepest rivers, and 
 in her glorious career looks with contempt 
 upon those high steeples and magnificent pa- 
 laces which we adore and wonder at ; from . 
 which height I can make her to descend by a 
 word from my mouth (which she both knows 
 and obeys), to accept of meat from my hand, 
 to own me for her master, to go home with me, 
 and be willing the next day to afford me the 
 like recreation. 
 
 And more ; this element of air, which I 
 profess to trade in, the worth of it is such, and 
 it is of such necessity, that no creature what- 
 soever, not only those numerous creatures that 
 feed on the face of the earth, but those various 
 creatures that have their dwelling within the 
 waters, every creature that hath life in its 
 nostrils stands in need of my element. The 
 waters cannot preserve the fish without air, 
 witness the not breaking of ice in an extreme 
 frost ; the reason is, for that if the inspiring 
 and expiring organ of any animal be stopped, 
 it suddenly yields to nature, and dies. Thus 
 necessary is air to the existence both of fish 
 and beasts, nay, even to man himself; that 
 air, or breath of life, with which God at first 
 inspired mankind, he, if he wants it, dies pre- 
 sently, becomes a sad object to all that loved 
 and beheld him, and iu an instant turns to 
 putrefaction. 
 
 f'ay, more, the very birds of the air, those 
 
 that be not hawks, are both so many, and so 
 useful and pleasant to mankind, that I must 
 not let them pass without some observations : 
 they both feed and refresh him ; feed him with 
 their choice bodies, and refresh him with their 
 heavenly voices. I will not undertake to 
 mention the several kinds of fowl by which 
 this is done ; and his curious palate pleased 
 by day, and which, with their very excrements 
 afford him a soft lodging at night. These I 
 will pass by, but not those little nimble musi- 
 cians of the air, that warble forth their curious 
 ditties with which nature hath furnished them 
 to the shame of art. 
 
 At first the lark, when she mea.r^s to rejoice, 
 to cheer herself and those that hear her ; she 
 then quits the earth, and sings as she ascends 
 higher into the air, and, having ended her 
 heavenly employment, grows then mute, and 
 sad to think she must descend to the dull earth, 
 which she would not touch but for necessity. 
 
 How do the blackbird and thrassel, with 
 their melodious voices, bid welcome to the 
 cheerful spring, and, in their fixed months, 
 warble forth such ditties as no art or instru- 
 ment can reach to? 
 
 Nay, the smaller birds also do the like in 
 their particular seasons, as namely, the lever- 
 cock, the titlark, the little linnet, and the 
 honest robin, that loves mankind both alive 
 and dead. 
 
 But the nightingale, another of my airy 
 creatures, breathes such sweet loud music out 
 of her little instrumental throat, that it might 
 makemankind to thinkmiracles are notceased. 
 He that at midnight, when the very labourer 
 sleeps securely, should hear, as I have very 
 often, the clear airs, tlie sweet descants, the 
 natural rising and falling, the doubling and 
 redoubling of her voice, might well be lifted 
 above earth, and say ; Lord, what music hast 
 thou provided for the saints in heaven, when 
 thou aflTordest bad men such music on earth. 
 
 And this makes me the less to wonder at 
 the many Aviaries in Italy, or at the great 
 charge of Varro his Aviary, the ruins of which 
 are yet to be seen in Rome, and is still so 
 famous there, that it is reckoned for one of 
 those notables which men of foreign nations 
 eitlier record, or lay up in their memories 
 when they return from travel. 
 
 This for the birds of pleasure, of which very 
 much more might be said. My nest shall be 
 of birds of political use : I think 'tis not to be 
 doubted that swallows have been taught to 
 carry letters between two armies. But 'tis 
 certain that when the Turks besieged Malta 
 or Rhodes, I now remember not which 'twas, 
 pigeons are then related to carry and recarry 
 letters. And Mr. G. Sandys, in his travels, 
 relates it to be done betwixt Aleppo and Baby- 
 lon. But if that be disbelieved, 'tis not to be 
 doubted that the dove was sent out of the Ark 
 by Noah, to give him notice of land, when to 
 him all appeared to be sea, and the dove 
 proved a faithful and comfortable messenger. 
 And for the sacrifices of the law, a pair of 
 
140 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 turtle-doves, or young pigeons, were as well 
 accepted us costly bulls and rams. And when 
 God would feed the prophet Elijah (I Kings, 
 xvii.), after a kind of miraculous manner, he 
 did it by ravens, who brought him meat morn- 
 ing and evening. Lastly, the Holy Ghost, 
 when he descended visibly upon our Saviour, 
 did it by assuming the shape of a dove. And 
 to conclude this part of my discourse, pray 
 remember these wonders were done by bird* 
 of the air, the element in which they and 1 
 take so much pleasure. 
 
 There is also a little contemptible winged 
 creature, an inhabitant of my aerial element, 
 namely, the laborious bee, of whose prudence, 
 policy, and regular government of their own 
 commonwealth, I might say much, as also of 
 their several kinds, and how useful their honey 
 and wax is, both for meat and medicines to 
 mankind ; but I will leave them to their sweet 
 labour, without the least disturbance, believing 
 them to be all very busy at this very time 
 amongst the herbs and flowers that we see 
 nature put forth this May morning. 
 
 And now to return to ray hawks, from whom 
 I have made too long a digression ; you are to 
 note that they are usually distinguished into 
 two kinds ; namely, the long-winged, and the 
 short-winged hawk ; of the first kind, there 
 be chielly in use amongst us in this nation, 
 
 The Gerfalcon and Jerkin. 
 
 The Falcon and Tassel -gen tie. 
 
 The Laner and Laneret, 
 
 The Bokerel and Bokeret. 
 
 TheSaker and Sacaret. 
 
 The Merlin and Jack Merlin. 
 
 The Hobby and Jack. 
 
 There is the Stiletto, of Sp:tin. 
 
 The Blood-red Rook, from Turkey. 
 
 The Waskite, from Virginia. 
 
 And there is of short-winged hawks, 
 
 The Eagle and Iron. 
 
 The Goshawk and Tarcel. 
 
 The Sparhawk and Musket. 
 
 The French Pye, of two sorts. 
 These are reckoned hawks of note and 
 worth, but we have al.so, of an inferior rank, 
 
 The Stanyel, the Ringtail, 
 
 The Kaven, the Buzzard, 
 
 The Forked Rite, the Bald Buzzard. 
 
 The Hen-driver, and others that I for- 
 bear to name. 
 Gentlemen, if I should enlarge my discourse 
 to the observation of the eires, the brancher, 
 the ramish-hawk, the haggard, and the two 
 sorts of lentners, and then treat of their seve- 
 ral ayries, their mewings, rare order of cast- 
 ing, and the renovation of their feathers ; their 
 reclaiming, dieting, and then come to their 
 rare stories of practice; I say, if I should 
 enter into these, and many other observations 
 that I could make, it would be much, very 
 much pleasure to me : but, lest I should break 
 the rules of civility with you, by taking up 
 more than the proportion of time allotted to 
 
 me, I will he'c break off, and entreat you, 
 Mr. Venator, to say what you are able in the 
 commendation of hunting, to which you are so 
 much affected ; and if time will serve, I will 
 beg your favor for a further enlargement of 
 some of those several heads of which I have 
 spoken. But no more at present. 
 
 Ven. Well, sir, and I will now take my 
 turn, and will first begin with a commendation 
 of the earth, as you have done most excellently 
 of the air; the earth being that element upon 
 which I drive my pleasant, wholesome, hungry 
 trade. The earth is a solid, settled element ; 
 an element most universally beneficial, both 
 to man and beast : to men, who have their 
 several recreations upon it, as horse-races, 
 hunting, sweet smells, pleasant walks : the 
 earth feeds man, and all those several beasts 
 that both feed him and afford him recreation. 
 What pleasure doth man take in hunting the 
 stately stag, the generous buck, the wild-boar, 
 the cunning otter, the crafty fox, and the fear- 
 ful hare ! And, if I may descend to a lower 
 game, what pleasure is it sometimes with gins 
 to betray the very vermin of the earth ; as 
 namely, the fichat, the fulimart, the ferret, the 
 pole-cat, the mouldwarp, and the like crea- 
 tures that live upon the face, and within the 
 bowels of the earth ! How doth the earth 
 bring forth herbs, flowers, and fruits, both for 
 physic and the pleasure of mankind ! and 
 above all, to me at least, the fruitful vine, of 
 which, when I drink moderately, it clears my 
 brain, cheers my heart, and sharpens my wit. 
 How could Cleopatra have feasted Mark An- 
 tony with eight wild boars roasted whole at 
 one supper, and other meat suitable, if the 
 earth had not been a bountiful mother? But, 
 to pass by the mighty elephant, which the 
 earth breeds and nourisheth, and descend to 
 the least of creatures, how doth the earth af- 
 ford us a doctrinal example in the little pismire, 
 who in the summer provides and lays up her 
 winter provision, and teaches man to do the 
 like ! The earth feeds and carries those 
 horses that carry us. If I would be prodigal 
 of my time antl your patience, what might not 
 I say in commendation of the earth ? that puts 
 limits to the proud and raging sea, and by that 
 means preserves both man and beast, that it 
 destroys them not, as we see it daily doth those 
 that venture upon the sea, and are there ship- 
 wrecked, drowned, and left to feed haddocks ; 
 when we that are so wise as to keep ourselves 
 on earth, walk and talk, and live, and eat, 
 and drink, and go a hunting ; of which recre- 
 ation I will say a little, and then leave Mr. 
 Piscafor to the commendation of angling. 
 
 Hunting is a game for princes and noble 
 persons ; it hath been highly prized in all 
 ages ; it was one of the qualifications that 
 Xenophon bestowed on his Cyrus, that he was 
 a hunter of wild beasts. Hunting trains up 
 the younger nobility to the use of manly exer- 
 cises in their riper age. What more manly 
 exercise than hunting the wild boor, the stag, 
 the buck, the fox, or the hare ? How doth it 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 141 
 
 preserve health, and increase strength and 
 activity ? 
 
 And for the doRS that we use, who can com- 
 mend their excellency to the heifcht which tliey 
 deserve ? how perfect is the hound at smelling, 
 who never leaves nor forsakes his first scent, 
 but follows it through so many chan<ces and 
 varieties of other scents, even over, and in the 
 water, and into the earth ? \V'hat music doth 
 a pack of dogs then make to any man, whose 
 heart and ears are so happy as to be set to 
 the tune of such instruments? How will a 
 right greyhound fix his eye on the best buck 
 in a herd, single him out, and follow him, and 
 him only, through a whole herd of rascal 
 game, and still know, and then kill him ? 
 For my hounds, I know the language of them, 
 and they know the language and meaning of 
 one another, as perfectly as we know the 
 voices of those with whom we discourse daily. 
 I might enlarge myself in the commendation 
 of hunting, and of tiie noble hound especially, 
 as also of the docibleness of dogs in general ; 
 and I might make many observations of land- 
 creatures, that for composition, order, figure, 
 and constitution, approach nearest to the com- 
 pleteness and understanding of man ; espe- 
 cially of those creatures which Moses in tiio 
 law permitted to the Jews, which have cloven 
 hoofs and chew the cud, which I shall forbear 
 to name, because I will not be so uncivil to 
 Mr. Piscator, as not to allow him a time for 
 the commendation of angling, which he calls 
 an art ; but, doubtless, tis an easy one ; and, 
 Mr. Auceps, I doubt we shall hear a watery 
 discourse of it, but I hope 'twill not be a long 
 one. 
 
 Auc. And I hope so too, though I fear it 
 will. 
 
 Pise. Gentlemen, let not prejudice prepos- 
 sess you. I confess my discourse is like to 
 prove suitable to my recreation, calm and 
 quiet; we seldom take the name of God into 
 our mouths, but it is either to praise him or 
 pray to him ; if others use it vainly in the 
 midst of their recreations, so vainly as if they 
 meant to conjure, I must tell youjt is neither 
 our fault nor our custom ; we protest against 
 it. But, pray remember, I accuse nobody ; 
 for, as I would not make a watery discourse, so 
 I would not put too much vinegar into it ; nor 
 would I raise the reputation of my own art by 
 the diminution or ruin of another's. And so 
 much for the prologue to what I mean to say. 
 And now for the water, the elenient that I 
 trade in. The water is the eldest daughter 
 of the creation, the element upon which the 
 Spirit of God did first move — the element 
 which God commanded to bring forth living 
 creatures abundantly ; and williout which, 
 tJiose that inhabit the land, even all crea- 
 tures that have breatii in their nostrils, 
 must suddenly return to putrefaction. Moses, 
 the great lawgiver and chief philosopher, 
 skilled in all tiie learning of the Egyp- 
 tians, who was called the friend of God, 
 and knew the mind of the Almighty, names 
 this element the first in the creation ; this 
 
 is the element upon which the Spirit of 
 God did first move, and is the chief ingredient 
 in the creation ; many philosophers have made 
 it to comprehend all the other elements, and 
 most allow it the cliiefest in the mixtion of all 
 living creatures. 
 
 There be that profess to believe that all 
 bodies are made of water, and may be reduced 
 back again to water only : they endeavour to 
 demonstrate it thus. 
 
 Take a willow, or any like speedy growing 
 plant, newly rooted in a box or barrel full of 
 earth, weigh them all together exactly when 
 the trees begin to grow, and then weigh all 
 together after the tree is increased from its 
 first rooting, to weigh a hundred pound weight 
 more than when it was first rooted and 
 weighed ; and you shall find this augment 
 of the tree to be without the diminution of 
 one drachm weight of the earth. Hence they 
 infer this increase of wood to be from water 
 of rain, or from dew, and not to be from any 
 other element. And they affirm they can 
 reduce thisi wood back again to water ; 
 and they aflSrm also the same may be done in 
 any animal or vegetable. And this I take to 
 be a fair testimony of the excellency of my 
 element of water. 
 
 The water is more productive than the earth. 
 Nay, the earth hath no fruitfulness without 
 showers or dews ; for all the herbs and flowers 
 and fruit are produced and thrive by the 
 water ; and the very minerals are fed by 
 streams that run under ground, whose natural 
 course carries them to the tops of many high 
 mountains, as we see by the several springs 
 breaking forth on the tops of the highest hills ; 
 and this is also witnessed by the daily trial and 
 testimony of several miners. 
 
 Nay, the increase of those creatures that are 
 bred and fed in the water is not only more and 
 more miraculous, but more advantageous to 
 man, not only for the lengthening of his life, 
 but for the preventing of sickness ; for it is ob- 
 served by the most learned physicians, that 
 the casting off of Lent, and other fish days, 
 which hath not only given the lie to so many 
 learned, pious, wise founders of colleges, for 
 which we should be ashamed, hath doubtless 
 been the chief cause of those many putrid, 
 shaking, intermitting agues, unto which this 
 nation of ours is now more subject than those 
 wiser countries that feed on herbs, salads, and 
 plenty of fish ; of which it is observed in story, 
 that the greatest part of the world now do. 
 And it may be fit to remember that Moses, 
 Lev. xi. 9, Deut. xiv. 9, appointed fish to be 
 the chief diet for the best commonwealth that 
 ever yet was. 
 
 And it is observable, not only that there are 
 fish, as namely, the Whale, three times as bifj 
 as the mighty Elephant, that is so fierce in 
 battle, but that the mightiest feasts have been 
 of fish. The Romans, in the height of their 
 glory, have made fish the mistress of all their 
 entertainments ; they have made music to usher 
 in their Sturgeons, Lampreys, and Mullets, 
 which they would purchase at rates rather to 
 
142 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 be wondered at than believed. He that shall 
 ▼iew the writings of Macrobius, or Varro, may 
 be confirmed and informed of this, and of the 
 incredible value of their fish and fish ponds. 
 
 But, gentlemen, I have almost lost myself, 
 which I confess I may easily do in this phi- 
 losophical discourse ; I met with most of it 
 very lately, and I hope happily, in a confer- 
 ence with a most learned physician. Dr. Whar- 
 ton, a dear friend, that loves both me and my 
 art of angling. But, however, I will wade 
 no deeper in these mysterious arguments, but 
 pass to such observations as I can manage with 
 more pleasure, and less fear of running into 
 error. But I must not yet forsake the waters, 
 by whose help we have so many known ad- 
 vantages. 
 
 And first to pass by the miraculous cures of 
 our known baths, how advantageous is the sea 
 for our daily traffic, without which we could not 
 now subsist ! How does it not only furnish 
 us with food and physic for the bodies, but 
 with such observations for the mind as Inge* 
 nious persons would not want ! 
 
 How ignorant had we been of the beauty of 
 Florence, of the monuments, urns, and rarities 
 that yet remain in and near unto old and new 
 Rome, so many as it is said will takeupayear's 
 time to view, and afford to each of them but a 
 convenient consideration ! And therefore it is 
 not to be wondered at, that so learned and 
 devout a father as St. Jerome, after his wish 
 to have seen Christ in the flesh, and to have 
 heard St. Paul preach, makes his third wish 
 to have seen Rome iti her glory ; and that glory 
 is not yet all lost, for what pleasure is it to 
 see the monuments of Livy, the choicest of 
 the historians ; of Tully, the best of orators ; 
 and to see the bay trees that now grow out of 
 the very tomb of Virgil ! These, to any that 
 love learning, must be pleasing. But what 
 pleasure is it to a devout Christian to see 
 there the humble house in which St. Paul was 
 content to dwell, and to view the many rich 
 statues that are there made in honor of his 
 memory ! nay, to see the very place in which 
 St. Peter and he lie buried together ! These 
 are in and near to Rome. And how much 
 more doth it please the pious curiosity of a 
 Christian, to see that place on which the 
 blessed Saviour of the world was pleased to 
 humble himself, and to take our nature upon 
 him, and to converse with men ; to see Mount, 
 Sion, Jerusalem, and the very Sepulchre of 
 our Lord Jesus ! How may it beget and 
 heighten the zeal of a christian, to see the 
 devotions that are daily paid to him at that 
 place ! Gentlemen, lest I forget myself, I 
 will stop here, and remember you, that but 
 for my element of water, the inhabitants of 
 this poor island must remain ignorant that 
 such things ever were, or that any of them 
 have yet a being. 
 
 Gentlemen, I might both enlarge and lose 
 myself in such like arguments ; I might tell 
 you that Almighty God is said to have spoken 
 to a fish, but never to a beast ; that he hath 
 made a whale a ship, to carry and set his 
 
 prophet Jonah safe on the appointed shor^. 
 Of these I might speak, but I must in man- 
 ners break off, for I see Theobald's House. I 
 cry you mercy for being so long, and tliank 
 you for your patience. 
 
 Auc. Sir, my pardon is easily granted you : 
 I except against nothing that you have said : 
 nevertheless, I must part with you at this 
 park-wall, for which I am very sorry ; but I 
 assure you, Mr. Piscator, I now part with you 
 full of good thoughts, not only of yourself, 
 but your recreation. And so. Gentlemen, 
 God keep you both. 
 
 Pise. Well, now, Mr. Venator, you shall 
 neither want tin)e, nor my attention to hear 
 you enlarge yourdiscourse concerning hunting. 
 
 Ven. Not I, Sir; I remember you said 
 that angling itself was of great antiquity, and 
 a perfect art, and an art not easily attained 
 to ; and you have so won upon me in your 
 former discourse, that I am very desirous to 
 hear what you can say further concerning 
 those particulars. 
 
 Pise. Sir, I did say so : and I doubt not but 
 if you and I did converse together but a few 
 hours, to leave you possessed with the same 
 high and happy tiioughts that now possess me 
 of it ; not only of the antiquity of anjiling, 
 but that it deserves commendations ; and that 
 it is an art, and an art worthy the knowledge 
 and practice of a wise man. 
 
 Ven. Pray, Sir, speak of them what you 
 think fit, for we have yet five miles to the 
 Thatch'd House ; during which walk, I dare 
 promise you my patience and diligent atten- 
 tion shall not be wanting. And if you shall 
 make that to appear which you have under- 
 taken, first, that it is an art, and an art worth 
 the learning, I shall beg that I may attend you 
 a day or two a fishing, and that I may become 
 your scholar, and be instructed in the art 
 itself which you so much magnify. 
 
 Pise. O, Sir, doubt not but that angling 
 is an art. Is it not an art to deceive a 
 trout with an artificial fly ? a trout! that 
 is more sharp-sighted than any hawk you 
 have named, and more watchful and timor- 
 ous than your high-mettled Merlin is bold ; 
 and yet I doubt not to catch a brace or 
 two to-morrow, for a friend's breakfast ; 
 doubt not, therefore, Sir, but that angling is 
 an art, and an art worth your learning. The 
 question is rather, whether you be capable of 
 learning it; for angling is somewhat like 
 poetry, men are to be born so : I mean with 
 inclinations to it, though both may be height- 
 ened by discourse and practice ; but !<; that 
 hopes to be a good angler, must not only 
 bring an inquiring, searching, observing wit, 
 but he must bring a large measure of hope 
 and patience, and a love and propensity to 
 the art itself; but having once got and prac- 
 tised it, then doubt not but angling will prove 
 to be so pleasant, that it will prove to be, like 
 virtue, a reward to itself. 
 
 Ven. Sir, I am now become so full of expect. 
 ation, that I long much to have you proceed, 
 and in the order that yon propose. — More anon. 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 14' 
 
 The Worn-out Boxer. 
 Air, " Erin go bragU." 
 
 There came to the tap a disciple of milling. 
 
 And threadbare and patch'd were the garments he 
 wore ; 
 
 Jfe said, with an oath, he had spent his last shilling. 
 And that days of fair fighting, alas ! were no more. 
 
 But a gin cask attracted his eyes' sad devotion, 
 
 And he asked for a dram of his favorite poticin ; 
 
 But the landlord, refusing to second his motion, 
 Requested him first to pay off his old score. 
 
 Ah ! he exclaimed, in the days of my glory> 
 
 Ere the clouds of mishap had obscur'd my bright 
 star; 
 You told me at all times a diffcrrnf story, 
 
 'Twas " welcome, my cock, to tlie best in the bar." 
 Then 1 sported new fitgs, and I sported a ticker ,- 
 But the storms cf distress gathered thicker and thicker ; 
 And now, when I beg for a mouthful of liquor, 
 
 You refuie, like a niggardly coise, as you are. 
 Few of my pals of past days now will know me, 
 
 They eye me askance, with a cold-hearted shrug, 
 And seeing me down on my luck tliey cry *' blow me, 
 
 We never again wish to look at his mug." 
 Shame be your portion for conduct so hateful, 
 Fair weather fellows, both base and ungrateful ! 
 Of grub may you soon know the want of a plate fuU, 
 
 And the lean arms of Poverty give you a.liiig. 
 
 How TO Catch, Cook, and Eat a Lion. 
 
 Wonders will never cease ! On approach- 
 ing pretty near to the marsh, we discovered, 
 to our infinite delight, a considerable quantity 
 of rain water, among the rushes, and were on 
 the point of dismounting, to partake of it, 
 ■when suddenly a large Puma, or South Ame- 
 rican lion, sprung from a rushy lair where he 
 had been couched, and instantly fled across 
 the plain. This somewhat startling appear- 
 ance dispersed our thirst, or the sense of it, 
 for the moment, and we all turned our horses 
 in pursuit of the fugitive. I have elsewhere 
 described the extraordinary skill of the 
 Gauchos with their lazo. On this occasion J 
 had to witness a new instance of it in the 
 Cordovese scout, who, presently coming up 
 with the lion, cast his lazo over its head in an 
 instant, and brought it to the ground, almost 
 choked by the running noose. On recover- 
 ing himself a little the lion seemed disposed to 
 turn on his assailants and defendJiimself; but, 
 before he could rise, the lazo of the capataz 
 was dexterously cast round his hinder legs, 
 and, the holder of it riding on, the lion was 
 stretched on the plain, by the tightened cords, 
 without the power of moving! With the ra- 
 pidity of lightning the Cordovese now dis- 
 mounted, and the blood of the animal was tlie 
 next instant gushing from beneath his knife. 
 After satisfying our thirst, by returning to the 
 marshy pool, the carcase of the lion was 
 dragged to the carts, where the skin was 
 taken off, and the flesh cut into small pieces, 
 roasted, and eaten within an hour of our first 
 sight of the living animal. The flesh, which I 
 tasted, was very white, and resembling veal, 
 but of a fishy flavour ; but certainly it Was 
 much preferable to that of a newly-slain buck, 
 which was roasted at the same time. The flesh 
 of the lion is esteemed a great delicacy by the 
 Gauchos, and consequently a feast on one is 
 looked upon as a treat of no ordinary kind. 
 
 The next day we arrived at RIelinqnecito,where 
 a lioness with two cubs was taken — the mother 
 was killed andeaten, and the two cubs were put 
 into one of the carts, with the intention of con- 
 veying them alive to Buenos Ayres ; but foi 
 want of proper food they soon died. 
 
 Singular Affection displayed by a 
 Greyhound. 
 
 Some time since, Mr. Smith's men, of Rose 
 Cottage, near Ashbourne, turned up a rabbit's 
 nest with the plough, containing four young 
 ones. Being too young to stand the least 
 chance of surviving, in their exposed situation, 
 they took them home as a treat for a grey- 
 hound bitch that was suckling a litter of six 
 puppies. To their surprise, instead of greedily 
 devouring the rabbits, as they expected, 
 she carried them tenderly and carefully 
 in her mouth to her nest, and seemed to 
 consider them a most welcome addition to her 
 family, bestowing upon them the same fondling 
 caresses, and offering them a share of the same 
 support which nature had furnished for her 
 own offspring. This the poor rabbits did not 
 refuse, and there appeared to be no doubt of 
 their doing well. Unfortunately, however, they 
 were doomed to suffer death from their young 
 companions, though not exactly in the manner 
 that greyhounds generally kill rabbits. One 
 after another got overlaid by its rude and ro- 
 bust foster-brother and sister, and the poor 
 mother, with evident reluctance and regret, 
 saw them carried away, and did not part 
 them, even when dead, without remonstrat- 
 ing against it as much as she durst. 
 
 Account of a Mermaid. 
 
 There appears in a late number of tho 
 Edinburgh Magazine a curious communica- 
 tion on this subject, from Mr. Lawrence Ed- 
 monstone, surgeon, Zetland. He says, that 
 an animal answering to the following descrip- 
 tion, so far as the account of the six fishermen 
 who captured it can be depended on, was 
 actually in their possession for three hours, 
 but unluckily, from some superstitious dread 
 of injuring it, they returned it to its native 
 element, and thus prevented the scientific 
 identifications of an animal which appears to 
 have very nearly resembled what has been 
 generally regarded as a merely fabulous crea- 
 tion. Length of the animal, three feet; body 
 without scales or hair ; silver grey above, 
 whitish below like the human skin ; no gills 
 were observed, no fins on the back or belly ; 
 tail like that of a dog-fish ; body very thick 
 over the breast ; by the eye the girth might bo 
 between two and three feet ; the neck short, 
 very distinct from the head and shoulders ; 
 the body rather depressed ; the anterior ex- 
 tremities very like the human hand, about the 
 length of a seal's paw, webbed to about an inch 
 of the ends of the fingers ; mammas as large 
 as those of a woman ; mouth and lips very 
 distinct, and resembling the human. 
 
141 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK. OF SPOUTS. 
 
 French Sportino Duke in England. 
 The late duke de Berri, who was devolea 
 to field sports, and an excellent shot, while 
 upon a visit to a distinguished commoner in 
 England, was accompanied to the field by his 
 own maitre de chasse, and an old grey-headed 
 game-keeper of his host's. The latter had 
 resided many years upon the estate, and could 
 scarcely repress his dissatisfaction at the num- 
 ber of victims to the Duke's skill. Repeatedly 
 in the course of the day, upon springing a 
 pheasant, the maitre de chasse, as is usual 
 with the French, would call out Poule ! (hen) 
 and the Duke, as a fair sportsman, of course 
 restrained his fire. On the return of the 
 party, the worthy host inquired of " Old 
 John " what kind of shot his illustrious 
 visitor was ; to which the following reply was 
 grumbled out : " By the Lord he never misses, 
 and, if he had pulled half as often as t'other 
 Monsieur wanted him to do, your honor 
 would have hardly had a bird next year." 
 
 Appearance of the late Queen of France, 
 (Marik Antoinette) at a Boar Hunt. 
 
 " It was in the forest of St. Germain en 
 Laye, that I first saw Marie Antoinette d'Au- 
 triche. This splendid sovereign was indeed 
 an Imperial model of female beauty : rich and 
 royal were her charms, despotic and com- 
 manding her lovely form and imposing figure. 
 If a man had but one drop of chivalrous 
 blood in his veins, it would swell in his heart 
 and mantle at the sight of this great and un- 
 fortunate woman. She at once struck, capti- 
 vated, and interested you. Her stately demean- 
 our was all the queen — her soft large blue eye 
 was all the woman. Respect was inspired by 
 the former, zealous devotion was enkindled by 
 the latter, with a kind of a feeling as if a 
 man wished to have peril to hrave for such a 
 princess, and arduous enterprise to undertake 
 for the reward of her smile. 
 
 " If Agamemnon ever deserved the title of 
 Anax Andron (the King of Men), or Ney 
 merited the nom de guerre ol un brave parmi 
 les braves, Marie Antoinette of Austria was 
 entitled to the epithet of the Queen of Wo- 
 men, and une belle parmi les belles. 
 
 " My reader must pardon me for this long 
 digression from the subject of sporting ; a 
 true sportsman is always a man of gallantry : 
 and he who boldly risks his neck at a des- 
 perate fence, or a blind leap, will be very 
 likely to brave every danger for the Lady of 
 his Love, and to stick at nothing in following 
 the Blind God's chase in pursuit of beauty. 
 To such a one his flame may fairly address 
 the words of the Italian Bard, ^Deh: ncn 
 seguir damna fugace,' etc. 
 
 ' Follow a nobler chase, and spare the deer. 
 Hunted by cruelty, run down by fear : 
 1 am thy captive, Sylvio, follow me — 
 Already ta'en and bound by lore to thee.' 
 
 " But to the Boar-hunt.— The field was 
 numerous and brilliant. The liounds and 
 
 whole turn-out belonged to the present Charles 
 the Tenth, Ex-King of France, then second 
 brother to Louis the Sixteenth. It was what 
 was called Vequipage de Monseigneur le Comte 
 d'Artois — carriages, horses, et cetera. By the 
 way, there were then in France a number of 
 what was termed voiiures de chasse, hunting 
 carriages, very fancifully constructed, re- 
 sembling our caravans, and having sometimes 
 a stag's head and fore quarters in front ; over 
 which a coachman, all gold or silver lace, and 
 his hair highly dressed, used to take his seat, 
 driving either four-in-hand, the horses all too 
 far from their work, the leaders with very 
 long traces, seldom tight (for these dressy 
 coachmen did not know how to keep the tits 
 up to their traces), or with four horses, the 
 leaders having a postilion with cocked hat and 
 jack boots. Sometimes also the voitures de 
 chasse had three horses abreast ; and once I 
 saw one with four, which was very like the 
 engravings of the Roman cars. The nobility 
 mostly went to covert in close carriages, the 
 horses being led, as those of the Royal Hunt 
 of Louis the Sixteenth were, each led-horse 
 being covered with a rich cloth, correspond- 
 ing with the livery of the owner, and with the 
 family arms, or cipher and coronet, at each 
 corner. The Comte d'Artois's was dark-green 
 with splendid gold lace ; the livery being that 
 colour and crimson, laced richly with gold. 
 It had a fine effect in the field, althoug-h an 
 unsporting appearance, being more military- 
 looking than any thing else. The Prince of 
 Conde's trappings were buff and crimson 
 velvet, with silk embroidery of the latter 
 colour, in portraiture ofthe Knights in leathern 
 doublets with the crimson favors. 
 
 " The Queen of France wore the uniform 
 of the Hunt, with a profusion of gold lace, 
 and as great a profusion of fine white ostrich 
 feathers in her riding-hat. She was in one of 
 these voitures de chasse, drawn by eight fine 
 English bay horses, driven by a giant of a 
 charioteer of most uncoachman-like appear- 
 ance — a desperate driver, but a bad whip. 
 The animals went at a furious rate, and her 
 Most Christian Majesty had much the appear- 
 ance of a Sovereign of ancient times, making 
 a triumphal entry into some conquered state." 
 
 Excellence of Yankee Rifle Shooting. 
 
 It appears, in the United Slates Gazette, 
 that Major G. W. CoUamer, of Barre, on the 
 14th of August, 1828, shot an apple from the 
 bare head of Mr. H. Ingram, at the distance 
 of twenty-seven yards, with a rifle. Mr. Col- 
 lamer then took his turn, and Ingram, at the 
 distance, shot an apple from his head. It was 
 done in the presence of a number of respect- 
 able gentlemen, who, after fruitless attempts 
 to stop the parties, had the satisfaction to see 
 them come off in safety. The apples were so 
 handsomely cut by the ball, that the juice 
 and pomace remained in considerable quanti- 
 ties on the hair of their heads. 
 
PIERCE RGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 145 
 
 THE COCKPIT. 
 
 No sooner were the doubtful people set, 
 
 The match made up, and all that would had beif 
 
 15ut strait the skilful judges of the play 
 
 Brought forth their sharp-heel'd warriors, and they 
 
 Were both in linen bags, as if 'twere meet 
 
 Before they died to have their winding sheet! 
 
 Into the Pit they're brought, and being there 
 
 Upon the stage, the Norfolk Chanticleer 
 
 Looks stoutly at his ne'er before seen foe, 
 
 And like a challenger began to crow ! 
 
 Thl Origin and Antiquity of Cocking. 
 
 This is so evidently of Grecian original, 
 that the inhabitants of Delos and Tanagra 
 were lovers of this sport at a very early 
 10. 
 
 period, when several cities of Greece were 
 eminent for Iheir magnanimous breed of 
 chickens. It was adopted by the Roniaos 
 about 471 years before the christinn era ; O! • 
 according to some authors, iinaiedi,itp>y after 
 
146 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 the Peloponnesian war. They had likewise a 
 breed of hens at Alexandria in Egypt, which 
 produced the best fighting cocks; but though 
 it is certain that these fowls, at first, fought 
 full feathered, it was not long before feeders 
 were made use of, as in the modern mode. 
 But, at Athens, cock-f(giiting was partly a 
 political, and partly a religious institution, 
 and was there continued for the purpose of 
 improving the valour of their youth, and by 
 degrees became a common pastime, as well as 
 in all other parts of Greece. 
 
 On the other hand, the Romans paired 
 o.uails, as well as cocks; and, according to 
 Herodian, the first quarrel between Bassi- 
 anus and Geta arose about the fighting of 
 their quails and cocks ; notwithstanding this, 
 the Romans did not match the latter till the 
 commencement of the decline of the empire. 
 
 It is not positively known when the pitched 
 battle was first introduced into England ; we 
 have no notice of cock-fighting earlier than 
 the reign of Henry II. William Fitz-Stephen 
 describes it then as the sport of school boys 
 on Shrove Tuesday : the theatre was the 
 school ; and the school-master, it seems, was 
 the comptroller and director of the sport. 
 The practice was prohibited in the 39th of 
 Edward III. ; but became general under 
 Henry VIII., who was personally attached 
 to it, and established the cock-pit at White- 
 hall, to bring it more into credit. James the 
 First was so remarkably fond of it, that, 
 according to Monsieur de la Bodenie, who 
 was the ambassador from Henry IV. to this 
 king, he constantly amused himself with it 
 twice a week. Under Elizabeth, it was not 
 less in vogue ; and the learned Roger Ascham 
 then favored the world with a treatise on the 
 subject. There was then a pit in Drury and 
 Gray's Inn lanes, and another in Jewin-street ; 
 but the practice was a second time prohibited 
 by an act under the Protectorship in 1654. 
 
 It has a strange quick jar open the ear. 
 That Cocking 
 
 Such were the words of the late Lord 
 Byron ; therefore, the inference to be drawn 
 from them perhaps Is, that the fam-y of his 
 lordship was not attached to Cock Fighting; 
 but, nevertheless, as the saying is. Lord 
 Kyron (it was well known to his most inti- 
 mate friends) was " fond of seeing every thing 
 that was to be met with in life." His lord- 
 ship, it is presumed, did not wish to plead 
 ignorance upon any subject as a man of the 
 world ; neither that such a feature had es- 
 caped his notice as a person of observation. 
 This, in some degree, may account for his 
 lordship's "dropping in," as Paul Pry would 
 observe, into a cockpit — rather to be a 
 ' tooker-on,' as a matter of curiosity, than to 
 partake of it as a diversion. However, be 
 that as it may, we are well assured that 
 sports of all kinds are mere matters of taste, 
 and "one man's meatis another man's poison." 
 The subject of Cock-fighting has been too 
 
 long before the public to require any defence 
 of it from our hands, we shall, therefore, 
 merely use his lordship's words as the best 
 answer we can give to those persons who are 
 inclined to be a little too fastidious respecting 
 the above sport : 
 
 Some talk of an appeal unto some paesion ; 
 
 Some to men's feelings, others to their reason ; 
 The last of these was never much the fashion, 
 
 For REASON thinks all reasoning out of season. 
 
 A Cockpit, like a race course, in a sporting 
 point of view, is free for every person ; and 
 selection of company is entirely out of the 
 question. The noble lord, and the n^edy 
 commoner, are both at home, after they have 
 paid their tip for admission ; and persons who 
 enter the pit to sport a crown, bet a sovereign, 
 or to put down their pounds, are too much 
 interested upon the Main, to consider who 
 they may chance to ' rub against' for the time 
 being. Etiquette has nothing to do with a 
 Cockpit; and a master of the ceremonies 
 would have a troublesome time of it — to keep 
 any thing like order ; yet, nevertheless, per- 
 sons of the first rank in society are to be met 
 with in a cockpit. During the intervals, 
 which occur between the battles, the M. P. 
 may be seen conversing with his friend re- 
 specting the success of the Reform Bill in 
 the House of Lords on the preceding evening ; 
 and, on the other side of tlie pit, the commoner 
 may be viewed equally as happy, amusing his 
 pals with a bit of a flash chant Jugt to fill up 
 the leisure time : 
 
 A saucy rolling blade am I, 
 
 I keep a donkee Dick ; 
 Through London streets my wares I cry. 
 
 Up peck and boae to pick. 
 
 In Black-boy alley I've a ken, 
 
 A tyke and figlUivg cock ; 
 A sancy, tip-slang, moon-eyed, hen. 
 
 Who oft' mills doll at block. 
 
 I'm known by all the deep ones well. 
 
 About Salt-petre Bank, 
 And always ready, prig.9 can tell. 
 
 To 0iig a Smithfield Itarik. 
 
 I'll race my Jack, or bait a bull. 
 
 Or fight my doodle don ; 
 I'll flash a quid with any cull ; 
 
 And fly a ji'geon-blue. 
 
 I'll back my ginger to make a hit. 
 My fine — my true game Cock : 
 
 The Suells can't do me in the pit , 
 I'm down to ev'i-y lock! 
 
 I'm up to all your knowing rigs. 
 
 Ye biddies queer and flash ; 
 I'm company for scamps and prigs, 
 
 Sometimes for men of cash. 
 
 My inoU oft' tips the knowing dive 
 When sea-crabs gang the stroll ; 
 
 Unless she did how could we thrive. 
 And in v/urm flannel roll 1 
 
 Cocking, at the present period, is kept np 
 with great spirit at Newcastle, and the recent 
 meeting of Cockers at the above place, in 
 point of extent, exceeds every thing of the 
 kind ever known in this counlrj'. Upwards 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SJ^OIJTS. 
 
 ir 
 
 of 200 cocks wvre fought, and the fighting 
 generally good, particularly the cocks at 
 Baglin Hill, and Lockey, who all won great 
 majorities. A remarkable circumstance oc- 
 curred on the Saturday before fighting. A 
 match was made for 20 sovs. between Parker 
 and Reed, feeders, and won by the latter, 
 after a hard contest. Parker's cock, how- 
 ever, came round so much soon after, that his 
 parly made a second match, to come off on the 
 fallowing Monday, for a like sum, which was 
 hgain won by Reed, after a severe battle — a 
 circumstance perhaps altogether unknown in 
 the annals of cocking. It is also calculated 
 tiiat at the termination of the races, which will 
 finish the Cocking for the present season, 
 upwards of 1000 cocks will have met with 
 lluir deaths. Newcastle may, therefore, 
 thallenge all the world for Cocking. 
 
 We need not be told that many persons 
 \ iew Cockfighting as a most cruel sport, and 
 would feel highly disgusted with such an 
 exhibition ; while, on the contrary, thousands 
 of characters are interested on a battle be- 
 tween two game cocks, beyond the power of 
 description — lose hundreds of pounds upon a 
 Main without a murmur, and prefer the 
 amusement of a cockpit to the Opera, theatre, 
 ball-room, or any other amusement that can 
 be mentioned : — 
 
 What 19 it that impels mankind 
 To stretch the procreative mind, 
 By this, or that thing, joy to find ? 
 
 My Fancy ! 
 
 In the Racing Calendar for the year, it will 
 be perceived, that Cocking generally accom- 
 panies the diversion of the Course ; and also 
 accounts of the Mains of cocks fought at 
 Cheltenham, Chester, Gloucester, Norwich, 
 Newcastle, Lancaster, Preston, Stamford, &c., 
 nnd that amongst its patrons will be found 
 tlie venerable Earl of Derby, Sir William 
 Wynne, Ralph Benson, Esq., — Bellyse, 
 Esq., and numerous other gentlemen cockers 
 in different parts of the kingdom. In the 
 Metropolis and environs there are several cock- 
 pits, but the head quarters of the sport is the 
 pit in Horse Ferry Road, Westminster. The 
 cocking, in London, generally commences 
 soon after Shrove tide. 
 
 We shall now give a description of a Lon- 
 don cockpit and its frequenters, with some 
 touches at character by an amateur : — 
 
 " I was sitting, some evenings ago, in my 
 room, at the first coming of the twilight, which 
 in our Albany rooms is fond of paying early 
 visits — my head was indolently hung back 
 upon the red morocco top of my easy chair, 
 and my hands were hung like two dangling 
 bell ropes over each arm of my seat — and in 
 this position I was ruminating on many things 
 of little moment. I had thus leaned back in 
 my chair, and resigned myself to the most 
 luxurious idleness, — a kind of reading made 
 easy, — when a knuckle, knocking at my door, 
 intimated the arrival of some impatient 
 
 visitor — and before I could muster voice 
 enough to give Tate Wilkinson's flirection 
 of " Come in !" the tooth of my door-lock 
 was wrenched, and Tom Owen, with a news- 
 paper in his hand, dashed in — and at once 
 stood astounded, with his white hat elevated 
 on his forehead, — admiring my amazing 
 stupor. 
 
 " Why Edward ! Edward Herbert ! Asleep, 
 by all that's sublime ! There he sits, deaf to 
 time ! Edward, I say ! Come bolt up from 
 the morocco ! I have news for your two no- 
 thoroughfare ears, which ought to make you 
 as lively as an eel with half his waistcoat off! 
 Here," said he, smacking a creased and 
 dingy newspaper, with an air of vehement 
 exultation — " here is that which will be life 
 itself to you/" I closed my book-mind quietly, 
 or doubled it up, as Tom would say, and 
 raising myself with difficulty into an erect 
 posture — rubbed my eyes, uncrossed my tinc- 
 ling legs (which were just beginning to wake 
 out of a nap,) and begged, through the arch- 
 way of a yawn, to know what this very 
 sprightly piece of news consisted of. Tom 
 pulled, or rather tossed off his hat, noddefl to 
 me a nod more eloquent than speech, and 
 tipping an acute wink out of the left corner 
 of his little impudent grey eye — proceeded 
 at once to read aloud from the first column of 
 the newspaper. He pronounced one v\ord 
 with an emphasis the most pointed — cocking! 
 — and then paused to let loose wink the 
 second, which, if possible, was more charged 
 with mystery than the former, — "cocking ! — 
 there Edward !" continued he — " there ! 
 cocking — at the Royal Cockpit, Tufton-street, 
 Westminster! — there;" and then he went 
 strictly through a formal advertisement, — 
 touching — "200 the main," — and " byes," and 
 " feeders" — and " gentlemen of Norwich," 
 and " a deal of skimble-skamble stuff," which 
 for the life of me I could not then retain, and 
 therefore cannot now repeat. 
 
 " When Tom had finished his formal infor- 
 mation, he very readily and clearly, at my 
 request, divested the announcement of its 
 technicalities, and explained to me, that on 
 such a day, being the morrow, a grand main 
 of cocks was to be fought at the Royal Cock- 
 pit, at which, for 5s the head (certainly not 
 the heart), a man might be present. It re- 
 quired little of my volatile friend's rhetoric 1o 
 induce me to promise my attendance, as I 
 had never been present at any thing of the 
 kind, higher than a full-feathered blustering 
 skirmish of a couple of huge-combed, rcd- 
 rufHed, long-tailed dunghills, amid a wild^T- 
 ness of poultry, in a farm-yard. I had seen 
 no clean fighting — no beautiful sparring in 
 silver — no blood-match ! as Tom earnestly 
 describes it. I was the more induced to ac- 
 cede to his request of accompanying him, 
 from learning that lie could introduce me to 
 
 Mr. D , one of the principal breeders of 
 
 game cocks — a gentleman of the most winning 
 manners — and one who could and would 
 
 L 2 
 
148 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 describe to me the characters present, and 
 procure for me the sight of the coops and 
 pens, where the birds were fed and kept pre- 
 viously to the day of battle. 
 
 " I begged Tom Owen would by some 
 means get me a sight of any book upon cock- 
 ing, as I was cxtremefy desirous of going to 
 the scene of war with as much ready-made 
 knowledge as I could, in the short time 
 allowed me, acquire. He said, he himself 
 had a tidy little work upon the subject, which 
 would let me into the whole art of breeding, 
 trimming, matching, and betting, — but that 
 
 be would apply to his friend Mr. I> , who 
 
 would inform him if there were any more 
 erudite and desirable books on the sport. I 
 gladly availed myself of Tom's pamphlet, and 
 to my pleasure (certainly not to my surprise) 
 he pulled it from his coat-pocket, and laid it 
 down quietly on ray table. We arranged all 
 things for our meeting the next day — and it 
 was settled that he should call upon me, and 
 that I should be ready for him by half past 
 one o'clock. 
 
 " I moralised in a lack-a-daisical manner, 
 for about half an hour, upon the vices and 
 backslidings of this life, and then betook 
 myself to "The Directions for Breeding 
 liame Cocks, with Calculations for Betting," 
 and passed the evening in cultivating an 
 acquaintance with "moulting" — " clutches of 
 eggs," — " stags," — " long-law," — "fighting 
 in cilver," and the like : — and long before the 
 clock of St. James's church had timed eleven 
 to the drowsy hackney-coachmen and watch- 
 men of Piccadilly, I was fit to sit " at the 
 mat," and risk my " guinea on Nash." 
 
 I think I cannot do better than treat you, 
 Russell, in the same manner that I treated 
 myself — and I shall, therefore, pick my way 
 daintily through the book which Tom lent 
 me (a neat little olive-coloured pamphlet^ 
 and writ in a friendly Waltonish tone), and 
 thus prepare you, in some measure, for the 
 cockpit itself, to which, by your favor, I mean 
 to introduce you. 
 
 And first, as to the choice of a bird. Observe, 
 Russell, how many points must be attended 
 to :— 
 
 As to the exterior qualifications, his head 
 should be thin and long, or if short, very 
 taper; with a large full eye, his beak crooked 
 and stout, his neck thick and long (for a cock 
 with a long neck has a great advantage in 
 his battle, particularly if his antagonist is 
 one of those kind of cocks that will fight at 
 no other place but the head); his body short 
 and compact, with a round breast (as a sharp 
 breasted cock carries a great deal of useless 
 weight about him, and never has a fine fore- 
 hand) ; his thighs firm and thick, and placed 
 well up to the shoulder (for when a cock's 
 thighs hang dangling behind him, be assured 
 he never can maintain a long battle) ; his legs 
 long and thick, and if they correspond with 
 the colour of his beak, I think it a perfection ; 
 and his feet should be broad and thin, with 
 very long claws. 
 
 With regard to his carriage, he should e 
 upright, but not stiffly so; his walk should 
 be stately, with his wings in some measure 
 extended, and not plod along a3^ 1 have seen 
 some cocks do, with their wings upon theii 
 backs like geese. 
 
 As to the colour he is of, I think it imma- 
 terial, for there are good cocks of all colours ; 
 but he should be thin of featl:«rs, short and 
 very hard, which is another proof of his 
 being healthy: as, on the contrary, if he has 
 many, soft and long, it favors much of his 
 having a bad constitution. 
 
 Remember, that a cock with all this stout- 
 ness of beak, length, and thickness of leg, 
 rotundity of breast, "fine forehand," firm- 
 ness of neck, and extent of wing, ought to 
 weigh no more than 41b. 8 or lOoz. If he 
 happens to have an ounce or two more in his 
 composition, he is out of the pale of wncivil 
 society, and is excluded by all match makers 
 " from fighting within the articles." A bird, 
 to be a bird "fit for the white bag, the trimmed 
 wing, the mat, and the silver spur," — must 
 be " high upon leg, light fleshed, and large 
 boned ; but still no more than 41b. 8 or lOoz. 
 Do not forget this." 
 
 The art is to teach in classes, and to recon- 
 cile as many at a time as is practicable, to 
 their growing duties. It is surely pleasant 
 to 1>€ safely instructed how to bring up a 
 chicken in the way it should go. The ama- 
 teur writes — 
 
 " I have heard many persons declare, who 
 could have had no experiecte in breeding 
 fowls, that they did not think it rrecessary 
 that a hen should be confined while her 
 chickens were young, and had just sense 
 enough to say, that nature never designed it ; 
 but let me tell those natiiralists (naturals I 
 may call them), if a hen should lay a clutch 
 of eggs secretly in January, as it is not un- 
 common for young hens to lay in that month 
 and sit upon them, consequently, if there are 
 any chickens hatched, it must be in February, 
 when if she is not taken in doors, but left to 
 range where she pleases, I am confident that 
 the cold northerly winds and wet weather, 
 which are usual at that season of the year, 
 will destroy every one of them.'' 
 
 The little playfulness in the parenthesis, 
 which is like the flirt of the cock's wing, 
 gratifies me much. The shrewdness at tiie 
 end of the next direction is, however, of a 
 higher order — it is the cut of the spur. It is 
 curious to observe how man's wit is fai-hicncd 
 and coloured by the subject of which it tieats. 
 The very style is cock-like ! It is indeed 
 well concocfeted ! 
 
 " Be sure also that they do not drink any 
 soap suds, or get to any filthy place, for if 
 they do, it engenders distempers in tbem 
 which very often turn to that fatal one the 
 roup, a disease for which I have heard many 
 remedies, but never found any so effeclual as 
 breaking their necks." 
 
 Now. to prevent their fighting from being 
 attended with such disagreeable consequences, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 149 
 
 after they have befjiin, divide them into as 
 niHDV parties as you can find separate apart- 
 ments, leaving the strongest upon the ground, 
 and when these have fully established their 
 authority over each other (which you make 
 llieni do in the course of two days, by holding 
 whicii you find the weakest in your hand, and 
 buffeting him with your handkerchief while 
 tlie other strikes him, and, if this won't do, 
 ronHne him without victuals for a few hours, 
 until he is cold, when, being stiff and sore, 
 and tlie other fresh, after a blow or two he 
 w ill not attack him again), you may put down 
 tiie strongest from one the parties that are 
 shut up, who, by being kept short of food, will 
 submit directly to run under all those that are 
 down ; and, when ihey are so far reconciled 
 as to permit him to run amongst them, put 
 down the strongest from another party, which 
 will submit in the same manner, and, by pur- 
 suing this method, in the course of a few days 
 you will be able to get them all down. \V hen 
 once settled, they will go very peaceably to- 
 gether, except by accident one of them should 
 get disfigured, v\hicli, if such a thing should 
 happen, and they do not seem to be perfectly 
 reconciled, send him to another walk fbi fear 
 of a general quarrel. 
 
 The author is very particular in recommend- 
 ing you cautiously to try your stags (which 
 are young cocks *' and such small deer !") — 
 
 " Now permit me to recommend you to trans- 
 act the business relative to trying your stags, 
 without mentioning it even to the person that 
 feeds them." 
 
 One more quotation, and I lay aside the 
 book. It is an anecdote, Russell, — or such 
 the author calls it. He is reasoning, " beak 
 and heel," against relying upon cocks in a 
 eecond battle, however courageous and victo- 
 rious they may have proved themselves in 
 their first tight. He says, a bird is almost 
 sure to receive some hurt, which neither time, 
 tmining, nor feeding can make him forget, 
 w hen he conies " to be touched " a second 
 time. A slight hurry (or hurt) is often re- 
 incmbPred, 
 
 I recollect a circumstance (says this circum- 
 stantial artist) of this kind happening to a 
 neighbouring gentleman, who, having entered 
 into an agreement to fight a week's play, at a 
 very short notice, and not being able to get a 
 sufficient number of cocks he could depend 
 upon, had the temerity to weigh in some of 
 his own stags, of about ten or eleven months 
 old, and it so happened that one of them had 
 to fight against the cock the other party de- 
 pended .niost upon winning ; but after a doubt- 
 ful and bloody contest for near half an hour, 
 contrary to the opinions of every one |)res..nt, 
 the stag came off victorious, which so elated 
 his master, that he sent him to one of his best 
 v\alksto run till the next season ; but what 
 was very extraordinary, he moulted from a 
 daik red to a very light ginger pile. This 
 strange metamorphose we were totally at a 
 lo. s to account for. when \\ewere informed by 
 
 a person who spoke pertinently on the sub- 
 ject, that it was owing to his having been so 
 severely handled in his battle ; that he had 
 seen two or three instances of the same kind ; 
 and at the same time advised my friend never 
 to fight him again, for it was almost reduced 
 to a certainty that he would be beat it he hap- 
 pened to fall in weight with a good cock. But 
 this piece of advice my friend did not attend 
 to, having him weighed in the very next 
 match he made, and in which he was killed, 
 making hardly any defence, although as well 
 to fight with regard to the feeding part, as it 
 was possible for a cock to be. 
 
 In fighting a match the author recommends 
 a carefulness in the choice of a feeder (the 
 person who is to give the bird his last train- 
 ing food, and care), and of a setter-to (the se- 
 cond, in fact, of the cock in battle). — 1 here 
 are good and bad feeders — and good ?,-. d bad 
 setters-to " I have seen " says the writer, 
 " many of Uie latter, who do not know when a 
 " cock wants rest, and when he should be 
 made to fight."* 
 
 So much for the little learned tract which 
 Tom put into my hands ! The moment, he 
 left me 1 turned to my book-shelves, and 
 among several old and curious volumes, I for- 
 tunately dropped upon The Court and City 
 Gamester, a rare little store-house of know- 
 ledge for those who would become masters in 
 the arts of whist, racing, tick-tack, ombre, 
 archery, brag, bankafalet, put, and cocking. 
 The style "eats short" as old ladies say of 
 Threadneedle-street biscuits ; and, to show 
 you how differently the same subject may be 
 treated by diflferent writers, I shall copy out 
 this ancient artist's picture of a game cock, 
 " as he ought to be, — not as he is !" You 
 will at once detect the hand of a gentleman a 
 cocker, and a scholar in the work. 
 
 His head ought to be small, with a quick, 
 large eye, and a strong bark, and (as master 
 JNIarkham observes) must be crockt and big 
 at the setting on, and in colour suitable to 
 the plume of his feathers, whether black oryel- 
 low, or reddish, &c. The beam of his leg must 
 be very strong, and, according to his plume, 
 blue, grey, or, yellow ; his spurs rough, long 
 and sharp, a little bending, and looking 
 inward. 
 
 His colour ought to be either grey, yellow, 
 or red, with a black breast; not but that there 
 are many otlier coloured piles very excellent 
 good, which you must find out by practice and 
 observation ; but the three former, by the ex- 
 perience of most, are found ever the best ; the 
 pyed pile may serve indifferently, but the 
 white and dun are rarely found good for any 
 thing. 
 
 Note, that if your cock's neck be invested 
 with a scarlet complexion, it is a sign he i» 
 
 •There are bettting-lables, and calculations of odds 
 annexed to tbis little pamphlet, which put the Tutor's 
 Assistant ([uite out of countenance. Tlie subject, and 
 tile ability that marks the execution, leans me to 
 think that CucUr had some hand in them. 
 
i:>o 
 
 PlERCt: EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 strong, lusty, and courageous ; but, on the 
 contrary, if pale and wan, it denotes the cock 
 to be faint, and in health defective. 
 
 You may know his courage by his proud, 
 upright standing, and stately tread in walking ; 
 and, if he croweth very frequently in the pen, 
 it is a courageous demonstration. 
 
 His narrow heel, or sharpness of heel, is 
 known no otherways than by observation in 
 tighting, and that is when upon every rising 
 he so hits that he extracts blood from his op- 
 ponent, gilding his spurs continually, and 
 every blow threatening immediate death to 
 his adversary. 
 
 The whole essay is admirable 5 but I shut 
 the book of science, contenting myself and 
 you with extracting only the following 
 
 EXCELLENT AND ELEGANT COPY OF VERSES 
 UPON TWO COCKS FIGHTING, BY I)B. K. 
 WILD.* 
 
 No sooner were the doubtful people set, 
 
 The match made up, aud all that would had bet ; 
 
 But strait the skilful judges of the play 
 
 Brought forth their sharp-heel'd warriors, and they 
 
 Were both in linen bags, as if 'tueie meet 
 
 Before they died, to have their wiuding-sheet. 
 
 Into the pit they're brought, and, being there 
 
 Upon the st >ge, the Norfolk Chanticleer 
 
 Looks stoutly at liis ne'er before seen foe. 
 
 And like a challenger began to crow. 
 
 And clap his wings, as if he would display 
 
 His warlike colours, which were black and grey. 
 
 Meantime the wary Wisbich walks and breathes 
 
 His active body, and in fury wreathes 
 
 His comely crest, and, often looking down. 
 
 He whets his angry beak upon ths ground. 
 
 Thi? done they meet, not like that cov.ard breed 
 
 Of JEsop ; these can better fight than feed ; 
 
 They scorn the dunghill, 'tis their only piize 
 
 To dig for pearls within each other's eyes. 
 
 They fought so nimbly, that 'twas hard to know. 
 
 To th' skilful, whether they did fight, or no ; 
 
 If that the blood which dy'd the fatal floor. 
 
 Had not bore witness oft. Yet fought they more ; 
 
 As if each wound were but a spur to prick 
 
 Tlieir fury forward. Lightning's not more quick. 
 
 Or red, than were their eyes : 'Twas hard to know 
 
 Whether 'twas blood or anger made them so 
 
 I'm sure Ihey had been out, had they not stood. 
 
 More safe, by being fenced in with blood. 
 
 Thus they vy'd blows ; but yet (alas !) at length, 
 
 Altho' their courage were full try'd, their strength 
 
 And blood began to ebb. You that have seen 
 
 A watry combat on the sea, between 
 
 Two an^ry, roaring, b jiling billows, how 
 
 They march, and meet, and dash their ciu-led brow ; 
 
 Swelling like graves, as tho' they did intend 
 
 T'intomb each other e'er the quarrel end ; 
 
 But when the v/ind is down, and blust'ring weather. 
 
 They are made friends, and sweetly run together ; 
 
 May think these champions such ; their blood grow.'* 
 
 low. 
 And they, which leap'd before, now scarce can go ; 
 
 • Dr. Robert Wild, the author of the above poejn, 
 claims by our extract to be better known and remem- 
 bered. He was a non conformist divine and poet ; and 
 was bom in 1600. In 1648 he was appointed rector of 
 Aynho, in Northamptonshire, and was looked upon as 
 a wit of his time. It is told of him that he and ano- 
 ther preached probationary sermons for the living, and 
 that on his being asked whether he had obtained it, 
 he replied — " We have divided it ; I have got the ay, 
 and he the no." Wood speaks of him as a " Fat, 
 jolly, and boon Presbyterian." Some of hia poems 
 were printed with the poems of Rochester, (no very 
 creditable distinction), and (apparently as an atone- 
 ment) a few of his sermons survived him. He appears 
 by his poem to have been a resolute cocker and a 
 twileiable poet 
 
 Their wings, which lately, at each blow tliey clapp'd* 
 
 (As if they did applaud themselves) now tlapp'd. 
 
 And having lost th' advantage of the heel. 
 
 Drunk with each other's blood, they only reel : 
 
 From either eyes such drops of blood did fall. 
 
 As if they wept them for their funeral. 
 
 And yet they fain would fight ; they came so near, 
 
 Methought they meant into each other's ear 
 
 To whisper wounds ; and when they could not rise, 
 
 ■They lay and look'd blows int' each other's eyes. 
 
 But now the tragick part ! After this fit. 
 
 When Norfolk cock had got the best of it 
 
 And Wisbich lay a dying, so that none, 
 
 Tho' sober, but might venture sev'n to one ; 
 
 Contracting, like a dying taper, all 
 
 His strength, intending with the blow to fall. 
 
 He struggles up, and having taken wind. 
 
 Ventures a blow, and strikes the other blind. 
 
 And now poor Norfolk, having lost his eyes. 
 
 Fights only guided by antipathies : 
 
 With him (alas ') the proverb holds not true, 
 
 The blows his eyes ne'er saw, his heart mast rue. 
 
 At length, by chance, he stumbled on his foe, 
 
 Not having any pow'r to strike a blow. 
 
 He falls upon him with his wounded head. 
 
 And makes his comiu'ror's wings his feather-bed. 
 
 Tom Owen called punctually on the day, 
 and at the appointed hour, dressed up duti- 
 fully for the sport, and well fitted to rival a 
 horse-dealer or a groom — yet with a loose- 
 hung gentility about him, that just left it a 
 matter of doubt whether you ought to ask him 
 into your drawing-room or your stable. We 
 took our way across the park with hasty, eagtr 
 feet, and were with very little difficulty soon; 
 conducted to the door of a dull, old-fashioned 
 building in Tufton-Street, Westminster, around 
 which were sauntering a sprinkle of old gen- 
 tlemen, old hackney-masters, old sportsmen^ 
 old leathern-breeches, old top-boots, old canes, 
 old nondescripts : all that was strange, and 
 vitiated, and extravagant in age seemed col- 
 lected about this spot ; and I could not but 
 remark how few I saw of the young, the 
 rakish, and the depraved, present at a sport 
 which was cruel enough for excitement, and 
 uncertain enough for the purposes of gam- 
 bling. One or two solitaries of a youthful ap- 
 pearance dangled about as half in shame 
 and half in curiosity ; but I detected 
 none of the enthusiastic bustle, none of the 
 wildness, spirit, and pleasure which light up 
 " young bloods" at other of the ancient and 
 rude sports of this country. One very re- 
 spectable and aged gentleman on crutches 
 struggled his way on the unmolested pave- 
 ment to the door, as though the fires of his 
 youth would not go out, and accident or dis- 
 ease could not warn him to subside into the 
 proprieties of his years. The doors were at 
 length opened, and we paid our entrance 
 money, and received the check for admission. 
 This check was cast in pewter, and had the 
 figure of a fighting-cock embossed upon it. 
 But we entered the pit ! 
 
 The cock- pit is a large, lofty, and circular 
 building, with seats rising, as in an amphi- 
 theatre.* In the middle of it is a round mat- 
 
 • The Royal Cock-pit in St. James's Park has been 
 taken down, and never again to be rebuilt. The 
 Governors and Trustees of Christ's Hospital, to whom 
 the ground belongs, met on the spot, the very day the 
 lease expired ; and pave directions for the immediate 
 erasement of the building 
 
PIERCE EGAN'8 BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 151 
 
 ted stage, of about eighteen or twenty feet 
 diameter, as nearly as my eye can measure it, 
 and rimmed with an edge eight or ten inches 
 in height, to keep the cocks from falling over 
 in their combats. There is a chalk ring in 
 the centre of the matted stage, of perhaps a 
 yard diameter, and another chalk mark within 
 it, much smaller, which is intended for the 
 setling-to, when the shattered birds are so 
 enfeebled as to have no power of making hostile 
 advances towards each other. This inner 
 mark admits of their being placed beak to 
 beak. A large and rude branched candle- 
 stick is suspended low down, immediately 
 over the mat, which is used at the night 
 battles. 
 
 When we entered there were very fev/ per- 
 sons in the pit; for, as the gentlemen of the 
 match were not seated, the principal followers 
 of the sport Avere beguiling the time at a 
 public-house opposite the cockpit. A tall, 
 shambling, ill-dressed fellow was damping the 
 mat with a mop, which he constantly dipped 
 in a pail of water, and sparingly, and most 
 carefully sprinkled around him. This was 
 to make it soft for the birds, and to prevent 
 their slipping. We took our seats at the foot 
 of a flight of stairs, that went up into one of 
 the coops — judging that that would be the 
 best spot for seeing as much as was to be seen. 
 There are two " tiring rooms" — of course for 
 the separate sides. — One room, or more pro- 
 perly, coop, is up the flight of stairs I have 
 mentioned ; the other is beneath it, and has 
 its entrance without the pit. At this time my 
 
 friend Tom's friend, Mr, D , arrived, and 
 
 I was introduced to him at once. He was a 
 young man (I was almost sorry for this, be- 
 cause it untied a theory of mine, respecting 
 the sport being a propensity of age only, 
 owing, as I had settled it, to its being easy of 
 enjoyment, a sedentary amusement, not trou- 
 blesome to the beholders, cruel enough to stir 
 the blood, and open to monej'^-stakes like a 
 game at cards : played in fact at a table, and 
 under shelter. However, my theory is foolish). 
 
 Mr. D , as I said, was young, he was also 
 
 lusty, fresh-coloured, cheerful ; — open as day 
 in his manners and in bis conversation ; — and 
 free from that slang slyness which generally 
 characterises the sporting man. Tom told him 
 that I was anxious to see and know all I 
 could ; and he immediately opened to me the 
 curiosities of the place, with a lively liberty, 
 and a power of description, which I wish in 
 my heart I could have caught from him. See- 
 ing that he was thus so pleasantly minded, I 
 began boldly at the beginning, and begged to 
 know something of the rules and regulations 
 of cocking. He turned-to at them, in high 
 feather, on the instant. 
 
 The birds, Russell (I am saying after him), 
 are weighed and matched — and then marked 
 and numbered. The descriptions are carefully 
 set down in order that the cock may not be 
 changed ; and the lightest cocks tight first in 
 order. The key of the pens, in which the 
 cocks are set and numbered, is left on the 
 
 weighing-table on the day of weighing ; or 
 the opposite party may, if he pleases, put a 
 lock on the door. The utmost possible care, 
 in short, is taken that the matched birds shall 
 fight, and no substitutes intruded. 
 
 Mr. D , next gave me a very particular 
 
 description of the modes of setting-to — of 
 terminating difficult battles — of betting — and 
 of parting the entangled birds ; but as I 
 really could not very clearly follow his rapid 
 and spirited explanation, and as I am about 
 to relate to you a battle as I myself saw it, 
 I will not detain you here with my imperfect 
 detail of his very perfect description. 
 
 But before the birds are pitted, Mr, 
 
 D 's account of a few of the characters 
 
 must not be omitted. I cannot at all give you 
 them in colours, as my new friend dashed 
 them off : but I will follow him in a respectful 
 Indian-ink, and at a distance; and you must 
 make the most you can of what I am able to 
 afford you, 
 
 " There was a tall, sallow-faced, pow. 
 dered man standing below us. He took 
 snuff industriously, wore very yellow leathern 
 breeches, — very brown aged top-boots, — and 
 a black coat of the same colour. ^He was 
 sixty years of age if he was a month — and I 
 never saw a dull man so enlivened as he was 
 with this his betting hour, and the approaching 
 warfare. He had a word for every one near 
 him, and a restlessness which would not allow 
 him to wait for answers. I found that he 
 was a hackney-coach proprietor, and that 
 cockfighting was his only amusement. He 
 thought playing at cards a waste of time, — a 
 disgraceful kind of gambling, — and he could 
 not endure the barbarities of a manfight, 
 which he called " seeing two human crea- 
 tures knock each other to pieces for other 
 people's sport." Cockfighting was the only 
 game ! He was steady in his business, when 
 no cockfight was on the carpet, and idle and 
 tacit in a public-house parlour at nights. 
 But in the pit he was at home. Sovereigns 
 were golden dust, which blew about in- the 
 breath of his opinion ; and he rose into per- 
 fect life only in the presence of ' a Shrop- 
 shire Red,' or ' a Ginger Pile 1' 
 
 " Nearly opposite to this person was a very 
 oiderly, quiet, respectably dressed man, with 
 a formal, low-crowned, broad brimmed hat, — 
 a black suit of clothes, — and a dark silk 
 umbrella. He was trying to look demure 
 and unmoved ; but I was told that he was a 
 clergyman, and that he would be " quite up 
 in the stirrups" when the cocks were brought 
 in. He forced himself to be at ease ; but I 
 saw his small, hungry, hazel eyes quite in a 
 fever, — and his hot, thin, vein-embossed hand, 
 rubbing the unconscious nob of his umbrella 
 in a way to awaken it from the dead : — and 
 yet all the time he was affecting the uninter- 
 ested incurious man ! The clolh was half in 
 his mind ! He would fain still be a clergy- 
 man — but he had 'no spur to prick the sides 
 of his intent!' 
 
 " Another person, — very small, — very dap- 
 
152 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 per, — powdered like a gentleman of the old 
 school, — with glossy grey silk stockings, high 
 ancled shoes and buckles, — perked up against 
 the pit, — affecting nothing, — caring for no 
 one, — but living, revelling in the ancient 
 sport. He bowed smartly around him, looked 
 about with a couple of nimble bird-like eyes, 
 — crowned one or two offered bets, — and sent 
 the little white tip of his eitremely thin pig- 
 tail from shoulder to shoulder, with an alacrity 
 which showed that he was ' a hearty old 
 cock' still ; and had neither of his little 
 silken legs in the grave ! 
 
 " The lame old gt ntleman was seated close 
 to the mat, and sat pillowed in fatness on a 
 truss of straw, whii h one of the feeders had 
 procured for him, to make his position less 
 painful. He closed a bet quietly, with the 
 end of his crutch touching the ferule of the 
 umbrella of a tall, gaunt, white-faced man in 
 bright blue (a tailor as I learned) ; and thus 
 forcibly reminded me of the conjunction of 
 the two horse-whip bets, in Hogarth's admir- 
 able picture of the Cockpit in his day: — 
 except that this extended crutch gave to me 
 a more poignant moral — a more sorrowful 
 and acute truth ! 
 
 " In one part of the place I saw sliabby 
 old men, apparently wanting a meal, yet 
 showing by their presence that they had 
 mustered 5s. for an hour's sport here. In 
 another spot I beheld blunt, sly, coarse York- 
 shiremen, with brownish-red cheeks, short 
 uneven features, thick bristly whiskers, and 
 cold moist bleak-blue eyes — looking as though 
 they were constantly out upon prey. 
 
 " 1 was continuing my enquiries into the 
 characters around me, when a young man of 
 very slang, slight, but prepossessing appear- 
 ance, passed me, dressed in tight kerseymeres, 
 with a handkerchief round his knee, neat 
 ■white cotton stockings, small shoes, a blue 
 check waiter-looking jacket, short about the 
 waist, and a gay 'kerchief knowingly tied on 
 his neck. He was really a clean handsome 
 faced young fellow, with thin but acute and 
 regular features, small light whiskers, and 
 with his hai;- closely cut, and neatly and 
 'cutely combed down upon his forehead. He 
 had scarcely passed me before I felt some- 
 thing rustle and chuckle by my elbow ; and 
 turning round, saw a stout plump old ostler- 
 I'joking man carry a white ba;; past me, which 
 by the struggle and vehement motion inside, 
 I guessed to be one of the brave birds for the 
 battle. The two men stepped u{,on the mat, 
 and the hubbub was huge and instantaneous. 
 ' Two to one on Nash !' ' A guinea on Nash !' 
 • Nash a crown !' only sounds like these were 
 beard (for the bets are laid on the setters-to), 
 till the Hoise aroused a low mttscii/ar-brooding 
 chuckle in the bag, which seemed to show 
 that the inmate was rousing into anger even at 
 the voice of man ! 
 
 From the opposite door a similar processijn 
 entered. The oetter-to (Fleming by came) 
 was dressed much in the same manner, but 
 
 he appeared less attractive than young Nag' 
 (the name of the young man I have just men- 
 tioned.) He certainly was not so smart a 
 fellow, but there was an honesty and a neat- 
 ness in his manner and look, which pleased 
 me much. The chuckle of the cock in the 
 one bag was answered deeply and savagely 
 from the other — and the straw seemed spurned 
 in the narrow cell, as though the spirit that 
 struck it would not be contained. 
 
 " Nash's bag was carefully untied, and 
 Nash himself took out one of the handsomest 
 birds I think I ever beheld. I must have 
 leave to try tny hand at a description of a 
 game cock ! 
 
 "He was a red and black bird — slim, 
 masculine, trimmed — yet with feathers glossy., 
 as though the sun shone only upon his ner- 
 vous wings. His neck arose out of the bag, 
 snakelike, — terrible — as if it would stretch 
 upward to the ceiling ; his body followed, 
 compact, strong, and beautiful, and his long 
 dark-blue sinewy legs came forth, clean, 
 — handsome, — shapely, determined, — iron- 
 like ! The silver spur was on each heel, of 
 an inch and a half in length — tied on in the 
 most delicate and neat manner. His large 
 vigorous beak showed aquiline, — eagle-like ; 
 and his black dilating eyes took in all around 
 him, and shone so intensely brilliant, that 
 they looked like jewels. Their light was 
 that of thoughtful, sedate, and savage courage .' 
 His comb was cut close — his neck trimmed — 
 his wings clipped, pointed, and strong. The 
 feathers on his back were of the very glossiest 
 red, and appeared to be the only ones which 
 were left untouched ; for the tail was docked 
 triangularvfise like a hunter's. The gallant 
 bird clucked defiance — and looked as if he 
 •■ had in him something dangerous !' Nash 
 gave him to Fleming, who held him up above 
 his head— examined his beak — his wings — 
 his legs — while a person read to him the 
 description of the bird from paper— and upon 
 finding all correct, he delivered the rich 
 feathered warrior back to Nash, and pro- 
 ceeded to produce Lis own bird for a similar 
 examination 
 
 " But I must sj.eak of the senior Nash, — 
 the old man, -tin- feeder. When again may 
 I have an opportunity of describing him ? 
 and what ought a paper upon * cocking' to be 
 accounted worth, — if it fail to contain some 
 sketch, however slight, of old Nash? He 
 wore a smock-frock, and was clumsily though 
 potently built ; his shoulders being ample, and 
 of a rotundity resembling a wool-pack. His 
 legs were not equal to his bulk. He was un- 
 conversational almost to a fault — and never 
 made any the slightest remark that did not 
 appertain to cocks and cocking. His narrow, 
 damp, colourless eye, twinkled a cold satis- 
 faction when a bird of promise made good 
 work on the mat ; and sometimes, though 
 seldom, he was elevated into the proffer of a 
 moderate bet — but generally he leaned over 
 tiie rails of a small gallery, running parallel 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 153 
 
 Tvitli his coop, and stooping attentively to- 
 ward the pit, watclied tiie progress of the 
 battle. I made a remark to Tom and INIr. 
 
 D , that I thought him extremely like a 
 
 cock. Tom was intent upon Fleming, and 
 could not hear me ; but Mr. D. was delighted 
 at the observation, which seemed to him one 
 of some aptitude. Old Nash's beaked nose 
 drawn close down over his mouth, — his red 
 forehead and gills, — his round body, — and 
 blue thin legs ; and his silver-grey, scanty, 
 feathery hair lying like a plumage over his 
 head — all proved him cock-like ! This man, 
 thought I, has been cooped up in pens, or 
 penned up in coops, until he has become 
 shaped, coloured, mannered like the bird he 
 has been feeding. I should scarcely have 
 been surprised, if Mr. D. had told me that 
 old Nash crowed when the light first dawned 
 over the ancient houses of Tufton-street, in a 
 summer morning ! I warrant me he pecked 
 bread and milk to some tune ; and perchance 
 slept upon a perch ! 
 
 " But Fleming lifted his bird from the bag, 
 and my whole mind was directed his way. 
 This was a yellow bodied black winged, 
 handsome cock, — seemingly rather slight, 
 but elastic and muscular. He was restless at 
 the sight of his antagonist, but quite silent — 
 and old Nash examined Iiim most caiefully 
 by the paper, deliverin.°; him up to Fleming 
 upon finding him answer to his description. 
 The setters-to then smoothed their birds, 
 handled them— wetted th^ir fingers and moist- 
 ened their bandaged ank'es where the spurs 
 were fastened — held them up opposite to each 
 other — and thus pampered tiieir courage, and 
 prepared them for the combat. 
 
 " The mat was cleared, of all persons ex- 
 cept Fleming and young Nash. The betting- 
 went on vociferously. The setters-to taunted 
 each the birds with other's presence — allowed 
 them to strike at each other at a distance — put 
 them on tlie mat facing each other— encour- 
 aged and fed their crowing and mantling 
 until they were nearly dangerous to hold — 
 and then loosed them against each other, for 
 the fatal fight. 
 
 " The first terrific dart into attitude was 
 indeed strikingly grand and beautiful — and 
 the wary sparring, watching, dodging, for the 
 first cut, was extremely curious. Tliey were 
 beak-point to beak-point, — until they dashed 
 up< in one tremendous flirt — mingling their 
 jiowerful rustling wings and nervous heels in 
 one furious confused mass. The leap, — the 
 fire, — the passion of strength, the certaminis 
 Haudia, — were fierce and loud! The parting 
 was another kind of thing every way. I can 
 compare the sound of the first flight to no- 
 thing less than that of a wet umbrella forced 
 suddenly open. The separation was death 
 like. The yellow or rather the gin:er 
 bird staggered out of the close — drooping — 
 dismantled — bleeding! He was struck! — 
 Fleming and Nash severally took their birds, 
 examined them for a moment, and then set 
 
 them again opposite to each other. The hand- 
 ling of the cocks was as delicate as if they 
 had been made of foam, froth, or any other 
 most perishable matter. Fleming's bird staf- 
 ered towards his opponent but he was hit 
 dreadfully — and ran like a drunken man, 
 tottering on his breast, sinking back on his 
 tail ! — while Nash's, full of fire and irritated 
 courage, gave the finishing stroke that clove 
 every particle of life in twain. The brave 
 bird thus killed, dropped at once from the 
 ' gallant bearing and proud mien,' to the re- 
 laxed, draggled, motionless object that lay in 
 bleeding ruin on the mat. I sighed and 
 looked thoughtful — when the tumult of the 
 betters startled me into a consciousness of the 
 scene at which I was present, and made me 
 feel how poorly timed was thought amid the 
 characters around me. 
 
 " The victor cock was carried by me in all 
 his pride — slightly scarred, — but evidently 
 made doubly fierce and muscular by the short 
 encounter he had been engaged in. He 
 seemed to have grown to double the size ! 
 His eyes were larger. 
 
 ' Tlie paying backward and forward of 
 money won and lost, occupied the time until 
 the two Nashes ajiain descendijj with iinother 
 cock. 
 
 " Sometimes the first blow was fatal — at 
 another time the contest was long and doubt- 
 ful, and the cocks showed all the obstinate 
 courage, weariness, distress, and brcathless- 
 ness, which mark the struggles of experienced 
 pugilists I saw the beak open, the tongue 
 palpitate — the wing drag on the mat. I 
 noticed the legs tremble, and the body topple 
 
 over upon the breats, — the eye grow dim, 
 
 and even a perspiration break out upon the 
 feathers of the back. When a battle lasted 
 long, and the cocks lay helpless near or upon 
 each otlier, — one of the feeders counted ten, 
 and tlien the birds were separated and set-to 
 at the chalk. If the beaten bird does not 
 fight while forty is counted, and the other 
 pecks or shows signs of battle, the former 
 is declared conqueror. 
 
 " Such is cockfighting. Tom proposed 
 showing me the coops; and ( instantly ac- 
 cepted his proposal, and followed him up the 
 stairs. 
 
 " A covering was hung before each pen : so 
 that I heard, rather than saw, the cocks. 
 But it was feeding time; and I beheld innu- 
 merable rocky beaks and sparkling eyes at 
 work in the troughs — and the stroke of the 
 beak in taking up the barley was like the 
 knock of a manly knuckle on a table. Old 
 Nash was mixing bread and milk for his 
 feathered family. But I have done!" 
 
 At Lima (in South America) the diversion 
 of cocK-FiGiiTiNG is followed with great 
 avidity ; there it was not under any regulation 
 till 1762, the duties of society were not only 
 neglected by many individuals, but thire were 
 
Ia4 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S UOOK OF Sl'OKTS. 
 
 continual disputes among the amateurs. At 
 length the little square of St. Catherine, near 
 the walls of the city, was fixed upon for this 
 amusement only. It is observed that the 
 brook running here, and the gardens which 
 almost surround this spot, the goodness of 
 air, &c., render the situation most delightful. 
 The building in which the sport is carried on 
 forms a kind of amphitheatre; the seats 
 naturally ascend, leaving nine open spaces 
 between them for the spectators, who stand. 
 On the outside of the amphitheatre is a very 
 commodious stair-case, which leads to the 
 upper galleries, twenty-nine in number, not 
 including that of the judge, which is distin- 
 guished by its decorations and its magnitude. 
 Here this amusement is permitted not only 
 two days in the week, but on Saint's days and 
 on Sundays ; the seats in the corridors are let 
 at different prices, but the spectators who 
 stand in the nine open spaces between the 
 area and the galleries are admitted gratis. 
 Notwithstanding the crowd is often immense, 
 no disorders occur, as the judge who decrees 
 the prizes to the winners has always a guard 
 with him to enforce his authority. 
 
 Dice, and that little pugnacious animal the 
 COCK, are the chief instruments employed by 
 the numerous nations of the East to relax their 
 minds and afford amusement, to which the 
 Chinese, who are desperate gamesters, add 
 the use of cards. When all other property is 
 played away, the Asiatic gambler scruples not 
 to stake his wife or his child on the cast of 
 a die, or the courage and strength of a martial 
 bird ; if still unsuccessful, the last venture 
 he stakes is himself! 
 
 In the island of Ceylon, cock-fighting is 
 carried to a great height. The Sumatrans are 
 fond of the use of dice. A strong spirit of 
 play characterizes a Malayan. To discharge 
 their gambling debts, the Siamese sell their 
 possessions, their wives, and at length them- 
 selves. 
 
 The following/asA (but rather coarse) chant 
 am.ongst the cockers, was, some years since, 
 in great request at Wednesbury, vulgarly 
 called 
 
 WEDGEBURY COCKING. 
 
 At Wednesbury there was a cocking, 
 
 A nialch between Newton and Skrogging ; 
 The colliers and nailers left W(irk, 
 And all to Spittles" went jogging 
 To see this noble sport. 
 
 Many noted men there resorted. 
 And though they'd but little money. 
 Yet that they freely sported. 
 Raddle tum rum turn ra, 
 Fol do rol la lal la, 
 Raddle tum rum tum rai 
 Fol dc rol la lal la. 
 
 There was Jeff'ry and Bohurn from Hampton, 
 
 And Dui-ly, fron\ Bilslone, was tliere, 
 Frumity he came from Darlaston, 
 
 He was as rude as a bear : 
 And there was old Will from Walsal, 
 
 And Smacker from West Bromwi>h came; 
 Blind Dobbin he came from Rowley, 
 
 And stagg«r'"g he went home. 
 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 Ruff Mory came limping -"long, 
 
 ^i ihough he'd some cripple been mock'cg 
 T» join the blackguard throng 
 
 That met at Wednesbury cocking; 
 He borrow'd a iritie of Uoll, 
 
 To back old Tavener's grey. 
 He laid fourpence half-penny to fourpence 
 
 Lost, and went broken away. 
 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 But soon he returned to Oie pit, 
 
 ior he boirow'd a trifle more money. 
 And ventur'-t another bet 
 
 Along with blubber-month Ccney ; 
 When Coney deinanded the money. 
 
 As was usual upon such occasion.'., 
 He cried, " B— st yon, if you don't hold youi rattl«, 
 
 I'll pay thee as Paul paid the Ephesians." 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 Skrogging's breeches were made of nankeen, 
 
 And worn very thin in the groin ; 
 In stooping to handle his cock. 
 
 His linen hung out behind. 
 Besides, his shirt-tail was be— 
 
 Which 'casioned a great laughter ; 
 Skrogging turn'd himself round in a pet. 
 
 And cried, " B— st yon what's the matter 1 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 The morning's sport being over. 
 
 Old Spittle a dinner proclaimed, 
 That each man should dine for a groat. 
 
 If he grumbled lie ought to be damn'd ; 
 For there was plenty of beef, 
 
 But Spittle he swore by his troth. 
 The devil a man should dine, 
 
 "Till he'd eaten his noggin of broth. 
 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 The beef it was old and tough, 
 
 Of a bull that was baited to death; 
 Bunny Hide got a lump in his throat. 
 
 That had like to have slopped his breath : 
 The company fell in contusion 
 
 To see poor Bunny Hide choke ; 
 They took him into the kitchen. 
 
 And held his head over the smoke. 
 
 Raddle turn, &c. 
 
 They held him so close to the fire 
 
 That he frizzled just like a beef-steak, 
 Then threw him down on the floor. 
 
 And had like to have broken his neck ; 
 One gave him a kick on the stomach. 
 
 Another a thump on tiie brow ; 
 His wife cried, "Throw him in the st.-ible. 
 
 And he'll be better just now." 
 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 Then soon they returned to the pit. 
 
 And the fighting went on again ; 
 Six battles were won on each side. 
 
 The next was to dfcide the main ; 
 For these were two famous cocks 
 
 As ever that counti^ bred, 
 Skrogging's a d>ick-wing black 
 
 And Newton's a a wing red. 
 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 The conflict was hard on each side, 
 
 Till brassy wing blacky was chok'd. 
 The colliers were uationly vex'd. 
 
 And the nailers were all provok'd; 
 Peter Stephens he swore a great oath. 
 
 That Skrogging had playd his cock foul, 
 Skrogging gave him a kick in the * * *> 
 
 And cried, " lea, G— d damn thy soul.' 
 Raddle tum, &c. 
 
 Tlie company rose in disorder, 
 
 A bloody fight ensued. 
 Kick, • • • *, and bite, was the word. 
 
 Till the Walsal men subdued ; 
 Ruff Mory bit off a man'f. nose. 
 
 It's a wonder no one was slain, 
 They tiampled both cocks to death, 
 
 And so they made a draw main, 
 
 Raddle tum &ti 
 
PIERCE i:gans book of sports. 
 
 155 
 
 The cock-pit Mas near to the church, 
 
 An ornament to the town, 
 On one side an old coal-pit. 
 
 The other was well goss'd round : 
 Peter Hadley peep'd through the goss. 
 
 In order to see them fight; 
 Spittle jobb'd his eye out with a fork, 
 
 And cried, ' B— st thee, it served thee right.' 
 Raddle tuni) &c. 
 
 Some people may think this is strange. 
 
 Who Wednesbury never knew, 
 But those who have ever been there 
 
 Won't have the least doubt but it's true ; 
 For they are all savage by nature. 
 
 And guilty of deeds the most shocking, 
 Jack Baker whacked his own father. 
 
 And so ended Wednesbury cocking. 
 Raddle turn, &€. 
 
 The Fox-chasf of the Sea. 
 
 The Sport of Sports (observes Captain Hai.l, 
 in his " Fragments of Voyages and Travels," a 
 inost amusing and interesting work, recently 
 published,) is furnished by Jack's hereditary 
 enemy, the Shark. 
 
 " Tlie lunarian, busy taking distances, 
 crams bis sextant hastily into his case ; the 
 computer, working out his longitude, shoves 
 his books on one side ; the marine officer 
 abandons his eternal flute ; the doctor starts 
 from his nap ; the purser resigns the complete 
 book ; and every man and boy, however en- 
 gaged, rushes on deck to see the villain die. 
 Even the monkey, if there be one on board, 
 takes a vehement interest in the whole progress 
 of this wild scene. I remember once observ- 
 ing Jacko running backwards and forwards 
 along the afterpart of the poop hammock-net- 
 ting, grinning, screaming, and chattering at 
 such a rate, that, as it was nearly calm, he 
 was heard all over the decks. ' What's the 
 matter with you, master Mona,' said the quar- 
 ter-master (for the animal came from Teneriffe, 
 and preserved his Spanish cognomen). Jacko 
 replied not. but merely stretched his head over 
 the railing, stared with his eyes almost burst- 
 ing from his head, and by the intensity of his 
 grin bared his teeth and gums nearly from ear 
 to ear. ' Messenger, run to the cook for a 
 piece of pork,' cries the captain, taking com- 
 mand with as much glee as if it had been an 
 enemy's cruiser he was about to engage. 
 ' Where's your hook, quarter-master?' 'Here, 
 sir, here ! cries the fellow, feeling the point, 
 and declaring it as sharp as any lady's needle ; 
 and in the next instant piercing with it a huge 
 junk of rusty pork, weighing four or five 
 pounds — for nothing, scarcely, is too large or 
 too high in flavour for the stomach of a shark ; 
 the hook, which is as thick as one's little 
 linger, has a curvature about as large as that 
 of a man's hand when half closed, and is 
 from six to eight inches in length, with a 
 formidable barb; this fierce-looking grappling- 
 iron is furnished with three or four feet of 
 chain, a precaution which is absolutely ne- 
 cessary ; for a voracious shark will sometimes 
 gabble the bait so deep into his stomach, that. 
 
 but for the chain, he would snap through the 
 rope by which the hook is held, as easily as 
 if he were nipping the head off an asparagus. 
 
 " A shark, like a midshipman, is generally 
 very hungry; but, in the rare cases when he 
 is not in good appetite he sails slowly up to 
 the bait, smells to it, and gives it a poke with 
 his shovel-nose, turning it over and over. He 
 then edges off to the right or left, as if he ap- 
 prehended mischief, but soon returns again to 
 enjoy the delicious haut-gout, as the sailors 
 term the flavour of the damaged pork, of which 
 a piece is always selected, if it can be found. 
 While this coquetry, or shyness, is exhibited 
 by Jack Shark, the whole afterpart of the 
 ship is so clustered with heads, that not an inch 
 of spare room is to be had for love or money ; 
 the rigging, the mizen top, and even the gaff, 
 out to the very peak ; the hammock-nettings,, 
 and the quarters, almost down to the counter., 
 are stuck over with breathless spectators', 
 speaking in whispers, if they venture to speak 
 at all, or can find leisure for any thing but 
 fixing their gaze on the monster, who as yet 
 is free to roam the ocean, but who, they trust, 
 will soon be in their po^yer. I have seen this 
 go on for an hour together, alter which the 
 shark has made up his mind to have nothing 
 to say to us, and either swerved away to 
 windward, if there be any breeze at all, or 
 dived so deep that his place could be detected 
 only by a faint touch or flash of white, many 
 fathoms down. The loss of a Spanish galloon, 
 in chase, I am persuaded, could hardly cause 
 more bitter regret, or call forth more intem- 
 perate expressions of anger and impatience. 
 On the other hand, I suppose the first symp- 
 tom of an enemy's flag, coming down in the 
 fight, was never hailed with greater joy than 
 is felt by a ship's crew on the shark turning 
 round to seize the bait. A greedy whisper of 
 delight passes from mouth to mouth ; every 
 eye is lighted up, and such as have not 
 bronzed their cheeks, by too long exposure to 
 sun and wind, may be seen to alter their hue 
 from pale to red, and back to pale again, like 
 the tints of the dying dolphin. 
 
 " When a bait is towed astern of a ship 
 that has any motion through the water at all, 
 it is necessarily brought to the surface, or 
 nearly so. This of course obliges the shark 
 to bite at it from below ; and, as his mouth is 
 placed under his chin, not over it, like that of 
 a christian, he must turn nearly on his back 
 before he can seize the floating piece of meat 
 in which the hook is concealed. Even if he 
 does not turn completely round, he is forced 
 to slue himself, as it is called, so far as to 
 show some portion of his white belly. The 
 instant the white skin flashes on the sight of 
 the expectant crew, a subdued cry, or murmur 
 of satisfaction, is heard amongst the crowd, 
 but no one speaks, for fear of alarming the 
 shark. 
 
 '* Sometimes, at the very instant the bait is 
 cast over the stern, the shark flies at it with 
 such eagerness, that he actually springs parti" 
 
lo6 
 
 IMEUCK KGAN'S UOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 out of llie water: I'lis, itowever, is rare. On 
 these occasions hi* sjoiices tlie bait, the hook, 
 and a foot or two of ihe chain, without any 
 liiaftication or delay, and darts off with his 
 trcHcherous prize with such prodigious velocity 
 and forte, that it niaives the rope crack again, 
 as soon as tlie wliole coil is drawn out; In 
 general, however, he goes more leisurely to 
 \vork, and seenns rather to suck in the bait 
 than to bite at it. Much dexterity is required 
 in the hand which holds the line at this mo- 
 ment ; for a bungler is apt to be too precipi- 
 tate, and to jerk away the hook before it has 
 Rot far enough down the shark's maw. Our 
 greedy friend, indeed, is never disposed to 
 relinquish what may once have passed his 
 formidable batteries of teeth ; but the hook, 
 by a premature tug of the line, may fix itself 
 in a part of the jaw so weak, that it gives way 
 in the violent struggle which always follows. 
 The secret of the sport is to let the voracious 
 monster gulp down the huge mess of pork, 
 and then to give the rope a violent pull, by 
 which the barbed point, quitting the edge of 
 the bait, buries itself in the coats of the vic- 
 tim's throat, or stomach. As the shark is not 
 a personage to submit patiently to such treat- 
 ment, it will not be well for any one whose 
 foot happens to be accidentally on the coil 
 of the rope, for, when the hook is first fixed, it 
 spins out like the log-line of a ship going 
 twelve knots. 
 
 " The suddenness of the jerk with which 
 the poor devil is brought up when he has 
 roa.thcd the lenj:th of his tether, often turns 
 liim quite over on the surface of the waiei. 
 Then commence the loud cheers, taunts, and 
 other sounds of rage and triumph, so long 
 Suppressed. A steady pull is insufficient to 
 cairy away the line, but it sometimes happens 
 that the violent struggle of the shark, when 
 t;)o speedily drawn up, snaps either the 
 rope or the hook, and so he gets off to digest 
 (he remainder as he best can. It is accord- 
 in<jly held the best practice to play him a little, 
 wiih his mouth at the surface, till he becomes 
 somewhat exhausted. During this operation 
 one could almost fancy the enraged aniaial is 
 conscious of the abuse which is flung down 
 upon him ; for, as he turns, and twists, and 
 flings himself about, his eye glares upwards 
 w iih a ferocity of purpose which makes the 
 blood tingle in a swimmer's veins, as he thinks 
 of the hour when it may be his turn to writhe 
 under the tender mercies of his sworn foe. 
 No sailor, therefore, ought ever to think of 
 hauling a shark on board merely by the rope 
 fastened to the hook ; for, however impotent 
 hjs struggles may generally be in the water, 
 tney are rarely unattended with risk when the 
 rogue is drawn half way up. To prevent the 
 line breaking, or the hook snapping, or the 
 jaw being torn away, the device of a running 
 bow-line knot is always adopted : this noose 
 being slipped down the rope, and passed over 
 the monster's head, is made to join at the point 
 of junction of the tail with the body. VVhen 
 
 this is once fixed the first act of the piece is 
 held to be complete, and the vanquished enemy 
 is afterwards easily drawn over the top-rail, 
 and flung on the deck, to the unspeakable 
 delight of ail hands. But although the shark 
 is out of his element, he has by no means lost 
 his power of doing mischief; and I would 
 advise no one to come within range of the tail, 
 or trust his toes too near the animal's mouth. 
 The blow of a tolerably large sized shark's 
 tail might break a man's leg, and I have seen 
 a three-inch hide tilter-rope bitten more than 
 half through, full ten minutes after the wretch 
 had been dragged about the quarter-deck, and 
 had made all his victims keep at the most re- 
 spectful distance. I remember hearing the 
 late Dr. Wollaston, with his wonted ingenuity, 
 suggest a method for measuring the strength 
 of a shark's bite. If a smooth plate of lead, 
 he thought, were thrust into the fish's mouth, 
 the depth which his teeth should pierce the 
 lead would furnish a sort of scale of the force 
 exerted. 
 
 " I need scarcely mention that when a shark 
 is floundering about, the quarter-deck becomes 
 a scene of pretty considerable confusion, and 
 if there be blood on the occasion, as there 
 generally is from all this rough usage, tlie 
 stains are not to be got rid of without a 
 week's scrubbing, and many a growl from the 
 captain of the after-guard. For this time, 
 however, all such considerations are super- 
 seded ; that is to say, if the commander him- 
 self takes an interest in the sport, — and he must 
 be rather a spooney skipper that does not : if 
 he be indifferent about the fate of the shark, 
 it is speedily dra-rvred fonvard to the forecastle, 
 amidst the kicks, thumps, and execration of 
 the conquerors, who very soon terminate his 
 miserable career by stabbing him with their 
 knives, boarding-pikes, and tomahawks, like 
 so many wild Indians. 
 
 The first operation is always to deprive him 
 of his tail, which is seldom an easy matter, it 
 not being at all safe to come too near him, but 
 some dexterous hand, familiar with the use of 
 the broad axe, watches for a quiet moment, 
 and at a single blow severs it from the body. 
 He is then closed with by another, who leaps 
 across the prostrate foe, and with an adroit 
 cut rips him open from snout to tail, and the 
 tragedy is over, so far as the struggles and 
 sufferings of the principal actor are concerned. 
 There always follows, however, the most 
 lively curiosity on the part of the sailors, to 
 learn what the shark has got stowed away in 
 his inside, but they are often disappointed, for 
 the stomach is generally empty. I remember 
 one famous exception, indeed, when a very- 
 large fellow was caught on board the Alceste 
 in Angree roads, at Java, when we were pro- 
 ceeding to China with the embassy, under 
 lord Amherst. A number of ducks and hens, 
 which had died in the night, were, as usual, 
 thrown overboard in the morning, besides se- 
 veral baskets, and many other n)inor things, 
 such as bundles of shavings, and bits of cord- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 157 
 
 age. all which things were found in this huge 
 sea-monster's inside. But was excited nidst 
 surprise and admiration was the hide of a 
 buflalo, killed on board that day, for the ship's 
 company's dinner. The old sailor who had 
 cut open the shark stood with a foot on each 
 side, and drew out the articles, one by one, 
 from the huge cavern into which they had 
 been indiscriminately drawn. When the 
 operator came at last to the liuiralo's-skin, he 
 held it up before him like a curtain, and 
 exclaimed, ' There, my lads, d'ye see that? he 
 has swallowed a buffalo, but he could not 
 dis-gest the hide." 
 
 The Great Black Fight between Manuel 
 
 ViOTORINE AND LaLLA SoORTEE. 
 
 A. little " bit of life," it should seem, is the 
 order of the day in Bombay, amongst the folks 
 who are far distant from their '' dear native 
 home ;" and like at every other place when 
 the Nobs can enjoy it upon the sly, they do 
 not mind masquerading' it for a siiort time to 
 please " their Fancy." The Editor of the 
 Sporting Magazine, published at the Courier 
 Press, appears from liie description of " the 
 ROW," as he terms it, to liave most fully entered 
 into spirit of the * Black Mill.' He thus ob- 
 serves : — "Yesterday morning several hun- 
 dred coppered-coloured amateurs of sporting 
 celebrity, who uphold by the'.r patronage the 
 nascent interests of native pugilism, proceeded 
 to settle the long chaffed of fight between the 
 above named coveys, Manuel being a Bawur- 
 chce, from Bandora, near that pig-prolific place 
 Mahim ; and Lalla, a milling jNIussaulchee, 
 of the Mogul Seroy, Sural, for a bottle of rack 
 and a belly full. 
 
 " The quarrel which gave rise to this meet- 
 ing is somewhat singular, and deserves pre- 
 vious mention ; it originated in Lalla having, 
 upon a certain afternoon, furtively and feloni- 
 ously introduced his long bony fiiTgers into a 
 dish of curry, just removed from master's 
 table, with the somewhat proper intention of 
 extracting all, or parts, of its savoury contents, 
 for the benefit, comfort, and consolation of his 
 own personal gastic regions ; and which said 
 savoury contents, time out of mind (that is, 
 since he was able to handle a handee in the 
 kitchen, or chase a chicken to death in the 
 compound), had ever been considered by 
 Manuel (agreeably to the usages of his ances- 
 tors) as his legitimate property, and had by 
 him been always accordingly appropriated to 
 his own private and peculiar refreshment. 
 This atrocious intrusion did not escape the 
 lynx-eyed vigilance of the injured person, who 
 having what is commonly Cxilled an obliquity 
 of vision, had (whilst his straight- forward 
 optic watched the projection of the pudding) 
 kept his Lesbian sqninter dancing in zigzags 
 all over the kitchen. 
 
 ' The cook-bo'ys eye, in a riira phrenzy rolliug, 
 Glances from pot to pan, from pan to pot. 
 And, as the streamy odours issuing forth 
 Denote their rich contents, the cook-boy's ladle 
 Tumbles them forth, and gives to hungry subs 
 A devilish tine blow-out and d — d pood feed !' 
 
 Manuel, thus wary and vigilant, although 
 busied in the mysterious duties of his avoca- 
 tion, heard, with surprise, the lean and hun- 
 gry Cassius-looking Lalla, as he stealthily 
 stole into the cook-room ; he watched him 
 with wonder, ogling the curry-dish ; he beheld 
 him with horror lift the lid, and with uncon- 
 trollable indignation he saw him thrust his 
 Day-and-Martin fist slap-dash in the saffron - 
 coloured contents, which, with the skill and 
 rapidity of an accomplished purloiner, he was 
 conveying to the upper end of his middle gar- 
 ment, when, dashing the custard full into the 
 pilferer's face, the enraged Bawurchee bran- 
 dished his iron ladle, and, with one well- 
 directed blow, he laid Mussaulchee flat ! 
 
 " No sooner had he thus floored him, than 
 he applied his foot, with scientific force and 
 dexterity, to that tender part of poor Lai la's 
 person, which I should blush to mention, but 
 which George Colman, in his usual felicitous 
 way, wittily, yet delicately, denominates 
 ' The head's Antipodes.' Thus both ends of 
 the intruder's carcase experienced their share 
 of punishment ; the upper story from the 
 ladle thump, and the blistering effects of thv 
 scalding custard, and the fundamental depart- 
 ment from the rat-a-tat application of the 
 cook's unmitigated kicks. The prostrate pil- 
 ferer darted from the scene of his disgrace, 
 well daubed with the yellow fruits of his 
 crime, blent with the hot creamy curds of the 
 custard, and sprinkled with the blood which 
 the blow on his head and the kicks on the op- 
 posite sphere had produced from his nasal 
 promontory. 
 
 " The butler listened to the Mussaulchee's 
 story, who, having the very material advantage 
 of a first hearing, was, of course, believed and 
 absolved from all blame ; while the cook, 
 though he produced the remains of both curry 
 and custard, in corroboration of the correct- 
 ness of his statement, was pronounced to be a 
 liar, and reported as such and more to his 
 master, who, of course, on the Bootrel's ver- 
 dict ordered him into the house, and licked 
 him on the spot. This second hand sort of 
 justice, from the hands of the Sahib, did not 
 satisfy the gnawings of revenge wliich the 
 Mussaulchee felt in his bosom, and the beat- 
 ing which the cook had so unjustly received 
 made him also impatient to return the same 
 with interest on the skin and bones of the 
 vialator of his rights. Both being so ready 
 and so willing, a meeting was arranged by 
 tiieir mutual friends, and it was agreed (at the 
 suggestion of some incipient pugilists) that 
 they should box it out, Englis fasstin, and that 
 day fortnight was fixed for the night. 
 
 " The Preparations. — The day dawned as 
 days usually dawn in the Deccan ; fiist a faint 
 
158 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 greyish liglit glimmered in the east, thert ofT 
 went tlie morning gun, anJ on to parade 
 marched the military, and out for llieir consti- 
 tutionals toddled the civil and the sick ; a tint 
 of crimson flushed the horizon, an«l up rose 
 the golden sun ; then back to their barracks 
 bundled the red-jackets, and home to their 
 cribs cantered the blacks. The intelligence 
 of a fight with fists having been widely spread, 
 and the oflice having been given for Bosre- 
 gaum, a half ruined village about seven miles 
 from Poona, the roads leading to it by the 
 Sungum, Kirkee, or Hhopekail, were crowded 
 with all the native lads of the Fancy in camp, 
 from the peculating Parsee rumbling in his 
 cow-cart, or rattling on his broken-kneed and 
 broken-winded prad, to the pariar outcast, 
 who, for the love of fun and the novelty of a 
 light, had for once forsaken the necessary 
 duties of his brush and basket, and left his 
 matutinal stores, like unseen flowers, ' to 
 waste their sweetness in the desert air.' In 
 one continuous line, like a procession of black 
 ants, were seen the senor partizans of the 
 cook ; the first circle sort dandily done up in 
 true Monmouth-street toggery, with faded 
 green coats, sky-blue waistcoats, and yellow- 
 ochre tiglits, their tout ensemlile something 
 P^uropeanized by the frilled shirts of their 
 masters borrowed from the Dhobee, and their 
 dog's ears bound up to their cheek bones by 
 dingy silk fogies. Rlost of these kiddies 
 might have quoted the facetious Hood, and 
 said, 
 
 ' } bave a hat wliich is not all a hat, 
 Part of the brim is gone.' 
 
 The vifT-raflT coves of this party were princi- 
 pally countrymen also, joined by others of 
 ' Master's caste,' coatless, hatless, shoeless, 
 sliirtless, almost breechless rogues, who kept 
 up the courage and spirits of their champion 
 by shouting well-known rhymes of reproach 
 to the sons of Surat. The Mussaulchee was 
 escorted by the cadgers, costermongers, prime 
 slavey swells, and nothing-to-do lootchas of 
 every sect in ('amp, Hindoo, Purwarree, Mus- 
 sulmaun, Dhare, high caste, low caste, and 
 no caste, all with noise, uproars, shouts, 
 threats, oaths, and abuse; all in dust and con- 
 fusion, toddled on all agog for the fray, all 
 ripe for fun and all brimful of rack, and 
 mowrah, and opium, and ' that veed of all 
 vecds, boys, the backee.' 
 
 " Ari'EARANCK CF TiiF. Men. — At half-past 
 seven Manuel, attired in a sky-blue (something 
 tarnished) coat, garnished with brass buttons, 
 with the flaps warming his hips, and the skirts 
 dallying with his heels, in a red waistcoat that 
 looked like an infantry shell, and nankeen 
 fie-for-shamcs that reached to his calves, en- 
 tered the centre of the gentlemanly crowd, 
 attended by his two intimate friends, Antone 
 and Gabriel ; the latter as little resembled his 
 Angel namesake as the former did his patron 
 saiut. On shelling, Manuel appeared in good 
 condition ; a squinting, swarthy, long-backeJ 
 
 covey, with a straight leg and a bandy one, n 
 half woolly head of hair, deep set dark eyes, 
 a Blackfriars-bridge kind of konk, and a par- 
 ticularly pendulous nether lip. Lalla arrived 
 and peeled at the same time, and never was 
 there seen so splendid a specimen of anatomy ; 
 he was a fac-simile of the ' Living Skeleton ;' 
 indeed, so little flesh or muscle did he exhibit, 
 that his hones rattled as he walked. He was 
 pewter-blind of his dexter ogle, and his sinis- 
 ter oVe was as protrusive as a lobster's; be- 
 tween those lay his sneezer, a three-eornered 
 looking feature, like the button of a privy- 
 door ; his nostrils extending equal to the cor- 
 ners of his lips, which were both skinny and 
 scruflTy. 
 
 "The Fight. — Round 1. Both men were 
 over lushy, and, consequently, not over leary. 
 Manuel's fists were elevated over his head at 
 arms' length, as though he would pound his 
 adversary into powder. Lalla's right mauley 
 was doubled up to his right ear, whilst his 
 left, stiff and straight, pointed smack at his 
 opponent's naval depot. In these attitudes 
 they stood for some seconds, and bespattered 
 each other's relatives with dreadful abuse, till, 
 roused by an indelicate allusion to his mother, 
 the cook let fall his fists whack on the Mus- 
 saulchee's cannister, and down he went. 
 Shouts of ' Sha-bash for the Bawurchee !' 
 
 " 2. Lalla, without waiting for useless 
 sparring, rushed in, striking right and left, 
 and missing all, and dashing his head into the 
 pit of Manuel's granary, who instantly favored 
 Mussaulchee with the whole of its curious 
 contents, and fell. 
 
 " Laila stood up quite fresh, and Manuel 
 faint and puking ; the former again made his 
 rush, but the other, though weakly, was wary, 
 and, seizing him by the right ear with one 
 hand, continued to shove the thumb of the 
 other into the only ogle in Lalla's unfortunate 
 phiz, who, in great agony, fastened his teeth 
 in JNIanuel's ear, and brought him down. 
 
 " 4. Lalla came to the scratch bellowing 
 and blind, IManuel still catting and crafty ; 
 but before Lalla's sight would enable him to 
 see the blow, the cook's foot fell dab on his 
 ivories, which rattled like the loose keys of a 
 harpsichord, ' He's lozeall his tooths I' cried 
 a Parsheeman. ' That dam lie,' said a Senor, 
 ' he not lose all, him only knockee out two !' 
 Another dig on his rice-grinders settled the 
 round by a struggle on the soft rocks. 
 
 " 5. Manuel's friends had now whispered 
 him to try Lalla's early mode of skirmishing, 
 by ramming his pimple into Lalla's bowel-box, 
 which manoeuvre he accordingly attempted to 
 put into practice ; but. as his opponent hap- 
 pened also to do the same, their brain-pots 
 came together with a shock that sent both 
 .staggering and stunned down to mother 
 muttee. 
 
 " Cth, and last. Both seemed bothered ; the 
 .Mussaulchee bled at the nose and mouth, and 
 the cook looked like a tiger cat ; and seizing 
 hold of lialla's lean legs, he lifted him fiom 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 159 
 
 the ground, and threw him over his shoulders ; 
 but Lalla, fixing on the softest and lowest part 
 of his back, bit him there till his teeth met. 
 Manuel roared out with pain, and retaliated 
 on the JMussaulchee's calfless limbs ; both in 
 agony rolled on the ground, keeping their 
 holds like bull dogs, till Manuel's friends 
 rushed in to part them, and Lalla's partizans 
 attempted to prevent any interference ; so a 
 general row took place, blows resounded, 
 stones flew about, and sticks rattled against 
 the bones of the skirmishers, till, after much 
 bloodshed and more bruises, hotli parties se- 
 parated, each carrying off tluir champion as 
 the conqueror, and each side, of course, claim- 
 ing the victory. 
 
 '• REniAJtKS. — In this fight, the first of tiie 
 kind ever recorded in Indian annals, it was 
 flesh and bandy-leg against bones and a pew- 
 ter-eye ; both men were more bit than beat, 
 and we trust that the very respectable native 
 amateurs of this science, who patronized this 
 battle, will end'=!avour to make their fighters 
 make, in future, more use of their knuckles 
 and less of their grinders. Manuel went home 
 and soon got beastly drunk with arrack, while 
 Lalla, not satisfied with his beating, banged 
 himself a lasortee. 
 
 " Potma, Oct. 17, 1829." 
 
 Anecdotes of Amm^i.s. 
 
 From an interesting volume, recently pub- 
 lished, entitled, " Gleanings of Natural His- 
 tory," by E. Jessop, esq., the following pleas- 
 ing extracts have been taken s — 
 
 Larks' Claios. — " The lark makes its nest 
 generally in grass fields, where it is liable to 
 be injured either by cattle grazing over it, or' 
 by the mower. In case of a' miu, from either 
 these or other cau&es, the p' ^-nt birds remove 
 their eggs, by means of thtir long claws, to a 
 place of greater security ; and this transporta- 
 tion I have observed to be effected in a very 
 short space of time, liy placing a lark's egg, 
 which is rather large in proportion'to the size 
 of the bird, in the foot, and then drawing tlie 
 claws o\er it, you will perceive that they are 
 ofsufticient length to secure the egg firmly ; 
 and by this means the bird is enabled to con- 
 vey its eggs to another place, where she can 
 sit upon and hatch them." 
 
 Suijncllij of an Elephant. — " I was one day 
 feeding the poor elephant (who was so barba- 
 rously put to death at Exeter Change) with 
 potatoes, which he took out of my liand. One 
 of them, a round one, fell on the lioor, just out 
 of the reach of his proboscis. He leaned 
 against his wooden bar, put out his trunk, and 
 could just touch the potato, but could not pick 
 it up. After several ineflectual efl'orts, he at 
 last blew the potato against the opposite wall 
 with suftioient force to make it rebound ; and 
 he then, without difliculty, secured it." 
 
 liecs. — " A large brown slug nuidc its way 
 into a glass hive, where the operations of the 
 
 bees could be distinctly seen. Having killed 
 the slug, and finding that they were tinable to 
 get it out of the hive, they covered it over 
 with the thick resinous sul)stance called pro- 
 polis, and thus prevented its becoming a nui- 
 sance to the colony. Into the same hive one 
 of the common brown-shelled snails also 
 gained admittance. Instead of embedding it 
 in propolis, the bees contented themselves 
 with fixing it to the bottom of the hive, by 
 plastering the edge with that substance. I 
 have now in my possession a regular fortifica- 
 tion made of propolis, which one of my stocks 
 of bees placed at the entrance of their hive, 
 to enable them the better to protect themselves 
 from the attacks of wasps, liy means of this 
 fortification, a few bees could elfectually guard 
 the entrance, by lessening the space of admis- 
 sion, which I had neglected to do for them." 
 
 Snail-shells. — " Having frequently observed 
 some broken snail-shells near two projecting 
 pebbles on a gravel-walk, which had a hollow 
 between them, 1 endeavoured to discover tiie 
 occasion of their being brought to that situa- 
 tion. At last I saw a thrush fly to the spot 
 with a snail-shell in his mouth, which he 
 placed between the two stones, and hammered 
 at it with his beak till he had broken it, and 
 was then able to feed on its contents. The 
 bird must have discovered that he could not 
 apply his beak with sufficient force to break 
 the shell while it was rolling about, an;l he 
 therefore found out and made use of a spot 
 which would keep the shell in one position. 
 I do not know whether Mr. IM'Adam has ever 
 observed the same circumstance, but his inge- 
 nious contrivance (if it is his) of confining 
 stones in a sort of hoop while they are being 
 broken is somewhat similar to that of the 
 thrush." 
 
 Aquatic Hen. — "A hen, who had reared 
 three broods of ducks in three successive 
 years, became habituated to their taking to 
 the water, and would fly to a large stone in the 
 middle of the pond, and patiently and quietly 
 watch her brood as they swam about it. The 
 fourth year she hatched her own eggs ; and, 
 finding that her chickens did not take to the 
 water as the ducklings had done, she flew to 
 the stone in the pond, and called them to her 
 with the utmost eagerness. This recollection 
 of the habits of her former charge, though it 
 had taken place a year before, is not a little 
 curious." 
 
 A Saan's " Firsl Love." — A pair of Swans 
 had been inseparable companions ft)r three 
 years, during which time they had reared three 
 broods of cygnets. Last autumn the male was 
 killed, and since that time the female has 
 separated herself from all society with her 
 own species; and, though at the time I am 
 writing (the end of March") the breeding 
 season for swans is far advanced, she remains 
 in the same state of seclusion, resisting the 
 addresses of a male swan who has been making 
 advances towards- forming an acquaintance 
 with her, either driving him away, or flying 
 
i(iU 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 from him whenever he comes near her. How 
 long she will continue in her present state of 
 widowhood I know not, but at present it is 
 quite evident that she has not forgotten her 
 former partner." 
 
 Affection of Pigeons. — " A man, set to 
 watch a tield of peas which had been much 
 preyed upon by pigeons, shot an old cock 
 pigeon who had long been an inhabitant of 
 the farm. His mate, around whom he had 
 for many a year cooed, and nourished from his 
 own crop, and assisted in rearing numerous 
 young ones, immediately settled on the ground 
 by his side, and showed her grief in the most 
 expressive manner. The labourer took up the 
 dead bird and tied it to a short stake, think- 
 ing that it would frighten away the other 
 depredators. In this situation, however, his 
 partner did not forsake him, but continued, 
 day after day, walking slowly round the 
 stick. The kind-hearted wife of the bailiff 
 of the farm at last heard of the circumstance, 
 and immediately went to afford what relief 
 she could to the poor bird. She told me that, 
 on arriving at the spot, she found the hen bird 
 much exhausted, and that she had made a cir- 
 cular beaten track round the dead pigeon, 
 making now and then a little spring towards 
 him. On the removal of the dead bird, the 
 hen returned to the dove-cot." 
 
 Sagacity of Dogs. — " He informed me that 
 a friend of bis, an officer in tlip 44th regiment, 
 who had occasion, when in Paris, to pass one 
 of the bridges across the Seine, had his boots, 
 which had been previously well polished, 
 dirtied by a poodle dog rubbing against them. 
 He in consequence went to a man who was 
 stationed on the bridge and had them cleaned. 
 The same circumstance having occurred more 
 than once, his curiosity was excited, and he 
 watched the dog. He saw him roll himself 
 in the mud of the river, and then watch for a 
 person with well polished boots, against which 
 he contrived to rub himself. Finding that the 
 shoe-black was the owner of the dog, he 
 taxed him with the artifice ; and after a little 
 hesitation he confessed that he had taught the 
 dog the trick in order to procure customers for 
 himself. The officer, being much struck with 
 the dog's sagacity, purchaced him at a high 
 price, and brought him to England. He kept 
 him tied up in London some time, and then 
 released him. The dog remained with him a 
 a day or two, and then made his escape. A 
 fortnight afterwards he was found with his 
 former master pursuing his old trade on the 
 bridge. 
 
 " A friend of mine had a poodle-dog pos- 
 sessed of more than ordinary sagacity, but he 
 was, however, under little command. In 
 order to keep him in belter order, my friend 
 purchased a small whip, with which he cor- 
 rected the dog once or twice during a walk. 
 On his return the whip was put on a table in 
 the hall, and the next morning it was missing. 
 It was Boon afterwards found concealed in an 
 
 out-building, and again made use of in cor 
 reeling the dog. it was, however, af^ain losl_ 
 hut found hidden in another place. On 
 watching the dog, who was suspected of being 
 the culprit, he was seen to take the whip from 
 the hall table, and run away with it, in order 
 again to hide it. The late James Gumming, 
 esq., was the owner of the dog, and related 
 this anecdote to me. 
 
 " A gentleman, a good shot, lent a favorite 
 old pointer to a friend, who had not much to 
 accuse himself of in the slaughter of partridges, 
 however much he might have frightened them. 
 After ineffectually firing at some birds which 
 the old pointer had found for him, the dog 
 turned away in apparent disgust, went home, 
 and never could be persuaded to accompany 
 liie same person afterwards." 
 
 Cockney Bee-kive. — " I hear of a hive of 
 bees on the top of a house in the middle of 
 Holborn, which is doing very well. The cir- 
 cumstance of bees finding their way home 
 through the thick smoke, fogs, and vapours of 
 the metropolis, seems to prove that their 
 course is not directed by sight, but by souio 
 still unexplained instinct." 
 
 The Bunch of FIVES instead of KNIVES! 
 Or, leave off uhen you like I 
 
 When wars assail a nation's peaceful soil — 
 Helta, horrida bella — dread turmoil — 
 The clang of arms — the soliiicr's tempir'd stcil, 
 Dimm'd with ensanguin'd freemen's strife — appeal 
 To the bes; feelings of the human breast — 
 Tho' Glory smiles upon the hero's crest, 
 Sorrow sits monrnful at the fierce array, 
 And Pity, weeping, gazes at the fray. 
 
 Not so ■when fi.'i tic heroes cast the tile 
 Into the space ToM Ol — , the clever file, 
 Has stak'd and rop'd, and made for boxer's tit, 
 Where war, most doubtful, is but hit for hit. 
 
 What tho' one peeper lose its twinkling light. 
 
 As sometimes 'twill !— the man may be " all right," 
 
 If t'other do but twig, with learn stare, 
 
 The b,istling movements of ihe Jives a pair 
 
 That, right and left, essay to grass him flat, 
 
 Or floor him, like an all-work maid's door-mat. 
 
 What tlio' a snifter, with a Roman curve. 
 Should feel hovv sensitive th' olfactory nerve. 
 And show'r, in crimson streams, the claret down, 
 Ne'er will it daunt one boxer of renown. 
 
 What tho' each tier of tombstones they allow 
 
 To totter on their gravzs (gums) from rattling blow, 
 
 And make their patt'rers mum — the fist can tell 
 
 A tale upon the outworks just as well 
 
 For glory, as if every grinder fast 
 
 In its mould was fix'd, by Nature cast. 
 
 The glory of our land, our boasted pride 
 (Although the squeamish Frenchman may deride) 
 is boldly to stand up, with watchful eye. 
 And, man to man oppos'd, contend for victory. 
 Then are the tears of Sorrow all " my eye 
 And Betty" too— they flow when heroes die — 
 When blades nnsheath'd the light of da;/ let in. 
 Not when strife's deathless end— as they beu'u — 
 
 DAFFY 
 
riKRCE FGAN'S BCOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 101 
 
 BRILLIANT STEEPLE CHASE AT ST. ALBANS 
 
 NINETEEN SUBSCRIBERS. 
 
 The above gay meeting of the ' Racing Swells, 
 not only put ' new life* into the inhabitants of 
 St. Albans ; but also " put some mpney into 
 their plates," in order, as that gentlemanly sort 
 of man, Jack Scroggins, would have expressed 
 himself, to make the " ivisit pleasant." On 
 Thursday, March 8, 1832, the venerable town 
 of St. Albans exhibited a lively scene of bustle 
 and confusion, in consequence of the great 
 interest excited by the above Steeple Chase, 
 for miles round the country. Lots of the right 
 sort of folks were present, who were worth 
 waiting upon by tlie hosts of the different inns ; 
 a sprinkling of the upper part of the Fancy 
 also showed their smiling faces upon this oc- 
 II. 
 
 casion ; and numerous country gentlemen, 
 farmers, &c., completed the Sporting Group. 
 
 Sporting Chant, Sung at the Turf Hotel. 
 
 Oft the bards of oid times, and the minstrel's gay 
 strains, 
 Have the spovts of the chase all transcendant re- 
 Teal'd, 
 Sung of NiMROD's exploits on the wide spreading 
 plains. 
 And from Dian's bright charms trac'd the charms 
 of the field ; 
 
 Whilst the turf's native green 
 Ever hallow'd has been, 
 And a Contest more glorious enliven'd the ecenc ; 
 When the high mettled racer, proud, pamper'd, and 
 
 gay, 
 Bors the meed of his prowess triumphant a«ay. 
 
lai 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 niese sports are confin d to no climate or shores, 
 
 13ut regions remote shall new patrons secure them ; 
 Lite the orb in the east, which all nature adores, 
 They have dawn'J on our land, and 'tis ours to ma- 
 ttire them ; 
 
 No longer a waste, 
 As in rude af»es past. 
 Shall our turf be forsaken by beauty and taste, 
 But impart to the high mettled racer so gay. 
 Fresh ardour to bear the proud trophies away. 
 
 The smiles of the fair, like Spring's fostering breaih. 
 
 Shall rear tlie young scion, and teach it to shoot ; 
 Round the temples of beauty we'll twine the fresh 
 wreath , 
 And Lov's hallow'd altars shall teem with the fruit. 
 Then leave Cynics to rail. 
 Our voice shall prevail, 
 And the sous of the turf their favorites hail : 
 Whilst lonn for their sakes shall the sports of the day, 
 The high-mettled racer's fleet prowess display. 
 
 Although the stakes were but ten sovereignu 
 each, it was anticipated that some of the most 
 celebrated hunters in the south would be en- 
 tered, and this anticipation was not disappoint- 
 ed, for no less than twenty of the " riglit sort" 
 were booked by Tuesday night, foremost in 
 favor among whioh was Moonraker, the pro- 
 perty of Mr. Elmore, which had before won 
 two sweepstakes on similar hazardous enter- 
 prises, in the same neighbourhood, and which, 
 notwithstanding fired legs, age, and hard work, 
 still had the call against his younger, but, per- 
 haps, not so well experienced competitors. 
 The distance, it was agreed by the articles, 
 should be four miles — no horse to carry less 
 than list. 71b. The last horse to pay the se- 
 cond horse's stake, and the winner to be sold 
 for 400 sovereigns, if demanded within three 
 hours after the race. 
 
 The whole of the horses entered were in sta- 
 bles either at Mr. Coleman's (the Turf Hotel), 
 to whom the getting up of this spirited affair, 
 so highly beneficial to the town, may be as- 
 cribed — or in the immediate neighbourhood — 
 and the riders and their friends mu.stered in 
 Strong force on Wednesday night, when the 
 usual speculations were entered into on the 
 probable result of the forthcoming sport. Mr. 
 Osbaldeston was chosen umpire, and Mr. 
 Coleman clerk of the race; and to these gen- 
 tlemen was left the choice of the line of coun- 
 try which was to be taken — it being distinctly 
 understood that their determination should be 
 kept a secret till immediately before the start. 
 
 At an early hour on Thursday morning, the 
 concourse of persons entering St. Albans from 
 all quarters was immense — every house over- 
 flowed, and the postmasters, and other persons 
 who profited by the attraction, had ample 
 reason to feel grateful for such " a slice of 
 luck." 
 
 The Turf Hotel was head quarters, and 
 here nineteen of the subscribers were duly 
 Weighed ; tiie twentieth, Mr. Smith, having 
 drawn his brown horse, Mameluke, in the 
 course of the morning. All were now anxious 
 for a hint of the " line of march," but the 
 secret was well kept and with the excep- 
 tion of the fact that Mr. Coleman's paddock, 
 immediately at th«* back of his premises, and 
 
 fronting to\v;irds London, was to be the win- 
 ning point, nothing was known. 
 
 Among other judicious, as well as gratifying 
 arrangements which were made, was a stipu- 
 lation that all the riders should saddle and 
 mount in the Turf Hotel-yard, where sufficient 
 space existed, and from thence accompany the 
 umpire and Mr. Coleman to the place of start- 
 ing. By this means all had an equal chance ; 
 and the spectators, who were extremely nu- 
 merous, had the pleasure of seeing the whole 
 of the gallant steeds paraded before them, 
 as in the case previous to the race for the 
 great St. Leger, at Doncaster. 
 
 The pecuniary speculations during the morn- 
 ing were any thing but extensive ; as far as 
 we could collect, however, we considered 
 Moonraker, and IMr. Evans's Grimaldi first 
 favorites, Mr. Thornhill's Creeper next, and 
 Mr. Leily's brown mare (Bounce) third. "These 
 four were backed against the field — and the 
 odds against the first two were three to one, 
 and against the second and third six to one. 
 Mr. Evans offered (o back Grimaldi against 
 any other to any amount. 
 
 At one o'clock the bugle was blown as a 
 signal for saddling and mounting, and the 
 herses were soon seen congregating from all 
 directions — the riders attired in their party- 
 coloured jackets and hunting caps. The 
 whole having mounted, the articles were read 
 — the principal instruction for guiding the 
 race in which was, that the course would be 
 marked by flags, to the left of which the riders 
 were to keep throughout, or forfeit the race. 
 At a quarter to two, all being in readiness, 
 Mr. Osbaldeston led the way out of the yard, 
 followed by the horses, of which the follow- 
 ing is a correct list together with their riders: 
 Mr. Elmore's b. g. — Moonraker,— rode by Mr. 
 
 Seffert. 
 Mr. Thomas's b. ni. Corinthian Kate — Captaio 
 
 Beecher. 
 Mr. Evans's g. h. Grimaldi — M. Mostyn, Esq. 
 Col. Charitie's Napoleon — Mr. Crommelin. 
 Sir Wm. Geary's b. m. Arab — Owner. 
 Mr. Cox's ch. g. Rough Robin — Mr. Osbal- 
 
 deston's whipper-in. 
 Mr. Johnson's Leporella — Stubbs. 
 Mr. Tuppin's b. h. Peacock — Weston. 
 H. Forbes, Esq. b. h. Zanga — Owner. 
 Mr. Cluff's g. g. Redstart— J. B. Hall, Esq, 
 Mr. Orbell's b. h. Bloomfield— C. B. Codring 
 
 ton, Esq. 
 Capt. Home's c. st. Lucifer — Owner. 
 Mr. Thornhill's b. h. Creeper— Mr. Pahick. 
 Mr. Carey's g. h. The Monk — Owner. 
 Mr. Adams's b. m. Lilly — Mr. Wesley, 
 ftlr. Comyn's b. h. Talisman — Owner. 
 Mr. Solloway's m. Countess — Owner. 
 Mr. Leily's b. m. Bounce — Mr. Parker. 
 C. Neville, Esq.'s ch. g. Hotspur — W. Bean. 
 
 They proceeded up the town, passed the 
 Town Hall, and, turning to the right, were 
 conducted by the nearest route to a place 
 called Ellen brook-green, on the borders of 
 Colney-heath, and within about a mile and a 
 
pikik;e eoans uook of si'Okts. 
 
 103 
 
 luilf of Hatfield. A considerable time Wiis 
 occupied in gaining the jiroposcd starting- 
 post, and the cursory view v\hic!i was thus 
 aflbrded of the country showed that it was 
 intersected with difficult fences, and was here 
 and there very heavy. There \ias nothing, 
 however, dangerous in the aspect, and ail 
 seemed content with their task, and in the 
 highest spirits. 
 
 ■ While the horses were on their route, we 
 took a bird's-eye view of the ground wiiich 
 was to constitute the scene of final struggle. 
 This was admirably seen from a meadow gra- 
 dually descending from the entrance to Mr. 
 Coleman's paddock — which entrance was only 
 obtained by mounting a steep bank from 
 which tlie fence had been removed ; and, to 
 render this last point of struggle more distinct, 
 the horsemen had to dash between two higli 
 trees. At the bottom of the first meadow was 
 a quickset hedge and drain — then came a se- 
 cond meadow, and second quickset hedge and 
 drain, when the ground rose gradually to a 
 considerable elevation. Here the first flag was 
 displayed from the summit of a high tree, to 
 the left of which the riders were to keep. To 
 this tree the view was uninterrupted from a 
 path running in a line with the front of the last 
 house on the London-road, and along this path 
 an immense multitude of pedestrians was col- 
 lected. The intermediate space was, however, 
 enlivened by groups of horsemen, some in the 
 scarlet livery of the chase. On the hill in 
 the distance, avast crowd was also assembled 
 of horse and foot, and some few charioteers. 
 These persons had a more extended view over 
 a close country " up and down," with many 
 heavy leaps, and some ploughed land, to a 
 more distant hill, close to a farm-house, where 
 the second flag was visible. Here the route 
 turned short to the left, and could only again 
 be taken in view by obtaining a new position. 
 From this angle thv direction to Ellen-brook 
 green was nearly straight, with the exception 
 of such deviations as the safe progress of the 
 riders rendered indispensable. From this 
 sketch of the locality of the scen^, it will be 
 seen that there were abundant opportunities 
 for the gratification of the spectators, which 
 was considerably enhanced by the very favor- 
 able state of the weather — the sun shining 
 brilliantly throughout the race. 
 
 We must now return to the horses, which, 
 having reached the appointed ground, were 
 marshalled in the best order their impatient 
 spirits would permit. Mr. Anderson, of Pic- 
 cadilly, was permitted to enter a grey hunter 
 at the last moment, on payment of his stakes, 
 so that twenty actually started. By half-past 
 three they went off in gallant style. It would 
 be difficult at such a moment to say which had 
 tiie advantage. Lucifer, however, led tlie 
 way, and the rest followed at a round pace. 
 The first two or three fences were well taken ; 
 hut in the third field. Captain Beecher, on 
 Corinthian Kate, had a fall, and his mare ran 
 half across the meadow before he could catch 
 
 her and regain his seat, his bridle being then 
 all on one side. He had previously got the 
 lead, Rough Robin close behind. The others 
 were all well up, but Moonraker and Grimaldi 
 seemed waiting on each other in the rear. We 
 cannot presume to give the position of each 
 horse in the animated struggle which followed. 
 IMany of the leaps were admirably taken, and 
 all seemed influenced by the same desire of 
 emulation. All the nags were not, however, 
 without question ; some got clumsy falls, un- 
 horsing their riders, and others declared off 
 the grand contest, seeing they had not a 
 chance. The most interesting point was the 
 struggle for turning the angle at the fanii- 
 house from which a view of the distant goal 
 could be obtained. Here Moonraker asserted 
 his supremacy, and came gallantly round the 
 corner, close followed by Corinthian Kate, 
 Grimaldi, Bloomfield, Napoleon, and some 
 others well in their wake. The burst down 
 the hill was beautiful, and the general cry 
 was — " Moonraker is winning easy !" Three 
 or four leaps were well taken, when Moon- 
 raker, in surmounting the hill, came to the 
 third fence from home, nearly abreast with 
 Corinthian Kate ; they both cleared well ; but 
 Moonraker, swerving a little to the left, so as 
 to clear the flag-tree, Corinthian Kate came 
 close to him on the right, and in the next 
 fence had rather the advantage in making her 
 leap. The call was now rather for Kate, but, 
 in a few strides, Moonraker regained his su- 
 periority, und, darting with unabating vigour 
 at the last fence, cleared nearly seven yards 
 at the spring, and shook his rider most fear- 
 fully. Kate now fell off, but Grimaldi, who 
 had been waiting for the last struggle home, 
 and who had taken his leaps beautifully from 
 the first, rushed out and challenged Moon- 
 raker. The struggle up the hill to the pad- 
 dock was desperate — nothing could be finer ; 
 both sprang to the bank at the same moment, 
 but Moonraker had the advantage by half a 
 neck, and was pronounced the winner. It 
 was thought, had Grimaldi made play sooner, 
 the issue would have been different. The 
 struggle with those left immediately behind 
 was between Corinthian Kate, Napoleon, and 
 Bloomfield. The former two came in third 
 and fourth. An accident prevented Bloom- 
 field from getting a better place — he and his 
 rider having fallen into a chalk-pit which 
 unfortunately lay in the way, and was unper- 
 ceived, till too late, by Mr. Codrington. Much 
 credit is due to Captain Beecher, for the man- 
 ner in which he rode Corinthian Kate, and, 
 making allowance for his early mishap, it 
 will be seen that his chances of victory were 
 of no common character. Grimaldi was also 
 admirably ridden by Mr. Mostyn, who com- 
 plained of his path being crossed by some 
 horsemen, at a most important point. Of Mr. 
 Seffert's management of Moonraker we cannot 
 speak in terms of too much praise. Mr. Cod- 
 rington also rode admirably. The remaining 
 competitors came galloping in at intervals: 
 
 M 2 
 
u;i 
 
 PIERCR EGAN'8 BOOK 01- SPORTS. 
 
 some of tlien at a slapping pace, anxious to 
 avoid being last— a cHstinction which Avas 
 awarded to Hotspur, who lost both his rider, 
 his bridle, and himself. Severul of the riders, 
 in coming in, showed convincing marks of 
 having come in contact with " mother earth " 
 — but, taking the whole field, a more beautiful 
 or interesting sight has never been witnessed. 
 Some few accidents occurred in the last mea- 
 dow, from the injudicious rush of the crowd, 
 horse and foot — some were thrown down, but 
 we did riot hear of any serious accident. 
 
 On going to scale there were, of course, 
 various opinions as to the merits of tlie differ- 
 ent horses, and the superiority of Grimaldi 
 over Moonraker. This led to fresh challenges, 
 and Mr. Osbaldeston proposed making a match 
 between Grimaldi and Moonraker, for £500, 
 or between one of his own horses and Moon- 
 raker, to he run in Leicestershire, for a like 
 sum — undertaking to ride both races himself, 
 if he were well. 
 
 Mr. Codrington seemed confident, had he 
 not got into the chalk-pit, he could have won, 
 and said he was ready at the moment to ride 
 Bloomfield againct Moonraker over the same 
 ground. 
 
 Great praise is due to Mr. Coleman for the 
 excellence of his arrangements throughout, 
 and his townsmen must feel deeply sensible 
 of the advantages which, through his means, 
 have been conferred upon them. 
 
 Bounce, in the above race, was a Warwick- 
 shire horse, as, we believe, is Moonraker ; 
 but their qualities admit of no comparison. 
 The appearance of Moonraker i*any thing but 
 on a par with his powers. 
 
 The four miles were performed in fifteen 
 minutes and a half, by the winner. 
 
 Some assertions having been made that 
 Moonraker had gone on the wrong side of one 
 of the flag trees, Mr. Osbaldeston heard 
 evidence on the subject, when i\Ir. Codring- 
 ton, who kept as close as possible to both 
 Moonraker and Grimaldi thioughont, stated 
 most positively that he kept his right course 
 from first to last, and, in fact, swerved more 
 to the left than was at all times necessary. 
 Under these circumstances the stakes were 
 given to Mr. Elmore, without further objec- 
 tions. 
 
 STEEPLE-CHASE FOR ONE THOU- 
 SAND SOVEREIGNS. 
 
 The match between Moonraker, the pro- 
 perty of Mr. Elmore, and Grimaldi, the pro- 
 perty of Mr. Evans, came off on Tuesday, 13th 
 March, 1832, according to appointment,' in the 
 neighbourhood of Harrow. This match was 
 made on the evening of Thursday week, at St. 
 Albans, after the grand Sweepstakes which 
 A*ere run for on that day, when Moonraker 
 an 1- Grimaldi contested the ground with such 
 ^ i^our. Each party w as equal'y confident that 
 
 in a fresh trial his horse would be succesfful, 
 and such was Mr. Osbaldeston's high opinion 
 of Grimaldi, that he actually gave, or rather 
 promised to give, Mr. Elmore HOI. to make the 
 match, thus placing Grimaldi in the stakes a 
 favorite at 550/. to 450i. Notwithstanding 
 this position, however, on the same night 
 Moonraker was backed heavily at 120/. to 
 100/. and on subsequent days similar odds, 
 and even 5 to 4, were laid. Still Grimaldi 
 had strong friends, and was heavily backed at 
 evens, and in some cases was the favorite at 
 6 to 4, conditionally on Mr. Osbaldeston's 
 riding. 
 
 Both horses were allowed to be in excellent 
 condition, and "nothing the worse" for their 
 Thursday's exertion. Grimaldi had a decided 
 advantage in youth and freshness, and came 
 up from Warwickshire with an excellent 
 character. He is twelve years old, by Gri- 
 maldi, out of Miss Bab, by Highland fling, out 
 of Lady Bab, and bred by Mr. Clifford, of 
 Gloucestershire. By Mr. Clifford he was 
 sold, at four years old, to Mr. Wynnet ; bv 
 that gentleman sold lo Mr. Bray, and from 
 Mr. Bray he came into the hands of Mr. 
 Evans. His colour is grey. Moonraker is 
 what is called '' a dark " horse ; that is to 
 say, neither his sire nor dam -is known. He 
 was originally bought, we believe, at 35 
 guineas ; and, after doing some excellent 
 work, was again sold for 80 guineas. He 
 was sent up from Warwickshire as nothing 
 but a •' good un," although he had seen an 
 immense deal of service ; and his fame was 
 established by winning two steeple races in 
 succession, in the neighbourhood of St. 
 Albans, which was followed up by his third 
 victory on Thursday week. His colour is 
 bay, but his age is not known. He is a high- 
 couraged horse, strong and willing in a heavy 
 country, and an excellent fencer ; stopping at 
 nothing, and taking his leaps with uncommon 
 clearness and precision. The distance agreed 
 to be run was four miles, the precise ground 
 to be chosen by the umpires — Colonel Charitie 
 on the part of Moonraker ; and Mr. Meyrick 
 on the part of Grimaldi. On Monday it was 
 known that both horses were near the ap- 
 pointed place — Moonraker, at Mr. Elmore's 
 farm, near Harrow ; and Grimaldi at Neasdon. 
 It was mutually agreed that the riders should 
 meet at Mr. Elmore's to weigh, at two 
 o'clock. 
 
 In the course of the morning the umpires 
 met and proceeded to select the course which 
 was finally fixed to be from a field on Mr. 
 Copeland's farm, near the seven-mile stone, 
 on the Edgware-road, down a gradual de- 
 scent across a flat country, at the foot of Har- 
 row Hill, into a field in front of a ]\Ir. 
 Hawkins's, a farm-house, at Harrow Weald. 
 The fences were by no means difficult, and the 
 ground, althou^di heavy (principally meadow 
 or pasture), partook more, as was remarked 
 by some old fielders, of the character of a 
 race course than a laborious hunting cou^*«^ 
 
PIEUCE EC^AN'S liOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 165 
 
 anil (lif refore more favorable, Id their opinion, 
 for Grimaldi, who was supposed to possess 
 more speed tlian strength. Tiie approaches 
 to the scene of action presented a lively spec- 
 tacle during the forenoon. The roads were 
 tlironged with vehicles of every description 
 and an immense body of horseniCn, who spread 
 themselves in all directions over the fields, 
 breaking down hedges and rendering the 
 small leaps there were still more easy. Har- 
 row was overflowing, and here innumerable 
 groups -A'aited till the news arrived of the 
 precise route to be taken. All then proceeded 
 to take up the stations best calculated to 
 afford a view of the contest. The principal 
 body of the spectators concentrated in the 
 neighbourhood of Mr. Hawkins's farm, keep- 
 ing the winning flag in view. 
 
 Subsequent to the ground being chosen, the 
 stakes were said to be all right, that is to 
 say, each umpire held his friend's cash in his 
 own hands : rather an unusual way of muking 
 stakes good. It was now universally known 
 that ?(Ir. Osbaldeston would ride Grimaldi, 
 and Mr. Seflfert, Moonraker — but, after a long 
 delay beyond the hour appointed, which 
 occurred before Mr. Osbaldeston reached Mr. 
 Elmore's farm, apprehensions began to be 
 entertained that the race would not come off. 
 These fears were dissipated by the arrival of 
 Mr. Osbaldeston and his friends, and all now 
 became anxious for the commencement of the 
 sport. Previous to this, the flags had been 
 carried towards the starting post — Mr. Seffert 
 having ridden a short distance to see them 
 placed. This act of Mr. Setfert having been 
 communicated to Mr. Osbaldeston, that gen- 
 tleman concluded that Mr. Seflfert had seen 
 the whole line of the intended struggle, 
 and therefore insisted on having an equal 
 advantage. This led to some dispute, which 
 ended in an agreement that both should go over 
 tlie ground ; and they accordingly, contrary 
 to all precedent in steeple chases, set off on 
 tlieir hacks attended by a cloud of eques- 
 trians, over hedge and ditch to Harrrow 
 Weald — an experiment which afforded no 
 siiiull amusement to the outlying spectators, 
 from the numerous accidents and unseemly 
 prostrations which were presented to their 
 vievf. On reaching the last field, it did not 
 seem that tlie precise goal, or winning point, 
 had been stipulated ; a hedge leading to a 
 paddock next the farm was named, but to 
 this Mr. Osbaldeston objected, on the ground 
 that Steeple Chases generally ended in the 
 middle of a field, and not in an abrupt leap. 
 This matter was soon adjusted by naming a 
 small drain or gutter in the centre of tiie 
 meadow, as the final '* scratch," the liist 
 horse over this gutter to be considered tlie 
 winner, and two flags having been jilanled 
 so as to render this more distinct. By these 
 delays much time was wasted, and the hour 
 of four instead of one, the original hour for 
 stiirting mentioned, had arrived to the infinite 
 annoyance of those pedes<.rian3 who had been 
 
 lounging backwards and forwards over the 
 damp earth, and any ihing but desirable or 
 gallant towards many of the fair sex, who, 
 seated in open carriages, exposed to no 
 friendly breeze, waited the event with their 
 customary patience. 
 
 At last, the preliminary view being com- 
 pleted, tlie riders and their partizans returned 
 to Mr. Elmore's farm, again showing theii 
 skill or clumsiness in their progress; and 
 here it is due to state, that in the most ditfi- 
 cult leaps the palm of superiority was de- 
 servedly given to a young and beautiful lady, 
 whose graceful seat, perfect confidence, and 
 unshrinking courage, often put her followers 
 to the blush — blushes which were occasion- 
 ally hidden by that natural paint of which 
 the surrounding ditches afforded abundance. 
 
 At length the important ceremony of weigh- 
 ing took place, and the horses were sent to 
 the starting post. Mr. Osbaldeston had but 
 little to add to his ordinary weight, to reach 
 the stipulated amount of list. 7lbs., while 
 Mr. Seftert had nearly sixteen pounds of 
 " dead weight" attached round his loins in 
 belts. Both wore silk jackets and jockey 
 caps. It was after five o'clock before they 
 mounted and prepared for the race. In the 
 interim the whole l»e they had to take had 
 been marked by flags at convenient distances. 
 The dusk of evening, with a slight fog, had 
 supplanted the previous brightness of the 
 day, and many had actually quitted the ground 
 giving up all hope of their promised amuse- 
 ment. At last the word was given, and off 
 went the competitors at a slashing speed. 
 JMoonraker took the lead — Grimaldi, as had 
 been previously announced by Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton, waiting close upon him. About a mile 
 and a half or two miles from the starting- 
 post, IMr. Seffert, after taking his leapj swerved 
 towards a stile, but again cut in, making an 
 angle. Mr. Osbaldeston, on the contrary, 
 kept the direct line, and, he says, accident- 
 ally came in contact with Mr. Seffert as he 
 again took up his straight running. We are 
 informed that Mr. Seffert complained of this, 
 and exclaimed, that whatever was the result 
 of the race, he should mention the fact. He 
 then went on, still waited on by Grimaldi, 
 till within half a mile of home, where, after 
 crossing a fence, he went towards a gate, 
 expecting to get a more direct line for the 
 destined goal — while Mr. Osbaldeston quick- 
 ened his speed, and dashed straight forward. 
 Mr. Seffert found he was mistaken, and again 
 got into the field with Mr. Osbaldeston, who 
 had, by Mr. Seffert's error, got nearly a hun- • 
 dred yards a-head. Every nerve of Moon- 
 raker was now urged to its utmost to regain 
 the lost ground ; but from thenceforth his 
 chance was lost. Grimaldi Lad got the lead, 
 aud kept it — and in coming through a gap in 
 the corner of the last field, his success was 
 put beyond a doubt, Moonraker followed, 
 e\idently much distressed, but incapable of 
 additional exertion. Mr. Seffert seemed 
 
166 
 
 VIERCE EGAN'S IJOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 rather to support than to push his steed ; and 
 seeing GriiHHldi cross the " rubicon," he 
 pulled up — Griinaldi being pronounced by 
 acclamation the winner by several lengths. 
 
 Objection to the Stakes being given up. — 
 All parties, as by previous agreement, next 
 returned to Mr. Elmore's farm — towards 
 which the horses were led — and here, on tiie 
 umpires being called, INIr. Seffert preferred 
 his complaint of having been ridden against 
 by Mr. Osbaldeston, and appealed to Mr. 
 Osbaldeston whether that had not been 
 the case. I\Ir. (Jsbaldeston, we understand, 
 admitted the fact, but stated most distinctly 
 that he could not avoid it — it was perfectly 
 accidental, and solely arising from the angle 
 which Mr. SefTert had made. 
 
 iMr. Elmore said he had no desire to make 
 a wrangle, or to object unnecessarily to the 
 stakes being given up ; nevertheless, as his 
 rider had made the complaint, he would leave 
 it in his hands and to the umpires to come to 
 that decision which seemed to them most con- 
 sistent with justice to all parties. 
 
 The stakeholder, having heard both sides, 
 said he deemed it necessary to hear further 
 evidence, and, before he gave up the stakes, 
 to submit the question to the Jockey Club. 
 
 It was six o'clock before the race was con- 
 cluded, and nearly three quarters of an hour 
 elapsed before the carriages congregated in 
 the lane leading to Mr. Hawkins's farm could 
 be extricated. To the spectators the day was 
 fatiguing and vexatious, and general com- 
 plaints were made of the want of that regu- 
 larity which the importance of the match 
 demanded, as well as the twadling disputes 
 which arose, and led to such unreasonable 
 delay. This delay was not without its benefit, 
 however, as it rendered the leaps mere 
 trifles. 
 
 Among the distinguished persons whom we 
 saw on the ground were Lord Errol, Lord 
 Abercorn, Lord Rivers, Count D'Orsq, Lord 
 Clonbrock, Lord Grimstone, Colonel Peel, 
 Colonel Anson, L. Charlton, Esq. — Ramsay, 
 Esq., M.P., together with some of the most 
 celebrated persons on the Turf. 
 
 Meeting of the Umpires — ^On Wednesday, 
 Colonel Meyrick, Colonel (^haritie, Mr. Os- 
 baldeston, and Mr. Elmore, had a meeting 
 upon the subject in dispute, when it was 
 mutually agreed to refer the matter to Colonel 
 Anson, to whom the evidence was submitted ; 
 and on the same evening he declared, at Tat- 
 lersall's, that he saw no reason for an objec- 
 tion to the stakes being given up ; but, on the 
 contrary, was of opinion, that Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton had fairly won, and was entitled to all the 
 advantHges of his victory. This, of course, 
 sets the matter at rest. 
 
 The following are the documents submitted 
 by C lonel Cliaritie to Colonel Anson, toge- 
 ther with his final decision of the question at 
 issue: — 'Mr. SefTert took a small fence to 
 
 his left, which Mr. Osbaldeston did not do. 
 SefTert then took another fence that ran across 
 the field into which he had gone. Mr. Os- 
 baldeston then turned sharp to his left, took 
 the fence, and rode right against Moonraker, 
 which made him swerve ; indeed, the concus- 
 sion was so great that he nearly knocked 
 down both Mr. SefTert and his horse. I should 
 say that Moonraker lost several yards by this 
 accident, as he was completely thrown off his 
 stride. There was plenty of room for Mr. 
 Osbaldeston to have kept clear of Moon- 
 raker. 
 
 " Yours, 
 
 " H. R. Ramsay, M.P. 
 ' Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-square." 
 
 S'R, — Moonraker was leading, went over a 
 fence in the next field ; Grimaldi crossed 
 upon him, came with great force against 
 him, and knocked him completely out of his 
 stride. There was plenty of room for Gri- 
 maldi to have gone without doing it. SefTert 
 said something to Mr. Osbaldeston, but could 
 not understand the words. I was not twenty 
 yards from them. 
 
 R. Mason. 
 
 Pinner, March 15th, 1832. 
 
 Sir, — In answer to your question respect- 
 ing the race between Moonraker and Grimaldi, 
 I can positively assert I saw Mr. Osbaldeston 
 pull out of his line and ride against Mr. 
 SefTert, when there was no occasion whatever 
 to do so. I remarked at the time 1 thought 
 he would have knocked Mr. Seflert down. 
 
 G. Smith. 
 
 Circus-street, New-road, 
 March 15th, 1832. 
 
 Sir, — With reference to the race between 
 Jloonraker and the Grey Horse, on Tuesday 
 last, I can vouch that, at a time when Moon- 
 raker was leading, I saw Mr. Osbaldeston 
 pull his horse out of his line, and run against 
 Moonraker, which must have operated very 
 greatly against both Moonraker and his rider, 
 and which was the more inexcusable as there 
 was plenty of room for Mr. Osbaldeston to 
 have avoided so doing. 
 
 G. HOWELI,. 
 
 22, Oxford Terrace, 
 March 15th, 1832 
 
 Sir, — Col. Anson presents his compliments 
 to Col. Charitie and Mr. Meyrick, and having, 
 according to their request, perused the papers 
 respecting Mr. SefTert's charge against Mr. 
 Osbaldeston, for crossing, as well as the 
 statements of both these gentlemen, is of 
 opinion that IMr. O.sbaldeston is decidedly 
 ENTTTLF-D TO THE sTAK tS, as winner uf the 
 race. 
 
 32, Curzor.-street, March 15th, 1832. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 167 
 
 SHAMROCK 
 
 CHALLENGE 
 CHASE. 
 
 STEEPLE 
 
 On Tuesday, March 14th, 1832, this cele- 
 brated challenge-cup was raced for over the 
 Ashbourne Course, in gallant style. Indeed, 
 so intense was the public interest to witness 
 it, that although the morning looked rather 
 unpromising, Dublin was literally 'turned out' 
 on the Ashbourne road, about ten o'clock, and 
 the tills of the turnpike extortioners began to 
 groan under the weight of the contributions 
 from tlie motley train of varied vehicles that 
 pressed onward to the Course, as if a race of 
 citizens from the cholera Morbus was the sport 
 of the day. Indeed, the countenances of the 
 several voyafjers did not look quite as lachry- 
 mose, as if such were the occasion of their 
 hurry, until a slight drizzle of rain began to 
 set in about half past ten or eleven o'clock ; 
 for up to that hour the sunshine of expected 
 enjoyment lit up the most rugged visages — 
 and even the sharp lines of Tom Bradley's 
 countenance, as he sat crippled up beside 
 Twiss Krown on au outside Jarvey, seemed 
 20 p/T cent, above par, till the fatal mist 
 brought them down to the usual discount, and 
 he began to looli as blue as if there was no pro- 
 vision, and the three days of grace expired — 
 or, as if he was about to protest against the 
 non-appearance of accommodation, which the 
 bleakness of the road presented. However, 
 as he had been prevailed upon by Twiss to 
 accept of a seat on the aforesaid outside, he 
 screwed his courage and his countenance up 
 to the sticking point of pushing on, in the 
 hope of being rewarded by the extraordinary 
 interest he had been promised the enjoyment 
 of, from the racing. Well, Ashbourne road is 
 a devil of a bleak drive of a misty day, sure 
 enough ! and small blame to the ladies, sweet 
 creatures, that shut themselves up so snug in 
 the landaus, landaulets, chariots, britskas, 
 and Swiss-carriages, which gave us the go-by 
 with their four hacks and two smoking out- 
 riders each, without as much as letting us 
 light our cigars in the light of their burning 
 •jyes that almost melted us as they passed — 
 but, no matter ; perhaps it was so much the 
 •letter, for there we sat shivering like a fox in 
 H wet sack, with our knees to our chin, look- 
 )ng as blue as the butt end of the clouds, and 
 bad-luck to the skreed of a bush in view for 
 ten-miles a-head — and sure that would be no 
 condition to be looked upon by the sweet 
 creatures ! No, no ; we know what's what 
 with the darlings, and we eschew the wise 
 man's proverb— " there is a time for all things." 
 When we got to the top of the rising ground 
 near Ashbourne, and looked back three cr 
 four miles of the road, verily we thought all 
 Ireland and the County Meath had left Dublin 
 on a string of jaunting cars, sociables, tax- 
 carts. Stanhopes, dennetls, tilburies, buggies, 
 and shandera-dans, not to talk of the horse- 
 men, ambitious of two-legged display, from 
 the mahogany-tops and yellow buckskins 
 
 down to the soiled whites strapped to liie 
 Iieels, and the humble Wellingtons coaxed to 
 hide their diminished heads beneath thedeep- 
 selvaged Russia-ducks. Of a verity we 
 believe we were born under a lucky planet, 
 for scarcely had we landed in that most 
 charming of all rural villages, where nature's 
 simplicity almost rivals the stark-nakedness 
 of chaos, when our friend, Philo Nimrod, 
 was stepping into one of Troy's best green 
 chaises, and, upon the mere beck, we stepped 
 in, shut the door, bid Jarvey " drive on," and 
 shook hands with Nim., in half the time we 
 have been telling it. A few minutes brought 
 us close to the winning-post, where we had 
 scarcely taken our station when the rush of 
 hurlers and scudding of hacks across the 
 field, with the " hum of men," announced the 
 " start" was about to take place. We peeped 
 at our watch, — it wanted a quarter to one, — 
 " they are off!" resounded from a thousand 
 voices. We looked out, and sure enough 
 away they were powdering in as neat a 
 canter as you could desire to see up to the first 
 leap— pop ! pop ! pop ! over went four or five 
 of the silk-jackets — " a false start ! false 
 start : hollo I hollo !" — they might as well 
 have been Parsons whistling for the grace of 
 God, as stewards calling after Miss Stephens 
 and Cheroot (the beasts I) Away with them, 
 popping over every one of the three and thirty 
 leaps, all for fun ! and bad luck to the one 
 could stop them, till they saw their divarsion 
 out. by coming up to the winning post. Miss 
 Stephens a-head, like a runaway jade as she 
 is, in spite of all Jemmy Tuthill's whip and 
 spurs could do to make Cheroot (the brute ') 
 give her the go-by. They looked like a pair 
 of ganders after a wild goose chase, when the 
 stewards pronounced it a false start. The 
 real start then came off at three minutes past 
 one o'clock, — but without the two wild geese, 
 — Mary Anne taking the lead. At the fourth 
 leap, the Maid of the Mill gave her the go-by : 
 but in the heavy ground, Slug, who has ex- 
 traordinary strength, showed his bottom to 
 Mary Ann and the English Lass, and won the 
 race in prime style. Twelve had been en- 
 tered : nine started, and were placed as 
 follows : — 
 
 Mr. Wards Slug— Mr. Priitt . . 12 1 
 Mr Knareiboros Miustrel hoy— Owner 1 1 2 
 Mr. Osborne's English Lass — Mr. Murray 3 
 
 Mr. Ferguson's br. M. Jenny Mills, Mr. 
 O'Reilly's Rosetta, Mr. Divine's Maid of the 
 Mill, Mr. Martin's Inez, followed, and Mr. 
 Hunt's Cheroot, Mr. M. Yourell's Miss Ste- 
 phens, were declared distanced, owing to not 
 having gone out the first heat in consequetice 
 of the false start. In the first hejit Mr. J. 
 Yourell's Polly Hopkins, and Mr. Borbridge's 
 Marianne, both fell at the fnurth leap, by 
 which Polly was distanced, and did not come 
 out for the others. The first heat was only 
 won by a length. The second by half a-hoa'i : 
 and the third by a-head. Minstrel Boy and 
 
I 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 King were botli punished each heat. It was 
 whispered among the kuowinif (mes, if Mr. M. 
 "Vourell had not gone round the false start, 
 she would liave been very like a winner. By 
 this race SluR has proved himself a tfump, 
 his pace fast and steady, and his jumping sale 
 and <]tiick. It is said his owner has refused 
 a very large sum (or liim. 
 
 The Advevtijrf.s of a " PET PIG ! " 
 Killed u-ith Kindness! 
 
 " On our sailing;; from England (says Cop- 
 tain Hall, in iiis Fragments of V'oyages and 
 Travels) six little sows, of a peculiarly fine 
 breed, had been laid in by my stcu ard. In 
 the course of the voyage five of these fell under 
 the relentless hands of the butcler ; but o;;e 
 of the six, being possessed of a more graceful 
 form than belonged to her sister swine, being- 
 kept as clean as any lap-dog, was permitted 
 to run about the dec'cs, amongst the goats, 
 sheep, dogs, and monkeys of our little ark. 
 The occurrence of tv.o or three smart gales of 
 wind, ofl' the Cape of Good Hope, and the 
 unceremonious entrance of sundiy pea-green 
 seas, swept the deck of most of our live stock, 
 excepting only this one pig, known amongst 
 the crew by the pet name of .lean. 
 
 " In warm latitudes the men generally take 
 their meals on deck, and it was Jean's grand 
 amusement, as well as busiiiess, to cruise along 
 amongst the messes,pokinghersaout into every 
 bread bag, and very often she scalded her tongue 
 in the S(>up kids. Occasionally the sailors, to 
 show the extent of their regard, amused them- 
 sehes by pouring a drop of grog down her 
 throat. I never saw her fairly drunk, how- 
 ever, but twice, upon which occasions, as was 
 to be expected, she acted much like a human 
 being in the same hoggish predicament ! whe- 
 ther it was owing to this high feeding, or to 
 the constant scrubbing which her hide re- 
 ceived from sand, brushes, and holy-stones, I 
 know not, but she certainly grew and flourished 
 at a moi-t astonishing rate, and every day 
 waxed more and more impudent and importu- 
 nate at the dinner hour. I saw a good deal of 
 this familiarity going on, but had no idea of 
 the estimation Jean was held in, till one day, 
 when we were about half way across the 
 China sea, and all our stock of sheep, fowls, 
 and ducks was expended, I said to the stew- 
 ard ' You had better kill the pig, which, if 
 properly managed, will last till we reach 
 JMacao.' The servant stood for some time 
 fumbling with his hair, and shuffling with his 
 feet, mumbling something to himself. ' Don't 
 you hear ?' I asked. — ' Kill the pig, and let us 
 have the fry to day, the head with plenty of 
 Port-wine, as mock-turtle soup, to-morrow, 
 an-d have one of the legs roasted for dinner on 
 Saturday.' Off he went, but in half an hour 
 returned, on some pretence or other, when In; 
 took occasion to say, * Did you say Jean \\ a ; 
 to be killed, Sir?' ' Yes, certainly. Whj do 
 
 you b')ther and boggle about killing a pig?' 
 'The ship's company, sir — ' 'Well! what 
 have the ship's company to say to my pig?' 
 ' They are very fond of Jean, sir.' ' The 
 devil they are ! Veil! what then?' 'Why, 
 sir, they would take it as a great kindness, if 
 you would not order her to be killed. She is 
 a great pet, sir, and comes to them when they 
 call her by name, like a dog. They have 
 taught her not to venture abaft the mainmast : 
 but, if you only call her, >ou will see that 
 what I say is true !' ' Indeed ! I'll soon try 
 the experiment ;' and seized my hat to go on 
 deck. ' Shall I tell the butcher to hold fast ?' 
 asked Capevvell. * Of course !' I exclaimed : 
 ' of course!' Off shot the steward, like an 
 arrow ; and I could soon distinguish the effect 
 of the announcement, by the intermission of 
 those horrible screams which attend the exe- 
 cution of the pig tribe, all which sounds were 
 instantly terminated on the seizures being "^ut 
 that tied poor Jean's legs. 
 
 '' On reaching the quarter-deck I told what 
 had passed to the officer of the watch, who 
 questioned its propriety a little, I thought, by 
 the tone of liis answer. I, however, called 
 out * Jean, Jean !' and in a moment the de- 
 lightful pig came prancing along. So great, 
 in fact, w as her anxiety to answer the call, as 
 if to show her sense of the trifling favor I had 
 just conferred upon her, that she dashed 
 towards us. tripped up the officer's heels, and, 
 had I not caught him, he would have come 
 souse upon the deck. Even as it was, he in- 
 dulged in a growl, and muttered out, ' you 
 see, sir, what your yielding to such whims 
 brings upon us.' I said nothing, and only 
 took care in future fo caution my friends to 
 mind their footing when Jean was summoned 
 aft, w hich, I allow, was very often ; for there 
 was no resisting the exhibition to all strangers 
 of such n patent pet. as this. To the Chinese, 
 in particular, our comical favorite became an 
 object of the highest admiration. The natives 
 of the Celestial Empire soon recognized in this 
 happiest of swine, the celebrated breed of their 
 own country ; and many a broad hint I got as 
 to the acceptable nature of such a present, but 
 I was deaf to them all ; for I felt that Jane now 
 belonged more to the ship's company than to 
 myself, and that there was a sort of obligation 
 upon me neither to e.tl her nor to gi\e her 
 away. 
 
 " Under this tacit guarantee she gained so 
 rapidly in size, fat, and other accomplish- 
 ments, that on our return to China, after visit- 
 ing Loo Choo, and other islands of the Japan 
 sea, the gentlemen of the factory would 
 hardly credit me that this huge monster was 
 the same animal. In talking of Jean's accom- 
 plishments I must not be understood as de- 
 scribing her as a learned pig, for she could 
 not play at cards, solve quadratic equations, 
 nor perform any of those feats which enchant 
 and astoni-sh the eyes of the citizens of Lon- 
 don and elsewhere, where many dogs and hogs 
 are d'voutly believed to be vested with a de- 
 
I'IF.RCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 109 
 
 gree of intelligence rather above than below 
 the average rang;e of human intellect. Far 
 from this, honest Jean could do little or nothing 
 more than eat, drink, sleep, and grunt; in 
 these respects she was totally unrivalled, and 
 the effect of her proficiencj' in these charac- 
 teristic qualities became daily more manifest. 
 At first, as I have mentioned, when her name 
 was called from any part of the ship, she 
 would caper along, and dash impetuously up 
 to the group by whom she was summoned. 
 But after a time she became so excessively 
 fat and laz-y, that it required many a call to 
 get iier to move, and the offer of a slice of 
 pine-apple, or a iiandful of lyches, or even a 
 delicious maiigo-steen, was now hardly enough 
 to make her open her eyes, though in the 
 earlier stages of the voyage she had been too 
 thankful for a potato, or the skin of an apple. 
 As slie advanced in fatness, she lost altoge- 
 ther the poAer of walking, and expected the 
 men to bring the good things of their table to 
 her, instead of allowing her to come for them. 
 Tills was cheerfully done; and, though the 
 only show of gratitude was a grunt, it was 
 taken for a full recompense of all trouble, on 
 htr account. Both her eyes became bunged 
 up by huge bolsters of fat, which admitted 
 only a slender chink of light between them. 
 As she had long lost the power of loco-motion, 
 she generally lay flat on her side all day long, 
 giving out a low sort of grunt for more food 
 once every hour. At this stage of her happi- 
 ness two of her legs only touched the deck, 
 the otJiers being rigged out horizont.i.lly : but, 
 as she became fatter and fatter, the upper pair 
 of legs gradually formed an angle with the 
 horizon, and eventually assumed the position 
 of 4.j°. The lower legs next began to leave 
 tlie deck, as the rotundity of her corporation 
 became greater, till at length all her four legs 
 were erected towards the heavens, and it 
 became a source of discussion amongst the 
 curious, as to which side she was actually 
 lying upon. A hollow, difficult, feeble moan, 
 hardly a grunt, gave token of her impatience 
 when a rope came too near her, or when a 
 party of the sailors, running away with the 
 gib haulyards, tripped over her huge carcase. 
 " We had scarcely anchored at Second liar, 
 in the midst of a fleet of magnificent English 
 ships, when we were boardedby hosts ofChinese 
 Mandarins, Hoppo's, Hong merchants, wear- 
 ing all the variety of buttons by which ranks 
 are distinguished in that well classified land. 
 This was not to compliment us, or to offer us 
 assistance, or even to inquire our business. 
 One single object seemed to engage all tlieir 
 flioughts, and animate the curiosity of half the 
 province of Quantunf>-. T)ie fame of our /nt 
 s./M", Jean.in short, had far out-run the speed of 
 the ' Lyra,' and nothing was heard of on tvcry 
 hand but the wondering exclamatiups of ilie 
 natives, screaming out in admiration, ' Iligli- 
 yaw ! high yaw !' — Ue had enough to do to 
 clear the ship at night of these our visiiors, 
 b'jt we were by no means left iii solitude ; ioi 
 
 the Lyra's anchorage was completely crowded 
 with native boats. The motive of this a'ten- 
 tion on the part of the Chinese was not merely 
 pure admiration of Jean, as we at first sus- 
 pected ; for when the decks came to be v\ ashed 
 the next morning, and two or three dead ducks 
 were thrown overboard, a rush of a dozen 
 boats took place towards the spot, and there 
 was a battle-royal in the river for the precious 
 property. Upon enquiring, we found that 
 foreign ships were always surrounded by the 
 boats from Canton, where the state of want 
 appears to be so great that the people eagerly 
 seek after the smallest morsels of food, and 
 struggle with avidity to catch dead stock of 
 any kind thrown overboard. This at once 
 explained the marvellous degree of attention 
 which wo had been honored with ; fjr the 
 acute Chinese, skilled especially in hog's 
 flesh, saw very well that our ^ pet pig' was 
 not long for this world ; and knowing that, if 
 she died a natural death, we should no more 
 think of eating her than one of our crew, and 
 having guessed also that we had no intention 
 of ' killing her to save her life," they very 
 reasonably inferred that ere long this glorious 
 bon}ie-bouche would beat the disposal of("liinese 
 taste and delicacy. Our men, who soon got 
 wind of this intention on the part of the 
 Chinese, became quite outrageous against 
 Fiikie, as the natives a'-e called, and would 
 hardly permit any visitors to come near her, 
 lest they should poison their favorite, and so 
 accelerate her inevitable fate. At length poor 
 Jean gave token of approaching dissolution ; 
 she could neither eat nor drink, nor even 
 grunt, and her breathing was very like that of 
 a broken bellows ; in short, she died ! Every 
 art was taken to conceal the melancholy event 
 iram the Chinese, but some how or other it 
 got abroad, for the other English ships were 
 deserted, and long before sun-set a dense 
 mass of boats, like a floating town, was formed 
 astern and in both quarters of the Lyra. 
 
 " The sailors now held a grand consuKa- 
 tion what was to be done, and, after much 
 discussion, and many neat and appropriate 
 speeches, it was unanimously resolved that 
 the mortal remains of their favorite, now no 
 more, should be deposited in the mud of iho 
 river Canton, in such a way that the mos 
 dexterous and hungry inhabitant of the celes- 
 tial empire should not be able to fish her up 
 again. As soon as it was quite dark, and all 
 the Chinese boats sent, as usual, beyond a 
 circle, liiiiited by the ship's buoys, the defunc 
 yig's friiMids set to woik to prepare her obse- 
 (juies. The chief object was to guard against 
 the ravenous natives hearing the splash as she 
 weut overboard ; and next that she should not 
 afterwards float to the surface. The first point 
 was easily accomplished, as will be seen pie- 
 sentJy, but there was a long debate in whis- 
 pers, amongst the men, as to the most expe- 
 diejit plan of keeping the body of their laie 
 \icl from once more showing her snout aIjo\e 
 i!ie stream. At length ii was suggested by 
 
170 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 t!ic cock-swain of one of the boats which had 
 been sent during the morning to sound the 
 j)assage, that as the bed of the river where 
 tlie brifj lay consisted of a deep layer of mud, 
 it would be a good thing if Jean's remains 
 could be driven so far into this soft stratum 
 that the drags and hooks of the hungry Chinese 
 might never be able to grapple her up again. 
 This advice was much applauded, and at once 
 acted upon with that happy facility of resource 
 which it is, and the pride of the profession to 
 have always in store, foy small, as well as for 
 great occasions. The dead sow was first laid 
 on its back, and then two masses of iron ballast 
 being placed, one on each side of the cheek, 
 were lashed securely to the neck and shoul- 
 ders, in such a manner that the ends of the 
 kentlage met across her nose, and formed, as 
 it was very properly called, an extra snout for 
 piercing the mud. When all was ready, the 
 midship cannonade was silently dismounted, 
 the side unbolted, and the whole removed out 
 of tha way. Jean's enormous corporation 
 being then elevated by means of capstan bars 
 and handspikes, was brought ou a level with 
 the port-sid'. A slip rope was next passed 
 between her hind legs, which had been tied 
 together at the feet, and poor miss Piggy, 
 being gradually pushed over the ship's side, 
 was lowered slowly into the water. When 
 fairly under the surface, and there were no 
 fears of any splash being caused by letting 
 her go, one end of the rope was slipped, upon 
 which the well-loaded carcase shot down per- 
 pendicularly, at such a rate that there could 
 be no question of its being immersed a fathom 
 deep, at least, in the mud, and, of course, far 
 beyond the reach of the disappointed Chinese !" 
 — The above conduct of the captain and his 
 jolly-hearted cle\^ reflects the highest c^N't 
 on their feelings as Piritish tars. 
 
 Pugilism Defended. 
 By Tom Reynolds, of the London Ring. 
 I must acknowledge the gentlemen of the 
 press are favorable to the cause of pugilism : 
 and it is not surprising when we consider that 
 the persons conducting it are men, in general, 
 possessing a liberal education, and blessed 
 with a greater share of brains than batter. 
 Yet there are no rules without exception ; 
 for two or three of the London journalists, 
 imitated by a few country fiats, occasionally 
 give us a facer, though, I am confident, it is 
 not from conviction, but they think a little 
 opposition to generally received opinions may 
 suit their pockets better than following the 
 tide where the brightness of their genius would 
 not make them conspicuous. One of these 
 worthies speaks of us as monsters that bru- 
 talize the country : another describes our poor 
 little twenty-four foot ring, as the only place 
 in the three kingdoms where rogues and black- 
 legs spring up like mushrooms: a third says, 
 a pair of boxing-gloves debase the mind, and 
 recommen<Is the use of the foils as a prefer- 
 
 able exetcise : and a fourth, after a most vio 
 lent phillippic against the ring, blames govern- 
 ment for not immediately putting' an end it» 
 pugilism, and recommends, as a substitnte, 
 that government should take into their wise 
 consideration the propriety of giving greater 
 encouragement to dancing assemblies. The 
 idea is ridiculous. Certainly, if the editor 
 fills up his leisure hours as a hop-merckant, I 
 do not blame him for putting in a good woni 
 for the shop ; but what the devil has dancing 
 to do with fighting ? — can two men decide a 
 mill by " tripping on the light fantastic toe ?" 
 The French dance every night in the week, 
 and all day on Sunday, and what are they the 
 better for that ? are they better men ? or can 
 they boast nobler feelings than Britons ? they 
 certainly make graceful bows, and there is no 
 doubt dancing has an effect on the heels, for 
 Wellington has often scratched his head, and 
 given them a left-handed blessing, for their 
 quickness in giving leg-bail. 
 
 Because the English are not considered a 
 dancing nation, that is no reason they are 
 brutalized. The most savage people dance. 
 The American Indian dances round his captive 
 while he is roasting him alive. The Italians 
 dance, fiddle, and sing ; and, if they consider 
 themselves offended, employ ruffians to assas- 
 sinate the offender. The dancing Frenchman 
 would shudder with horror at the sight of two 
 London porters giving each other a black eye, 
 or a bloody nose, and say 'twas a brutal prac- 
 tice ; yet the same fellow, in his own country, 
 would take snuff, grin like a monkey, and cry 
 " Bravo !" at seeing two poor devils boring 
 holes in each other's hide with a yard of steel. 
 So much for the consistency of the " Grande 
 Nation," and the sense of the men who re- 
 commend dancing as a substitute for pugilisn). 
 
 I am no enemy to dancing: in fact, I am 
 passionately fond of music ; but there is a time 
 for all things. With every inclination in the 
 world to let every one ride his own hobby in 
 his own way, I see no reason why a poor prad 
 should take a facer from the rider of the foil. 
 Two hundred yeais ago, when the sword was 
 worn, and decided quarrels in the streets, 
 fencing was, without doubt, a necessary part 
 of every man's education ; but, at the present 
 day, though the foils may be very good exer- 
 cise, I consider it the height of folly for any 
 man to throw away his money and time in the 
 attainment of an art that can never be of any 
 use. But we will suppose two pupils taking 
 their lessons, the one with the gloves, attaining 
 a graceful method of drawing a cork, painting 
 the margin of an oo;le with some of the most 
 beauteous tints of the rainbow, or directing a 
 customer to the victualling-office ; the other, 
 with the foil, passes away his hours in attain- 
 ing precision to pierce the centre of the heart, 
 or in transfixing the ball of the eye, to cause 
 instant death by perforating the brain. Let 
 me ask, in this mimic warfare which man's 
 mind was most debased ? Black-legs are not 
 tlie j)eculiar growth of our ring. Wherever 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 171 
 
 men will sport on chance events, there TVIr. 
 I41a.ckshanks will be found walking, and that 
 too, on shores where the fist is irever used 
 except by our brave tars, that often make them 
 scamper by the mere flourish of their bunch of 
 fives. Thieves may be found in the mob that 
 surrounds our ring ; but where are they not 
 to be found? A radical or Bible meeting is 
 not exempt from their visits, and they will 
 even be found at a charity sermon, praying 
 they may have good luck when the bustle 
 conies on, and may be considered as instru- 
 ments of divine mercy, sent to deliver good 
 men from the sinful dross of the earth. 
 
 The only charge that can be brought against 
 the ring is crossing fights ; and though the 
 members of the press growl, and very justly 
 too, whenever a '/f, takes place, yet none of 
 them attempt to point out the cause or remedy. 
 Fighting men are not all alike, neither are 
 kings; for who «ould compare our beloved 
 sovereign with the scoundrel Ferdinand ? 
 There are men in our ring with integrity that 
 would adorn a more elevated situation— men 
 that would sooner drop senseless under jra- 
 nishment, though figliting for little more than 
 the colours that are tied to the stakes, than 
 receive five hundred pounds to lose wilfully. 
 I do deny most positively that pugilistic exhi- 
 bitions debase, demoralize, or brutalize us as 
 a nation ; on the reverse, I am confident tliey 
 introdnce cluvalrous (they may be rude) 
 notions of honor, couraf^e, fortitude, and love of 
 manly fair jiluy ; characteristics so strongly 
 indented in the British character, that they 
 are known and acknowledged from pole to 
 pole. And who will be hardy enough to say 
 the excitement to those feelings does not ori- 
 ginate in the very same cause which our 
 enemies say brutalizes the feelings of the 
 country ? 
 
 Even on the score of humanity, pugilism 
 ought to be encouraged : for, wherever it 
 does not exist, murder, by violence and trea- 
 chery, more frequently takes place ; and, 
 without going to foreign countries for proof, a 
 single glance at home will strike- the blindest 
 with the necessity of its encouragement. The 
 men of Lancashire, twenty years ago, were up- 
 and-down fighters; then murder was almost 
 an every-day occurrence. Indeed, some of 
 the old ones of that day took no little pride 
 to themselves if they could boast of having 
 stopped the smoke of a chimney (choked a 
 n)an), after the manner of Virginius. Since 
 pugilisn) lias been introduced, tliough the po- 
 pulation is fourfold, yet murder seldom or 
 never takes place. Compare the population 
 of Ireland, where the stick has been thrown 
 aside, and the fist used, to the other parts; 
 the dilierence in the number of deaths by 
 violence will strike conviction on the dullest. 
 In fact, tho'.igh chivalry did much to sniontli 
 down the roughness of the darker ages, 'tis 
 <mly the boxing gloves can give the true 
 polish of civilization to the world And, I 
 am confident, if Adam had been fiy he would 
 
 have taught his sons to box; then the club 
 would not have been used, and murder pre- 
 vented. Cain would have given Abel a good 
 jnilling, perhaps queered his of>les, or spoiled 
 his bnx of dominoes ; but they would ha^ e been 
 found next morning supping porridge as com- 
 fortably as lord mayor's sons. 
 
 Greece, the birth-place of the arts and sci- 
 ences, encouraged pugilism ; and the first man 
 of the day considered not only himself, but his 
 family, honored, if lucky enough to mill his 
 man at the Olympic games. Look at the effe- 
 minate beings that now parade the streets of 
 Rome, once trod by the conquerors of England, 
 and the world ; but then a boxing or a milling 
 match would have had more charms than the 
 finest strains of Von Weber. The government 
 knew the advantage of exhibitions that would 
 excite an admiration of courage and fortitude. 
 'Twas this reason induced the Athenian gene- 
 ral to stop his army, that they might look at 
 a cock-fight ; — -'tis this that has secured our 
 ring the patronage of the noblest blood, 
 KANK. AND TALENT, in the country ; and long 
 may we deserve the support of men that soar 
 above the braying of asses, or the cant of 
 hypocrites. 
 
 With all due submission and thanks to the 
 ancients, as the first inventors of milling, yec 
 I cannot help feeling pride at the vast supe- 
 riority our ring possesses over theirs ; for 
 death was too frequently the result, in conse- 
 quence of the metal which was braced to 
 their arm. When our ring is formed, the 
 combatants are left to themselves, without 
 fear of interruption from a third person. 
 Temperate, manly courage, is loudly ap- 
 plauded — passion, cowardice, or foul play, as 
 loudly blamed : and should either of the men 
 display any little act of humanity to his sink- 
 ing opponent (of which I could state number- 
 less instances), his gallantry is praised to the 
 skies ; but the moment the dreadful word 
 ENOUGH is uttered, hostilities cease, and the 
 conqueror, shaking hands with his fallen 
 antagonist, wishes him better luck next time, 
 and, in a kindly voice, expresses a wish that 
 he may soon recover, 
 
 Man is the creature of habit, and force of 
 example ; and, I again repeat, exhibitions of 
 this kind have their good efli"ects, which can 
 be traced to us as a nation, and, independent 
 of fighting, influence other actions of life. 
 Show me the man completely opposed to pu- 
 gilism, and you will find his character to be, 
 a bad neighbour, and a tyrant under his own 
 roof. The immortal Wyndham was the 
 staunch advocate and patron of our Ring, 
 and champion for the abolition of the slave 
 trade. Have dealings with any other country 
 — will you find them, in the mass, so honest 
 or so honorable as Britons ? In every part of 
 the known world, who are more welcome tiiaa 
 our merchants ? What flag more respected or 
 feared ? Quarrel in the streets of any other 
 country, you will have more than one to con- 
 tend wiih. If an object of distress is pointea 
 
172 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 out, who is more ready to assist than a Briton ? 
 In other countries murder and robbery po 
 hand in liand. In ours the most desperate 
 men never dip their hands in blood, unless to 
 protect themselves from ill-judged resistance. 
 And who can boast an army or a navy so gal- 
 lantly brave, or so ready to extend the hand 
 to save, as IJritons? Tell me a nation would 
 meet our brave sons on equal terms in the 
 field or on the wave ; yet, if conquered, which 
 of them but would sooner become a prisoner 
 to a British sailor or soldier than any other? 
 Theirs is not the frenzied courage like that 
 inspired by brandy, wiiich, after the first gust 
 of passion, leaves its helpless, hopeless, pant- 
 ing possessor ; but 'tis that kind of round- 
 after-round courage which will admit of think- 
 ing and command, and knows no abatement till 
 wearied nature and death closes the scene. Fair 
 play is a Briton's motto : she would extend it to 
 the extremities of the earth. No consequence 
 what country, religion, or colour. The sable 
 African, throwing aside the chains that level- 
 led him with the beast, now walks erect, in 
 all the majesty of freedom and liberty, calling 
 down blessings on the country that, in spite of 
 all the world, burst his bonds asunder. If 
 these are the symptoms that the country is 
 brutalized by p\igilism, long may she continue 
 so ! Long may she be the home for the exile 
 • — the defender of the oppressed — the best 
 boxer — and arbiter of the world ! 
 
 TOM KEYNOLl>S. 
 
 George IV.'s attachment to Horses. 
 
 Wild Boy, his late Majesty's favorite white 
 riding horse, died at the King's Mews, under 
 very curious circumstances. The noble ani- 
 mal was suddenly attacked, apparently with- 
 out any cause, with all tlie usual symptoms 
 of intirtmmalion of the bowels. A consulta- 
 titm of eminent veterinary surgeons was 
 held, and the remedies which have on several 
 occasions been employed in the Royal S*Hd 
 with marked success were had recourse to. 
 The disease, however, gaim^d ground, and his 
 Majesty, whose knowledge of the anatomy of 
 the horse is well known, expressed his belief 
 that something mori^ than mere inflammation 
 Wrts the cause of the rapid illness. Sir H. 
 Hallbrd coincided in this opinion, and Mr. 
 Godwyne, veterinary surgeon to the Ring, 
 suspftti^d tliat liie comphiint was an intus- 
 susci piion — that is, the passaju' of one portion 
 of the bowel vtitliin the (/liitr, by which its 
 canal becon.es obsiructed, and a fntal inflam- 
 niat on induced. The patit-nt lived only 
 twenty hours Iron) tiie conimencenient of the 
 attick — and, on dissection, the opinion formed 
 oi its nature was fc/und to be strictly correct, 
 lis Majesty, with his usual consideration for 
 the veterinary science, ordrred an eminent 
 artist to talve a cast of the diseased portion. 
 v\iiich, with tiie bowel itself, have been dcpi,- 
 bited in the Ilojal \'eieriridi\ lVJu^*■u ji. 
 
 Set the Blind to catch th* Blind 1 
 
 In the notes to the AVaverley novels, il 
 appears, that Sir Walter Scott happened to 
 be standing by with other gentlemen while 
 the Captain of the Selkirk Yeomanry was 
 purchasing a horse for the use of his trum- 
 peter. The animal offered was a handsome 
 one, and neither the officer, who was an 
 excellent jockey, nor any one present could 
 see any imperfection in wind or limb. But a 
 person happened to pass, who was asked to 
 give an opinion. This man was called Blind 
 \V'illie, who drove a small trade in cattle anu 
 horses ; and, what seemed as extraordinary, 
 in watches, notwithstanding his having been 
 born blind. H ' was accounted to possess a 
 rare judgment in these subjects of traffic. So 
 soon as he had examined the horse in ques- 
 tion, he immediately pronounced it to have 
 something of his own complaint, and, in plain 
 words, st» ted it to be blind, or verging upon 
 that impe.fection, which was found to be the 
 case upon close examination. None present 
 "had suspected this fault in the animal ; which 
 is not wonderful, considering that it may fre- 
 quently exist without any appearance in the 
 organ affected. Blind Willie being asked 
 how he made a discovery imperceptible to so 
 many gentlemen who had their eye-sight, ex- 
 plained that, after feeling the horse's limbs, 
 he laid one hand on its heart, and drew the 
 other briskly across the animal's eyes, when, 
 finding no increase of pulsation in conse- 
 quence of the latter motion, he had come to 
 the conclusion that the horse must be blind 
 
 Desperate Fight between some Swoiio 1 iso 
 
 AND A A\ IIALE. 
 
 Captain Crow, in a work recently pub 
 lished, relates the following as having oc- 
 curred on a voyage to Memel : — " One morn 
 ing during a calm, when near the Hebridges, 
 all hands were called up at three in the 
 morning to witness a battle between several 
 of the fish called thrashers, and some sword- 
 fish on one side, and an enormous whale on 
 the other. It was in the middle of Summer, 
 and the weather being clear, and the fish close 
 to the vessel, we had a fine opportunity of wit- 
 nessing the contest. As soon as the whale's 
 back appeared above the water, the thrashers 
 springing several yards into the air, descended 
 with great violence u-^^n the object of their 
 rancour, and inflictefl upon him the moi-t 
 severe slaps with then tails, the sound of 
 which resembled the report of muskets fired 
 at a distance. The sword-fish, in their turn, 
 attacked the distressed whale, stabbing him 
 from below; and thus beset on all sides and 
 wounded, when the poor creature appeared, 
 the water around him was dyed with blood. 
 In this manner they continued tormenting 
 and wounding him for many hours, until we 
 lost siglit of him ; and I have no doubt they, 
 111 tiic cntl, accomplished his destruction. 
 
PIEIiCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 173 
 
 StNGl'LAR OcCt'R.'F.NCE : FiCHT BETWEEN A 
 
 Terrier and an OpossciM. 
 
 IM>-. Feigusson hud a young terrier bitcli, 
 al>out sixteen months old, liver and wliite, 
 weight about So^lb. Mr. Jenkins had an 
 opossum, brou^^ht from New South Wales, 
 supposed to be about three years old, and 
 weighing '271b. The opossum is something 
 like a fox (and thence called the vulpine opos- 
 sum), but inferior in size ; the toes on the fore 
 feet are five in number, the inner one high up, 
 and inverted, with remarkably strong clavvs 
 to each ; the hind feet have four toes, and a 
 thumb, of two joint?, without a claw ; the 
 legs are short, but well put together ; it has 
 in each jaw four grinders, and eight canine 
 teeth, which are longer, more sharp and pointed 
 than the generality of them. The bitch and 
 opossum fought on the Gth of January, 1829, 
 and the day being very rough, the fight was 
 obliged to take place in a barn instead of 
 Hempton Green, as had been contemplated, 
 to the vexation of numbers, who could not 
 get admission at any price ; so much stir did 
 the affair make in the neighbourhood. A great 
 deal of betting took place previous to the 
 match, at guineas to pounds, Possey (he fa- 
 vorite ; and some of our Norfolk knowing 
 and learned country swells, who were ac- 
 quainted with the " nature of the beast," 
 'after seeing the excellent trim he was got into 
 Dy his trainer, Jemmy Neal) even went as high 
 as three to two, and I did hear of two to one 
 being offered, but cannot state it as a fact, 
 'i'he bitch received the attentions of Tom 
 Riffley. 
 
 Round 1st. Possey .coked very fell, shook 
 his bushy tail, and darted at the bitch as quick 
 as lightning, caught her by the shoulder, and 
 tore a piece out of it ; he then drew back, 
 made another spring at the fore leg, but missed 
 it. Meantime the bitch was not idle — she 
 made several attempts at a hold, but the gen- 
 tleman's furry coat deceived the poor bitch, 
 wno brought away a mouthful of his outer 
 g.-wment every time she sprung -at him ; at 
 length, she caught him " where the Irishmen 
 put their lundy," and punished him severely, 
 while he returned by making use of his claws, 
 w'ith which he scratched dreadfully. At 
 length, he got away, and was taken to his 
 Louse ; and after two minutes rest, began 
 
 Round 2d. Both darting at one another, 
 their heads met, and both were knocked over. 
 Returning, Possey seized the bitch by the 
 throat, and threw her quite over him, flung 
 out bis hind feet, and almost knocked all the 
 wind out of the bitch (four to one on Possey 
 freely offered — no takers,) The bitch fought 
 shy till she got a little wind, then made for 
 him, seized his proboscis, and pulled him 
 about in good style, in spite of his claws, 
 which made dreadful havoc with the bitch ; 
 Possey got away, and was taken to his house. 
 This lasted nine minutes and a lialf. 
 
 Round 3d. The bitch made first play, and 
 
 began by taking Mr. Possey by the nos«'. 
 where she held him, and pulled him about 
 for two minutes and a half, he keeping his 
 claws in exercise all the while, when she lo.^t 
 her hold, and sprung at his neck (which in 
 the previous round, she had cleared of the fur) 
 which she lacerated in a shocking manner, 
 when he got away, and was led to his house. 
 Possey became rather weak from the loss of 
 blood, but was restored upon Riftley applying 
 something to his nostrils. 
 
 Round 4th, and last. The bitch again made 
 for the foreigner's neck, where she left the 
 marks of her toothy work ; she then seized 
 him by the shoulder, got an excellent hold, 
 and, for the first time, Possey uttered a dismal 
 yell, and, on getting away, made for his house, 
 from whence he could no more be brought 
 to the scratch. The bitch was consequently 
 declared the winner. 
 
 The fight lasted thirty-seven minutes. 
 
 Carrier Pigeon.". 
 
 The first mention we find m:ide of the em- 
 ployment of pigeons, as letter carriers, is by 
 Ovid, in his " Metamorphoses," who tells us 
 that Taurosthcnes, by a pigeon stained with 
 purple, gave notice of his having been victor 
 at the Olympic games on the very same day 
 to his father at iEgina. When the eily of 
 Ptolemais, in Syria, was invested by the 
 French and Venetians, and was ready to fdll 
 into their hands, they observed a pigeon fly- 
 ing over them, and immediately conjectured 
 that it was charged with letters to the garri- 
 son. On this, the whole army raising a loud 
 shout, so confounded the poor aerial post, that 
 it fell to the ground ; and on being seized, a 
 letter was found under its wings, from the 
 sultan, in which he assured the garrison, 
 that "he would be with them in three days, 
 with an army sufficient to raise the siege." 
 F^or this letter, the besiegers substimtcd 
 another to this purport — " that the garrison 
 mustsee to their own safety, for the sultan 
 had such other affairs pressing upon him, that 
 it was impossible for him to come to their 
 succour;" and with, this false intelligence 
 thoy let the pigeon fly on his course. The 
 garrison, deprived by this derree of all hopes 
 of relief, immediately surrendered. The sul- 
 tan appeared on the third day, as promised, 
 with a powerful army, and was not a little 
 mortified to find the city already in the hands 
 of the Christians. 
 
 Carrier pigeons wore again employed, but 
 with better success, at the siege of Leyden, 
 in IC75. The garrison were, by means of the 
 information thus conveyed to (hem, induced 
 to stand out, till the enemy, despairing ci 
 reducing the place, withdrew. On the siego 
 being raised, the Prince of Orange ordered 
 that the pigeons which had rendered such 
 essential survir.e should be maintained at the 
 public expense, and that at their death they 
 
174 
 
 PIKKCE KGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 should bo embalmed and preserved in the 
 town-house, as a perpetual token of j^ratitude. 
 
 In the East, the employment of pigeons for 
 the conveyance of letters is still very com- 
 mon, particularly in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt. 
 Every bashaw has generally a basket full of 
 them sent him from the grand seraglio, where 
 they are bred, and incase of any insurrection, 
 or other emergency, he is enabled, by letting 
 loose two or more of these extraordinary mes- 
 sengers, to convey intelligence to the govern- 
 ment long before it could be possibly obtained 
 by other means. The diligence and speed 
 with which these feathered messengers wing 
 their course is extraordinary. From the 
 instant of the liberation, their flight is directed 
 through tlie clouds at an immense height, to 
 the place of their destination. They are 
 believed to dart onward in a straight line, 
 and never descend, except when at a loss for 
 breath, and then they are to be seen com- 
 monly at dawn of day, lying on their backs 
 on the ground, with their bills open, sucking 
 in with hasty avidity the dew of the morning. 
 Of their speed, the instances related are 
 almost incredible. 
 
 The consul of Alexandria daily sends dis- 
 y>htthes by these means to Aleppo in five 
 hours, though couriers occupy the whole day, 
 find proceed with the utmost expedition from 
 one tow n to the other. 
 
 Some years ago, a gentleman sent a carrier 
 pigeon from London, by the stage coach, to 
 liis friend at St. Edmunsbury, together with a 
 note, desiring that the pigeon, two days after 
 its arrival there might be thrown up precisely 
 when the town clock struck nine in the morn- 
 ing. This was done accordingly, and the 
 pigeon arrived in London, and flew to the 
 Bull Inn, Bishopsgate-street, into the loft, 
 and was there shown at half an hour past 
 eleven o'clock, having flown seventy-two 
 miles in two hours and a half. 
 
 At Antwerp, in 1819, one of the thirty-two 
 pigeons belonging to that city, which had 
 been conveyed to London, and there let loose, 
 made the transit back, being a distance, in a 
 direct line of 180 miles, in six hours. It is 
 through the attachment of the animals to the 
 place of their birth, and particularly to the 
 spot where they had brought up their young, 
 that they are thus rendered useful to man- 
 kind. When a young one flies very hard at 
 home, and is come to its full strength, it is 
 carried in a basket or otherwise, about half a 
 mile from its home, and there turned out ; 
 after this, it is carried a mile, then two, four, 
 eight, ten, twenty, &c., till at length it will 
 return from the furthermost part of the 
 country. 
 
 The Alligator Hunt' 
 
 Or, Travellers see Strange Things. 
 
 " I must give a short account of an alliga- 
 tor-hunt (says Capt. Basil Hall, R. N.) at a 
 
 place call"'! Nellivelley, near Triwcomalee, 
 got up for tlie admiral's express amusement, 
 and performed by a corps of Malays in the 
 British service, the 1st Ceylon regiment. Very 
 early in the morning of the 22d of September, 
 the party, which consisted of several ladies 
 and a large proportion of red coats and blue 
 coats were summoned from their beds to set 
 forth on this expedition. The admiral, as 
 usual, was up, dressed, and on horseback, long 
 before any of the rest of the company, whonj 
 he failed not to scold, or to quiz, as they 
 severally crept out of their holes, rubbing 
 their eyes, and very much doubting whether 
 the pleasure of the sport were likely to com- 
 pensate for the horrible bore of early rising. 
 In other countries the hour of getting up may 
 be left to choice ; in India, when any thing 
 active is to be done, it is a matter of neces- 
 sity ; for after the sun has gained even a few 
 degrees of altitude, the heat and discomfort, 
 as well as the danger of exposure, become so 
 great, that all pleasure is at an end. This 
 circumstance limits the hours of travelling 
 and of exercise in the East very inconve- 
 niently, and introduces modifications which 
 help in no slight degree to give a distinctive 
 character to Indian manners. As there was 
 little risk of being too late on any party of 
 which Sir S^amuel Hood took the lead, the 
 day had scarcely begun to dawn when we all 
 cantered up to the scene of action. The 
 ground lay as flat as a marsh for many leagues ; 
 here and there the plain was spotted with 
 small stagnant lakes, connected together by 
 sluggish streams, or canals, scarcely moving 
 over beds of mud, between banks fringed 
 with a rank crop of draggled weeds, and 
 giving birth to clouds of mosquitoes. The 
 chill atmosphere of the morning felt so thick 
 and clammy, it was impossible for the most 
 confident in his own strength and health not 
 to think of agues, jungle fevers, and all the 
 hopeful family of malaria. The hardy native 
 soldiers, who had occupied the ground during 
 the night in despite of the miasmata, were 
 drawn up to re.ceive the admiral ; and a very 
 queer guard of honor they formed. The whole 
 regiment had stripped off their uniform, and 
 every other stitch of clothing, save a pair of 
 short trousers, and a kind of sandal. In 
 place of a firelock, each man bore in his hand 
 a slender pole about six feet in length, to the 
 extremity of which was attached the bayonet 
 of his musket. His only other weapon was 
 the formidable Malay crease, a sort of dagger 
 or small edition of the waving two-edged 
 sword with which the angel Michael is armed 
 in Raphael's picture of the Expulsion of our 
 First Parents from Paradise. Soon after the 
 commander-in-chief came to the ground, the 
 regiment was divided into two main parties,and 
 fi body of reserves. The principal columns, 
 facing one to the right, the other to the left, 
 proceeded to occupy different points in one of 
 those sluggish canals I have already men- 
 tioned, connecting the lakes or pools, scat- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 175 
 
 tered over the plnin. These cet ii;lunents, 
 being stationed about a mile from one another, 
 enclosed an interval where, from some peculiar 
 circumstances known oiily to the Malays (who 
 are passionately fond of this sport), the alli- 
 gators were sure to be found in great num- 
 bers. The troops formed themselves across 
 the canal in three j arallel lines, tea or twelve 
 feet apart ; but the men in each line stood side 
 by side, merely leaving room i-nouRh to wield 
 their pikes. The canal ma> have been about 
 four or five feet deep in the middle of the 
 stream, if stream it may be called, which 
 scarcely moved at all. The colour of the 
 water when undisturbed vras a shade between 
 ink and coffee; but no sooner had the triple 
 line of Malays set themselves in motion, and 
 the mud got stirred up, fhan the consistence 
 and colour of the fluid became like those of 
 pease-soup. On every thing being reported 
 ready, the soldiers planted their pikes before 
 them in the mud, and, if I recollect right, 
 each man crossing his neighbour's weapon, 
 and at the word ' march' away they all started 
 in full cry, sending forth a shout, or war- 
 whoop, sufficient to curdle the blood of those 
 on land, whatever effect it may have had on 
 the inhabitants of the deep. As the two 
 divisions of the invading army, starting from 
 opposite ends of the canal, gradually ap- 
 proached each other in pretty clcse column, 
 screaming and yelling with all their souls, 
 and striking their pikes deep in the slime 
 before them, the startled animals naturally 
 retired towards the unoccupied centre. Gen- 
 erally speaking, the alligators, or crocodiles 
 (for I believe they are very nearly the same), 
 had sense enough to turn their long tails upon 
 their assailants, and to scuttle off as fast as 
 they could towards the middle part of the 
 canal. But every now and then, one of the 
 terrified monsters, either confused by the 
 sound, or provoked by the prick of a pike, or 
 mystified by the turbid nature of the stream, 
 floundered backwards, and by retreating in 
 the wrong direction, broke through the first, 
 second, and even third line of pi+tes. This, 
 which would have been any thing but an 
 amusement to unpractised hands, was the 
 perfection of sport to the delighted Malays. 
 A double circle of soldiers was speedily 
 formed round the wretched aquatic who had 
 presumed to pass the barrier. By means of 
 well-directed thrusts with numberless bay- 
 onets, and the pressure of some dozens of 
 feet, the poor brute was often fairly driven 
 Deneath his native mud. When once there, 
 ?iis enemies half choked and half spitted 
 him, till at last they put an end to his miser- 
 able days in regions quite out of sight, and 
 in a manner as inglorious as can well be con- 
 ceived. For the poor denizens of the pool, 
 indeed it was the choice between Scylla and 
 Charybdis with a vengeance ; and I am half 
 ashamed to acknowledge the savage kind of 
 delight with which we stood on the banks, 
 and saw the distracted creatures rushing 
 
 from one attack right into the jaws of another. 
 The IMalays, in their ecstacy, declared that 
 the small fry from one side rushed down the 
 throats of the big ones whom they met flying 
 in the opposite direction. T^ut this seems 
 very questionable, though positively asserted 
 by the enraptured natives, who redoubled 
 their shouts as the plot thickened, and the 
 two bodies of troops, marching from opposite 
 quarters, drew within a hundred yards of 
 each other. The intermediate space was now 
 pretty well crowded with alligators, swinf 
 ming about in the utmost terror ; at tim^ 
 diving below, and anon showing their noses, 
 well plastered with mud, high above the sur- 
 face of the dirty stream ; or occasionally 
 making a furious bolt in sheer despair right 
 at the phalanx of Malays. On these occa- 
 sions, half-a-dozen of the soldiers were often 
 upset, and their pikes either broken or twisted 
 out of their hands to the infinite amusement 
 of their companions, who speedily closed up 
 the broken ranks, as if their comrades had 
 been shot down in battle. The killed were 
 none, but the wounded many; yet no man 
 flinched in the least. The perfection of the 
 sport appeared to consist in detaching a single 
 alligator from the rest, surrounding and 
 attacking him separately, and spearing him 
 till he was almost dead. The Malays then, 
 by main strength, forked him aloft, over their 
 heads, on the end of a dozen pikes, and, by 
 a sudden jerk, pitched the conquered monster 
 far on the shore. As the alligators are 
 amphibious, they kept to the water no longer 
 than they found they had an advantage in 
 that element ; but as the period of the final 
 m6\6e approached, on the two columns of 
 their enemy closing up, the monsters lost all 
 discipline, floundered, and ploutered up the 
 weedy banks, scuttling away to the right and 
 left, helter-skelter. ' Sauve qui pent !' seemed 
 to be the fatal watch-word for their total rout. 
 That prudent cry would, no doubt, have saved 
 many of them, as it has saved other vanquished 
 forces, had not the Malays judiciously placed 
 beforehand their reserve on each side of the 
 river to receive the distracted fugitives, who, 
 bathed in mud, and half dead with terror, but 
 still in a prodigious fury, dashed off at right 
 angles from the canal, in hopes of gaining the 
 shelter of a swampy pool overgrown with reeds 
 and bulrushes, but which, alas for m.ost of the 
 poor beasts, they were never doomed to reach. 
 The concluding battle between these retreating 
 and desperate alligators and the Malays of the 
 reserve was formidable enough. Indeed, had 
 not the one party been fresh, the other ex- 
 hausted—one confident, the other broken in 
 spirit, it is quite possible that the crocodiles 
 might have worsted the pirates, as the Malays 
 are called in every other part of the world 
 but the east, where they are generally ad- 
 mitted to be as good a set of people as any o? 
 their neighbours. It is needless to say, that 
 while all Ibis was going on, our gallant ad- 
 miral, sir Samuel Hood, was a pretty bu»y 
 
176 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 spectator. His eagle eye glanced alonp; the 
 canal, and at a moment took in the whole pur- 
 pose of the campaign. As the war advanced, 
 and sundry small affairs of out-posts took 
 place, we could see his face flushing with de- 
 light. Hut when the first alligator was cast 
 headlong and gasping at his feet, pierced with 
 at least twenty pike wounds, and bristled with 
 half a dozen fragments of these weapons 
 fractured iu the onslaught, the whole plain 
 rang with exclamations of boyish delight. 
 When the detachments closed in upon tlieir 
 prey, and every moment gave birth to some 
 new prodigy of valour, or laid a whole line of 
 the Malay soldiers prostrate on the muddy 
 stream, like so many nine-pins, I verily be- 
 lieve that if none of his own people had been 
 present, the admiral would have seized a pike 
 himself, and jumped into the thickest of the 
 fight, boots, sword, cocked hat, and all ! As 
 it was, he kept himself close to the banks, 
 and rivalled the best Malay amongst tiiem in 
 yelling and cheering on the forces to their 
 duty. This intensity of eagerness had well 
 nigh proved rather awkward for his excel- 
 lency's dignity, if not his safety ; for, in spite 
 of the repeated warnings of the English ofti- 
 cers of the regiment, who knew from former 
 hunts what was sure to happen eventually. 
 the admiral persisted in approaching the edge 
 of the canal, as the final act of the alligators' 
 tragedy commenced. And as we, his poor 
 officers, were, of course, obliged to follow our 
 chief into any danger, a considerable party of 
 us found oiii?e'ves rather awkwardly placed 
 between the reserve of ISIalays already spoken 
 of, and the canal, just as the grand rush tooK 
 place at the close of the battle. If th° infuri- 
 ated crocodiles had only kn3wn what they 
 were about, and had then brjught their long 
 sharp snouts, and still harder tails, into play, 
 several of his majesty's officers might have 
 chanced to find themselves in a scrape. As 
 it was, we were extremely near being wedged 
 in between the animals' noses and the pikes 
 and creases of the wild Malays. It was diffi- 
 cult, indeed, to say which of the two looked at 
 that'moment the most savage— the triumphant 
 natives, or the flying troop of alligators wal- 
 loning away from the water. Many on both 
 sides were wounded, and all, without excep- 
 tion, covered with slime and weeds. Some of 
 our party were actually pushed over, and fell 
 plump in the mud, to the vc-is ijm>\.iiviii^; an J 
 particular amusement of the delighted admiral, 
 whose superior adroitness enabled him to 
 avoid such an undignified catastrophe, by 
 umping first on one side and then on the 
 other, in a manner which excited both the 
 mirth and the alarm of his company ; though, 
 of course, we took good care rather to laugh 
 with our commander-in-chief, than at him. I 
 forget the total number of alligators killed, 
 but certainly there could not have been fewer 
 than thirty or forty. The largest measured 
 ten feet in length, and four feet girth, the 
 
 head being exactly two feet long. Beside.n 
 these great fellows, we caught, alive, a mul- 
 titude of little ones, nine inches long, many of 
 which we carried back to Trincomalee. Half 
 a dozen of these were kept in tubs of water 
 at the Admiralty House for many days ; the 
 rest, being carried on board, became great 
 favorites amongst the sailors, whoso queer 
 taste in the choice of pets has already been 
 noticed." 
 
 In 
 
 The Cova. 
 the district of Pop.ijan (according to 
 
 Ultna's Voyages,) which lies to the north of 
 Quito, there occurs an insect of very remark- 
 able properties. It is shaped like a spider, 
 and is much less than a bug: its common 
 name is coya, but others call it coyba; its 
 colour is of a fiery red, and, like spiders, it is 
 generally found in the corners of walls, and 
 among the herbage. Its venom is of such a 
 malignity, that on squeezing the insect, if any 
 happen to fall on the skin of either man or 
 beast, it immediately penetrates into the flesh, 
 and causes large tumours, which are soon 
 succeeded by death. The only remedy hitherto 
 known, is,on the first appeai-ance of a swelling, 
 to singe the party all over the body with the 
 flame of straw, or long grass growing in those 
 plains. In order to this, the Indians of that 
 country lay hold of the patient, some by the 
 feet, and others by the hands, and with great 
 dexterity perform the operation, after which 
 the person is reckoned to be out of danger. 
 But it is to be observed, that though this in- 
 sect be w very noxious, yet squeezing it 
 between the palms of the hands is attended 
 with no bad consequence : from whence t!ie 
 plain inference is, that the callus, usual on 
 the hands of most people, prevents the venom 
 from reaching the blood. Accord :iiglytliij 
 Indian muleteers, to please the curiosity ot riie 
 passengers, squeeze them betwdcu the palms 
 of their hands, though unquestionably, shou'd 
 a person of a delicate hat.d make the trinl, 
 the effects would be the same as on any other 
 part of the body. 
 
 TOM SPRING'S FAREWELIi TO IRELAND. 
 Air— 
 
 " Tho' the last glimj/se of Erin uilh sorrow I see.' 
 
 Though the la.st glimpse of Erin ^^■tll sorrow I .-ee, 
 
 Yet UuWin shall always be precious to me, 
 
 And though to my " Castle" again I repair, 
 
 I "hall tldnk of the whiskey I tippled when there. 
 
 Though again in ray parlour I pass round the joke. 
 
 Encircled by friends, and enveloped in smoke, 
 
 Yet notiiing on eanh shall my memory rob 
 
 Of b"mon, Tom Reynolds, and VVhitcheaded Bob. 
 
 /Vdieu, worthy friends, may V"'; ?.P^"'\*'\Vf^A- 
 v,,„T nntato-s be mealy— your whiskey be bright- 
 Days of darkness I tmst? will to you be unknown 
 ."^d your ;r/»«r dissolve into Sprite like my owa. 
 
PIF.RCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 177 
 
 TATTERS ALLS; 
 
 Or, a Glance at the Settling Day after the 
 DERBY RACE. 
 
 FELIX QUI NIHIL DEBET 
 
 '.midst VARIV-Tf's great range, 
 In London s splendid nurt — 
 Take a peep at that " Gay Excha.ige," 
 
 Where sportsmen play their part i 
 All thorough bred ! such chaffing pals: 
 
 With HIGH, Loiv, Jack, and GAME, 
 Sure to meet with — at Tattersall's, 
 So old in sporting fame ! 
 
 For dashing Cab, 
 With natty lad, 
 Out-and-out Prad, 
 Goinj — going — going — the last time — 
 
 " Gentlemen, what can you hesitate aboui . 
 only look at her ! she is one of the most beau- 
 tiful creatures that I have ever had the honor 
 of submitting to your notice ! So gentle in 
 her paces ; indeed, so safe a goer, that a child 
 might ride her. Her pedigree is excellent- 
 she is thorough-bred from her ear to her hoof j 
 and the Herald's College could not produce a 
 more sound and satisfactory one — sh** comes 
 
178 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 from a good house, 1 pledge, my word, gen- 
 tlemen. My Lord Duke, will you allow me to 
 say 2501. for your Grace ? Slie will, not with- 
 standing the excellence of your Grace's stud, 
 be an ornament to it. She is a picture — com- 
 plete to a shade ; in fact, I could gaze upon 
 Ler for ever, and always be struck with some 
 new beauty she possesses. Thank you, my 
 Lord Duke, I was certain your Grace would 
 not let such an opportunity pass. There is 
 not a horse dealer in the kingdom who can 
 show such a fine creature ! She is above 
 competition — I may say, she is matchless ! the 
 Regent's Park might be betted to a mole-hill 
 with safety that she has no paragon. Sir 
 Henry, let roe- call your attention to Cleo- 
 patra ! She is like her namesake in the 
 olden times — but beautiful without paint ! 
 She is pure Nature, and no vice ! Her action. 
 Sir Harry — yes, her action — I could dilate 
 upon it for a quarter of an hour — but pvffiug 
 is out of the question — you shall judge for 
 yourself. Run her down, John — The Graces, 
 I am sure. Sir Harry, were they to behold 
 her movements, would be out of temper with 
 her captivating excellence ! Taglivtii, I must 
 admit, can perform wonders with her pretty 
 feet ; but Cleopatra, my Lord Duke, can dis- 
 tance the whole of them put together ; and 
 positively leave the Opera House with all its 
 talent, in the back ground. In fact, I am 
 deficient m words to display her immense 
 capabilities — 300/. Going > — Going ! 310/ 
 Thank you, my Lord D;ike, she must be yours. 
 For the last time, going at 310Z. ; but I will 
 do the handsome thing, I will allow you five 
 minutes to compose your mind — I am well 
 aware that such unparalleled beauty is very 
 dazzling — therefore, before you lose sight of 
 this handsome creature, I do impress upon 
 you, to remember that the opportunity once 
 lost — 320/. ; Sir Harry, I am obliged to you — 
 the World has always acknowledged you 
 as a man of great taste in matters of this 
 kind ; and, without flattery, you have never 
 shown it more than in the present instance — 
 according to the poet, " Beauty unadorned, 
 is adorned the most!" Going- — Cleopatka, 
 my Lord Duke, will be in other hands if your 
 Grace does not make up your mind in your 
 usual princely style of doing things — a good 
 bidding will make Cleopatra your own for 
 ever, therefore, now's the time to put on the 
 distancing power, and your Grace will win tiie 
 race in a canter ! 340/. My Lord Duke, I can 
 only express my gratitude to say, that you 
 have done me honor — Going ! — going — in fact, 
 gentlemen, I am like an artist in this case, 
 I do not like to leave such a delightful picture 
 and 1 could dwell upon the qualities of Cle- 
 opatra to the echo that applauds again — but 
 most certainly I have given you all a fair 
 chance — Cleopatra is on the go — are you all 
 silent — going for 340/. after all, what is that 
 sum for one of the greatest English beauties 
 ever submitted to the inspection of tlie public ! 
 350/., thank yon. Sir Charles — worth your 
 money at any price. 1 have witnessed your 
 
 notice of Cleopatra for some time past — she 
 will bear looking at, again and again ! Charm- 
 ing Cleopatra ! I am glad to see she has so 
 many suitors for her hand — I beg pardon, 
 gentlemen — a slip will happen to the best of 
 us — her feet, I siiould have said, but never- 
 theless, I am happy to see she has a host of 
 admirers. I cannot bid myself, or else I 
 would " make play," and Cleopatra should 
 become a noble prize. 370/. Bravo ! my 
 LordDuke ! for 370/. positively, yes positively, 
 'pon my honor, positively the last time — or 
 else the beautiful Cleopatra goes into the 
 keeping of my Lord Duke. You are sure, 
 gentlemen, that you havo all done ? Don't 
 blame me, don't blame yourselves! Going, 
 once! Going, twice ! Going, three times! [The 
 auctioneer, after a long pause, and numerous 
 flourishes with his hammer, in hopes to obtain 
 another bidding, but the ' cock would not 
 fight,' exclaimed,] GONE!!! Cleopatra 
 belongs to the Duke. 
 
 Then Tattersall's the place. 
 For pedigree to trace. 
 One of the tip-top shows in London. 
 
 For the last fifty years, and upwards, the 
 name of Tattersall, and his establishment, 
 have stood eminently conspicuous in the sport- 
 ing world ; arm, notwithstanding the opposi- 
 tion started at various times a,gain&t ?t, yet 
 naturally to be expected lii ar, improving 
 Metropolis, like London, where myriads of 
 speculators and men of talent are always upon 
 the look out, to have a ' finger in the pie, of 
 good things,' none of the ' new concerns' have 
 been able to reduce its consequence, or lessen 
 its character in the eyes of the public ; but, 
 on the contrary, it has increased rather than 
 diminished both in point of business and at- 
 traction. There is no establishment that we 
 can remember, and also from the best informa- 
 tion we have acquired upon the subject, that 
 has kept its ground so firmly, in every point 
 of view as— TATTERSALL'S ; therefore we 
 are induced to quote from ourselves — " Life 
 in London, 1821 ;" and have no reason to aller 
 our opinion : — 
 
 " This scene is so very familiar to a certain 
 part of the public, and can also be identified 
 at any period, that it scarcely requires a com- 
 ment. But to a gieat portion of society in 
 the Metropolis, who are quite aloof from 
 sporting transactions, a short account of this 
 most celebrated repository may prove not 
 altogether unacceptable. 
 
 " Jeriy expressed himself so much pleased 
 with his visit to Tattersall's, that he ob- 
 served to Logic, during his stay in London lo 
 should often frequent it. " 1 delight," said 
 Hawthorn, " to be in the company of sports- 
 men ; and no objects afford me greater satis- 
 faction than the sight of a fine hunter, — the 
 view of a high-mettled racer, — and the look 
 of a perfect greyhound." " I admire them 
 also," replied the Corinthian ; " and Tat- 
 tersall's will always prove an agreeable 
 lounge, if no direct purpose call a person 
 
PIERCE ECAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 179 
 
 tliither. It' nothing n\ore than irfokmation 
 be acquired, that alone, Jpr-"y> to a nmn of the 
 world, is valuable at all times. Besides, Tat- 
 tersall's gives a tone to the sporting world, in 
 tlie same way that the transactions on the 
 lioyal F2xchange influence the niercanlile part 
 of sr/ciety. It has likewise its '■settling days' 
 after the great races at Newmarket, Don- 
 caster, Epson), Ascot, &c. I do not know 
 ahout the hulls and bears ; but if it has no 
 lame dvcks to waddle out, it has sometimes 
 Levanters that will not show for a time, and 
 others that will brush off altogether. But 
 this does not happen very often ; and Tatter- 
 sail's has its '■good men' as well as the 
 'Chanf^e ; and whose ' umrd' will be taken 
 for any amount. It has also its ' subscription 
 room/ which is extremely convenient for 
 gentlemen and other persons, who feel any 
 inclination to become acquainted with the 
 events of the sporting world, at the moderate 
 charge of one guinea a year. Indeed" con- 
 tinued Tom, " there is an air of sporting 
 about this place altogether ; elegance, clean- 
 liness, and style, being its prominent features. 
 The company, I admit, is a mixture of per- 
 sons of nearly all ranks in life : but, never- 
 theless, it "is that sort of mixture which is 
 pleasingly interesting ; there is no inibnacy 
 or association about it. A man may be well 
 known here ; he may also in his turn know 
 almost every body that visits Tattersall's ; and 
 yet be quite a stranger to the habits and 
 connexions of society. It is no matter who 
 sells or who purchases at this repository. A 
 bi't stands as good with a leg, and is thought 
 as much of, as with a Peer, — money, being 
 the touchstone of the circumstance. The 
 'best judge' respecting sporting events is 
 acknovfledged the 'best man' here; every 
 person being on t'ae 'look out/ to see how he 
 lays his blunt. The Ddke and the Parliamen- 
 tary Orator, if they do not know the proper- 
 ties of a horse, are little more than cyphers ; 
 it is true, they may be stared at, if pointed 
 out as great characters, but nothing more. 
 The nod from a stable keeper is quite as im- 
 portant, if not more so, to the Auctioneer, as 
 the wink of a Right Honorable. Numbers of 
 persons, who visit Tattersall's, are or wish 
 to appear knotving ; from which ^ self im- 
 portance they are often most egrcgiously 
 duped. In short, if you are not as familiar 
 with the odds upon all events as Chittv in 
 quoting precedents — show as intimate an ac- 
 quaintance with the pedigree and speed of 
 race horses as a Gullev — and also disulHv as 
 correct a knowledge of the various capabili- 
 ties of the prize pugilists as Jackson : — if 
 GAIN is your immediate object, you are ' of no 
 use' at Tattersall's." " Yes," says Logic, 
 with a grin, interrupting Tom ; " there are to 
 be found here as many flats and sharps as 
 would furnish the score of a musical com- 
 poser ; and several of these instruments have 
 been so much played upon, and are so wretch- 
 edly out of <«7ie, that the nio-t skilful musi- 
 
 cian in the world cannot restore them to per- 
 fect harmony." " It is," resumed the Curin- 
 THiAN, " an excellent mart for the disposal 
 of carriages, horses, dogs, &:c., and many a 
 fine fellow's stud has been floored by the ham- 
 mer of Tatteksall. There is a capacious tap 
 attached to the premises for the convenience 
 of the servants of gentlemen in attendance 
 upon their masters, or for any person who 
 stands in need of refreshment. Tattersall's, 
 for the purposes intended.is the most complete 
 place in the Metropolis ; and if you have any 
 desire to witness ' real life' — to observe cha- 
 racter, and to view the favorite hobbies of man- 
 kind, it is the resort of the pinks of the swells 
 — the tulips of the goes, — the dashing heroes 
 of the military, — the fox-hunting clericals, — 
 sprigs of nobility, — stylish coachmen,— smart 
 guards, — saucy butchers, — natty grooms, — 
 tidy helpers, —knowinghorse dealers, — b,tting 
 publicans, — neat jockeys, — sporting men of 
 all descriptions, — and the picture is finished 
 by numbers of real gentlemen. It is the tip- 
 top sporting feature in London." "It must 
 have been the work of some time/' laid 
 Jerry, " to have formed such a famous con- 
 nexion." "Yes," replied Tom ; "you are 
 quite right. It is not the work of a day. The 
 name of Tattersall is not only high, but if 
 long standing in the sporting world ; and every- 
 thing connected with this splendid establish- 
 ment is conducted in the most gentlemanly 
 manner. The founder of these premises was, 
 during his time, viewed as one of the best 
 judges of horse-flesh in the kingdom ; and, as 
 a proof of it, he made his fortune by a horse 
 called Highflyer." 
 
 There liv'd, as fame reports, in days of yore, 
 4.t least, some fifty years ago, or more. 
 
 At Hyde Park Corner, great in fame. 
 For selling horses, carriages, and hounds. 
 And quickly turning Shillings into Pounds, 
 
 The Sporting TATTERSALL"— his name ! 
 
 When Mr. Tattersall commenced business as 
 an auctioneer in the horse-line and carriage de- 
 partment, the times were more propitious to- 
 wards forming a' good connection' and realiz- 
 ing a fortune as a reward for industry and past 
 services than at the present period — indeed, the 
 country was in a far different state altogether, 
 but even then John Bull never lost sight of an 
 inch of his native privilege — liberty, perhaps, 
 might be a more appropriate phrase, " to 
 grumble, and growl at every thing like a bear 
 with a sore head." 15ut no matter — the 
 founder of the above establishment possessed 
 an active mind, with an eye towards the main 
 chance — and made himself master of a toler- 
 ably good knack in describing the properties of 
 a horse, or the qualities of a greyhound, &c., 
 without being obliged to prove himself a com- 
 petent judge of either of them — (the act of 
 parliament for an auctioneer requiring no such 
 qualifications from the man who knocked 
 down every thing v/ith his hammer), but more 
 like many persons who have certain duties to 
 perform in the pulpit (yet with due deference 
 
 N a 
 
180 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S KOOK OF SPOKTS. 
 
 and respect to the cloth be it spoken), pur- 
 chase MS. sermons, and pass off before their 
 congregations as men of talent — so may an 
 auctioneer proceed in his calling by rote, and 
 with a little self-preparation, something after 
 the manner of a rehearsal, he may ascend the 
 rostrum and descant upon the various articles 
 committed to his charge, with all the ability 
 of a Crichton. The above allusions may, or 
 may not, apply to the late Mr. Tattersall ; but 
 it was notorious that he had been a most 
 prosperous man in business ; indeed, good 
 luck had been his constant companion in most 
 of his speculations ; and almost every thing 
 that he touched, in a business-like point of 
 view, had turned to gold. 
 
 The following Epitaph may form something 
 like a clue to the riches of the late Mr. Tat- 
 
 HERE LIETH 
 
 The perfect and beautiful symmetry 
 
 Of the mucn lamented 
 
 HIGHFLYER; 
 
 By whom, and his wonderful offspring. 
 
 The celebrated Tattersall acquired a noble 
 
 fortune, 
 
 But was not ashamed to acknowledge it. 
 
 In gratitude to this famous 
 
 Stallion, 
 
 He call'd an elegant mansion he built 
 
 HIGHFLYER HALL. 
 
 At these extensive demesnes 
 
 It is not unusual for some of the 
 
 Highest characters 
 
 To regale sumptuously, 
 
 When they do the owner the honor 
 
 Of accepting his hospitality. 
 
 A gentleman of the Turf, 
 
 Tho' he has no produce from the aoove 
 
 Stallion, 
 
 Begs leave to pay this small tribute 
 
 To his memory 
 
 Here lies the third* of the Newmarket race. 
 
 That ne'er was conquer'd on the Olympic plain : 
 JJerod his sire, who but to few gave place, 
 
 Rachel his dam — his blood without a stain- 
 By his prolific deeds was built a court.f 
 
 Near where proud fily's turrets rise ; 
 To this fam'd sultan would all ranks resi rt. 
 
 To stir him up to an am'rous enterprise. 
 
 To these t/iree patriarchsl the Turf shall owe 
 
 The long existence of superior breed : 
 T/iat blood in endless progeny shall flow, 
 
 To give tlie lioii's strength and roebuck's speed. 
 
 It appears, that some intimate friend of Mr. 
 Tattersall had suggested to him, as a good 
 speculation, the great advantage that would 
 accrue to him if he possessed a Newspaper ; 
 more especially, as he had occasion to adver- 
 tise daily the sale of horses ; and it was not a 
 very difficult matter to prove to him (his mind 
 being always open to every channel whereby 
 property might be acquired) that in this way 
 
 • Childets, — Eclipse. t An elega'it villa near Ely. 
 i Childers, Eclipse, Highflyer. 
 
 he could gam some hundreds a-ycar by adver- 
 tisements, independent of the importance it 
 would give him in society. It is, however, 
 true, that his friends dissuaded him, and often 
 repeated, " Ne sutor ultra Crepidam.'' " I am 
 quite aware of your objection," replied Mr. 
 Tattersall, " but I know no more about 
 horses than I do of newspapers ; and I have 
 done well with the one ; therefore, the chance 
 is equal that I shall do well with the other ; 
 nay, I think the odds are in my favor." How- 
 ever strange it might appear to some persons 
 in the world, that a 'dealer of horses' should 
 suddenly become a ^dealer in Literature,' 
 and that the stride was immense from the one 
 sort of traffic to the other, and the contrast 
 of character equally out of place ; there are 
 persons to be met with in society who enter- 
 tain an opinion, that in skilful hands, men are 
 more easily wianHg^ed than horses ! But surely, 
 as the facetious George Colman has observed 
 in his Newcastle Apothecary, — 
 
 Benjamin Bolus, though in trade, 
 
 (Which often times will genius fetter); 
 
 Read works of fancy, it is said : 
 And cultivated the Belles Lettres. 
 
 And why should this be thought so odd ! 
 
 Can't men have taste who cure a phthisic? 
 Of Poetry though patron God, 
 
 Apollo patronises physic. 
 
 And why, it might be asked, should not Mr. 
 Tattersall have a taste for Literature as well 
 as possessing judgment in cattle ? 
 
 To describe a horse, or pet dog. 
 And praise the limbs so taper ; 
 
 'Tis but to give Mem'rv a jog — 
 And " cut" for the Newspaper. 
 
 But in spite of all the objections urged against 
 Mr. Tattersall becoming the proprietor of a 
 newspaper, he entered into the proposed 
 scheme with the utmost composure and con- 
 fidence ; perhaps under the impression of the 
 old adage, " that nothing venture, nothing 
 win." The change of scene which the above 
 connection produced in the affairs of Mr. 
 Tattersall was not at all unpleasant to his 
 feelingsj for if he had to combat the opinions 
 of horse-dealers, grooms, and sportiilg folks 
 respecting turf masters in the morning ; the 
 polished conversation he experienced in the 
 evening with literary characters, artists, and 
 men of talent respecting the affairs of the 
 country, made ample amends for it. 
 
 If Mr. Tattersall could not have written 
 articles on the state of politics like the late 
 Mr. Perry of the Morning Chronicle, his great 
 intercourse with the ' numerous characters of 
 his day' might have taught him to dictate to 
 an amanuensis a variety of attractive features 
 for a daily Journal ; and, if he did not like- 
 wise possess talent enough to take the lead in 
 an argument like an orator, he might have 
 shown himself a sharp listener on ' passing 
 subjects,' so as to have proved himself a 
 tolerably good Jack-all in tlie capacity of a 
 caterer to the concern. l"he late Mr. Tatter- 
 sall did, we have no doubt, furnish, very fre 
 
pip:rce egans book of sports, 
 
 101 
 
 qucntly, a column on the " Sayings and 
 Doings," which came under his immediate 
 cou;nizance, and within the precincts of his 
 own Repository — such as accounts of the 
 young sprigs of nobility starting into life with 
 new carriages, horses, &c., and also the 
 ' brtak downs' of some of the broken-winded 
 members of fashion, whose high-bred studs 
 were compelled to knock under to the ham- 
 mer : — 
 
 Prime of Life to po it ! where's the place like London 1 
 Four-in hand to day — the next ycu may be undone ! 
 vVhere the Peui' and the I'reutice they dress so much 
 
 the same. 
 You cannot tell the difference excepting by the name : 
 
 By which means, the late Mr. Tattersall might 
 have become a very useful sort of personage 
 as— One of the Press.* 
 
 The Newspaper alluded to — the Morning 
 Post, at that period was in a very flourishing 
 condition, and which brought Mr. 'I'attersall 
 intimately connected with the following public 
 characters, Mr. Alderman Skinner, t Mr. 
 
 • One of thr Press t — There is certainly some 
 importance about this title ; more especially it the 
 individual who, in his character of a reporter, per- 
 forms his duty to the public with truth and firmness, 
 he is, at least, entitled to the respect and thanks of 
 his countrymen. The proprietor of a Morning news- 
 paper is a person of some consequence in the affairs 
 of the world ; he possesses that sort of power which is 
 felt, but unknown. The Press — is a Monitor which 
 which has made kings tremble upon their thrones ; 
 and hurled some of them headlong from iheir emi- 
 nence in society ; it is also the Press that has made 
 judges quake upon the bench, when their conduct has 
 been contrary to law ; prime ministers have been 
 alarmed by its bold truths ; and it is the Press that 
 has penetrated into the dungeon of the innocently 
 condemned criminal to death, and made his unfor- 
 tunate case known to the fountain of justice, whereby 
 his life has been preserved,then as one of my last wishes 
 for the prosperity of this most powerful engine, which 
 no steam power can compete with, may it still march 
 with rapid strides to remove ignorance, bigotry, and 
 superstition, and in their stead make mankind happy, 
 enlightened, and good. Just by way of an adieu, in a 
 technical point of view, to this deiighful subject, in 
 which so much enthusiasm must always exist in the 
 breasts of the Lovers of Freedom — May Tyranny be 
 bedded in the coffin of the Press ; may its pluttin 
 always produce nothing else but the impress-ion of 
 Truth ; and mayLiBEUTY be always attached to its 
 f itket. And may the tympun of the Press likewise 
 lend its assistance towards the cause of Vi rtue ; may 
 the carriage always proceed rapidly towards relieving 
 nisTKESs; and may its bar be always exercised 
 against Oppression in every shape. The above ob- 
 servations, we trust, will operate as an apology, not 
 only for the late Mr. Tattersall, but for those persons 
 who have at some time or other appeared anxious to 
 obtain the title as—" ONE OF THE PRESS !" 
 
 + Alderman Skinner was likewise an auctioneer of 
 the first class ; but in a different line to Mr. Tatter- 
 sall ; and, it was supposed, that three parts of the 
 estates in the kingdom, had been, at different times, 
 consigned to his care. Such was the immense busi- 
 ness Alderman Skinner carried on, that it w;is a very 
 common occurrence to witness yZ/^i/ adv^rtisen)ents in 
 the different Morning Newspapers of his Sales by 
 Auction. Alderman Skinner was a man of great 
 respectability — and, in a political point of view, had 
 obtained the appellation in the City of the " patriotic 
 Alderman"— ho was a true freind to Liberty. 
 
 Christie,* and Mr. John Bell, f who were 
 partners with him in the above daily Journal. 
 The Rev. i\Ir. Bate was the editor of the 
 Morning Post^ and who had also some shares 
 in the paper. Mr. Bate was a gentleman of 
 
 * This gentleman was also an auctioneer, and com- 
 pletely the architect of his own fortune : who, from 
 holding a very trilling situation in the office of an 
 auctioneer, to his credit be it related, he worked his 
 way into a carriage : and likewise laid the founda- 
 tion in life for his family. His • tiny bits' of French, 
 introduced here and there during his sales, produced 
 at that time a wonderful effect upon his auditors, who 
 in general were of the first taste and quality ; and 
 which, ultimately, rendered the auction rooms of 
 Christie a fashionable sort of lounge. The Mr. 
 Christie alluded to, had a sort of winning manner: 
 some persons called ' insinuating," others a ' coai Ing' 
 way with him, that he generally obtained very high 
 prices for the articles committed to his sale room. Ha 
 was what might have been termed • a gold beater' of 
 an auctioneer— he could hammer out a guinea to ten 
 by his pleasing mode of delivery— and the plausible 
 manner he had of dwelling on the word—" Going!" 
 " MyLadyCountess, you surely will not lose this pretty 
 Hijou for such a mere song— let me, Madam, give you 
 the benefit of my experience, and tell your Ladyship 
 that it would he dirt cheap at twice the sum which 
 has been offered for it— I really must knock, it down 
 to your Ladyship." And again, " this delightful paint- 
 ing—one of the wonders of the world— an article fit 
 for the cabinet of an Emperor — your Lordship cannot, 
 will not pass it over ; in fact, your cabinet of rarities 
 would be incomplete without this chef d' ouvre of 
 Reubens. It would, possitively, be a libel on a distin- 
 guished Connoisseur like your Lordship to let it go into 
 
 other hands — 1 will run all risks — permit me to say 
 
 Reubens chef d'ouvre is in the cabinet of your Lord- 
 ship, &c. The original Mr. Christie was a man of 
 great discernment and industrj' — he saw his way to 
 preferment and lost net an inch of the ground — he 
 hammereii his way into life — knocked down Poverty 
 as a bad lot— and also made out an excellent catalogue 
 for himself to obtain the possession of the articles 
 calculated to give him a desirable eminence in Society. 
 Such were the men whom the late Mr. Tattersall had 
 for his partners in the Morning Post. 
 
 + Mr. John Bell, one of the most spirited and ele- 
 gant publishers of his time, and to whose exertions 
 the lovers of fine printing, and works of a superior 
 kind, are highly indebted to him. It was the late Mr. 
 John Bell who first introduced the round or short s 
 into all his works ; in fact, he gave quite a new era to 
 printing "Bell's Edition of Plays," and " Bell'a 
 Edition of the Poets," &c., were immensely attractive 
 at the time they were first published ; and up to the 
 present period they have always been held in the 
 highest estimation of the public, and the booksellers 
 as standard editions. Mr. Bell was also connected 
 with the late dashing high-minded Capt. Topham, iu 
 a spirited Morning Journal, called "The Worlp- I" 
 which, at one period of its circulation, was in high 
 repute, both in the fashionable snd sporting world. 
 Mr. Bell likewise established a weekly journal, called 
 after his name, " Bell's Weekly Messenger," a paper 
 of great notoriety, and also of great sale, and still 
 maintains a respectable eminence in the sale of Sun- 
 day newspapers. 1 he premises of the late Mr. John 
 Bell were nearly opposite Exeter Change, in the 
 Strand ; and fitted up in a most elegant manner, 
 and were the resort of the beau monde, and the first 
 rate actors belonging to both the Theatres Royal. No 
 inan knew better how to measure the fnot of the pub- 
 lic, or cater for John Buli,, in a literary style, than 
 the late Mr. John Bell. He was, indeed, a man of 
 great enterprise and speculation, and who lived to a 
 good old age. The sale of his works were very great ; 
 and he ought to have amassed a princely fortune ; 
 bat, like most men of genius and invention, he was 
 continually assailed by embarrassment. It is said of 
 him that, during his career as a publisher, he had paid 
 half a million of monei/ to government for Stamp 
 Duties. 
 
182 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 first rate abilities— also a man of tlie world — 
 and conversant with all the movements of the 
 town ; and by his indefatigable industry, and 
 the constant exercise of his talent, he brought 
 the Morning Post to the highest degree of 
 celebrity, and which produced a clear profit of 
 3,000/. per annum. It however appears, that 
 his high spirit and knowledge of the world 
 could not brook the interference of a com- 
 mittee, whom he treated as little better than 
 blockheads — this interference produced a 
 violent dispute, and ended in the Rev. Mr. 
 Bate selling out, and starting a new Morning 
 Paper, under the title of the Morning Herald, 
 in opposition to the Morning Post. To \ise 
 the words of Mr. Bate, he considered it a 
 fortunate circumstance,* that he was soon con- 
 victed of a libel against the Duke of Rich- 
 mond. When he had been in prison for some 
 mouths, the Duke oflfered to procure a remittal 
 of the remainder of his sentence, on condition 
 of his asking pardon : this he refused with 
 scorn. HR,ving been a man of pleasure, an'd 
 addicted to the amusements of the town, the 
 Morning Herald found its account in his con- 
 finement. Mr. Bate devoted the whole of his 
 time to it, having nothing else to occupy his 
 attention ; it soon rivalled all the other news- 
 papers in London ; and maintained its supe- 
 riority for several years. The Rev. Mr. Bate 
 Dudley was well known as the rector of the 
 valuable living of Bradwell, in Essex ; and 
 one of the most active magistrates for that 
 county. He was also viewed as an excellent 
 experimental grazier upon a very large and 
 well-improved farm, his own property. Not- 
 withstanding his various occupations, he, 
 nevertheless, found some leisure hours which 
 he dedicated to the muses ; and the musical 
 farce of the Flitch of Bacon, the opera of the 
 Woodman, &c., were the productions of his 
 pen. The JNIorning Herald, at that period, 
 was distinguished for its wit and satire ; and 
 several of the great folks felt the severity of 
 its remarks. In addition to which, Mr. Dudley 
 devoted a considerable portion of his time to 
 the improvement of his lands, and the breed 
 of sheep and horses. He also obtained from 
 
 • This most fortunate circumstance, as the late 
 Rev. Mr. Bate Dudley termed, must be viewed by 
 persons iu general as a parudox — to be convicted of a 
 libel, and, perhaps, iine and imprisonment added to 
 it, in order to rescue a newspaper from obscurity, and 
 to inciease its sale. A more ruinous and dangerous 
 speculation cannot be entered into, than the establish- 
 ment of a Morniii5 Newspaper ; it is like a devour- 
 ing element — thousands of puimds are expended with- 
 out the least ciiance of a single farthing returning to 
 the coffers of tht: proprietors : independent of the 
 prosecutions for libels, actions for damages, and all 
 the other disagreeables, irritating, et ceteras, which 
 " the Press is heir to 1" Instances might be quoted 
 to show the mint of money that has been thrown 
 away in the attempts to establish the " British Press," 
 "The Representative," "The Day," and the " New 
 Times," and a host of other papers— which to men- 
 tion them might only create regret in their infatuated 
 proprietors. Most certainly, there is something like a 
 mania attached to several persons, who are anxious 
 to become managers of theatres, and proprietors of 
 Dcwspapers. Nothing will cure them ! 
 
 the Society of arts, manufactures, and com- 
 merce, a medal for recovering lands from the 
 inundation of the sea at Bradwell Sur Mer. 
 In short, the secession of Mr. Dudley from 
 the Morning Post was not only viewed as a 
 great loss in his character of editor, bxit hia 
 rivalry in the Morning Herald also injured 
 the sale of the former journal. In truth, such 
 an editor as Mr. Dudley was not to be re- 
 placed without great search and difficulty — a 
 man like him, so conversant at all points with 
 every grade of society. However, Mr. Tat- 
 tersall was not dismayed; nay, on the con- 
 trary, he farmed all the shares of the different 
 proprietors of the Morning Post. To supply 
 the loss of Mr. Baje Dudley, a Mr. Benge- 
 field, who had been one of the king's pages, 
 but a captain in tl.e Militia, offered himself 
 to the notice of Mr. Tattersall, and who agreed 
 to conduct the Morning Post for a certain 
 share of the profits. The above captain was 
 so devoted to the ministers of that day, that 
 he felt it his interest to sacrifice every thing- 
 in support of their measures. He persuaded 
 Mr. Tattersall that the Morning Post could 
 not do well long, as it supported the opposi- 
 tion. " There is nothing to be got," said he, 
 "by the Outs; but follow my advice, and I 
 will undertake that our paper shall beat the 
 Morning Herald in a very short time !" Mr. 
 Tattersall, with much candour, declared his 
 ignorance of politics ; but that he was in- 
 clined to support Mr. Fox and his friends for 
 the best of all reasons, they dealt with him ; 
 yet, in the most sensible, business-like man- 
 ner, observed, if moke money could be made 
 ON THE OTHER SIDE, he had no objection to 
 pursue the plan proposed. *' Well said," re- 
 plied Mr. Bengefield, "and now I have got 
 the cue, I shall proceed with my part without 
 delay.'' The Morning Post became immedi- 
 ately a ministerial paper, and was daily filled 
 with the most scurrilous abuse of all the dis- 
 tinguished members of the opposition. The 
 late king, then his royal highness the Prince 
 of Wales, was not spared ; although it was 
 well known he was Mr. Tattersall's best bene- 
 factor. The conduct also of Mrs. Fitzher- 
 bert was the daily theme of investigation ; and 
 it was the pillow on which they nightly re- 
 posed their resentment. The public, at this 
 period, were extremely eager to read every 
 circumstance connected with the movements 
 of his royal highness ; and the parties of 
 Mrs. Fitzherbert were also watched with the 
 most scrutinizing attention — indeed, a female 
 character of such high pretensions, and so 
 intimately connected with royalty, was a fine 
 mark to hit at — well worth powder and shot— 
 and accordino- to Shakspeare : — 
 
 You know 
 What the Great Ones do, the less will prattle of I 
 
 The late King was extremely tenacious re- 
 specting any discussion upon his public con- 
 duct or private affairs ; indeed, he was fretful 
 to a degree when any remarks appeared in 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 183 
 
 the Newspapers concerning his mode of life — 
 his great hauteur forbad it, and he entertained 
 the kingly opinion, that royalty ought to have 
 been exempt from criticism— this tender sort of 
 feeling gave an impetus to the newsmongers,* 
 when scandal not only found a ready mart for 
 sale, but became the order of the day. Any 
 thing in the shape of an amour in the Fashion- 
 able World was swallowed with avidity ; an 
 zntriguc, positively devoured ; and a faux-pas 
 quite a bon louche to the gossips of that day. 
 Therefore, every bit of scandal was worked 
 up into matters of the greatest importance, and 
 dislicd up with all the piquant manner of the 
 most accomplished cuMinier in the kingdom. 
 Mints, inuendoes, and surmises, were put 
 forth with all the talents of a Snake, so cele- 
 brated in the ' School for Scandal :' something 
 after the manner of more modern times of a 
 celebrated fashionable lord, and his dear 
 countess — upon which the following song was 
 made by that clever song writer and singer, 
 Mr. Thomas Hudson, and well received in 
 all the convivial parties in the kingdom : — 
 
 THE PETTICOAT AND BREECHES. 
 
 TuxE. — " Over the uater to Charley.'' 
 
 " Hoiii soit qui mat y pense." 
 
 DEDICATED (iN PARTICULAR) TO ALL MARRIED MKN, 
 FROM THE PRINCE TO THE PEASANT. 
 
 Mjlord Ramble went Lome quite fatigued t'othernigbt. 
 
 And as lie did take oflf his breeches. 
 He look'd at ray lady, who was fast aslepp quite, 
 
 And his conscience it gave him some twitches. 
 He crept into bed and to sleep went at last. 
 
 And dreamt of his power and riches, 
 Wheu 3 curi-.ui coiiversaf-.nn there was pass'd 
 
 'Tween my lady's petticoat and my lord s breeches 
 
 • Hudibras describes the character of a newsmonger 
 so po'mterilj, that we are induced to quote it : — " A 
 newsmonger," said he, " is a retailer of rumour tliat 
 takes upon trust, and sells as che^p as he buys. He 
 deals in a commodity that will not keep ; for if it be 
 not fresh it lies upon his hands, and will yield nothing. 
 7'iuc, 01 J iilsf, is all one to him; for novelty being 
 the frrace of both, a truth grows stale as soon as a lie : 
 and as a slight suit u ill last as well as a better while the 
 fashion holds a lit serves as well as truth till new comes 
 up. He is little concerned whether it is good or bad, 
 for that does not make it more or less news ; and if 
 then* be any ditfereuce, he loves the bad best, because 
 it is said to come soonest ; for he would willingly bear 
 his share in any public calamity to have the pleasure 
 of hearing and telling it. He is deeply read in diur- 
 iials.and can give as good an account of Rowland Pepin, 
 if need b;*, as another man. He tells news, as men do 
 money, with his fingers; for he assures them it comes 
 from very good hands. The whole business of his life 
 is li.ke that of a spaniel, to fetch and carry news ; and 
 when he does it well he is clapt on the back, and fed 
 for it ; for he does not take to it altogether like a 
 gentleman, for his pleasure ; but when he lights on a 
 considerable | arcel of news, he knows where to put it 
 oft" for a dinner, and quarter himself upon it, until lie 
 has eaten it out ; and by this means he drives a tra.le, 
 by retrieving the first news to truck it for the first 
 meat in season; and, like the old Roman luxury, 
 ransacks all seas and lands to please his palate, for he 
 imports his narrative from all parts within the geo- 
 graphy of a diurnal, and eats as well upon the Russ 
 and Polander, as the English and Dutch. By this 
 means his belly is provided for, and nothing lies upon 
 his hands but his back, which takes other courses to 
 maintain itself by weft and stray silver spoons, strag- 
 gling hoods and scarfs, pimping, and sets ioinbrt." 
 
 " Oh pray where have you been rambling all day 1" 
 
 Says the petticoat to my lord's breeches ; 
 " After tlie women, a wager I'll lay !" 
 
 " Kgad, you're just right ;" says the breeches. 
 " My master, you know, is a gentleman fine, 
 
 Nay, a lord, and has plenty of riches ; 
 He has pass'd the whole day with a beauty divine. 
 
 As blest as a prince," says the breeches. 
 Then says the petticoat, " Oh, what a shame f 
 
 " One would think husbands thought their wives 
 witches. 
 To run away so just to follow that game. 
 
 To tell my lady I'm sure my tongue itches. 
 'Tis a very strange thing that a man can't be true 
 
 To a wife who in virtue so rich is ; 
 Now is it not shocking ? in truth what think you 1" 
 
 " 'Tis the fashion," replied my lord's breeches. 
 The petticoat then rais'd her head with a smile, 
 
 And said, " since the fashion bewitches. 
 My lady's not backward, for she all the while 
 
 Has been well entertaining the breeches. 
 A charming young captain has been here all day, 
 
 Lock'd up far from vulgar eyes reaches ; 
 And my lady with him has the time pass'd so gay," 
 
 " The devil she has !'' says the breeches. 
 
 " And now, take my word for't, 'tij nothing but fair," 
 
 Says the petticoat on to the breeches ! 
 " That to follow his footsteps his wife does not care. 
 
 If he jumps over hedges and ditches. 
 And surely her conduct he cannot condemn. 
 
 If he will lead her up to such pitches ; 
 And for tricks, if the breeches are down upon them, 
 
 •' He'll find petticoats up to the breeches." 
 
 MORAL. 
 
 Married men all take a lesson from this, 
 
 All you who prize wives as your riches ; 
 And if you by chance meet a beautiful Miss 
 
 Be sure and take care of your breeches. 
 Your wives will be happy, on home they will doat 
 
 And to honor they'll stick tight as leeches ; 
 Only you be content with their one petticoat, 
 
 They'll be Uest with your one pair of breeches 
 
 But, to return to the Morning Post and Mr. 
 Tattersall — such repeated attacks ultimately 
 alarmed the inmates of Carlton House ; and 
 Weltje, who was then cook to his royal high- 
 ness, and a sort of prime minister in all his 
 private and family concerns, was dispatched 
 to Hyde Park corner, to silence, upon any 
 terms, the daring fellows -n ho had no respect 
 for their great superiors in life, and made 
 public, royal intrigues with the utmost sai\g 
 Jfroid. Mr. Bengefield replied that he wks 
 tired of conducting a Daily Journal, and had 
 not the leeist objection to be prorlded for, in 
 order that he might enjoy the otium cum dig- 
 nilate of private life. Weltje made the con- 
 tract immediately for his most anxious master, 
 by settling £300 per annum on Mr. Bengefield. 
 The Morning Post, thus hastily deprived of 
 its editor, fell into the conduct of inferior 
 hands, and Mr. Tattersall, with the assistance 
 of his friends, crowded the paper with adver- 
 tisements ; readers complained that it had no 
 interesting news, either foreign or domestic, 
 and that the scandal which it contained, both 
 private and public, was shameful and odious, 
 Mr. Tattersall, to use a sporting phrase, was 
 rather " at fault," and scarcely knew how 
 to manage the literary helm ; but he made up 
 his mind that none of his writers in future 
 should abuse Mrs. Fitzherbert ; and he like- 
 wise ordered them to be most respectful, nay, 
 flattering in their notices of the Prince. This 
 
184 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S lU;fJK OF SPORTS. 
 
 mode of proceeding was considered by his 
 friends not only as well done, — but managed 
 in a business sort of way — as the stud of his 
 royal highness was soon to brought to the 
 hammer. 
 
 The columns of the Morning Post were now 
 devoted to the opinions of Mr.FoXjandhisroyal 
 highness, the prince of Wales, was flattered to 
 the skies ; while,on the contrary, Mr. Pitt was 
 equally abused as a statesman. This change, 
 however, did not succeed ; and the circulation 
 of the Morning Post becanie materLillyreduced 
 in its sale. To add to Mr. Tattersall's disap- 
 pointment and loss, soon after the above 
 period, a libel appeared in the Paper, on the 
 beautiful lady Elizabeth Lambert; and her 
 mother, lady Cavan, as her guardian, brought 
 au action against Mr. Tattersall for blasting 
 the reputation of her daughter, and laid the 
 damages at £10,000. This alarmed Mr. Tat- 
 tersall, and he applied to the Prince of Wales, 
 and also interested the Duke of York in his 
 behalf. Lady Cavan was inexorable : she 
 properly observed that ladies had two ways 
 of getting husbands ; — by character, and by 
 money ; those who take away the character 
 ought to supply the deficiency by money. 
 The jury were of the same opinion, and gave 
 a verdict for Lady Elizabeth, for £4000 dam- 
 ages ; and she received every farthing of the 
 money awarded her. But, as one misfortune 
 seldom comes alone, prosecutions were soon 
 after commenced against several newspaper 
 proprietors, for libels on the lady of the Lord 
 Chancellor of Ireland. Mr. Tattersall was 
 also implicated. Fortunately for him, he was 
 known to his Lordship, who condescendpd to 
 wrU^e a letter of remonstrance to him. Lord 
 Westmoreland, the Loid-lieutenant, witli his 
 relation, Mr. F. Fane, interposed their good 
 offices, and his Lordship was prevailed upon 
 to drop the suit. 
 
 Mr. Tattersall, however, did not like to give 
 up the Morning Post, although he seldom at- 
 tempted to read any thing beyond the adver- 
 tisements of horses, and the account of races. 
 It was with g eat difficulty that his son pre- 
 vailed upon hira to part with it and the 
 " English Chronicle," which were then his 
 property. Some persons viere of opinion, 
 that he wished to have the world believe, that 
 as he was the proprietor of newspapers, he 
 was also a man of some literature. Be that 
 as it may — one thing is certain, that he did 
 not gratify his prevailing passion — the love of 
 money, by holding it, as it had been for many 
 years a losing concern ; and had likewise sunk 
 very much in the estimation of the public. 
 The copyright of the Morning Post was, by 
 comparison, sold for a mere trifle. The 
 English Chronicle was purchased by Mr. 
 Radclirt'e, tlie husband of the celebrated Mrs. 
 Radcliffe, the authoress of the Mysteries of 
 Udolpho, and several other interesting publi- 
 cations — thus ended the " literary career," if 
 such it may be termed, of Mr. Tattersall — 
 and perhaps it would liave proved much bet- 
 
 ter, both for his mind and his purse, if he had 
 attended ' to the advice of his friends, 
 who, on his first idea of becoming a newspaper 
 proprietor, bid him consult the well-known 
 adage — " ne sdtor ultra crepidam." The 
 above anecdotes, in our humble opinion, re- 
 specting the founder of this celebrated Sporting 
 establishment, are well worthy the perusal of 
 the rising sportsmen. 
 
 The SETTLING DAY (which the embel- 
 lishment represents), is most certainly a very 
 important feature at Tattersall's ; to some per- 
 sons it proves an immense source of delight 
 and pleasure, to think that their judgment has 
 proved correct, and also that they are to be 
 well paid for it. To others, the losers, those 
 who have speculated beyond their means of 
 payment, it turns out to be a day of woe and 
 misery, and they are compelled to become Le- 
 vanters. But to those persons whose honor 
 rises superior to every other consideration, 
 they pay their losses to the utmost farthing 
 without the slightest mnrniur. 
 
 The art of betting on race-horses is consi- 
 dered a complete science ; but without a person 
 keeps a book, and attends daily to the rise 
 and fall of the ' Sporting Stocks,' and shifts 
 his ground according to the alteration of the 
 odds, the going down of soine, the first fa- 
 vorites, and the rising of other horses, so as 
 to obtain a point or two the best of it, he is 
 very likely to make but a ' sorry affair' of it 
 altogether. Yet this is not all that is requi- 
 site to become a ' downy one' in the scale of 
 calculation. There is sunimut to be learned 
 from the trainers — yoa otight also to be upon 
 the look out after the '' gallops ;" knowing 
 the temper of the horses ; ascertaining some- 
 thing about their constitutions ; the strength 
 required upon one race-course, and the tact 
 wanting upon another. Tottenham corner, at 
 Epsom, has often proved a very dangerous 
 spot, both to man and horse ; and many races 
 have been lost at that tun'. Then something 
 is to be enquired about the talents of the 
 jockey ; for a great deal nay depend upon 
 his goiyd conduct and exertions towards win- 
 ning a race. It may also be necessary, if it 
 can be fathomed from the Touters, whether 
 the jockey is to ride 'according to orders;' 
 or to be left to his own discrttion, to win if 
 he can. That there have been some robberies 
 committed upon the turf it would be useless, 
 nay, a folly to deny : but uothint; in the world 
 can be more elevated than th» notions of 
 honor of true Sporting Gentlemen ; and we 
 are happy to assert that thousands of such 
 characters are to be met with at the present 
 moment, upon every race-ground in the king- 
 dom. Betting on the turf, within the last few 
 years, from a variety of causes, has been very 
 mucii narrowed ; and ' laying money against 
 nothing' is entirely out of the question. But, 
 after all, the science appertaining to bitting 
 at times proves extremely fallacious ; and 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BtsOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 105 
 
 after a!l tLe conglomeration of knowing nobs 
 upon tiie subject — tlie whispers — the signifi- 
 cant nods — and the ear-wrigging as to the 
 qualities and the pedigree of the favorite — an 
 outside horse runs away with the great stakes 
 — laugiiing, as it were, at any thing like sober 
 calculation. How is that to be accounted for ? 
 And it is but justice to remark of several of the 
 Sporting men that they are liberal enough, if a 
 losing man cannot come exactly to the scratch 
 on a Settling Day, they will allow him time 
 to make it " all right." 
 
 Francis Buckle— the Jockey : 
 
 A " Great Creature" in his line of life : 
 
 And what matches he won (o the Ostlers count o'er, 
 As they loiter their time at some hedge ale-house door I 
 
 " Buckle is dead !" (exclaims the editor of 
 the New Monthhj Blagazine), how strangely 
 local is fame : this is an annouucement which 
 our readers perceive without emotion, and 
 yet at Tattersall's the sentence sounded hea- 
 vily, and gave a quiver to hearts that only 
 respond to the reverberation of hoofs and the 
 chinking of guineas. Yes ! the news seemed 
 to affect the odds of life for an instant ; sweep- 
 stakes and handicaps lost their charms. No 
 one barked the favorite, for he who had 
 backed so many had done his race and not 
 won, but probably lost hH, assuredly liis life. 
 His last race was a dead heat.- }His last 
 weighing machine was the arms-of Ws sable 
 bearers; they had but a small burden: a 
 three years' old would have made light of it. 
 Buckle is no longer on the turf, but under it ; 
 instead of his black waistcoat and white 
 sleeves, or his red vest slashed with yellow, 
 the colours of his glory, he has assumed the 
 church-yard livery — 
 
 " Grass green, turned up with blown." 
 
 Those hands which we have so often seen 
 " making-play," whip now in me, new in 
 the other, nicely handling and woiking the 
 bit; a dazzling sight to see as tfiey scintil- 
 lated to and fro as he might be coming in 
 easy, or going it hard, are now stretched in 
 stiffened repose by his sides, as quiet as those 
 of the effigy of a crusader, cut in stone in a 
 country church-yard. How poor is the for- 
 tune of those shandy legs, on the active ply- 
 ing of which so many hundreds of thousands 
 have depended, when greaved with shining 
 leather and armed with lancing steel, all 
 brilliant for the battle. Alas ! alas ! the 
 tight liltle saddle is changed for a coffin pillow, 
 and the gay horse-cloth, trimmed with blue, 
 for one of cere, all white. Play or pay, the 
 race is done, the judge is in his box, and the 
 rivals of poor Buckle, ye Chifneys and Ro- 
 binsons ! may now walk across the course for 
 a brief space. If an ancient Greek, a winner 
 at Elis, could have been but blessed with a 
 vision of one of our winners at Newmarket 
 
 or Doncaster, how he would have made the 
 welkin ring with laughter ! Could he but 
 have seen little Buckle, for instance, he who 
 has been crowned and double-crowned a thou- 
 sand times, whom the Nobles of the land, 
 yea ! Princes have delighted to honour, whom 
 they have gloried in, coveted, courted, shaken 
 by the hand, clapped on the back, all but 
 bribed ! That which makes a jockey mars 
 all other men. Buckle weighed next to no- 
 thing : such weight as he had was made by 
 strings, in courtesy called muscle ; he was 
 little, to dwarfishness ; great only in the bow 
 of his legs : it was plain to look at them that 
 he could grasp in femoral embrace the biggest 
 colt that was ever dammed, and here was his 
 forte, a perfect Flibbertygibbet, his dimen- 
 sions lay where they were not seen, but felt. 
 Nature had moulded his os femoris upon the 
 rib of a horse ; and then his feet, how a danc- 
 ing master would have turned up his nose at 
 them ! assuredly he never could have turned 
 out his toes; but then his heels turned out 
 and his toes met in loving kindness. Buckle 
 could not walk, few real horsemen can, but 
 they can waddle, and so did he ; his lower 
 extremities were ridiculous off horseback, but 
 on it they were a bootsful of grace ; his face 
 however, was always, on or off the saddle, 
 venerable—nay, awful, gaunt, hollow, lined, 
 eloquent of trials many long and strong, 
 deep, cunnittg, alive, quiet, but ready to 
 overwhelm the querist wuh a rolling glance 
 of unutterable knowledge. Buckle, adieu ! 
 as Sir Robert Adair eloquently said over the 
 grave of General Belliard ; Buckle, adieu ! 
 The earliest work of art the writer of this 
 remembers was an admirable Dightonish por- 
 trait of Buckle and his master, the incom- 
 parable Mellish ; admirable likenesses both, 
 and charmingly pregnant with character, life, 
 and sport, forming together a most delightful 
 contrast of tall, short— aristocratic, plebeian 
 —noble, mean— thorough bred, underbred, 
 but small boned — confidence, cunning — high- 
 crowned, jockey-capped — mustachioed, smug- 
 lipped— graceful, stunted — poplar, pollard — 
 in short, nature against art." 
 
 Buckle was born at Newmarket, where 
 his father carried on the trade of a saddler. 
 He began to ride exercise in the stable of ihp 
 late Earl of Grosvenor at nine years of age, 
 and worked himself into a jockey in a manner 
 peculiarly his own. In early life, however, 
 he took a leaf out of the late Sam Chifney's 
 book — availing himself of the most useful 
 and beneficial points in that celebrated rider ; 
 but discarding those whioh appeared to him to 
 be exhibited merely for the efl'ect of ornament 
 or display. 
 
 Some of Buckle's best riding was against 
 the famous Irish jockey, Dennis Fitzpatrick, 
 and particularly in the races between Orlando 
 and Gaoler, Timothy and Warier, and Hamhie- 
 toniait and Diamond. In the last mentioned 
 race he was allowed to have shown himself 
 a perfect master of the art, having mads 
 
18S 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 his race safe betwp'»n the ditch and the turn 
 of the land, by striding away, over the flat, 
 before he came to the hill, where he had 
 reason to fear the stout little horse he had to 
 contend with might prove dangerous. It is 
 asserted, that he took upon himself the re- 
 sponsibility of exceeding his orders in this 
 great race, but the state of the other horse, 
 when it was over, clearly proved that he was 
 right. He rode and won vvitii ITamblelonian, 
 the last time he ever started in public life. 
 
 His jockeying Orlando against Gaoler, in 
 1803 — the Rowley mile, was a fine specimen 
 of the art, although he was beaten. They 
 were the two best mile horses of the day. 
 Dennis was upon Gaoler; and Lord George 
 being at that time a confederate with Mr. 
 Watson, it was a very heavy betting race. 
 Botii jumped off together, each finessing to 
 get a pull, till neither had a run left, and 
 Gaoler only won by staying longer than the 
 other. The men and horses seemed screwed 
 together in the race ; and so exhausted were 
 they in the struggle, that they appeared to be 
 contending the race for some distance after 
 they passed the winning post. 
 
 When on Slim, against Mortimer, Buckle 
 displayed one of the greatest perfections of a 
 jockey — a coolness, which the most trying 
 circumstances could not disturb. When the 
 horses started. Slim bolted, and Mortimer got 
 full sixty yards before him : Buckle never 
 varied his pace till within a quarter of a mile 
 of home, when he set to ^'-ork and vaju the 
 race. 
 
 The match between Timothy and Warier is 
 thus recorded in Pick's Vade Mecum for 
 1800: — "The greatest skill and judgment 
 were displayed by the riders in one of the 
 best races ever rode, and which was only won 
 by a neck. Much money was depending on 
 this race. Timothy was rode by Dennis Fitz- 
 patrick, and Warier by Francis Buckle." 
 
 The turf lost an eminent jockey when Den- 
 jiis Fitzpatrick died. He was Mr. Cookson's 
 favorite rider, and stood very high in his 
 opinion and confidence. He was the son of an 
 Irish farmer, a tenant of Lord Claremont's, by 
 whom he was brought over to this country — 
 riding also for his Lordship, as well as for the 
 Earl of Egremont. He had also an excellent 
 master in the honorable George Watson, who 
 has ever been considered an ornament to the 
 turf. His orders to his favorite jockey were 
 generally the same, viz. — " Take the lead, and 
 keep it.'' Fitzpatrick caught cold in wasting, 
 and died in the prime of life. 
 
 It was not in 1823 only that Buckle was so 
 fortunate as to ride the winner of the Derby 
 and Oaks, at the same meeting. In 1802 he 
 iook long odds that he won them both, and on 
 nooucasion was he supposed to have signalized 
 himself more. His horse for the Derby was 
 the Duke of Grafton's Tyrant, a very middling 
 horse, with ''' to 1 against him for the race. 
 J'ne tavorito was Mr. Wilson's colt by Young 
 Eclipse, ibe best horse of his year, for a mile, 
 
 only 11 to 8 against him in the betting, and a 
 great favorite with the public. Young EcHpse 
 m^de the play, and was opposed by sir Charles 
 Bunbury's Orlando, who contested every inch 
 of ground for the first mile. From Buckle's 
 fine judgment of puce, he was convinced they 
 must both stop ; so, following and watching 
 them with Tyrant, he came up and won, to 
 the surprise of all who saw him, with one of 
 the worst horses that ever won a Derby. The 
 following year, at Newmarket, Young Eclipse 
 beat Tyrant, Ditch-in, giving him 41bs. 
 
 Buckle, having made one of his two events 
 safe, had then a fancy that Mr. Wastell's 
 Scotia could win the Oaks if he were on her 
 back, and got permission to ride her. She 
 was beaten three times between Tottenham 
 corner and home : but he got her up again in 
 front, and won the race, by a head, with a bit 
 of run left in her at the last ! The Newmarket 
 people declared they had never seen such a 
 race. 
 
 Buckle was also employed by the late Co- 
 lonel Mellish, when in the full zenith of his 
 racing glory ; and was winning his grand 
 match with Sancho against Pavilion, when 
 that celebrated race-horse broke down. It is 
 well in the recollection of the public, that he 
 also rode Sancho when he won the St. Leger 
 at Doncaster. 
 
 Buckle had several masters — Mr. Udney, 
 the duke of Grafton, and Mr. Wilson. In his 
 races with Emilius he g^vo great satisfaction 
 to the formti gentleman — abvyy:^ riding him 
 with the greatest judgment, so as neither to 
 expose his running, or to make his race too 
 fine with an idle horse. In that for the Diilce 
 Michael he had a sharp struggle with Zinc, 
 and some thought it was too near to be plea- 
 sant : but here he displayed a wonderful 
 knowledge of the powers of his horse. He 
 lay four or five lengths from the front, till 
 within one hundred and fifty yards of home, 
 when he caught his horse by the head, and 
 won his race by a neck. 
 
 It is said that Buckle did not reduce him- 
 self, but could always ride 7st. lllbs. with 
 ease. His seat on the saddle was particularly 
 good, combining neatness with power, and he 
 was always well dressed when on a race-horse. 
 When asked to ride a horse that he did not 
 know, he looked at his legs and feet before he 
 gave his consent, and, if they were good he 
 asked no further questions. 
 
 There was one feature in Buckle's riding 
 which deserved notice ; and that was a knack 
 of gammoning (as it is termed), in a race, by 
 appearing to be at work, when, in reality, he 
 w as waiting. This sort of stratagem was very 
 dangerous to his opponents, as they never 
 knew when he had done with his horse. His 
 honesty was never suspected, but became pro- 
 verbial. His conduct upon all occasions can- 
 not fail to operate as a good lesson to those 
 jockies who may succeed him : indeed, it is a 
 strong inducement to follow the straight path 
 which led the late Frank Buckle to wealth, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 18: 
 
 to honor, and to fame : and the jockies in ge- 
 neral will never think of him without being 
 reminded that " honesty is the best policy." 
 Could any thing be wanting to strengthen the 
 honest reputation of the late Buckle, it will 
 be found in the following fact. He had backed 
 a horse of Mr. Durand's for a considerable 
 sum, at Lewes, in Sussex, but was engaged 
 to ride another. To use a sporting expression, 
 he won the race ' out of the fire,' for his em- 
 ployer, but lost his own money. 
 
 It is said that Buckle had realized an inde- 
 pendence of £1200 per annum, by his profes- 
 sion. He was at one time of his life engaged 
 in a considerable farming speculation, and was 
 very famous for butter. He expressed a wish 
 that none of his sons would be jockies. He 
 has a nephew who is considered a capital 
 rider, and uncommonly strong on his horse. 
 
 Buckle had some eccentricities attached to 
 his character, but they were of a harmless 
 nature. His acts of charity were conspicuous 
 for a man in his situation of life, who might be 
 said to have gotten every shilling of his life 
 he possessed, not only by the sweat of his 
 brow, but at the risk of his neck. He was 
 fond of theatricals, and had often bespoken a 
 play for the night, in different country towns. 
 He had been a master of hounds, a breeder of 
 greyhounds, fighting-cocks, and' bull-dogs ; 
 and always celebrated for his leaps. In the 
 language of the Stud-book, his first wife had 
 no produce ; but by iiis second he had several 
 children. AV'e may suppose he chose her as 
 he would a race-horse, for she is not only 
 handsome, but very good. He lived to a good 
 old age, highly respected by his friends and 
 acquaintances ; and died much lamented by 
 tlie lovers of the course. The late Mr. Francis 
 Buckle was always considered an ornament , 
 to the Turf. — Requiescat in pace. 
 
 Field Sports for April. 
 
 ' On early dawn 
 
 " Such are our pleasing cares, 
 
 And sweet amusements — such, each busy drudge 
 Foivious must wish, and all the wise enjoy." 
 
 SOMERVII.LE. 
 
 The showers of April, whilst they obliterate 
 for a season the traces of some of our Field 
 Sports, produce and become welcome allies to 
 others. Thus, though the keeper of harriers 
 no more quests for his game — though the fol- 
 lower of the "long dogs" has killed his March 
 hare — and the shooter dropped, till the wither- 
 ing leaves of October rustle again, his last 
 pheasant — as 
 
 -" High in air 
 
 He waves his varied plumes, stretcliing away 
 Vr'ith hasty wing" — 
 
 yet the Fox-hunter joyously will follow the 
 joviality-inspiring sporthe andall good fellows 
 love so well ; and the Stag-hunter continues 
 
 To list the challenge of the horn — 
 And view before the thirsty hound 
 The bearded red-deer wildly bound, 
 Whilst coverts with the crash resound." 
 
 In some of our sporting counties April is, 
 indeed, considered the month for congregating 
 brilliant fields, and inducing gallant per- 
 formances. 
 
 The Race Course will now, too, be peopled 
 with anxious spectators, and pressed by high 
 mettled steeds. 
 
 Within a short time, following hard on those, 
 " th' amphibious otter" becomes an object of 
 pursuit. The sport is, however, but partially 
 followed in this our day ; but yet it is, in our 
 opinion, entitled to more cousideratiou than 
 many are inclined to award it. 
 
 " Now, if the chrystal stream delight thee more, 
 Sportsman, lead on— where through the reedy h'.nlt 
 Th' insinuating waters filter'd stray. 
 In many a winding maze." 
 
 The Fisherman may now, in good errnest, 
 put together his tackle — arm himself with 
 " taper angle" and silken line, and hook, 
 and hackle, and creel, and wheel— and hie to 
 his favorite stream— be it the Cam, the Ouse, 
 the Severn, or the Avon — and there, his " ain 
 gad in his han' " — 
 
 " Patiently muse, and all intenMy stand. 
 To hook the scaly glutton." 
 
 Prove but the atmosphere warm, the wind 
 propitious, and the waters clear, he may (pos- 
 sessing tolerable skill, and a store of patience 
 and perseverance, which should be his motlo) 
 reckon, even with the fly, to basket not only 
 the Barbel and the Bleak, but the more wily 
 Trout. Still, till May flings, like softly-float- 
 ing peach -blossoms, the ephemeral insect upon 
 the bosom of the rippling wave, the ground- 
 bait will be decidedly preferable ; and to a 
 young angler, in particular, a more certain 
 lure. In ripples, and strong currents, the 
 spinning minnow, or the live-bait, either well- 
 scoured red worm, or the cob, or the real-min- 
 now, must be found even more eflfective. 
 
 Tench will, also (says Mr. Salter, in his ex- 
 cellent work), sometimes feed this month ; as 
 gudgeons, eels, bar))el, bleak, &c., certainly 
 do. " For all these (he adds) I should re- 
 commend the ground-bait, unless, indeed, the 
 weather be unusually warm, when the fly may 
 be used with success." And now, brethren oi 
 the angle, having given you words of encou- 
 ragement of our own; and a few hints from a 
 much more experienced fisherman than our- 
 selves, we commend you to the waters, and 
 there may you be made to say — 
 
 See, down .sinks 
 
 My cnrk— that faithful monitor ; his weight 
 My taper angle bends — surpris'd, amaz'd, 
 He glitters in the sun, and, struggling, pants 
 For liberty— till, in the purer air, 
 He breathes no more !" 
 
18 i 
 
 PIERCE EGaN'S book OF Sl'ORTS 
 
 ODE 10 BOXING. 
 
 Bt the West Country Cove. 
 
 Noble and manly art ! 
 Thy principles impart 
 I'ower and confidence to all : 
 Before thee fall 
 Th' untiitor'd rage of those, 
 Who, heedlessly, repose 
 Their faith on uei^lit and length. 
 Or bulk and brutal strength. 
 
 Aided by thee, the mau, whose mould 
 Can no gigantic force unfold. 
 Enters the ring all confident ; 
 
 JMtle but tough ; 
 And soon his massy opponent, 
 
 Tliough big and rough, 
 To ■ c'lence yields, and cries out " hold, enough .'" 
 
 On London Bridge, behold. 
 
 The Pet. (than v/liom, notie smarter) 
 
 Licks the icnulting Carter 
 Who, giant-like and bold. 
 Yet " has the bug to holit" 
 
 For he has cai'sht a tartar! 
 Poor Iran of coal, his calling 
 
 Was more of coaking ; 
 And. Curtis, with a mauling. 
 
 Spoiled his joking! 
 
 Daily thy science shows. 
 That not alone on thews 
 And bone, shouid man depend ; 
 >'i.r thou art most the friend 
 
 Of him, whose heart 
 Unhesitating courage can impart— 
 Whose eye and hand. 
 To suit command. 
 Alike are ready — 
 Whose .'■tep is quick mnd light, whose nerves axe Jirm 
 steady. 
 
 Manhood ! — imbue 
 Our Pugilists, with courage true. 
 
 And honesty : 
 But, if they take the tempter's fee, 
 
 And plan a cross. 
 Fling them aside like worthless dross ! 
 
 And let them be 
 Branded with shame, and lasting infamy ! 
 Ctii fusion, and defeat, alight 
 On all who buy or tell a Jigitt .' 
 
 Fain would I bring 
 A tuneful, grateful offering, 
 To the bright shrine of fame, 
 Landing the wealthy patrons of the ring ; 
 And first should Jackson's name 
 Emblazoned be ; 
 Then Gullry shine. 
 In light and radiant line ; 
 As princely patterns for futurity : 
 But not to me belong 
 Such spirit stirring lays. 
 
 In vain do I essay the song — 
 They are beyond its theme— they are above its praise. 
 March, 1832, S. 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the Prize Ring. 
 
 THE BIG ONES! 
 
 Tom BitowN and Isaac Dobell. 
 
 The pidigree and achievements of the above 
 ** Big Ones" are so well known to the Sport- 
 ing VV^orld, that any further remarks might be 
 deemed superfluous ; therefore we shall cojne 
 to " Hecuba" at once. Brown had drojiped 
 down considerably in the opinion of the ania- 
 t«»uis, since his defeat by Sampson ; but, 
 uc>eitlieless, by comparison, when he was 
 
 matched against Dobell, £300 to £250, he 
 was decidedly the favorite, at 6 and 7 to 4, 
 Dobell accepted £50 from Brown to give him 
 the advantage of naming the place of action ; 
 and on Tuesday, March 24, 1829, at Deux-hill 
 Farm, four miles and a half from Bridgnorth, 
 this great contest was decided. 
 
 Dobell, a jolly sort of fellow, and a lush- 
 crib keeper into the bargain, entertained an 
 idea that he could beat Brown in a canter; 
 and therefore, to use an expression of many 
 careless fellows, " let those train that like it," 
 was the maxim of Dobell ; and he trained ov 
 and ojf, just as he took it into his nob. 
 
 Brown had a better notion of boxing ; and, 
 therefore, he endeavoured to do the best for 
 himself at Shipley, and took up his quarters 
 at the New Inn. He named Bridgnorth as a 
 certainty ; but as there is no certainty in this 
 life, the above ancient town proved no go ! 
 Brown, on the evening previous to the battle, 
 arrived at the King's Head, in company with 
 Spring, Crib, Neal, and Harry Holt ; but it 
 was soon whispered about that the Philistines 
 were abroad ; also that it was dangerous to be 
 SAFS ; a slang had been issued against Brown, 
 and to make his lucky was the best advice he 
 could take. This hint was quite sufficient ; 
 a drag was procured on the sly ; Brown tipped 
 the coves the double ; and found himself com- 
 fortably provided with a dab at the house of a 
 friend, abouttwo miles from Bridgnorth, where 
 he passed the darkey without any apprehen- 
 sion. 
 
 Dobell arrived at Bridgnorth on Monday 
 evening, and took up his quarters for the night 
 at the Royal Oak ; but as the Beak was not 
 " up to him," Ikey was left to lush, snore, 
 dance, sing, blow a cloud, in short, to do what 
 he liked, and, according to " Miles's boy," he 
 did every thing but take care of himself — he 
 could not sleep, teazed with a troublesome 
 cough all the evening ; and when Han-y 
 Lancaster endeavoured to put on a serious 
 mug, and to represent to Ikey the dangers of 
 neglect, and that grand maxim in the art of 
 war, to be " a\wa.ys prepared for thine enemy," 
 Dobell burst out into loud laughter, saying 
 " he should win, and nothing else ; and that 
 he was perfectly satisfied that to-morrow's 
 sun would shine upon him as the conqueror of 
 Brown." 
 
 Early on Tuesday morning all hopes were 
 abandoned as to the fight taking place on the 
 race course ; and the stake-holder named 
 Deux-hill Farm, in order to be out of the 
 jurisdiction of the Borough magistrates. The 
 ring was formed without delay by Oliver and 
 Fogo ; and lots of waggons were placed round 
 it for the accommodation of the spectators. 
 Dobell left Bridgnorth in a post-chaise, about 
 eleven o'clock, for Deux-hill Farm, and ar 
 rived upon the ground without any interrup- 
 tion. But the Beak and his pigs kept a good 
 look out to grab Brown, as he passed over the 
 bridge ; but the friends of Brown had the 
 "Jfice given to them ; and the latter preferred 
 
PIEHCE EGAN'S liOOR OF SPOUTS. 
 
 I»9 
 
 the use of a boat to a carriage, crossed the river 
 upon the sly, and pained the scene of action 
 without the least difficulty. Spring and Nea!, 
 in order to carry on the deception, by way of 
 ruse lie guerre, started with a post-chaise, 
 with the blhids drawn up, and seated the;n- 
 selves on the dickey. They had scarcely 
 arrived at the bridge when a Carr interrupted 
 tiieir progress ; upon which the Hero of tiie 
 (Castle, in an assumed angry tone, demanded 
 to know by what autiiority his morning's ride 
 was stopped. " We have a warrant," an- 
 swered one of the Horneijs, " against a boxer 
 of (he name of Brown, in your carriage ; 
 therefore let down the blinds instantly." 
 " Although you have no right to impede our 
 progress," replied the ex-champion, " yet, to 
 show our readiness to obey magisterial au- 
 thority, you shall take a /jff/)." On the blinds 
 being let down, the affrighted Johnny Raw 
 constables, perceiving their mistake, were 
 about to boll, when a naval captain who was 
 inside, to carry on the joke, called for his 
 pistols, and asked Neal if they were thieves 
 who had stopped the carriage, and wanted to 
 rob them ? " Noa, noa, sir ; we axes pardon 
 of your honor, we be only poor parish officers 
 who have a warrant to seize upon Brown, the 
 foighting man." '' Let me see it," said the 
 captain. The warrant was to apprehend 
 Brown if lie appeared in the ring, to fight a 
 hatlle. " If Brown had been in the carriage," 
 replied the captain, " it would not have 
 affected his liberty ; so drive on, post-boy, 
 and do not listen to any more such muffs." 
 
 The road at this period was thronged with 
 foot-passengers, all upon the run to reach 
 Deux Farm : vehicles out of number, of all 
 descriptions ; and the prads beaten almost to a 
 stand-still, from the numerous miles they had • 
 been pushed along to be up in time for the 
 battle. Lots of respectably dressed females 
 were all upon the bustle to get a sight of the 
 great pugilistic heroes. 
 
 Dobell appeared in the outer ring attended 
 by his seconds, Harry Lancaster, and Jem 
 Burn, and was well received by tlie specta- 
 tors. It was understood he had complained 
 of being unwell to Lancaster. On Brown 
 entering the field he was loudly applauded. 
 He immediately sent his tile into the ring, 
 and on meeting with his opponent, they shook 
 hands together. The £50, according to the 
 articles, for his compliance with Brown's 
 naming the ground, was now handed over to 
 liim ; when they both prepared for the fray. 
 .Spring and Ned Neal attended upon Brown. 
 The colours, crimson and white for the latter, 
 were tied to the stakes ; as were Dobell's, 
 blue, with a white spot. Neal won the toss 
 for Brown. The odds were 2 and 2^ to 1 ; 
 but takers could not be found. Brown was 
 tiie iiero, all to nothing ; the men shook hands, 
 and the battle commenced : — 
 
 Round 1. On peeling, it was obvious to the 
 amateurs that condition, o i both sides, was out 
 of the question. Dobell was not fit to fight 
 
 for pins; it is true that Sir Jv/in Bii-'fiicurn 
 had lost part of i)>s '•otundity of paunch ; but 
 it is equally true that his ubilomen was as 
 Jlahbij as boiled mutton; and his frame allo- 
 gether soft and pappy. His mug, too, did not 
 exhibit that sort of characters hich is expected 
 from a boxer who had all the advantages of 
 training; on the contrary, the effects of the 
 lush crib were strongly stamped on its exterior, 
 and the only thing good about Sir John Ifar- 
 leycorn was — his heart. That was good; 
 and upon that quality, and that alone, did 
 Dobell rely for victory. The hero of Bridgnortli 
 was nothing like slap-up to the mark ; although 
 he had refrained from visiting the Long Town, 
 and deriving the advantages of exercise and 
 country air. Brown, most certainly, had 
 taken greater care of himself than his adver- 
 sary : but, nevertheless, his arms wanted 
 muscular roundness ; liis belly was far (oo 
 big, and his legs destitute of firmness. There- 
 fore, to speak of them as well-trained men, 
 would be a libel on condition ; and bad, very 
 bad, was the best of the two big ones. Bolh 
 of the combatants, by such neglect, had 
 thrown a chance away ; and the strongest man 
 was the most likely to win the battle. Under 
 these disadvantages the men prepared to fight. 
 Brown placed himself in a much better atti- 
 tude than when he was opposed to Sampson ; 
 and his notions of milling seemed to partake 
 more of the boxer than in his previous contests. 
 Dobell, anxious for mischief, put up his short 
 arms, and endeavoured to go to work. His 
 left hand was out of distance; he was also 
 stopped, and gained nothing by the attack. 
 He repeated the attempt, but it was " no go !" 
 [" What are you waiting for," said Neal ; *' it 
 is as easy as A B C, — try it on."] — Brown 
 took the advice, and after a little manoeuvering, 
 planted a gentle hint on sir John Barleycorn's 
 chaffing closet, and got away. — [Clever !" said 
 Spring; "that's science, I think; only do as 
 1 told you, and you must win it like fun."] — 
 Brown then planted one, two ; his left on 
 Dobell's daylight, and his right on the oheek. 
 — [" Don't stand that," observed Harry Lan- 
 caster ; "but return the compliment: — be 
 with him."] Sir John Barleycorn made a 
 rush, and some hits were exchanged : but 
 Brown planted a teazer on his sensitive plant, 
 which not only drew his cork, hni floored him 
 like a shot. "The country folks were now all 
 happiness — shouting, laughing, and crying 
 out, " Brown for ever." Neal said, " I told 
 you how it would be ; I have won two events, 
 first blood, and first knock down. Why, I 
 say, my master, you can feel for the coves, 
 if you like." — "' It is as safe as the bank," 
 said .Spring. In the ecstacy of the moment, 
 the Brownites, at this slice of luck-, talked 
 about TEN to one. 
 
 2. Dobell came to the scratch in quick time, 
 and went to work ; but Brown was too leary, 
 and got out of mischief. He, however, re- 
 turned to the attack, planted two facers with- 
 out any return — (" Capital," from his friends). 
 
190 
 
 PIERCF. KGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Dobell fought his xvay info a rally, and it was 
 any thing else but " light play ;" in fact, it 
 was blacksmith work, complete hammering. 
 Sir John Barleycorn here completely satisfied 
 all present that he was a xanie man ; he would 
 not be denied, and although he received nob- 
 bers, Dobell would follow his retrcatirif: ad- 
 versary, getting the worst of it at every step : 
 quite wild, and his hits out of distance. His 
 nob now was a little changed, and it was 
 visible the painter had been very busy in 
 altering its colour. Dobell, in spite of his 
 had condition , rushed into a close, when Brown, 
 like an old stager, got down in the best way 
 he could. " That does not look like brave 
 conduct," said Jem Burn, " to go down iii 
 that ftyle." 
 
 3. Dobell, it should seem, almost began lo 
 ask himself a few questions: he was piping: 
 and a little time was necessary. Brown, quite 
 alive to the chance he had before him, boldly 
 went in to his work, and with his right hand 
 put in a most tremendous blow on sir John 
 Barleycorn's face, and he measured his length 
 upon the grass, without saying a single word 
 to any body. It was impossible to describe 
 the roars of applause: the Jo/iH?!i/J?aM-'J seemed 
 all out of theirminds at the fighting of Brown : 
 and, pulling out their tiny bags, offered to 
 sport all their pewter, at any odds, upon their 
 countryman. — [" He's a noice man; he can 
 lick all the Lxinnun chaps.''] — " I would not 
 take 100 to 5, and stand it," said Sampson. 
 " I know what a hitter this Bro-vn is — it is 
 all up with Dobell." 
 
 4. It was evident to all the liing-goers how 
 the thing must terminate— the wpnt of condi- 
 tion will beat any man. This round was 
 decidedly in favor of Brown. Sir John Bar- 
 leycorn made play with spirit, but Brown 
 retreated from danger. He, however, returned 
 to the charge, and planted a very heavy blow 
 on Dobell's mouth ; and here John was again 
 floored — [Another roar of artillery ; the chaw- 
 bacons clapping their hands ; and the friends 
 of Brown quite satisfied it was all his own. 
 " Take him away."] 
 
 5. Brown had now made up his mind for 
 finishing, SLiid for wi/sc/ife/, but missed his aim, 
 
 when Sir John met him slap bang on his neck. 
 (" That's the way," said Harry Lancaster, 
 " Curtis tipped it to Barney Aaron, and settled 
 the account,)" and also drew the claret from 
 his conk. In closing. Brown went down. 
 " Bravo Dobell," from all parts of the ring. 
 
 G. The hero of the lush crib now found out, 
 too late, the want of training, and it was 
 " bellows to mend." Brown had now only 
 to keep out of danger, and victory was within 
 his grasp. He jobbed his opponent on the 
 retreating style; but the determined spirit of 
 Dobell would not lethim^incA, and he fought 
 Kio way into a close. Brown was well assured 
 it was much better for him to go down gently 
 than to put his shoulder to the test by pulling 
 and hauling. 
 
 7. The friends of Dobell rather complained 
 
 of Brown's going down, and called out to 
 him to stand up and light. The latter agaia 
 administered pepper; and Dobell, quite wild, 
 missed his hits in return. In closing, Do'jell 
 attempted the wear j/ig- sys-tem ; but hisstrengtli 
 was fast leaving him, and Brown got down 
 without any difficulty. 
 
 8. Dobell was not quite so fast as hereto- 
 fore ; in fact he was very much distressed. 
 Brown, although he had taken the lead, also 
 sliowed that he might have been better. 
 Brown took great liberties with the upper 
 works of his opponent, and jobbed, and jobbed 
 again, without any return. Dobell made his 
 right hand te'.l on the 7iob of his adversary, 
 but in struggling for the ttrow Brown went 
 down easily. 
 
 9. " Go to work," said Harry Lancaster ; 
 " his right hand if; gone, he cannot hutt you." 
 The thumb of Brown's right hand, if not 
 broken, had been so seriously injured in the 
 third round, that it was painful in the extreme 
 for him to use it. Some exchanges, but de- 
 cidedly in Brown's favor. Dobell would not 
 stand still ; punishing was his in'.ent, and in 
 rushing in he napt it at all points. The right 
 side of his face ^^as sadly peppered ; but his 
 game was unquestionable. In closing, Dobe.'l 
 endeavoured to fih his adversary, but Brown 
 made the best of his way down. Dobell, in 
 the hurry of the moment, struck the hero of 
 Bridgnorth on the seat of honor; when the 
 latter cried out "foul." It was not noticed 
 by the umpires. 
 
 10. Dobell's winning was now next to an 
 impossibility: but it is only common justice 
 to state that his game kept him alive. He 
 hit at rrmdom, throvving his blows away ; and 
 Erown, milling on the retreat, served him out 
 3t every turn. Brown stuck to him hard and 
 fast, until Sir John Barleycorn was sent down 
 on his knees. (" You had better look out for 
 St. John's-street, as soon as possible," said 
 Sampson, "depend upon it you had belter 
 never have left the crib.") " Brown for £100. 
 Three to one !" In fact, there were more 
 betters than takers at any odds. 
 
 11. Dobell was now a rank piper; but he - 
 was determined to keep it up to the last 
 minute. Good stops ; but the length of Brown 
 gave him the pull, and he jobbed his adversary 
 with some heavy blows. Ultimately Dobell 
 got Brown down. 
 
 12. Although it was the general opinion at 
 this period of the battle that Dobell must be 
 conquered, yet if he had come into the ring as 
 a fighting man ought to have done, another 
 statement might have been given of the affair. 
 At out-milling Dobell had no chance ; and 
 when he rushed in desperately, he was pu- 
 nished for his temerity. His seconds could 
 not keep him still, and the rush was his fa- 
 vorite object, in spite of danger. Brown 
 retreated from his fury ; but at length got a 
 turn, and a slashing hit on his nob sent Dobell 
 down on his face. " It's all up," was the 
 cry, when Stockman in turn began to chaff 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BO(,«K OF SPORTS. 
 
 191 
 
 Kiown ; telling Dobell to go in and win il. 
 " Yes I" said Neal, '' a very pretty time he'll 
 have of it if he goes in, and if he Iceeps out it 
 will be about the same thing !" 
 
 13. Dobell was quite licked at this period ; 
 lie was very side, puffing and blowing, and 
 almost abroad. Indeed he was entirely at 
 the service of Brown, who punished him all 
 over the ring, until he hit him down. Synip- 
 tonis of weakness also began to appear on 
 the part of Brown, who dropped on liis knees. 
 Any odds, but no takers. 
 
 14. Sir John Barleycorn was now as slow 
 as a top, and as weak as a kitten. He meant 
 well : he would have punished Brown if he 
 had been able ; but his execution was com- 
 pletely gone; and poor Dobell, the game Do- 
 bell, was of no use to himself, nor his friends. 
 Brown s one, two, again severely told, and he 
 v.'a.sJivoredsans ceremonie. — " Take him away ! 
 he cannot win. One hundred to ten ;" and 
 the Yokels grinning with joy, and shouting 
 with delight at the success of Brown. 
 
 1.5. The fight was drawing fast to a close ; 
 and, barring an accident, it was pour.dahle 
 that Brown must win. Dobell, regardless of 
 the consequences, tried the boring system ; 
 but it was ?i forlorn hope — a service of danger ; 
 and truly dangerous it proved to him. Ho 
 was jobbed all to pieces, and floored as hea\ y 
 as a sack of sand. The row was loud indeed : 
 and " take him away," from all parts of the 
 ring. But Dobell was too §•< me to listen to 
 the calls of the friends of Broun. 
 
 1(5. Very few men would have again ap- 
 peared at the scratch ; he had received quite 
 enough punishment for him to leave off, and 
 his friends were now satisfied that he had 
 done all that a brave man could do towards , 
 victory. But Dobell was determined to fight 
 even in opposition to nature ; and his blows 
 were of the wildest description. Brow n had 
 it all his own way, hit him as he pleased, and 
 Dobell was again down quite exhausted. 
 " Take him away !" 
 
 17, and last. Like a drowning «ian calcli- 
 ing at a straw, and as a last effort Dobell 
 staggered into mill; but he ^\s^s floored in- 
 stanter. AVhen time was called he left his 
 seconds' knee ; but his strength had so de- 
 serted him that he could not lift up his hands. 
 When the hat was thrown up, and victory was 
 declared in favour of Brown, the Bridgnorth 
 folks almost rent the air with their vocifera- 
 tions, of " Brown for ever." The battle was 
 over in twenty-lwo and a half minutes. One 
 side of Dobell's face was severely punished ; 
 but Brown's mug was nearly free from marks, 
 except one of his peepers. 
 Remarks. — Dobell has only himself to blame . 
 we never saw a man in worse condition, if so 
 bad, enter the Prize Ring. It is true that he 
 -vent into the country for a day or two, now 
 :.nd then, at Hendon, to get off his superfluous 
 flesh, exercise himself, and enjoy the fre.^h 
 air ; but it would be a mockery to give it the 
 name of training. Indeed, Harry Lancasti r 
 
 was so dissatisfied with his conduct, that be 
 requested Dobell to leave his house, in order 
 that no blame might be attached to his (I-f, 
 L.'s) conduct as a trainer. No man can win 
 it out of CONDITION. But Dobell was obsti- 
 nate: he would not listen to the advice of 
 any of his friends; and flattered himself that 
 he could lick off-hand his opponent. In fact, 
 in no one instance whatever did his demeanour 
 appear like that of a man engaged fo fight a 
 Prize battle. Strange to say, he left London 
 on Saturday by the Wonder without a single 
 person to attend upon him, and he also re- 
 mained in Birmingham, at the Crown Inn, 
 completely alone. He appeared quite de- 
 serted, labouring under a severe cold, and not 
 noticed by any person in the Fancy. Allow- 
 ing for all those drawbacks, his conduct in the 
 ring was truly game ; and he fought like a 
 man determined to win. If he had paid that 
 sort of attention to himself he was bound to 
 do as a boxer, anxious not only prove the 
 conqueror, but to arrive at the top of the tree, 
 he would have got down to a proper weight, 
 improved his wind, increased his activity, 
 and, as he is an acknowledged hard hitter 
 possessing immense strength, a very dif- 
 ferent account might have been given of 
 this battle. At all events, Dobell would 
 then have appeared something like an op- 
 ponent to Brown. Dobell, in a gieat mea- 
 sure, has been accessory to his own defeat ; 
 and, if he should have another shy, we hope 
 he will then strictly attend to the rules of 
 training. That he proved himself a good 
 taker will not be doubted ; and if he had been 
 up to the mark, his giving qualities might 
 have proved very mischievous, and made the 
 battle doubtful. His adversary was not in 
 much better condition. In several instances 
 he showed weakness, was out of wind, and 
 bad upon his legs. Therefore, if Dobell had 
 been well — place this and that together — the 
 hero of the lush crib might have stood a good 
 chance of becoming a hero in the P. R. 
 Brown is not a muscular man — his arms never 
 exhibited this sort of trait, which, in general, 
 belongs to the pugilist : nevertheless Brown is 
 a powerful man, and his hits was very 
 effective : but there are men who never ca;i 
 get into first-rate condition. The length of 
 Brown gave him great advantages in out-Jighl- 
 ing ; and the furious impetuous, inconsiderate 
 rushes made by Dobell, lost him the battle in 
 quick time. Likewise at in fighting, Dobell 
 had the worst of it, fVom the want of strength, 
 Brown also proved nimselt the best figliter in 
 every point of view — he timed his man in 
 coming-in — went down out of difficulties — and, 
 when he had got Dobell, as the pugilistic 
 phrase goes, he polished him off hand. Se- 
 veral persons found fault with Brown for 
 going-down — they thought it showed a want 
 of game ; while others, on the contrary, assert, 
 that in this he evinced a knowledge of the 
 ring, and did every thing in his powe: to ob- 
 tain victory, Dobell left off more owing to 
 
102 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 fuligue than ptiMSHMENT; he was not licked 
 as to severe milling, but so completely worn 
 out and distressed, that the tight was all out of 
 him, and he could not lift his hands to con- 
 tinue the contest. We again repeat, he has 
 only himself to blame for being defeated in 
 Twenty-two Minutes and a Half. Had not 
 Brown seriously injured his thumb in the 
 third round, in al! probability the battle would 
 have been at an end in half the time ; but he 
 was afraid to hit with his right hand. We 
 cannot find fault with the game of either of 
 the men, if we cannot praise their science, or 
 place them on a footing with Spring and 
 Crawley. However, it was generally admitted 
 that. Two Hundred and Ei_(/lUy-eight Miles 
 was rather too long a distance for so short an 
 INNINGS ! ! ! 
 
 Circumstances connected with the Battle. 
 
 Winning versus Losing. — Brown imme- 
 diately left the ring amidst the shouts of vic- 
 tory — accompanied by Spring and Neal, and 
 a large mob of friends, to the King's Head Inn, 
 in the High Town of Bridgnorth, kept by his 
 brother, to partake of a good dinner. Brown 
 appeared just as much at his ease as if he had 
 not been fighting ; his right hand was a little 
 puffed, and his right peeper in mourning. 
 Here it was " all happiness ;" the smiles of 
 victory gave an additional zest to the scene ; 
 the gi'ub toddled off in quick time ; the port 
 and sherry went round like lightning, and. 
 the eloquence of Harry Holt, on the subject of 
 Prize Fighting, by way of preface to his toast, 
 " Success to Milling," was generally admired, 
 and drank with enthusiasm. 
 
 The Losing Man. — In the High To'in, a 
 Bridgnorth, only a few yards distant from the 
 conqueror, at the Royal Oak, we visued Do- 
 bell within an hour after the fight. He was 
 in bed, and his brother bathing his face with 
 "warm flannels, after he had been attended and 
 bled by a medical man. We we/e surprised 
 to find him_ in such good spirits : although in 
 defeat, he was not in despair. He observed 
 to the writer of this article, " that his heart 
 was still in the right place ; he did not com- 
 plain of the punishment he had received, that 
 from fatigue, and fatigue alone, he was com- 
 pelled to give up the battle. He also acknow- 
 ledged his bad state of health, his want oi 
 condition, and that he ought to have forfeited. 
 Brown, in the course of the afternoon, paid 
 him a visit, and they met each other like 
 brave fellows. 
 
 Both the High and Low towns of Bridg- 
 north had a prime turn by the above Mill ; 
 all the cribs were filled to an overflow ; and 
 the house, " the Bottle-in- Hand Inn," formerly 
 kept by Brown, was crammed to excess. The 
 veteran, Tom Crib, enjoying his cigar ; Tom 
 Spring, Ned Neal, Harry Holt, and Harry 
 Lancaster, all gave a friendly call at the 
 " Bottle-in-Hand Inn." 
 
 Blown, previous to his defeat by Sampson, 
 ttood very high in the estimation of the town s- 
 
 folks of Bridgnortii ; and at his opening din- 
 ner, he disposed of three hundred tickets at a 
 guinea each ; yet his loss .with Sampson 
 tended to render him rather unpopular with 
 his backers; but although compelled to leave 
 his house, he sold his property, and paid all 
 his debts in the most honorable manner. The 
 hero of Bridgnorth is very respectably con- 
 nected ; his father was considered a topping 
 farmer in those parts, and the early part of 
 Brown's life was that of a \oung gentlemanly 
 farmer. He is also respectably connected by 
 marriage ; and his better half has a small pro- 
 perty in her own right. Brown altogether is 
 a well conducted man, a merry excellent com- 
 panion, and nothing like the slightest degree 
 of ferocity allied to his manners or constitu- 
 tion. 
 
 Sampson, after the battle was over, rode 
 through the lower town of Bridgnorth on 
 horseback on his return to Birmingham. 
 Several of the Johnny Raws, grinning, asked 
 him if he had seen his Maester? they appeared 
 so elated by the success of I'.rown. " Yes," 
 replied Sampson (laughing), " he has been 
 very lucky to me to day ; he is one of my best 
 friends, I have pocketed, by his exertions, 
 £119; and I hope he will be lucky to me 
 another day." *' He is your master any day," 
 said an old countryman, shaking his bag of 
 money at him ; " he'll tip it to you next time." 
 " Very well, old boy," replied Phil, " you 
 shall have it all your own way — so good bye." 
 Sampson, on the previous evening, at Wolver- 
 hampton, had put down £10 towards fighting 
 Brown £500 to £300, but he was rather in- 
 ebriated at the time; a-'dv as a matter of course, 
 the match went off. 
 
 The ring was capacK us, wc.l kept, and not 
 the slightest interruption occurred; it was 
 also surrounded by several thousand persons, 
 but it wanted the ri[;ht sort of folks — the 
 swells — to give it importance. We are reluct- 
 antly compelled to acknowledge this fact, and 
 the appearance of tie thing was altogether 
 different from the lafe ring at Leicester. 
 This deficiency of gentlemen of character and 
 rank was attributed to the recent conduct of 
 Ward. The return from the fiild of battle to 
 Bridgnorth was truly delightful : the fineness 
 of the day, the windings of the road, of a 
 hilly aspect, for a mile or two, tilled with pe- 
 destrians and vehicles of every description ;- 
 the magnificent and picturesque scenery 
 which this part of the country affords ; and 
 the romantic appearance of the High Town of 
 Bridgnorth, the castle, the houses built on the 
 sides of a sort of rocky hill, the meanderings 
 of the Severn, the bridge, and the vessels in 
 the river, furnished a panoramic view to the 
 eye of the traveller of the most interesting 
 character, and not easily to be conveyed on 
 paper ; yet it tended, in a great degree, to 
 banish the idea from the mind of the amateur, 
 that he had travelled so long a distance from 
 the Metropolis, to obtain so little sport be- 
 tvveen the above " big-ones." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SP0RT8. 
 
 193 
 
 THE EVER-GREEN SPORTSMAN OF WOODFORD WELLS 
 
 Better to HUNT in fields for health uiibought, 
 Than FiiE the Doctor for a nanseous draught! 
 
 To Gladsome, hark ! hark ! 
 High ! wind h m ! and cross him,! 
 Now Governess, Syren, hark ' 
 
 Tvj'.t RotjNt'NG was a hunter bold. 
 
 As e'er follew'd a bound : 
 A jolly fellow- good as gold. 
 
 In friendship, firm and sound. 
 
 Torn long has liv'd r>t Woodford VVel-In, 
 The sij>u, the Horse and Orooiu ; 
 
 A pleasing ride foi West end Swells, 
 And hns a clieeif'il room. 
 
 The Gompaay drive down in flock?, 
 On Sundays — ey'ry day — , 
 
 See Actors, Poets — men of Storks, 
 All dress'd so primp and gay. 
 
 Now Rounding's is a House of Call- ■• 
 Indeed: for " Choice SriRii s !" 
 
 And t-hose wlio love the bat and nail ; 
 With many other merifs. 
 
i\n 
 
 PIKRCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Easter time — 'lis quite a treat, 
 
 The famous Ei"ri\i; Hum : 
 To view the Cockneys all dead be-.it, 
 
 Aud, PICKING up, the blunt. 
 
 Such jolly dogs— a roaring trade. 
 
 The high, the game, the poor; 
 With many a swaggering blade, 
 
 Aud many a noisy boor I 
 
 All sorts of coves, fat, thin, and lank, 
 
 All in a merry mood ; — 
 Amongst them, fam'd George Cruikshaijk, 
 
 And, ^lun-uing Tommy Hood. 
 
 To please the Town, and give a sketch, 
 
 \Vith ' Oddities and Whims' — 
 The public mind upon the stretch. 
 
 To purchase his " Broad Grins !" 
 
 Then down they went to sketch the fun, 
 
 A caricaturing shy ! 
 And Tommy Hood quite full of fun ; 
 
 But BOTH '•uyon the sly 1" 
 
 Then Hood ho cast his eyes around, 
 
 As far as he could see. 
 The motley r,rowp with mirth abound, 
 
 To make bis pu.ns — so free I 
 
 George, with his pencil, heav'd a sigh. 
 
 On sketching Tommy's tVame— 
 Said, " such a man should never die,* 
 
 So great in hunliug fame !' 
 
 " Tommy must bolt .' like other men! 
 
 No jse to grieve and grunt," 
 Said fommy Hood, showing his pen, 
 
 " When Death does Rounding hunt." 
 
 Said Hood to George, " come fill your glass. 
 Here's Tom Rounding's good health I 
 
 May years and years joUily pass. 
 Before Tom's ta'en by stealth." 
 
 " My thanks, my boys, clever J young men, 
 
 I've led a jolly life. 
 And drank and sang — three score and ten, 
 
 Unmix'd with foe and strife 1 
 
 " On Spunkaiiay I've led the field. 
 
 And checr'd the op'ning pack ; 
 But Tom to Time must bend and yield. 
 
 Although was — " ouce the crack." 
 
 • If not expressed, perhaps, with the same warmth of 
 feeling, as my uncle Toby did over the dying Lieutenant 
 •in his argument with Corporal Trim, we have not the 
 (lightest doubt but there was as much of heart attached 
 to the sentence, and our friend, George, was perfectly 
 right— such good fellows cannot be spared! Tom Round- 
 ing is not an everyday sort of man, either in the cha- 
 racter of "Mine Host," or in the field as a Sportsman, 
 and the loss of such a diaracter leaves an awful chasm 
 in the society of his friends, who were frequently in 
 the habit of enjoying his company. 
 
 t It is well known that Death does hunt up all his 
 subjects sooner or later, whether in the tield or other- 
 wise ; and Dbath, so grindy personified by the artist 
 in " Death's Doings," appears to be always in at the 
 death ; therefore, if any thing like a Pun can be con- 
 strued towards the above sentence, if it is not con- 
 sidered as deadly, lively--at all events, it cannot be 
 denied but it is a very grate one ! 
 
 X A good truism of Old Tom— for if George Cruik- 
 shank, aud the facetious pimster Thomas Hood, are 
 not deserving of the title of "clever men," we do 
 not know where to find them ; but both the above 
 Gents., as the Players wish to have it said of 
 them, have been "found out " by the public ; and those 
 men who can make the multitude laugh heartily 
 without appearing in propria persona before them, 
 nmst prove themselves a tiny bit above the rank of 
 Commoners 'ax tht Scale of Talent ! 
 
 "With Gladsome good— Governess gay, 
 
 Aud Syren at my lieels ; 
 Ev'ry dog has had his day. 
 
 The adage— O I- u Tom - feels !• 
 
 •' With gratitude my pulse will beat. 
 
 Nor e'er depart therefrom ; 
 Till I'm gone to my last ' retreat,' 
 
 You'll then remember — TOM !" 
 
 Nothing can be more pleasing to the feel- 
 ings of the biographer, when he has little 
 more to perform respecting the hero of his 
 sketch, than tq deliver " a round, unvarnished 
 tale !" Such being the case in the present 
 instance, and the touches of art not being 
 required to increase the portrait we are about 
 to present to the supporters of the " Book of 
 Sports," we have only to say — come forth thou 
 truly sportsman-like hero — Tom Rounding 
 — and the likeness, we flatter ourselves, will 
 be pronounced, genuine: — 
 
 Thrice happy they who sleep in humble life. 
 Beneath the storm ambition blows I 
 
 Tom and Dirk Rounding were brothers, and 
 were born ut Woodford on Epping Forest, 
 bred up in the sports of the chase, and lived 
 tog^ether fifty years; and if Tom has never 
 had occasion to trouble the Heralds' College 
 to furnish him with a ' Coat of Arms,' nor 
 have been called upon to produce his pedigree, 
 the following soug in the Opera of ' The 
 Farmer' bears so strong an analogy to his 
 ancestors, and his own immediate character 
 that we are induced to quote it : 
 
 Ere around the huge oak, that o'ershadows yon mill, 
 
 The fond ivy had dared to entwine ; 
 Ere the church was a ruin that nods on the hill 
 
 Or the rooks built their nest on the pine ; 
 
 Could I trace back the time, of a far distant date. 
 Since my forefathers' toil'd on this tield ; 
 
 And the farm I now hold on your honour's estate. 
 Is the same which my grandfather till'd. 
 
 He dying, bequeath'd to his son a good name ; 
 
 Which unsilllied descended to me; 
 For my child I've preserved it, unblemi^he with 
 shame ; 
 
 And it still from a spot shall go free I 
 
 The two Roundings commencod their hunt- 
 ing- career with the celebrated Will Dean, 
 Dick Fairbrother, aud Tom Hatterill, as good 
 Sportsmen as ever England produced; and 
 continued hunting with them, as also with the 
 fox-hounds of Andrew Archer and — Coke, 
 Esqs., and other gentlemen, till the year 1792. 
 At that period, Tom and Dick Rounding es- 
 tablished a pack of fox-hounds, and hunted 
 
 ♦ Such thoughts will, at times, come across our 
 minds, in spite of all our fortitude to ward off the 
 grand climax of our existence. Shakspeare has most 
 beautifully impressed this sublime truth upon our 
 memory : — 
 
 the Great Globe itself I 
 
 Yea, all who inherit it, shall dissolve ! 
 
 And, like this insubstantial pageant faded. 
 
 Leave not a wreck behind ! 
 "Thusman passes away ;" observes an elegant modern 
 author, " his name perishes from record and recollec- 
 tioi : his history is as a «n/e that is told, and his 
 ver'- momimbnt becomes a ruin-" 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 lur, 
 
 {Treat portion of I'.s.sex, including a circum- 
 ference of upwards of one hundred miles ; 
 having run equal to any pack of hounds that 
 ever hunted the country. "As the foxes in 
 Essex are so vermin bred," Dick has been 
 iieard to say to Tom, " Tiicre will be no end 
 to such a fox." " I5ut we'll fry, Dick," re- 
 plied Tom ; " and so let us be off, and see 
 which has the best bit of blood." In the true 
 huntsman's style, it was a fine treat to hear 
 Tom Rounding in the field, calling out," Hark 
 forward ! look at Tyrant, Gladsome, and Go- 
 verness. See here they go ! what a head they 
 make altogether ! get forward my boys ! they 
 are laying at him, as bitter as soot. Now, 
 now for the brush I" 
 
 A celebrated fox-hunter in Essex has been 
 often heard to say, " I compare Dick and his 
 gray horse to the moon ; the longer and faster 
 I ride, no nearer can I get to them." 
 
 It is worthy of remark, at the period alluded 
 to, the two Roundings did not possess an acre 
 of ground in the country ; and no hounds 
 hunted a country more pleasant than tne/ 
 did. The land-owners and farmers of Essex 
 were such lovers of fox-hunting, and the ex- 
 cellent sport which the chase afforded thera, 
 that not a murmur escaped their lips. Indeed, 
 the contrary was the fact, as it was the gene- 
 ral expression of these gentlemen to Tom and 
 Dick Rounding, "Why do you pass our houses 
 in returning home ? You know we have at 
 rill tinies ale and bread and cheese for you 
 and the field, with a hearty welcome." 
 
 The two brothers continued hunting with 
 those hounds till 1813, when poor Dick was 
 attacked with a fever and died. This proved 
 a severe separation for Tom Koimdiog; and 
 it was a considerable time before he got tlie 
 better of it. At length he took the fie'd once 
 more, and mounted his old favorite horse, 
 Spankaway, to join his brother sportsmen. 
 Tom's appearance amongst them was hailed 
 with delight; and many brave sportsmen can 
 bear testimony of the unrivalled sport they 
 enjojed,and alsothe numerous glorious chases 
 which took place. 
 
 His fine old horse, Spankaway, was bred by 
 G. Smith, Esq., and got by Ruler, out of a 
 Phenomenon mare, and foaled in the year 
 1792. Time will undermine the strongest 
 fabric ; therefore, his brother sportsmen may 
 form some opinion of the place his master now 
 can take with the hounds ; but he still will 
 be with them now and then to join in the 
 whoo-whoop !" 
 
 No man, in the character of " Mine Host," 
 stands liigher in the estimation of the public 
 than the above veteran sportsman, as an ex- 
 cellent caterer for his friends. Tom's wines 
 are of the first quality ; his liquors equally 
 excellent; and his dinners are served up in 
 a style so attractive, as to evince Rounding's 
 taste for the ' good things of this life.' 
 
 The Horse and Groom is a place of great 
 resort during the summer months : the situa- 
 tion of \\hich (Voui t!ie Metropulis is just the 
 
 " rignt sort of pleasant drive" to the man, 
 and not fatiguing to the horse; and from 
 twenty to thirty gigs, besides other vehicles, 
 may be seen standing before Tom Roundiui^'s 
 house every Sunday. The garden attaciied 
 to the inn is delightful, and the prospects by 
 which it is surrounded truly picturesque and 
 interesting to the spectator; and the " How 
 d'ye do?" and "How do you ?" again, occa- 
 sioned by the meeting of old acquaintances, 
 render WoodfordWells a most attractive situa- 
 tion for the lively and wealthy fifs and sporting 
 men in general. Indeed, it might be said, the 
 Horse and Gioom is the resort of men of 
 talent of every description, where they can 
 unbend with ease and pleasure, and yet pre- 
 serve their dignity. The heroes and heroines 
 of the ' Sock and Buskin' are frequently to 
 be met with here ' enjoying their hour,' and 
 aumiring the beauties of nature ! Old Tommy 
 is a favorite with every body — there is so 
 much hospitality and frankness attached to 
 his character and manners — and the most 
 prominent feature in his face, is good nature. 
 We have drank Champaigne here with the 
 celebrated ' Meg Merrilies ;' took Madeira 
 with King Harry the Eighth ; and had our 
 goblet of brandy and water filled, again and 
 again, with the highly talented Dogberry-- 
 moments only to be remembered with satislac- 
 tion and delight. W^e have also given our 
 opinion on claret with some of the " Plumbs * 
 of the City" who have left their great weight 
 and importance at home for a short period, in 
 order to spend a pleasant hour or two like 
 rational beings, giving Cocker a holiday, vvilli 
 clever fellows and men of intellect, but less 
 favored by fortune — and Kho had not ac- 
 quired the cecret of " Hnw to f^roio rich." 
 
 At the Horse and Groom also, we have met 
 witi) in " Life's variegated scene,'' on our 
 " Road to the Mill," and at other times some 
 of the tip-top heroes of the Fancy ; and we 
 never have yet had to complain that our 
 imasination has been injured in the slightest 
 cicgree by an intercourse with the brave fel- 
 lows of the P. R. In truth, from the Duke 
 to the Beggar, Tom Rounding never appeared 
 at a loss — civility and attention are his guides 
 upon all occasions — and every visitor is treated 
 according to his deserts; and yet there is 
 nothing like " iihipping" attached to his con- 
 duct, tlem ! — Shakspeare. 
 
 The sports on Piaster Monday may be said 
 to be under the control of Mr. Rounding, who 
 turns out the stag on the above day, and 
 which circumstance gives such notoriety to 
 the Epping Hunt, so famous in the annals of 
 cockneyism — and which is so richly and cha- 
 racteristically described by the facetious 
 ToMiMV Hoou, tliat we have made the follow- 
 ing quotation from his asnusing work : — 
 
 All sorts of Tehicles and vans, 
 
 Had, niijdling, and the smart ; 
 Here roU'd along the gay barouch';, 
 
 And there a dirty cart. 
 
 ♦ Ciii/ slaiii.—X man woitiilOK.WO/. 
 
 o -^ 
 
100 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 And lo I a oart that held a squad, 
 
 Of costermonper liue, 
 With one po(jr lia<-k, like Pepasns, 
 
 Tliat slav'd for all tlie Nine 1 
 
 Yetuiarvel not at any load, 
 
 That any horse niight drag ; 
 When a_ll'tliat morn at once were drawn 
 
 Together by a stag! 
 
 >fow when they saw John Huggins* go, 
 
 At such a sober pace ; 
 " Hallo !" cried they ; " come, trot away. 
 
 You'll never see the chase !" 
 
 But John, as grave as any judge. 
 
 Made answers qiiite as blunt ; 
 " It will be time enouiih to trot. 
 
 When I begin to hunt." 
 And so he paced to Woodford WelU. 
 
 Where many a horseman met. 
 And letting go the reins, o( course, 
 
 Prepared for /leaiy wet. 
 
 And lo ! within the crowded door. 
 
 Stood RouNUiNG, jovial elf; 
 Here shall the Muse frame no excuse, 
 
 But frame the man himself. 
 
 A snow white head.t a merry eye, 
 
 A cheek of jolly blush ; 
 A claret tint laid on by health, 
 
 With miister Reynard's brush. 
 
 k lieulty fr.nne, ,1 courtprHis bow, 
 
 The prince he leain'd it froiji ; 
 His age about three-score and ten. 
 
 And there you have Old Tom. 
 
 In merriest key, I trow was he. 
 
 So many guests to boo ..t. 
 So certain congregations meet. 
 
 And elevate the host. 
 
 " Now welcome lads," quoth lie, " and prad^t 
 
 You're all in glorious luck ; 
 Old Robin has a run to day, 
 
 A noted forest buck." 
 
 A pleasing association of ideas is con- 
 nected witlx the recollection of our first visit 
 to the Easter Hunt — the animating bustle on 
 the road — a complete picture of life in all its 
 varieties — tiie strange mixture of pedestrians 
 Hnd esquestrians, from the costermonger on his 
 donkey to the best thorougli-bred gent. The 
 gibes and sneers from the well-mounted doiniy 
 ones to the Jiats and dragsmen — the fast goers, 
 witii tiie friendly nods of sporting spirits — 
 their rendezvous and pull up at our esteemed 
 and old friend Tom Rounding's. We think we 
 see this fine old huntsman, with his good- 
 humoured countenance, greeting his friends 
 with his hearty " How d'ye do — glad to see 
 you here — what, my old acquaintance ? Harry, 
 take this gentleman's horse," &c. Here fol- 
 low — seeing the stag, finishing your lunch, 
 and, while commenting on the motley arrivals, 
 some friend whispers a cheval : — 
 
 • The hero of Mr. Hood's Epping Hunt — a second 
 John Gilpin : who also went fiu-ther than he intended, 
 but nevertheless came home safe at last. 
 
 i Mr. Hood, we trust, will pardon us, but ta^te is 
 everything ; and although we love a good pun, and 
 enter into the spirit of that spi'cies of wit, when it 
 flows spontaneously from the mind — yet, in our hum- 
 ble opinion, the above two verses are the very best in 
 the Book— they are true to Kature — there is life blood 
 attached to them, and must be considered as a rich 
 pen and ink portrait of our worthy old Sporting 
 friend, "mine Host" of Woodford Wells. 
 
 'Tis near the time o' day 
 The hounds begin to bay ; 
 Each at his best speed 
 Starts for Fair i^iead. 
 
 Then begins the bustle of mounting, and, on 
 the hill, the beautiful assemblage of the fair 
 sex, in elegant carriages, finely grouped with 
 the pedestrians and equestrians, form, with 
 the surrounding scenery, a beautiful pano- 
 ramic view. Then conies our friend Tom 
 with — 
 
 All the attendants of the chasp. 
 While anxious sportsmen take their place ; 
 The stag turns out, and gracefully bounds 
 Before the music of the hounds. 
 
 Then follows a scene that is as difficult to 
 conceive to those who have not seen it as to 
 describe by those who have seen huntsmen 
 who never hunted before. Horses that hunt 
 without riders are to be seen scattered over 
 the forest, intermixed with chay-ca.rts, don- 
 kies, ponies, and pedestrians, while the few 
 well mounted sportsmen, who know how lo 
 keep their proper places, are soon lost sight 
 of: — it is thus that Mr. Hood gives the reader 
 a fine pictorial skefrh of it: — 
 
 'Twas strange to thirfk what diffsrenw 
 
 A single creature made ; 
 A single stag had caused a whole 
 
 'S< a "nation in their trade. 
 
 Now Huggins from his saddle rose. 
 
 And in the stirrups stood ; 
 And lo ! a little cart that came. 
 
 Hard by a little wood, 
 
 In shape like half a hearse— though not 
 
 For corpses in the least; 
 For this contained the deer alive. 
 
 And not the dear deceased ! 
 
 And now began a sudden stir, 
 
 And then a sudden shout. 
 The prison doors were open'd wide, 
 
 And Robin bounded out ! 
 
 His antler'd head shone blue and red, 
 
 Bedeck'd with ribbons tine, 
 Like other bucks that come to list. 
 
 The /iaiibticks in the line. 
 
 (Jor'd lord ! to see the riders now. 
 
 Thrown off with .sudden whirl, 
 A score within the purling brook, 
 
 Enjoy'd their " early purl I" 
 
 Some lost their stirrups, some their whips. 
 
 Some had no caps to show : 
 But few, like Charles at Charing Cross, 
 
 Rode on in 6iatu quo. 
 
 " O dear I O dear 1" now might you hear, 
 
 " I've surely broke a bone ;" 
 " My head is sore," — with many more 
 
 Such speeches from the thrown. 
 
 Away they went then dog and deer, 
 
 And hunters all away, — 
 The maddest horses never knew. 
 
 Mad itag^ers such as they ! 
 
 When thus forlorn, a merry bom 
 
 Struck up without the door ; 
 Tlie mounted inob were all retum'd : 
 
 The Epping Hum was o'er. 
 
 And many a horse was (aVen out 
 
 Of saddles, and of shaft ; 
 And men, by dint of drink, became 
 
 The only "beasts of draught." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPOHTS. 
 
 197 
 
 For DOW begun a han'or run, 
 
 Or wine and gin, and bcev ; 
 And overtaken then discua'd' 
 
 The overtaken deer. 
 
 How far lie run, and eke how fast. 
 
 And how at bay he utood, 
 /Jtvrlike, resolved to sell his life 
 
 As dearly as he could. 
 
 At AV'hitsuntide some good pony races are 
 conte.oted at Woodford ; and severtil prime po- 
 nies have been entered for the cup and stakes. 
 In i^eneral, tliey are well attended, and consi- 
 derable amusement is aflbrded to the visitors ; 
 but they are a mere nothing in the scale of 
 atticittion, compared with the Epi ng hunt. 
 
 In speaking of the sports of the field, as 
 well as affording information to sportsmen of 
 other countries, this small sketch of ]Mr. 
 Rounding would be imperfect if it were not 
 stated that a more thorough bred, or complete 
 sportsman is not to be met with in the king- 
 dom. His stables and kennels have always 
 been kept in such excellent order as to be 
 a complete school for young huntsmen and 
 grooms. In the field, his judgment is truly 
 conspicuous ; and in helping the hounds when 
 they are at fault/ 
 
 In his manners, Tom Rounding is a per- 
 fect gentleman ; and his company is much 
 souglit after, by sportsmen in particular, 
 fur his facetious humour and interesting 
 anecdotes. T!ie person of Mr. Rounding 
 v.as said to be, a few years since, very much 
 like the late king George III. ; and for a good 
 heart, liberal disposition, and an anxiety to 
 please all his friends, this celebrated sports- 
 man is truly distinguished. He is also a man 
 of talent, and charitable and humane to the 
 
 * The diicuxsion between the visitors in the crowded • 
 tap respecting the merits of the Stag and the fun of 
 llie day, was not exactly Parliamentary, " across the 
 table," from one to another ; and in some instances 
 pi-rfectly unintelligible to the Juhmiy liuus who were 
 taking the ' linings out of pots of pewter,' in quick time 
 owing to extreme thirst. Between the buzz and loud 
 talking, a few detached sentences v/ere caught hold of 
 by a Gent, belonging to the piess, — " My eyes," sajd 
 costermonger Jack, to his pal Carrotty Kill, " did you 
 ever in your nat'ral life, ever before see sicli a beau 
 tii'ul cretur — vith sich a nob— sich horns— sich legs- 
 and how slie did git over the ground— they called her 
 a ,Sia!f — but blow me, if I could Siiig her but a wery 
 little vay— and if 1 vas but a swell, 1 vould back this 
 here out-and out .S7«j against any thing alive, to leave 
 all the rest of the vorld behind her!" itoaing njf' as he 
 culled It it ' flash of lightning,' tiithoni a vi.\k.er.] " I 
 believe you, 1 does," replied Carrotty Hill, " she 
 diil'nt ran — no, so help me bob— she flied across the 
 Forest— and 1 thought at one time she vould have 
 jumped into an open vinder in the first floor of a 
 house. 1 never seed sich fun before— I'm quite .sore as 
 how vith laughing : did you see tiie dra;; vot vas up- 
 set, and a gi eat fat hooman came tumbling over topsy 
 tursy — t never saw sich a thing before— such bonnet- 
 ing— such ramping- sich cleaning out — and the collec- 
 tors made a tine harvest on it - but vots that to me or to 
 yi.u Jack, if people vill go to hunts, vy they nuist be 
 hunted ; a'i trades must live, and every body can't 
 deal in CLibbiiges and potatoes — Heie I say, you land- 
 lord, biing us another qevarten of max, anil let u.Uiave 
 a three( ut gla.ss, as Sal as just joined us, and as bow 
 you know ve must not be si:iilii, by no manno.- of 
 means to Sal, a*^ she is in that ere sirt of vay, that vc 
 mu.n be kind to the fvmale vonieii !'' 
 
 poor, as numerous persons can testify Mr. 
 Rounding has likewise a very extensive 
 knowledge of sporting characters — and with 
 the " lions, tigers, and Great Creatures" of 
 the day. 
 
 The above facetious prime old huntsman 
 has topped three score and ten, and cunlinues 
 to enjoy a fine green old age; and he appears 
 almost as lively and as full of spirits as v\hen 
 Tom fii-st threw his leg over old "Spank- 
 away" and cried out " Hark, forward!" to 
 Tyrant, Gladsome, &c. Over the bowl he is 
 the hero of the tale — and the lovers of hunt- 
 ing, good hounds, fine horses, and a descrip- 
 tion of fox chases, would be delighted beyond 
 measure in his company. He never deserts 
 his friend — nor flinches from the bowl. In 
 truth, Tom Rounding is a highly finished 
 portrait of a thorough-bred sportsman ; and 
 as a climax, nothing else but an out-and-out 
 Trump ! 
 
 Tiiii Hunter. 
 
 IFrom a Comspondfnt.'] 
 
 Of all the sports in the world that of fox- 
 hunting is the finest, and it is the best physic 
 for mending a bad constitution, or preserving 
 a good one. This sport is given up exclu- 
 sively to the man of fortune ; for, as an ex- 
 cellent writer tells us — hunting is a fine 
 recreation, and fit for some great men, but 
 not for every base inferior person, who, while 
 he maintains his hounds and hunters, his 
 wealth runs away with his hounds. The 
 horse that is -wanted for this sport ought to be 
 between fifteen and sixteen hands high : he 
 ought to have a light mouth, and legs short 
 enough to double up well under him in the 
 leap ; the compact will always beat the leggy 
 horse ansong hills or in heavy ground. In 
 proportion as the agriculture of the country 
 is improved the speed of the chase is increased ; 
 the scent lies better on enclosed than on open 
 barren ground, and there is more running 
 breast high than when tlie hound has to pick 
 out the scent, carrying his nose almost close 
 to the ground, and consequently going more 
 slowly. The best pace that hounds usually 
 run is about fourteen miles in the hour, but 
 they have been known to go seven miles, from 
 point to point, in less than twenty-five minutes : 
 stoutness, tlierefore, is still necessary for the 
 horse, but the huiUer must be at least three 
 quarter's bred, if not seven-eighths. In some 
 counties, Sussex for instance (tiie downs 
 excepted), which is remarkable for heavy 
 ground and stilF fences, the half bred horse 
 may get on well enough, but in all other 
 countries not so situated, the sportsman must 
 be mounted on a very nearly thorough-bred 
 horse. A horse, to be in perfect condition, 
 should carry as much firm elastic muscle as 
 possible, without even a particle of fat, which 
 is to be attained by a judicious use of food. 
 
iU8 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 physic and exercise. When the work is hard 
 the liorse is to be fed plentifully ; when it is 
 otherwise, the food should be diminished im- 
 mediately. A horse may be hunted with 
 safety three times in a fortnight ; but if there 
 was any very hard day, the horse should have 
 five or six days rest after it. It is said that a 
 horse was once hunted seventy-five times in 
 one season : this Lat has i.ever been sur- 
 passed. 
 
 SpoRriNG WITH YoDNG Kill-Bull's Hbart I 
 " Oh this love." 
 
 A Butcher's boy with tray of meat. 
 
 Did from his stall depart. 
 To carry to the London Inn, 
 
 A steak, and bullock's heart. 
 
 A hungry wench pursued behind. 
 
 And peep'd into his tray. 
 And trap'd the simple youth, for then 
 
 She stole his heart auay. 
 
 And when the luckless boy perceived 
 
 The loss, it made him start — 
 He smote his breast — and walking on. 
 
 He sigh'd — 'I've lost my heart.' 
 
 Ah I well be knew his master's wrath, 
 And gucss'd his limbs would smart. 
 
 When he the secret did confess. 
 How he had loit his heart. 
 
 Quoth he, /cf.acting on the case, 
 
 "How oft has been my part. 
 To court the girls, but 'ere this day 
 
 I never lost a heart. 
 
 " Tve romped with kitchen maids and cooks 
 
 And twice kissed Betty Blart: 
 I'm fond of jokes — but hang surh jokes I 
 
 To steal aicay one's heart. 
 
 " There's Sally May, of George's Lane, 
 
 A tidy lass, and smart ; 
 I love her much — yet she's too good 
 
 I know, to steal my heart. 
 
 " My master was the money paid. 
 
 When I from home did start. 
 By Mr. Clench's cook — and she 
 
 By right should haie my heart." 
 
 And thus the youth bewailed his loss ; 
 
 To him it did impart 
 A sorrow great, that he exclaimed - 
 
 " This heart will break my hcait." 
 
 How fleeting are all human things, 
 
 How soon our joys depart ! 
 Ah ! little girls, reflect, and see 
 
 How soon we lose a heart ! 
 
 Sporting with feelings, 'tis too bad. 
 
 Although a Butcher's boy ! 
 For ' slickers' may be made to smart, 
 
 With Love's cruel alloy 1 
 
 Think! think of this, fair gentle maids 
 
 My little dears so coy 
 When naughty men shall steal tjour hearts — 
 Think of the Butcheb's Boy. 
 Exeter, March, 1832, W. B. 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the Prize Ring. 
 
 The Scientific Mill between 
 
 Young Dutch Sam and Ned Neal 
 
 Ludlow was named as the tlie scene of ac- 
 tion, a distance, according lo tlie coaclinien on 
 
 the road, of 150 miles from London. Tlis 
 long journey was a stopper to the metropolitiin 
 fanciers ; and, excepting reporters and the 
 corps pugili\tique, not half a dozen persons 
 from London were to be recognised in the 
 town of Ludlow. The innkeepers of this 
 place subscribed in the whole £100 for the 
 battle, which sura was divided between Sam 
 and Neal. The merits of the men have been 
 so fully before the amateurs, that it would not 
 only be a waste of paper but a loss of time, 
 to recapitulate their battles. The usual weight 
 of Neal was considered to be 12st. 41b. ; but 
 in a sparring tour with White-headed Bob, 
 he had increased to 13st. Misplace of train- 
 ing was at Milford, in Surrey, and by dint of 
 hard work, running, and walking, he reduced 
 himself 61bs. below the required weight list. 
 101b. He admitted, when questioned on the 
 subject, that he could not be in better health, 
 but he was not exactly as strong as he could 
 wish ; nevertheless he was satisfied he was 
 strong enough for his opponent. He left Mil- 
 ford on Saturday morning last, under the 
 patronage of a high-bred Naval Captain, and 
 a well-known Swell Dragsman, and arrived 
 in London by six o'clock, started by the mail 
 at seven, and arrived at Mr. Cook's, the Angel 
 Inn, in Ludlow, on the Sunday afternopn, 
 about three o'clock. 
 
 Sam had been attentive to his training, and 
 took more care of himself as to the long jour, 
 ney, and arrived by easy stages at the appoint- 
 ed place of rendezvous. He and his friends 
 slept at Worcester on the Friday night ; and 
 reached the Clive Arms, at Bromfield, on 
 Saturday, a distance of two miles from Lud- 
 low, and kept himself quiet until the morning 
 of fighting. Sam assured his friends they 
 should not find fault with him for want of 
 gmme. 
 
 The town of Ludlow, on the Monday after- 
 noon, did not exhibit that gaiety which might 
 have been expected on such a public occasion ; 
 indeed, it was comparatively dull. The 
 Angel, the head quarters of Neal, was filled 
 to an overflow ; and, excepting the Crown 
 Inn, we believe the other houses obtained 
 little, if any, accession of company on account 
 of the fight. Nor were the milling coves nu- 
 merous. Tom Spring, Tom Brown, Holt, 
 Tom Reynolds, Simon Byrne, White-headed 
 Bob, Tom Oliver, Dick Curtis, Ned Stock- 
 man, Arthur Mathewson, Sampson, and Pye- 
 finch, formed the whole of the boxers. 
 
 To fill up the leisure time on Monday after- 
 noon, most of the boxers took a view of Lud- 
 low Castle, one of the most splendid pieces of 
 antiquity in the kingdom. White-headed 
 Bob listened with the utmost attention lo the 
 eloquence of Harry Holt on the beauties of 
 the scenery, and other circumstances con- 
 nected with this delightful ruin. Bob wac 
 not exactly up to Milton, who had writtm his 
 " Masque of Comus" in this castle ; ncr \vns 
 lie doirn to Butler, who had likewise penned 
 his celebrated vork of Hndibras. Hut Buit 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 199 
 
 had no doubt they ^vere " good ones," if 
 Harry Holt knew any tiling about them, 
 though he had never heard oV them before in 
 the P. R. " Perhaps not," said Holt ; " but 
 nevertheless they both made good use of their 
 mauleys ; and their hits were publicly acknow- 
 ledged to have been capital. But they are 
 both floored now ; and if your appellation and 
 my name live half so long in tlie tablet of 
 memory, nay, one hundredth part, as they 
 have done, we must consider ourselves great 
 folks indeed." " That will do," said Bob, 
 " recollect we have something more important 
 in view than losing our time over these old 
 stones. — The sparring matches will begin soon 
 at the Angel, when I hope to pocket a little 
 blunt." 
 
 The BENtFiT. — The sets-to between Holt 
 and Oliver, White-headed Bob, Pyefinch, &c., 
 produced lots of applause, and also a tolerably 
 good muster of the amateurs. The boxers 
 were not out of pocket by their exertions at 
 the Angel. During the evening, the amateurs 
 from Shrewsbury, Birmingham, and the places 
 adjacent, gave the town a little more life by 
 (heir arrival. 
 
 The ring was formed in Ludford Park, on 
 a hill, commanding a mostd.eiightful prospect, 
 belonging to E. L. Charlton, esq., a well- 
 known sporting gentleman, and distinguished 
 for his breed of race-horses. The two deer 
 houses, the cluster of trees, the Lee Hills, of 
 which so much has been said by tourists, 
 gave a richness to the scene, better to the eye 
 of the traveller than all the descriptive quali- 
 ties of the writer can infuse into the mind of 
 the reader. Tom Oliver and Fogo selected a 
 rich bit of turf (upon which, according to the 
 pugilistic phraseology, no man could grudge 
 to be licked) for the ring ; the outer roped 
 ring was also capaciously made ; and the 
 range of waggons was so well placed as to 
 please and give perfect satisfaction to every 
 one present. The Beaks were all dunib as to 
 interruption ; and all was happiness respect- 
 ing a tine view of the battle. 
 
 The betting on jMonday evening in Liver- 
 pool was 7 to 4, and 2 to 1 on Neal ; but, 
 strange to say, in Birmingham Sam was made 
 the favorite. In London, also, Neal was the 
 favorite, at 2 and 3 to 1. In Worcester, the 
 battle was scarcely named. There was little 
 difference between the ages of the combatants, 
 Neal was born on IMarch 22, 1805 ; and Sam 
 first saw the light on the 30th of January, 1808. 
 
 Tuesday, April 7, 1829, Ludlow was in 
 a bustle by the arrival of numerous swell 
 iiokels, on prads, &c., and lots of toddlers, all 
 out of breath to arrive in time to see the mill. 
 Sam arrived in a chaise and four, about eleven 
 o'clock, and put up at the Crown, where the 
 havbatic waited upon him to cut his head ; 
 but, as Mvncij, Rons, or Macalpine, could not 
 be had belonging to the swell mob of Tonsurs, 
 .Sam let tiie country shaver operate on his nob 
 bef(.re it came under the supposed finish of 
 Ni.AL. Tliis being done, Sam waited upon 
 
 Neal at the Angel, when they both went to 
 scale. Sam was 21 bs under the weight, and 
 Neal full 41bs., nay more; but as he had 
 complied with the articles, his precise weight 
 was not required; but a rude ct.unlnj joskin, 
 said in a whisper to another yokel, ' what 
 has he done with his legs — where are his 
 thighs ?" &c. These remarks had some liltle 
 weight upon his backers, although they had 
 not dropped down in their confidence, but 2 to 
 1 was not to be had. 
 
 About twelve o'clock Neal, in a barouche 
 and four, left the Angel, his backers sporting 
 the blue and bird's-eye fogle ; and as they 
 passed the Crown, Sam and his friends were at 
 the window, when Sam pointed to his vehicle 
 below, smiling, and said, " That's the carriage 
 that will carry the winner." In a few minutes 
 afterwards, Sam also started for the ground 
 in a post-chaise and four, in high spirits, 
 sporting the yellownian, made on purpose for 
 him at Spitalfields. The wipe was of brighf. 
 yellow, with a scarlet border, and a garter in 
 the centre, surrounding the initials D. S., and 
 bearing the Latin inscription, " Nil desperan 
 dum," with the portraits of two men in com- 
 bat. Sam, it appears, by his victory, has 
 turned these fogies to a good account : he sold 
 them for a guinea a-piece, if he won ; but 
 they were presents if he lost. He distributed 
 a great number of them amongst his friends 
 previous to the battle. No horsemen nor car- 
 riages, excepting those which conveyed the 
 men to the ground, were admitted within the 
 Park gates, according to the orders of the 
 proprietor. This rendered every thing com- 
 fortable ; and the battle was conducted with 
 the etiquette of a drawing-room. 
 
 At a few minutes before one, Sam threw his 
 tile into the ring — he was accompanied by his 
 seconds, Sampson and Curtis. His counte- 
 nance was smiling, and disclosed confidence 
 to the very echo : " They say," said he to 
 Dick, " that I am not game; but I will con- 
 vince the libellers to tiie contrary before I quit 
 this ring." His backers offered to take two to 
 one; but it was not to be had. Sam was received 
 with loud cheers. Neal, arm-in-arm vvitli his 
 backers, appeared in sight, attended by Tom 
 Spring and Holt, and gently dropped his 
 caster within the ropes. He was also well 
 received by the multitude. Ned was equally 
 confident with his antagonist — nay, too con- 
 fident : he did not calculate upon the possible 
 effect of his reduction. They approached each 
 other like brave fellows, in the most cheerful 
 manner, and shook hands together. Ned said 
 to Sam, " Let you and I have a little bet upon 
 this fight. I will lay you five pounds on each 
 of three events— first blood, first knock down, 
 and winning the battle."—" No," replied Sam, 
 *' that will not exactly suit me ; we will leave 
 it all to the cook." 
 
 The men now prepared for action — the 
 umpires and referees were chosen, and the 
 hands crossed together, when the fight con»- 
 luenced for £100 a side ; — 
 
200 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Round 1. — The anxious moment Iiad now 
 Birived, and all the ]>crpcrs wi'iv on tlie 
 stretch to view the condilimt of the men. Ou 
 peeling, Sam appeared as line as a star ; his 
 arms wvre beautiful, as to anatomical propor- 
 tion ; his shoulders round and firm ; his loins 
 good ; his pins capital ; and his mu(f laufjhinj; 
 and full of confidence. In short, Sam might 
 be compared to a handsome game cock, crow- 
 ing almost to himself, that victory was in his 
 grasp ; indeed, his backers were delighted 
 with his manly appearance. Neal's counte- 
 nance also indicated confidence ; but it looked 
 rather more delicate than heretofore — a little 
 Jinedrawn. His shoulders and arms were 
 good ; but his thighs, hips, and legs were de- 
 ficient ; and his draAvers hung very loosely 
 about his body. The attitudes of the men 
 "ere attractive ; it was diamond cut diamond; 
 Neal was awake and Sam was leary, and both 
 on the look out to do suinmut. Some little 
 time was occupied in this manner ; in fact, 
 thi3 manoeuvres of the combatants were a de- 
 lightful picture of the art of self-defence to 
 the lovers of milling. Ned at length let fly 
 with his right baud at Sam's nob ; but the 
 latter, as quick as lightning, returned one, 
 two. A short pause. Ned again made play, 
 to try what his opponent was made of, when 
 Sam stepped back, and got cleverly out of 
 mischief. In closing, Sam endeavoured to 
 Jill Neal, when the struggle commenced for 
 the throw : but the efforts of Ned failed to 
 ^'ive a crttss-buttock, and in going down, Neal 
 was undermost. The Sujnites were loud in 
 their roars of approbation, saying, " it is all 
 right." But the friends of Neal offered 7 to 4. 
 
 2. — Science of the finest description was 
 witnessed on both sides, and Jack as good as 
 his master. Sam was cautious — Neal careful ; 
 and both of them were satisfied they had got 
 Iheir work to do. Neal made play with his 
 right hand, and planted a nobber ; but, said 
 Sam, " I must be with you for that compli- 
 ment," and returned in capital style on the 
 mug. Ned fought his way to a close ; and 
 here the trial of strength again took place, 
 which was decidedly in favour of Sam, who 
 not only fibbed his man, but sent him down. 
 "It's all right," said Stockman, "you have 
 him every way ; you are a better fighter, and 
 you can do as you like." 
 
 3 — This round was loudly applauded all 
 over the ring ; and the abilities of both the 
 men very much admired. The action of Sam 
 was of the first order — it was artist-like ; he 
 elevated himself on his toes, and tried to do 
 mischief; but Neal, in capital style, put on 
 the stopper. A long pause, yet both men ex- 
 erting themselves to get the lead. Sam let fly 
 his one, two; which was stopped so scientifi- 
 cally by Neal, that Dick Curtis, although op- 
 posed to Ned, exclaimed, *' Beaiitiful ! 1 
 never saw any thing better done in my life." 
 Neal now tried his luck, and went boldly in, 
 and with his right hand planted a severe facer ; 
 he also bored Sam to the ropes, and during 
 
 the time Sam was balancing on them, he 
 tipped him pepjter until he wont down on the 
 ground. Loud cries of" Foul," and " Fair," 
 from the contending parties, but no appeal 
 was made to the umpires, and the fight went 
 on. 
 
 4. — Sam appeared a little astonished ; but he 
 nevertheless came up to the scratch as game 
 as a pebble. The Young One tried his left- 
 handed plunge, but it was " no go ;" and Neal 
 went in to work with his left hand, and floored 
 Sam. " F'irst knock down blow," and a cry 
 of " First blood from Sam's mouth." We 
 looked very at-tentively, but could not perceive 
 it. The shouting was loud for Neal, and 
 ''another round like that," from his friends, 
 " must make it as right as the day." 
 
 5. — This was a fine milling round. Ned 
 took great liberties with Sam's domino-box; 
 but the latter, full of gaiety, returned one, 
 two. In closing, Neal exerted all his strength 
 to obtain the fall ; but he could not obtain it. 
 Sam went to work on the weaving system, and, 
 to get out of trouble, went down. 
 
 6. — The friends of Neal began to drop down 
 a little, that he had been reduced too much ; 
 indeed, his weakness was visible to all the 
 ring. His once admired wrestling qualities 
 were all gone ; and Sam could throw him with 
 ease. The handy-work of each was visible 
 on the nob of the other. The parries were 
 capital : and a finer fight could not be wit- 
 nessed. A severe rally, give and take between 
 them, and no mistake. The pepper-box was 
 handed from one to the other, but Sam had 
 the pull. In breaking ground, Neal received 
 a severe upper-cut! " What! you have 
 touched his a'ackiing ! " said Stockman; 
 " my eye, if you a'nt cutting hiin up like 
 pork !" " If you do not leave off jour chaff- 
 ing," said Spring, " and behave yourself pro- 
 perly, I'll cut you out of the ring." Another 
 rally, both pelting away, and mischief on both 
 sides. In closing, Sam tried the fibbing sys- 
 tem, and Ned got out of trouble in the best 
 way he could by getting down. 
 
 7. The men were now upon their mettle 
 and a capital rally was the result, with mutual 
 advantages ; yet the blovs's of Neal did not 
 appear to tell like his opponent's. The right 
 eye of Neal was damaged, and '■^ first blood" 
 was trickling doM'n from his sensitive plant. 
 Sam's nob had also been in pepper alley ; and 
 his upper crust was rather changed. In clos- 
 ing, the cutting-up hits of Sam did great 
 mischief, and Neal went down exhausted. 
 
 8. It had been previously expected, by the 
 friends of Neal, that his heavy-hitting, long 
 before this round, would have satisfied them 
 of his certainty of conquest. But he was an 
 altered man, and Sam the hero of the tale. 
 Strange to say, Sam did not appear to us half 
 so cautious as when he was opposed to Davis, 
 but went much quicker to his work. Sam 
 planted cleverly a conker. [" Beautiful i" 
 said Stockman. '' Did you ever see such a 
 fidlow as this Sam ? He is made for fighting. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S liOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 201 
 
 How he hits tlieiii !"] Neal made play, and 
 Sam retreated to the ropes. In closing, the 
 Young One caught hold of Ned, and tried 
 on, with success, the ireaving system, until 
 Ned went down. " Sam for a thousand ! — 
 for ten thousand !" said one of his backei'S, 
 " Good gitmnion," answered Spring. 
 
 9. Tiic face of Neiil now exhibited severe 
 punishment ; and Sampson said, " this is ra- 
 ther (liflerent from what was expected — the 
 boot is on tlie other leg : there is not in the 
 world, at this present moment, such another 
 fighter as this Dutch Sam. The Old Sam 
 was nothing else but a ■phenomenon; but this 
 "^'oung One will win twice as many battles." 
 Tiie superiority of Sam in this round was 
 evident to the greatest stranger ; he planted 
 right and left, and got away. [Bravo ! ] Sam, 
 quite alive, went boldly up to Neal, who was 
 almost staggering, and again put in his one, 
 tvvo. Neal went down bleeding, and the ex- 
 ertions of Sam were cheered from all parts of 
 the ring. 
 
 10. The friends of Neal were rather unset- 
 tled at the lead which Sam had decidedly 
 taken : in truth, Neal was as weak as a kitten ; 
 but his partizans relied on liis game qualities, 
 in hopes that he might be able to effect some 
 clvange in his favor. Sam was on the offen- 
 sive, but steady as a rock, until he saw 
 an opening, when he went to work ; a 
 sharp rally occurred, when Neal turned round 
 to get out of trouble ; but Sam followed him. 
 The hitting was truly severe on both sides. 
 Ned missed a right-handed blow aimed at the 
 jugular vein, which, had it alighted on the 
 right place, might liave proved serious. In 
 closing, Sam fibbed severely, until Ned went 
 down. " It is all your own now," said Stock- 
 man ; " you have won it." 
 
 11. Sparring, a tiny bit, when Ned tried ' 
 the bustling system, and planted one or two 
 hits, but fell down from weakness. 
 
 12. Both ready, and severe counter hits 
 made them both feel. Neal now experienced, 
 too late, that he had treated Young Sam too 
 lightly — he not only turned out a most active, 
 but also a very determined boxer. Tn closing, 
 both down, Ned undermost. 
 
 13. Neal's opponent looked upon him as 
 the worse for his training, yet Sam, neverthe- 
 less, treated him as a dangerous customer, and 
 always to be waited upon with caution. Sam's 
 throllle napt a rum one ; but the latter put in 
 his one, two> with heavy effect. Ned again 
 went down. 
 
 14. The confidence of Sam was striking ; 
 and i\\e game displayed by Ned entitled to the 
 highest praise. In truth, " such a pair of 
 brave fallows, and out-and-out boxers, are 
 seldom seen." Sam, with the utmost dex- 
 terity, planted a blow on Neal's snout, that 
 made his head reel again ; it almost stupified 
 Ned : in fact, his blows were quite at random. 
 Sam took advantage of his disorder, and by a 
 severe upper-cut, Neal went down. The 
 Samites, of course, were all in the stirrups. 
 
 and offered odds that Sam would win it in a 
 canter. 
 
 15. This was a punishing round on both 
 sides. Counter-hits, and rum ones into the 
 bargain, were the leading features, until Ned 
 found his way to the grass. 
 
 16. Ned stopped a heavy blow ; he also got 
 away from punishment ; but Sam, active as a 
 deer, followed him to give pepper ; but the 
 parries of Ned were skilful in the extreme. 
 Owing to weakness Neal went down on his 
 knees. 
 
 17. The friends of Ned began to revive — 
 he came to the scratch rather improved, and 
 also appeared to stand firmer on his pins. 
 Ned made play, but he was unsuccessful ; the 
 liveliness of Sam enabled him to get out of 
 mischief. Ned, however, followed Sam to 
 punish, but a tremendous uj)i;er-cut stopped 
 him. In closing, the strength of Neal was of 
 no use, by comparison with Sam. Both down, 
 Ned (indermost. 
 
 18. Had the strength of Neal prevailed, in 
 all probability another account might have 
 been given of this battle. The parries of 
 Neal, in numerous instances, were of the first 
 skill ; but his hitting could not keep pace 
 with it. Sam had de('idedly the best of this 
 round, and Neal went down. 
 
 19. The backers of Sam had now almost 
 made up their minds it would soon be over, 
 and Sam the conqueror. Indeed, it appeared 
 to most of the spectators that Neal was nearly 
 exhausted ; and those persons who were not 
 acquainted with hisgame qualities also thought 
 that the chance was, in every point of view, 
 against him. In closing, both down. 
 
 20. Neal measured his way well ; and the 
 counter-hits were of a punishing description. 
 Neal, determined to smash Sam if possible, 
 went boldly in to work ; but he was met with 
 equal resolution by Sam. In closing, Sam 
 threw his opponent so heavily on his head, 
 that the cry was, " It if all over, he will not 
 fight another round." " We can fight for a 
 long day, yet," replied Spring, " and win it 
 too." 
 
 21. The science of Ned was again witnessed 
 with delight ; the right and left hand of Sam 
 he stopped with ease. Sam, full of pluck, 
 and as brisk as a bee, went up to punish his 
 adversary, which he did so effectually, that 
 Neal turned away from punishment. Sam, 
 however, stuck to his work until Ned went 
 down. " He ought not to be suffered to go 
 down to avoid punishment," said the friends 
 of Sam ; " but Ned is sure to lose it." 
 
 22. The weakness of Ned was pitiable : he 
 stopped well ; but his blows, in general, did 
 not arrive at their intended aim. He com- 
 menced the whole of the rounds like a man 
 determined to deal out punishment ; but Sam 
 finished them in the character of a first-rate 
 boxer. Ned, after an exchange of blows, fell 
 down. 
 
 23. Neal planted a severe blow with his 
 right hand ; but he got a facer for it. Sam 
 
202 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 always wouJd Le wUl» him. Parries on both 
 sides. Sam received a heavy mugger, enough 
 to lake the pimple from the body, but he shook 
 it off, and returned to the charge; and Ned 
 went down. 
 
 24. The mouth of Sam again received a 
 seyere blow ; but he returned pepper on Ned's 
 right peeper. IJoth the combatants went to 
 work like notliing else but good ones, and 
 severe exchanges passed between them. Sam 
 got his right distance, aud floored Ned like a 
 shot The Samites now thought it was all 
 over; and with their shouts of joy almost rent 
 the skies, offering 4 to 1 ; and saying, " He 
 can lick any thing upon the list — he shall 
 fight the whole of the boxers. He is another 
 phenomenon — he is equal to Jem Belcher in 
 the best of his days." 
 
 25. Although Neal went down almost eveiy 
 round, yet it was strange to witness, when he 
 came to the scratch he commenced fighting. 
 The patrons of Neal must have admired his 
 conduct: he tried every thing to turn the 
 battle in his favor, to give them a chance either 
 to WIN MONEY, or to get off their blunt. Neal 
 stopped well, and got away from danger ; but 
 Sam, anxious to put on the polish, never left 
 him, tipping it to Ned right and left, until he 
 went down. 
 
 26. Neal made play, but Sam stopped him : 
 the Young One turned-to like a game cock, 
 milling all before him, until Ned slipped 
 down. Sam seemed surprised that he had 
 lost his adversary. '' That is the way, Sam, 
 to win it," from his partisans ; *' it is 100 to 1, 
 and no mistake.' 
 
 27. Ned could not get the lead — he tried it 
 on times and often, but his strength had left 
 him. Sam's left hand was well stopped by 
 Neal ; but his right had the desired effect on 
 tiie ciieek of his adversary, and Ned went 
 down. The friends of Sam again cried out 
 that Neal ought to stand up and fight. " If 
 he does any thing wrong," replied Spring, 
 " appeal to the umpires, and they will do you 
 justice." 
 
 28. Neal was always dangerous, and now 
 and then put in a tvisltj -castor, which rather 
 changed tiie look of Sam's frontispiece. In 
 closing, Sam proved himself a good weaver, 
 and Neal was again down, 
 
 29. Those persons who have asserted that 
 Ned never knew how to fight, must have 
 altered their opinion, if they had seen the 
 beautiful stops made by Neal, against so ac- 
 complished a boxer as Sam. After some 
 excellent parries by Ned, San punished his 
 opponent, who was hit out of the ring. The 
 Samites now booked it as all at an end- 
 offering any odds upon the Young One. 
 
 30. Spring and Holt carried Neal to the 
 scratch, when Sam, like a good judge, put on 
 the polish — to win gold, and wear it; but 
 Neal, owing to weakness, could not oppose 
 his adversary, and slipped down on his knees. 
 
 31. Neal came up better, and immediately 
 showed fi;^ht. " He's not done yet," said one 
 
 of his friends.—" I think you said done ; no, 
 nor half done ; we shall win it, and nothing 
 else," replied Spring. Sam had not a jot the 
 best of this round. Several good exchanges, 
 until both down. 
 
 32. Ned was always good to go to work, 
 and Sam got away from trouble. The latter 
 again put in a severe upper cut. In closing, 
 Ned down. 
 
 33. Neal could not be viewed in his proper 
 character as a fighting man — he had licked 
 himself, as it were, by his over-reduction of 
 flesh — and he now found out that he could 
 not perform, by action, what his judgment 
 suggested to him. He frequently appeared 
 abroad — hit short— and could not plant his 
 favorite hit, with any thing like certainty. 
 In closing he was Jibbed, and went down in 
 an exhausted state. 
 
 34. Spring whispered something into the 
 ear of Neal, and he boldly went in to mill, 
 when Sam retreated from danger. The Young 
 One soon took the lead ; but Neal fought him 
 in the most manly style ; and had not the blow 
 intended for the listener gone over Sam's 
 shoulder, suinmut might have been the matter. 
 In closing, Neal was almost reduced to a baby 
 in the arms of Sam, and he went down. 
 
 35. The face of Neal now exhibited a woe- 
 ful aspect ; but he never lugged when time 
 was called, and always appeared at the scratch. 
 Ned very gaily planted a rum one on the do- 
 minoes of Sam, which rather surprised the 
 Young One, who seemed to say, " I ought not 
 to have let that have happened ; but I must 
 give pepper in return for it ;" and sure enough 
 he did — right and left, until Neal went down. 
 
 36. Generally speaking, most of the specta- 
 tors had made up their minds that Neal, who 
 had been so much in the back ground, must 
 have been defeated long before this period of 
 the battle ; but his friends still entertained 
 hopes that Neal, if not hit out of time, would 
 be able to wear out Sam. Severe counter- 
 hits ; but Neal down. 
 
 37. This round gave a sort of new life to the 
 backers of Neal ; he commenced by planting 
 a severe blow on Sam's ieories. " Bravo, 
 Neal; another!" Heavy exchanges, Neal 
 again planted his left hand on the mouth of 
 Sam. [Loud shouts from his friends — " He'll 
 win it now."] The face of the Young One 
 was rather altered, and the severe handy-work 
 of Neal was no mistake. Sam took it well, 
 and steadily made good use of his left hand, 
 when Neal again was on the grass. 
 
 38. The claret was now running down from 
 the mouth of Sam, and he was rather the worse 
 for his exertions. He was not absolutely 
 piping ; but he was not quite so lively as 
 heretofore. " Go in," said Harry Holt ; " fight 
 with your left hand, and you will soon alter 
 the price of stocks. The tide is turned in our 
 favor ; and you know, my boy, ' there is a tide 
 in the affairs of men,' as we say in the classics, 
 but no more of that — go in and win it." Neal, 
 according to the advice of the eloquent Harry 
 
PIEUCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 203 
 
 Holt, endeavoured to push his fortune; but 
 the Young One had recovered himself, was too 
 liary, and stopped him. Neal, nevertheless, 
 again went to work in right earnest, and was 
 rather troublesome ; but Sam got rid of him 
 by an upper-cut, and Neal went down, his 
 face covered with claret. 
 
 39. Sam was convinced that Neal was not 
 yet beaten, and that some caution was neces- 
 sary. Neal meant mischief, and tried it on ; 
 but Sam said, " Stop a bit ;" and his one, 
 two, sent Neal down. 
 
 40. Strange to relate, thed^ad man, as some 
 of Sam's friends called Neal, planted a tre- 
 mendous blow on Sam's left eye, which not 
 only put him on the winking system, but made 
 his pimple rattle again. Sam fought his way 
 into a rally, which was give and take, until 
 Neal went down. 
 
 41. This was a capital round, and the spec- 
 tators all on the qui vive to witness the perse- 
 vering efforts of Neal. The latter again 
 mouthed his opponent with a more punishing 
 weapon than his tongue ; but Sam said he 
 would spoil his chaffing, if possible, and the 
 left hand of the Young One sent him down. 
 
 42. The fight was by no means out of Neal ; 
 and the rally was sharply contested, hit for 
 hit, until Neal went down. " This is a cap- 
 ital fight," said a Corinthian in company with 
 the proprietor of the park ; " no man who 
 loves true courage, and admires the art of self- 
 defence, as a feature connected with the bra- 
 very of Old England, would grudge going 
 three hundred miles to witness such a prime 
 day's play. They are a couple of brave men, 
 and it is a pity they cannot both win." 
 
 43. Sam again napt it severely on his ivories, 
 and the claret followed the blow. The Young 
 One staggered a little from its severe effects ; 
 but he returned to the charge like a lion. He 
 planted, like lightning, three hits in succes- 
 sion, until Neal went down quite exhausted. 
 
 44. Ned appeared at the scratch much 
 " better than could be expected," and rubbed 
 his hands together, ready to go to work. 
 Counter-hits, and the punishment equal. A 
 severe rally finished the round, when Neal 
 again went down. 
 
 45. The fine science of Sam could not stop 
 the left hand of Ned from punishing his 
 mouth. Two jobs in the same place, it is 
 said, is not fair ; however, Neal planted them, 
 and got down without any return. The friends 
 of Sam grumbled. 
 
 46. " You ought," said Holt, " to have 
 used your left hand at the commencement of 
 the battle, and you would have won it. Try 
 it again." A most determined rally occurred 
 — hit for hit — smack for smack — and pelt for 
 pelt — so much did Neal exert himself, until 
 he was grassed. 
 
 47. Sam's sluice house was again severely 
 damaged, and some time must elapse before 
 he can crack a joke vvitli any thing like plea- 
 santry to his lips. Sam did not seem to like 
 such treatment, and sought to return the com- 
 
 pliment ; but in his passion he hit aside, and 
 Neal went down. 
 
 48. The friends of Sam looked rather blue 
 on witnessing symptoms of his being rather 
 abroad when brought to the scratch ; and the 
 claret also flowing profusely from his tell-tale. 
 Sam judiciously sparred for time, waited for 
 his opportunity, and planted such a silencer on 
 the knowledge box, that Neal went down 
 quite stupefied. The Samites were once more 
 on top ropes — shouting for joy — and, in the 
 pride of the moment, offered any odds that 
 Ned did not fight two more rounds. 
 
 49. Poor Ned, weak beyond compare, but, 
 nevertheless, game to the back-bone, tried 
 again for the ivory dcpc,rtment in Sam's upper 
 works ; but the latter said " such proceedings 
 must be stopped," and hit Neal down. 
 
 50. The left hand of Ned told severely ; and 
 Sam, in his hurry, missed a finishing upper- 
 cut, that might have put a quietus to the mill. 
 But a miss is as good as a mile. Ned was 
 lucky ; but so weak that he went down. 
 
 51. Considering the length of the tight, and also 
 the work that had been done, this was a capital 
 round. Both the combatants were truublesame 
 to each other, and in closing, down, but Sam 
 uppermost, " Well done both sides," from dif- 
 ferent parts of the ring. 
 
 52. The mouth of Sam again sufTeied fr mi 
 the left hand of Neal ; indeed, it was now 
 terribly out of shape ; and Sam endeavoured 
 to retaliate, but Neal got down. 
 
 53. Sam kept a good look out to put in the 
 coup de grace ; but Neal almost sat down. 
 " Foul," and "fair;" but the umpires did not 
 interfere. 
 
 54. Sam could not protect his mouth from 
 the visitations of Neal ; the Young One. fol- 
 lowed him up until Ned was dovvn, 
 
 55. Neal, as usual, commenced milling ; but 
 he was stopped by Sam. The latter tried all 
 he could to put on the polish ; but the time 
 had not yet arrived for its completion. Neal 
 went down. 
 
 56. Sam endeavoured to hit up, but Neal 
 got away. It was astonishing to witness the 
 efforts of Neal ; in truth, the friends of Sam, 
 at diflferent times, did not know what to make 
 of Neal, and observed, " he is still a dangerous 
 fellow." Ned got down. 
 
 57. Neal at the scratch, commenced his 
 work, and several exchanges were made. Sam, 
 although not so lively as heretofore, btill kept 
 the lead, went in, and sent Neal down. 
 
 58. No sooner had Spring and Holt placed 
 Neal at the Scratch, but he prepared himself 
 for action ; and although his strength woulc" 
 not second his efforts for a heavy blow, he 
 made a hit. Sam rushed in to punish, but i 
 slight push must have sent Neal down. 
 
 59. Neal was almost too great a glutton for 
 Sam; and the latter showed sjmptoms of 
 fatigue. Neal tried it on : a fJi.sh hit might 
 have done wonders for him tov\ards victory, 
 and it should seem he "as dihrmincd never 
 to say NO. Several blows wue exchanged ; 
 
204 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 but Ned could not hit Sam down. The latter 
 ran in and nobbed his adversary until he mea- 
 sured his length upon the grass. 
 
 CO. This was a s!ap-iip round, both trying 
 for the best of it. Ned not only made good 
 stops, but planted several blows in a rally. 
 Sam was again the leader, and Neal fell upon 
 his arms. 
 
 Gl. The determination shown by Neal, to 
 the lovers of true courage was delightful — he 
 contested every inch of ground, in hopes to 
 obtain a turn in his favor. On setting to, 
 Sam's mouth was punished, although the latter 
 sent Neal down. 
 
 02. This was a gallant round. Counter 
 liits, rallying, and every thing, done on both 
 sides, towards victory. Ned, as the pugilistic 
 phrase goes, put a little 07ie in now and then, 
 although Sam acknowledged it, cent per cent. 
 Neal was sent down, his face covered with 
 claret, and so altered that his friends would 
 have been at a loss to have recognized him. 
 
 G3. Sam commenced fighting, and Neal was 
 a taker, both rigiit and left ; but the latter 
 planted a teazer on Sam's mouth, which pro- 
 duced (he claret in streams. This was new 
 life to the backers of Neal ; they had been 
 rather dumb for a short period ; but they now 
 gave their red rags a holiday, and a precious 
 shout in favor of Ned was the result. If Neal 
 could have followed up this advantage a 
 change might have taken place in his favor ; 
 but Sam would not be denied, and sent down 
 his opponent. 
 
 04. The friends of Neal thought something 
 like a chance appeared in favor of their man, 
 as Sam began to display weakness. In fact, 
 he had done a great deal of work, and it was 
 not quite certain that he would be able to 
 complete the job. " It is all your own," cried 
 Holt and Davy ; " only use your left hand, 
 and finish him off." Ned, equally as anxious 
 as his backers could be, tried it on, and was 
 successful in planting rigiit and left ; but Sam 
 was with him, until Ned went down, and 
 Sam, from weakness, also found himself on 
 the grass. 
 
 05. Ned set to like a good one, and his 
 right hand told ; but a severe upper-cut from 
 Sam put an end to the round, and Neal, as 
 usual, measured his length on the ground. 
 
 06. A pause. Caution on both sides ; until 
 Sam Avent in gaily towards the finish, which 
 now appeared within his grasp. His one, 
 two, had the desired effect, and poor Neal re- 
 ceived lots of punishment, until down. 
 
 07. " It will never be over," said an old 
 gentleman not acquainted with the ring. 
 " You cannot have too much of a good thing," 
 replied Stockman : " only wait a few minutes 
 now, and Neal will be d( ne over by this phe- 
 nomenon, Sam." Neal planted two blows, 
 but he was not able to ( nish the round, and 
 Sam had the best of it. Ned was down. 
 
 08. This was a good n und, and Neal never 
 flinched from a blow. 1 e was still danger- 
 ous, while he made a hit ; and although Sam 
 
 was the best as to putting on the polish, still 
 he was getting weak. Ned ready. The bat- 
 tie had now arrived at that state, when doubt*, 
 hopes, and fears were expressed on both sides. 
 Ned was not absolutely done over, although 
 very near it ; and a flush hit might have done 
 Sam's business. But a finishing blow was 
 not in Neal. The latter again attacked the 
 mouth of Sam with success. {Cheers from 
 his party.) He repeated the attempt with 
 equal success. (Another tremendous roar of 
 applause for Neal.) The claret ran down in 
 profusion from Sam's face ; but the latter, like 
 a good one, recovered himself — and by two 
 blows sent his adversary down. 
 
 70. Sam was almost tired ; and Neal 
 nearly proving too great a glutton for him. 
 Spring again whispered into the ear of Neal 
 how to conduct himself towards victory. Ned 
 again commenced milling, and Sam was 
 scarcely able to do any thing. Ned went 
 down exhausted. Even betting ; but doubts 
 as to choice. 
 
 71. Spring and Holt looked well after 
 their man, and carried him to the scratch ; as 
 did Sampson and Curtis. The battle now 
 was interesting to the backers beyond descrip- 
 tion. Neal went to work, but Sam parried. 
 Ned rushed into a close ; he tried to hold 
 Sam, but he was unable from weakness. Ned, 
 however, planted a blow on the top of Sam's 
 nob — the latter tried for his cutting-up hit. 
 Both down, but Sam fell severely on his head. 
 
 72. This was a milling round. A sharp 
 rally ; but the fine fighting of Sam gave him 
 the best of it. Neal again down in a most 
 exhausted state. 
 
 73. The head of Sam was materially 
 altered, and his mouth was all awry ; and the 
 claret issuing freely from his lips. " It is not 
 safe to either," was the general cry : " It is 
 anybody's battle." But Sam was the freshest 
 man of the two. The science of Sam here, 
 it migiit be said, gave him the battle ; it en- 
 abled him to keep out of danger. Neal 
 would fight his man ; but he was jobbed to 
 pieces, until he went down. 
 
 74. It really was astonishing to witness a 
 man so distressed come up to fight — his head 
 punished all to pieces. Neal went down 
 from a slight touch. " Take him away — he 
 ought not to be suffered to fight." 
 
 75. Sam roused himself into action, and 
 endeavoured to take the lead; but Ned par- 
 ried well, Sam planted two nobbers ; Neal 
 returned ; but slipped down. During the 
 time Sam was sitting on his second's knee, 
 his head dropped down upon his shoulder : 
 he was nearly exhausted. Sampson threw 
 water over his head, and roared out in a 
 voice of tiiuuder, " It's all right." Neal's 
 friends were on the alert, asserting that" Ned 
 now must win it." 
 
 70. This was a famous round ; and tl'.o 
 spirited conduct of Sam won him the fighfc, 
 Neal again commenced, and touched Sano'B 
 ore mouth ; but in closing. Sam caught hold 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 lOo 
 
 of Neal i-oiinJ the neck, and ril)be<l him 
 dreadfully until he went down. " It's all 
 over — 5 to 1 on Sam." 
 
 77. Strange to relate, Ned made play, and 
 planted his left hand. (Bravo, Ned !) Both 
 men, after manoeuvering about, made them- 
 selves up for mischief, and both went down 
 from severe counter hits. Great applause from 
 all parts of the ring. " Jack is as good as 
 his master," and it was a near thing. In fact, 
 it was a dan[;erous Ihinaj; but Sam was the 
 strongest man. " Sam for lOOi." 
 
 78 and last. It was clear that Neal well 
 knew what he was about, as he parried, in 
 the most excellent manner, Sam's one, two. 
 The Younsr One, with the utmost dexterity, 
 gave Ned a rum one on his conk over liis 
 guard ; but Neal returned. Sam on the look 
 out, got himself well together for mischief, 
 and planted a severe hit upon Ned's throat. 
 This blow stunned him — his arms dropped 
 down — he staggered, and went down as in- 
 sensible as a log of wood. His seconds did 
 every thing in their power to renovate him ; 
 but when time was called, it was all vp, and 
 Sam was declared the conqueror. His friends 
 and the spectators in general crowned his 
 efforts with the loudest applause. He walked 
 to his carriage, and left the ground immedi- 
 ately for Bromfleld. Poor Ned was carried 
 out of the ring in a complete state of stupor, 
 by Spring and Holt, attended by Dr. Wake- 
 field, to tlie Angel Inn, Ludlow. The battle 
 continued ONE HOTJli and EORTV ONE 
 MINUTES. 
 
 OBSERVATIONS. 
 
 By this brilliant conquest, Sam has not 
 only secured and str<;ngthened the good opi- 
 nion of his friends, but he has also generally 
 raised himself in the .;stimation of the sport- 
 ing world ; nay, he has done more, he has 
 removed all doubts, if any existed tipon the 
 subject, respecting his gaimeness. In all his 
 contests he was likewise viewed as a scien 
 tiSc, shoiry fighter; but in this battle with 
 Neal he has proved himself a most- effective, 
 decisive, and the term elegant boxer, must be 
 added, only as a just tribute to his superior 
 milling talents. As a pugilist, he possesses 
 all the activity of the late Jem Belcher — is 
 always ready at his post ; cautious to prevent 
 MISCHIEF — yet on the alert to improve any 
 advantage that may offer itself in the fight, 
 by putting in the decisive blow. His plunge 
 is dangerous in the extreme to an adversary 
 who may not be armed at all points ; and his 
 cutting-up hits are likely to take the fight out 
 of any boxer in a round or two, if he is not 
 one of the gamest of the game. By this vic- 
 tory over a real good one like Neal, his pride 
 will be raised, his confidence increased ; and 
 altogether he is likely to become a much 
 better man. In opposition to any pugilist of 
 his weight, we have no doubt, nay, we are 
 assured, Sam can be backed almost at any 
 odds ; and considerably above his weight his 
 
 partisans will have no hesitation to match 
 him. His style of fighting is completely his 
 own, and Young Sam, the ' darling of Vic- 
 tory,' is likely to acquire as great a name in thn 
 pages of the Book of Sports as his late re- 
 nowned sire, the phenomenon of his day. 
 Young Sa;m never flinched from punishment : 
 the courage he displayed was of the richest 
 quality tliroughout the battle ; and he followed 
 his opponent with such an ardour of spirit, and 
 determination of mind, that every spectator 
 around the ring in Ludford Park was united 
 in opinion, that a more graceful, active, and 
 finished boxer could not be met with in the 
 Prize Ring. On his being declared the con- 
 queror, his friends were so elated witli his 
 conduct, that they declared he should fight 
 Spring, or White-headed Bob ; in fact, any 
 pugilist on the list. This declaration was 
 made in the ecstacy of the moment ; and, of 
 course, we treat it as such. At all events, 
 Young Sam, as a boxer, has not only proved 
 himself worthy of his great tnilling sire, but 
 bets have been offered that he wins more 
 battles in the P. R. than ever his father did. 
 We now leave him to enjoy his good fortune ; 
 and turn our attention to the hero in defeat. 
 
 Neal, it is true, has suffered DEFtAT, but 
 disgrace cannot be coupled with the event ; 
 nay, on the contrary, his noble conduct has 
 raised him in the estimation of tiie admirers 
 of brivery and determination. The imme- 
 diate friends and backers of Ned are perfectly 
 satisfied that he strained every nerve to win 
 the battle ; and therefore they do not grumble, 
 although they have lost their blunt, and that, 
 too, in no small quantities- Such, they view, 
 is tho uncertain chance of war ! But, never- 
 theless, it is their decided opinion, he lost the 
 fight through want of stamina. In the u-ear 
 and tear points (in which Neal excelled, in a 
 superior degree, almost every other pugilist 
 in the P. R.), in this battle with Sam, he com- 
 pletely failed — over training had frittered 
 them away ; and his strong hips, athletic 
 thighs, and round pins, formerly the boast of 
 his partisans, were now found wanting. It is 
 well known, not only amongst tkaineps of 
 every description, but it is also the opinion of 
 medical men and anatomists, that if a man 
 be violently reduced in flesh, his natural 
 strength also becomes impaired ; and his line 
 spirits, energj^, high courage, determination, 
 bottom, game, gluttony — call it what you 
 please — is reduced, and likely to create a sort 
 of " going away" from the scratch. It is the 
 same also with dogs, cocks, horses, or thorough 
 bred cattle of any description. If that high- 
 bred SPIRIT which must be connected witii 
 every thing appertaining to game qualities be 
 once reduced, the spirits ^ag-, exertions relax, 
 and the mind of the man, as it were, becomes 
 broken — subdued; and he is not able to bear 
 any thing like the heavy punishment which 
 he could if in a high state of condition. 
 However, in a great degree contrary to these 
 remarks, the conduct of Neal ought to be 
 
206 
 
 PIERCE EOANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 remembered, admired, and never to be for- 
 Rotten, as an example to otlier boxer.^, for 
 contesting every incli of ground tlirougiiout 
 one hour and forty-one minutes, in tlie greatest 
 pisTRF.ss. Destitute of tliose great points on 
 which he once valued himself, he neverthe- 
 less fought in opposition to Nature, and con- 
 tinued the contest in a state of exhaustion 
 never before wilnefsed, in hopes, once more, 
 to catch the reviving and glorious sound of 
 Victory. After the fourth and fifth rounds it 
 was evident to his backers that his strength 
 was materially reduced ; his hits were not of 
 that punishing quality, which previously had 
 characterised them ; and as to throwing, on 
 which Ned used to flatter himself, Sam had 
 the best of the falls all to nothing. In 
 truth, whenever the chance put Sam in his 
 power, he could not hold him, and was glad 
 to go down to get out of trouble. Under these 
 circumstances, his backers attribute his defeat 
 to nothing else but his great reduction of 
 weight. He was, on the morning of fighting, 
 six pounds under the weight prescribed by his 
 articles. Dr. Wakefield, a gentleman whose 
 talents are highly admired, and universally 
 acknowledged in Shropshire, but more imme- 
 diately in the neighbourhood of Ludlow, as a 
 medical man, and who attended Neal on the 
 ground, and never left his bed-side for up- 
 wards of three hours after the battle, observed 
 that Ned's pulse was too low ; he was also 
 too weak to be bled ; that he had evidently 
 laboured under great weakness, and was not 
 at all in condition to fight a Prize Battle. 
 Neal had been reduced considerably below 
 his natural powers ; whic'i, added to a long 
 journey of 223 miles.ocCupying nearly two days 
 and a night without rest, only a few hours 
 before the battle, were drawbacks that no 
 man could bear up against ; and, from his ac- 
 quaintance with the capabilities of the human 
 frame, he expressed his great astonishment at 
 the persevering and brave conduct of Neal 
 throughout the battle. The only thing distin- 
 guishable on the part of Neal was the excel- 
 lent stops he made even up to the last minute 
 of the fight. His friends are determined to 
 give him another chance with Sam, if the 
 backers of the latter will allow the men to 
 fight any weight, and make the match for 
 £500 a side. This sum was offered at the 
 Angel, at Ludlow, on Tuesday night last, and 
 a deposit of £50 offered to be put down. Sam 
 and his backers were at Bromfield ; but it is 
 understood they have no objection to make 
 the match, as they do not consider, from the 
 very superior milling talents Sam displayed 
 in his contest with Neal, that weight is an 
 object of dispute. Neal ought to have for- 
 feited on discovering his weakness, but he 
 was so confident, that he assured his friends 
 it was 10 to 1 in his favour. 
 
 Circumstances Connected with the 
 
 Battle. 
 The Bed-side of Neal. — We feel pleased to 
 acknowledge the humane attentions paid by 
 
 Tom Spring, Holt, Brown of Bridgnorth, tiie 
 gallant Naval Captain, the Swell Dragsman, 
 and Poor Davy, to Ned Neal. The latter was 
 very ill, and did not come to his recollection 
 for some time. The punishment he had re- 
 ceived on his face was severe in the extreme ; 
 but his body did not exhibit the marks of any 
 blows. They condoled with him on hif= unex- 
 pected defeat ; but they cheered him up by 
 saying they were perfectly satisfied with his 
 conduct, and that he had done every thing 
 consistent with the character of an honest and 
 brave man to win the battle. They also, in 
 the most liberal manner, acknowledged the 
 fine fighting of Sam, and that he had proved 
 himself a much better man, in every point of 
 view, than they had previously anticipated. 
 
 Sam, although his face did not exhibit such 
 severe punishment as his opponent's, was, 
 nevertheless, strongly marked about the left 
 cheek, and his mouth very n»uch out of shape. 
 But a winning man laughs at bruises, when 
 he can pocket the steeven, and extend his 
 fame. 
 
 Neal caught cold during the night, in tra- 
 velling postup to London, in quitting the inside 
 of one chaise for another ; and he also experi- 
 enced two break downs in his journey. He 
 left Ludlow on Wednesday morning, in oppo- 
 sition to the doctor's wishes, he was so anxious 
 to appear in person at his benefit. 
 
 All through the towns we passed on our 
 road home, the greatest interest was excited 
 respecting the above battle ; the people camt 
 out in c^owds to enquire the news. At V.'o'"- 
 cester, the coach office was literally besieged 
 with amateurs ; at Pershore, Evesham, More- 
 ton, and Chipping Norton, it was equally the 
 same. At Oxford, Jackey Carter and Morgan 
 the black were surrounded by hundreds of 
 persons waiting the arrival of the coach ; and 
 when it was clearly ascertained that Sam was 
 the conqueror, some of their choppers dropped 
 down to the fourth button on their waistcoats, 
 at their change of luck, and the great odds 
 floored. At Tetsworth, Stokenchurch, High 
 VFycombe, Uxbridge, Ealing, Acton — in fact, 
 until we arrived at our own crib in London, we 
 were quite fatigued in giving satisfactory 
 answers to the anxious members of the Fancy. 
 
 LUDLOW FIGHT 
 From town full seven score long miles 
 High rag'd, where Charlton's mansion smiles, 
 
 The battle of the brave. 
 Right well 'twas worth the lengthy ride. 
 To see such skill and courage tried. 
 
 Nigh Teme's sequester'd wave. 
 
 Science supreme, and honor bright. 
 And dauntless valour in the fight, 
 
 Grac'd Ln: ford's lovely green ; 
 At length brave Neal, alas ! to thee 
 Dark was the lustre of the lea, 
 
 And sad the laughing scene. 
 
 Vain all thy skill and courage true. 
 Thy peerless rival tosubduel 
 
 .His hand tlie palm has won. 
 Evans fights under favoring sky; 
 His mother's natal hills are nigh, 
 And smile upon her son. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 207 
 
 O, Nkal IayB!ienscIca.« on the sod, 
 He youthful victor bounds, a god, 
 
 Into liis chariot gay ; 
 And now the beauteous and the brave 
 On hii;h their hats and kerchiefs wave. 
 
 And cheer his homeward way. 
 
 TjO, thus, on /vHrf/o'/'.v flowery ticld, 
 Rome's bravest chief was taught to yield 
 
 As classic stories tell— 
 Fled thence ^storius of yoro. 
 To pine on Severn's eastern shore — 
 
 And so, n/' /fl/e— DoBELL. 
 
 Roman and man of Medway too. 
 Have sunk, O Neal, as well as you, 
 
 Beyond Sabrina's tide. 
 Where Mfirine a>id hnliitiin. Sum and Brown, 
 Maintain Siluria's old renown, 
 And wreathe Salopia's pride. 
 April 10, 18e9. FITZ-TENBURY. 
 
 The Golden Eagle. 
 
 " This powerful bird breeds in the recesses 
 of the sub-alpine country," observes Mr. Mac- 
 gregor, in his account of America, " which 
 skirts the rocky mountains, and is seldom seen 
 farther to the eastward. It is held by the 
 aborigines of America, as it is by almost every 
 other people, to be an emblem of might and 
 courage; and the young Indian warrior glories 
 in his eagle plume as the most honorable or- 
 nament with which he can adorn himself. Its 
 feathers are attached to the calumets, or smok- 
 ing-pipes, used by the Indians in the celebra- 
 tion of their solemn festivals, which has ob- 
 tained for it the name of the calumet eagle. 
 Indeed, so highly are these ornaments prized, 
 that a warrior will often exchange a valuable 
 horse for the tail feathers of a single eagle. 
 The strength of vision of this bird must almost 
 exceed conception, for it can discover its prey, 
 and pounce upon it from a height at which it 
 is itself, with its expanded wings, scarcely 
 visible to the human eye. When looking for 
 its pi'ey, it sails in large circles, with its tail 
 spread out, but with little motion of its wings ; 
 and it often soars aloft in a spiral manner, its 
 gyrations becoming gradually less and less 
 perceptible, until it dwindles to a mere speck, 
 and is at length entirely lost to the\iew. A 
 story is current on the plains of the Saskat- 
 chewan, of a half-bred Indian, who was vaunt- 
 ing his prowess before a band of his countrj'- 
 men, and wishing to impress them with a 
 belief in his supernatural powers. In the 
 midst of his hararigue, an eagle was observed 
 suspended, as it were, in the air, directly over 
 his head, upon which, pointing aloft with his 
 dagger, which glistened brightly in the sun, 
 he called upon the royal bird to come down. 
 To his own amazement, no less than to the 
 consternation of the surrounding Indians, the 
 eagle seemed to obey the charm, for, instantly 
 shooting down with the velocity of an arrow, 
 it impaled itself on the point of liis weapon. 
 
 " We saw the yerfalcon often during our 
 journeys over the barren grounds, where its 
 habitual prey is the ptarmigan, but where it 
 also destroys plover, ducks, and geese. lu 
 
 the middle of June, 1821, a pair of these birds 
 attacked me as 1 was climbing in the vicinity 
 of their nest, which was built on a lofty pre- 
 cipice on the borders of Point Lake, in lati- 
 tude 65^°. They flew in circles, uttering loud 
 and harsh screams, and alternately stooping 
 'A'ith such velocity, that their motion through 
 the air produced a loud rushing noise ; they 
 stuck their claws within an inch or two of my 
 head. I endeavoured, by keeping the barrel 
 of my gun close to my cheek, and suddenly 
 elevating its muzzle when they were in the 
 act of striking, to ascertain w hether they had 
 the power of instantaneously changing tlie di- 
 rection of tiieir rapid course, and found that 
 they invariably rose above the obstacle with 
 the quickness ofthought, showing equal acute- 
 ness of vision and power of motion. Although 
 their flight was much more rapid, they bore 
 considerable resemblance to the snowy owl. 
 At the period at which I saw them, the groun^l 
 was still partially clothed with snow, and the 
 lakes covered with ice ; but the yerfalcon, like 
 the strix vyctea of the same districts, is well 
 calculated, from the whiteness of its plumage, 
 for traversing asnowy waste, without alarming 
 the birds on which it preys. As the ptarmigans 
 partially migrate southwards in the winter, 
 some of the yerfalcons follow them, and when 
 one pounces down upon aflock, the ptarmigans 
 endeavour to save themselves by diving in- 
 stantly into the loose snow, and making their 
 way beneath it to a considernble distance." 
 
 Hunting the Bear. 
 
 After resting for about half an hour (says 
 Mr Lloyd, in liis Field Sports of the North of 
 Europe), we again resumed the search for the 
 bears, which we continuetl until near three 
 o'clock, and until it was beginning to get 
 dusk. At this time I was to the right of the 
 line, which was proceeding in a westerly di- 
 rection : when in the distance to the north- 
 ward, and in a part of the forest we had not 
 yet beaten, I heard my old dog, Paijas, giving 
 tongue ; this he d-id in such a manner that I 
 had more than a suspicion he had found what 
 we had so long ))een in search of. I now lost 
 not a moment, but, leaving the people, ran as 
 fast as the broken nature of the ground would 
 permit, towards the spot where the dog was 
 challenging, which might be at one hun- 
 dred and fifty or two hundred paces dis- 
 tance. This was in a rather thick part of the 
 forest, and in a clump of pines, around the 
 foot of which, though at some paces distant — 
 for he probably remembered the rough treat- 
 ment he had received upon a former occasion 
 — Paijas still kept furiously baying. Though 
 the dog had found the bears, I did not, at the 
 first moment, obierve the entrance to their 
 den, which was an excavation in the face of a 
 little rising, situated between, and partly 
 formed by the roots of the surrounding trees. 
 But on discovering it, I at once sprung on to 
 the top of the hillock ; and, though at that 
 
200 
 
 PIIiKCE EGAN'S JJOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 time immediately over llie den, tlio bears still 
 remained quiet. On my hiillooing;, they felt 
 so little inclination to leave their quarters, 
 that the old bear simply contented herself with 
 partially projecting her snout. At this, from 
 its being the only point exposed to my view, I 
 levelled my rifle, wliich was then pointed in a 
 perpendicular direction. On reflection, how- 
 ever, I refrained from fuin-c, as I considered 
 that, though I might have smashed the fore 
 part of her head to pieces, there was little 
 chance of my killing her outright. Instead, 
 therefore, of firing whilst in that situation, I 
 stepped (and it certainly was not " the most 
 prudent step" a man ever took), with my left 
 foot in advance, directly over her, to the 
 opposite side of tlie hole, when, wheeling 
 about on the instant, and having then a full 
 view of her head, from which the muzzle of 
 my gun was hardly two feet distant, and my 
 left foot still less, for it was partially in the 
 entrance to the den itself, I sent a bullet 
 through her skull. I now called loudly to 
 the people, none of whom, nor even the other 
 dogs, which had been questing to some birds 
 in another part of the forest, had as yet come 
 up — for I was rather apprehensive the cubs 
 might attempt to make their escape. To pre- 
 vent this I stood for a while over the den, in 
 readiness to give them a warm reception with 
 the butt-end of my rifle. But three or four 
 minutes elapsed before Jan Finne, who was 
 to the left of our line, Svensson, and the 
 peasants, made their appearance : for, strange 
 to say, though Paijas had been in Jan Finne's 
 possession for several years, he either did not 
 recognize his challenge, or he had not a sus- 
 picion it was to the bears ; and in consequence 
 neither he nor the people moved from where 
 I had left them, until they heard my shot. 
 My apprehensions as to the cubs attempting 
 to escape were, however, groundless, for they 
 still continued quiet ; at first, indeed, we could 
 see nothing of them, for the old bear, as is 
 usual with those animals when they have young, 
 was lying in the front of the den, and we there- 
 fore almost began to think we had hit upon 
 a bear distinct from those of which we were 
 in search. But on the people introducing a 
 stake, and moving the old bear a little to the 
 side, one of the cubs, and subsequently a 
 second, and a third exhibited themselves, all 
 of which I despatclied either with my own or 
 with Jan Finne's rifle. The work of deatli 
 being at length completed, we dvew the bears 
 out of their den. This was, however, of such 
 small dimensions, that it was the admira- 
 tion of us all how they could iiave 
 stowed themselves away in it. Bears usually 
 prepai'e their winter quarters during the 
 autumnal months, and sometimes previoucdy 
 to taking possession of them ; but the animals 
 of which I am now speaking, having been 
 disturbed from their original lair at a time 
 when the ground was hard frozen, and when 
 it was, of course, much more difficult to imbed 
 tliemselves in tlie earth, probably accounted 
 
 for tlie small size of the excavation in whirli 
 we found them. The old bear had attained 
 her full growth ; the cubs were nearly a year 
 v\d, and of about the si/e of large dogs. The 
 whole of them were in tolerablygood condition. 
 
 AVOLF-HCNTING IN RUSSIA. 
 
 One of tiie modes employed consists in two 
 persons diiving in a sledge, at night, through 
 the woods, which are known to be infested 
 with ferocious animals of tliat class, well armed 
 with short weapons as well as ready-loaded 
 guns. The wolf is a vevy goUrmaiid in pork 
 flesh, the younger the better; the huntsmen, 
 therefore, take care to have in the sledge with 
 them a sucking pig, the ears of v\ hich they 
 pull from time to time ; when the squeaks of 
 the animal not unusually call forth the wished 
 for wild beast, which falls ravenously on what 
 itconsiders the noisy prey, but whichisnothing 
 more than a large bundle of straw dragging 
 along the ground from behind the sledge, 
 somewhat fashioned like a pig. While in this 
 act themusquetry of the sledgers is discharged 
 at him, and there is generally an end of the 
 ■wolf. But it sometimes happens that when a 
 she-wolf has been thus disturbed and cheated, 
 and that the hunters have missed their aim, 
 the animal has made a dart at the inmates of 
 the sledge, or followed for some time the rapid 
 course of the carriage, howling most dismally, 
 thus reversing the order of the chase until a 
 more lucky shot has put an end to the pursuit. 
 
 A Thoroiigh-rred Doc hates a Bad Shot. 
 A gentleman requested the loan of a pointer 
 dog from a friend, and was informed that the 
 dog would behave well so long as he could 
 kill his birds, but if he frequently missed them 
 he would run home and leave them. The dog 
 was sent, and the following day was fixed for 
 trial ; but, unfortunately, his new master was 
 a remarkably bad shot. Bird after bird rose 
 and was fired at, but still pursued its flight 
 untouched by the leaden showers that fell 
 around it, till at last the pointer became care- 
 less, and often missed his game ; but, as if 
 seemingly willing to give one chance more to 
 his luckless master, he made a dead stand at 
 a furn bush, rvith his nose pointed down- 
 wards, the fore foot bent, and his tail straight 
 and steady. In this masterly position he re- 
 mained firm till the sportsman was close to his 
 tail, with both barrels cocked; then moving 
 steadilyforAvard for a few paces, heat laststood 
 still near a bunch of heather, the tail express- 
 ing the anxiety of the mind Uj moving regu- 
 larly back\v'ard and forward, when out sprang 
 an old black cock. Bang, bang, went both 
 barrels, but alas ! the proud bird of the heath 
 still soared in the air unhurt. The patience 
 of the dog was now quite exhausted, and, in- 
 stead of crouching fit tlio feet of his master 
 till he reloaded, he turned boldly round, 
 laced his tail close between his legs, gave one 
 howl, long and lo\i(l, and off he set, and stop- 
 ped not till within sight of the kennel door. 
 
PIEROE EGAN'.S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 209 
 
 
 THE CORINTHIANS, 
 
 At MELTON MOWBRAY, starting to join the Hunt 
 
 Can Europe or the Morld produce, 
 Alike for ORNAMENT and Use, 
 Such Models of stout, active, trim men 7 
 And quite a History for the Pen ? 
 With specimens of Order, dress, 
 Health, comfort — Inbred cleanliness 
 As here displayed — the brightest Sun 
 Lingering seems proud to shine upon'! 
 
 I'm for Life and a Curricle .' That's your sort ! — Goldfinch. 
 
 '* I believe you !" said my friend, Paul 1'ry, 
 the other morning, who had just " dropped 
 in" to tlie regions below, of the crib ^vherein 
 I domicile, in order to ascend a feir steps 
 towards my ' upper story,' to have a bit of 
 
 chat with me on passing events : jt is most 
 true that my resting-place could not come 
 under the splendid denomination of a ' cloud- 
 capp'd tower,' although it is the nearest apart- 
 ment towards the Slcy ; and not much unlike, 
 
 P 
 
2if> 
 
 piF.ucK j:gan's hook of spouts. 
 
 in the genteoi phrase of the day — " an attic !" 
 bill tlje plain sort of folks, or rather, the intel- 
 ligible creatures, would have s'^ew it 'ts 
 proper name, a Garret ! the usual high abode 
 of Scribblers ! " Hut no matter," observed Pry, 
 " wliether it be a ' Cloud cai)t Tower ;' or a 
 'Garret !' if I could pun, I should call it one of 
 the flights of Genius, and say that your place 
 of residence is one of the highest things in 
 Society. But, are you not fur Life and a 
 Curricle ?" " Most certainly I am," was my 
 vej)ly : but how ? Better, it is said, to be 
 born fortunate than rich. True ! The above 
 proverb may suit very well the lucky folks 
 of this world. But, in answer to that old 
 adage — I think it is much better at all times 
 to be born rich than poor ! However, as you 
 and I are aniongat tlie proverbs — a kind of 
 * argufying the topic !' I will proceed with o'^e 
 or two of them, in order to come at somethinc; 
 near the truth on the subject. It might he 
 asked how many persons are born under a 
 tkruppenny planet, never to become worth a 
 groat? in spite of all their great talents, wit, 
 skill, ability, and speculations — and, by way 
 of a wind-up to their exertions, end in a 
 WHEREAS! But then we are told that 
 Riches do not always bring happiness with 
 tliem : — Indeed, I must admit that there is a 
 "bit of good truth" attached to the last remark ; 
 tut as a set-off against it — ' a fat sorrow,' in 
 the opinion of most of my friends, is much 
 better than a lean one. I am quite aware 
 that there are golden drops attached to grief 
 for the demise of a rich relative Corinthian ; 
 as well as the real tears of sorrow for a sub- 
 stantial, never-to-be-forgotten loss of a sincere 
 friend. And granted that Riches do not 
 always bring happiness with them, yet it 
 cannot be denied that in obtaining real happi- 
 ness a great deal must always depend on the 
 conduct and 7nind of the individual in the 
 possession of riches; Shakspeare tells us that — 
 
 Poor, and content, is ricli — and ricli enough I 
 
 It is true that Gold — " here my friend, PrtJtj 
 Pry, observed " Pierce, my dear boy, you are 
 preaching ! Surely you do not want a pulpit 
 just yet ! You have not had a call ! I tell 
 you that I am for Life and a Curricle ; and if 
 I had one at my door I would roar out to the 
 echo that would answer again — " That's your 
 sort 1" and my Paulina vows that she would 
 have the best that could be got in the Acre if 
 I could stand it; or, in other words, if the 
 coachmaker would stand it. Do not riches 
 enable the Corinthian to get over the ground 
 with pleasure to himself and advantage to 
 society ? Does he not possess the Key to every 
 thing that he fancies ? — A fig for your moral- 
 izing, philosophy — or call it what you will. I 
 would be a Corinthian to the end of the chap- 
 ter, if I could — but the truth is, I was not 
 lucky enough to have been born a Sivelt, 
 although 1 made my way into the world like 
 the great duke of Buckingham, without a 
 shirt to my baclt ; therefore, my dear boy, 
 
 drop all your proverbs, metaphors, your this, 
 THAT, and the other — it is all gammon. I 
 beg pardon if 1 have not used a stylish 
 phrase, but to me it conveys a very important 
 meaning, and, I flatter myself, perfectly intel- 
 ligible, from the Countess to Billingsgate Fan, 
 therefore I again say, drop it, and tal'i like 
 yourself." " My worthy, communicative 
 friend," said I," accept my best thanks : per- 
 haps you are right after all, and, without any 
 further prelude, I have only to remark — IMel- 
 ton Mowbray is in view, and behold ; — 
 
 The lad of mettle 1 off to tlie Chase, 
 
 Quickly girds Lis belt ou ; 
 X " tiji-iop Swell," with ruddy face — 
 
 True Picture of a Melton. 
 
 His horse a picture — and his hounds — 
 
 The l''ox — soon after her ; 
 With courage high, he knows no bounds, 
 
 A true " OuT-A « D-OuTKit !" 
 
 " Have at him there," holloas the Squire 
 
 'Die Gorse all in a rout — 
 The hounds on scent- full of desiro 
 
 To turn slu Reynard out ! 
 
 The sport being o'er— dinner time — 
 
 With joy he fills his glass, 
 And loasrhig all, in Life, that's prime ; 
 
 first — his faithful lass I 
 
 Then, thi'S it is— his Time doth fly ! 
 
 Hunting, racing, shooting I 
 At ev'ry thing, he has ' a s/iy' — 
 
 On Sporting Points — mooting 
 
 With deference to the " Editor of the Quar- 
 terly Review," we think there was not the 
 slightest necessity for any apology, or the 
 display of something like squeamishness on 
 his part, for his review on the " Remarks on 
 the Condition of Hunters, the choice of Horses 
 and their Management, &c., by Nimrod," who 
 observes ; — " Under such circumstances, we 
 hope the readers of our journal will nnl accuse, 
 us of any unpardonable trespass, if we now 
 and then pennit ourselves to be seduced into 
 a little discussion on a class of subj'-cis with 
 which, hitherto, we have very rarely inter- 
 fered." The Sporting World, at tlie present 
 moment, constitutes a great feature in Society, 
 and its movemcits, in g'ineral, are read with 
 deep interest and plea ure : such being our 
 well-known ide is upon the subject — we offer 
 no apolofry to tie subs.^ribers to the " Book 
 OF Sports, for making an extract from the 
 following well-\vritten article; and we also 
 feel assured that our numerous readers will 
 not entertain an opinion that we have inserted 
 one line of it too much : — 
 
 " And so, without further preface, let us 
 for once sympathize with what even Milton 
 calls an unreproved pleasure : — 
 
 ' Listening how the hounds and horn, 
 Cheerly rouse the slumbering morn, 
 Frorii the side of some hoar hill, 
 'tlirough ihe high wood echoing shrill.' 
 
 In various old writers — the Mayster of (he 
 game, for instance, we find lively pictures of 
 the ancient English chase, which in many 
 respects, no doubt, was of a more noble and 
 manly nature than that of the present day. 
 
iMKUC E EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 211 
 
 The wolf, * the boar, the boar, were among 
 the favorite beasts of ' vcnery ;' and none can 
 doubt that the habit of pursuing such animals, 
 independently of giving vigour to the frame, 
 and strength to the constitution, must have 
 nourisiied that martial ardour and fearless in- 
 trepidity, which, when exerted in the field of 
 battle, generally won the day for our gallant 
 ancestors. The hait, the stag, the hind, the 
 roe-buck, and tie hare, are likewise con- 
 stantly mentioned, as is also the wild or 
 mertia cat, now nearly extinct ; but the fox 
 does not appear to have been included in the 
 list of the Anglo-Norman sportsman. The 
 first public notice of this now much esteemed 
 animal, occurs in the reign of Richard IL, 
 which unfortunate monarch gives permission, 
 by charter, to the Abbot of Peterborough, to 
 hunt the fox. In Twice's ' Treatise on the 
 Craft of Hunting,' Reynard is thus classed : — 
 
 And for to sette young Kunterys in the way 
 
 To venery, 1 cast ine fyrst to go : 
 
 Of which 4 bestes be, th it is to say, 
 
 The Hare, the Herte, thuWulf, and, the Wild Boar ; 
 
 But there ben other b.-stes, 5 of the chivse ; 
 
 The Buck the first, thj seconde is the Do ; 
 
 The Tox the thirfl, w) ich hath liard grace. 
 
 The fertile the iMartjn, and the last the Roe. 
 
 It is inde'd, quite apparent, that until at most 
 a hundred >md fifty years ago, the fox was 
 considered an inferior animal pf the chase 
 the sta?, bur.k.^ and even hare, ranking before 
 him. Previously to this period, he was gene- 
 rally t-iken in nets or hays, set on the outside 
 of hid earth: when he was hunted, it was 
 among rocks and crags, or woods inaccessible 
 to horsemen : such a scene, in short, or nearly 
 so as we have drawn to the life in Dandie 
 Dinmont's primitive c/i«sse in Guy Mannering. 
 If the reader will turn to the author of Hudi- 
 bras's essay, entitled, 'Of the Bumpkin, or. 
 Country Squire,' he will find a great deal 
 about the hare, but not one word of the fox. 
 What a revolution had occurred before Squire 
 Western sat for his picture ! About half-way 
 between these pieces, appeared Somerville's 
 poem of ' The Chase,' in which fox-hunting 
 is treated of with less of detail, -and much 
 less of enthusiasm, than either stag-hunting 
 or hare-hunting. 
 
 It is difficult to determine when the first 
 regularly appointed pack of fox-hounds ap- 
 peared among us. Dan Chaucer gives us the 
 thing in embryo: — 
 
 ' Aha, the fox ! and after hira they ran ; 
 And eke with staves many another man. 
 Ran Call our dogge, and Talbot, and Gerlond, 
 And Malkiu with her distaff in her hond. 
 
 * There are sufficient documt nts to show that the 
 wolf was hunted in England so lately as the four- 
 teenth century; and, in the tifteenth, it was so com- 
 mon in Scotland, that the legislature, for the purpose 
 of destroying the breed, enjoined every Baron to hunt 
 this animal four times Vithin the year. — See the 
 Black Acts, James I , 0, 115 ; James II., 6, 98. In 
 t:ie 5 ear 12S1, a commission was granted by Edward 
 I., to Peter Corbet, to hunt and destroy all the 
 wolves he could discover in the counties of Glouces- 
 ter, V\'orcester, Hereford, Salop, and Stafford — Ry- 
 nier'H Foedera, \o!. ii. p. 168. 
 
 Ran cow and calf, and eke the vcray hogges, 
 bo fered were for burking of the dogges. 
 And shouting of the men and women eke, 
 They ronnen so, hem thought her hertes brake.' 
 
 At the next stage, no doubt, neighbouring 
 farmers kept one or two hounds each, and, 
 on stated days, met for the purpose of de- 
 stroying a fox that had been doing damage in 
 their poultry yards. By-and-bye, a few 
 couples of strong hounds seem to have been 
 kept by small country Esquires, or Yeomen, 
 who could afford the expense, and they 
 joined packs. Such were called trencher 
 hounds, implying that they ran loose about 
 the house, and were not confined in kennel. 
 Of their breed, it would be dillicult to speak 
 at this distance of time ; but it is conjectured 
 that they resembled the large broken haired 
 harriers, now to be met with in the moun- 
 tainous parts of Wales, which, on good scent- 
 ing days, are nearly a match for any thing. 
 Slow and gradual must have been the transi- 
 tion to the present elaborate system ; but we 
 must waive the tniniitieB of sporting antiqua- 
 rianship. 
 
 In no one instance has the modern varied 
 from the ancient system of hunting more than 
 in the hour of meeting in the morning. Our 
 forefathers threw off the pack so soon as they 
 could distirLsriii.=-l] a stile from a gate, or, in 
 other words, so soon as they ccn'd see to lida 
 to the hounds. Then it was that the hare was 
 hunted to her form by the trail, and the fox to 
 his kennel by the drag. Slow as this system 
 would now be deemed, it was a grand treat to 
 the real sportsman. What, in the language 
 of the chase, is called ' the tender-nossod 
 hound,' had an opportunity of displaying 
 himself to the inexpressible delight of his 
 master, and to the field, that is, to the sports- 
 men who joined in the di\ersion, the plea- 
 sures of the day were enhanced by the mo- 
 ments of anticipation produced by the diag. 
 As the scent grew warmer, the certainty of 
 finding was confirmed, the music of the pack 
 increased, and the game being up, away went 
 the hounds " in a crash." Both trail and drag 
 are at present but little thought of; hounds 
 merely draw over ground most likely to hold 
 the game they are in quest of, and thus, in a 
 great measure, rely upon chance for coming 
 across it ; for, if a challenge be heard, it can 
 only be inferred that a fox has been on foot in 
 the night, the scent being seldom sufficient to 
 enable the hound to carry it up to his kennel. 
 Advantages, however, as far as sport is con- 
 cerned, attend the present hour of meeting in 
 the field. Independently of the misery of 
 riding many miles in the dark, which sports- 
 men of the early part of the last century were 
 obliged to do, the game, when it is now 
 aroused, is i.i a better state to encounter the 
 great speed of modern hounds, having had 
 time to digest the food which it has partaken 
 of in the night, previously to its being stirred. 
 But it is only since the great increase of hares 
 and foxes, that the aid of Uie trail and drag 
 
 P 2 
 
.12 
 
 PIERCI-: EO.VN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 'ould be dispensed with, without the frequent 
 recurrence of blank-days, which now seldom 
 happen. 
 
 Compared with the luxurious ease with 
 which the modern sportsman is conveyed to 
 the field — eitlur lolling in his chaise and foiir, 
 or galloping along at the rate of twenty miles 
 an hour, on a hundred guinea hack — the 
 situation of hi? predecessor was all but dis- 
 tressing. In proportion to the distance he had 
 to ride by star-light, were his hours of rest 
 broken in upon ; and, exclusive of tlie time 
 which that operation might consume, anotiier 
 serious one was to be provided for. '1 hi-j was 
 the filling his hair with powder and pomatum 
 until it could hold no more, and forming it 
 into a well-turned knot, or club, as it was 
 called by his valet, which cost commonly a 
 good hour's work. The protecting mud-boot, 
 the cantering hack, the second horse in the 
 field, were luxuries unknown to him ; and 
 his well-soiled b'ckskins, and brown topped 
 boots, woijld h? fp cut an indifferent figure in 
 the presf^nce .jf a moclL-rn connoisseur by a 
 Leicestersh;:e tover-side. Notwithstanding 
 all 'liis, however, we are inclined strongly to 
 suspect that out of a given number of gentle- 
 men taking the field with hounds, the propor- 
 tion of really .scientific sportsmen may have 
 been in favour of the olden times. 
 
 In 'he horse called the hunter, a still greater 
 change has taken place. The half-bred horse 
 of the early part of the last century was, when 
 highly broken to his work, a delightful animal 
 to ride, in many respects more accomplished 
 as a hunter, than the generality of those of the 
 present day. \\ hen in his best form, he was a 
 truly-shaped and powerful animal, possessing 
 prodigious strength, with a fine commanding 
 frame, considerable length of neck, a slight 
 .curve in his crest, which was always high 
 and firm, and the head beautifully put on. 
 Possessing these advantages, in addition to 
 very great pains taken with his mouth in the 
 bitting, and an excellent education in the 
 school or at the bar, he was what is termed a 
 consplete snafHe-bridle horse, and a standing 
 as well as a flying leaper. Held well in hand 
 — :his rider standing up in the stirrups, holding 
 him fast by tjie head, making the best of, and 
 being able to pick or choose his ground — 
 such a horse would continue a chase of some 
 hours' duration at the pace he was called upon 
 to go, taking his fences well and safely to the 
 last ; — and he would frequently command the 
 then large sum of one hundred guineas. IJut 
 all these accomplishments would never have 
 enabled a horse of this description to oarry 
 the modern sportsman, who rides well up to 
 hounds, on a good scenting-day, over one of 
 our best hunting countries. His strength 
 would be exhausted before he had gone ten 
 minutes by tlie increased pace at which he 
 must be called upon to travel, but to which 
 his breeding would be quite unequal ; and 
 his true symmetry, his perfect fencing, his 
 fine mouth, and all his other points, would 
 
 prove of very little avail if ridden close to 
 the hounds, he would be powerless and dan- 
 gerous befi re he had gone across half a dozen 
 Leicestershire enclosures. 
 
 The increased pace of hounds, and that of 
 the horses that follow them, have an intimate 
 connexion with each other, if not with the 
 march of intellect. Were not the hounds of 
 our day to go so fast as they do, they Would 
 not be able to keep clear of the crowd of 
 riders who are now mounted on horses nearly 
 equal to the racing pace. On the other hand, 
 as the speed of the hounds has so much in- 
 creased, unless their followers ride speedy, 
 and, for the most part, thorough-bred horses, 
 they cannot see out a run of any continuance, 
 if the scent lies well. True it is, that at the 
 present time, every Leicestershire hunter is 
 not thorough-bred, but what is termed the 
 cock-tail, or half-bred horse of this day, is a 
 very different animal from that of a hundred 
 years back. In those days a cross between 
 the thorough-bred, or perhaps not quite tlio- 
 roiiffh-bred horse, and the common draught 
 mare, was considered good enough to produce 
 hunters equal to the speed of the hounds then 
 used. There was not such an abundance of 
 what may be termed the intermediate variety 
 of the horse in the country — 'pretty well-bred 
 on each side of the head' — which has of late 
 years been in demand for the fast coaches of 
 England, in which low-bred horses have no 
 chance to live. Mares of iliis variety, put to 
 thorough-bred stallions, and their produce 
 crossed icith pure blood, create the sort of 
 animal that comes noiv under the denomina- 
 tion of the half-bred English hunter, or cock- 
 tail. These are also the horses which contend 
 for our several valuable stakes, made for 
 horses not thorough-bred, though, when 
 brought to the post, they are sometimes so 
 much like race-horses in their appearance and 
 their pace, that it would be difficult to detect 
 the blot in their pedigree. A prejudice long 
 existed against thorough-bred horses for the 
 field, particularly such as had once been 
 trained to the course; and in some quarters 
 it still lingers. It is argued by their oppo- 
 nents that the thinness of their skins makes 
 them afraid of rough blackthorn fences, and 
 that they lose their speed in soft, or what, in 
 sporting language, is termed deep ground : 
 also that having been accustomed from their 
 infancy to the jockey's hand, they lean upon 
 their bits, as when in a race, and are therefore 
 unpleasant to ride. Such of them as have 
 been long in training may undoubtedly be 
 subject to these objections, and never become 
 good and pleasant hunters ; but when pur- 
 chased young, and possessing strength and 
 bone, they must have many counterbalancing 
 advantages over the inferior- bred horse. So 
 far from not makino good leapers, the firmness 
 of bone and muscle, peculiar to this variety of 
 the breed, is prodigiously in favor of that 
 desirable qualification Indeed, it has been 
 truly said of them, that they can often leap 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 213 
 
 large fences when lower-bred horses cannot 
 leap smaller ones — the result of their superior 
 wind, when put to a quick pace. ^Vlloever 
 wishes to see two distinct species of the horse 
 in the most perfect state, should go to New- 
 market and Melton Mowbray — to the former 
 for the race-horse, to tlie latter for the hunter. 
 In no place upon the earth is condition attended 
 to with so much care, or managed with such 
 skill, as in this renowned metropolis of the 
 fox-hunting world. Indeed, we conceive it 
 would be useless to expect horses to live with 
 hounds in such a country as Leicestershire, 
 unless they were in condition to enable them 
 to contend for a plate. JMelton Mowbray 
 generally contains from two to three hundred 
 hunters, in the hands of the most experienced 
 grooms England can produce — the average 
 number being ten to each sportsman residing 
 there, although some of those who ride heavy, 
 and rejoice in long purses, have from fourteen 
 to twenty for their own use. The stud of the 
 Earl of Plymouth has, for many years, ex- 
 ceeded the last mentioned number. It may 
 seem strange, that one man should, under 
 any circumstances, need so large a number of 
 horses solely for his personal use in the field ; 
 and it must be admitted, that few countries 
 do require it. 
 
 In Leicestershice, however, the universal 
 practice is for each sportsman to have at least 
 two hunters in the field on the same day, — a 
 practice found to be economical, as it is from 
 exhaustion, tiie effect of long continued severe 
 work, that the health of horses is most injured ; 
 and when it is also borne in mind, that hounds 
 are to be reached from Melton, Leicester, 
 &c., every day in the week, — that one horse 
 out of six, in every man's stud, is, upon an 
 average, lame, or otherwise unlit for work, — 
 and that a horse should always have five days 
 rest after a moderate, and at least seven or 
 eigiit after a severe run with hounds, — it will 
 seem not surprising that ten or twelve hunters 
 should be deemed an indispensable stud for a 
 regular Leicestershire sportsman. 
 
 The stables, and other conveniences for 
 hunters in the town and neigiibourhood, are 
 upon a very superior scale ; and the greater 
 part of tile studs reniain there all the year 
 round — though from the comparatively small 
 quantity of arable land in the county of Lei- 
 cester, and the very great demand for forage, 
 oats and hay are always considerably dearer 
 iiere than at any other place in Kngland. The 
 sum total of expences attending a stud of 
 twelve hunters at iMelton, including every 
 outgoing, is, as nearly can be estimated, one 
 thousand pounds per annum. In all stables, 
 the outlay for tlie purchase of horses is great, 
 at least two hundred guitieas each hunter; 
 and, in some, the annual amount of wear and 
 tear of horse flesh is considerable. 
 
 At no distant date, within almost twenty- 
 five years, iMelton Mowbray was an insigniti- 
 can* looking little town. It is prettily situ- 
 ated in a 'ich vale, through which the river 
 
 Stoure passes ; but had nothing an artist woufd 
 have called & feature about it, except its beau- 
 tiful church, lint of late it has put on a 
 very different appearance, owing to the num- 
 bers of comfortable houses which have been 
 erected for tiie acconmiodation of its sporting 
 visitors, who now spend not le>s, (m an average, 
 than .50,000/. per annum on the spot. It 
 stands on one of the great north roads, 'eigh- 
 teen miles from Nottingham, and fifteen from 
 Leicester, which latter place is also become a 
 favorite resort of sportsmen, as it is well 
 situated for the best part of the Quorn and 
 Lord Lonsdale's countries ; and nmny of tlie 
 favorite covers of the Atherstone (lately 
 better known as Lord Anson's) country can 
 be reached from it. 
 
 The following description of the Old Club, 
 at IMelton Mowbray, so called in contradis- 
 tinction to the New Club, some time since 
 broken up, is given in the ' Sporting Maga- 
 zine :' — 
 
 " The grand feature at Melton Mowbray is 
 the Old Club, which has been established 
 about thirty-eight years, and owes its birth to 
 the following circumstances : — Those distin- 
 guished sportsmen, the late Lord Forrester, 
 and Lord Delamere (then Messrs. Forrester 
 and Cholmondeley,) had been living for some 
 years at Loughborough, for the purpose of 
 hunting with Mr. IMeynell,and removed thence 
 into IMelton, where they took a house, and 
 were joined by the late iSlr. Smythe Owen, of 
 Condover Hall, Shropshire. As this house, 
 now known as the Old Club-house, only con- 
 tains four best bed-rooms, its members are 
 restricted to that number ; but the following 
 sportsmen have, at different periods, belonged 
 to the club. The Hon. George Germaine, 
 now Lord SacL'ville ; Lords Alvanley and 
 Brudenell ; the Hon. Joshua Vanneck, now 
 Lord Huntingfield; the Hon, Berkeley(4'a\ en ; 
 the late Sir Robert Leighton ; the late Mr. 
 Meyler ; Messrs. Hrommell, Vansittart, Tho- 
 mas Asheton Smith, Lindow, Langston, 
 Maxse, Maher, IMoore, Sir James Mus;irave, 
 and the present Lord Forrester ; the four last 
 mentioned gentlemen forming the prese-nt 
 club. There is something highly respectable 
 in every thing connected with the Melton Old 
 Club. Not only is some of the best society 
 in England to be met with in their circle, 
 bat the members have been remarkable for 
 living to;zether on terms of the strictest har- 
 mony and friendshi[) ; and a sort of vene-^ 
 ration has been paid by tliein to the recol- 
 lection of the former members, as the follow- 
 ing anecdotes will prove : — The same plate 
 is now in use which was purchased when 
 the club was established (lor there are none 
 of the ' certnmina divitiaruin — no ostentatious 
 displays at the table of the Old Club, thougdi 
 every thing is as good, of its kind, as a first, 
 rate cook can produce, and the wines are of. 
 the best quality ,) and even trifles are regarded, 
 with a scrupulous observance. A small print 
 of the late Samuel Chifney, 'on Uaronet,' 
 
214 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 was placed against the ymU by the present 
 Lord Sackville, than Mr. Germaine, so dis- 
 tinguished as a most excellent sportsniitn, as 
 well as a rider, over a country or a race 
 course ; in the latter accomplishment, per- 
 haps, scarcely excelled by any gentleman 
 jockey ; and although, since it was first affixed, 
 the room has undergone more than one paper- 
 ing and repairing, yet the same print, in the 
 same frame, and on the same nail, still hangs 
 in the same place. 
 
 ' The rivets were not foxind that joined us first. 
 That do uot reach us yet ;— we were so mixed. 
 We were one mass, we could not yive or take 
 But from the same, for he was I — I he.' 
 
 The uninitiated reader would be surprised by 
 an enumeration of the persons of rank, wealth 
 and fashion, who, during months of every 
 year, resign the comforts and elegancies of 
 iheir family mansions for a small house in 
 some town or village of Leicestershire — to the 
 eye of any one but a sportsman, nearly the 
 ugliest county in England;* nor can any 
 foreigner visiting this country, and a sports- 
 man in his own, fail to be greatly surprised 
 at tlie magnificpnce of our hunting establi.-'h- 
 ments, whose sole object is the fax. The 
 kennels and stables at Quordon Hall., cele- 
 brated as the residence of ' the great. Mr. 
 Mejnell,' and subsequently, until within the 
 two last years, of every proprie^'jr of the 
 Quordon or Qnom hounds, are specially 
 ^vort!!y his attention. The former are, per- 
 haps, the most extensive at the present day in 
 England ; among the latter is one holding 
 twenty-eight horses, so arranged, that when 
 a spectator stands in the centre of it, his eye 
 commands each individual animal; which, 
 being furnished with seats, and lighted by 
 powerful lamps, formed a high treat to the eye 
 of a sportsman, on a winter's evening; in 
 addition to this, there are several loose boxes, 
 and ai^ exercise ride, as it is called, under 
 cover, for bad vveatlier. The usual amount of 
 the Quorn establishment has been forty effi- 
 cient hunters; and from sixty to one hundred 
 couples of hounds. Mr. Osbaldeston, how- 
 ever, during his occupation of the country, 
 had a still larger kennel, — and no wonder, for 
 it was his custom to turn out every day in the 
 week, weather permitting-; and, after Christ- 
 
 • The Earl of Wilton has lately built an excellent 
 house in the capital itself, for tlie acconimodatiun of 
 himself and his Countess — an event hailed with plea- 
 sure by the Meltonians, as their permanent residence 
 there will probably induce many oih(ir married ama- 
 teurs to \isit thu place, and thereby refine its society. 
 At Melton Lodge, within a mile of the town, the Earl 
 and Countess of I'lymouth have been domiciled for 
 several years past. The Earl and Countess of Ches- 
 terfield, Lord and Lady Edward Thynne, and the 
 Ma-rquis of \Vorci'Ster, are o<x-asional residents in the 
 town. Lord AUanley, and Ilokeby, keep bouse there 
 together: us do Sir Harry Gocdricke, Mr. Little Gil- 
 tiiour, and Lord Gardner, Lord Robert Urosvenor, 
 Lord Kinnaiid, Mr. White, of 1 arkhall, Derbyshire; 
 with many otiiois, too numerous to mention, are 
 among the /laiitnes of Melten ; and at Leicester, are 
 tn be found Lord !>n d Lady Sarah Iiij;estrie, Lord and 
 L.xdy .Stornjouiit, Colonel Dnminiond, Jcc. ic. 
 
 mas, as the days increased in length, he had 
 often two packs out on the same day — a cir- 
 cumstance before unheard of. This gentle- 
 man, however, is insatiable in his passion for 
 the chase ; and when we think what fatigue 
 he must have been inured to, whilst hunting 
 his own hounds six days a week, in such a 
 county as Leicestershire, for a succession of 
 seasons, we read with less surprise, his late 
 Herculean feat of riding fifty-four mile heats 
 over NevvHiarket-heath, in the short space of 
 eight hours, and in the face of most tempestu- 
 ous weather ! Four packs of fox-hounds divide 
 this far famed county of Leicester : namely, 
 the Duke of Rutland's ; the Earl of Lons- 
 dale's; the Atherstone, late the Earl of Litch- 
 field's, afterwards Sir John Gerard's, but now 
 IVFr. Applevvaite's ; and what were so long 
 called the Quorn, now Sir Harry Goodricke's, 
 who has built a kennel for thein at Thrussin- 
 ton, half way between Melton and Leicester, 
 which situation is more in the centre of the 
 country than Quorn. The county of Leices- 
 ter, however, does not of itself find room for 
 all these packs ; parts of Rutlandshire, Lin- 
 colnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Warwick- 
 shire, are also included in their beat. 
 
 Our readers are doubtless aware that such 
 portion of a county as is bunted by any one 
 pack of hounds is technically called their 
 country ; and of all the countries in the world, 
 the Quorn certainly bears the bell. This 
 Superiority arises from the peculiar nature of 
 the soil — which, being for the most part good, 
 is highly favorable to scent ; the immense 
 proportion of grazing land in comparison with 
 that which is ploughed ; and the great size of 
 the enclosures, many of which run to from 
 sixty to one hundred acres each. The rarity 
 of large woods in this part of Leicestershire is 
 also a great recommendation to it as a hunting 
 country ; v\hile it abounds in furze brakes, 
 or gorse-covers, as they are termed, for 
 the rent of which a considerable annual 
 sum (nearly 1000/.) is paid to the owners. 
 Independently of these, what are termed arti- 
 ficial covers are made with stakes, set at a 
 certain height from the ground for the grass 
 to grow over them ; but they are very inferior 
 to the others, being difficult for hounds to 
 draw. The subscription to the Quorn hounds 
 has varied from two to four thousand pounds 
 per annum ; but Sir Harry Goodricke, the 
 present proprietor, bears the whole expense 
 of them himself. One of the most striking 
 features in the aspect of the chosen regions of 
 English fox-hunting is the formidable ox fence 
 rendered necessary by the diffioulty of keeping 
 fatting cattle within their pastures, duriog 
 the season of the aestrus, or gad fly. It con- 
 sists of — first, a wide ditch, then a sturdy 
 black thorn hedge, and at least two yards 
 beyond that a strong rail, about four feet high ; 
 to clear all these obstacles, from which ever 
 side they may be approached, is evidently a 
 great exertion for a horse. What is termed 
 the bull finch fence (.= till more common in 
 llicse districts) is a quick-set Itedge of, per- 
 
PIEUCE EGAN'S MOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 'ii6 
 
 haps, fifty years' growth, with a ditch on one 
 side or the other, and so high and strong that 
 horses cannot clear it. The sportsman, how- 
 ever, charging this at nearly full speed, suc- 
 ceeds in getting to the other side, when the 
 bushes close after him and his horse, and there 
 is no more appearance of their transit than if 
 a bird had iiopped through. Horses, unac- 
 customed to these fences, seldom face them 
 well at first; perhaps, nothing fihort of the 
 emulation which animates tiieir riders, and 
 t!ie courage created in the noble animals them- 
 selves by the presence of hounds, would 
 induce them to face such things at all. Tim- 
 ber fences, such as rails, stiles, and gates, hut 
 particularly rails, are oftener leaped in Leices- 
 tershire, than in any other country, by reason 
 of the great height which the quickset-fences 
 attain— a height which, in some places, no- 
 thing but a bird can surmount ; brouks also 
 abound, amongst t!ie widest of which are the 
 ^Vhissendine — the Smite or Belvoir — one 
 under Stanton Wood — another under Norton, 
 by Galby — and a lifth near Woodwell Head. 
 
 At the conclusion of the last century, Mr. 
 Meynell was master of these Quorn hounds, 
 since which time they have been in the hands 
 of the following conspicuous sportsmen — Ef..- 
 Sefton, Loru Foley, Mr. Thomas Asheton 
 Smith, Sir Bellinghani Grahum Mr. Oi'Iuii- 
 deston, Loid i^outlianipton, and Sir Harry 
 Goodricke. This baronet being in the prime 
 of life, and a good sportsman, is considered a 
 very proper person to fulfil the duties of his 
 situation ; and not the less so, that his ample 
 fortune enables liim to dispense with a sub- 
 scription. 
 
 The town of Melton furnishes an interest- 
 ing scene on each hunting morning. At rather 
 an early hour are to be seen groups of hun- 
 ters, the finest in the world, setting out in 
 different directions to meet dilTerent packs of 
 hounds — each sportsman sends forward two : 
 on one is mounted a very light but extremely 
 Well dressed lad, who returns home on his 
 master's cover hack, or in tiie dickey of his 
 carriage, if he has happened to" be carried 
 to cover in the more luxurious fashion. 
 On tiie other hunter is a personage of a 
 very difTorent description. Tiiis is what is 
 called the ' second horseman !' he rides the 
 second horse which is to carry his master with 
 the hounds, after his having had one, or part 
 of one, cliase on the first. This description of 
 servant is by no means easy to procure ; and 
 he generally exhibits in his countenance and 
 demeanour soratthing like a modest assurance 
 that he possesses quali'ties of importance. In 
 short, he must have some brains in his head ; 
 be a good horseman with a light hand ; be 
 able to ride very well to hounds ; and, above 
 all, he must have a good eye to, and a thorough 
 knowledge of, a country, to enable him to give 
 his master a chance of changing his horse in 
 a run, and not merely when it is over. Lord 
 Sefton brought this sesond horse system into 
 fa.^hion at the time he liunti^d Leicestershire, 
 
 wiien Jack liaven (a light weight, and son of 
 his huntsman.) used to ride one of his thou- 
 sand-guinea hunters in his wake — if we n)ay 
 so express ourselves — in the field, to which he 
 changed his seat at the fiist convenient oppor- 
 tunity. The system, however, has been im- 
 proved upon since then : the second horseman 
 now rides to points instead of following the 
 hounds, and thus often meets his master at 
 a most favorable moment, when his good 
 steed is sinking, with one that has not been 
 out of a trot. There is much humanity as 
 well as comfort in this arrangement, for at the 
 pace hounds now go over the grass countries, 
 horses now become distressed under heavy 
 weights, in a short time after the chase begins, 
 when the scent lies well, and they are man- 
 fully ridden up to the pack. 
 
 About an hour and a half after the servants 
 are gone forward with the hunters, a change 
 of scene is to be observed at Melton, car- 
 riages and four appear at some doors ; at 
 others, very clever, and most commonly 
 thorough-bred hacks, led gently in hand, 
 ready for their owners to mount. The bye- 
 roads of this county being bad for wheels, 
 the hack is often the better conveyance of tiie 
 two — always, indeed, unless the fixture be on 
 a turnpike road — and twelve or fourteen miles 
 are generally performed by Iiim v.ithin the 
 hour. 
 
 The utijle of your IMeltonian fox-hunteri:, 
 has long distinguished him above his brethren 
 of what he calh". the provincial chase. When 
 turned out of the hands of his valet, he pre- 
 sents the very bean ideal of his cat^te. Tiie 
 exact Stultze-like fit of his coat — his super- 
 latively well-cleaned leather breeches, and 
 boots^and the generally apparent high breed- 
 ing of the man, can seldom be matched else- 
 where ; and the most cautious sceptic on such 
 points would satisfy himself of this fact at 
 one single inspection. 
 
 Before Leicestershire acquired its present 
 ascendant rank in the scale of sport, it was 
 hunted by what were called the Noel hounds, 
 which afterwards became the property of tlie 
 Lonsdale family ; but in tliose early days, this 
 county wore, to the eye of a sportsman, a 
 very difTerent appearance from that which it 
 DOW presents. A great portion of the land 
 was unenclosed ; neither was there a tenth 
 part of the furze-covers with which it nov/ 
 abounds. The foxes, on tlie other hand, were 
 wilder than they are at present, and runs 
 of longer duration than those of later times 
 were, on an average, the result. Game was 
 not so plentiful as it now is ; consequently 
 foxes had farther to travel for their usual pro- 
 vender, which trained them for runs of extra- 
 ordinary length : and tliey were wilder from 
 the wilder nature of the country in which 
 they were bred. It was, however, reserved 
 to Mr. Meynell, to reiuler famous the county 
 of Leicester as a hunting counti'y. He was, 
 doubtless, the inost successful sportsman of 
 his own time, nor has lie been surpassed by 
 
216 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 any who have trodden in his steps ; although 
 it may be admitted he has had his equals in 
 some departments of the craft. It is a great 
 mistake to fancy that a fool will ever make a 
 first-rate figure even in fox-hunting; and in 
 truth, this father of the modern chase was any- 
 thing but a fuol. He was a man of strong 
 and vigorous mind, joined with much per- 
 severance, as well as ardour, in his favorite 
 pursuit ; and bringing faculties to bear upon 
 sport, as a science which would have dis- 
 tinguished themselves in any walk of life 
 to which he might have applied them. As a 
 breeder of hounds he displayed a perfect 
 judgment ; the first qualities he looked for 
 were fine noses and stout running ; a combi- 
 nation of strength with beauty, and steadiness 
 with high mettle. His idea of perfection of 
 shape was summed up in sliort backs, open 
 bosoms, straigiit legs, and compact feet. 
 Although he did not hunt his hounds himself, 
 yet he was one of the boldest as well as most 
 judicious horsemen of his time — but this was 
 only a minor qualification. His knowledge of 
 hunting was supreme, and several of his 
 maxims are in force to the present hour. He 
 was a great advocate for not hurrying hounds 
 in their work ; and having, perhaps, unpar- 
 alleled influence over his field, he was enabled 
 to prevent his brother sportsmen from pressing 
 on the hounds when in difficulties, — himself 
 being the first to keep aloof,— in chase no rnan 
 rode harder. 
 
 It was in his day that the hard riding, ov 
 we should rather say, quick riding to hounds, 
 which hits ever since bet^n praclLsed, was fii^t 
 brought into Vogue. The late Mr. Childe, of 
 Rinlet Hall, Shropshire — a sportsman of the 
 hif)hest order, and a great personal friend of 
 Mr. Meynell— is said to have first set the ex- 
 ample, and it was quickly followed by the 
 leading characters of the Quorn hunt.* This 
 system has not only continued, but has gained 
 ground, and the art of riding a chase may be 
 said lo have arrived at a state of perfection 
 quite unknown at any other period of time. 
 That a drawback from sport, and occasional 
 loss of foxes, are often the result of this dash- 
 ing method of riding to hounds, every sports- 
 man must acknowledge ; as an old writer on 
 hunting has observed, 'The emulation of 
 leading in dogs and their masters has been 
 
 * Among tl'e foremost of these were, the present 
 Earl of Jersey, tlieii Lord Villiers; the late Lord For- 
 ester, then Mr. Cecil Forester ; Lord IJelamere, then 
 Mr. Cholmondely : Lord Sackville, then the Honor- 
 able George Germaine ; Earl Seiton ; Lord Hunting, 
 litld; then the Honorable Joshua \'annfck ; the late 
 Lords Charles Som.rset. Maynaid, and Craven ; Lords 
 Lynedock., then Colonel Graham, Foley, and Wen 
 lock, then Sir Roburl Lawley ; Honorables Robert 
 Grosvenor, Berkeley, Craven, and Martin Hawke; 
 Sir John Shelley, Sir Henry Peyton, and the late Sir 
 Stephtn Glynn, General 'Jarleton, Messrs. Loraine 
 Smith, Childe, Charles Meynell, Harvey Astun, Lewth, 
 Musters, Lambtnn, Bennet, Hawkes, Lockley, Tho- 
 mas Asheton Smith, I:indow, Jacob Vi ardcll' o/m 
 miiltis aliig. 
 
 the ruin of many a good cry.' One circum- 
 Btance, however, has greatly tended to per- 
 fect the system of riding well up ; and this is 
 the improved condition of hunters. t Of Mr. 
 Meynell's time two celebrated chases are 
 recorded in print ; one of an hour and twenty 
 minutes without a check ; and the other, two 
 hours and fifty minutes without a cast. Only 
 two horses carried their riders throughout the 
 first run, and only one went to the end of the 
 spcond ; both foxes were killed, and every 
 hound was present at the death of each. We 
 may venture to say, had tlie two runs we have 
 alluded to taken place within the last few 
 years, this superiority in the condition of the 
 hounds over the horses would by no means 
 have been maintained. 
 
 We wish we could gratify such of our 
 re iders as are sportsmen, with the date and 
 origin of our best packs of fox-hounds, as well 
 as the names and character of their owners ; 
 but our limits will not allow us to go into much 
 detail. Perhaps the oldest fox-hound blood 
 in England at this time, is to be found in the 
 kennel of the earl of Lonsdale, at Cottesmore. 
 The Noels, whom this family succeeded, were 
 of ancient standing in the chase, and the ve- 
 nerable peer himself has now superintended 
 the pack for nearly fifty years, witli a short 
 interregnum of three or four years, w hen Sir 
 Gilbert Hcathcote had them. Lord Yarho- 
 rough's kennel can likewise boast of very old 
 blood, that pack having descended, without 
 interruption, from father to son, for upwards 
 of one hundred and fifty years. The hounds 
 lale Air. ^yarde's sold to Mr Horlock, a few 
 years since, for 1000 {guineas, claim a high 
 descent, having much of the blood of Lord 
 Thanet's and Mr. Elway's packs, which were 
 in the possession of the Abingdon family, at 
 Rycot, for at least three generations, and 
 hunted Oxfordshire and Berkshire. Mr. 
 Warde was a master of fox-hounds during, 
 as we believe, the yet unequalled period of 
 fifty-seven years in succession. During this 
 time he sold his pack to Lord Spencer; but 
 reserved three couples of bitches, from which 
 he raised another pack, and thus never lost 
 sight of his old blood. Earl Fitzwilliam 
 comes very near Mr. Warde, as an old master 
 of fox-boundb. Soon after Mr. Warde pur- 
 chased his first pack of the Honorable Captain 
 Bertie, this peer bought the one called the 
 Crew, and Foley — -which had been very long 
 established in Oxfordshire, and Warwick- 
 shire ; and he has kept them ever since — 
 nearly fifty years. The Belvoir hounds are 
 also a very old established pack, but had an 
 interval during the minority of the pre.sent 
 Duke of Rutland, when in the hands, first of 
 
 * The advantages of the new system of preparing 
 the hunter for the field have been so clearly deiiion- 
 Etrated in Mnirod's Letters, that the old one, of turn- 
 ing him to grass in the summer, and destroying that 
 condition «hiih it had taken months to procure, is 
 nca ly, if not totally exyloded, iu the studs of uU,thc 
 hard riders of the presrnt dny. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF Sl'OliTS. 
 
 217 
 
 Sir Carnaby Hajfgerstone, and afterwards of 
 Mr. Perceval, brother of the late Lord Egrnont. 
 The Duke of Beaufort's are another justly 
 celebrated pack, but only in possession of the 
 second generation ; they date from the time of 
 Lord Fitzvvilliani's taking the Crewe and 
 Foley hounds, which made an opening; in that 
 part of Oxfordshire which the Duke now 
 hunts. Fox-hounds have been kept at Raby 
 Castle, Durham, by the present lord and his 
 uncle, the late Duke of Cleveland, for more 
 than a century, and the Marquis himself has 
 now officiated as huntsman to his pack nearly 
 forty seasons. The Earl of Scarborough's 
 late pack, now Mr. Foljambe's hunting the 
 ('ollingworth country, claim also an early 
 date ; and, among the other old masters of fox- 
 hounds now alive, the names of Sir Richard 
 Puleston, Lord Middleton, the Earl of Hare- 
 wood, Mr. Villebois, Mr. Ralph Lambton, Mr. 
 Musters, and the Duke of Grafton, stand next 
 on the list. The late Sir Thomas Mostyn was 
 in the uninterrupted possession of fox-hounds 
 for upwards of forty years ; the late Mr. 
 Chute, of Hampshire, kept them at least thirty 
 years; and that super-excellent sportsman, 
 Mr. Musters, has already seen out a similar 
 period. With the exception of these, and a 
 few others, the packs of English fox-hounds 
 \m\e changed ma-^ters so often within the last 
 fifty years, that it is almost impossible to trace 
 them, either in blood or possession. How- 
 ever, (he most valuable kennels of the present 
 day are those of the Dukes of Rutland and 
 Beaufort, Lord Fitzwiiliam, the Blarquis of 
 Cleveland, Messrs. Ralph Lambton and Os- 
 baldeston. Mr. Warde has likewise been 
 remarkable for the great bone, size, and power 
 of the hounds he has bred. With the excep- 
 tion of Lord Cleveland's and Mr. Villebois' 
 litif/e packs (so called in contradistinction to 
 packs consisting of their smaller hounds, 
 which these eminent sportsmen bring into 
 the field on the alternate days), no hounds 
 of the present day equal his in this respect. 
 His logic on this subject is incontrovertible. 
 ' You may at pleasure,' says this distinguished 
 sportsman, ' diminish the size and power of 
 the animal you wish to breed ; but it is diffi- 
 cult to increase, or even preserve them, ad- 
 hering to the same breed." Many thought 
 that Mr. Warde's hounds looked to some 
 disadvantage, owing to their generally car- 
 rying a good deal of llesh, which, however, 
 he considered — as did also the celebrated 
 Tom Rose, the Duke of Grafton's late hunts- 
 man, and the father of the present, | abso- 
 lutely essential to those which, like his, hunted 
 strong, woodland countries. To the eye of a 
 sportsman, it is certain, they always afforded a 
 high treat, as the power and tine symmetry of 
 the fox-hound were apparent at lirst sight; 
 and almost every kennel in the south of P^ng- 
 land, and several in the north, are now proud 
 to acknowledge their obligation to the blood 
 o" John Warde— /Ae Fullu'r of the Fiehl. Sir 
 Richard Puleston is celebrated as a judicious 
 
 breeder of hounds, and his blood has likewise 
 been highly valued in several of our best ken- 
 nels, amongst which is Lord Cleveland's, to 
 whom Sir Richard sold a very large draft 
 some years since. The late Mr. Corbet, a 
 very considerable breeder of hounds, always 
 bowed to his superior judgment in this de- 
 partment of the science. The most celebrated 
 breeders, however, of this day, are the Dukes 
 of l{utland and Beaufort, and Mr. Osbaldeston 
 — we rather think that Mr. Osbaldeston's 
 BLOOD is c/e facto in the highest repute in 
 THE HUNTING WORLD. A short time since he 
 had nearly forty couples of hounds at work at 
 one time, by one sire — his Furrier. 
 
 Persons who are not sportsmen may be at 
 a loss to estimate the annual expenses of a 
 pack of fox-hounds, hunting our first rate 
 countries; and, perhaps, equally so to accoimt 
 for such large sums being expended in bucIi 
 pursuits ;* Hay, and oats and consequently 
 oatmeal, being very much cheaper now than 
 they were during the war prices, of course 
 these expenses are diminished ; but even at 
 present we understand that in the best esta- 
 blishments very little is left out of £4000 at 
 the end of the year, when all contingent 
 charges are liquidated ; and we have reason 
 to know that several greatly outsirrip even this 
 sum, perhaps to the extent of one half in ad- 
 dition. Sir Harry Goodricke has, at this time, 
 eighty couples of hounds in his kennel, and 
 forty-four hunters in his stables ; and we be- 
 lieve that his predecessors. Lord Southamp- 
 ton, Mr. Osbaldeston, and Sir Bellingham 
 Graham, even exceeded this measure of esta- 
 blishment. 
 
 The price of hounds is, perhaps, not 
 
 generally known. 'I'hirty years ago. Sir 
 
 .Richard Puleston sold his to the Duke of 
 
 liedford for seven hundred, and, fifteen years 
 
 since, Mr. Corbet's were sold to Lord Mid- 
 
 • The following are the items of expenses laid 
 down by Colonel Cooke, in his ' Observations on 
 Fox-hunting,' published a few years since. Tlie cal- 
 culatidi sujipDses a tour-times a-week. country ; but it 
 is generally below the mark; we should say, at least 
 one-, alt : — 
 
 ' Fourteen horses .... £700 
 
 Hounds' food, for fifty couples . . 275 
 Firing . . .... 50 
 
 Taxes ]20 
 
 Two wliippers in, and feeder . . 210 
 
 Earth stopping 80 
 
 Saddlery . . . . ' . . loo 
 
 Farriery, shoeing, and medicine . 100 
 
 Young liounds purchased, and ex- 
 
 1-enses at wa'iks .... 100 
 Casualities ..... 200 
 
 Huntsman's wages and his horses . a '0 
 
 £-2,23?" 
 Of course, countries vary much in expense from local 
 circumstances ; sucli as the necessiiy for change of 
 kennels, bounds sieepins out, &c. c^c. In those which 
 are called liollow countries, consequently abounding 
 in earths, the expense of earth-stopping often amounts 
 to £200 per annum, and Northamptonshire is of this 
 class. In others, a great part of the foxes are what 
 is termed .stub bred (bred above ground), wliich cir 
 camstancc reduces »he amount of this item. 
 
210 
 
 PILUC:!: r.GANS liOOK Ol' SPOUTS. 
 
 dleton for twelve hunrlred giiinnas. A. well 
 known good pack will, in these times — bad 
 as they are — command a thousand guineas ; 
 those of Mr. Warde, Lord Tavistock (the 
 Oakley), Mr. Nicholls, and Sir Richard Sut- 
 ton's have been sold for that sum within the 
 last few years. But a very sliort time since, 
 indeed, Mr. Osbaldeston sold ten coujiles of 
 hounds for the same sum to Lonl Middleton ; 
 and we have reason to believe he has hounds 
 in his kennel for which he would not take 
 two hundred guineas a-piece. Knowing all 
 this, one can make every allowance for the 
 angry feelings and fears of their owners when 
 they see the chance of their being ridden over 
 and destroyed in chase. Good hounds are 
 not easily replaced ; and it is on this account 
 that, in the hard-riding countries, and where 
 the covers are small, seldom more than sixteen 
 or seventeen couples form a pack : in short, 
 the fewer the better. 
 
 The recent retirement of the Duke of Rut- 
 land from the field, has been felt to leave a 
 vacuum in the hunting woild. Those hounds 
 are now in the possession of a very popular 
 young nobleman. Lord Forester; and his 
 Grace subscribes £1200 per annum towards 
 their support; but the Duke himself no longer 
 hunts, neither is there the annual assemblage 
 of sportsmen that was wont to be within the 
 walls of Belvoir Castle. 
 
 Alliiougli most foreigners express vast sur- 
 prise that %ve siioiild go co sucii expenses in 
 hunting the fox, unattended by the parade of 
 the continental chasne, yet several of them 
 have of late been induced to make their ap- 
 peaiance in Leicestershire, and some few 
 have shown that, had they been born English- 
 men, and rightly initiated in the art, they must 
 have been conspicuous characters in the field. 
 The performances of Count Sandore, an Hun- 
 garian nobleman, who resided one year at 
 Melton Mowbray, on a visit to Lord Alvaniey, 
 have already met the public eye, and his daring 
 h'irsemansiiip,aiidc()nseqiientmishaps, foriiied 
 the subject of an amusing tale. From a ludi- 
 crous description given of them by himself, a 
 series of pictures were painted by Mr. Feme- 
 ley, of Melton Mowbray, representing him in 
 as extraordinary and perilous situations as (he 
 imagination of man could have conceived. 
 Fi\;tion, however, was not resorted to, every 
 scene being a real one ; and the count — tiie 
 delight of the iMeltonians — carried them to 
 his own country, on his return, together with 
 Sdrne English mares to produce hunters, having 
 iiad a good taste of the !)reed. He was mounted 
 by Mr. T ilbury, a celebrated horse-dealer in 
 London, who found him a stud of eight horses 
 for the season, for tlie nioderate sum of £1000, 
 including every contingent expense. (]ount 
 Rathiana was likewise at iMelton last year, as 
 (dso Count Halin, from Germany ; and Count 
 -AJatuchevitch, the Russian minister, isresiding 
 tiiore now. His excellency has ten hunters 
 of his own, rides hard, and is much esteemed 
 bv the AleUonians. and all sporlsmen in the 
 
 neighbourhood. During the visit of Don iVIi- 
 guel to the Duke of Wellington, at Strathfield- 
 .say, a few years back, he went out with the 
 Vine hounds, late Mr. Chate's to which his 
 Grace is a subscriber. He rode a celebrated 
 hunter of the late king's, and gallantly did he 
 put him along. 
 
 To describe a run with fox-hounds is not 
 an easy task ; but to make the attempt 
 with any other county than Leicestershire in 
 our eye, would be giving a chance away. 
 Let us then suppose ourselves at Ashby I'as- 
 tur^", in the Quorn country, with Mr. ()sbal- 
 deston's hounds. Let us also indulge our- 
 selves with a fine morning, in the first week 
 of February, and at least two-hundred well- 
 mounted men by the cover's side. Time being 
 called — say a quarter past eleven, nearly our 
 great-grandfather's dinner hour — the hounds 
 approach the furze-brake, or the gorse, as it 
 is called in that region. ^ Hark in, hark J' 
 with a slight cheer, and perhaps one wave of 
 his cap, says Mr. Osbaldeston, who has long 
 hunted his own pack, and in an instant he has 
 not a hound at his horse's heels. In a very 
 short time the gorse appears shaken in va/ious 
 parts of the cover — apparently from an un- 
 known cause, not a single hound being for 
 some minutes visible. Presently one or two 
 appear, leaping over some old fure.e which 
 they cannot push through, and exhibit to the 
 field their ^'lossy skins and spotted sides. 
 ' Oh you beauties '. ' exclaims some old 
 Meltoniau, r^iplurously fond of the sport. 
 Twa j.iinutes more elapse ; another hound 
 slips out of cover, and takes a. short tuni out- 
 side, with his nose to the ground and his stern 
 lashing his side — thinking no doubt he might 
 touch on a drag, should Reynard have been 
 abroad in the night. Hounds have no business 
 to ilihik, thinks the second ^^hipper-in, \'(ho 
 observes him ; but one crack of his whip, 
 with ' Rasselas, Rasselas, where are ycm 
 going, Rasselas? Gel to cover, Rasselns ;' and 
 Rasselas immediately disappears. 
 
 Five minutes more pass away, * No fox 
 here,' says one ; ' Don't be in a hurry,' cries 
 Mr. Cradock,* ' they are drawing it beauti- 
 fully, and there is rare lying in it.' Tiiese 
 words are scarcely uttered, when the cover 
 shakes more than ever. Every stem appears 
 ali\e, and it reminds us of a corn-field waving 
 in the wind. In two minutes the sterns of 
 sonse more hounds are seen ' flourishing' f 
 above the gorse. ' Hai'c at him there,' holloas 
 the Stiuire i — the gorse still more alive, and 
 hounds leaping over each other's backs. 
 
 * This gentleman resides within the limits of the 
 Quorn hant, and kindly superintends the management 
 of the covers. 
 
 f Technical , f . r the motion of a hound's stern or 
 tail, wlicn he iirst feels a scent, but is notable to o-m 
 or acinonUtise it. 
 
 i VVlien Mr. Osbaldeston had the Quorn hounds, 
 tliiee of the four paclts wtiich hunted in the same 
 county with his own were the proptrty of noblemen ; 
 so, for tlie sake of distinction, his IrimJs confernd oi. 
 him the familiar title of 'tlic Squire.' 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOKTS. 
 
 2in 
 
 * Have at him there again, my good hounds — 
 a fox for a hundred !' reiterates the Squire — 
 putting his linger in his ear, and uttering a 
 scream which, not being set to music, we can- 
 not give here. Jack Stevens (the first 
 whipper-in) looks at his watch. At this mo- 
 ment 'John White,' ' Val Maher,' 'Frank 
 Holyoake,' (who will pardon us for giving 
 them their noms-dechasse*) and two or three 
 more of the fast ones, are seen creeping gently 
 on towards a point at which they think it pro- 
 babkf he may break. ' Hold hard there,' says 
 a sportsman ; Init he might as well speak to 
 the winds. ' Stand still, gentlemen ; pray 
 stand still,' exclaims the huntsman ; he might 
 as well say so to the sun. During the time 
 we have been speaking of, all the field have 
 been awake — gloves put on — cigars thrown 
 away — the bridle-reins gathered well up into 
 the hand, and hats pushed down upon the brow. 
 At this interesting period, a Snob,+ just ar- 
 rived from a very rural country, and unknown 
 to any one, but determined to witness the start, 
 gets into a coiispicuous situation : ' Come 
 away. Sir!' holloas the master (little sus- 
 pecting that the Snob may be nothing less 
 than one of the Quarterly Reviewers, j ' What 
 mischief are you doing there? Do you think 
 you can catch the fox ?' A breathless silence 
 ensues. At length a whimper is heard in the 
 cover — like the voice of a dog in a dream : it 
 is Flourisher,t and the Squire cheers him to 
 the echo. In an instant a hound challenges — 
 and another — and another. 'Tis enough. 
 ' Talli/ho !' cries a countryman in a tree. 
 ' He's gone !' exclaims Lord Alvanley ; and, 
 clapping spurs to his horse, in an ia-ilant is iu 
 the front rank. 
 
 As all good sportsmen would pay, 'Ware 
 hounds !' cries Sir Harry Goodricke ' Give 
 them time,' exclaims Mr. J<,hn Modi--.. 
 ' That's right,' says Mr. Osbaideston, ' spoil 
 your own sport as usual.' ' Go along,' roars 
 out Mr. Holyoake, ' there are three couple of 
 hounds on the scent.' 'That's your sort,' 
 says ' jJiliy Coke,'^ coming up at the rate of 
 thirty miles an hour on Advance, with^a label 
 pinned on his back, ' she kicks ;' ' tiie rest are 
 all comin;r, and there's a rare scent to-day 
 I'm sure.' Buonaparte's Old Guard, in its 
 best days, would not have stopped such men 
 as these, so long as life remained in them. 
 
 It is true, they possess the speed of a race- 
 horse, but nothing short of their high mettle 
 could iniiuce them to thread their way through 
 
 * John White, Esq., of Park Hall, Derbyshire; 
 \alentine iMahor, Esq., a member of the Old L lub ; 
 and Francis Lyttleton Holyoake, K.sq., of Studley 
 Castle, VV arwickshire. 
 
 t U e know nothing of the derivation of the word 
 ' Snob ;' it is certainly not a classical one, but either 
 that or Tiier is tuo often applied to a total stranger 
 who ventures to showhimseit in the ' swell countnes,' 
 *s they are called. 
 
 X A noted finder, now in Mr. Osbaalestoii's pack. 
 
 <f Nephew to Mr. Coke of iiolkiiaii: ; his Janioiis 
 mare Adtance is dangerous i.i a crowd, and thus the 
 necessity of a label. 
 
 a body of horsemen going the best pace, wi<h 
 the prospect of being ridden over and maimed 
 at every stride they take. But, as Bcckford 
 observes, ' 'Tis the dash of the foxhound 
 which distinguishes him.' A turn, however, 
 in their favor, or a momentary loss of scent 
 in the few hounds that have shot a-head — an 
 occurrence to be looked fur on such occasions, 
 joins head and tail tO;?ethur, and the scent 
 being good, every hound settles to his fox ; 
 the pace gradually improves; vires acquirit 
 eundo ; a terrible burst is the result ! 
 
 At the end of nineteen minutes the hounds 
 come to a fault, and for a moment the fox has 
 a chance, — in fact, they have been pressed 
 upon by the horses, and have rather overrun 
 the scent. ' What a pity !' says one : ' What 
 a shame!' cries another — alluding, perhaps, 
 to a young one, who would and could have 
 gone still faster. ' You may thank yourselves 
 for this,' exclaims Osbaldeston, well up at 
 the time, Clasher looking fresh ; but only 
 fourteen men of the two hundred are to be 
 counted, — all the rest coming. At one blast 
 of the horn, the hounds are back to the point 
 at which the scent has failed. Jack Stevens 
 being in his place to turn them. ' Yo doit ! 
 Pastime,' says the Squire, as she feathers her 
 stern dow-n the hedge-row, looking more 
 beautiful than ever. She speaks ! ' Worth 
 a thousand, by Jupiter!' cries John While, 
 looking over his left shoulder as he sends 
 both spurs into Euxton, delighted to see only 
 four more of the field are up. Our Snob, 
 however, is amongst them. He has ' gone a 
 good one,' and his countenance is expressive 
 of delight, as he urges his horse to his sneerl 
 to get again into a fiont place. 
 
 The pe'icil of the p}<inter is now wanting ; 
 and unless il'- paintn should be a sportsn^an, 
 even his p^-n.ii would bs vvcrtb little. What 
 a country is before him ! — wiiat a panorama 
 does it represent ! — Not a field of less than 
 forty — some a hundred acres — and no more 
 signs of the plough than in the wilds of 
 Siberia. See the hounds in a body tiiat 
 might be covered by a damask table-cloth— 
 every stern down, and every head up, for 
 there is no need of stooping, the scent lying 
 breast high. But t!ie crash ! — the music ! — 
 how to describe these ? Header, there is no 
 crash now, and not much music. It is the 
 tinker that makes great noise over a little 
 work, but »t the pace these hounds are going 
 there is no time for babbling. Perchance 
 one hound in ten may throw his tongue as he 
 goes to inform his comrades, as it were, that 
 the villain is on before them, and most musi- 
 cally do the light notes of vocal and far- 
 famed Venus fall on the ear of those who 
 may be within reach to catch them. But who 
 is so fortunate in this second burst, nearly as 
 terrible as the first >. Our fancy supplies us 
 again, and we think we could name them all. 
 If we look to the left, nearly abreast oi" the 
 pack, we see six men going gallantly, and 
 quite as straight as the hounds thcmsehes 
 
220 
 
 PIUUCE EGAN'S BOOK OE Sl'ORTS. 
 
 are going ; and on the ritrht are four more, 
 riding equally well, though the former have 
 rather the best of it, owing to having had the 
 inside of the hounds at the last two turns, 
 which must be placed to the chapter of acci- 
 dents. A short way in the rear, by no means 
 too much so to enjoy this brilliant run, are the 
 rest of the ^lite of the field, who had come up 
 at the first check ; and a few who, thanks to 
 the goodness of their steeds, and their deter- 
 mination to be with the hounds, appear as if 
 dropped from tlie clouds. Some, however, 
 begin to show symptoms of distress. Two 
 horses are seen loose in the distance — a re- 
 port is flying about that one of the field is 
 badly hurt, and something is heard of a collar- 
 bone being broken, others say it is a leg ; but 
 tlie pace is too good to inquire. A cracking 
 of rails is now heard, and one gentleman's 
 horse is to be seen resting, nearly balanced, 
 across one of them, his rider being on his 
 back in the ditch, which is on the landing 
 side. ' Who is he ?' says Lord Brudenell to 
 Jack Stevens. * Can't tell, my Lord ; but I 
 thought it was a queerish place when I came 
 o'er it before him.' It is evidently a case of 
 peril, but the pace is too good to afford help. 
 
 Up to this time, ' Snob' has gone quite in 
 tlie first flight ; the * Dons' begin to eye him, 
 and when an opportunity offers, the question 
 is asked — 'Who is tiiat fellow on the little 
 bay horse?' 'Don't know him,' says Mr. 
 Little Gilmour, (a fourteen-stone Scotchman, 
 by-the-bye.) ganging gallantly to his hounds. 
 'He can ride,' exclaims Lord Rand iff e. 'A 
 tip-top pro\ incial, depend upon it,' adds Lord 
 Plymouth, going quite at his ease on a tho- 
 rough bred nag, three stone above his weight, 
 ■and in perfect racing trim. Animal nature, 
 however, will cry ' enough,' liow good soever 
 she may be, if unreasonable man press her 
 beyond tlie point. The line of scent lies right 
 athwart a large grass ground, (as a field is 
 termed in Leicestershire,) somewhat on the 
 ascent ; abounding in ant-hills, or hillocks, 
 peculiar to old grazing land, and thrown up 
 by the plough, some hundred years since, into 
 rather high ridges, with deep, holding fur- 
 rows between each. The fence at the top is 
 impracticable — Aleltonice, 'a stopper;' no- 
 thing for it but a gate, leading into a broad 
 green lane, high and strong, with deep slip- 
 pery ground on each side of it. ' Now for the 
 timber-jumper,' cries Osbaldeston, pleased to 
 find himself tipon Clasher. ' For heaven's 
 sake, take care of my hounds, in case they 
 may throw up in the lane.' Snob is here in 
 the best of company, and that moment per- 
 haps the happiest of his life; but, not satis- 
 fied with this situation, wishing to out- Herod- 
 Herod, and to have a fine story to tell when 
 he gets home, he pushes to his speed on 
 ground, on which all regular Leictstersliire 
 men are careful, and tlie death-warrant of the 
 little bay-horse is signed. It is true he gets 
 first to the gate, and has no idea of opening 
 it ; sees it contains five new and strong bars, 
 
 that it will neither bend nor break ; has a 
 great idea of a fall, but no idea of refusing ; 
 presses his hat firmly on his head, and gets 
 his whip- hand at liberty to give the good little 
 nag a refresher ; but all at once he perceives it 
 will not do. \V hen attempting to collect him 
 for the effort he finds his mouth dead and his 
 neck stiff'; fancies he hears something like u 
 wheezing in his throat ; and discovering, 
 quite unexpectedly, that the gate would open, 
 wisely avoids a fall, which was booked had he 
 attempted to leap it. He pulls up then at the 
 gate ; and as he places the hook of his whip 
 under the latch, .John White goes over it close 
 to the hinge-post, and Captain Ross, upon 
 Clinker, follows him. The Reviewer then 
 walks through. 
 
 The scene now shifts. On the other side 
 of the lane is a fence of this description : it is 
 a newly-plashed hedge, abounding in strong 
 growers, as they are called, and a yawning 
 ditch on the further side ; but, as is peculiar 
 to Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, a 
 considerable portion of the blackthorn, left 
 uncut, leans outwards from the hedge, some- 
 what about breast-high. This large fence is 
 taken by all now with the hounds — some to 
 the right and some to the left of the direct 
 line — but the little bay horse would have no 
 more of it. Snob puts him twice at it, and 
 manfully too, but the wind is out of him, and 
 he has no power to rise. Several scrambles, 
 but only one fall, occurs at this ' rasper,' all 
 having nearly enough of the killing pace ; and 
 a mile and a half farther, the second horses 
 are fallen in with, just in the nick of time. A 
 short check from the stain of sheep makes 
 every thing comfortable ; and, the Squire hav- 
 ing hit oflf his fox like a workman, thirteen 
 men, out of two hundred, are fresh mounted, 
 and witli the hounds, which settle to the scent 
 again at a truly killing pace. 
 
 ' Hold hard, Holyoake !' exclaims Mr. 
 Osbaldeston (now mounted on Blucher), 
 knowing what double-quick time he would 
 be marching to, with fresh pipes to play upon, 
 and the crowd well shaken off'; 'pray don't 
 press 'em too hard, and we shall be sure ta 
 kill our fox. Have at him there, Abigail and 
 Fickle, good bitches — see what a head they 
 are carrying ! I'll bet a thousand they kill 
 him.' The country appears better and better. 
 ' Me's taking a capital line,' exclaims Sir 
 Harry Goodricke, as he points out to Sir 
 James Musgrave two young Furrier hounds, 
 who are particularly distinguishing themselves 
 at the moment. ' Worth a dozen Reform 
 Bills,' shouts Sir Francis Burdett, silting 
 erect upon Sampson,* and putting his head 
 straight at a yawner. 'We shall have the 
 Whissendine brook,' cries Mr. Maher, who 
 knows every field in the country, 'for he is 
 making straight for Teigh.' ' And a bumper 
 too, after last night's rain,' holloas Captain 
 
 • A favorite hunter of the baronet's, wliich ho 
 once honored by coming all the way from London 
 to ^^elton to ride one duy with hounds. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 221 
 
 Berkeley, determined to get first to four stifl" 
 rails in a cornei. ' So much tlie better,' says 
 Lord Alvanley, ' 1 like a bumper at all times.' 
 'A fig for the VVhisscndine,' cries Lord Gard- 
 ner; ' I am on the best water jumper in my 
 stable.' 
 
 The prophecy turns up. Having skirted 
 Ranksborough gorse, the villain lias nowhere 
 to stop short of VVoodvvell-head cover, which 
 he is pointing for ; and in ten minutes, or 
 less, the brook appears in view. It is even 
 ■with its banks, and 
 
 ' Smooth glides the water where the brook is deep.' 
 
 ' Yooi, over he goes !' holloas the Squire, as 
 he perceives Joker and Jewell plunging into 
 the stream, and Red-rose shaking herself on 
 the opposite bank. Seven men, out of thir- 
 teen, take it in tlieir stride ; three stop short, 
 their horses refusing tlie first time, but come 
 well over the second ; and three find them- 
 selves in the middle of it. The gallant ' Frank 
 Forester' is among the latter ; and having 
 been requested that morning to wear a friend's 
 new red coat, to take ofl' the gloss and glare 
 of the shop, he accomplishes the task to per- 
 fection in the bluish-black mud of the Whis- 
 sendine, only then subsiding after a three 
 days' flood.* ' Who is that under his horse 
 in the brook ?' inquires that good sportsman 
 and fine rider, Mr. Grei;n,of RoUeston, whose 
 noted old mare had just skimmed over the 
 water like a swallow on a summer's eveninp;, 
 * Only Dick Christian, 't answers Lord Fores- 
 ter, ' and it is nothiu^ nev.' tO him.' ' But 
 he'll be drowned !' exclaims Lord Kinnaird. 
 1 shouldn't wonder,' observes Mr. William 
 Coke. But the pace is too good to inquire. 
 
 The fox does his best to escape : he threads 
 hedge-rows, tries the out-buildings of a farm- 
 house, and once turns so short as nearly to 
 run his foil ; but — the perfection of the thing, 
 the hounds turn shorter than he does, as much 
 as to say — die you sliiill. The pace has been 
 awful for the last twenty minutes. Three 
 horses are blown to a stand-still, and few are 
 going at their ease. ' Out upon this great 
 carcass of mine ; no horse that was ever 
 foaled can live under it at this pace,' says 
 one of the best of the welter-weights, as he 
 stands over his four-hundred-guinea chesnut, 
 then rising from the ground, after giving him 
 a heavy fall — his tail nearly erect in the air, 
 his nostrils violently distended, and his eyes 
 almost fixed. ' Not hurt, I hope,' exclaims 
 Mr. Maxse, to somebody whom he gets a 
 glimpse of through the openings of a tall 
 quickset hedge which is between them, com- 
 ing neck and croup into the adjoining field, 
 from the top bar of a high, hog-backed stile. 
 His eye might have been rpared the unpleas- 
 ing sight, had not his ear been attracted to a 
 
 • A true story. 
 
 •t A celebrated rough-rider at Melton Mowbray, who 
 greatly distinguished himself in the late grand 
 steeple chase from RoUeston. He is paid 15s. per day 
 for riding gentlemen's young horses to hounds. 
 
 sort of procumbit-humibos sound of a hjrse 
 falling to the ground on his back, the bone of 
 his left hip indenting the green-sward within 
 two inches of his rider's thigh. It is young 
 Peyton,* who, having missed his second horse 
 at the check, had been going nearly half the way 
 in distress ; but from nerve and pluck, perhaps 
 peculiar to Englishmen, but very peculiar to 
 himself, got within three fields of the end of 
 this brilliant run. The fall was all but a cer- 
 tainty ; for it was the third stifi' timber- fence 
 that had unfortunately opposed him, after his 
 horse's wind had been pumped out by the 
 pace ; but he was too good to refuse them, 
 and his horse knew better than to do so. 
 
 The iEneid of Virgil ends with a death, and 
 a chase is not complete without it. The fox. 
 dies within half a mile of VVoolwell-head, evi- 
 dently his point from the first; the pack 
 pulling him down in the middle of a large 
 grass field, every hound but one at his brush. 
 Jack .Stevens with him in his hands would be 
 a subject worthy of Edwin Landseer himself: 
 a black-thorn, which has laid hold of his 
 cheek, has besmeared his upper garments 
 with blood, and one side of his head and cap 
 are cased in mud, by a fall he has had in a 
 lane, his horse having alighted in the ruts 
 from a high flight of rails ; but he has ridden 
 the same horse throughout the run, and has 
 handled hrm so well, he could have gone tuo 
 miles furtiier, if the chase had bet-n continued 
 So long. Osbaldeston's whuO-hix^j) uiigbt havp 
 been heard to Cottesmore, had the wind set 
 in that direction, and every man present is 
 ecstatic with delight. ' Quite the cream of 
 the thing, I suppose,' says Lord Gardner, 'i 
 very promising young one, at this time fresh 
 in Leicestershire. 'The cream of everything, 
 in the shape of fox-hunting,' observes that 
 excellent sportsman Sir James Musgrave, 
 looking at that moment at his watch. ' Just 
 ten miles, as the crow flies, in one hour and 
 ten minutes, with but two trifling checks, over 
 the finest country in the world. What superb 
 liounds are these !' added the baronet, as he 
 turned his horse's head to the wind. 
 
 A large party dine this evening at the old 
 club, where, of coursp, this fine run is dis- 
 cussed, and the following accurate description 
 of it is given by one of the oldest meml-eis, a 
 true friend to fox-hunting, and to aj\ mankind 
 as well : — ' We found him,' said 'ne, ' at Ashby 
 Pasture, and got away witli him, up wind, at 
 a slapping pace over Burrow Hill, leavi-ng 
 Thorpe Trassells to the right, when a trifling 
 check occurred. He then pointed for Ranks- 
 borough gorse, which some feared, and others 
 hoped, he might hang in a little, hut he was 
 too good to go near it. Leaving that on his 
 right also, he crossed the brook to M'hissen- 
 dine, going within half a mile of the village, 
 and then he had nothing for it but to fly. 
 That magnificent country, in the direction of 
 
 • The only son of Sir Henry Peyton, Bart., one of 
 the btst and hardest riders of the present day. 
 
2ti2 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Teigh, was open to lu:n, and be showed that 
 he had the courage to face it. Leaving Teigh 
 on the right, VVoolwell liead \\as his point, 
 and in two more lields he would have reached 
 it. Thus we found him in the Quorn country, 
 van him over the finest part of Lord Lonsdale's 
 and killed him ou the borders of the Bel voir. 
 
 But we have left Snob in the lane, who, 
 after casting a longing eye towards his more 
 fortunate companions, who were still keeping 
 well in with the hounds, — throws the rein 
 over the neck of the good little bay horse, 
 and, walking by his side, that he may re- 
 cover his wind, enquires liis way to Melton. 
 Having no one to converse with, he thus 
 soliloquizes as he goes : — ' AVhat a dolt have 
 Iljeen, to spend five hundred a year on my 
 stable, in any country but this! But stop a 
 little : how is it that /, weighing but eleven 
 stone four pounds with my saddle, and upon 
 my best horse, an acknowledged good one in 
 my own country, could neither go so fast nor 
 so long as that heavy fellow Maxse ; that 
 still heavier, Lord Alvanley ; and that mon- 
 ster Tom Edge, who, they tell me, weighs 
 eighteen stone, at least, in the scales.' At 
 this moment, a bridle-gate opens into the 
 lane, and a gentleman in scarlet appears, with 
 his countenance pale and wan, and expressive 
 of severe pain. It is he who had been dug 
 out of the ditch in which Jack Stevens had 
 left him, his horse having fallen upon him, 
 after being suspended on the rail, and broken 
 three of his ribs. Feeling extremely unwell, 
 be is glad to meet with Snob, who is going 
 his road, — to Melton, — and who ofl'ers him all 
 the assistance in his power. Snob a.lso rq)cats 
 to him his soliloquy, fit least the surn and sub- 
 sfflDce of it, on which the gentleman, — re- 
 covering a little from his faiutness by the help 
 of a glass of brandy and water at the village, 
 — thus makes his comment : — ' I think. Sir, 
 you are a stranger in this part of the world,' 
 ' Certainly,' replied Snob, ' it is my first ap- 
 pearance in Leices'.ershire.' ' I observed you 
 in the run,' continued the wounded sports- 
 man, * and very well you went up to the time 
 I fell, but particularly so to the tirst check. 
 You then rode to a leader, and made an ex- 
 cellent choice ; but after that period, I saw 
 you taking aline of your own, and anticipated 
 the fate you have met with. If you remain 
 with us long, you will be sure to find out that 
 riding to hounds in Leicestershire is different 
 from what it is in most other countries in 
 England, and requires a little apprenticeship. 
 There is much choice of ground : and if this 
 choice be not judiciously made, and coupled 
 with a cautious observance of pace, a horse is 
 beaten in a very short time. If you doubt my 
 creed look to the events of this memorable 
 day.' Snob thanks him for his hints, and 
 notes them in his book of memory. 
 
 The fame of Snob and his little bay horse 
 reaches Melton before he walks in himself. 
 ' That provincial fellow did not go amiss to 
 day/ says one. * Who was that rural-looking 
 
 man on a neatish ba\ horse — all but his tail— 
 who was so well with us at the first check?' 
 asks another, who himself could not get to the 
 end, although he went ' a good one ' three- 
 parts of the way. There is no one present 
 to answer these questions ; but the next day, 
 and the next, Snob is in the field again, and 
 again in a good place. Further inquiries are 
 made, and satisfactory information obtained. 
 On the fourth day, a nod from one — a ' how 
 do you ?' from another — *a fine morning,' from 
 a third — are tokens good-humouredly be- 
 stowed upon him by some of the leading men, 
 and ou the fifth day, after a capital half-hour, 
 in which he had again distinguished himself, 
 a noble bon-vivunt thus addresses him, — 
 ' Perhaps, sir, you would like to dine with 
 me to-day ; I shall be happy to see you at 
 seven.' 
 
 * Covers,' he writes next day to some friend 
 in his remote western province, ' were laid 
 for eight, the favourite number of our late 
 King ; and perhaps his INIajesty never sat 
 down to a better-dressed dinner in his life. 
 To my surprise, the subject of fox-hunting 
 was named but once during the evening, and 
 that was when an order was given that a ser 
 vant might be sent to inquire after a gentle- 
 man who had had a bad fall that morning over 
 some timber ; and to ask, by the way, if Dick 
 Christian came alive out of a ditch, in which 
 he had been left with a clever young 
 thorough-bred on the top of him.' The writer 
 proceeds to describe an evening, in which wit 
 and music were more thought of than wine — ■ 
 and presenting, in all respects, a perfect con- 
 trast to the old notions of a fox-hunting 
 society."' 
 
 Melton Mowbray has become so distin- 
 guished a feature in the Annals of Hunting, 
 together with its Noble and wealthy supporters, 
 that we trust the humble attempt to analyse a 
 MELTON IAN may prove rather interesting to 
 the /eaders of the Book of Sports ; we have 
 therefore, tried our hand at an ' Outline' of one 
 of those ' Ureat Creatures' — called the Lions 
 and Tigers »u the Corinthian Circles of Sport- 
 ing, with a hope that we may be something 
 near the ni'vrk as to a ' Likeness ,•' and also 
 trust, that .. e n)ay not be distanced altogether 
 in produciii,., — a Portrait. 
 
 The slightest view of a Meltonian proclaims 
 him a gentleman, — he is likewise, decidedly, 
 " a Man," in three points of view — namely, 
 of the world — taste — and game. The inter- 
 course of a Mellonian with the upper classes 
 of society gives him all the advantages of the 
 suaviter in modo, and fortiter in re. His 
 horses, his dogs, his vehicles, and in a ma- 
 jority of instances, himself, must pronounce 
 him, in the above points of view, a Man of the 
 World, united with a person of taste — his 
 neck-or-nothing qualities — turf or turnpike — 
 whether in steeple chase so dangerous — or, 
 he takes the leap so wide — 
 
 O'er hedge and ditch away he flew 
 
 Nor left the game till he bad run it dowu I 
 
Pir.RCE KGAN'S BOOK OF SI'ORTS. 
 
 223 
 
 Thus ^ives the Mei.tonian all Uie hiiili quali- 
 ies of ^«/He, without the fear of contrailic- 
 tion. 
 
 The " hreeding" of a Meltonian — aye, the 
 BHEEPiNG, must be viewed as " thoroui;h /" 
 In most cases, for instance, his Sire, excel- 
 lent ; and for his Dam, all that could be wished 
 — for the possession of supeilative beauty and 
 delightful points — which bning so, you might 
 go on to tlie end of the chapter of qualifica- 
 tions, without any blot operating to the pre- 
 judice of his great, great, great, grand dams ! 
 Yes ! his pedigree — but wliat more can be 
 required or urged ? In fact, a true ftleltonian 
 
 is all PEDIGREE. 
 
 The Meltoman is a Swell from his cradle ; 
 or, as some persons have it, he is born with 
 a golden spoon in his mouth ; and he is also 
 put on tlie " Free List" the moment he opens 
 liis eyes in the great theatre of the World. 
 Happy mortal ! He can scarcely lisp before 
 his ears are soothed with his forthcoming 
 title, the ' Young Squire !'' by his superior 
 uurse, who tells him to open his " pinky 
 w inkeys," as he is going to his mamsy, pamsy ! 
 perhaps, he is called the darling juvenile 
 baronet; saluted as "My Lord," in leading 
 strings; bowed to as "the Earl" iu his 
 go-cart ; honored with the appellation of 
 " Marquis," on his rocking horse ; or, rever- 
 enced as " My Lord Duke," with his imttle- 
 dove and shuttlecock 1 He is in iniiiiing from 
 the first moment of his existence to become 
 " Somebody" in this delightful world of com- 
 petition. Surrounded by governesses — heaps 
 of tutors — hosts of masters — and molis of pro- 
 fessionals — to instruct him how to Inok the 
 gentleman— to walk like a superior being — to 
 talk like a person of consequence — and to act 
 and think* like a man of nous, destined at 
 some future period of his life " to do the 
 state some service ;" until he is able to " tod- 
 dle," or. In other words, that the " Young 
 Swell may be trusted alone !" That is to say, 
 when his ' leading strings' are cut ; the ' go 
 cart' banished ; the rocking-horse, at a stand 
 still; and the 'battledore and shuttlecock,' 
 put on the shelf for ever. When, perhaps, 
 the governess may have been totally forgotten ; 
 the tutors lost their authority ; the masters 
 done with ; and the Crisis arrived, when the 
 curtain of real life is drawn up, and presents 
 to his astonished mind, that wonderful con- 
 glomeration, termed Society — what he has 
 heard of in private, and only seen in perspec- 
 tive ; but as he draws nearer to it, mixes with 
 the conglomeration, and becomes one of the 
 world. Then ! what then ? Why then it is 
 that the balancing poles are required to be put 
 into his hands to keep him steady in his early 
 walks through life, more especially, until he 
 has accurately ascertained the different value 
 of those paths — the Right and the Left ! But 
 
 • "To act well ;" we have not the slightest doubt, 
 that numerous tutors are to be met with in society 
 who can manage that branch of tuition to a nicety : 
 but as to teach the novice to " t/iink well," we must 
 eonfcss, we are rathei inclined to b« " .sceptical." 
 
 if dame Nature has acted her part by him 
 only half in comparison with the smiles which 
 Fortune blessed his first introduction into the 
 world, united with all the advantages result- 
 ing from high birth ; the incalculable good 
 arising to his mind from tuition ; and his 
 xculks, as it might be urged ' chalked' out for 
 him ! What is there to prevent the High Ton 
 Meltonian from becoming an OUT-AND- 
 OUTER iu the eyes of the IMillion ! in per- 
 fect accordance wiih the serious old adage — 
 " Train up a child in the way he should go, 
 and when he is old he will not depart there- 
 from." 
 
 His horses are bang-up to the mark ; 
 nay more, pictures — studies for Herring;* 
 indeed, the perfection of horse-flosli ; his 
 dogs will bear the cross-examination of an 
 Old Bailey barrister ; and not be found 
 wanting in truth. The 'upper tog,' 'ben- 
 jamin,' or, great coat (we leave our readers 
 to adopt which phrase they like best) is 
 a sporting article of the first quality in the 
 fashionable throng— its very look, speaks for 
 itself, nay, volumes for its happy wearer I 
 But the inexpressibles of a Meltonian, are the 
 most expressive things in the world ; besides, 
 the advantages added to them of being " well- 
 breeched ! ! ! t 
 
 The hat, yes, the hat (an immense treight 
 is attached to this article of dress, altiiough 
 it is one of the lightest things iu the world 
 belonging to a Meltonian, independent of its 
 shape), the term peculiar may belong t-j it; 
 and notwithstanding it posseses rather a touch 
 of the knowing, yet it is always clinging to 
 the appearance of the gentleman ; and it is, 
 positively, a thing of taste. [By the bye, as 
 I once heard Perring observe, on viewing one 
 of his ' light inventions' on the head of a 
 Corinthian, who was well known for his criti- 
 cal costume, a hat-box sort of character on 
 the pave for nicety — so big was the fashion- 
 able hat-maker with the i7npression his hat 
 appeared to have made on the taste of the 
 public, that he burst out — "I made it — and 
 that accounts for it !"] 
 
 The SADDLE of a Meltonian exhibits, at the 
 first glance, a touch of the ' elegant ;' and his 
 WHIP to correspond ; both articlesof first rate 
 workmanship ; but, viewed in the character 
 of a rider, the gentlemanly ease, and the firm- 
 ness which he maintains on his seat, reminds 
 you of Ducrow ; and bespeaks the Meltonian 
 a horseman of superior qualifications. But 
 for his BOOTS, whether of O'Shaugnessy's cut 
 — Hoby's stamp — or the make of Stunt — are 
 the style; the whole style; and nothing else 
 but the style ; but the greatest difficulty be- 
 longing to them, nay, almost insurmountable — 
 it might be asked who will attempt to fake 
 leaps in them, except a Meltonian r The 
 latter spirited piece of humanity is the com- 
 plete huntsman in the field, entering into all 
 the life of the animated scene by wliich he is 
 
 ♦ The celebrated horse painter at Doncaster. 
 + A cant phrusc for persons who possess xll the coin* 
 fort» of life— i. e. who have loti of money. 
 
2-24 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 surrounded. " Yoics ! Hark, forwards. 
 Tally ho! Tally ho !" 
 
 On his return from the chase he chanftes 
 his dress like an actor, and enters into the 
 pleasure of conversation respecting the move- 
 ments of another world, with an equal active 
 spirit and enquiry ; and when called upon to 
 circulate the toast, the Meltonian proves him- 
 self a complete bon vivant — and if he does not 
 sing with all the fine taste and melody of 
 expression for which the author of the follow- 
 ing verse is so much distinguished, perhaps 
 he may throw as much warmth of feeling info 
 the composition : 
 
 nothing in life can sadden us, 
 
 While we have wine and good humour in store 
 That and a little of love to madden us, 
 
 Say Where's the fool that can labour for more. 
 Come, then, bid Ganymede fill every bowl for you, 
 
 Flu up a brimmer and drink as I call ; 
 
 1 am going to toast every nymph of my soul to you. 
 Aye by my soul, I'm in love with them all. 
 
 Dear creatures we can't do without them. 
 
 They're all that is sweet and seducing to man ; 
 Coaxing, sighin», about and about 'em, 
 
 We doaton them, die for them, all that we can. 
 In its proper season, time, and place, when 
 his Aye is required, and, perhaps, his No is 
 •wanting, in his character as ' one of the Pil- 
 lars of the State,' he obeys the calls of his 
 country with alacrity ; but habit may so much 
 prevail with him, that when he is listening to 
 the * Great Creature of the House,' he may 
 whisper to his friend — '' 7 to 4, I'll back the 
 New Broom for brains, sound argu/jent, bril- 
 liant oratory, and dJsiaHtins' q>i^'JP-'')^g''^'"st 
 anything alive in this coHtitry !" The MpJ- 
 tonian is also ."ih/r.me at the Opera — " Bravo, 
 Tdglioni !'' says he, in raptures, " only look 
 at her ! She siejjs out like a ra'.e-horse ! No- 
 thing can be more beautiful than her move • 
 ments. Her action beggars every thing I ever 
 saw; and I'll bet 10 to 1 she leaves all her 
 competitors a mile behind her." At the The- 
 atres the Meltonian is equally conspicuous — 
 he laughs as heartily as a Commoner ; he can- 
 not help himself! The old adage here loses 
 its hold in society — it is not correct that " the 
 loud laugh betrays the vacant mind." The 
 genteel smile cannot be adhered to. Etiquette 
 is broken down! and the simper completely 
 lost sight of. For why ? The Momus of the 
 stage is before his eyes ! Matthews is chant- 
 ing the Humours of a Country Fair! Liston, 
 perhaps, is giving an account of his call, in 
 Mawworm ; and the irresistible Jack Reeve 
 "threatening to take himself up to preserve 
 the peace," in the Beadle of the Parish, Mar- 
 maduke Magog. 
 
 The Meltonian, it should seem, is more " at 
 home" than abroad at the Fives Court; nay, 
 he is hand and glove with the setts-to of the 
 professors of Boxing, and exclaims, in a de- 
 lighted tone, on witnessing the sparring of 
 " Young Sam" — " beautiful ! scientific as an 
 Angelo ! and a palpable hit !" acknowledged 
 with all the gentlemanly demeanour of Laertes 
 to Hamlet. But at a " Mill !" the Meltonian 
 is selected as a Judge — his soul and body's 
 
 on the execution of the Men : what a tremend- 
 ous blow ; such a one would have_/iOorfd the 
 Monument, and have made St. Paul's cathe- 
 dral shake again ! A decided smasher ! The 
 coup de grace ! It would have made an Em- 
 peror of Gluttons cry out " Hold ! enough !" 
 
 If EXERCISE be the food for health ; and if 
 it also lays the foundation for the accomplish- 
 ment of great sporting feats, by giving «(a/nina 
 to the frame, increasing j>iucfc to the mind, and 
 likewise bracing up the constitution to endure 
 excessive fatigue ; let us, without any thing 
 like an invidious distinction, select GEORGE 
 OSBALDESTON, Esq., as a complete hero 
 in the Sporting World. His successes have 
 been so very numerous in all the various 
 matches in which he has been engaged — be- 
 sides, he undertakes every thing with so much 
 zeal and ardour, at the same time never doubt- 
 ing his own judgment, but, on the contrary, 
 always backing his opinion ; therefore, to sum 
 up his character in little, he is entitled to 
 the appellation of a Nonpariel—a Phenome- 
 non — and a Paragon of excellence ; — either of 
 the above phrases will apply to Glorge Os- 
 BALDESTON, Esq., but our readers will appre- 
 ciate them as they may think proper: however, 
 we must pronounce him not only a first-rate 
 sportsman, but at the top of the tree amongst 
 Sporting Characters, and an OUT-AND-OUT 
 MELTONIAN. We also hope the following 
 original Spotting Song may meet with the 
 app'*ubation of our numerous readers : — 
 
 Hark. ! the horn givbs tii« siKr.a! to rise, 
 To hunisnien enchanting — the scuindl 
 'Tis dear as the girl that we prize, 
 
 Where virtue and beauty are found : 
 It invites to the chase ! then away I 
 
 Mount your steeds and be after ihe game. 
 
 Where pleasiu-e and healtli crown the day, 
 
 Which to sportsmen is better than fame ! 
 
 LrCt's away to the field. 
 
 Which such true charms doth yield. 
 Hark forwards 1 see Tou-ler and Fan : 
 'Tis the joys of the chase. 
 Sweet exercise, embrace. 
 An out-and-out — Misltoma-n ! 
 
 The chase being o'er, home we repair 
 To our wives, or some fav'rite lass. 
 Quite Jolly I Adieu to dull care, 
 
 Wiin songs o'er the bottle and gla'S I 
 With friendship and love — time steals away, 
 
 Not embitter'd by envy nor strife. 
 But with pleasure hail, the next coming day — 
 What can equal a Country Life. 
 
 Then to liunt and to sing. 
 And to make the woods ring, 
 For we all know Lii'k's but a span — 
 To enjoy well our time, 
 With fine hounds and prads — prima 
 An out and-out— M i:i.TOM \N. 
 Away ! o'er the field and the flood. 
 
 Behold Reynard's geisping for breath ; , 
 Meltonians — challenge with " blood!" 
 
 First ! first to be in at the death I 
 O'er hedges and ditches they rush ! 
 
 The sijht is most glorious to view — 
 To obtain ' a bit ' of his brush. 
 
 And to hear 'sly Reynard's'— adieu ! 
 
 There's no music so sweet, 
 To Meltonians a treat. 
 The delighis of hunting to scan. 
 To whoop and to hollo. 
 The fox-chase to follow. 
 An out-and-out— Mki.toman. 
 
PU^.RCIE KUAN'S ROOK OK SPOUTS. 
 
 ,...^_ V\AA 
 
 
 THE GAME OF HACRETS: 
 
 One ofihemost healthful Exercises connected with BRITISH SPORTS ; 
 
 and the principal Amusement for confined debtors in the 
 
 FLEET and KING'S BENCH Prisons: 
 
 Disguise thyself as tboii wilt, still, Slavery, thoti art a bitter draught : and, tboU':;h thousands, in all age«, 
 Ijave been made to diink. of t!ne, thou art no less bitter on that aitount ! But it is thou. Liberty, thrice 
 wweet and gracious gnrtde.ss. whom all in public or in private worship, who.^^e taste is grateful aiu! over will be 
 KO— till N ATIM'. K herself shall chanp;e : no tint of words can spot thv snowy mantle, nor clKmic power turn thy 
 sceptre into iron : with tliee to smile upon liim as he ei-ts his crust, the Swain is more happy than his M.march : 
 
 Bra\o, Sternf. ! We ie\ ere tliy memory for tlie 
 above beautiful sentence, which must ever be 
 viewed as a kind of Legacy left to Posterity, 
 never to lose sight of the advantnses and liap- 
 piaess attendant on Liberty, 15ut to the 
 
 point — tl)e Game of Rackets is a truly ploas- 
 ins Sporl ; not only for tlie spirit and amuse- 
 ment which it affords to the mind, but the 
 pood results which tlie constitution derives 
 from such active exercise ; there is no game, 
 
 Q 
 
22G 
 
 PIKRCE EOANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 perhaps, not even cricket itself, which com- 
 bines so well skill with so much bustle, thnt 
 even an indolent man must be ali%e to all the 
 movements of the game, while the bat is in 
 his hand. The racket player is always on 
 the move ; standing still is entirely out of the 
 question ; and two or three games at rackets 
 are calculated to do more good towards the 
 restoration of health, and keep the frame clear 
 from the effects of gout and rheumatism, than 
 the whole contents of Apothecary's Hall. In 
 an enclosed court it may be played all the 
 year round ; while in an open court it can 
 only be played in the summer. 
 
 It is now eight or ten years since old one- 
 eyed Powell's establishment (so designated 
 from having lost one of his eyes by a ball, 
 while playing a game at rackets), was broken 
 up by his Court being broken down. All who 
 have any acquaintance with rackets recollect 
 him, in his day, a first-rate player, and, after 
 his day, competent to cool the consequence 
 of many who fancied themselves good per- 
 formers. 
 
 The game of rackets is not like tennis, 
 which is played by dropping a ball over a 
 central net, on each side of which the players 
 stand ; but, at rackets, the ball is struck 
 against what is called a head-wall, and re- 
 turned at the bound to the same wall, each 
 player endeavouring so to strike it against 
 the wall that his adversary may not be able 
 to return it ; he who does not return it, either 
 loses a point (or, as it is technically termed, 
 " an ace") or has his " hand out," that is to 
 say, forfeits the situation in which he would 
 be able to add to his score of the game. 
 People, in general, are not aware of the skill 
 required to play the game well, and the fact 
 is, the better it is played the more easy it 
 appears. 
 
 There are several open Racket Courts, in- 
 dependent of the King's Bench and the Fleet 
 Prisons, where gentlemen seldom go volun- 
 tarily for the sake of playing, although they 
 take it now and then " upon compulsion." 
 There is a good open Court at the Belvidere, 
 Pentonville ; another at the Eagle Tavern, in 
 the City Road ; and the proprietor of White 
 Conduit House a third ; but the fault of these 
 places is, that the company is not sufficiently 
 select, and that a gentleman who is fond of 
 the game (and all are fond of it who can 
 play at all) are there compelled to join a mis- 
 cellany of very respectable persons no doubt, 
 but not of the highest grade in society. As 
 it is, the ardour of some individuals of rank 
 and education in pursuit of the game induces 
 them to overlook the inconvenience to which 
 we have alluded, and we must do the pro- 
 prietors of the Courts we have named the 
 justice to say, that they contrive to keep per- 
 sons of really questionable character and 
 appearance at a distance. 
 
 Independent of " the old school," there are 
 many first-rate players at present in the h-eight 
 of their performances. There can be no 
 
 objection to naming and describing the qua'i- 
 lications of a few of the professors, who, 
 generally speaking, have other and very repu- 
 table employment besides being racket players. 
 There is no question that Pittman is the best 
 player in England — we do not mean Thomas 
 Pittman, who some years ago held this envied 
 station, but his younger brother John, who is 
 most accomplished at all points — the volley, 
 that is, returning a ball before it touches the 
 ground ; the cut, a sharp hit which strikes 
 the ball so low against the wall, and so 
 swiftly, that on its return, there is little or no 
 hop to enable the adversary to strike it ; and 
 the twisting drop, given gently and quietly 
 from the racket, in consequence of which, 
 the ball, after it reaches the head-wall, falls 
 dead at once, and a return is almost impos- 
 sible. In these respects, and more, John 
 Pittman is perhaps the most perfect player 
 that ever existed, and probably better than 
 his brother Tom, in his best day. 
 
 We know that Tom has some old friends, 
 who will deny this position, but our opinion 
 is formed after seeing both perform, the one ten 
 years, and the other a short time since. Tom 
 Pittman is still capital, and superior to John 
 in cramp matches, where he plays under cer- 
 tain disadvantages, in order to make the con- 
 test with an inferior player more equal. With 
 his back-hand he can beat nearly all tne 
 amateurs, and there are few that can com- 
 pete with him when his hands are tied toge 
 ther at the wrist, and he is consequently 
 obliged to hold the racket with both; he has 
 beaten tolerable players in this way, and with 
 the addition of a couple of flat irons fastenet^ 
 to his ankles on the inside. If we mistake 
 not, it was he who, some years ago, pla)et 
 with a rolling pin instead of a racket, ant 
 won his match. Matthew Pittman may als( 
 be reckoned a good player, but he is not tc 
 be named in the same century with his twt 
 brothers. John Pittman's principal rival is a 
 person called " Tawney Sam," a small bul 
 active little man, who hits with the greates/ 
 nicety and precision, and who last year car 
 ried away the prize-racket from some excel 
 lent competitors, among them a person namea 
 Morris, who in some points of the game is 
 superior to Sam, but who is by no means so 
 certain. 
 
 Morris has a fine free hit, perhaps the 
 severest in England, and is a fine partner in a 
 four match. His play, and that of " Tawney 
 Sam," are in some respects contrasted, for 
 Sam is all delicacy and finesse, and Morris 
 all force and vigour. Morris has a one-eyed 
 friend, whose name we do not know, who is 
 celebrated for playing under his leg, and who 
 in this manner, will contend against any man 
 in England, although, in other points, he is 
 inferior to several. Sowden has been a 
 player quite from his childhood, and, on the 
 whole, is perhaps only inferior to one or two, 
 while, in some particulars, he exceeds them ; 
 he would unquestionably be first-rate, and on 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 2-27 
 
 a level with John Pitdnan, if he Iiad a good 
 back-hand ; but llieie he fails, and is often 
 put to a difficulty in order to get at a ball 
 with his front-hand, tiiat ouglit to be returned 
 with his back-hand. He is a capital player 
 to give odds, for then he is perfectly con- 
 fident ; but he seems a little nervous when 
 opposed to a man of equ.il or greater skill. 
 
 These are the prime players of London, and 
 so good that any of them could give what is 
 called " the odd hand" to country performers : 
 giving the odd hand is about equal to giving 
 one-third of the game. iJesides these, tiiere 
 are Lamb and Chapman, and half a score 
 more second raters, besides the players who 
 are in the habit of exhibiting in tiie King's 
 Bench and Fleet, of whose merits we are not 
 competent to speak. Many distinguished 
 members of the Prize Ring have been good 
 players at fives and rackets, and it may be 
 remembered that the celebrated Jem Belcher 
 lost his eye at the game. 
 
 The game of rackets in the Fleet and King's 
 Bench Prisons, has often turned out a source 
 of livelihood to a number of the prisoners 
 who have been attached to the sport. The 
 following anecdote of a man of the name of 
 Hoskins, who was at one period of his con- 
 finement the racket -master, a capital player, 
 and who altered the game from 11 to 1.5, may 
 not altogether prove uninteresting to the 
 reader : — Hoskins made the Fives Court, 
 which is so much played in during the summer 
 time h;, the prisoners, and also visitors to the 
 King's Bench Prison ; he was an industrious 
 and sober man, and also from his knowledge 
 of the game continually in practice ; and 
 waiting upon gentlemen with the bats and 
 balls, and frequently taking a hand in a match, 
 he was enabled to support his family of seven 
 children with credit to himself, and with 
 variable success, until at length a disease 
 settled in his legs, and totally incapacitated 
 him for nearly the last twenty years of his life 
 from following any employment. 
 
 Poor Hoskins might have exclaimed with 
 Sterne's Starling — '• I can't get out !" In the 
 year 1798, a material part of the King's Bench 
 was consumed by fire, whether by accident 
 or design was never ascertained ; the arched 
 chambers will show where the fire raged, they 
 are the rebuilt part, and said to be tii-e-proof, 
 so that a fire taking place in any one of these 
 chambers cannot extend beyond it. Hoskins' 
 life was one of continued vicissitudes, which 
 even imprisonment could not abate ; he was 
 once the Post-master of the prison. Hoskins 
 was a Cornish man, and of very good family ; 
 his father was a respectable surgeon, and 
 Hoskins was brought up a genlleman ; he was 
 here tkirty-eight years, at the suit of a 
 single creditor, one whom he once csilled friend 
 and benefactor, and for a disputed debt which 
 lie vowed he would never pay. He was a 
 good tempered, convivial, amiable, and be- 
 nevolent man. 
 
 Hoskins was one of the burnt out : he had 
 
 been at the time so many years a prisoner that 
 no connection remained to draw him back to 
 the world he had quitted ; the Bevch was hU 
 world ! and he surveyed its ruins with a pen- 
 sive and powerful feeling; as thotigh the 
 work of dest)lation had done its worst, and 
 robbed him of liis home. In tiiis slate of 
 mind he reared liiniself a shed from the scat- 
 tered fragments of the former pile, and lived 
 amidst the ruins, seemingly content, sharing 
 his meal with a poor mouse, who every morn- 
 ing visited iiim at the breakfast hour, and was 
 fed. Hoskins and the mouse found a home 
 amidst desolation, and they sojourned toge- 
 ther in unabated friendship, until the builder's 
 hand disturbed their good harmony and good 
 fellowship. 
 
 It is, however, due to Mr. Jones, the Mar- 
 shall, to confess his kindness to this forlorn 
 individual ; he supported him for the last two 
 years of his life, and buried him on his decease, 
 in the month of December 1823, after an 
 uninterrupted imprisonment of Thirty- eight 
 years ! ! ! 
 
 During the Swell'ish times, as they have been 
 since termed by those persons who were in 
 the habit of ' making money' by the rich deb- 
 tors, when those high-bred ones the late 
 Honorable Tom Coventry,* and the late Cap- 
 
 • Both " Choice Spirits" of the very first order in 
 society; fond of life to the end of the chapter; and 
 to • push along! keep moving,' invariably their motto. 
 The Hon. 'loin Coventry, although his frame was con- 
 fined to a certain spnt for a number of years, yet hi« 
 ideas were as free as the air to make himself comfort- 
 able and happy; it is true, he «as debarred from 
 hunting the fox, hare, &c., but, nevertheless, he 
 hunted up every thing in the shape of pleasure %\ithin 
 his reach that might tend topLoduce fun and laughter— 
 also to prevent ch««z— likewise to keep it up — and to 
 banish melancholy. He had endeavoured to obtain 
 the mastery over his feelings, a ' tiny bit' in the phi- 
 losophicril way; and, to consider tiiat one 'bit of 
 ground, was as good as another, if a man could but 
 bring his mind to think so — and the grand art of life to 
 make himself contented, and also to be convinced that 
 "things might have been worse." No man enjoyed 
 any thing in the sporting line better than tl e late H<in. 
 Tom Coventry — at a game of rackets, he was full of 
 life and spirit until it was at an end ; over the bowl 
 he proved himself so cheerful a companion, that no 
 visitor could forget the jollity and freedom of his style ; 
 and his readiness at all times, to keep harmony 
 afloat : — 
 
 I be one of those sailors, who think it no lie, 
 That for every uherefore of life there's a ;/ hy ; 
 That, be fortune's strange weather a calm or a squall. 
 Our berths, good or bad, are chalked out for us all. 
 That the stays and the traces of life will be found 
 To be some of 'em rotten, and some of 'em sound; 
 Thus the GOOD we should cherish, the had ne\er seek. 
 For death will, too soon, bring each anchor a peak I 
 Tlien, just as it comes, the bad with the good, 
 One man s spoon made of silver, another of wood ; 
 Vv'hat's poison for one man, another man's balm, 
 Some are safe in a str.rm, and sorae lost in a calm ? 
 Some are rolling in riches, some not worth a sou.se ; 
 To day he eats beef, and to moirow lobscouse : 
 Thus the ciiou we should cheri.sh, the Imd never seek. 
 For death will, too soon, bring each anchor a peak. 
 
 I think, I now see the late Honorable Tom Coventry, 
 in my mind's eye, laughing heartily at his fellow Col- 
 legi.in, the 'a.te facetious George Head's well known 
 comic song i.i" All the Fninihj ;'' ami v. ith whout 
 
'2-lii 
 
 PIERCE EOAN S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Ifiin Tom Best (whose memorable but unfor- 
 tunate duel with Lord Camelford, gvne him 
 great notoriety in the fasliional/li- and sportin>^ 
 world), sojourued willun the walls of Banco 
 Regis, or were otherwise lodged within its 
 Hides prescribed for the health of the patients 
 of the Marshall— the Game of Kackf.ts was 
 in high estimation, and very large sums of 
 money were lost and won upon it. 
 
 Tlie King's Bench Prison at that period 
 was one continued scene of gnict'j and dash — 
 indeed, it was like any thing else but a place 
 of confinement. The promenade, almost 
 every evening, until the cry of " all out" 
 occurred, was a complete picture of le beau 
 monite* It exhibited some of the most elegant 
 dressed females in the kingdom ; the finest, 
 nay, fashionable women who felt not the 
 slightest reproach by visiting their unfortunate 
 friends in ' durance vile.' 
 
 the Hon. Tom used often to take his morning's exer- 
 cise ; and, some rare ' rattling bouts' c've and take, 
 frequently took place between them with the 'gloves' 
 duiing their lung voyape im board the ' Fleet.' George 
 Head was a sparrur of the first celebrity ; a perfect 
 znaster of the science ; although he never pei ten in the 
 P. R. He was also one ot the extraordinary Lions, 
 on two legs, to be met with after iturk in the Metro- 
 polis ; and the greatest foe that George ever had to 
 contend against in his life, though possessing an 
 iron like constitution, was his own " uear Self." 
 Ke.specting the late " Tom Bi.st," so familiarly called 
 by every body, his life and adventures were quite a 
 history, abounding with anecdotes, change of scene, 
 vicissitudes, and amours, that would form a most in- 
 teresting volume; and, at some future period, I may 
 be terupted to give an outline of his eccentiicities ; 
 but, in a word, he was a superior man and a gentle- 
 man. The late Captain Best was a first-rate shot ; 
 indeed, it w^as said of him by sporting men m general, 
 that he ranked as No. 1 , in the kingdom. It is rather 
 singular to state, but nevertheless perfectly true, 
 that if Captain Best had not been so celebrated and 
 well-known as a mnrkx?na)i, the late Lord Camelford 
 ■would have made an ayologii to his dearest, best, and 
 most sincere of friends, for such hia Lordship always 
 styled him previous to the much to be regretted duel. 
 The late Lord Canielfnrd was also highly distinguished 
 as a first-rate shot — and he could perform wonders with 
 a pistol, such as snuffing a candle out at a tolerably 
 good distance : and who never faileJ to hit a mark set 
 out for him. Indeed, there was scarcely a jot between 
 them for choice ; yet bis Lord.ship's towering spirit said 
 that it might look like feaii it' he apdngizeri to Capt. 
 Best— aUo, a sort of 'begging of his life ;' and to any 
 other man, it should seem, be would have apolosized. 
 Therefore, in order that no iniyiitat'nui might be 
 levelled at his courage, he not only provoked but hur- 
 ried on the duel, accompanied with words that no 
 gentleman could put up with The fatal result is 
 well known ; but to his Lordship's liigli notions of 
 honor and correct feelings, be it recorded— his Lord- 
 ship scarcely lived above an hour after he bad left 
 the ground, merely time sufficient to sign his wi:l, and 
 to claim and insist upon the promise from his rela- 
 tives, that Capt. Best should not be prosecuted on his 
 account— that his death lay at his own door, and he 
 was the only aggressor. This memorable duel, w hich 
 deprived Lord Camelford of his life, like the Siege of 
 Troy, was. on account of a woman. But his Lordship 
 exonerated the Captain from the charge which he had 
 hastily made ai.;ainst hiju in his passion — exclaiming, 
 ■' O frailty, thy name is woman !" 
 
 • Vice, or fol.'y (observes that delightful observer of 
 men and m nners, Fieliliiii>) must be of a prodigmus 
 height to overtop the crowd ; but if it did, the tall 
 overgrown monster would be admired ; and like other 
 jKQXUters, enrich the possessor. 
 
 In truth, in this * place of retirement' 
 from the eye of the public, a number of men of 
 fortune, who had 'outrun the constable,' had 
 taken up their abode in order to avoid the 
 bore, threatenings, and a thousand other ' little 
 disagreeables' from those persons vvlio only 
 ask for their own,' to enjoy a bit of quiet life, 
 and join in the well-known clinnl — 
 
 Welcome, welcome, brother debtor. 
 
 To this poor, but merry place ; 
 Where no Bailiff, Dun, or Setter 
 
 Dares to shew his measly face I 
 
 The game of rackets was carried on with 
 great spirit under the patronage of the above 
 fashioH'ible leaders ; and the ground was 
 frequently covered with visitors of the most 
 elegant description to witness the trials of 
 skill, and great matches between tiiose cele- 
 brated players of the game, Messrs. Lev/is, 
 Mackey, and Smith. 
 
 Since the above period, indeed, almost to a 
 very recent date, the brave Major Campbell 
 has been the principal hero in the field re- 
 specting his superiority at the game of rackets. 
 It is too true that the Major had rather a 
 ' long innings,' nearly fourteen years in the 
 situation of a lodger to Mr. Jones. The high 
 spirit of the Major — his fine stamina — his 
 great activity — and his attachment to rackets 
 — united with considerable experience, and 
 his ' long practice' in the Racket Court, ren- 
 dered him a first-rate player in every point of 
 view. As a ' gentleman' he had scarcely any 
 thing like a competitor ; and with the very 
 best professed players of the day, the Major 
 always proved himself a most powerful oppo- 
 nent. But he is now restored to the society 
 of his friends and enjoying the " Sweets of 
 Liberty ;" and should his king and his country 
 demand his services he is quite ready to make 
 use of balls of another description. 
 
 Ireland has also :iiven birth to some celebrat- 
 ed racket players — Mr. Carney, a gentleman 
 well known in the sporting circles at the West 
 end of the Town, distinguished himself in a 
 number of great matches, not only as a first- 
 rate player, but with eminent success, under 
 the patronage of the late Duke of Richmond : 
 ind.ed, Mr. Carney was viewed by his coun- 
 trymen as the crack player in Ireland. He is 
 also a capital wrestler. Mr. Carney won a 
 double match in iMarch 1825, for 300/. made on 
 the spur of the moment between him and the 
 celebrated Mr. Hayne,by defeating the '^rwit 
 gun' of Windsor, Tom Cannon, in a trial of 
 skill at wrestling, at Ireland's garden, Brigh- 
 ton. Mr. Carney likewise won the billiard 
 match with Jonathan Ktmpfield, on his own 
 table, and also acknowledged the first player 
 in the world ; but it is only ju.stice to state, 
 that Jonathan gave sevinfy points out of one 
 hundred to iMr. Carney. The latter person is 
 also distinguished for throwing a heavy weight 
 to a much greater distance than any other 
 man in the kingdom. 
 
 We flatter ourse'.ves that the following 
 sketch of the late Put Cavanagh, so truly 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 229 
 
 celebrated as a Fives plajtv, and also a 
 ' fjiiod one' at rackets, will prove hifi;hly in- 
 teresting to the readers of the Book of 
 Sports : — 
 
 " When a person dies,* who does any thing 
 better than any one else in the world, which so 
 many others are trying to do well, it leaves a 
 gap in society. It is not likely that any one 
 will now see the game of Fives played in 
 its perfection for many years to come — for 
 Cavanagh is dead, and has not left his peer 
 behind him. It may be said there are things 
 of more importance than striking a ball against 
 a wall — there are things, indeed, that make 
 more noise and do as little good, such as 
 making war and peace, making speeches and 
 answering them, making verses and blotting 
 them, making money and throwing it away. 
 But the Game of Fives is what no one despises 
 who has ever played at it. It is the finest 
 exercise for the body, and the best relaxatioti 
 for the mind. The Roman poet said that 
 '' Care mounted behind the horseman and 
 stuck to his skirts." But this remark would 
 not have applied to the Fives player. He 
 Mho takes to plajing at Fives is twice young. 
 He ieels neither the past nor the future " in 
 the instant." Debts, taxes, " domestic trea- 
 son, foreign levy, nothing can touch him 
 further." He has no other wish, no other 
 thought, from tlie moment the game begins, 
 but that of striking the ball, of placing it, of 
 making it. Tiiis Cavanagh was sure to do. 
 \^ henevei he touched the ball there was an 
 end of the chase. His eye was certain, his 
 hand fatal, his presence of mind complete. 
 He could do what he pleased, and he always 
 kneiv exactl5 what to do. He saw the whole 
 game, and played it; took iruitant advantage 
 of his adversary's weakness, and recovered- 
 balls, as if by a miracle and sudden thought, 
 that every one gave for lost. He had equal 
 power and skill, quickness and judgment. He 
 could either outwit his antagonist by finesse, 
 or beat him by main strength. Sometimes, 
 when he seemed preparing to send the ball 
 M itii the full swing of his arm, he would by 
 a slight turn of liis wrist drop it within an 
 inch of the line. In general, the ball came 
 from his hand, as if from a racket, in a 
 straight horizontal line; so that it was in 
 vain to attempt to overtake or stop it. As it 
 was said of a great orator, that he never was 
 at a loss for a word, and for the properest 
 v.ord, so Cavanagh always could tell the 
 ft'gree of force necessary to be given to a 
 bail, and the precise direction in which it 
 should be sent. He did his work with the 
 greatest ease ; never took more pains than 
 Mas necessary, and while others were fagging 
 themselves to death, was as cool and collected 
 as if he had just entered the court. His style 
 f.f play was as remarkable as his power of 
 eiecution ; he had no afl'ectation, no trifling. 
 
 • John Cavanagh died in January, 1819, in Bsirb^e 
 Street, St. Giles's. 
 
 He did not throw away tlie game to show off 
 an attitude or try an experiment. He was a 
 fine, sensible, manly player, who did what he 
 could, but that «as more than any one could 
 even affect to do. His blows were not unde- 
 cided and ineO'ectual — lumbering like Mr. 
 Wordsworth's epic poetry, nor wavering like 
 Mr. Coleridge's lyric prose, nor short of the 
 mark like Mr. Brougham's speeches, nor wide 
 of it like Mr. Canning's wit, nor foul like 
 tlie Quarterly, nor let balls like the Edinburgh 
 Review. Cobbett and Junius together would 
 have made a Cavanagh. He was the best 
 up-hill player in the world ; even when his 
 adversary was fourteen, he would play on 
 the same or better, and as he never flung 
 away the game through carelessness and con- 
 ceit, he never gave it up through laziness or 
 want of heart. The only peculiarity of his 
 play was that he never volleyed, but let the 
 balls top ; but if they rose an inch from the 
 ground he never missed having them. There 
 was not only nobody equal, but nobody second 
 to him. It is supposed that he could give any 
 other player half the game, or beat them with 
 his left hand. His service was tremendous. 
 He once played Woodward and Meredith 
 together (two of the best players in England) 
 in (he Fives Court, St. INIartin's Street, and 
 made seven and twenty aces following, by 
 services alone— a thing unheard of. He 
 another time played Peru, who was consi- 
 dered a first-rate Fives player, a match of the 
 best out of five games, and in the three first 
 games, which of course decided the match, 
 Peru got only one ace. Cavanagh Avas an 
 Irishman by birth, and a house-painter by 
 profession. He had once laid aside his 
 working dress, and walked up, in his smart-, 
 est clothes, to the Rosemary Branch, to have 
 an afternoon's pleasure. A person accosted 
 him, and asked him if he would have a 
 game. So they agreed to play for half-a- 
 crown a game, and a bottle of cider. The 
 first game began — it was seven, eight, ten, 
 thirteen, fourteen, all. Cavanagh won it, 
 The next was the same. They played on, and 
 each game was hardly contested. "There," 
 said the unconscious Fives player, " there 
 was a stroke that Cavanagh could not take : 
 I never played better in my life, and yet I 
 can't win a game. I don't know how it is." 
 However, they played on, Cavanagh winning 
 every game, and the by-standers drinking the 
 cider, and lauj;hing all the time. In the 
 twelfth game, when Cavanagh was only four, 
 and the stranger thirteen, a person came in 
 and said, " What ! are you here, Cavanagh ?" 
 The words were no sooner pronounced than 
 the astonished player let the ball drop from 
 his hand, and saying, " What ! have I been 
 breaking my heart all this time to beat Cava- 
 nagh ?" refused to make another effort. " And 
 yet, I give you my word," said Cavanagh, 
 telling the story with some triumph, " I 
 played all the while with my clenched fist." 
 He used htquently to play matches at Copen^ 
 
230 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 hagen-house for wagers and dinners. The 
 vail against which they play is the same that 
 supports the kitchen-chimney, and when the 
 wail resounded louder than usual, the cooks 
 exclaimed, "Those are the Irishman's balls," 
 and the joints trembled on the spit ! 
 
 Goldsmith consoled himself that there were 
 places where he too was admired ; and Cava- 
 nagh was the admiration of all the Fives 
 Courts where he ever played. Mr. Powell, 
 when he played matches in the Court in St. 
 INIartin's Street, used to fill his gallery at half- 
 a-crown a head, with amateurs and admirers 
 of talent in whatever department it is shown. 
 He could not have shown himself in any 
 ground in England, but he would have been 
 immediately surrounded with inquisitive 
 gazers, trying to find out in what part of his 
 frame his unrivalled skill lay, as politicians 
 wonder to see the balance of Europe suspend- 
 ed in Lord Castlereagh's face, and admire 
 the trophies of the British Navy lurking under 
 Mr. Croker's hanging brow. Now Cavanagh 
 was as good looking a man as the Noble 
 Lord, and much better looking than the Right 
 Honorable Secretary. He had a clear, open 
 countenance, and did not look sideways, or 
 down, like Mr. Murray the book-seller. He 
 was a young fellow of sense, humour, and 
 courage. He once had a quarrel with a 
 waterman at Hungerford-stairs, and, they 
 say, served him out in great style. In a 
 word, there are hundreds at this day who 
 cannot mention his name without admiration, 
 as the best fives player that perhaps ever 
 lived (the greatest excellence of which they 
 have any notion), and the noisy shout of the 
 ring happily stood him instead of the un- 
 heard voice of posterity. The only person 
 who seems to have excelled as much in 
 another way as Cavanagh did in his, was 
 the late John Davies the racket-player. 
 It was remarked of him that he did not 
 seem to follow the ball, but the ball seemed 
 to follow him. Give him a foot of wall, 
 and he was sure to make the ball. The four 
 best racket-players of that day, were Jack 
 Spines, Jem Harding, Armitage, and Church. 
 Davies could give any one of these two hands 
 a time, that is, half the game, and each of 
 these, at their best, could give the best player 
 now in London, the same odds. Such are the 
 gradations in all exertions of human skill 
 and art. He once played four capital players 
 together and beat them. He was also a first- 
 rate tennis player, and an excellent fives 
 player. In the Fleet or King's Bench he 
 •would have stood against Powell, who was 
 reckoned the best open-ground player of his 
 time. This last-mentioned player, till lately, 
 was keeper of the Fives Court, and might 
 have used for a motto over his door — " Who 
 enters here forgets himself, his country, and 
 his friends." And the best of it is, thai 
 by the calculation of the odds, none of the 
 three are worth remembering! — Cavanagh 
 died from the bursting of a blood-vessel. 
 
 which prevented him from playing for the 
 last two or three ytars. This, he was often 
 heard to say, he thought hard upon him. He 
 was fast recovering, however, when he was 
 suddenly carried off, to the regret of all who 
 knew him. As Mr. Peel made it a qualifica- 
 tion of the present Speaker, Mr. Manners 
 Sutton, that he was an excellent moral cha- 
 racter, so Jack Cavanagh was a zealous 
 Catholic, and could not be persuaded to cat 
 meat on a Friday, the day on which ho died. 
 We have paid this willing tribute to his me- 
 mory : — 
 
 " Let no rude band deface it, 
 And his forlorn — Hie jacit." 
 
 THE GAMBLER. 
 
 "SicvRN's THE Main!" 
 
 The lamps refract the gleam of paitmg day. 
 The weaiy vulgar hail the friendly night 
 
 The GAMiisiER hies him to his darling play. 
 And leads the way to deeds that shun the light. 
 
 Now reigns a dreary ftillness in each street, 
 And mortal feuds are hush'd in breathless calm. 
 
 Save where the votaries of Hotiges meet. 
 And springing rattles sound the shrill alarm. 
 
 Save that from yonder lantern lighted walk. 
 
 The drowsy watclmian bawls with clara'rous din. 
 At such as stopping in the streets to talk. 
 
 Omit the tribute of a glass of gin. 
 Beneath that roof, that ruin fraught retreat, 
 
 Where beams the fanlight o'er the guarded door. 
 Each wedg'd by numbers in his narrow seat, 
 
 'Due faithless gamblers chink their current ore. 
 
 The trist entreaties of empassion'd grief. 
 
 The piteous tale of family distress'd. 
 The stranger's ruin, or the friend's relief, 
 
 No more shall raise compassion in their breast. 
 
 For them no more the midnight rush shall burn. 
 Or wearied menial be detain'd from bed : 
 
 No wives expectant watch for their return. 
 Or anxious listen to each passing tread. 
 
 Oft do the purses of the victims fail. 
 Their fury oft on box and dice they wreak ; 
 
 ilow jocund look they if their luck prevail ! 
 How grand their manner when they deign to speak 
 
 Let not the legislator deem it harm 
 That others trifle with the laws lie breaks ; 
 
 Nor rich knaves hear, with counterfeit alarm. 
 That men distress'd will often make mistakes. 
 
 The boast of honesty, the law's dread pow'r. 
 And all that pride of feeling can achieve, 
 
 Await alike the inevitable hour, 
 I'he rage for gaming leads us all to thieve. 
 
 Nor scorn, ye rulers of the state's finance. 
 The prompt expedients of these pilfering sceues 
 
 Where thro' the aid of rapine they enhance 
 The scanty budget of their ways and means. 
 
 Can stories sad, or supplicative grief. 
 
 Back to the owner bring his valued dross ! 
 
 Can blunt rebuffs administer relief. 
 Or aidless pity compensate his loss ! 
 
 Perhaps, amidst that motley groups there stand 
 Some who once graced far other scenes of life ; 
 
 Dupes that have mortgaged the last rood of land, 
 Or lost the fortune of some hapless wife. 
 
 But rife examples, which bid wisdom think. 
 
 Their frantic folly never can appal. 
 Blind av'rice leads them to the ruin's brink. 
 
 And dark despair accelerates their fall. 
 
 Full many a trinket, pledged for half the cost, 
 Hath raised the means of venturing once more : 
 
 Full many a natch is destined to be lost. 
 And run its time out in s'mic broker's store. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 2 51 
 
 Some fancy shirt-pin that liath deck'd the breast, 
 On plaited cambric, starch'd in spruce array : 
 
 Some ring, memento of a friend at rest. 
 Some Seal, or snuffbox, of a better day. 
 
 The ser^'ile tongues of borrowers to command. 
 
 The tributary dues of boves to evade. 
 To spread the paper'd plunder in the hand, 
 
 And re^d their consequence in homage paid. 
 
 The ir hick forbids ; nor circumscribes alone 
 To them its evils, but its range extends ;• 
 
 Fiirbids the needful purchasis at home. 
 
 And shuts the door of welcome on their friends. 
 
 The petty processes of law to stop, 
 
 I'o prove how groundless are the landlord's fears ; 
 Or gain fresh credit at the chandler's shop 
 
 By pajing ofl" the grocery arrears. 
 
 Far from all dreams of splendid o;>ulence, 
 Their wish is answered if their way they clear ; 
 
 Well can they dine for twelve or thirteen pence, 
 Including waiter, and a pint of beer. 
 
 Yet e'en theii painful efforts to exi,-;t, 
 
 Some kmivrs ill lieurt, as yet uii\killr(1 to cheat. 
 With secret whisper when a piece is miss d, 
 
 Will strive from pique, or envy to defeat. 
 
 Their names their mean.» on which at large they 
 dwell, 
 
 Invade at intervals the startled ear, 
 Ajid many an anecdote in point tliey tell. 
 
 That teaches gaping novices to fear. 
 For who, to (lamn'd fatality a prey. 
 
 Gives his last piece wifhout concern or pain. 
 Leaves the warm circle of the crowded play. 
 
 Nor asks the table if a chance remain. 
 
 To some stanch friend is the decision left. 
 Some sturdy swearing the event requires; 
 
 F.'en the chous'd fools are conscious of the theft, 
 E'en on their oaths would not believe such liars ! 
 
 For thee, Avho, absent from the wonted game, 
 Dost think these lines some pointed truihs relate 
 
 If, when is heard the mention of thy name, 
 Some fellow-sufferer shall ask thy fate ; 
 
 Haply some ^^ight loquacious may reply, 
 " Oft-times we met him at approach of night, 
 
 " Crushing with haste al'^ng the streets hard by. 
 As if all matters were not going right. 
 
 " There, m some il-'i'isp where charges are not higo, 
 " And pinny candles siiea a g'iiimi'rinK light, 
 
 " He'd give the maid some cheap bought scrap to fry.t 
 " Of which he'd eat with ravenous delight. 
 
 • One of the largest folio volumes ever published 
 would not be capacious enough to depict one half of 
 the miseries and vicissitudes wiiich are daily brought 
 on the Gambler by himself; and, but -too frequently, 
 visited upon his family, connections — his wife, his 
 children, and his friends. Indeed, all must besutterers 
 fri,m this yropeiisity towards gambling ! and, notwith- 
 standing the numerous awful examples of .Suicirjts, 
 in a variety of shapes — the de^truction of property of 
 the most splendid description, reducing the once owner 
 of it down to absolute puaperisin of heartrending 
 character — up one day, and riinvn the next— until the 
 iinal throw completely ousts him from the table; and, 
 tao late to regain his errors— it ultimately drives him 
 to despair and madness. Ala-; ! it should almost seem 
 that nothing but death can put a cliniui to ihe pen- 
 chant of the real and determined Gambler. Such 
 instances are numerous beyond recital. 
 
 + The following truly singular anecdote most com- 
 pletely verifies the assertion of the poet. — " It appears 
 that Shelton was indicted at the Quarter Ses.sions for 
 the city of London, on the Uth of September, 1812, 
 in consequence of having assaulted Croker, one of the 
 police officers, on the Hampstead road, a short time 
 previous to the above date, when the defendant was 
 prevented fkum hanging himself at a lamp-i-ost ! 
 through the interference of this spirited officer. 
 
 Shelton, in company with a staunch vul (according 
 t) the acceptation of the temi.l, had determined on a 
 
 ' There, in some corner, shunning to be seen, 
 " He'd draw his hat down o er his pryiiii; eyes, 
 
 ' Or with a handkerchief his visage screen, 
 " Like one who fear'd a caption by surpri.se. 
 
 ' One night we raiss'd him in his usual seat, 
 " We search d both kitclien an I the scullery ; 
 We search'd again, nor in his old retreat, 
 " Nor at tlie 'J'liii, nor at the Dtil was he. 
 
 ■ At length a letter to di.-;ci/very led, 
 " Witli separate notice serv'd at each friend's door. 
 Reminding his creditors he was not dead, 
 " But meant to live to owe them something more.' 
 
 day's spree in the country ; and the place fixed on, 
 where the cares of life were to be relaxed over a 
 cloud of the "best Virginia," was at the delightful 
 village of Hampstead. To til] up the time, which, it 
 seems, dragged somewhat heavily upon the hands of 
 these " non liescripts," notwithstanding much fun and 
 larking had occurred between them duiing their e*- 
 cursiou, assisted with most i;opious libations of heavy 
 wet to prevent their arguments from becoming too 
 dry, and also numerous invigorating flashes of blue 
 ruin to give point to their oratory, still the amusements 
 they had experienced were not considered altogether 
 complete, and therefore, by way of putting a finish to 
 the day, the old pot house recreation of f:aj/i„f: was 
 the expedient hit upon. That slippery jade. Fortune, 
 had tantalized Shelton with alternate .successes for 
 some hours, when, al length, his luck turned, and he 
 l.'St every thing that he pos-;essed about his pers.m— 
 the blunt havini; first vanished, the togs followed in 
 succession, and tlie last desperate stake produced 
 (having nothing else left), was-HlS LIFE, upon the 
 cast of a die.Ml 
 
 Can such things be, and overcome us 
 
 Like a summer's cloud, without our special wonder ? 
 
 Tlie destructive effects of profligate gaming were 
 never seen in a more horrid point of view, than in 
 this transaction between .Shelton and his associate. 
 To what dreadful e\tren ities men of superior tdu:a- 
 tion and niiud are often hurried into fion its perni- 
 cious effects, even when their imaainutious .-.ave not 
 bean heated with the juice cf ti,"e grape ; but the 
 desperate conduct of the above chaiacters (though 
 evidently lai-'iuring uTid. r a state of inebriation), 
 evcseib (Tery thing upon record. It is scarcely pos- 
 sible to admit of the reality of the circumstance in 
 question — to witness one man " staking his life, ' with 
 the most perfect indifference as to the event, and 
 viewing the other equally as callous, not only in 
 winning the precious liie of a human being with as 
 11. u h satisfaction, apjiarently, as he would a piece of 
 inanimate metal, but claiming the performance of the 
 contract, with all the baibarous rigidity of a Shyl^ck, 
 by having the defendant hanged at the first lamp, on 
 their getting to the road across the fields! 
 
 Shelton, strange to remark, with the utmost alacrity 
 and cheerfulness, anxious, as he thought, to do the 
 thing that was right; or, in other words, fulfil the 
 character of an honorable Gambler, with a composure 
 and fortitude that would have done honor to a better 
 cause, ascended the lamp post, tied a Helcher hand- 
 keicliief round his neck, which he affixed, by the 
 command of the winner (his intimate friend), firmly 
 to the post. Pending the .suspension, however, the 
 handkerchief gave way by the knots getting loose, not 
 being tied by a more skilful Jack Ketch, and the in- 
 tended victim dropped— not into Eternity, but to the 
 surface of tlie earth ! 
 
 And that should teach us. 
 There's a divinity that shapes oar ends. 
 Rough-hew them how we will. 
 " Up again, quickly," cries his friend, insisting 
 upon the full performance of the condition of the 
 wager, to which Shelton assented wiihout tlie slightest 
 murmur, and again mounted to fix the knots mo.e se- 
 curely ! 
 
 While in this act, Croker accidentally passed the 
 spot, and, upon being called, he immediately inter- 
 posed, sum ccrcmoiiie, with the cu.lgel he he'd in his 
 
232 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORIS. 
 
 THE LETTER. 
 
 Here rots in jail, with scarce une bope ou eartli, 
 
 A wretcli that" , sacrificed to love of plaj ; 
 Success, ut Jirst, to golden dreams gave birth. 
 
 And fortune flatter d unly to betray. 
 La ge were his LOSSF.S, yet no lof.! deterr'd. 
 
 I liose luischiefs follow'd, such as seldom fail : 
 He gave his friends ('tuas all he'd hfl ) his word. 
 
 He gain'd by Hazard (us most ttu) a. JAILI 
 Seek not his future projects to reveal, 
 
 ^or draw conclusions to prejudge the fact; 
 Id anxious dread (which must oj yon must feel) 
 
 He waits the btiiejit of the INSOLVENT ACT. 
 
 hand, and gave Shelton several hard blows that 
 brought hiin to the ground before he could accomplish 
 the sicoND SUSPENSION ! For this humane interpo- 
 sition— tliis stepping-in between a man and Eternity, 
 With all his imperfections upon his head, (!roker was 
 requited with a pair of black eyes, and his nose 
 bioken ! 
 
 In a false (xuarrel there's no true valour. 
 
 It was for this breach of the peace that Sheltou 
 was now placed at the bar ; and, after the case was 
 fully proved against him, he pleaded son assault, tie 
 mam, and called witnesses to prove that Croker had 
 first struck him three times before he retaliated, add- 
 ing that the officer had not shown his staff of authority 
 before he had struck, him, and INSISTINU that he 
 had A RIGHT TO HANG HIMSELF, as he lost 
 till; wager, and it would have been considered unfair 
 if he had liOt fully performed the bet ! ! I 
 
 By heav'ns! methinks, it were an easy leap. 
 
 To pluck bright honor from the pale-fac'd moon : 
 
 Or tiive into the bottom of the deep, 
 
 Where fathom-line could never touch the ground, 
 
 Ai.d pluck up drowned honor by the locks, 
 
 So he, that doth redeerai her thence, might wear 
 
 Without co-rivals all her dignities ; 
 
 But out upon this half fac'd fellowship! 
 
 After tae Itamed chairman had mnst humanely ob- 
 Elrved upon the folly and ol>sti;i,icy of Shelton in 
 accusing the officer for an act of imperative duty, in 
 preventing the impious act of intended suicide, the 
 iury returned a verdict of guilty. 
 
 Upon the sentence being promulgated, the wife of 
 Shelton, in person, addressed the bench, stating, that 
 from ISiis prosecution she was ruined in her little shop 
 and business, and her four young children were de- 
 prived of the means of subsistence, which had cost 
 her no less than £18, and left her unable to defray 
 farther expences, in case the sentence should require 
 it: but added, with considerable feeling, that, except- 
 ing some such irregular fits and frolics, he was a 
 good husband, and laborious and attentive to his duties. 
 
 They say, best men are moulded out of faults. 
 And, for the most, become much more the better 
 For being a little bad ; so may my husband. 
 
 The bench, in consequence of the good character 
 given of her " lord and master" by the female pleader, 
 were induced to grant Shelton his immediate libera- 
 tion. 
 
 'I'he gameness displayed by men in the ring, in cora- 
 pari.'ion with the " daringness" or" hardihood" evinced 
 by Shelton in ihe above unparalleled " transaction," is 
 as snow before the sun : and the usual mode of expre.ss- 
 ing courageous acts witb the phrases of fortitude, resig. 
 nation, dc, in this instance is quite out of the question : 
 in fact, a term is wanting, not to be found even in any 
 of our copious modem dictionaries, emphatically to 
 designate this species of " action," that upon the toss 
 up of a halfpenny, the finest feelings of nature were 
 in an instant obliterated— the important ties of husband 
 and father forgotten — no compunctions for the past 
 trausactions of life manifested — and the important on- 
 sequences of the futurk not even thought of! Itisa 
 »uljject.io twtivflle in its kind, that sets all theoretical 
 
 The Pedigkee and Performa>ces of the 
 
 CELEERATEU MaKE, FLEUR DE LIS. 
 
 We perfectly agree willi the observations of 
 TvKE. of York, iu ' Bell's Life in London,' ia 
 IMarch, that departed pugilists having been 
 honored witli biographical sketches a similar 
 notice of the above old mare would not be out 
 of place ; lier honesty — a rare quality in these 
 piping times of cholera and cant — would alone 
 entitle her to a corner in the Book of Sports ; 
 but as this quality seeii:s to be exploded, as 
 well on the Turf as in the Ring, I shall rest 
 her claims to superiority on her performances, 
 which will be found to possess recommenda- 
 tions of no ordinary stamp. To be secundem 
 artem, it is requisite that I should introduce 
 her genealogically : her blood — royal on one 
 side, and aristocratic on the other, is unex- 
 ceptionable, and is traced up to Highflyer; 
 she was got by Bourbon, out of Lady Rachael 
 (bred in 1805 by Sir M. Sykes), by Stamford, 
 her dam Young Rachael, by Volunteer, out 
 of Rachael, sister to Maid of All Work, by 
 Highflyer, Sec. The Stud Book states Fletrr 
 de Lis to have been bred by Sir M. Sykes ; 
 but, on enquiry, I find that she was bred by a 
 Northumberland farmer, who, ignorant of the 
 gem he was casting away, sold her to Sir M. 
 VV. Ridley, for £100. In that part of the 
 country the Two-year-old stakes are, gene- 
 rally speaking, of little value or importance ; 
 Sir M. W. Hidley, therefore, instead of stump- 
 ing her up, as is too often the case, wisely 
 sufl'ered her strength to mature itself, and did 
 not bring her out till she was three years old. 
 There can be no doubt that to this her subse- 
 quent excellent running is ia a great measure 
 to be attributed. Her lirs't race was at New- 
 castle, 1825, where she won the Filly Slakes, 
 beating Figurante and Bird of Passage. She 
 followed this up by defeating Vicissitude filly, 
 Beatrice, and sister to Diadem, for a similar 
 stakes, at Pontefract. She won both cleverly, 
 but they had not the eflfect of bringing her 
 
 researches into the human character at defiance ; and 
 only reminds us, that with all our experience, still, 
 " the proper study of mankind is man!" Bun an a, 
 vol. ii, p. 185. 
 
 Tom repented of his bad conduct ; acknowledged 
 his errors, and the crime he was about to commit ; 
 and also promised that his future behaviour in society 
 should recommend him to the notice of his friends. 
 In the course of thiee years after the above transac- 
 tion, Shelton became a Prize Pugilist, and likewise 
 distinguished himself in his various contests with 
 Harry Harmer, Bill Richmond, Big Burns, George 
 Cooper, Josh. Hudson, and Tom Brown. After las 
 battle with the latter Hero he retired from the P. R., 
 as an acknowledged scientific and brave boxer. Shel- 
 ton opened a Tavern in the vicinity of the town, where 
 his good conduct and civility obtained for him a decent 
 livelihood ; and he was also chosen to act as a juiyman 
 in the Court of King's Bench, Guildhall, before my 
 Lord Tenterden. But, in consequence of poor 'I'om'g 
 betting more money than he was able to pay on theDerby 
 Race, the chance b iug against him — in a moment of 
 de.spair and frenzy he committed suicide b> swallow 
 ing poison in a strong glass of gin and water. Such 
 were the horrid effects which operated on his feelings 
 from gambling transactions— that we can only observe 
 — "Alas ! poor human nature !" 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 233 
 
 into the betting for the Great St. Leger. She 
 was literally unnoticed. She started for that 
 stakes with scarcely a friend out of her own 
 stable, and it is not improbable that, but for 
 an accident, she would have been " there or 
 thereabouts." This, however, was prevented 
 by the unprincipled conduct of one of the 
 north countiy jocks (a nicre leather-plater, 
 who had been found useful on more occasions 
 than one of a nearly similar nature), who rode 
 against her and knocked her down. It is 
 extraordinary how she or her rider escaped 
 uniuirt; still more so, how she shouM get so 
 good a place at the finish. In the sap>e meet- 
 ing she won the Filly Stakes, beating Convic- 
 tion, a filly by Walton, out of Altisidora, 
 H> bla, and Jessy. In 1826 she won a Sweep- 
 stakes on the first day of York Spring iVleeting, 
 beating Acta?on, Catteiick, Kothelan, Flori- 
 smart, and Lottery ; and on the following day 
 she carried o(f the gold cup, beating Actseon. 
 The Alderman (who ran a good second to 
 Memnon (or the St. Leger), Dor Freischutz, 
 and Jerry. At Newcastle, same year, she 
 won the Gold Cup, and the Town Plate of 
 £100, beating Canteen and Abron, in the 
 former, and Billy Watson in the other. At 
 Doncaster she won the Doncaster Stakes, 
 beating Acta-on (the third time of his running 
 second to he-r this season), Zirza, br. g. by 
 Anarossan, Crowcatcher, and Lottery. She 
 also won the Cup in the same meeting, beating 
 Mulatto, Humphrey Clinker, Helenus, and 
 Jerry. Slie closed her four-year-old perform- 
 ances, by walking over for the Gold Cup, at 
 Lincoln — having, up to this period, won ten 
 races out of eleven ! In 1827, at York Spring 
 Meeting, she won the Constitution Stakes, 
 beatiiig Jerry, Humphrey Clinker, and Sirius. 
 At Manchester she was defeated by a head, 
 for the Cup, by Longwaist, in consequence of 
 having slipped, and nearly fallen on her side, 
 in making the last turn. At Preston she won 
 the Cup, beating Signorina and Euphrates. 
 At Doncaster she was opposed by Memnon, 
 for the Doncaster Stakes, 27 others having 
 paid forfeit; the race excited considerable 
 interest, the two not having met since the St. 
 Leger in 1825. The betting was even, and 
 the mare won cleverly — thus giving counten- 
 ance to the opinion I have expressed above, 
 that accident alone prevented her running him 
 pretty closely for the St. Leger. In the same 
 meeting she started for the Cup, and ran a 
 dead heat with iMemnon, for the second place 
 — this was one of the most spirited races of 
 the week, nor did any of the horses suffer in 
 reputation by their defeat: IMulatto won it 
 rather cleverly, the four-year-old weight being 
 decidedly more favorable than that put on any 
 other age. She also won the Cup at Lincoln, 
 beating Sweepstakes and Tinker, and imme- 
 diately afterwards was added to the Royal 
 stud, his Majesty having, in the course o( the 
 sea!^on, purchased her for 1,500 guineas — a 
 sum much below her actual worth ; Sir M, , 
 has declared that he should not have sold her 
 
 but at the express solicitation of the king. — 
 In 1S28, she started for the Cup at Ascot, and 
 was not placed ; on this occasion his Majesty 
 honored Sir M. Ridley with an invitation to 
 witness the race from the Royal Stand, and 
 was pleased to express a concurrence in his 
 opinion that "she was too thin to justify an 
 expectation of success." At ')xford she won 
 the Cup in a canter, beating Liston, who was 
 in great force that season. In the second 
 October week, with 9st. on her back, she won 
 the Second Class of the Oatlands, beating 
 Helas, 5yrs., 7st. 12 lb. ; Bee-in-a-Bonnet, 
 3yrs, 7st. 21b. ; Miss Craven, 4 yrs, 7st. 12lb. ; 
 and f by Andrew, 3yrs, 7st. In the Houghton 
 Meeting slie beat Belzoni, in a match, giving 
 Gib, Ab. M.— In 182') her first race was for 
 the Craven Stakes at Newmarket, in which 
 Zinganee beat her by about half a head, en- 
 tirely through superior jockeyship. At Epsom 
 she won the Craven stakes, beating Conrad, 
 Pegasus, and several others of '' low d<"gree." 
 At Stockbridge she vvon the Five Sovs. Stakes, 
 beating Brownlock and Colleger. At Good- 
 wood she proved her great superiority by 
 beating easily Mameluke, Varna, The Alder- 
 man, Lamplighter, and Rough Robin, for the 
 Cup. She was then sent to Doncaster, and 
 started for the Cup, although it was well 
 known she was horsing at the time ; of course 
 siie had not the slightest chance. Slie then 
 went to Lincoln, and for the third time car- 
 ried oiT the Gold Cup (the Grand Falconer's), 
 beating Lugrel, Bessy Bedlatn, Ballad Singer, 
 Robin Hood, and a colt by Tiresias ; it is 
 worthy of remark, that Laurel had defeated 
 her in the race at Doncaster the preceding 
 week. In 1830 she ran but twice ; on the 
 first occasion for the Goodwood Cup, which 
 she won cleverly ; the " Gentleman of the 
 Horse," to " make assurance trebly sure, ' 
 also started Zinganee and The Colonel, and 
 these three had the race to themselves, for the 
 others had not a chance in any part of it ; this 
 lot consisted of Green Mantle, Lady Emily, 
 Refugee, Glenartney, Tranby, and Hindoo. 
 She was again sent for the Cup at Doncaster, 
 and with a similar result. She was now 
 "bottled up" for the Goodwood Cup, 1831, 
 which was selected as the finale to her per- 
 formances ; it was her fate, however, to be 
 opposed to Priam, and in spite of stoutness, 
 honesty, and lirst-rate condition, her defeat 
 was unequivocal. In all, she ran thirty races, 
 twenty-two of which she won, and as her 
 antagonists on alniost every occasion were 
 horses of very superior character, I may fairly 
 pronounce her to have been one of the stoutest 
 and best mares, as she was the fintst, that 
 ever appeared on the English Turf. It will 
 be long before we look upon her equal. 
 
 A Bear cal'ght " nait sg." 
 
 In the setting-in of the winter (sa\s Mr. 
 Lloyd, in his Field Sports of the North of 
 Europe), and when the ground was but 
 
iia4 
 
 Pll.IiCE LOAN'S nOOK OF SFORTS. 
 
 slighllj covered with snow, that Elg and 
 anotlier peasant started off in company for a 
 very mid range of country to the southward 
 of IJrunberg, in the hopes that they might fall 
 in with, and ring the track of a bear ; this 
 being, as I have said, the most proper season 
 for that purpose. Rut their search proved 
 tmsuccessful ; and after the lapse of four or 
 five days, during which they had either bi- 
 vouacked on tl>e ground, or quartered at Sat- 
 eerswells, tiieir provisions being exhausted, 
 they separated for their respective houses. In 
 the afternoon of the same day, and when Elg 
 was alone in a very wild part of the country, 
 covered with much fallen timber and immense 
 fragments of stone, he suddenly came upon 
 the track of a bear; the next minute, and 
 within a siiort distance from where he stood, 
 he discovered, in a cleft of a great mass of 
 rocks, the den of the animal. As he had no 
 confidence, however, in the lock of his rifle, 
 he did not care to go immediately up to the 
 den ; he therefore mounted a pretty high 
 stone, immediately overlooking it, at about 
 fifteen paces distant. From this position he 
 discovered the bear lying fast asleep near the 
 entrance of the den ; and as he got sight of 
 ]ier ear, under which is one of the most fatal 
 places, he lost no time in levelling and dis- 
 charging his rifle. For a moment after he had 
 fired, the bear lay still, and, in consequence, 
 Elg almost imagined she (for it was a female) 
 was killed; had he thought otherwise, he 
 would have had ample time to get out of her 
 way ; but presently the beast raised herself up, 
 when, fixing her eyes steadily upon him, and 
 uttering at the same time a terrific growl, she 
 dashed at him (to use his own expression) 
 " with the rapidity of a bullet out of a gun," 
 and was close upon him in almost the twink- 
 ling of an eye. Very fortunately for Elg, the 
 stone on which he was standing was situated 
 in a declivity, the after part of it being some 
 five or six feet from the ground ; down this, 
 in his hurry to escape, he tumbled all but 
 headlong. It was well he did so, for the bear, 
 followed by two of her cubs, which were more 
 than half as large as herself, almost at the 
 same instant made her spring, and passed 
 clean and far over him. In this situation Elg 
 lay for a short while, frightened, as he said, 
 almost out of his senses ; when, finding all 
 quiet, and supposing, as was the case, that 
 the bears, from not seeing him, had taken 
 them.selves oflf to another part of the forest, he 
 ventured to get up, and to reconnoitre the 
 den : he then discovered that besides the three 
 which had made a leaping bar of his person, 
 a fourth had taken an opposite direction. 
 Though all four bears for this time made their 
 escape, yet, in the course of eight or ten suc- 
 cessive weeks, Elg, with the assistance of 
 several other peasants, managed to kill the 
 whole of them. On taking the skin from the 
 old bear, which he described to have been of 
 a very large size, he found the ball which he 
 bad fired at her flattened out, and set fast on 
 
 the back of her skull. 15y this it would ap- 
 pear that he had mistaken the position in 
 which she was lying, so that, instead of aim- 
 ing at the root of her ear, as he imagined was 
 the case, he had fired at her lengthwise. Had 
 his ball, however, been of any moderate size, 
 this would not have been of much conse- 
 quence ; for if his gun was properly loaded, I 
 take it that, at so short a distance, her bead 
 ■would have been split in pieces." 
 
 WHISKER— A Celebrated Stallion. 
 
 In consequence of the recent death of the 
 above racer, we present our readers with a 
 sketch of his pedigree and performances. 
 
 Whisker was bred by his Grace the Duke 
 of Oraflon, in 1812, and was got by Waxy, 
 out of Penelope (bred by the late Duke in 
 1798), hyTrumpalor; her dam Prunella, by 
 Highflyer, out of Promise, by Snap — Julia, 
 by Blank— Spectator's dam, by Partner — 
 Bonny Lass, by Bogtrotter— Darley's Ara- 
 bian— Byerby Turk— TaflTolet Barb— Place's 
 A\ hite Turk - Natural Barb Mare. AVhisker 
 was own brother to the following celebrated 
 racers :— Whalebone, Web (dam of Glenart- 
 ney and Middleton), Woful, Wilful, M'ire, 
 AVildtire, Windfall, &c. &c. 
 
 Performances : — 181.5 : Craven Meeting, re- 
 ceived forfeit in a Sweepstakes of 200gs. each, 
 three subs, one of whom (Lord Darlington) 
 withdrew his stake. Same meeting, received 
 50gs from the Duke of Portland's c by Orville, 
 out of Sligo's dam. First Spring meeting, 
 was beaten by Tigris for the 2,000gs stakes, 
 and not placed. Same meeting, ran second to 
 Busto for the Newmarket stakes. At Epsom, 
 won the Derby stakes (value 1,500 gs), beat- 
 ing Raphael, Busto, and ten others [Minute, 
 a half-sister of Whisker's, won the Oaks the 
 following day]. First October meeting, 
 beaten by Quinola, by Waxy, for the St. 
 Leger, and not placed, the famous Sir Joshua 
 was second. Second October meeting, he 
 beat Equator in a match for 200gs, B.M., 
 giving 9lb. Houghton meeting, he beat Don- 
 key in a match for 200, A.F., 8st 71b each. 
 Same Meeting, was beaten by Sir Joshua in a 
 match for 300 gs. A. F., receiving 41b -1816 : 
 Craven meeting, he won the Port stakes of 300 
 gs, beating Equator. First Spring meeting, he 
 beatPaulus in a match for 200gs, R.M. receiv- 
 ing 5lb. Second Spring meetingjbeatSirJoshua 
 in a match for 300gs, A.F., receiving 61b, 
 First October meeting, ran fourth to Bourbon 
 for a sweepstakes of 200gs. each, D.M., in 
 which he received 91b from the winner, and 
 gave lOlb to Sir Thomas, and 91b to Quinola. 
 Second October meeting, received 70gs. from 
 Paulus. Houghton meeting, was beaten by 
 Equator in a match for 200gs. giving 7lb, Ab. 
 M 1817: he did not run. 1818: Cra- 
 ven meeting [now the property of the present 
 Marquis of Cleveland], beaten by Skim, and 
 not placed, for the Craven stakes. First 
 Spring meeting, ran 3d to Skim for a plate of 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOliTS. 
 
 235 
 
 50 so vs. Same Meeting;, beat little Dick in a 
 match for 200, D.M., giving lOlb. Second 
 Spring, he received lOOgs from Cannon IJall. 
 Same meeting, ran third to Merrymaker for 
 a Handicap. Same meeting, beat Manfred in 
 a match for 200, T.Y.C., giving- lOlb. Same 
 meeting, ran fifth to the Flyer in a Cup 
 Handicap. First October, beaten by the Stu- 
 dent in a match for 200, Ab. M., allowing 
 141b. This terminated his career as a racer. 
 
 As a stallion he was eminently successful, 
 as the following summary of the winners got 
 by him will abundantly testify : — In 1822 : 2 
 ■winners, 2 prizes, value £577. lOs. — 1823 : 6 
 winners, 17 prizes, value ±,'3,936. — 1824 : 9 
 winners, 25 prizes, value 3,607/. lis. — 1825 : 
 10 winners, 29 prizes, value 6,364/. 15s. — 
 1826: 10 winners, 19 prizes, value 3,141/. 
 lOs. — 1827 : 10 winners, 23 prizes, value 
 3,56U. — 1828 : 17 winners, 43 prizes, value 
 6,719/. 5s. — 1829 : 16 winners, 44 prizes, 
 value 5,213/. — 1830 : 26 winners, 61 prizes, 
 value 7,847/. 10s.— 1831 : 17 winners, 46 
 prizes, value 4,993/. 6s. 8d. Making a total 
 of 123 winners, and 309 prizes, amounting to 
 the sum of 45,961/. 7s. 8d. 
 
 Whisker was sire of Memnon, the Colonel 
 (both St. Leger winners), Abron, Mustachio, 
 Maria, Stratherne, Caccia Piatti, Emancipa- 
 tion, Sarah, Jenny Mills, Coulon, Reformer, 
 Whisk, Lunaria, Whiskerandos, See. &c. 
 
 The Inventions of Man to save Life. 
 A Shark deprived of his prey. 
 
 Blr. Hardy, in his travels through Mexico, 
 gives the following lively account of an escape 
 from a shark : — " The Placer de la Piedra 
 Negada, which is near Loretto, was supposed 
 to have quantities of very large pearl-oysters 
 around it — a supposition which was at once 
 confirmed by the great difficulty of finding this 
 sunken rock. Don Pablo, however, succeeded 
 in sounding it, and, in search of specimens of 
 the largest and oldest shells, dived down in 
 eleven fathoms water. The rock is-not above 
 one hundred and fifty or two hundred yards 
 in circumference, and our adventurer swam 
 round and examined it in all directions, but 
 without meeting any inducement to prolong 
 his stay. Accordingly, being satisfied that 
 there were no oysters, he thought of ascending 
 to the surface of the water ; but first he cast a 
 look upwards as all divers are obliged to do, 
 who hope to avoid the hungry jaws of a mon- 
 ster. If the coast is clear, they may rise 
 without apprehension. Don Pablo, however, 
 when he cast a hasty glance upwards, found 
 that a tinterero had taken his station about 
 three or four yards immediately above him, 
 and, most probably, had been watching during 
 the whole time that he had been down. A 
 doutle-pointed stick is a useless weapon against 
 a tinterero, as its mouth is of such enormous 
 dimensions that both m^in and slick would be 
 swallowed together. He therefore felt him- 
 
 self rather nervous, as his retreat was now 
 completely intercepted. But, under water, 
 time is too great an object to be spent in 
 reflection, and therefore he swam round 
 to another part of the rock, hoping by this 
 artifice to avoid the vigilance of liis per- 
 secutor. What was his dismay, when he again 
 looked up, to find the pertinacious tinterero 
 still hovering over him, as a hawk would 
 follow a bird ! He described him as having 
 large, round, and inflamed eyes, apparently 
 just ready to dart from their sockets with 
 eagerness, and a mouth (at the recollection of 
 which lie still shudders) that was constantly 
 opening and shutting, as if the monster was 
 already, in imagination, devouring his victim, 
 or, at least, that the contemplation of his prey 
 imparted a foretaste of the ^•"ii/. Two alter- 
 natives now presented themselves to the mind 
 of Don Pablo; one, to suffer himself to be 
 drowned, the other to be eaten. He had 
 already been under water so considerable a 
 time that he found it impossible any longer to 
 retain his breath, and was on llie point of 
 giving himself up for lost, with as much phi- 
 losophy as he possessed. But what is dearer 
 than life ? The invention of man is seldom at 
 a loss to find expedients for its preservation in 
 case of great extremity. On a sudden he 
 recollected that on one side of the rock he had 
 observed a sandy spot, and to this he swam 
 with all imaginable speed; his attentive friend 
 still watching his movements, and keeping a 
 measured pace with him. As soon as he 
 reached the spot he commenced stirring it with 
 his pointed stick, in such a way that the fine 
 particles rose, and rendered the water per- 
 fectly turbid, so that he could not see the 
 monster, nor the monster him. Availing him- 
 self of the cloud by which himself and the 
 tinterero were enveloped, he swam very far out 
 in a transvertical direction, and reached the 
 surface in safety, although completely ex- 
 hausted. Fortunately he rose close to one of 
 the boats ; and those who were within, seeing 
 him in such a state, and knowing that an 
 enemy must have been persecuting him, and 
 that by some artifice he had saved his life, 
 jumped overboard, as is their common practice 
 in such cases, to fri;;hten the creature away by 
 splashing in the water ; and Don Pablo was 
 taken into the boat more dead than alive." 
 
 LOVE-SICK SPORTING WILLY. 
 The following, after Hood's style, the author of 
 ■ Whims and Oddities." is from a Yankee paper . 
 
 One Willy Wright, who kept a store, 
 
 But nothing kept therein, 
 S;ive earthen jugs, and 6ome few kegs. 
 
 Of whiskey, ale, and gin. 
 
 Although he said, the times were hard. 
 
 He ' kept it up' like fun ! 
 And 'on the sly," he play'd the card ■' 
 
 Too fond of do;; and gun. 
 
 Grew sick, and often would exclaini, 
 
 " Oh, how my heart does burn 1" 
 And every week the poorinan lived — 
 
 He had a weakly turn. 
 
2:}P 
 
 lUEKci: r.uAN's nooK of sports. 
 
 Niiw, when tlit\ »HW liiin.iluis ikclino. 
 Some saiil that ])i-atli must cdiiic ; 
 
 Soint w<.ii(ki'<l wliMt his ail could bi— 
 Some said tiis ak* was ruin. 
 
 At last the very cause was known 
 
 Of every pang he tell- 
 Remote, at one end of the town, 
 
 Miss Martha Towns-end dwelt. 
 
 A portly, love-resisting dame, 
 
 Contenipttions, proud, and haughty ; 
 
 But yet, though " fat and forty," loo, 
 She was not two-and-forty. 
 
 And Willy long '"«' sought and siglicd. 
 
 To gain this pretty miid ; 
 " I have no trade (said he), so sure 
 
 My love can't be betray'd." 
 
 To Martha, then, he tremblinz went. 
 And said, "My dear 'tis true. 
 
 Though I have nothing in my store, 
 I've love in store for you. 
 
 " And if thou wilt, thou may st become- 
 And here his tongue was ty'd ! 
 
 And though she willed, yet she said, 
 She ne'ei would be his bride. 
 
 Tlicn, turning Willy out of doors 
 
 She said, " go, go along ; 
 I liate the man, who's always U') ight, 
 
 Yet always doing wrong." 
 
 " I leave you, then (said he) tarew el ! 
 
 Of peace I'm now bereft ; 
 If 1 am always Wright and wrong. 
 You must be right and left." 
 
 So then ne clos'd his little store, 
 Slint up each door and blind ; 
 
 And settled his accounts, and died : 
 And left no if ill behind ! 
 
 HEM 
 
 Zoology. 
 
 Extraordinary Hare Hunt. 
 The annals of liare-hunting scarcdy furnish 
 a more remarkable instance of sporting plea- 
 sure than that afforded in the admirable run- 
 ning of our Kilkenny harriers on St. Stephen's 
 clay. The hounds threw off at Bonnetls-town, 
 and in a short time a hare was soho'd which 
 afforded good sport for about twenty minutes, 
 when the hounds were drawn off. Soon after 
 a second hare was started in the bogof Mone- 
 vidrew, adjoining Clonan. She ran over the 
 hill of Ballydaniel, very near to Three Castles, 
 and thence by the hill of Kilroe to the back 
 of Bonnett's-town demesne ; she then went in 
 the direction of Knockroe-cover, where she 
 crossed the road and made for Barrack-hill, 
 passing by the house of Bouleshea, and 
 through the bottoms to Curragh-hill, at which 
 place she '' gave a view," and shortly after 
 was terminated the existence of one of the 
 stoutest hares that ever ran. Poor puss, at 
 the lowest calculation, ran a distance of twelve 
 Irish (upwards of fifteen English) miles, in 
 about an hour and twenty minutes. Several 
 horsemen were thrown off as well as out, and 
 but six sportsmen were in at the death, 
 amongst whom v/as E. Cooke, esq., the public- 
 spirited proprietor of the Kilkenny harriers ; 
 Mr. Cummins, of High Sreet, and the hunts- 
 man also rode well throughout. There was 
 bi;t one check, for a few minutes, during the 
 entire hunt. Some of the country people, 
 astonished at the rapidity with which the 
 hounds were going, repeatedly asked, " Is it 
 a fox ?" The harriers have had nine splendid 
 hunts this season, but the above was by far 
 the most brilliant. 
 
 The collections recently brought from 
 India, by M. Dussumier, for the Museum at 
 Paris, arc of great value. M'hen the weather 
 permitted, M. Dussumier never lost an oppor* 
 tunity of fishing; at Sechelles, the Isle of 
 France, Bourbon, St. Helena, on the coasts of 
 India, in the rivers, and even in the deep sea ; 
 in (.onsequence of which he has obtained a 
 vast mass of fishes, some of them entirely 
 new, o.lhers of which only imperfect specimens 
 had hitherto been procured. He has also 
 brought from India quadrupeds which have 
 never been seen in Europe in modern times, 
 but with which the ancients were nevertheless 
 acquainted— such as the four-horned antelope, 
 mentioned by ;Elian, and in cabinets ; of 
 which nothing is to be found in the collection 
 of skulls, except an incomplete head. This 
 animal, which ]\I. Dussumier brought alive 
 from Bengal, died on its way from Bordeaux 
 to Paris : but its remains have been preserved. 
 Another rare animal, the long-lipped bear, 
 has been more fortunate, and is now in the 
 Parisian menagerie. M. Dussumier is desir- 
 ous of returning to Canton and Manilla to 
 make farther researches ; and M. Cuvier has 
 proposed to the French Academy to defriiy a 
 poition of the expense of the expedition. 
 
 Ingenuity of a Beaver at Paris. 
 A beaver from the Rhine is now in the 
 Royal Collection in the Jardin des Plantes at 
 Paris, which exhibited as much ingenuity as 
 has ever been ascribed to the species in a wild 
 state, and more than enough to silpnce the in- 
 credulity of sceptics respecting the beavers' 
 dams and their magazines of winter provi- 
 sions. This beaver, for i istance. we are in- 
 formed by M. Geoffroi St. Hilaire, was, during 
 the severe weather in winter, provided with 
 fresh twigs of trees, to furnish exercise for 
 his propensity of gnawing, and with apples, 
 &c., as a more nutritive food. One night there 
 came on a snow storm, and the snow beat into 
 his domicile in considerable quantity, till he 
 found out a plan of shielding himself from the 
 inconvenience. For this purpose, he cut his 
 supply of twigs into proper lengths, to be 
 wove in the basket fashion, between the bars 
 of his cage ; chopped his apples in pieces to 
 till up the intervals between the twigs; and 
 when even this did not appear sufficiently air- 
 tight, or (if you will), storm-tight, he kneaded 
 snow into the intervals. By the morning, it 
 appeared that he had laboured hai-d all night, 
 and had completed a very neat and ingenious 
 barri-ado against the intrusiori of the snow 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 237 
 
 MlSEIlIES ATTACllIlD TO Hl'NTING : 
 
 A. Br.ANK Dav ! 
 Thus are the feelings of the disappointed 
 Fox-hunter describo'l, in llie Sporting; Mag- 
 azine for March, by Mr. Gildert Forrester : 
 — " Of all the miseries of human life, or 
 indeed any other life, put me down a fine 
 frosty day to a fox-hunter : 'tis the very acme 
 of misery. Talk of the rack, that is a bed of 
 down compared to the sensations of a hunter, 
 who rises hastily in the morning in expecta- 
 tion of a brilliant day, and finds ice three 
 inches thick in his water jug ; who is obliged 
 to rig himself in a dressing gown and slip- 
 pers, and sit by the fire reading some dry Par- 
 liamentary piece of humbug, instead of sport- 
 ing his top-boots, and scouring away at the 
 rate of fifteen miles an hour after some pre- 
 cious varmint. Now I am a good-tempered 
 fellow, Mr. Editor— indeed, I think I may 
 flatter myself a very good-tempered fellow ; 
 but I confess, notwithstanding, it requires 
 all my fortitude to bear this peculiar misery 
 without letting some naughty words escape. 
 However, this state of things, thanks to our 
 variable climate, did'nt last long ; and on the 
 I9th, having sent my horse forward to the 
 Borough of Dunhaved, near Lifton, I set sail 
 for a meeting with Mr. Phillips's pack, and 
 the first rate workmen who follow it. Our 
 place of rendezvous was at Cobham brake, 
 where I found Sir William Molesworth, Mr. 
 Salisbury Trelawny, the Devonian, Mr. Phil- 
 lipps, and a strong muster of Yeomanry, who 
 have an annual dinner on this day, given by 
 the Devonian for their services in preserving 
 the varmint. The word of command given, 
 away we scoured, and a goodly sight it was, 
 the hounds being riglar trumps, steeds well 
 trained, and their riders no flinchers. 
 
 " Merrily, merrily see them ride, 
 
 Hark forward ! the well known cry ! 
 
 The hills resound, and the valleys wide 
 Loud echo their quick reply." 
 
 We tried Cobham brake, a very likely patch of 
 furze, but it was " no go." Reynard had 
 been but was gone, and his ai>artmeTit was to 
 let unfurnished. 
 
 " We show'd fight — 
 
 He thought best to walk it." 
 
 Mr. Newton's hounds had been scouring the 
 country a day or two before, and had managed 
 to clear it pretty well, so that there was little 
 chance of a find ; and we feathered several 
 well-looking coverts without success. The 
 scent, which in the morning promised to 
 be good, (like many other things) broke its 
 promise, and turned out but so-so, there- 
 tore we did not unkennel, To some tiie day 
 might have been tedious in consequence ; but 
 to those who, like myself, go two hundred 
 miles into the " bowels of the land" for the 
 mere sake of seeing hunting in all its varie- 
 ties, the case was different. I like to see the 
 working of the hounds ; to see them in diffi- 
 ulty ; to mark the threading, the stopping, 
 
 the eagerness to find, the emulation of each 
 to gain applause. This, I say, is no mean 
 sight ; and if men would follow at a proper 
 distance, instead of loitering in " high-ways 
 and bye ways," grumbling over the Reform 
 Bill and other threadbare subjects, they would 
 find themselves rewarded for the trouble of 
 con)ing out, though not a single " Tally-ho" 
 should be heard. But a word for the pack. 
 In height they range about twenty-two inches, 
 large limbed, deep chested, big ribbed, rather 
 wide loined, and full lengthy in the body, 
 which enables them to push along and keep 
 moving at a slapping pace; the frontispiece, 
 perhaps, rather too foxy ; but on this point 
 sportsmen differ ; so I will say nothing about 
 it. Their style of trying is good ; and it is 
 my opinion, if a hound is a good searcher, ho 
 will sooner or later attain perfection. I ima- 
 gined when first the hounds were thrown ofiF 
 at Cobham brake, they did not dash the covert 
 as speedily as I should have desired. In 
 drawing covert, hounds can hardly be too 
 quick, especially in furze, as such places are 
 always tedious and galling, and are apt to 
 make them hang back, unless urged to it by 
 the workman, when in the eagerness to follow 
 such obstructions will be foruotten. The fox 
 does not at all times seek the deepest point, 
 but will play about the outskirts, seeking a 
 convenient kennel ere he takes up his abode. 
 Hounds, therefore, which pass rapidly on, 
 must hit the drag, and consequently seldom 
 lose the varmint. Slow hounds may be made 
 quick; and if they are not, it is the fault of 
 the huntsman and nothing else. I am sure 
 more foxes are lost through the tardiness of 
 the guide than any other cause Emulation 
 is a prominent feature in the character of the 
 dog ; and when he finds his companions, by 
 getting a-head, receive the jolly " gone 
 away" cheer, it will teach him, if ever such a 
 sluggard, to quicken his movements. Mr. 
 Phillipps's style of huntingl like exceedingly; 
 and with the greatest deference to the sports- 
 men of the West (many of whom are first 
 raters,) I must say it is more than 1 expected 
 to see. Patience, perseverance, quickness of 
 eye, and great judgment, are the qualities 
 conspicuous in that gentleman, and, in all his 
 bunting, not a useless sound escapes his lips. 
 1 may, without the slightest flattery, add to 
 these virtues, those of an agreeable companion 
 and polished sportsman. His followers de- 
 serve equal cri'dit for their silence in the 
 field. IMr. Phillippsis alwa\s with his hounds; 
 indeed, with such a Pegasus as he bestrides, 
 this is no wonder. When \ saw Foster aX 'A 
 little distance, he appeared a lumbering sort 
 of prad : but on a closer inspection I found 
 my mistake, for his move and shape are e.\- 
 cellent. He is a bay, with capital sound 
 forkals, big in bone, and head prettily set on ; 
 exceedingly deep in his forehand (which is 
 good), with wide lengthy quarters to match ; 
 short in the joint, and famous middle piece; 
 stands about fifteen hands and a half, 
 
2.J8 
 
 PIEUC1-: EGAN'S nOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 and has a very quick and extended stride. 
 In short, take iiim for all and all, 1 never saw 
 a horse (for his country) combining so com- 
 pletely the three qualities necessary to consti- 
 tute perfection — " one like an ox, one like a 
 fox, and one like a bonny maiden." He has 
 carried his master five seasons, and could not 
 be purchased from him at any price : his sire 
 Gainsborough, dam an excellent mare, and 
 grandam an Exmoor poney, from which it is 
 thought he inherits much of his lasting and 
 sterling qualities, this breed being proverbial 
 for those virtues. Sir W. Molesworth was 
 mounted on a beautiful bay nag, as close to 
 the wind as possible, bred by Mr. Leach, who 
 is a good judge of these matters, out of a 
 sister to Minna, by Amadis ; sire Grey Comus. 
 Though Sunshine is not above fourteen hands 
 and a half high, he has sufficient power and 
 action to carry the Baronet (who rides under 
 ten stone, I tliink) to the fleetest pack. He 
 is now only four off, and will be doubtless 
 spared this season being pushed too hard in 
 front, an indulgence which, in another season, 
 he will amply repay ; and, as his owner can 
 gang along, he will be an ugly opponent to 
 handle. The Devonian was mounted on his 
 chesnut mare, Push, a very excellent steady 
 fencer, and speedy in her gallop. She vas 
 purchased, I heard, at Oxford, and had been 
 a front player in the Duke of Beaufort's hunt. 
 This gentlemen has a knowing finger and a 
 steady fine seat, with abundance of nerve. I 
 thought he hung rather long in the suspenders 
 for up-and-down skirmishing ; but I found he 
 was a bruiser to the back bone. Capt. Salis- 
 bury Trelawney, I rejoiced to see apparently 
 as well as ever, and a noble looking fellow he 
 is. The Captain was once master of a capital 
 pack of fox-hounds, and I may with truth as- 
 sert, no man ever huntt-d them better, or had 
 a keener eye for the steeples ; and, I doubt 
 not, in hard knocking, he would still prove a 
 queer customer to the youngest clipper. M. 
 Chas. Trelawney rode a slapping chesnut, son 
 of old Gainsborough, which is only to be seen 
 to be admired ; he has great strength and 
 substance, and freedom to get well out of the 
 heavy. This gentleman has an extraordinary 
 seat, savouring much of the jock as well as 
 hunter ; and, when I see him go, I predict he 
 will be one who can do a trick worth copying. 
 His move in the saddle reminded nie much of 
 Captain Beecher, and that is saying enough 
 for any man. There was one little man out 
 on this day, something below a feather, who 
 deserves honoiable mention. It was the De- 
 vonian's first-brrn, a boy rising six year's old, 
 mounted on an Exmoor pony, and ciad in the 
 full costume of the hunt. The animated coun- 
 tenance ol the tyro interested me extremely. 
 The worA fatigue seemed to have no place in 
 his vocabulary ; his wliole soul was in the 
 chase, and his ardour ;ind ei\jouemenl such as 
 are felt (like woirian's love) but once in a life 
 and that in its spring. I would have given a 
 crown, had, I possessed one {I don't mom fire 
 
 skillinsiS, deor reader!) to have felt as that 
 boy did ; but 'tis impossible : the Rubicon is 
 passed, and can never be retraced. Those 
 happy feelings, those unclouded moments 
 were once mine, but they have fled ! ! Late in 
 the day I asked the little fellow how he got 
 on, when he replied, " He had been i^allopinR 
 ever since he came out, and was not tired." 
 I inquired where were his spurs ? " I have 
 none," said he ; '' but a f^end of papa's has 
 promised me a pair on my next birth-day, and 
 tiien, you know, I can make the pony gallop 
 /lister." The sight of this little trump, in his 
 scarlet coat and white collar, spanking along 
 in the thickest of the melee, would have glad- 
 dened the heart of an expiring Meynel. The 
 lady of the Devonian honoured us by ap- 
 pearing in her pony phaeton, and seemed well 
 pleased with the noble and courageous bear- 
 ing of her son, who might have said, in the 
 words cf Corneille, 
 
 " Je suis jeune, il est vrai, mais au ames bietj iiees 
 La valeur n'attend pas le nombre des annces." 
 
 In the course of the evening we adjourned 
 from Hayne house to the inn at Broadwood, 
 where two hundred of the first class farmers 
 were making themselves supremely happy, at 
 the expense of the Devonian, who must, I am 
 sure, have felt real pleasure in witnessing the 
 happiness he had created. And to have heard 
 them chanting, in the first style of jollity : — 
 
 Gadzooks, my dear boy, they're a himtiii.^ to day. 
 The birds are awakened in meadow and spray ; 
 Then why should we linger — 'tis Pleasure who knocks, 
 So e'en let ns join in the chase of the Fox. 
 
 Humanity, pshaw ! ask the poor cock, asi't then 
 You'll find was the rascal humane to his hen. 
 He has thrown on his back her poor carcase to box ; 
 No, no, it won't do ; and we'll hunt master^yj'. 
 
 He's a sneak, for he only appears in the night. 
 To take off our geese and our poultry outright ; 
 No, no, for their sake, you're the cause of llie shocks; 
 Come, let us away to your death, master fox. 
 
 Wild Pigeons. 
 
 The accounts of the enormous flocks in 
 which the passenger, or wild pigeons, fly 
 about in North America, seem to a European 
 like the tales of Baron Munchausen ; but the 
 travellers are " all in a story." In Upper 
 Canada, says Mr. Howison, in his entertain- 
 ing " Sketches," you may kill twenty or thirty 
 at one shot, of the masses which darken the 
 air. And in the United States, according to 
 Wilson, the ornithologist, they sometimes 
 desolate and lay waste a tract of country forty 
 or fifty miles long, and five or six broad, by 
 making it their breeding place. While in the 
 state of Ohio, Mr. Wilson saw a flock of these 
 birds which extended, he judged, more than 
 a mile in breadth, and continued to pass over 
 his head, at tlie rate of one mile in a minute, 
 during four hours — thus making its who'o 
 
PIKRCK EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 '230 
 
 .engtii about 240 miles. According to his 
 nioderato estimate, this Hock contained two 
 thousand two hundred and tliirty millions, 
 two hundred and seventy-two pigeons. In 
 Persia, pigeons are kept wholly for the pur- 
 pose of obtaining their dung, to rear and im- 
 prove fruits ; and immense lligiits of these 
 birds are frequently to be met with. 
 
 The Laws of the Turf. 
 
 The following trial between Mr. Jones and 
 Mr. Breary is well worthy the attention of 
 sportsmen iu general, which took place at. 
 the Derby Assizes ; it was an action against 
 the defendant, the clerk of the Derby race- 
 course, in his character of stake-holder, for 
 money had and received to plaintiff's use. 
 The facts were these : — At the last Derby 
 races, which took place in the montli of 
 August, Mr. (now Lord) Cavendish, and Mr. 
 Thornhill, acted as stewards. When " The 
 Dunnington Park and Fatbuck Stakes" was 
 run for, Mr. Thornhill told the jockeys, eight 
 or ten in number, as they were about to start, 
 that they must be ready within ten minutes 
 after they were weighed to start for the 
 second heat. The first heat was won by a 
 three-year old horse of Mr. Beardsworth's, 
 named " Champion." Few, if any, of the 
 horses were ready at the appointed time for 
 starting for the second heat. At nineteen 
 minutes after the first heat JMr. Thornhill gave 
 the word "Off," there being then only five 
 horses at the starting post. Of these the 
 plaintiff's horse ''Tommy Tickle," which 
 was aged, came in first. Although the 
 stewards are masters of the race, it is usual 
 for the clerk of the course to start the horses, 
 and it is also customary to allow an interval 
 of half an hour between the heats, particularly 
 for young horses, which take a longer time to 
 recover their wind than aged ones. This 
 heat, therefore, having been objected to as 
 not being fair, the defendant refused to weigh 
 the rider of Tommy Tickle, and ultimately the 
 stewards decided that it was no race, and must, 
 therefore, be run again. The horses accord- 
 ingly started a third time, when Champion 
 came in first, and a mare named Gazelle 
 came second. Tommy Tickle coming in third. 
 Under these circumstances, it was contended 
 that Tommy Tickle won the race, because the 
 second start, it was contended, was fair ; and 
 neither Gazelle or Champion having run that 
 heat, they must be taken to be distanced, and 
 therefore disqualified from running the third 
 heat, thus leaving Tommy Tickle the winner 
 of the third as well as of the second heat. 
 It was, however, admitted by plaintiff's wit- 
 nesses that the usual and reasonable interval 
 allowed betvveen heats at all races throughout 
 the kingdom was half an hour, and also that 
 it was customary for the clerk of the course, 
 an d not the steward, to start the horses ; 
 be siiJea which, it was stated that the stewards 
 
 were the proper persons to judge of the fair- 
 ness of a start, and in this case they had 
 decided that the start was not fair, and that 
 therefore the second heat should be run over 
 again. Upon these facts, ,\ir. Baron Bay ley 
 was clearly of opinion that the plaintiff must 
 be nonsuited. If the stewards deviated from 
 the usual course, they were bound to give 
 notice of such deviation to the owners of the 
 horses ; and they were, moreover, bound to 
 allow a reasonable time for young horses as 
 well as old to recover their wind. On the 
 present occasion they had not done so, and 
 they had subsequently decided that they were 
 wrong, and that the heat must therefore be 
 run over again. In any point of view, there 
 was no pretence for saying that the plaintiff 
 was entitled to the stakes. His lordship 
 would therefore beg leave to suggest that the 
 next person called should be Mr. Michael 
 Jones [a laugh.] Mr. Jones was accordingly 
 nonsuited. 
 
 Strange Sagacity of a Rat. 
 
 Nothing more clearly points out that "Ne- 
 cessity is the mother of invention." During 
 a dreadful storm which occurred in the 
 vicinity of Haddington, about the time the 
 river Tyne was at its height, a number of 
 people were assembled on its margin, gazing 
 on quantities of hay, and the huge masses it 
 was sweeping along in its irresistible course. 
 A swan, at last, " hove in sight/' struggling 
 sometimes for the land, and at others sailing 
 majestically along with the torrent. \Vhen it 
 drew near, it was observed that there was a 
 black spot on its snowy plumage, and the 
 spectators were mightily surprised when they 
 discovered that this black spot was a large 
 live rat. It is probable that it had been 
 flooded from its domicile iu some hay-rick, 
 and observing the swan, had made for it as 
 an ark of safety, in the hope, no doubt, of 
 prolonging its life. When the swan reached 
 the land, the rat leaped from his back and 
 scampered away, but it was pursued by about 
 forty of "the lords of the creation," and the 
 life that the tempest spared was instantly 
 sacrificed — a merciless fellow laid it dead 
 with the blow of a staff. 
 
 The Pet Goat. 
 
 In consequence of a most inveterate drunk- 
 ard being reclaimed by a Goat, the following 
 anecdote will be found extremely interest- 
 ing :— 
 
 ''There was a blacksmith, a very clever 
 fellow, who had an excellent business, and 
 could make by it just what he pleased ; but, 
 like many others, he could not keep himself 
 well when he was well, but straightway he 
 fell to drinking. Until then, he had been a 
 kind father and an affectionate husband, and 
 liked to see his wife and children well fed and 
 
'210 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 well clotlietl ; but liow can a man, win) has 
 with hia own hands destroyed his reason, and 
 oent a fire ragif.^ through his veins, answer 
 for what he will do, or will tint do? While 
 he was drinking or drunk, the work was at a 
 stand ; the smithy-door, locked or open, as 
 chance directed ; his tools and materials, 
 articles left for repair, every thing itcontained 
 at the mercy of whoever chose to go in to 
 steal or destroy. He burned one horse's foot, 
 ran a nail through another, paired a third to 
 the quick, and, in short, lamed and tortured 
 many a worthy animal far more respectable 
 than liimself. Such things soon met their 
 reward. His customers, some in wrath, some 
 with regret, all left him, and got their work 
 done elsewhere. Of course, poverty followed, 
 and that did not either improve his temper, or 
 make him the less outrageous for drink. 
 When he went home, hungry and greeting 
 bairns met him there, and also a sad and 
 often an angry wife, who had no food to give 
 either to him or them. Knowing and feeling 
 in every fibre of his heart, and conscious that 
 he had been acting like a monster, of neces- 
 sity he was furious at her, and often concluded 
 his visit to his own house by beating with his 
 great forehammer fists the good and respect- 
 able woman so beloved in the days of his 
 well-doing. 
 
 " It happened that he had a tame goat 
 which was very fond of him, and, drunk or 
 sober, it trotted at his heels wherever he went. 
 If he sat in a public-house, so did it. If he 
 lay all night on the street or on a stair-head, 
 as the poor lost wretch often did, there too 
 was faithful Nanny creeping close to him, 
 and many thought that it was the heat of the 
 poor dumb animal that kept the life in John 
 when incapable of either knowing or feeling 
 that he was about to perish. Well, it so hap- 
 pened one morning that John could get no- 
 body to take a gill with him ; he asked one 
 and another, but they all refused ; and it must 
 be confessed that, by that time, his appear- 
 ance was not a particular recommendation to 
 the practice he pursued. He cursed them 
 with all his might ; and, in a pet, said to his 
 goat — ' Come, Nanny, come awa, since nane 
 else will drink wi' me, ne'er a bit do I care, 
 my wee failhfu' Nan, thou shalt do't.' And 
 going into the public-house he got his gill, 
 and offered some to the goat, which, to be 
 sure, the goat would not take. ' What the 
 devil. Nan,' said he, 'aye ! and thou^st gaun 
 to do like the lave o' them, and a' sorrow to 
 thee I Na, na, mistress, come here wi' you, 
 gic's nane o' thae airs ;' and seizing the poor 
 beast, he poured the whiskey over its throat. 
 This cruel trick was followed by snorting, 
 stamping, butting, and every other expressioc 
 of its anger ; but in a short time it began to 
 reel, and stagger, and fall, and John roared 
 with rapture at the glorious exploit of making 
 ihe goat drunk, and looked to it as a bound- 
 less source of future diversion. Next morn- 
 
 ing, acrording to custom, he repaired to the 
 same w hiskey house, and the goat at his heels, 
 but it stopt at the outside of the door, and 
 farther it would not budge ; no, not for all 
 that John could do. * What's this for. Nan ? 
 what the sorrow ails tu, that thou'll no come 
 in ?' said he. ' D'ye na see ! it's because ye 
 filled her fou yesterday,' quoth the fat land- 
 lady. John was smitten to tiie heart, and let 
 go the goat. After standing a moment, in. 
 silently turned from the door with his con- 
 science roused from its torpor, and armed 
 against him with a thousand daggers. ' Am 
 I reproved,' said he to himself, — 'me, made 
 after the image of the living God, am I re- 
 proved in my evil ways by a puir dumb beast ! 
 a creature to which he has denied that reason 
 which I have so brutally abused. Reason 
 granted me for a light to guide mysel' in ful- 
 filling my ain duty, — my duty to my poor, ill- 
 requited, faithful wife, — and my unhappy 
 bairns, to whom I hae set sic an awfu' ex- 
 ample, — my duty to God, the great God I have 
 offended. 
 
 " He went home to his bed, silent and con- 
 scious stricken ; there he lay for two days 
 without food or drink ; in agonies of deep and 
 fervent prayer to God and his Redeemer, con- 
 fessing his sins, ftnd imploring grace and 
 mercy to help him to forsake them ; and iiis 
 prayers were heard. Next morning he rose 
 and went to his work. He trembled at the 
 sight of a whiskey-house, and watched and 
 prayed that he might be preserved from the 
 temptation. He was found steadily at his 
 work ; no longer a reeling, red-nosed, ragged 
 blackguard, blustering and swearing, worse 
 than any heathen, but ' clothed and in his 
 right mind.' In a short time his business re- 
 turned, his health became good, his spirit* 
 good, he had peace in his heart, and peace in 
 his home, and penury, and poverty, and weep- 
 ing, and gloom had disappeared. His child- 
 ren were no longer afraid of him, and he felt 
 the same affection for them and their moth( r 
 as ever he did." 
 
 THE SAILOR BOY. 
 
 Air — "The Minstrel Boy to the war is gdiie." 
 
 The Sailor Boy on a tour is gone — 
 
 In an Oxford crib you'll tiiul him ; 
 His boxing gloves on his fives arc drawn, 
 
 And care is c;ist behind him. 
 ■' Alic Reid," said the bouncing rove, 
 
 " Are you the man to fight me ? 
 A turn-up let us have for love. 
 
 And to y/oor you will delight me. ' 
 
 Bui the Sailor Hero soon found out 
 
 That for once he had made a blunder.. 
 For the Snob contriv'd to tap his snout, 
 
 And poor Harry .lones knock'd under. 
 ■' .ih !" he cxclaim'd, to repine is vain, 
 
 Why to fight did 1 feel so eager ! 
 I'll. never set-to with the Snob again. 
 
 When my head is confus'd with .S'eajcr."* 
 
 * Seager — a noted distiller for his flue flavourel O/ti 
 Turn, considered the best in the Metropolis: whether 
 losseJ oft' s/iiirt. or mixing for fro?. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 241 
 
 ARCHERY 
 
 'Twas one day at a fete giv'n at Jove's .fans iouci ; 
 The gods drinXing nectar, the goddesses tea, 
 While many a «him did their pleasures beguile. 
 They at last talk'd of Britain, their favorite isle; 
 Ot its loyalty, whence all its blessings increase ; 
 Of its plory in war, of its spUndour in peace ; 
 Cry'd Jove, we'll revive one accomplishment more, 
 Thro* which JBrittins sons gather'd laurels of yore-- 
 When fame led her Archi:iis wherever they wt-xit, 
 Proudly perch'd on the plume of the Bowmen of Kent. 
 
 Cry'd Venus, her words sweetly kissing the air. 
 Gift you your bold bowmen, whilst I gift the fair : 
 And lirst of my cestus each fair shall be queen, 
 W ho S)iorts a gay sash of toxopholite green ; 
 Next my son from his quiver an arrow shall draw, 
 Smii as wounded my heart when Adonis I saw ; — 
 His bow shall be lent, and a lesson impart, 
 Expertly to shoot at their target, the heart ; 
 Then the trophy of love, that by Venus was sent. 
 Shall reward the brave faith of the Bowmen of Kent. 
 
 Come, name your endowments, cry'd Mars, for my 
 
 meed — 
 1 courage would give, if of courage they'd need ; 
 And I, cry'd out Vulcan, will gladly bestow. 
 Of well temper'd steel an olri timsh English iio.'i: 
 The bold Aruhf.rs all ofFer'd some gift to adorn ; 
 Cynthia gave, as her meed, a mpfrh bvgle horn : 
 Mercury, skill and address ; Momus, mirth ; Bacchus 
 
 wine ; 
 The care of their dress, cry'd gay Iris, be mine : 
 Thus no trophy that f incy or taste could invent, 
 IVas neglected to grace the bold Bowmen of Kent. 
 
 TluiS'5)estow'd each celestial some tribute of worth, 
 
 And Mercury descended triumphant to earth ; 
 
 New Henrys and Edwards, that swarm'd on the 
 
 plain, 
 New Cressys and Agincourts conqner'd again: 
 And many a fan-, darting love from her eyes, 
 As captain of numbers, soon bore off the prize. 
 Favor'd thus by the gods, by your king, by the fair. 
 May ye Britons have peace— yet should trumpet 
 
 speak war. 
 Of a nation united, beware— the bow's bent, 
 Then make from the shaft of the Bowmen of Kent 
 
 R 
 
242 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS, 
 
 Therf, never was a niislaken notion more 
 prevalent, than that the bow is too simple to 
 require any study, says Mr. A\aring; but, 
 simple as it may appear, it will be found that 
 without a theoretical knowledge, the practi- 
 cal part can never be obtained, and so many 
 inconveniences arise to a person attempting 
 one without having acquired the other, tliat 
 he soon grows disgusted, because not able to 
 overcome a few difficulties : it is these diffi- 
 culties that the author wishes to remove by 
 pointing out to the learner a proper method 
 to pursue ; for many thinking it too insignifi- 
 cant, as not worthy a moment's study, adopt 
 what their own ideas suggest, and by that fall 
 inlo such bad habits as to break bow after 
 bow, till at last they get disheartened from 
 pursuing the amusement any further, and lay 
 it aside altogether as appearing to them 
 trifling and childish, and in the end expen- 
 sive. How any one could ever think the 
 amusement of the long bow as childish, can 
 only be from the recollection that it was once 
 his juvenile recreation, and supposing no 
 greater feats can be performed by a manly 
 weapon, than was done by a boyish play- 
 tliing: but supposing his contempt of the 
 bow is founded upon that idea alone, it can- 
 not justify him for the slur he throws upon 
 all the lovers of archery, and those not a 
 few ; for travel into any part of the globe and 
 he will discover that it is, or has been, the 
 amusement of the Nobles and Sovereigns 
 of every nation, and is the general amuse- 
 ment of many eastern countries to this 
 day. But the bow need not travel out of this 
 kingdom to obtain honors, for it has received 
 sufficient to stamp its fame both as an instru- 
 ment of war and amusement in its native soil ; 
 but at present it must be confessed, that the 
 inhabitants of Turkey, Persia, and of various 
 other countries, far excel the best of English 
 archers, and the reason is obvious, " want 
 of practice," and a few examples of feats and 
 achievements ; a novice witnessing the per- 
 formance of an unskilful archer, wonders how 
 a man can amuse himself with what he re- 
 members was only looked upon at school as a 
 toy ; but when he beholds the shooting of an 
 expert archer, and is shown the strength and 
 powers of the bow, his wonder changes to the 
 opposite side, and he admires with delight 
 what he before treated with contempt. 
 
 As the use of arms is universally allowed to 
 be an honorable profession, why should not 
 the pursuit of an amusement founded upon 
 that warlike weapon, preceded by thepi-esent, 
 be deemed likewise honorable ? and when it 
 is recollected, that the deeds achieved by our 
 forefathers, which secured to England its 
 present constitution, were with the bow ; it 
 cannot be denied, but that it is the noblest 
 amusement, and in its admirers seeming to 
 draw forth a tribute of gratitude for past ser- 
 vices too worthy to be buried in oblivion. Be 
 this as it will, it was in former times thought 
 of such importance as to become the object of 
 
 the legislature's care, many acts of parliament 
 having at various periods passed in s\ipport 
 of it, long after it was laid aside as a weapon 
 of war, and which even went so far as to com- 
 pel every man, except the clergy and the 
 judges, to practice shooting, and to have con- 
 tinually in his possession a bow and at least 
 three arrows ; the City of London was 
 obliged by other acts to erect butts and to 
 keep them in repair ; and when, after a lapse 
 of a few years, archery began to decline, and 
 shooting to be discontinued, the bow- makers 
 petitioned Queen ]'31izabcth for atithority to 
 put the acts of Henry VIII. in force, by 
 which they obliged every man who had not a 
 bow and three arrows in his possession to pro- 
 vide himself accordingly ; if the bow-makers 
 of the present age could again enforce the act, 
 they might raise a sum that would go nigh to 
 pay the debt of the nation. 
 
 Archery began to decline after the death of 
 Charles II., and was confined in practice to 
 a few counties only, till about forty years ago, 
 when it was revived with increased splendour* 
 
 • On Wednesday, May 20, 1703, the general meet- 
 ing of Archers of Great Britain, took place on Black- 
 heath, for a trial of skill for the silver bugle. 
 
 General Ordei'i for the Meeting on lilackheuth, 
 this day. 
 
 " At eleven o'c.ock, the leaders of the targets to ar- 
 range the archers to shoot at their respective targets, 
 and to set down their names ; and that every gentle- 
 man, previous to his name heing inserted in a target 
 card, produce his ticket to the leader of such target, 
 ■with his name thereon. 
 
 " No greater number than ten to shoot at any one 
 pair of targets. 
 
 " Two arrows to be shot at each end. 
 
 "Two target-papers to be kept a* each target. 
 
 " At twelve, tlie shooters to form a line in the front 
 of the tents, in the order of shooting ; the signal for 
 forming the line to he a march of the music playing 
 the whole length of the line : the line being formed, 
 the signal to face to the right and march, to be three 
 beats of the great drum. 
 
 " The different societies will then march to their re- 
 spective targets, and begin shooting when the music 
 ceases. 
 
 " The leader of each target to advance ten paces 
 when his party have done shr.oting, and begin to 
 inarch to the opposite target, on hearing the music, 
 which will play until the shooting recommences. 
 
 " At three, refreshments to be taKen into the tents. 
 
 " The signal to go to the tents will be by the n;usic 
 halting in tlie ceutre of the ground until the arrows 
 are collected, «hen each society will fall into its own 
 station ; the line will then be formed, and to march 
 back to the tents, the same signal being used as for 
 the march to the targets. 
 
 " At half-past three, the same signal as before u.'sed 
 will be repeated for forming the line, and recom- 
 mencing the shooting. 
 
 " At six, the shooting will cease by the same signal 
 as before used for going to refresh ; the whole line to 
 halt in front of the tents, while the steward.s collect 
 the target papers ; the whole party are then to be 
 dismissed, and proceed to dinner." 
 
 In the morning, six beautiful marquees were raised 
 with banners Hying, and at 100 yards apart the targets 
 were erected in the following order : 
 
 Royal Surrey Bowmen . . 4 targets 
 .Saint George's Bowmen . . 2 ditto 
 Royal Kentish Bowmen . . 4 ditto 
 Toxopholites .... 2 ditto 
 Woodmen of Arden . . 2 ditto 
 
 Robin Hood's Bowmen . . 2 ditto 
 Woodmen of Hornsey . . 2 ditto 
 
 Bowmen of Chevy Chase . . 2 ditto 
 SuflTolt Bowmen ... 4 ditto 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 24;j 
 
 throughout evcrj' part of England, as will ap- 
 pear by the iiiiiuber of societies that were in- 
 stituted, many of wliich exist, and continue 
 their yearly and monthly meetings to this day. 
 
 About twelve o'clock, according to general orders, 
 the bowmen entered the field with tlieir baud of mar- 
 tial music, and having paraded the enclosure, a signal 
 was given for the archers to assemble at tlieir respec- 
 tive targets, and the shootin-j; instantly commenced, 
 which the shooters followed up with prodigious dexte- 
 rity, till three o'clock, amidst a vast concourse of gen- 
 teel company ; and then with their band playing, 
 marched to their tents for refreshment. About half- 
 past four, they returned in order, and at half-past five 
 the shooting was given up by consent. The company, 
 who were become too numerous, having broke the 
 line of order, and so deranged the shooters, that the 
 Royal Surrey Bowmen could, towards the conclusion, 
 seldom see their own targets. 
 
 The Right Honorable the Earl of Aylesford, with 
 the stewards, having collected the target papers, a 
 temporary suspension took place, on account of the 
 difficulty to decide between the shot of Dr. Leith, and 
 the shot of Mr. Jarvis. After a nice investigation, 
 the prize was declared (by his Grace the Duke of 
 Leeds, president for the day) in favour of Dr. Leith, 
 of Greenwich, for having split the central mark of the 
 goal at the distance of 100 yards, with the greatest 
 exactness. 
 
 The following is an exact list of the successful com- 
 petitors : — 
 
 Mr. Anderson, Robin Hood Bowman, captain of 
 numbers. 
 
 Dr. Leith, Royal Kentish Bowman, captain of 
 target. 
 
 Mr. Jarvis, Woodman of Hornsey, lieutenant of 
 target. 
 
 After this distribution of prizes, the members re- 
 turned to town, and at eight o'clock sat down to a 
 splendid dinner at Willis's Rooms. The beauties in 
 the circle of carriages which surrounded the enclosure 
 upon the Heath, out-numbered and outshone those of 
 any assembly we ever saw. 
 
 Description of tite Banners. — Robin Hood's Bow- 
 men, had on a wreath, three arrows sm-mounted with 
 an oak wreath. 
 
 Woodmen of .\rdcn. — On a yellow field, a silver ar- 
 row in flight, with the letters A R above the arrow, 
 and DEN below, surrounded with abroad leaf of oak 
 leaves. 
 
 r.u fi;;holites. — Sable, between a chevron, charged 
 with bugle horns, three silver arrows. 
 
 iioyal Bowmen of Kent. — Or, in a canton the arms 
 of Kent, the field charged with three piles of arrows. 
 Crest, an arm rising from a wood Invicta. Motto, 
 lieges tetieamits (/vitas : an ancient bowman on the 
 dexter side, a ir.odern ditto on the sinister. 
 
 Saint George's. — Or, three arrows in pile. Crest, a 
 stricken deer. 
 
 Hornsey. — Vert.between a chevron, two golden bows 
 in chief, a bugle horn in bare. Crest, three arrows in 
 a thicket, entwined with a serpent. 
 
 The following song, appeared at the time, written 
 by the Poet Latueate, T. N., to the Royal Kentish 
 Bowmen. 
 
 THE BOWMAN'S PRIZE 
 fFon iy Dr. Leith, on Blackheath. 
 Survey the gay heath, what bright beauties appear. 
 
 And hark to the musical horn : 
 The Archers are coming, behold, they appear 
 
 As brilliant as Phoebus at mom, 
 Near Surrey, advances the bows of St. George, 
 
 Old Hornsey her woodmen has sent. 
 And next Chevy Chase boys, see Aylesford's kind 
 Lord, 
 Lead up the bold Bowmen of Kent. 
 
 The Toxcphohte's come with the Robin Hood's bows 
 
 Next Suffolk, there's Arden so neat, 
 With gay Royal Artillery, Archers they close. 
 
 And make the procession complete : 
 
 As an amusement, archery has these ad- 
 vantages over all others as a field diversion, 
 wiiicii is not only approved of by our al)lcst 
 physicians, but strongly recommended by them 
 as being the most healthy exercise a man can 
 pursue, strengthening and bracing the bodily 
 frame without that laborious exertion common 
 to many games, every nerve and sinew being 
 regularly brought into play without the danger 
 of being exposed to those alternate heats and 
 colds incident to many diversions, as in cricket, 
 tennis, &c. 
 
 On Sir 'William Wood's tomb-stone were 
 these two lines : — 
 
 Long did he live the honor of the bow. 
 And his long life to that alone did owe. 
 
 Archery is an amusement which steals (if 
 it may be so expressed), upon a man's affec- 
 tions, and often makes him perform more than 
 he thinks in his power : for many an archer 
 ■who would not undertake to walk five miles 
 
 Who Captain of targets, and numbers shall be. 
 
 Full quickly their bows shall be bent ; 
 Here's Jarvis for Hornsey, none better to see. 
 
 And Leith for the Bowmen of Kent. 
 Hark I the signal is given, to targets they run. 
 
 E'en swift as the arrow that files ; 
 Their bows are all bent, and the pastime begun, 
 
 A bugle of gold is the prize. 
 The Woodman* of Arden, how graceful he draws. 
 
 For the goal his arrow was vent. 
 Hark I hark ! from above, what a burst of applause, 
 
 'Tis hit by a Bowman of Kent. 
 
 How eager around for the honors they strair. 
 
 Ah I prythee, dull Poet forbear. 
 For the brightest of honors they strive to obtain 
 
 The smiles of applause from the fair. 
 See Anderson + triumph like Robin of old. 
 
 His arrows with judgment are sent ; 
 And Jarvis like Midas,t turns all into gold. 
 
 While Leith fills the targets for Kent. 
 
 The pleasitres of harmony || sweeten the toil. 
 
 While Phoebus the archer above. 
 At the twang of the bow looks down with a smile 
 
 And that cunning Toxopholite Love : 
 Now Sol quits the gay scene for his Thetis's bed, 
 
 When Leith § his unerring bow bent ; 
 The shaft seem'd exulting to cry as it fled, 
 
 I win for the Bowmen of Kent. 
 
 The day's sport is over, the targets are told 
 
 When Anderson mounts o'er the rest : 
 While Jarvis of Hornsey for merit enroU'd, 
 
 And Green ^ win the gems** for the breast : 
 The signal is given — to dinner each flies, 
 
 Where Willis H gives hunger JJ content ; 
 Where the good Duke of Leeds presented the prize 
 
 To Leith, the bold Bownan of Kent. 
 
 • Earl Morton led the Woodmen of Araen, and shot 
 vsrith great skill. 
 
 t Anderst.n, Robin Hood's Bowman, declared Cap- 
 tain of Numbers. 
 
 X Alluding to his frequently piercing the golden 
 goal. 
 
 Il The band of music. 
 
 \ Dr. Leith of Greenwich, Captain of Target. 
 
 IT Mr. Green, St. George's Bowman, Lieutenant of 
 N umbers. 
 
 ** I'he MeJals. 
 
 H Master of the looms. 
 
 tt His Grace the Duke of Leeds, President for the- 
 day. 
 
211 
 
 PIRUCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 in a jomney has walked six at the targets; 
 for ill shooting forty-eight times up to one 
 target, and forty-eigiit times hack again to the 
 other (tiie number of rounds the Toxopholite 
 Society shoot on grand days), hesides walking 
 to tile arrows shot beyond the targets, which 
 upon a reasonable calculation may be reckoned 
 five yards each time, and that five back again, 
 makes ninety-six times one hundred and ten 
 yards, which is exactly six miles. Another 
 ad\antage attending the amusement of archery 
 is that it is equally open to the fair sex, and 
 has for these last thirty years been the favorite 
 recreation of a great part of the female nobility, 
 the only field diversion they can enjoy without 
 incurring the censure of being thought mas- 
 culine. It will be needless to enumerate the 
 many advantages received in pursuing this 
 amusement ; those who have tried, do not 
 require any further encomium in support of it, 
 than what their own experience has already 
 convinced them of. 
 
 Madame Bola, formerly a famous Opera 
 dancer, upon being taught the use of the bow, 
 declared that of all attitudes she ever studied 
 (and surely some little deference of opinion 
 ought to he paid to one whose whole life was 
 spent in studying attitudes), she thought the 
 position of shooting with the long bow was the 
 most noble ; certain it is that the figure of a 
 man cannot be displayed to greater advantage, 
 as when drawing the bow at an elevation ; 
 every archer ought to study well this part of 
 archery. 
 
 It will be observed that every bow has 
 generally a number immediately over the 
 handle, which is the number of pounds it 
 takes, to draw tlie bow down to the length of 
 an arrow. 
 
 The way this is ascertained is thus, — the 
 bow being strung is placed horizontally on a 
 ledge ; a scale is hooked on the string, in 
 which weights are put, and that quantity 
 which bears the string down till it is the 
 length of an arrow from the bow, is its weight. 
 Thus a man, according lo the bow he can 
 pull, may judge of his own strength — fifty- 
 four pounds is the standard weight of a bow ; 
 and he who can draw one of sixty with ease, 
 as his regular shooting -bow, may reckon him- 
 self a strong man ; though a great many 
 archers can draw one of seventy and eighty 
 pounds, and some ninety, but they are very 
 few. 
 
 Ladies' bows are from twenty-four pounds 
 to thirty-four. 
 
 The Cross Bow. — This can hardly be said 
 to come under the head of arcliery ; but those 
 who used them in former times in" battle, were 
 always stiled Archers, or Cross-Bow Men, 
 and indeed they might be called so with more 
 propriety than those who use them now, for 
 those archers discharged arrows from their 
 bows, the present ones shoot only bullets. 
 W'lvtever might have been its powers as a 
 weapon of war, it is now, like the long-bow, 
 reduced to an instrument of amusement ; and 
 
 that amusement is chiedy confined, and for 
 which it is well adapted, to shooting rooks, 
 hares, rabbits, and game in general. 
 
 The modern cross bow, for that purpose, 
 possesses one >;reat advantage over the fowl- 
 ing piece, whii h is, that in the discharge it 
 is free from any loud noise ; for a per? on 
 when shooting -.vitli a fowling piece in a 
 rookery, or warren, is sure to alarm the whole 
 fraternity by the report of the first fire, which 
 makes it a considerable time before he can 
 get a second, but a cross bow has only a slight 
 twang in the loose. 
 
 It likewise possesses an advantage equal 
 with the rifle, the arm being guided by the 
 position of a small moveable head, and which 
 can be placed to such an exactness as to bring 
 down at ninety, or one hundred and twenty 
 feet, to a certainty, the object aimed at. 
 
 Archery was kept up with great spirit in 
 the year 1793. The birth-day of his Royal 
 Highness the Prince of Whales, the Saint 
 George's Bowmen, August 12, met together 
 and shot for the prize ; a handsome gold bugle 
 horn was won by William Forster, Esq. 
 
 The late Duke of York's birth-day was 
 also kept by the Old Sarum archers, who 
 sliot their annual target, a gold and silver 
 medal. The contest for the first prize lasted 
 for upwards of two hours and a half, bf tween 
 Mr. Goldwyer, and Mr. Ogden, and was at 
 last won bj Mr. Goldwyer ; the silver medal 
 by Mr. Wyche. 
 
 The Toxopholite society, on September 4, 
 shot for the silver bugle horn, given by his 
 Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and 
 won by Hastings Klwin, Esq. 
 
 The society of the royal bowmen, shot for 
 the annual prize given by his Royal High- 
 ness the Prince of Wales, at their Lodge on 
 Dartford Heath, when, after a contest of four 
 hours, it was won by the Rev. Robert Wright. 
 The day being exceedingly fine was honored 
 with the company of most of the ladies of 
 beauty and fashion. The Duke of York's 
 band attended upon the occasion — several of 
 the first musical professors attended — also 
 many excellent glees were sung, and amongst 
 a variety of songs the following one was re- 
 ceived with great applause: — 
 
 Bright Phoebus, though patron of poets beloT, 
 
 Assist me of Akuheks to sing : 
 for you we esteem as the god of the bow. 
 
 As well as the yod of the string, 
 
 Alv t/LU lU'CK. 
 
 The fashion of shootin5 'twas you who began, 
 \\ l>cn you shot forth your beams trom the skies, 
 
 The sly urchin Cupiil first followed tlie plan, 
 And the goddesses sliot with their eyes, 
 
 The bright Girls I 
 
 Diana, wlio slaughter'd the brutes with her darts. 
 
 Shot only one lover or so ; 
 For Vemis e.xrell'd her in shoothig at hearts, 
 
 And had always more stitJigs to her hox, 
 
 A Si.v JaIiR ( 
 
PIERCE EOAN'S hOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 246 
 
 On beautiful Lit, Aroi,!.<) bt>tow'd 
 
 A biiw of most wonderful hui; ; 
 U soon grew her /lo/ity horse, antl, as slie rode 
 
 Oil it.,, like an arroui she Hew, 
 
 GiiJUY Dame I 
 
 To earth came the art of the Archehs at last. 
 
 4iid was follow'd with eager pursuit ; 
 But tlie sons of Apollo all others surpass ; 
 
 With svch icri) long iotos do tUey shoot, 
 
 Lyivg Docs I 
 
 Vi Y«sES, the hero of Greece, loni; ago 
 
 In courage and strength did excel; 
 So he left in his house an inflexible bow, 
 
 And a far more inflexible btlle. 
 
 Lucky RogueI 
 
 The Parthians were bowmen of old, and their pride 
 
 Lay in shooting and scampering too ; 
 But B|■iton^^ thought better the sport to divide. 
 
 So they shot, and tlieir enemies flew. 
 
 The Bkave Boys ! 
 
 llien a health to the brave British bowmen be 
 crown'd ; 
 May their courage ne'er sit in the dark ; 
 May their strings be all good, and their bows be all 
 sound. 
 And their arrows fly true to the mark ! 
 
 Bkitish Boys! 
 
 The Royal Surrey Bowmen, also, in the 
 above year, held their last meeting for the 
 season on Epsom Downs, when they shot 
 their Autumn target. The elegant bugle horn, 
 given to the society by the Right Hon. Lady 
 King, then patroness, was adjudged to Tho- 
 mas Woodman, Esq. for the most central shot ; 
 as was liiiewise the medal for Captain of the 
 target. 
 
 In 1824, his late Majesty's purse of twenty 
 guineas, given to the Royal Company of 
 Archers, was shot for in July, in Hope Park, 
 Edinburgh, and won by G. H. Watson, Esq., 
 Accountant of Excise. 
 
 In the above year, with the exception of 
 the fete given by the Right Hon. the Earl of 
 Bradford, in Nesscliff, last year, the largest 
 meeting of the Shropshire bowmen took place 
 on Friday the 6th of July, 1824, at Brado, the 
 hospitable mansion of the Hon. Thomas 
 Kenyon. Soon after eleven the shooting 
 commenced, the ladies at two butts contested 
 for the King's prize, which was won by Miss 
 Maria Neuxome ; and the gentlemen, at two 
 butts also, for the King's prize, which was 
 won by Capt. Greville. Both tliese prizes 
 were very handsome ones of the kind — that 
 for the ladies consisting of necklace, ear- 
 rings, armlets, and brooch ; and that for the 
 gentlemen a gold chain. 
 
 In 182.5, at the Derbyshire Bow Meeting 
 at Keddleston, Miss Bent won t!ie gold medal ; 
 and Miss F. Strutt the silver ditto. Also, 
 the Rev. C. R. Hope, won the gold medal ; 
 and Mr. W. H. Holden, tlie silver one. 
 
 In July 1826, the prize given by his late 
 Majesty was shot for in Hope Park, Edin- 
 burgh, by tlie Royal Company of Archers, 
 the King's body guard, and won by J. (I, 
 Wilson, Esq., W. S. 
 
 A very delightful exhibition of archery also 
 took place in the above year, in afield at West 
 Mackton, in the neighbourhood of Taunton, 
 
 under the auspices of the Rev. M;. Maddison, 
 rector of tiiat village. Tlie ladies, in general, 
 evinced great adroitness in t!ie management of 
 their bows. 
 
 In August 1826, the Tottenham archers at 
 the society's ground, Tottenham, on which 
 occasion a splendid silver medal, manufactured 
 by Messrs. Hamlet, bearing the arms of the 
 society, richly chased on the face, and a suit- 
 able inscription on the reverse, was shot for 
 by the members ; and after a close and well 
 contested struggle was won by Mr. J. Four- 
 diinier, of Tottenham, by a majority of a single 
 arrow only. The ground was most numerously 
 attended by all the beauty and fashion of 
 Tottenham and places adjacent. 
 
 On Au;j,ust 31, in the above year, the last 
 meeting of the West Somerset Archery So- 
 ciety, for the season, was held at Ralt's Place, 
 the seat of R. G. Ayerst, Esq. The ladies' 
 target was placed at fifty yards, and the gen- 
 tlemen's at ninety- two ; the prize for the 
 ladies, consisting of a handsome gold brooch, 
 in the shape of an arrow, appropriately studded 
 with pearls and emeralds, to imitate the 
 feathers, was most skilfully contested, and 
 eventually won by Miss Shouldham, Miss 
 Barnett being the next in excellence. The 
 gentleman's prize, a handsomely ornamented 
 bow with a suitable inscription, with quiver 
 and arrows complete, was decided in favor o 
 R. Beadon, Esq., of Fitzhead Court, Mr. 
 Ayerst being the second best shot. The scene 
 was enlivened by the band of the AVest Su- 
 merset Militia playing during the day. 
 
 In September, 1827, the West Essex Arcliei'^ 
 assembled for their last public meeting for the 
 season on Harlow Bush Common, after some 
 of the best shooting we ever witnessed, (he 
 ladies' prizes were adjudged to Mrs. John- 
 stone, and Miss Welch. Robert Glyn, Esq.. 
 of Darringtoa House, and the Rev, Mr. John- 
 ston, of Farndon, bore off those allotted to 
 the gentlemen. 
 
 In the same month and year, an annual 
 meeting took, place at the seat of J. Cunie, 
 Esq., at lissenden, Herts, under the auspices 
 of Mr. Rickets. A booth on the lawn was 
 very tastefully decorated with all sorts of 
 flowers : Miss Byron gained the ladies' prize. 
 
 On Wednesday Sept. 12, 1827, the park of 
 Sir Henry PJunbury, at Barton, near Bury, 
 exhibited an elegant assemblage of ladies 
 and gentlemen of the neighbourhood. After 
 two trials, every lady and gentleman discharjf- 
 ing four arrows at the target at each inning, 
 the ladies' first prize (an archery brooch) value 
 nine sovereigns, v^'as won by iNIiss Lawton, uf 
 Elmswell, the second ditto by Mrs. H. Heigh- 
 ham, of Hunston. The gentleman's first prize 
 was won by Mr. Wm. (Jolvillo, of Lanstall, 
 who in the first innings laid three arro^vs ia 
 one in the centre, and two in the next circlo, 
 counting twenty-three. The second prize v/as 
 won by George Blake, Esq. 
 
 The sixth meeting of the Herefordshire 
 Bow Meeting look place on Wednesday, Sept. 
 
246 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 19,1827, in Stoke Fdilh Park, the seat of E. 
 J. Foley, Esq., M.P. The shooting through- 
 out the day was excellent, and at a longdis- 
 tance four arrows were placed in the golden 
 centre of the targets, two of them from the 
 bow of J. Arkwri^ht, Esq. of Hampton Court, 
 The prizes were awarded to Miss F. Salway, 
 Miss Money. ISIr. Arkwright, and Mr. Money. 
 
 At Newick Park, in the same year, a grand 
 display of archery took place at the residence 
 of H. Slater, Esq. Tlie shooting was very 
 fine, and the whole of the assemblage ex- 
 tremely elegant. 
 
 In the musical Opera of the Woodinan, 
 written by the late Reverend Bate Dudley, 
 and produced several years since at Covent 
 Garden Theatre, the scene in which the female 
 archers were introduced had a most pleasing 
 and attractive effect, and was highly applauded 
 by the audience. And within the last two or 
 three years a similar scene was introduced at 
 Ducrow's Amphitheatre, in a Sporting Bar- 
 letta, with great success. The fine figure of 
 Mrs. Pope, in the character and dress of a 
 Lady Patroness to a Society of Archers— and 
 in which her attitudes were much admired for 
 their elegance and spirit which she displayed 
 in shooting at the target. In the above Burletta 
 a characteristic dance was likewise performed 
 by the whole group of female archers, adapted 
 to the skill required, and movements of the 
 bow — this scene throughout was received with 
 the loudest tokens of approbation from the 
 spectators. 
 
 In 1829 a new Society of Archers was 
 formed, under the patronage of Sir Edward 
 Lee, of Somerset House, and who held their 
 meetings at the Wellington Cricket Ground, 
 Chelsea. The uniform of the above society 
 Avas much admired for its elegance and taste. 
 Mr. Robert Cruikshank, the celebrated artist, 
 was the honorary Secretary to the above insti- 
 tution : as a marksman he also distinguished 
 himself with the bow, as ho had obtained 
 merit by his pencil— and according to the old 
 adage in his trials of skill— he won the gold 
 medal, and on their days of meeting he always 
 spurted this honorary badge of distinction. 
 
 " Why is shooting with a bow and arrow 
 called archery ? — Because the bow, when 
 drawn, is in the shape of an arch. 
 
 Why is it inferred, that the bow was the 
 most ancient and most common of all weapons ? 
 — Because Ishmael, we are told, became a 
 wanderer in the desert, and an archer : so 
 were the heroes of Homer ; and the warriors 
 of every age and country have been ac- 
 quainted with the use of similar arms. 
 
 Strutt has copied from a Saxon manuscript, 
 representations of Esau, going to sell venison 
 for his father ; and Ishmael, after his expul- 
 sion from the house of Abraham, and residing 
 in the desert. 
 
 Why were the English formerly expert in ar- 
 chery? — Because, as far back as the thirteenth 
 century, every person not having a greater an- 
 nual revenue in land than one hundred pence, 
 
 was compelled to have in his possession, a 
 bov/ and arrow, &c. ; and all such as had no 
 possessions, but could afford to purchase 
 arms, were commanded to have a bow with 
 sharp arrows, if they dwelt without the royal 
 forests, and a bow with round-headed arrows, 
 if they resided within the forests, to prevent 
 the owners from killing the King's deer. 
 
 His skill in the use of the long bow was the 
 proud distinction of the English yeoman, and 
 it was his boast that none but an Englishman 
 cjuld bend that powerful weapon. Chaucer 
 describes his archer, us carrying ' a mighty 
 bow ;' aud the ' cloth-yard shaft,' which was 
 discharged from this engine, is often men- 
 tioned by our old poets and chroniclers. The 
 command of Richard III. at Bosworth, was 
 this: 
 
 " Draw, archers, draw your arrows to the head." 
 
 To the use of the bow as a warlike weapon, 
 we need here refer but briefly. The bow, 
 too, claims part of the glory of the conquest 
 of England, by William, Duke of Normandy. 
 The Norman army was fronted by ' footmen 
 clothed in light armour, worn over a gilted 
 cassock, and bearing either long-bows, or 
 steel cross-bows ;' and the celebrated onset of 
 Taillefer, gave note for the attack by showers 
 of arrows, returned by tremendous cuts of 
 steel axes. Harold, himself, too, had his eye 
 struck by an arrow ; notwithstanding which, 
 he continued to fight at the head of his army. 
 The bowmen were also the chief reliance of 
 the English leaders in our bloody battles, for 
 the succession to the Crown of France. At 
 Agincourt, Cressy, Poitiers, and Flodden, it 
 did terrific execution ; and many of its effects 
 are graphically described in the sparkling 
 pages of Froissart. 
 
 Why were the Englisn archers so superior 
 to those of other countries ? — Because it seems 
 there was a peculiar art in the English use of 
 the long-bow ; for our archers did not employ 
 all their muscular strength in drawing the 
 string with the right hand, but thrust the 
 whole weight of the body into the horns of 
 the bow with the left. 
 
 Why was archery first practised as a holi- 
 day pastime ? — Because of a command of 
 Edward III., that the leisure time upon holi- 
 days should be spent in recreations with bows 
 and arrows. Richard II., and Edward IV., 
 made similar ordinances : the latter, that 
 ' every Englishman, and Irishman dwelling 
 in England, should have a long-bow of his 
 own height, that butts should be set up at 
 every township, at which the inhabitants were 
 to shoot upon all feast days,' or be fined one- 
 halfpenny for each omission. In the 16th 
 century, the use of the long-bow was much 
 neglected. Henry VIII., however, made laws 
 in favour of archery ; instituted a chartered 
 society for shooting, and with waggish 
 humour dignified a successful archer, named 
 Barlow, by saluting him as Duke of Shore- 
 ditch, ;;t which place the man resided. This 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 247 
 
 dignity was long preserved by the captain of 
 the London archers, who used to summon the 
 officers of his several divisions by the titles of 
 the Marquises of IJarlow, Clerkenwell, Isling- 
 ton, Hoxton, Earl of Paucras, &c. Stow in- 
 forms us, that before his time, (he died 1605) 
 it was customary for the Lord RIayor, Sheriffs, 
 and Aldermen, to go into Finsbury Fields, 
 where tlie citizens were assembled, and shoot 
 at thf standard with broad and flight arrows 
 for games. After the reign of Charles I., 
 archery fell into disrepute. Sir William Da- 
 venant satirizes the attorneys and procters 
 shooting in Finsbury Fields. The Artillery 
 Company, or Finsbury archers, revived in 
 ICIO, retaining the use of the bow, as well as 
 their place of exercise. About 1753 a society 
 of archers erected targets in Finsbury fields 
 during toaster and Whitsuntide, when the best 
 shooter was styled captain for the ensuing 
 year, and the second, lieutenant. About 1789, 
 archery was again revived as a general amuse- 
 ment ; and societies of bow-men, or toxopho- 
 lites, were formed in almost every part of the 
 kingdom. Moreley, in his Essay on Archery, 
 1792, enumerates twenty of the principal 
 societies then existing. In the present century 
 archery has been occasionally revived, more 
 as a private than a public amusement. About 
 five years since there were companies in the; 
 neigiibourhood of Taunton ; at Harlow, in 
 Essex ; Bury, in Suffolk ; and at Westuiin- 
 ster ; and about a month since a society was 
 formed at Newbury in Berkshire. 
 
 Archery, as a branch of school amusements, 
 existed at Harrow within the last sixty years. 
 In tlie original regulations for the endowment 
 of the school, date 1590, the benevolent 
 founder specifies the only amusements al- 
 lowed at Harrow : — ' Driving a top, tossing a 
 handball, running, and shooting.' For this 
 latter exercise all parents were required to 
 furnish their children ' with bow-strings, 
 shafts, and breaslers.' In consequence of this 
 regulation it was usual to hold an annual ex- 
 hibition of archery, on August 4, when the 
 scholars contended for a silver- arrow. Of 
 this sport we have seen an etching, now be- 
 come somewhat scarce. This custom has been 
 abolished, and in its room has been substituted 
 the delivery of annual orations before the as- 
 sembled governors. 
 
 Why are the heroes of romance usually 
 praised for their skill in archery ? — Because, 
 in the early ages of chivalry, the usage of the 
 bow was considered as an essential part of the 
 education of a young man wiio wished to 
 make a figure in life. — Stnttt. 
 
 Why was the long-bow so called ? — Because 
 it might be distinguished from the arbalist or 
 cross-bow, which was not only much shorter 
 than the former,but fastened also upon a stock, 
 and discharged by means of a catch U trigger, 
 which probably gave rise to the lock on the 
 modern musket Striitt. 
 
 Bayle, explaining the difference between 
 testimony and argument, uses this laconic 
 
 simile. ' Testimony is like the shot of a long- 
 bow, which owes its efficacy to the force of 
 the shooter ; argument is like the shot of the 
 cross-bow, equally forcible, whether dis- 
 charged by a dwarf or a giant.' 
 
 Why was the arbalist, or cross-bow, also 
 called a steel-bow ? — Because the horns were 
 usually made with steel. 
 
 Why were cross-bows also called stone- 
 bows ?— Because they were modified to the 
 purpose of discharging of stones. 
 
 VVhy were cross-bows much less common 
 than long-bows ? — Because of several laws for 
 the prohibition of the former. In the time of 
 Henry VIII., a penalty of ten pounds was in- 
 flicted on every one who kept a cross-bow in 
 his house. 
 
 Wliy was a certain arrow called a bolt ? — 
 Because it had a round or half round bolt at 
 the end of it, with a sharp-pointed arrow head 
 proceeding therefrom. When it had only the 
 blunt bolt, without the point, it was a bird 
 bolt. Hence the phrase, bolt upright, and the 
 sign of the 6oii-in-tuu,(or tub,) in Fleet-street, 
 London. The bolt thus differed from a shaft, 
 which was sharp or barbed. Hence the pro- 
 verb, ' to make a bolt , or a shaft of a thing.' 
 We have the first also in the proverb, ' A 
 fool's bolt is soon shot.' Nares says, ' see also 
 Rlidsumnier Night's Dream, ii. 2, for the ex- 
 quisite beauty of the passage.' Here it is, 
 from one of the most splendid pages of Shak- 
 speare : 
 
 (Oberon to Puck.) I saw (but thou couldst not) 
 
 Flying between the cold moon and the e.aith, 
 Cupid all arni'd ; a certain aim he took, 
 At a fair vestal, throned by the west ; 
 And loos'd his love-shaft smartly from his bow. 
 As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts ; 
 But 1 might see young Cupid's fiery shaft 
 Quench'd in the chaste beams of the watry moon ; 
 And the imperial vot're>s passed on, 
 In maiden meditation, fancy free. 
 Yet mark'd I where the bolt of Cupid fell ; 
 It fell upon a little western flower. 
 Before milk-white ; nowpm'ple with love's wound — 
 And maidens call it, love-in-idleness. 
 Fetch me that flower ; the herb I show'd thee once ; 
 The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid. 
 Will make or man or woman madly dote 
 Upon the nes.t live creature that it sees. 
 
 Why was the word ' aim' formerly used for 
 applause or encouragement? — Because, to 
 cry aim, in archery, was to encourage the 
 archers by crying out aim, when they were 
 about to shoot. 
 
 Why was to ' give aim,' an office of direc- 
 tion and assistance ? — Because the person 
 chosen stood within a convenient distance 
 of the butts, to inform the archers how near 
 their arrows fell to the mark ; whether on 
 one side or the other, beyond or short of it. 
 The terms were, wide on the bow hand, or the 
 shaft hand, i. e. left and right ; short or gone, 
 the distance being estimated by bows' lengths. 
 This was, in some measure, a confidential 
 office, but was not always practised. — Nares. 
 
 RIaria gives aim in Love's Labour Lost, 
 when sh-a says, — 
 tf^Uie o'er the bow-hand ! I'faith your hand is out. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 24a 
 
 So Venus assists Cupid : 
 
 While lovely Venus stands fo give the aim. 
 Smiling to see her wanton bartling's game. — 
 
 Drayton's Jivlogues 1420. 
 
 Wtiy was.' too much o' the bow-hand ' used 
 to denote a failure in any design ? — Because 
 the bow-hand is the left hand, iu which the 
 bow was held. 
 
 Why was a certain arrow called a butt- 
 ehaft ? — Because it was used for shooting at 
 butts ; formed without a barb, so as to stick. 
 into the butts, and yet be easily extracted. — 
 JiVar««. 
 
 The very pin of his heart cleft with the blind bow 
 boy's hxxt-shaSt. —Komeo and Juliet. 
 
 Why was an archer said to hit the white ? — 
 Because the centre part of the mark upon the 
 butts was white. The whole was painted in 
 concentric circles of different colours, the in- 
 terior circle being white ; and in the centre of 
 the white was a pin of wood, to cleave which 
 with the arrow was the greatest triumph of a 
 marksman. Hence, to kit the white, was used 
 to signify, ' to be right,' ' you have hit the 
 mark ;' expressions common in old authors, as 
 shooting v/as in their time a daily practice. 
 
 Why was the yew preferred for bows?-- 
 Because of the compactness, hardness, and 
 elasticity of the wood ; and so much of it was 
 required for the above purpose, that ships 
 trading to Venice were obliged to bring ten 
 boW'Staves along with every butt of malmsey. 
 
 Why were young archers recommended to 
 shoot in the dark, at lights set up for that pur- 
 pose ? — Because one great fault which they 
 generally fell into, vas the direction of the eye 
 to the end of the arrow, rather than to the 
 mark. 
 
 Why was it necessary for an archer to have 
 several arrows of one flight, plumed with fea- 
 thers from different wings ?— Because they 
 might suit the diversity of winds.— Slrutt. 
 
 Why is the term ' upshot ' so commonly 
 used ?— Because, in a^-chery, it formerly sig- 
 nified the decision, and, though archery is 
 now so much in disuse, the above word, in 
 the sense of the end or conclusion of any 
 business, is still retained. 
 
 Why was the bow, even in Elizabeth's time, 
 thought to be more advantageous than the 
 musket ? — Because the latter was at the period 
 very cumbrous, and unskilful in contrivance, 
 while archery had been carried to the highest 
 perfection. Mr. Grose tells us, that an archer 
 could formerly shoot six arrows in the time 
 necessary to charge and discharge a musket, 
 and even in modern days a practised bowman 
 has been known to shoot twelve arrows in a 
 minute, into a circle not larger than the cir- 
 cumference of a man's hat, at the distance of 
 forty yards.* 
 
 * The above Questions and Ans'iers respecting the 
 Science o Archery, are extracted from a very clever 
 aid useful work, called " Knowled-e for the People ; 
 or the plain Why and liecausc." Tlie above work is 
 
 At the present period (May, 1832), through 
 the kindness of Mr. Wales, proprietor of the 
 Archery Warehouse, Gilbert Buildings, West- 
 minster Road, Lambeth, we are enabled to 
 state that the following Societies of Archers 
 are kept up with great spirit and splendor. 
 The Southampton Archers are under the high 
 patronage of his Royal Highness, the Duke 
 of Gloucester. The Yorkshire Archers are 
 patronized by the venerable Earl Fitzwilliam, 
 and the Countess of Mexborough. The Hat- 
 field Archers are also under the patronage of 
 the Marchioness of Salisbury. St. George's 
 Bowmen, Lewisham ; South Saxon Archers ; 
 Toxopholite Society, London : the Robin Hood 
 Bowmen, Highgate ; the Hereford Archers ; 
 John of Gaunt's J^iowmen, Lancashire; the 
 Preston Archers ; and there are several other 
 societies who hold their meetings in different 
 parts of the country, but whose names we are 
 not in possession of. However, we are well 
 assured that ARCHERY has been rapidly 
 gaining ground in the estimation of the lovers 
 of rural recreation all over the kingdom during 
 the last seven years ; and has likewise to boast 
 of the high patronage of Royalty, and also 
 supported by several of the most noble and 
 distinguished personages in society. It ap- 
 pears that a gentleman's bow may be procured 
 from £1 5s. to £2 10s., and one for a lady, 
 from £L to £1 15s. Arrows £1 per dozen; 
 and Targets from £2 10s, to £4 lOs. 
 
 The Qt'F.EN of the Bow. 
 
 Refresh'd like Aurora when Cancer prevails. 
 And the perfumes of Nature make chamiini; the gales : 
 Clorinua came forth from her forest of oaks. 
 Like Dian, the huntress whom Corinth invokes : 
 More keen than her arrows her heart-piercing eye. 
 And more ceitain to wound as her lovers pass'd by. 
 O'er the daisy-drcss'd mead as her nimble foot trips. 
 Her silver bound bugle she rais'd to her lips ; 
 At the musical blast busy Echo awakes, 
 And tells her approach to the rivers and lakes ; 
 Each nymph of the streamlet unmautles her fa< 
 And looks v/ith a smile to the Queen of the chace. 
 From the mansion of Peace, on the side of a hill. 
 Where the fountains of health their pure waters 
 
 distill : 
 Bold Robin the Bowman came forth to the plain. 
 And retP.ru'd his Clorinda the melod'ous strain — 
 AVhere wanders my charmer '.' — I go, cries the fair, 
 To kill a fat buck, then to Nottingham fair. 
 From a covert, with woodbii'es and dog-roses drest. 
 Where the ring doves were feeding their young in the 
 
 nest ; 
 A pricket burst forth, not a finer could be, 
 Like a sun-beam he flitted the stream and the lea ; 
 But swifter th ■ dart of Cluri.\u.\ was thrown, 
 She pierc'd his warm heart, and he sank with a 
 
 groan. 
 John Little came running with CUm of the Clougb, 
 Applauding Cldiunda, the Qitien of lite Bow . 
 While Robin directed his men to repair 
 With the buck she had slain to the booth in the fair ; 
 Where quickly the mail with her Robin was seen. 
 To dance the pipe round the pole on the green. 
 
 edited by Mr John limbs, a geutlem.in of immense 
 research in literary matters, and who not only pos- 
 sesses the talent of communicating these enquiries in 
 tlie most pleasing and satisfactory manner to his 
 re.iders, but also produces the desired etfect, by ren- 
 i-erii g them perfectly intelligible to the meane-^t capa. 
 city. 
 
PIERCE EGW'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 24.0 
 
 rhe tread being over, the song and the dance, 
 ^iid to sleep tlic dull hours seem'din haste to advance ; 
 For the mansion of Peace was the signal to go, 
 And Lovi- with his torch led the Queen of the Bow. 
 Peace, pleasure, and love, may oxir archers still share, 
 Like RoBi,\ the Bold, and Clorinda the Fair. 
 
 In the olcen times, the fletchers, bowyers, 
 bowstring makers, and makers of every thing 
 relating to Archery, inliabited Grub street. 
 It is the last street, in this part of tlie town, 
 which was in being about the time of Aggas's 
 map ; all beyond, as far as Bishopsgate street 
 Without, were gardens, fields, or morass ; the 
 last — the original state of this part of the 
 present London, This tract was in the manor 
 of Finsbury, or rather Fensbnry ; and in the 
 days of Fitzstephen, the historian, was an 
 absolute fen. 
 
 The disuse of ancient pastimes, and the 
 consequent neglect of Archerie, are thus 
 lamented by Richard Niccols, in his London's 
 Artillery, ICIO : — 
 
 " How is it that our London bath laid dowue 
 Tliis worthy practise, which was once the crowns, 
 Of all her pastime, which her Robin Hood 
 Had wont each yeare when May did clad the wood 
 With lustre greene, to lead his \oung men out, 
 Whose brave demeanour, oft when they did shoot. 
 Invited royall princes from their courts 
 Into the wilde woods to bi hold their sports ! 
 Who thought it then a manly sight and trim. 
 To see a youth of clene compacted lim, 
 Who, with a comely grace, in his left hand 
 Holding his bow, did take his steadfast stand, 
 Setting his left leg somewhat foorth before. 
 His Arrow with liis right hand nocking >u, ->, 
 >iOt stooping, nor yet standing streight jpn^ht. 
 Then, witli his left hand little 'bove his si^ht 
 Stretching his arm out, with an easie strength 
 To diaw an arrow of a yard in length." 
 
 The lines 
 
 " luvdted royall prhices from their conrts 
 Into the wilde woods to behold their sports," 
 
 may be reasonably supposed to allude to 
 Henry the Vlllth, who appears to have been 
 particularly attached, as well to the exercise 
 of archery, as to the observance of Maying. 
 " Some short time after his coronation," says 
 Hall, " he came to Westminster with the 
 quene, and all their traine, and on a tyme 
 being there, his grace, therles of Essex, AVii- 
 sliire, and other noble menne, to the number 
 of twelve, came sodainly in a mornyng into 
 the queues chambre, all appareled in short 
 cotes of Kentish kendal, with hodes on their 
 heddes, and hosen of the same, every one of 
 them his bowe and arrowes, and a sword, and 
 a bucklar, like outlawes, or Robyn Hodesmen ; 
 whereof the quene, the ladies, and al other 
 there were abashed as well for the straunge 
 sight, as also for their sotlain commyng, and 
 after certayn daunces and pastime made, thei 
 departed." 
 
 The same author gives the following curious 
 account of a Maying, in the 7th year of that 
 monarch, 1510 : " Tlio king and quene, ac- 
 companied with many lords and ladies, rode 
 to the high ground on Sliooter's Hill to take 
 the air, and as they passed by the way, they 
 espied a company of tail \eoinen clothed all 
 
 in green, with green whodes and bows and 
 arrows, to the number of ninety. One of 
 them calling himself Robin Hootl, came to 
 the king, desiring him to see his men shoot, 
 and the king was content. Then he whistled, 
 and all the ninety archers shot and losed at 
 once, he then whistled again, and they shot 
 again ; their arrows wistled by craft of the 
 head, so that the noise was strange and great, 
 and much pleased the king, the quene, and all 
 the company. All these archers were of the 
 king's guard, and had thus appareled them- 
 selves to make solace to the king. Then 
 Robin Hood desired the king and quene to 
 come into the green wood, and see how the 
 outlaws live. The king demanded of the 
 quene and her ladies, if they durst venture to 
 go into the wood with so many outlaws, and 
 the quene was content. Then the horns blew 
 till they came to the wood under Shooter's 
 Hill, and there was an arbour made of boughs, 
 with a hall and a great chamber, and an inner 
 chamber, well made and covered with flowers 
 and sweet herbs, which the king much praised. 
 Then said Robin Hood, 'Sir, outlaws break- 
 fast is vensyon, and you must be content with 
 such fare as we have.' The king and quene 
 sat down, and were served with venison and 
 wine by Robin Hood and his men. Then the 
 king and his party departed, and Robin and 
 his men conducted them. As they were re- 
 turning, they were met by two ladies in a rich 
 chariot, drawn by five horses, every horse 
 had his name on his head, and on every horse 
 sat a lady, with her name written ; and in a 
 chair sat the Lady May, accompanied with 
 Lady Flora, richly appareled, and they saluted 
 the iiing with divers songs, and so brought 
 Lim to GreenvTich." 
 The following cornparative vieu^ of the use 
 ' of the Bow and the Musket, will be found 
 rather interesting : — The decline of the use of 
 the bow in this country, so much regretted by 
 English writers, was attributed to two causes : 
 first, the fascination of several games and 
 diversions to which the yeomanry were par- 
 tial ; and, secondly, the introduction of fire- 
 arms. We cannot wonder that the unwearied 
 use of the bow should, in the process of time, 
 become irksome ; and it is reasonable to sup- 
 pose that soldiers, tired with war, would feel 
 greater pleasure in trivial amusements, if new, 
 than in the familiar practice of archery. The 
 natural love of variety would soon operate 
 so as to require compulsive laws. 
 
 Mith respect to the second cause, the intro- 
 ducticm of artillery, it was slow, but at length 
 edicacious in subverting the use of the bow in 
 battle. 
 
 It long remained a doubt which was the 
 most advantageous weapon, the musket or 
 bow. The doubt continued more than two 
 centuries after the use of artillery in action ; 
 and even in the time of Elizabeth, the prefer- 
 ence was, by many, given to the bow. 
 
 Sir .Tohn Hayward, in his lives of Norman 
 K'wv^s fjirinted lfil3), after speaking of the 
 
250 
 
 PIKRCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 effects of archery at the battle of Ilastin^^s, 
 compares the advantages of fire-arms with 
 those of the bow, and assigns four reasons for 
 deciding in favor of the latter. First, says he, 
 " for that in a reasonable distance, it is of 
 greater certainty and force. Secondly, for 
 that it dischargeth faster;* thirdly, for that 
 more men may discharge tlierevvith at once ; 
 for only the first rankc dischargeth the piece, 
 neither hurt they any but those that are in 
 front ; but with the bow ten or twelve ranks 
 may discharge together, and will annoy so 
 many rankes of the enemies. Lastly, for that 
 the arrow doethe strike more parts of the 
 body ; for in that it hurteth by discent (and 
 not only point blanke like the bullet), there 
 is no part of the body but it may strike, from 
 the crown of the head to the nailing of the 
 foot to the ground. Hereupon it foUoweth, 
 that the arrows falling so thick as hail upon 
 the bodies of men, as less feareful of their 
 flesh, so more slenderly armed than in former 
 times, must necessarily worke most disastrous 
 effects." 
 
 An old writer (quoted by Dr. Johnson), 
 says, — 
 
 The white faith of history cannot show, 
 That e'er a musket yet could beat the bow, 
 
 AUeyn's Henry VII. 
 
 If we consider the unskilful contrivance of 
 the musket, at the time archery was in use in 
 war, we shall not be surprised that the bow 
 remained in favor so long ; indeed, in the 
 l)resent day, though fire arms are much im- 
 proved, there is reason to suppose the bow 
 would be of great use on many occasions, 
 and particularly against cavalry. Sir John 
 Hayward observes, " that a horse stroke with 
 a bullet, if the wound be not mortal, may 
 performe good service ; but if an arrow be 
 fastened in the flesh, the continual stirring 
 thereof, occasioned by the motion of himselfe, 
 will enforce him to cast off all command, and 
 bearc down, in disorder, those that are neere." 
 
 He then adds, '* that some thought the 
 cracke of the piece strikes terror in the enemy ; 
 but we," says he, " will extinguish these ter- 
 rours. And if it be true, which all men of 
 action do hold, tiiat the eye in all battailles is 
 first overcome, then against men equally 
 accustomed to both, the sight of a shower of 
 arrows is more available to victory than the 
 cracke of the piece. 
 
 There is a well known reply of Dioneces, 
 to a person who informed him at the battle of 
 Thermopylaj, that the J'ersian army was so 
 numerous as to obscure the light of the sun 
 with their arro^vs : — " ^Ve shall then fight in 
 the shade, said he, and not exposed to the 
 heat." — Herod, p. 522. 
 
 A sporting traveller thus describes the 
 manner in which the peopK^ of Ghent pursue 
 the diversion of Archerv. On St. Peter's 
 
 • Mr. Grose infurms us, that an archer could for- 
 merly sliort ^ix arrows in the time uecissary lo 
 ciiarge aud discU.trgi' a musket. 
 
 Hill, close by the church, he remarks, — I 
 observed a large pole standing high in the air, 
 at the top of which was a kind of small ladder, 
 and on the step several birds were placed as 
 marks for the expert in bow shooting. The 
 archer who knocks the top bird off has the 
 capital prize, which is in general a silver cup, 
 or other small piece of plate. This is an en- 
 couragement to the young men to render 
 themselves proficient in this science. I ob- 
 served, that the encouragement of archei-y, and 
 the exercise of the cross-bow, was not par- 
 ticularly confined to this place, but in general 
 prevailed throughout the Netherlands. 
 
 Barrington, in the 7th volume of his Archse- 
 ologia, mentions, that in the reign of Queen 
 Anne, General Oglethorpe, the Duke of I4ut- 
 laud, and several other noblemen and gentle- 
 men, used frequently to shoot with the cross- 
 bow in the neighbourhood of London ; yet I 
 do not find, either from this or any other 
 author, that since the reign of the unhappy 
 Charles the First, archery was so much coun- 
 tenanced in England as at the present period. 
 In proportion to the encouragement of the 
 arts and sciences, the more robust and manly 
 exercises decreased — the warrior gave way to 
 the artist ; and the dissolute reign of the 
 second Charles extended its influence so far 
 over the kingdom, as to introduce that exten- 
 sive spirit of luxury — that etfeniinacy of man- 
 ners which bid adieu to every war-like exer- 
 cise. His father was remarkably fond of 
 archery, patronised the science, and more 
 than once prosecuted those who showed them- 
 selves enemies to it, by shutting up the 
 giounds, before open for their use. In the 
 history of the Netherlands we are told of the 
 motley crowd of Kings, Queens, Noblemen, 
 and even Bishops, who took a pride in show- 
 ing their dexterity in this art. A society of 
 archers, under the title of the Grand Associa- 
 tion, existed at Brussels in the sixteenth 
 century, who carried in great triumph through 
 the streets the several Princes of their Asso- 
 ciation, who were so termed by being fortu- 
 nate enough to hit the bird from oft' the place 
 on which it was fixed, and by this means 
 evinced their skill in archery. Amongst this 
 number were the Infanta Isabella, Duke of 
 Parma, Elector of Bavaria, the Archduke 
 Leopold, the Emperor Charles the Fifth, and 
 though last not least in dignity, Robert de 
 Croy, Archbishop of Cambray, who did not 
 think his episcopal dignity disgraced by bring- 
 ing down a bird which was placed on the 
 tuwer of Woollendnes ; nor disdained to be 
 carried in triumph, and proclaimed King of 
 the Society ; and, in addition to this, wore a 
 gold collar, in which was inscribed the occa- 
 sion of the gift, and which on all public 
 occasions their kings took every opportunity 
 to display. 
 
 Among the various appendages which have 
 been attached to the arrow (observes Mr. 
 Moseley in his Essay on ArchiiKy) the most 
 formidable seems to be that of pjison. We 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 251 
 
 are told that fluid is prepared, and loaded 
 with such powerful infection, that the animal 
 system shrinks under its eft'ects almost instan- 
 taneously, if it be once introduced deeper 
 than the skin. 
 
 The vegetable and mineral poisons known 
 in Europe, if administered in small portions, 
 require time to operate, and seldom produce 
 immediate death; but in other parts of the 
 world, nature has infused so deadly a venom 
 into the cells of some vegetables, as cannot 
 be equalled by the wound of the most viru- 
 lent serpent. 
 
 Tlie use to which this poisonous quality was 
 first applied, seems to have been the envenom- 
 ing of arrows, which were employed for the 
 destruction of wild beasts. For this purpose 
 it was a valuable acquisition, as it was sel- 
 dom that the wound only of an arrow would 
 prove instantly mortal. The use of poisoned 
 arrows is of high antiquity ; they were com- 
 niou in the time of Alexander, as Justin 
 relates.* And Virgil, in the 9th iEneid, 
 celebrates Amicus for this art : — 
 
 Iiide serarum 
 Vaflatorem Amycum, quo non felicior alter, 
 Ungra tela manu, ferrumque armore venene ; 
 jEneid !i, 771. 
 
 Pliny informs us that the Gauls shot 
 poisoned arrows in hunting stags, which were 
 made from a tree called Limasumn. 
 
 Part of the iniiabitants of America are 
 said to arm their darts with poison prepared 
 from a tree called Mancanilla. It is also said 
 to be death to take in the effluvia of this poison 
 by inspiration, and therefore only old people 
 and criminals are sent to gather the juice, 
 protecting their nose and mouth as well as 
 they can. The last observation is probably 
 fabulous ; a similar story is told of a tree in 
 the Island of Java, called the Upas, and of 
 another in Makassar, Avhich Gamilla men- 
 tions. t Others say, the poison applied to 
 arms is furnished by a certain serpent, which, 
 when irritated, vomits a noxious liquor ; and, 
 if the point of an arrow be stained with it, 
 the wound inflicted by that weapon will prove 
 instantly mortal.! 
 
 But, by whatever method these venomous 
 ingredients are procured, it is certain that 
 the effects are often violent and dreadful. 
 The American savages pretend that, by com- 
 pounding the liquor, into which they dip their 
 arrows, with a greater or less portion of the 
 poisoning quality, they can cause immediate 
 death from a wound, or protract the effect to 
 a few days, a week, or a fortnight. The ad- 
 vantage derived from the use of poisoned 
 arrows in war seems to have been trivial ; 
 for though Alexander and Cortes, as well as 
 many warriors, have been exposed to these 
 doubly armed instruments of death, we do 
 
 * Justin, lib. 12, chap. 6. 
 
 Hist, de I'Orodoque, iii. 16. 
 
 ; Viaggi da Ramusio, iii. 155. 
 
 not find that they have ever attested the double 
 eflicacy of them. The natives of the East, 
 and America, who practise the poisoning of 
 arrows, employ those instruments in the hunt- 
 ing of wild beasts ; but their arrows are 
 differently constructed from those whjcii are 
 usually shot from the bow. Tliey are simple 
 sticks of hard wood, poisoned at the end, 
 and are so light as to be blown through a 
 tube, in the manner we often see children 
 blow peas, or other substances, in this countrv. 
 
 Bancroft, in Iiis History of Guiana, says,— 
 " The poisoned arrows are made of the splin- 
 ters of the hard and solid outer substance of 
 the Cokarito tree, and are usually about twelve 
 inches in length, not larger in bulk than a 
 large common knitting-needle. One end of 
 the arrow is formed into a sharp point, and 
 envenomed in the poison of Woorara ; round 
 the other end is wound a roll of cotton, 
 adapted to the cavity of the reed through 
 which the arrow is to be blown. The arrow, 
 thus decked and armed for destruction, is 
 inserted in the hollow straight reed, several 
 feet in length, which being directed towards 
 the object, the arrow is, by a single blast of 
 air from the lungs, protruded through the 
 cavity of tiie reed, and flies with great swift- 
 ness and unerring certainty, the distance of 
 thirty or forty yards ; conveying sjieedy and 
 inevitable death to the animal from which it 
 draws blood. Blowing arrows is the princi- 
 pal exercise of the Indians from their child- 
 hood, and by a long use and habitude they 
 acquire a degree of dexterity and exactness 
 which is inimitable by an European, and 
 almost incredible." 
 
 The same is practised almost universally in 
 the east. The inhabitants of Makasser, in 
 particular, poison their arrows. Mi. Taver- 
 nier (brother to the celebrated French travel- 
 ler) had a remarkable proof of the activity of 
 this poison exhibited to him while in India. 
 An Englishman, who then resided at Makas- 
 sar, had in a rage killed a subject of the king 
 of that island, but his offence was pardoned, 
 in consequence of which the other English, 
 French, and Dutch inhabitants of the island, 
 fearing the resentment of the natives might be 
 exercised against them, entreated the king 
 that the offender might suffer for the crime he 
 had committed, that no future revenge might 
 be meditated by his subjects against the Eu- 
 ropeans, as was sometimes the case. The 
 king complied, and, wishing the criminal to 
 suffer as little pain as possible, he said he 
 himself would inflict the stroke w ith a poison- 
 ed arrow. He desired Mr. Tavernier (with 
 whom he was very intimate) to attend him to 
 the execution. When the man was brought, 
 the king asked him what jiart he should 
 wound ; and he answered, " the great toe of 
 the right foot." The king then took an arrow, 
 properly poisoned, adapted it to the tube, and 
 blew it with incredible exactness to the j>oint. 
 Two European surgeons, on the spot, imme- 
 diately exerted their skill ; bu tiiough they 
 
252 
 
 FIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 amputated the part far above tlie wound, with 
 great dispatch, the man died in their liands. 
 
 All the eastern kings collect this poison to 
 tinge their arrows, and keep them a long time 
 ready for use. The king of Achen gave a 
 dozen of these arrows to a Mr. Coke, envoy 
 at Bavaria, with whom Mr. Tavernier was 
 well acquainted. One day, when these gen- 
 tlemen were togetiier, they had the curiosity 
 to try whether tliose weapons retained their 
 virulence or not, as they had not been used 
 for several years. Tiiey shot some of them at 
 squirrels and other animals, all of which 
 dropped the moment they were wounded ; a 
 circumstance which sulliciently proved the 
 permanence, as well as the violence of this 
 most terrible poison.* 
 
 *' I cannot," says Mr. Mosely, "authenticate 
 the violent elTects of poisons applied to arrows, 
 better than by producing the result of some 
 experiments which were made on the poisons 
 of Lama and Ticunas, brought to France by 
 M. de la Ctindamine, from South America. 
 This gentleman gave a part to Mr. Herissant, 
 who wished to ascertain whether the reports 
 concerning the violent effects of these species 
 of poison were true or false. He accordingly 
 began to prepare the poison in the wiiy M. de 
 la Condamine informed him the Americans 
 did ; but in his proceedings he met with two 
 accidents, either of which might have cost 
 him his life. 
 
 lie understood that the proper method was 
 to dissolve the poisonous substance he received 
 in water, and to evaporate the solution till it 
 became thick and d.irk coloured. He began 
 the process, but the fumes almost deprived 
 him of his senses, and had he not have taken 
 a large quantity of sugar dissolved in wine, 
 which was prescribed as an antidote, he might 
 have fallen suffocated and lifeless on the floor 
 of his room. 
 
 At another time he effected the process 
 completely, and corked the liquid in a small 
 bcttle, and locked it up ; but, wishing to begin 
 his intended course of experiments, he one 
 day took the phial containing the poison into 
 his hand ; \'iheii in a moment the cork flew to 
 the ceiling of the chamber, and the liquor ran 
 streaming over his hand. In this second di- 
 lemma he consigned himself to an inevitable 
 and speedy death. It happened, however, 
 that there was no wound or puncture on his 
 skin, by which the poison could penetrate to 
 the blood, therefore washing efi'ectually re- 
 moved the danger. 
 
 Having escaped these misfortunes, he began 
 his experiments on the 6th of June, 1748. He 
 made a little wound, about three lines* in 
 length, in the hinder leg of a rabbit, and put 
 a bit of cotton moistened in the poison of 
 Ticunas to the place ; the creature died sud- 
 denly in his hand, without exhibiting any 
 
 • Voyages de Tavern, ii. 
 
 i A line is une-twuil' li ( f .m iuch. 
 
 sign of pain, before he had time to put a ban- 
 dage on, as lie intended. This experiment 
 was repeated the same day on seven difl^erent 
 animals, all of which died in less than a 
 minute. 
 
 June 7, he dipped the point ot a lancet into 
 the poison, and pricked some cats with the 
 instrument, all of which died in less than 
 three minutes. June 8, he made an incision 
 with a lancet between the ears of a cat, and 
 with a pencil put into it a drop of the poison 
 of Ticunas, mixed with that of Lamas ; in an 
 instant the creature died in his hands. 
 
 June 9, he tried experiments iu the same 
 manner on fish, reptiles, and insects, none of 
 which were aflfected by the poison. 
 
 There are many more experiments of the 
 same kind mentioned by Mr. Herissant, but 
 these will clearly show the accounts we have 
 often read not to be fabulous. This gentle- 
 man observes also, that the animals which have 
 been killed by the means here spoken of, are 
 not in the least unfit for use : they may be 
 eaten without any ill consequences. 
 
 In the preparation of the poison of Ticunas, 
 it is said, the care of the boiling is entrusted 
 to a criminal ; and at the time the person be- 
 comes suffocated by the fumes it is concluded 
 to be sufficiently boiled."* 
 
 Bows and arrows were the arms used by 
 our Militia in the olden times ; and in order 
 to show the usefulness of that body of men, 
 and how much care our forefathers took to 
 train the subject to defend the kingdom and 
 its own property, we here insert an extract 
 from an ancient statu te,made in the 33d year of 
 Henry VIII., when long bows were the offen- 
 sive weapons. 
 
 " It is enacted, every man being the king's 
 subject, not lame, decrepyde, or maymed, nor 
 having any other lawful or real cause or im- 
 pedimente, being within the age of threescore 
 yeares (except spiritual men, justices of the 
 assyse, and barons of the exchequer), shall 
 from the feaste of Penfecoste next ensueing, 
 use and exercise shooting iu long bows : and 
 also have a bow and arrows ready continually 
 in his house, to use hjmselfe in shooteing ; 
 and also that the fathers and governours of 
 such as be of tender age, do train them up in 
 the knowledge of the same shooting. And 
 that every man shall provide for every man 
 childe in his house, being of the age of 
 seven years and above, untill he shall come 
 to the age of seventeen jears, a bow and 
 two shafts to bring them up in shooting ; 
 and if the same young men be servants, 
 that then the masters shall abate the moneye 
 that they shall pay for the same bows and 
 arrows, out of their wages. And after all 
 such young men shall come to the age of 
 seventeen years, every one of them shall pro- 
 vide and have a bow and four arrows conti- 
 nually for himself at his proper coste and 
 charges, or else of the gift and provision of 
 
 * Dancrnjt, p. -Z'M)., Guinilla, iii. I'Z. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 253 
 
 hi? friends, and use and occupy the same in 
 shooting, as before rehearsed. 
 
 " And if a master suffer any of his servants 
 taking wages, being in the household, and 
 under the age of seventeen years, or the 
 rather suffer any of his sons being in the 
 liousehold, and \inder the age of seventeen 
 years, to lack a bow and two arrows, contrary 
 to tlie forme of this statute, by the space of 
 one month together, then the master or father, 
 in whom such negligence shall bee, shall for 
 every such default, forfeit and lose six shil- 
 lyngs and eight pence." 
 
 By this it appears our forefathers were of 
 opinion that military, like moral virtue, was 
 best acquired by use and habit, and though a 
 man may be naturally both brave and good, 
 yet these qualities fit more gracefully, and 
 are more advantageously exerted, when in a 
 course of continual practice. 
 
 The English had formerly Archers, both 
 onybo^, and mounted on horses; but the latter 
 do not appear to have been very generally in- 
 troduced in war before the fourteenth century. 
 Lord Lyttleton says,* " I read of no archers 
 on horseback in the reign of Henry II., unless 
 they are Comprehended under the term ser- 
 vientes, some of which were light-horsemen ; 
 but in the time of Edward III. mention is 
 made in a roll of parliament, of two hundred 
 archers on horseback ; and in the seventh 
 year of Richard II. the bishop of Norwich 
 offered to serve the king abroad with three 
 thousand men at arms, and two thousand five 
 hundred archers, well horsed and appointed.' 
 And when Lionel, Earl of Clarence (son of 
 Edward III.) went with an army into Ireland, 
 he carried with him thither many archers on 
 horseback, whose pay was sixpence a man 
 per diem ; squires in the same army being 
 rated at a shilling a man per diem, the knights 
 at two shillings, and the baronets at four 
 shillings. There were likewise some archers 
 at four pence per diem, who, I presume, served 
 on foot. The Earl of Ormonde had under him, 
 besides his knights and 'squires, twenty 
 hohlers armed, and twenty not armed ;^ the pay 
 of the former being sixpence a-piece per diem, 
 and of the latter fourpence. These hollers 
 were Irish horsemen, so called because they 
 served on hobbies. 
 
 There is an arrow which, from the construc- 
 ,tiou of its head, is called the whistling 
 ARROW ; and there are two methods in which 
 the heads are made. The one is by having a 
 ball of horn perforated with holes at the end, 
 and fastened to the arrow, by the wood passing 
 through it, and fitting tight. But this is not 
 the most desirable kind ; for, as the perfora- 
 tions are liable to become choked up by the 
 arrow falling to the ground, the head must be 
 taken off whenever the holes are thus filled ; 
 and as the horn ball does not adhere very 
 firmly, if the arrow should penetrate the earth 
 
 to any depth, it is difficult to <lraw it back 
 without losing the head. Another sort, which 
 are usually larger, and which have a deeper 
 tone, are made with a screw in the middle of 
 the ball ; by which means all the inconveni- 
 ences attending the smaller kind are removed : 
 as the ball is, in the latter case, glued firmly 
 to the body of the arrow, and may be drawn 
 from the ground without danger of separating. 
 These arrows, it is supposed, were formerly 
 applied to some military uses, and particularly 
 to giving signals in the night. The Chinese, 
 it is said, have used them for this purpose, 
 time immemorial. 
 
 How long these arrows have been known 
 in England is uncertain ; but I have found 
 no passage referring to them earlier than the 
 time of Henry YIII. 
 
 Holingshead informs us* " that in ihe year 
 1515, the court lying at Greenwich, the King 
 and Queen, accompanied by many lords and 
 ladies, rode to the high ground of Shooters'- 
 hill, to take the open air ; and as they passed 
 by the way, they espied a company of tall 
 jeoJueD. clothed in green hoods, and bows 
 and arrows, to the number of two hundred. 
 Then one of them, which called himself Robin 
 Hood, came to the king, desiring him to see 
 his men slioot, and the king was content. 
 Then he whistled, and all the two hundred 
 shot, and lossed at once ; and then he whis- 
 tled again, and they likewise shot a<i,ain. 
 Their arrows whistled by craft of their head, 
 so that the noise was strange and great, and 
 much pleased the king and queen, and all the 
 company. All these archers were of the 
 king's guard, and had thus apparelled them- 
 selves to make solace to the king." 
 
 From the manner in which this story is re- 
 lated, we may be induced to think the whis- 
 tling arrow to have been a new thing in the 
 beginning of the sixteenth century, and per- 
 haps just introduced; otherwise the exhibition 
 would have been hardly worth performing 
 before the king and his company. 
 
 Field Sports for May 
 " Whoop I whoop I he's dead — the glorious sounds 
 Of Tally ho, and horn, and hounds, 
 
 And tramp of rival steeds — 
 Of 'broke away, the madd'ning shout. 
 The crush iu covert, and without, 
 
 The stretch o'er liills, through meads — 
 Must rest awhile 'neath silence doom, 
 And bursts give place to bud and bloom ! 
 " Yet other pastimes, that inui-e 
 The frame to health, that needs no cure 
 
 Our merry May dajs bring: 
 The crowded Course, the creeping Stream 
 That glitters in the noon-tide beam. 
 
 The Turf, the Town, the Rin?— 
 These give delight to those who court 
 The generous atmosphere of sport." 
 
 As in the Fashionable, so in the Sporting 
 world — and, thanks to the taste of the times, 
 they are pretty intimately allied — one amuse- 
 
 Lyttleton's Hist. Henry II., V 
 
 Holingshead, iii. f36> 
 
254 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 ment follows another, in accordance with the 
 aptitude of the seasons ; and, no sooner is one 
 recreation or pastime bowled down, as it 
 were, for a period, than, like the succession 
 to kingly power, another is ready to take its 
 innings, and to score notches against shrivelled 
 care and pettish discontent. 
 
 Let no supporter, then, of our country's 
 amusements repine that fox-hunting must for 
 a while be considered an interdicted amuse- 
 ment — that his gallant steed should be per- 
 mitted the ease and dignity of a summer's 
 stabling, or the freshening qualities of a sum- 
 mer's run in a verdantly carpeted paddock 
 (according as he may approve or the contrary 
 modern Nimrod's system) — that his scarlet 
 coat, bearing the glorious stains of many a 
 well-worn day, must be exchanged for a less 
 brilliant livery, and reynard be left quietly in 
 his lair at the covert ; and Gayless, and Play- 
 ful, and Prettymaid, to rear their whelps 
 amidst the warmth and comfort of the breed- 
 ing-rooms. 
 
 In lieu of the " Yoicks ! hey, wind and 
 cross him," or the '• Hark-forward, hark- 
 forward, tantivy — this day a stag must die !" 
 those who are on our side may repair to the 
 peopled course ; and, from the exertions of 
 the high-mettled racer and neatly-togged 
 jockey, glean gratification — it may be profit ; 
 for, now that the Newmarket Craven has 
 come off, turf meetings will follow each other 
 in business-employing and actively consecu- 
 tive order — and from the entries (Liverpool 
 and York Spring, soon to take place, are par- 
 ticularly' rich in such), and quality of the 
 nags engaged, we feel persuaded the word of 
 promise will not be a mere empty sound. 
 
 Soon, too, will the geniality of the season 
 admit of many of those manly, though per- 
 chance rustic, ancient, though spirit-stirring, 
 pastimes which patriotic monarchs have gra- 
 ciously condescended to patronize, and wise 
 statesmen publicly to applaud. It will be 
 time, when these fail, to echo the words of a 
 nervous (the term is not used as indicative of 
 strength) though consistent Nobleman, and 
 say, " the sun of England is set for ever," and 
 not till then. Foreign feud, and malice do- 
 mestic, will find foes from out the ranks of 
 those who uphold sport in all its branches too 
 sturdy for the arm of the one or the hate of 
 the other. 
 
 The Angler, he who is no man's foe, if man 
 trample not upon his unobtrusive rights, must 
 also " up up, and be doing." His palmur- 
 worms, his spinners, his dun-fly, will now 
 rise the yet unwary trout ; or his running- 
 tackle, his worms, and his minnows, invite 
 the spotted prize to gorge the hook in deep 
 waters or stiller streams. 
 
 Thus, then, for sportsmen, as for fashion- 
 ables, garland-fanciers, may-pole merriments, 
 and our .sooty sons of labour (the chimney- 
 sweepers), the month is a cheerful and a busy 
 one — may our friends and subscribers (and 
 we hope all ot the latter arc the former) have 
 
 good health, gooci spirits, and good luck, to 
 get througii it satisfactorily, whether the turf 
 or the town, the ring or the river-side, or all 
 these, give them occupation. 
 
 Horse RauiNG in Africa. 
 
 " At Kidma, in the kingdom of Borgoo, it 
 is stated, in ' Landers' Discovery of the Ter- 
 mination of the Niger,' that in the afternoon 
 all the inhabitants of the town, and many from 
 the little villages in its neighbourhood, assem- 
 bled to witness the horse-racing, which takes 
 place always on the anniversary of the ' Bebun 
 Salah,' and to which every one had been look- 
 ing forward with impatience. Previous to its 
 commencement, the king, with his principal 
 attendants, rode slowly round the town, more 
 for the purpose of receiving the admiration 
 and plaudits of his people than to observe 
 where distress more particularly prevailed, 
 which was his avowed intention. A hint from 
 the chief induced us to attend the course with 
 our pistols, to salute him as he rode by ; and 
 as we felt a strong inclination to witness the 
 amusements of the day, we were there rather 
 sooner than was necessary, which afforded us, 
 however, a fairer opportunity of observing the 
 various groups of people which were flocking 
 to the scene of amusement. 
 
 " The race-course was bounded on the 
 north by low granite hills ; on the south by a 
 forest ; and on the east and west by tall shady 
 trees, among which were habitations of the 
 people. Under the shadow of these magnifi- 
 cent trees the spectators were assembled, and 
 testified their happiness by their noisy mirth 
 and animated gestures. When we arrived, 
 the king had not made his appearance on the 
 course ; but his absence was fully compensa- 
 ted by the pleasure we derived from watching 
 the anxious and animated countenances of the 
 multitude, and in passing our opinions on the 
 taste of the women in the choice and adjust- 
 ment of their fanciful and many -coloured 
 dresses. The chief's wives and younger 
 children sat near us in a group by themselves ; 
 and were distinguished from their companions 
 by their superior dress. Manchester cloths 
 of inferior quality, but of the most showy pat- 
 terns, and dresses made of common English 
 bed-furniture, were fastened round the waist 
 of several sooty maidens, who, for the sake ot 
 fluttering a short hour in the gaze of their 
 countrymen, had sacrificed in clothes the 
 earnings of a twelvemonth's labour. All the 
 women had ornamented their necks with 
 strings of beads, and their wrists with brace- 
 lets of various patterns, some made of glass 
 beads, some of brass, others of copper ; and 
 some again of a mixture of both metals : their 
 ancles also were adorned with different sorts 
 of rings, of neat workmanship. 
 
 "The distant sound of drums gave notice 
 of the king's approach, and every ej'e was 
 immediately directed to the quarter from 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 whence lie was expected. Tlie cavalcade 
 slioitly appeared, and four horsemen first 
 drew up in front of tlie chief's house, which 
 was near the centre of the course, and close 
 to the spot -where his wives and children and 
 ourselves were sitting. Several men bearing 
 on their heads an immense quantity of arrows 
 in huge quivers of leopard's skin came next, 
 followed by two persons who, by their extra- 
 ordinary antics and gestures, we concluded 
 to be buffoons. These two last were employed 
 in throwing sticks into the air as they went 
 on, and adroitly catching them in falling, 
 besides performing many whimsical and ridi- 
 culous feats, liehind these, and immediately 
 preceding the king, a group of little boys, 
 nearly naked, cam.e dancing merrily along, 
 flourishing cows' tails over their heads in all 
 directions. The king rode onwards, followed 
 by a number of fine-looking men, on handsome 
 steeds ; and the motley cavalcade all drew up 
 in front of his house, where they awaited his 
 further orders without dismounting. This we 
 tliOUght was the proper time to give the first 
 salute, fe-o we accordingly fired three rounds ; 
 and our example was^ immediately followed 
 by two soldiers with muskets which weie 
 made at least a century and a half ago. 
 
 " Preparations in the mean time had been 
 going on for the race, and the horses with 
 their riders made their appearance. The men 
 were dressed in caps and loose tobes and 
 trousers of every colour ; boots of red morocco 
 leather, and turbans of white and blue cotton. 
 The horses were gaily caparisoned ; strings of 
 little brass bells covered their heads; their 
 breasts were ornamented with bright red 
 cloth and tassels of silk and cotton ; a large 
 quilted pad of neat embroidered patchwork 
 was placed under the saddle of each; and 
 little charms, enclosed in red and yellow 
 cloth, were attached to the bridles with bits of 
 tinsel. The Arab saddle and stirrup were in 
 common use ; and the wiiole group presented 
 an imposing appearance. 
 
 " The signal for starting was made, and 
 the impatient animals sprung forward and set 
 off at a full gallop. The riders brandished 
 their spears, the little boys flourished their 
 cows' tails, and the buffoons performed their 
 antics — muskets were discharged — and the 
 chief himself, mounted on the finest horse on 
 the ground, watched the progress of the race, 
 while tears of delight were starting from his 
 eyes. The sun shone gloriously on the tobes 
 of green, white, yellow, blue, and crimson, as 
 they fluttered in the breeze ; and with the 
 fanciful caps, lire glittering spears, tiie jingling 
 of the horses' bells, the animated looks, and 
 warlike bearing of their riders, presented one 
 of the most extraordinary and pleasing sights 
 that we have ever witnessed. The race was 
 well contested, and terminated only by the 
 horses being fatigued and out of breath •, but 
 though every one was emulous to outstrip his 
 companion, honor and fame were the only 
 reward of the competitors. 
 
 " A few naked boys, on ponies wilhouf 
 saddles, then rode over the course, after 
 which the second and last heat commenced. 
 This was not by any means so good as the 
 first, owing toethe greater anxiety which the 
 horsemen evinc, d to display their skill in the 
 use of the spear and the management of their 
 animals. The king maintained his seat on 
 horseback during these amusements, without 
 even once dismounting to converse with lii.s 
 wives and childien, who were sitting on the 
 ground on each side of him. His dress was 
 showy rather than rich, consisting of a red 
 cap, enveloped in the large folds of a white 
 muslin turban, two under tobes of blue and 
 scarlet cloth, and an outer one of white muslin ; 
 red trousers, and boots of scarlet and yellow 
 leather. His horse seemed distressed by the 
 weight of his rider, and the various ornaments 
 and trappings with which his head, breast, 
 and body were bedecked. The chief's eldest 
 and youngest sons were near his women and 
 other children, mounted on two noble-iookino- 
 horses. The eldest of these youths was about 
 eleven years of age : the youngest being not 
 more thin three, was held on the back of his 
 animal by a male attendant, as he was unable 
 to sit upright in the saddle without this assist- 
 ance. Til*? child's dress was ill-suited to his 
 age. He wortj on his head a tight cap of 
 Manchester cotton, but it overhung the upper 
 part of his face, and together with its eiid.~, 
 which flapped over each cheek, hid nearly tlic 
 whole of his countenance from view ; his tobe 
 and trousers were made exactly in the same 
 fashion as those of a man, and two large belts 
 of blue cotton, wliich crossed each other, con- 
 fined the tobe to his body. The little legs of 
 the child were swallowed up in clumsy yellow 
 boots, big enough for his father ; and though 
 he was rather pretty, his whimsical dress gave 
 him altogether so odd an appearance, that )-.e 
 might have been taken for any thing but what 
 he really was. A few of the women on the 
 ground by the side of the king wore large 
 vvl'.ite dresses, which covered their persons 
 like a winding-sheet. Young virgins, accord- 
 ing to custom, appeared in a state of nudity ; 
 many of them liad wild flowers stuck behind 
 tlieir ears, and strings of beads, &c., round 
 their loins; but want of clothing did not seem 
 to damp their pleasure in the entertainment, 
 for they appeared to enter into it with as much 
 zest as any of their companions. Of the dif- 
 ferent coloured tobes worn by the men, none 
 looked so well as those of a deep crimson 
 colour on some of the horsemen ; but the 
 clean white tobes of the Mohammedan priests, 
 of whom not less than a hundred were 
 present on the occasion, were extremely neat 
 and becoming. The sport terminated vi'ithout 
 the slightest accident, and the king's dis- 
 mounting was the signal for the people to 
 disperse. 
 
 " We have here endeavoured, to the best of 
 our ability, to describe an African horse-race, 
 but it is impt;ssib!e to convey a correct idea 
 
•25G 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 of tlie singular and fantastic appearance of 
 the numerous groups of people that met our 
 view on all sides, or to describe their anima- 
 tion and delight ; the martial equipment of 
 the soldiers and their noble steeds, and the 
 ■wild, romantic, and overpowering interest of 
 the whole mass. Singing and dancing have 
 been kept up all night, and the revellers will 
 not think of retiring to rest till morning." 
 
 RcYAL Plates and 100 Guineas, 
 
 Run for in Great Britain in 1831, ivith the 
 names of the winners, weight, ^c. 
 
 Newmarket, April 19th ; Lucetta, by Re- 
 veller, 4yrs, 9st 41b, R. C— April 21st : Op- 
 pidan, by Rubens, 5yrs, list. R. C. 
 
 Chester, May 3d : Cupid, by Tramp, 4yrs, 
 8st 21b, thrice round. 
 
 Manchester, May 25th : The Earl, by Percy, 
 6yrs, list. 5lb, three miles and a distance. 
 
 Ascot Heath, May 3lst: Oppidan, 6yrs, 
 llstl21b, four miles.— June 3d: Falconbridge, 
 by Manfred, 5yrs, list 7lb, 2 miles and dis, 
 
 Hampton, June 8th : Bustle, by Whale- 
 bone, 4yrs, Sst 71b ; heats, twice round and a 
 distance. 
 
 Newcastle, June 21st : Carolan, by Catton, 
 4yrs, lOst 71b, 4m. 
 
 Guilford, June 28 : Abel, by Filho da Puta, 
 5 yrs, list 7lb, four mile heats. 
 
 Ipswich, July 5th ; Brown colt by Comus, 
 out of Rotterdam, 4yrs, lOst 7lb, four mile 
 heats. 
 
 Salisbury, July 28th : Jocko, by Filho da 
 Puta, aged, 12st, four mile heats. 
 
 Chelmsford, July 20th : Schumla, by Sultan, 
 4yrs, 8st 5lb, two mile heats. 
 
 Edinburgh, July 27th: Round Robin, by 
 Borodino, 5yrs, 8st 2lb, four mile heats. 
 
 York, Aug. 2d; Windcliflfe, by Waverley, 
 4yrs, lOst 71b, 4 miles. 
 
 Lewes, Aug. 4th: Mahmoud, by Sultan, 
 4yrs, lOst 71b, 4-m. h. 
 
 Weymouth, Aug. 17, ocko, aged, list 7lb ; 
 .heats, about 2 ni. 
 
 Goodwood, Aug. 19th : Midhurst, by Whale- 
 bone, 3yrs, 7st, 3m. 
 
 Canterbury, Aug. 24th : Camillus, by Can- 
 non Ball, Gyrs, list 1211), four-mile heats. 
 
 Winchester, Aug. 24th : Jocko, aged, 12st, 
 four-mile heats. 
 
 Warwick, Sept. 8th: Jocko, aged, 12st, 
 two-mile heats, 
 
 Lichfield, Sept. 13th: Jocko, aged, 12i5t, 
 four-mile heats. 
 
 Doncaster, Sept. 19th: Windcliffe, 4yrs, 
 lOst 71b, four-miles. 
 
 Shrewsbury, Sept. 22d : Hazard, by 
 Waverley, 5yrs, 9st Bib, thrice round and a 
 
 Carlisle, Sept. 28th : The Earl, G yrs, list 
 rilb, four-miles. 
 
 Lincoln, Sept. 28th : Maria, by Whiskey, 
 4yrs, Sst 41b, 2-m. h. 
 
 Richmond, Oct. 5th : Lady Sarah, by 
 Tramp, 5yrs, lOst. 4 m. 
 
 Newmarket, Oct. Gth : Schumla. 4yrs, lOst 
 71b, R.C. 
 
 Caledonian Hunt, Oct. 14th : Charley, by 
 Percy, aged, lOst, 4 m. 
 
 N.B.— The King's Plate, at Nottingham, 
 was not run for this year. 
 
 Ditto in Ireland 
 
 Curragh, April 26th : Vat, by Langar, 4yrs, 
 Sst 71b, four miles.— April 28th : Skylark, by 
 Waxy, 4yrs, lOst, four-mile heats. — April 
 30lh : The Distingue, by ^\'axy, 3yrs, 7st 
 lllb, three miles. — June 14 ; The Distingu^, 
 4yrs, Sst 71b, two-mile heats. — June IGth : 
 Mount Eagle, by AVaxy, ayrs, 12st 4lb, four- 
 mile heats. — June 17th : Skylark, 5yrs, 9st, 
 three-mile heats. — June ISth: Mount Eagle, 
 5 yrs, 9st, four-mile heats. 
 
 Bellewstown, June 30th: Skylark, 5 yrs^ 
 8st 91b, three-mile heats. 
 
 Royal Corporation, July 20th : Skylark, 
 5yrs, 9st 71b, four-mile heats. — July 23d : 
 Skylark, 5yrs, 9st two-mile heats. 
 
 Curragh, Sept. 7th : Mount Eagle, 5yrs, 
 12st, four-mile heats. — Sept. 8th : Cinnamon, 
 by Middleton, 3yrs, Sst, two-miles. — Sept. 
 9th: Urganda, by Tiresias, Gyrs, lOst, four 
 mile heats. — Oct. 19th : Mount Eagle, 5yrs, 
 lOst 5lb, three miles. 
 
 The Lord Lieutenant's Plate, Sept. 10th : 
 Mount Eagle, 5 yrs, Sst 81b, four miles. 
 
 The King's Plate, at Londonderry, was won 
 by Skylark. 
 
 A Capital Pointer. 
 
 A dog belonging to a gentleman in Dum- 
 fries, at once pointed a hare, a brace of par- 
 tridges, and a black cock. Upon the gentle- 
 man's going up, the hare rose and was shot ; 
 upon reloading, the dog still stood fast, when 
 the partridges got up and met with the same 
 fate ; and in the act of reloading, and the 
 dog still pointing, the black cock sprung 
 from a bush within a few yards, and escaped, 
 from the shot of the gun. 
 
 The Sportman's Mistress! 
 
 All good, like the woodcock, a micfress I boast, 
 Like the snipe, she will make a most excellent toast , 
 Like the quail, she's compact, and as smooth as a par- 
 tridge 
 That never was ruffled by sound of a cartridge ; 
 Like a well-fatted landrail, she's gentle and pleasant, 
 And, in external ornament, shines like the pheasant ; 
 Like the hare, and the rabbit, she's prudent and shy, 
 But sometimes, like them, \i found out by her eye. 
 What more need be said ! I must take her to house, 
 For her hands are as soft as the feet of a grouse. 
 
 Tally-ho 
 
PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 267 
 
 ,^Jf^il'> 
 
 
 OLD ENGLISH RUSTIC SPORTS 
 
 •■• Nt ought to take care," animateOly observed Sergeant Best, now Lord Wynford, " to pi-eservc on» 
 NATIOxMAL HABITS, MANNERS, and CUSTOMS. From the union of these has arisen our national spirit, 
 our love of independence, of justice, and of our country-THE TRUE AND ONLY SOURCES OF ALL 
 OUR GREATNESS AND ALL OUR HAPPINESS Wakes and their amusements arc amongst the cus- 
 toms, and are the fruits of our liberty. He who would destroy them, would make a change in our manners 
 and habits, the extent of which we cannot see, and for the consequences of which no good man would choose 
 to answer." 
 
 The above sentences are so truly English-like, 
 in our humble opinion, that they cannot be too 
 often repeated ; neither can they be too ani- 
 matedly impressed upon the minds of all those 
 persons holding official situations, more espe- 
 cially country magistrates. We feel quite 
 assured those individuals who love their coun- 
 try, and who also wish to see the inhabitants 
 of it living contented and happy under a go- 
 17. 
 
 vernment where such rational and pleasant 
 principles of liberty are recognized and pa- 
 triotically encouraged, that the old British 
 Rustic Sports will never want supporters. 
 The minds of the middling and lower classes 
 of society must be relieved from the cares and 
 fatigue of business ; relaxation at times is 
 positively necessary, both for the body as well 
 as the senses, in order to create fresh vigour 
 
25{> 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 amongst hard-working men to return to their 
 employments with spirit and cheerfulness ; 
 and to quote an old couplet on the subject — 
 
 All work and no alloy. 
 Will make Jack — a dull boy. 
 
 Then, if the middling or lower classes cannot 
 partake of the fascinations of the Opera, the 
 attractions of the Theatre, or dress sufficiently 
 well for the splendid Ball, surely they ought 
 not to be deprived of those harmless pleasures 
 which (however rude and uncultivated they 
 may appear in the eyes of persons who move 
 in a superior sphere of life) to the industrious 
 part of society prove such a source of pleasure 
 and enjoyment. Indeed, our legislators and 
 magistrates ought always to bear in mind those 
 four delightful lines of the late Dr. Goldsmith, 
 abounding with so much poetic simplicity 
 and animated truth, and which have been 
 quoted so many limes with such great effect, 
 to support the above positions in the scale of 
 society, and in no places have they been in- 
 sisted upon with more strength and good 
 feeling than in both Houses of Parliament : — 
 
 Princes and Lords may flourish or may fade : 
 A breath can make them as a breath has made : 
 But a bold peasantry, their country's pride. 
 When once destroyed can never be supplied. 
 
 Then such sports, the Rustic Sports, as we 
 are about to describe, we trust will always be 
 supported by the Government of the country ; 
 and that the poorer classes of society may 
 enjoy them without the slightest infringement 
 being attempted by any would-be overbearing 
 Aristocracy ! 
 
 Some few years since, in a trial where a 
 few individuals in the country were indicted 
 for a riot, in consequence of their having 
 started donkey-races, running for shifts, &c., 
 merely for amusement, whom the learned Ser- 
 geant Best, designated the Prosecutors, in 
 his address to the Jury, by the title of the 
 Pecenivirate of Plaistow : — " This Decemvi- 
 rate," said Sergeant Best, " declaring to the 
 astonished inhabitants what those persons 
 think, or wish others to think of the law with 
 regard to wakes and fairs. Such a law, if it 
 exists, has made those inhabitants, and tJie 
 inhabitants of most other villages and towns 
 in the kingdom, and their forefathers, from 
 the earliest periods of history down to this 
 moment, transgressors. Tlie law promulgated 
 by them is, that ' all sucli pastimes (donkey- 
 racing, women running for shifts, and men 
 jumping in sacks) are breaches of the peace, 
 and therefore illegal.' Where do these men 
 find any such doctrine, or that those pastimes 
 are breaclies of the peace ? AVho but the 
 learned Plaistow Decenivirate has ever said 
 that merriment, producing no violence to any 
 person, and exciting no terror, breaks the 
 peace ? Men assemble at wakes for the pur- 
 pose of merriment, and tliey have been allowed 
 so to assemble in all times, and in all parts of 
 the kingdom. Wakes, and such amusements 
 as were had at Plaistow, are as old as the law 
 itself; they cannot, therefore, be contrary to 
 
 law. Can any man point out any mischief 
 that results from them? It is true they may 
 for a while make the labourer forget the 
 aching of his weary limbs, and the poor man 
 forget the wretchedness of his poverty. But 
 surely there is nothing repugnant either to 
 law or to religion in this. The law in a free 
 government allows every man to do whatever 
 he pleases, provided it be not injurious to 
 himself or his neighbour. In the permission 
 to do what does not injure ourselves or others, 
 and the restraint that prevents us from what 
 does, consists true British Liberty. God 
 forbid that bigotry or superstition should ever 
 break in on the principles that secure this 
 blessing to every part of our community. It 
 is this which has made us a happy people 
 among ourselves, and a great, a dreaded, and 
 envied nation amongst the powers of the earth. 
 In this proud situation shall we always con- 
 tinue, as long as we look to the laws of our 
 forefathers as the rule of our rights and the 
 regulator of our conduct ; and take care to 
 preserve our national habits, manners, and 
 customs. From the union of these has arisen 
 our national spirit, our love of independence, 
 of justice, and of our country — the true and 
 only sources of all our greatness and all our 
 happiness. Wakes and their amusements are 
 amongst these customs, and are the fruits of 
 our liberty. — He v ho would destroy them 
 would make a change in our manners and habits, 
 the extent of which he cannot see, and for the 
 consequences of which no good man would 
 choose to answer. He would take away the 
 whole of the amusements of the lower orders 
 — and he must be a shallow politician who 
 does not perceive that, so far from preventing 
 order, by allowing these amusements, order 
 can only be preserved by permitting the great 
 body of the people to enjoy themselves in their 
 own way, the way into which they have been 
 led by the privileges of their forefathers, and 
 which continues to delight them because it is 
 known to have always delighted. Therefore, 
 it clearly follows that assemblies at wakes, or 
 other festival times, or meetings for exercise 
 of common sports and diversions, as bull- 
 baiting, wrestling, and such like, are not 
 riotous. People assembled at a festival time, 
 for the exercise of common sports, and I must 
 say of sports that, however ridiculous they 
 may appear to persons of great austerity of 
 manners, must be allowed even by such per- 
 sons, to be less cruel than those which, ac- 
 cording to the great authority to which I have 
 referred, are permitted by the law. 
 
 But what is there in donkey-racing, jumping 
 in sacks, or running for shifts, that can strike 
 terror into the minds of the king's subjects ? 
 These amusements may be followed with 
 noise ; but it is a noise that exhilarates the 
 mind instead of occasioning terror. Gentle- 
 men, I boast no great strength of nerves — 
 much of my life has been spent under tlie 
 pressure of the disease with which I am at 
 this moment afflicted ; but I am not so sub- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S liOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 'i59 
 
 dued as to be frightened at the noise of mirth, 
 or so fretful as not to be delijjhted with seeing 
 happy faces ; and. Gentlemen, although don- 
 key-racing is not exactly the sport that I 
 should choose for my own amusement, yet, as 
 I know it makes many people very merry, if 
 this diversion ever wants a patron in the 
 country in wliich I live, it shall find one in 
 me. As to the running for shifts, I do not 
 know any way in which one can with so much 
 delicacy present our poor countrywomen with 
 so comfortable an article of dress. 
 
 This, and this only, was the purpose of my 
 clients assembling. Nothing else was intended. 
 If any thing further happened, it was occa- 
 sioned by the rude, the insolent, the illegal 
 interference of the London constables. If 
 there was any violence, the constables were 
 the authors of it. Indeed, their conduct was 
 calculated to provoke greater violence than it 
 produced. Before they interfered there was 
 not tlie least appearance of tumult. One of 
 the prosecutor's witnesses describes what he 
 saw and heard, by saying it resembled what 
 usually passes at fairs and wakes, that there 
 was no concert amongst those assembled to 
 insult any one, or do mischief to any person. 
 
 I trust. Gentlemen, his Lordship will con- 
 firm to you what I have said respecting the 
 law Hint must be the rule of your decision in 
 this case. I trust that you will find that I 
 have fairly and candidly commented on the 
 facts : it was my intention so to do ; there is 
 nothing in the case that I wished to keep back 
 from your view. You will perceive that this 
 prosecution is the offspring of a gloomy dis- 
 position, which is unfortunately becoming 
 much too prevalent. I wish I could persuade 
 those who indulge it of the folly of their 
 conduct. But, if I cannot persuade them to 
 be happy, I hope I shall have persuaded you 
 not to allow them to make others miserable. 
 Let not any inconsiderable portion of the peo- 
 ple dictate to the rest how they are to conduct 
 themselves. Preserve to us the manners, the 
 laws, and the religion of our forefathers ; let 
 not them be broken in upon by visionary 
 theory or sullen bigotry," 
 
 Mr. Justice Heath observed that no man 
 will say that a fair is an illegal assemblage : 
 and that persons in assembling to amuse 
 themselves with donkey-racing, women run- 
 ning for shifts, and a variety of diversions, 
 are no breaches of the peace, it is no riot, and 
 there is nothing at all in it criminal. I again 
 repeat tliat such conduct amounts to no breach 
 of the peace. 
 
 In the case alluded to, the Jury imtnediately 
 found all the defendants — not guilty. 
 
 Rural Sports at Northfleet ! 
 
 The above interesting village is distinguish- 
 ed for Rustic Fetes during the summer 
 months ; indeed, there is scarcely a landlord 
 either in Upper or Lower Northfleet, but 
 
 sends forth his bill of fare, in turn, during 
 the season, for a sort of jollijicatwn, in order 
 to make the country folks merry and happy, 
 and also to render their labour light and 
 cheerful. A variety of Prizes are given by 
 the Bonifaces for donkey-racing, climbing a 
 greasy pole for a leg of mutton, jumping in 
 sacks, &c., and the candidates in general are 
 very numerous, and their exertions likewise 
 produce considerable fun aud laughter: — 
 
 How often have I blest the coming-day, 
 When toil remitting lent its turn to play, 
 And all the village train, from labour free, 
 Led up their sports beneath the spreading tree ; 
 While many a pastime circled in the shade, 
 The young contending as the old surveyed : 
 
 And many a gambol polish'd o'er the ground. 
 And sleights of art, and feats of strength went round. 
 And still, as each repeated pleasure tir'd. 
 Succeeding sports the mirthful band inspir'd ; 
 The dancing pair that simply sought renown. 
 By holding out to tire each other down ; 
 The swain mistrustless of his smutted face. 
 While secret laughter titter'd round the place ; 
 The bashful virgin's side-long looks of love, 
 The matron's glance tliat would those looks reprove. 
 These are thy charms, sweet village! Sports like 
 
 these 
 With sweet succession, taught e'en toils to please: 
 Here round thy bowers their cheerful influence shed. 
 These arr thy charms I 
 
 The Village of Northfleet, which has 
 within the last three or four years become 
 rather a fashionable place of resort, in conse- 
 quence of its short distance from London, but 
 principally owing to the facility and cheap- 
 ness of the steam boats going to and from the 
 Metropolis at all hours of the day, is situated 
 upon a small creek, or arm of the Thames, 
 and, like Greenhithe and Purfleet, is famous 
 for its chalk and lime, which are articles of 
 considerable traffic,, not merely to London 
 builders, and as a manure to the farmers of 
 Suffolk and Norfolk, but are exported in 
 great quantities to the opposite coast of Flan- 
 ders and Holland. 
 
 The valley through which this small branch 
 of the Thames flows was once covered with 
 water; and, being completely environed with 
 hills, formed a secure harbour for small ships ; 
 and here, during the invasion of this country 
 by the Danes, their navy was laid up in the 
 winter season. The chalk cliffs ansply reward 
 the researches of the naturalist, in the strata 
 of flint, of which great quantities are wrought 
 for muskets. Cockle-shells of an extraordi- 
 nary size are found, completely lilled with 
 chalk. 
 
 On the summit of the cliff, and to the north 
 of the village, stands St. Botolph's church, an 
 extensive building, containing several monu- 
 ments, particularly a fine alabaster one, to 
 Dr. Brown, physician to Charles II., eminent 
 for his skill in Natural History. At the dis- 
 tance of a mile across the valley, westward, is 
 seen the white spire of Swainsconib, from the 
 wood near which the men of Kent advanced 
 with boughs to meet the Conqueror, and de- 
 mand the rights of Gavel Kind, which he 
 confirmed to them. This is a tenure peculiai 
 
 S 2 
 
2ui» 
 
 PIERCE EGAN a ji(JOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 to the county of Kent, and consists in an 
 equal division of the father's lands among all 
 his sons ; or, if a brother die without issue, 
 among .ill his brethren. 
 
 Nortlifieet, by land, is distant from the me- 
 tropolis twenty miles, and by water about 
 twenty-eight. The population of which are 
 estimated at about 3000, and who are princi- 
 pally employed in agriculture, or in the chalk 
 works. It is tolerably well-supplied with 
 fish, and rather distinguished for its fine 
 siirimps. The walk from Northfleet, by the 
 side of the river, to Gravesend, one mile and 
 a half, is truly delightful and interesting ; and 
 the " Gruves," as they are called, aie situated 
 on a hill, about midway, in which seats are 
 placed to rest the lounging or inquisitive tra- 
 veller. In the *' Groves" may be seen numbers 
 of the fair sex, who, if circumstances deprive 
 them of a cliovalier to guard them in their 
 strolls, nevertheless they are not seen without 
 a " Pelham " to claim their attention ; while 
 other ladies, perhaps, are dropping a tear over 
 the amiable but unfortunate attachment of 
 poor Alice, in Eugene Aram. Some of the 
 Swells of the day, who are out upon a cruise, 
 may likewise be witnessed enjoying all the 
 comforts and luxuries of the " Groves" with a 
 Cignr in their ' upper works,' beholding^ some 
 of Britain's best bulwarks proudly sailing to 
 and fro — and other ' lads of the village' are 
 also amusing each other by reading out aloud 
 to some of their party, those choice anecdotes 
 which are to be met with in the Book of 
 Sports. 
 
 It is true that Northfleet, at the present 
 moment (May, 1832) cannot boast of any 
 increase of new streets, nor, indeed, the erec- 
 tion of new houses, whicii the public, it should 
 seem, rather anticipated from the patronage 
 which the above place received during the last 
 Summer; but nevertheless it is said that 
 "great doings" are in embryo, and some rapid 
 changes will be effected to meet the expecta- 
 tion of its patrons. The spirited proprietors 
 of the Dock-yard (which is now little else 
 but a barren waste, altiiough at one period 
 some of the first class of ships in the British 
 Navy, and in the East India service,were built, 
 and where theRussian fleet was refitted inl813) 
 Messrs. Pitchers, are the * Great Creatures' of 
 Northfleet, and who have employed several 
 persons of talent and taste to take a synopsis 
 of the most fashionable squares and buildings 
 at Brighton, Margate, Hastings, &c., in order 
 that Northfleet, sooner or later, may vie in 
 competition either for splendour or accommo- 
 dation with any other places of fashionable 
 resort in the kingdom. 
 
 Several spots of ground, it appears, have 
 already been marked out for the erection of 
 new houses, also for commodious baths, which 
 the water here is considered better than most 
 oilier parts of the river, on account of its 
 purity, as a commencement of the " great 
 doings," upon a large mound, or mount, near 
 the iimc Avalks, aad delightfully surrounded 
 
 with gardens ; indeed, it is a most interesting 
 and picturesque spot of ground altogether, the 
 top of which has been secured by railing to 
 render it prefectly safe to the visitors. A sort 
 of battery has also been made, to give it the 
 appearance of a tower, with port holes for the 
 reception of guns; and on whicli a flag pole 
 is already hoisted. This mount has been pre- 
 paring all the winter for the amusement of 
 the " Russian Mountains," for those persons 
 who have courage to partake of such velocity; 
 and similar to those mountains, which were 
 very prevalent in Paris a few years ago, and 
 also first introduced into England by Mr. 
 Thomas Rouse, the spirited proprietor of the 
 Eagle Tavern, City Road. 
 
 However, if Northfleet does not contain 
 many very magnificent edifices, it nevertheless 
 has lots of small houses,the very essence of ac- 
 commodation ; more especially for those persons 
 who bring with them their own refreshments 
 from London. Hot water can be purchased at a 
 trifling expense ; the loan of tea cups and 
 saucers at a reasonable rate; knives and 
 forks and a clean table-cloth in the same pro- 
 portion : but to those individuals who are not 
 particular to a shade, and who can relish 
 ' content in a cottage,' and who have only 
 time to pass away few hours, before they are 
 absolutely compelled to return to the metro- 
 polis to business, Northfleet affords every 
 accommodation and comfort. The lodgings 
 are also very clean at the above houses ; and 
 within the reach, as to price, of persons in 
 general. 
 
 Northfleet, in the eyes of the Sporting peo- 
 ple, who speak hi^ldy of it as a place well 
 adapted for training — the breizes from the 
 river, they assert, are truly renovating ; the 
 ground is also high and dry ; and it abounds 
 with walks not only calculated to make the 
 healthful person doubly strong and vigorous, 
 but likewise to restore the valetudinarian 
 once more to the comforts of health and 
 spirits — by the inviting modes to exercise 
 which it continually aflTords to him. 
 
 Fruit of the finest description can also be 
 had in this village, and extremely cheap, 
 numbers of gardens being devoted by their 
 proprietors to accommodate the visitors. 
 
 The Inns are respectable in both Upper 
 and Lower Northfleet — tlie Queen's Arms and 
 the Leather Bottle on the hill, the Plough 
 and Harrow, at the foot of Stonebridge; the 
 India Arms, on the shore ; and the Royal 
 Charlotte, near the Dock Yard ; and the 
 Red Lion* — the Shipwright's Arms, t Half 
 
 • Mr. Kosling, a capital breeder of game coclis ; 
 and also a first rate rocker. Although " mine host " 
 has hut oi>e arm in the service, " yet his soul and 
 body's on the action,' towards those pe^s^IlS who visit 
 the Ked I.ion, in order tj make them comfortable, 
 and also at a moderate expons;;. 
 
 t The landlord of the Sliipwright's Arms is the 
 well known Tom Owen. In consequence of the im- 
 provements made in the Ea.<it End of the Town to 
 form St Katlieriiic'.s docks— the ilnmiis of Owen 
 being siultlcrt, he was cnini;el!ed to get fresh quarters; 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 261 
 
 IMoon ccc, and all of which are kept by well- 
 behaved and accommodatint^ landlords. 
 
 Northfleet has no splendid Libraries to 
 boast of; the sounds of the Grand Piano 
 
 Forte have not as yet been heard in the 
 Library at this village ; nor the warblingsof 
 some of our celebrated vocalists have not lent 
 their assistance to attract company ; but al- 
 tlioiigh the reading room is small it is not des- 
 
 but Tom had scarcely fitted up his new habitation 
 when the New Brunswick. Theatre was destroyed, 
 and blasted all Owen's iirospects in the \icinity of 
 AVellclose Square. He then bade adieu to the metro- 
 polis for ever, to finish tlie remainder of his innings in 
 this life in a quiet retired sort of manner, and during 
 one of our ' tiny trips " by steam, we found him in the 
 character of " icine host," at the above sign. Tom 
 has been denominated by the whole of his friends as 
 a cUaracter— to which we add, without the slightest 
 hesitation— a special orioinal; and one of the LiuNs 
 upon two legs in the Sporting World : yet there is 
 nothing like iiim to be found in the Zoological (Jar- 
 deus, in Regent's Park ; or in Mr. Cross's New 
 Surrey arrangement for the rarities and curiosities 
 of this life : — 
 
 Tom Owen was a boxer brave, 
 
 As any on the lisf? 
 Could stay and hit, and chant a stave, 
 
 And handled well his fist. 
 Many's the time, Tom sent 'em do'rii — 
 
 And sometimes " pick'd 'em up !"* 
 But he's no longer " on the Town !" 
 
 Contented with a siip.i 
 Tom once was famous for liis " prop !"j 
 
 To us— the Ould Ones tell ! 
 Hooper ! he made to shut up shop — 
 
 Kare pugilistic swell.^^ 
 
 • Tom Owen was considered a very capital second 
 in the P. R., indeed, much better than most of his 
 brethren of the ti.st. It was not tlie fault of Owen if 
 the man that he hnndlcil did not win ; but it was a 
 rich treat to hear him give ad\'ice to his /iroic^fe in 
 the King. The celebrated \\ alker, and his pronounc- 
 ing dictionary, would liave been /ioored a hundred 
 times, to nothing, by comparison with Tom's ci/co- 
 jihonij! But there was a great deal of judgment dis-. 
 played by Tom towards bringing his man " through 
 the piece," as it is termed- he well knew when his 
 man should fight shy, or play at " long bowls ;" or, to 
 go in, and " lip all nine." But Tom Owen is an old 
 Cocker— and to use his own words upon such occasions, 
 " if tliere is no breed in the cove, why then, you 
 know, we must leave it all to the cook, to dress the 
 joint as he thinks proper.'' 
 
 t " I shall be perfectly contented," s«id Tom, "to 
 get a crust for myself, as I have coUectfd together a 
 few crumbs of comfort in my time, against a rainy 
 day ; and so that I give my visitors and old pals satis- 
 faction, when they give my crib a turn, I shall be 
 happy. As both myself and old woman have set our 
 facts against riaili?ic, imposition shall not be in Co. 
 with the sign of the Shipwright's Arms. " Live and let 
 live," is our motto— as we wish to see our friends 
 again and again, and as often as they can make it con- 
 venient to visit Northfleet. We do not wish to sell 
 them at starting. 
 
 X Tom claims this feature in the P. R. to be de- 
 cidedly his own invention : " to put the p?op on your 
 antagonist," is to lay hold of one of his arms in the 
 struggle in closing, and to prevent him from hitting 
 you. A most desirable circtimstance, when it can be 
 effected. 
 
 Il The S7iell tinman, Hooi'er, was one of those 
 " playthings " of the great; and, sheltered under the 
 wings of nobility, he became pampered, insolent, and 
 mischievous. His courage was undoubted, and though 
 his frame was but small, it contained the heart of a 
 lion ; big men struck no terror to his feelings, and he 
 opposed them with all the hardihood of an equal com- 
 petitor determined to conquer, without reflecting on 
 the inequality of his own make ; and, at one time, was 
 considered, as to size, one of the best " bits of stnp " 
 in the kingdom. The late Lord Barrymoke, wliose 
 
 Well known was Tom in days of Cribb — 
 Tom Belcher and " the Blat k .'" 
 
 Fond of the truth, yet lov'd to " fib .'"* 
 His 'yarii,'i about Jack Slack. 
 
 eccentricities would fill a volume, was his patron ; 
 and at whose country seat he principally dwelt. 
 Here poor Hooper lost himself; the station was too 
 high for his mind, and he fancied himself a grent 
 man. His Lordsbip was fond of larking, and when- 
 ever he could not come through the piece in style. 
 Hooper appeared as hisbully — whose name overawed, 
 and, many a time he has saved his patron a good 
 milling. Hooper's insolence at length became in- 
 tolerable ; and, unfortunately, for a printe s(juad of 
 spunging coves, that stuck to his Lordship like so 
 many leeches, he began to reform, or more properly 
 speaking, he was bouleit out, and these enviable cha- 
 racters were turned np .' Hooper soon afterwards 
 became wretched — disease overtook him, and re- 
 peated intoxication brought him to the brink of the 
 grave ; and, one evening, a few years since, he was 
 found insensible on the step of a door in St. Gib s's, 
 and conveyed to the watchhouse ; and, on enquiring 
 ■who he was, he could very faintly articulate, ' Hoop- 
 l/onp ;' but, being recognized as the miserable rem- 
 nant of that once powerful pugilistic hero, he was hu- 
 manely taken to the workhouse, where he immediately 
 expired."- Boxiana, vol. i., p. 5, 6. 
 
 Lord Barrymore, for a lark, as he afterwards 
 termed it, dressed up Hooper as a clergyman, and 
 took him, on a crowded gala night, to Vauxhall. His 
 Lordship and his pal kept the ' game alive ' pretty 
 briskly, when a row was designedly got up, in which 
 the pretended clergyman was to astoni.sh some of the 
 visitors, not with his words, but with his actions. 
 Hooper ' served it out ' most gloriously to hissulprised 
 congregation, and he would, no doubt, have retired 
 from the noisy scene in the character of a ' good' man, 
 had he not been discovered by the late Felix fllacar- 
 thy, Esq., ('one of the late Brinsley Sheridan, Esq's., 
 M. P., most intimate friends) a gentleman connected 
 with the Press. " Nevermind," said Hooper, laughing 
 heartily, on being discovered, " I have only been 
 pniiisliing th» wicked ones for their evil ways ; and 1 
 have tipped it to them, right and left, to show that I 
 am no respecter of persons." " Most certainly," 
 whi.spered his Lordship, " and you have made some 
 of the best hits, this season, at Vauxhall. 
 
 * Technical, in the P. R. to hammer your opponent 
 repeatedly in close quarters ; and to get no return fur 
 the compliment you are bestowing upon him. 
 
 t Owen observes, "he always likes to talk about 
 the good ' Onld Ones,' the remembrance of them is as 
 good as a reviving cordial to his feelings ; and some- 
 thing after the manner of the chickens following the 
 hen, the young pugilists may be seen listening to the 
 ' long yarn' of Tom Owen, about the exploits and 
 victoriesof the boxers of theOlden Times. ' D'ye mind 
 me,' says Tom, ' that old Broughton was a broth of a 
 boy — he certainly was a rum one in his day ; but he 
 unfortunately gave a chance away, and that floored 
 him for the remainder of his life ; therefore, my chicks, 
 when you become game cocks, you must give no 
 chances a.via.y if you intend to climb up to the top of 
 the tree, and try to keep there, when you are at the 
 top — one false step, my young ones, and it's all my 
 eye and Betty Martin with you afterwards. That Jack 
 Slack, too, was a rare man, brave to the back bone — 
 he hit his opponents hard and fast, and took the con- 
 ceit out of them before they could count fifty— how 
 he tipped it to that ere Frenchman, one Pettit, he 
 made o/^^mode of him in no time. 1 am always de- 
 lighted when I think upon it A Frenchman to have 
 the impudence to think he could lick an Englishman ! 
 none of your parleys wooes for me ! Slack is a good 
 model my chicks, for you to copy — the ' Bel-sh'aws ' 
 
2C2 
 
 PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 titute of attraction, and the patronage of the 
 public can do much to increase its size and 
 fill its shelves with all our modern works of 
 consequence. However, it is but common 
 
 justice to say, that the librarian, Mrs. Thorn- 
 ton, is a female of talent, truly polite, and re 
 spectable in her manners, and well calculated 
 to manage a library and to give satisfaction to 
 
 And Dan Mendoza, of great fame. 
 
 He • cut tifi ' in the Ring ; 
 Thus — Tommy Owen raised his name 
 
 Which made his friends to sing.* 
 
 Tom, had three hoys, he taught to fight- 
 
 TuR.NER, Josh, and 1)avv;+ 
 To see them mill was Tom's delight I 
 
 And serve out—" the gravy !"i 
 
 The John Bull fighter, full o( pluck — 
 Of right — true English breed ! 
 
 Always brave ! tho' out of luck 
 The NO ! was ne'er his creed.|| 
 
 The game Nkd Turner once a toast. 
 
 No better man alive !j 
 He was ' the Fancy's ' pride and boast. 
 
 On victory did thrive. 
 And brave young Davy ne'er did bolt. 
 
 But boldly fac'd his men '. 
 He won with Dick and Harry Holt — 
 
 A hero for the Pen !t 
 
 But Tom's retired from the Street- 
 
 Of London ! dashing place ! 
 To serve his friends at Nokthflekt, 
 
 Tom spurts a vet'ran's face ! 
 
 are descended from him — Slack is wortn remember- 
 ing," &c. 
 
 • Tom Owen had arrived at the age of fifty-one 
 years, when he entered the ring to tight the cele- 
 brated Dan M endoza — the present father of the P. R. 
 His fiiends, as a matter of course, were delighted 
 with his victory. 
 
 + And 'good boys' they were, according to the 
 term of goodness in the P. R. Ned Turner, Josh, and 
 Davy Hudson — must come under the denomination of 
 
 " OUT-*ND-0UTKRS." 
 
 % Politely termed the " Claret." 
 
 I| " No, NO, never !" as the song says — Josh Hud 
 Boa never said NO — the John Bull fighter's heart was 
 too big to permit him to do so, and his chajfrr re 
 fused to give utterance to such a phrase so terrifying 
 to a brave mind ; he therefore, left that disagreeable 
 unwelcome sound to his seconds, who, when tliey 
 could not get a word from him— were compelled to 
 allow the battle was at an end. 
 
 § Of his weight — one of the bravest of the brave — ; 
 as good as gold — his memorable battle with the late 
 Jack Randall, the Nonpareil, stamped Turner's cha- 
 racter for nothing else but a " good one." However, 
 as both of them are now gone to " that bourne from 
 whence no traveller returns, " perhaps the following 
 lines, from one of our old sporting chants, may appear 
 not unacceptable as a short epitaph to bo.h of tlieir 
 meniorif ■ : — 
 
 Pats who saw Jack Randall fight. 
 That filled the Fancy with delight. 
 Oh 1 it was a manly sight. 
 
 Such game lads to see, 
 
 Back'd by the Welch, Ned took his ground, 
 A better man could ne'er be found. 
 Showing fine science ev'ry round, 
 
 And not a fliiicher he ! 
 
 An Out-and Outer is Randall's due. 
 And Turner's an Otit-and-Outer too, 
 like such Trumps there are but few — 
 T'wards Victory. 
 
 II This was a battle indeed — scientific and game on 
 both sides, until the end of the chapter ; »nd .10 
 touched was Jack Randall, who acted as second to 
 ^olt, that on the defeat of the latter boxer, he wept 
 like a child. 
 
 quite " at home ;"J 
 
 Tel Tom docs not forget ' Old Times !"• 
 
 Oft of P. R. doth sing! 
 4nd like the bells' merry chimes — 
 
 He chants — " God save the King l"t 
 
 The "Sage of the East' 
 
 But not inclin'dto syar ! 
 To meet his friends when they do roam, 
 
 And try 'em at his Bar l|| 
 
 Tom is ' the one ' to patter _/?«.?/«,§ 
 And make the Coveys laugh. 
 
 • " There never teas such times ■'" used to be the 
 phrase a few years ago ; but the case is rather altered 
 now as to milliug — indeed, the boot is on the other 
 leg. But a lucky hit or two may make it ' all 
 right' once more. So as the man says at the Play- 
 house, " True hope ne'er tires V 
 
 + " Sing it," says Tom, " aye till I am hoarse I" 
 It is true Tom does not break out perhaps with that 
 sort of fervour which distinguished the great Lord 
 Thurlow in the House of Lords, during the illness of 
 King George 111. — who electrified the Peers, by his 
 mode of delivery — " When 1 forget my King, may 
 God forget me !" But nevertheless, Tom is as heart 
 whole towards his Majesty King William—" God bless 
 liim — and his old cocked hat too — all, all, and every 
 thing about or belonging to him — I likes him — he is 
 the right sort of a King— and a man into the bargain — 
 which does not always follow, you know, when we 
 are talking about the Nobs of Society — 1 begs pardon, 
 I should have said Crowned Heads — but havn't I seen 
 him at a tnill — his conduct so like an EnglLshroau — no 
 pride — but he is a true Blue — an honor to his country, 
 from ihe crown of his head to the soles of his feet, and 
 no mistake — I loves all right ones— and I say, may the 
 King live for ever, for he wishes to make all his sub- 
 jects happy. 
 
 % Tom, in his peculiar line of life is quite as much 
 • at home,' as to the ' flatter of the thing,' as the cele- 
 brated Mr. Mathews ; and some of 'I'om's Nuiicy- 
 dotes, as he calls them, are rich in the extreme, as to 
 colouring and character, and he relates them with so 
 much naivete, that roars of laughter always follow 
 his recital. 
 
 II An acquittal is, very easily obtained at Tom 
 Owen's bar— if the 'givers' and the 'takers,' only 
 mix. together spirit with generosity. 
 
 i Mr Thomas Moore is universally admired for the 
 beautiful imagery he displayed in Lullah Rook ; and 
 also for his superior knowledge of the idiom of the 
 Ea.stern dialect, which appears conspicuous throughout 
 the Poem. But forbid it presumption I Forbid it 
 egotism ! and forbid it in the shape of personal vanity 
 that we should attempt to follow in the wake of this 
 justly celebrated and delightful I'oet : but he has also 
 proved himself equally successful in his acquaintance 
 with the slang, or flash language, in a work attributed 
 to him, intitled "Tom Cribb's Memorial to Congress." 
 Respecting the slangoi the day, he thus observes, (p. 
 xxix), " To the cultivation in our times, of the science 
 of Pugilism, the flash language is indebted for a ccn- 
 siderable addition to its treasures. Indeed, so impos- 
 sible is it to describe the operations of the Fancy 
 without words of proportionate energy to do justice to 
 the subject that we find Pope and Cowper, in their 
 translation of the set-to in the Iliad, pressing words 
 into the service which had seldom, I think, if ever, 
 been enlisted into the ranks of poetry before. Thus 
 Pope, 
 
 " Secure his band, his whole frame confound. 
 Mash all his bones and all his body pound." 
 
 Therefore, we only stand up for the character of the 
 thing ; or, in other words, when we are " at Rome," 
 we are compelled " to do as Rome does." But to 
 render ourselves perfectly intelligible on the subject, 
 ■.^hen we are amongst the 'Fancy,' we like to ex- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 263 
 
 all her subscribers — we need not be told, that 
 St. Paul's was not built in a day. 
 
 The shore at Northfleet is extremely at- 
 tractive, and in that part of the river called 
 
 With ' whites ' and ' tops ' he cuts a dash, 
 
 Aud like a Beak — can chaff'.* 
 O'er ' heavy whet,' or glass of tfrog, 
 
 Tommy is no starter — 
 With his rich chant of — " Rum Ould Mag '."t 
 
 And " wot are you arter V 
 
 press ourselves like 'one of the Fancy,' and if we 
 might be permitted to say a word or two in behalf of 
 ourselves, to remove a sort of uniust prejudice which 
 hangs over our character, that we are Flash, and 
 nothing else but Flash. We are extremely anxious 
 to remove this prejudice against us — and we boldly 
 assert, that in all our f^criOblhigv, we have endea- 
 voured to portray real life in every shape as it has ap- 
 peared before us in the world ; and such as an indi- 
 vidual should comport himself, when placed in the 
 following situations in society. To behave with pro- 
 priety at a funeral ; to act with gravity at a wedding; 
 be lively at a christening ; cheerful over the glass ; 
 full of spirit and agility in a ball room ; attentive and 
 respectful in a court of justice ; and so on to the end 
 of the chapter of circumstances. To steer clear at all 
 times of a jaundiced eye, and always to bear in mind 
 that there is ariME for every thing. But in no situa- 
 tion of lifetn appear like a diimmi/, and be insensible 
 to the surrounding scene ; nay, on the contrary, ue 
 have always endeavoured to " catch the manners 
 living as they rise." 
 
 • Of all the " clwff-cuttin^ " likely to prove un- 
 welcome to the Fancy, that of the (Beak, or) Justice 
 hits the hardest ; indeed, it is any thing but a joke or 
 fun ; for if a man does not commit himself, it is not 
 two to one, but he may stand committed before his 
 betters. 
 
 t For the richness of its peculiar style, and a fine 
 specimen of low-life, such songs as are relished by the 
 _/f'isli part of society— it has been considered, in point 
 of taste and character, equal to Ambroghetti's 
 " Vivan le femine, " at the Italian Opera, in Don 
 Giovanni : but to prevent disputes, Rttm Ould Mog 
 shall speak for herself : — 
 Rum Ol'ld Moo was a leary flash mot, and she was 
 
 round and fat. 
 With twangs in her shoes, a wheel-barrow too, and an 
 
 oilskin round her hat ; 
 A blue bird's eye o'er her dairy fine, as she mizzled 
 
 through Temple Bar — 
 Of vich side of the vay, I cannot say, but she bon'd 
 it from a Tar. 
 
 Singing Fol-lol-lol, de-rol-lol-Iol, de-rol-lol- 
 lol-de-lido. 
 Now Mog's flash companion was a Chick-lane gill, 
 
 and he garter'd below his knee. 
 He had twice been pnll'd, and nearly lagg'd, but got 
 
 off by going to sea ; 
 With his pipe and quid, and chanting voice. Potatoes 
 
 he would cry ; 
 For he valued neither Cove nor Swell, for he had 
 u edge snug in his die. 
 
 Singing, fol-lol-lol, &c. 
 One night they went to a Cock and Hen club, at the 
 
 sign of the Mare and Stallion, 
 But such a sight was never seen as Mog and her flash 
 
 companion ; 
 Her Covey was an am'rous blade, and hebuss'd young 
 
 Bet on the sly. 
 When Mog up with her daddle bang-up to the mark, 
 and she black'd the Bunter's eye. 
 Singing, Fol-lol-lol, &c. 
 Now this brought on a general tight. Lord, what a 
 
 gallows row — 
 With whacks and thumps throughout the night, till 
 
 drunk as David's sow — 
 Milling up and down with cut heads, and lots of 
 
 broken ribs. 
 But the lark being o'er — they ginned themselve ..t 
 jolly Tom Cribb's. 
 
 Singing, Follil lol, &c. 
 
 the Hope, in which the largest Eastlndiamcn 
 frequently make their anchorage, renders the 
 view at all times much better seen than can 
 be described : there are several decent shops 
 
 The Magnet, Venus, and the Dart, 
 
 I'he Hero cuts along. 
 With Companies so nice and smart, 
 
 A jolly, merry throng. 
 Here steamers gay like any crowd. 
 
 With Sue, Jane, and Nancy — 
 And lots of Dons so high and proud, 
 
 With the k/iowi/ig — " Fancy !" 
 The trip's delightful! quite a treat ! 
 
 View Greenwich and her halls ; 
 Behold ships— mark'd not with defeat, 
 
 "Old England's Wooden Walls!"* 
 For rural walks none more complete 
 
 Than round this fav'rite spot; 
 The water, scenery, at Northfleet— 
 
 With humble Peasant's cot ! 
 All unite I to please and attract. 
 
 And make the mind so gay ; 
 Both ' up ' and ' duirn ' with so much tact t 
 
 To spend a pleasant day I 
 To dance, and sing ; or make a feast, 
 
 The ' Summer Season ' courts ; 
 Welcome to Tom, ' late of the East !' 
 
 Famous for Rustic Sports I 
 
 Take notice, lads! the Shipwright's Arms, 
 
 I'he Sportsman's leading star .J 
 To the Faiicy has many charms,\\ 
 
 Besides—" a gay ould Tar !" 
 
 * If we cannot praise the poetry, (rather say 
 crambo) which we do not feel ourselves inclined to do ; 
 but viewing it as a mere vehicle for the introduction 
 of these notes, we flatter our.selves there is a bit of 
 good truth attached to the remark ; and we sincerely 
 
 hope it will hold good to the end of time : 
 
 Lot us see on their vessels Old England's flag wave. 
 They shall find British Sailors only conquer to save. 
 
 t Only " three bob," up and down, with sun shine 
 into the bargain ; accompanied with delightful breeze.i, 
 plenty of fresh air, music, good company, scarcely 
 missed from business, the landing place as safe as 
 walking upon a carpet, and free, gratis, into the bar- 
 gain. A voyage of ' pleasure, ' neither too long nor 
 short— it is the thing to a nicety. " D'ye mind me," 
 says Tom, " the name of the place is Noktheleet, 
 rurality in perfection. And where can you lay out 
 your money better ? Where can you lay it out so 
 well. Think of that my worthy mistresses and nias- 
 ters, when you don't see me." 
 
 j The nameof a Sporting man attached toaiiy sr^o, 
 either in town or country, is always an object of at- 
 traction to the members of the Sporting World. His 
 house of accommodation is sure to be the resort of tra- 
 vellers, and also visited by the town's folks ; not 
 merely to obtain a sight of the individual who has 
 obtained a certain sort of notoriety from his exertions 
 in the P. R., Hunting, Racing, &c., but the house 
 kept by a public man is considered always to contain 
 company of the liveliest description, and where an 
 hour or two, or an evening, may be spent in the most 
 pleasant and agreeable manner, with songs, anecdotes 
 &c. ' 
 
 II The parlour of Tom Owen, in this part of the 
 world, contains many charms for the country-folks ; 
 indeed, it might be fairly termed a Spouting Gal- 
 lery ' the walls of which are covered with Sporting 
 subjects, elegantly framed ; and which has recently 
 been chri.<tened by a great Sportsman in the neigh- 
 bourhood, as " Owen's Miaeum." The likenesses of 
 our most gracious Sovereign and his Queen have a 
 conspicuotis place ; and as Tom declares himself to be 
 a lover of talent, and likewise fond of fighting heroes, 
 the immortal Nelson and Napoleon are placed very 
 near to each other. Whole-lenp;th portraits of " good 
 men," and nothing else " but good ones," as Tom de- 
 nominates them, are likewise to be seen in succession 
 — Messrs. Jackson, Gulley, 'X'om Cribb, Tom Belcher, 
 and Fuller ; all "gentlemanly sort ul men, ";is ."Scrog 
 
264 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 in the village, aad a post-office is also to be 
 met with at Northfleet. The landing is ex-- 
 treinely convenient to every person, and per- 
 fectly safe. Northfleet only requires some 
 good houses to give it a name, and to afford 
 accommodation to some of the tip-top folks of 
 society to become residents during the sum- 
 mer season. This much-wished-for change, 
 we are well assured, is about to take place ; 
 and the trowel of the bricklayer, and the ham- 
 mer of the carpenter, will very soon give 
 ** note of preparation." 
 
 In order, perhaps, to operate as a source of 
 attraction, and to produce something like a 
 feature, and to give a character to Northfleet, 
 and to bring it into notice with the London 
 Public — two Rustic Fetes and public break- 
 fasts were given last season, to make the 
 people all alive, and one of which we wit- 
 nessed : — 
 
 gins insists upon they are, according to the nile of 
 Etiquette, and in this assertion we perfectly agree 
 with him. Portraits of Haphazard and Baronet, 
 ■well-known Kace-horses. A painting of the late cele- 
 brated George Morland, enjoying his pipe in a farm- 
 yard. Dick Humphries, the brave competitor of 
 Dan Mendoza, and distinguished as the gentlemanly 
 boxer. Also a portrait of George Nicholls, the Bristol 
 Nonpariel. A remarkably handsome poodle-dog, 
 cream-coloured, stuffed so as to resemble life ; likewise 
 3 fine gamecock, that had won 27 times in the Cockpit 
 Royal, a dun red, and was bred by the well-known 
 Miser, John Elves, E.sq. The Dird of paradise— a 
 creeper — and a humming-bird. A green parrot, well 
 Jtnown once as " Polly Owen," and two grey ditto, 
 all rarities, and beautifully preserved- A very scarce 
 print of the match of 19 miles within one hour, done 
 by four horses and a carriage, by which the late 
 Duke of Queensbury netted some thousands of pounds. 
 A fine whole-length portrait of the Father of the Turf 
 iu the reign of Queen Anne, Mr. Frampton. Two 
 copies from Wilkie — the inside and outside of a cot- 
 tage. Games at drafts and cards— a portrait of the 
 late James Belcher — and likewise of Dan Mendoza. A 
 variety of other sporting subjects— such as celebrated 
 game cocks, and those well-known dogs— Gas, Boxer, 
 and Spot ; prize rabbits, &c., well calculated to interest 
 the most indifferent observer. Tom, anxious to please 
 all his customers, has not neglected to furnish amuse- 
 ment for the poorer class of his visitors to the " heavy 
 whet" apartment ; or vulgarly called the " Tapl" The 
 scarce and beautiful mezzotinto line engraving, done 
 by the late celebrated artist, Mr. Young, of the fight 
 between Broughton and George Stevenson— also be- 
 tween Jolmson and Perrins— a whole length portrait 
 of the game chicken ; shipping, and views in Canton 
 in China. Likewise the following touches of poetry, as 
 maxims lor his visitors to conduct themselves : 
 
 Meet friendly^ 
 Drink moderately, 
 
 Pay hone.stly. 
 And part quietly ! 
 
 My Liquors are good. 
 My Measures are just, 
 
 Pay to day. 
 To-morrow I'll trust I 
 
 Life's but a Jouruey — but live well on the road. 
 
 The Srmsgciy, otherwise, Tom's observatory, «p stairs, 
 i.s full of pictures ; and his bar also exhibits some fine 
 likenesses of the late Dutch Sam, painted by Slater; 
 Jack Randall, Josh Hudson, Dick Curtis, &f . Indeed, 
 tUere is scarcely a room in Tom's house but a variety 
 of pictures dfcorate the walls ; apd persons, in gene- 
 ral, who have not been acquainted with the pursuits of 
 life of the worthy host, would consider Tom Owen 
 more of a Connoisseur in the fine arts, from his col- 
 lection of pictures, shells, &c., than a member of the 
 p. R. At all events, Tom Owen must be viewed as a 
 Man of Taste, and a supporter of the Fine Arts : but 
 Jben Tom s^9, " 1 have done it to please ;//.v Fanc> !" 
 
 Public Breakfast. — Plates were laid fo* 
 two hundred (in Mr. Pitcher's long room, for- 
 merly used for ship-building), to be in readi- 
 ness when the steamers discharged their 
 cargoes — or rather, when the company disem- 
 barked, and the guns announced the arrival 
 of the visitors from London. Never was 
 ' cutting and coming again' performed in better 
 style upon any occasion — and the advantages 
 of a trip by water was conspicuous in the 
 extreme, respecting an increase of appetite. 
 The visitors came to be happy, and they were 
 happy ; etiquette was out of the question, 
 and "helping one's self" was the order of 
 the day ; and it was a lucky thing for some 
 of the party who could help themselves, as 
 niceties were not stood upon — but there was 
 no grumbling — the ' wisit' was made pleasant 
 — and scarcely was the breakfast finished 
 when the Ball commenced, in order that diges- 
 tion might go on quickly,— and that nothing 
 like apoplectic fits might occur, or a coroner's 
 inquest be necessary. 
 
 The Ball — Assembly — Dance — or Hop ; — . 
 call it what you please ; or by any of the 
 above names you may like best. The room 
 was crowded to excess ; but nevertheless it 
 was a fine specimen of good-nature, pleasure, 
 and happiness. It is true that a master of 
 the ceremonies attended from the metropolis 
 to keep good order ; but the fact is, there was 
 nothing like ceremony about it. Pride was 
 out of the question ; every man was as good 
 as his neighbour ; and the female part of the 
 company were all alive and merry on the 
 ' fantastic toe 1' The assembly commenced 
 with Quadrilles, but finished with Country 
 Dances ; and there was no time nor room for 
 criticism respecting the steps ; every one did 
 their best — and hops, skips, and jumps were 
 not noticed. Two or three songs from profes- 
 sionals, engaged by the proprietors of the 
 Fete, not only afforded considerable pleasure 
 to the lovers of harmony, but gave a variety 
 to the scene ; which we^s also enlivened by a 
 celebrated ventriloquist from London, whose 
 imitations of birds, and the inhabitants of a 
 farm-yard, not only astonished the natives, 
 but kept the genteel part of the company in 
 roars of laughter. The dancing was kept up 
 with great spirit until the announcement of 
 cannon from the steamers that '' time and tide 
 wait for no man, nor woman neither 1" 
 
 The Donkey Races, — This was one of the 
 rudesf traits of Nature ever witnessed: the 
 donkeys were as rough as hedgehogs, and 
 their riders quite in keeping with the animals 
 they were selected to mount, being Johnny 
 Raws of the roughest description. It is 
 totally impossible to communicate the fun and 
 noise to our readers, which the above terrible 
 ' low bred' cattle produced amongst the visir 
 tors dt this rustic fete. The names of the 
 donkeys, and the colours of the riders, were 
 dispensed with upon this occasion, as the 
 subscribers to the prizes were not nice about 
 trifles : however, it perhaps may be uccesBiirj 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 2G5 
 
 to observe that five donkeys appeared ready 
 to start : it is true tliat we did not discover 
 any thing like a Priam, a Memjion, a Jack 
 Spiggot, a Uiglijii/er, or an Eclipse, amongst 
 the lot ; but, nevertheless, we must allow 
 they were most certainly ' rum ones to look 
 at,' whatever they might be 'logo!' But, 
 for kickers, they could not be excelled, and 
 also for making <«r/-ites of their Jockeys, by 
 grassing most of them. But the Dun, as he 
 was called, a fine Spanish ass, distanced them 
 all, who not only showed some good qualities 
 about his outside, as to points, but likewise it 
 was thought by the judges of donkeys that he 
 had a ' bit of breed' inside of him." The pro- 
 prietor of the Don said '* as how he comed 
 from Spain, as he had been told, and that he 
 had been bred in good company, until he had 
 been turned out of the king of Spain's esta- 
 blishment, but that he, his master, would 
 back the Don, with all his tricks and fancies, 
 against all the bolters and kickers in the 
 county of Kent !" 
 
 Running for a Shift. — This item in the 
 Sporting list excited some little demur among 
 the old Tabbies on the spot : " it was a shame 
 that such doings should be suffered," ob- 
 served an old maid who stood by, with a 
 precious frosty face, who had never been asked 
 once to alter her situation in life, and a 
 scowl upon her brow quite strong enough to 
 have turned all tiie milk in the dairies for 
 twenty miles round ; " it ought to have been 
 called an inner garment ;'' but although it 
 might have brought a blush upon some of the 
 very fastidious part of the fair sex present, 
 yet it had no effect upon the native modesty 
 of the young candidates who had made up 
 their minds to shift for themselves upon this 
 sporting occasion. Therefore, upon the start 
 being given, Molly run off in good style ; Knte 
 turned out her toes like a swift one ; Peg- 
 made nothing more than a hop of it, having to 
 contend against tight shoes and bad corns ; 
 Saucy Fan, who stood to no repairs, but de- 
 termined to have the shift at all events, neck 
 or nothing, made a gallop of it, and, in en- 
 deavouring to pass by, in the cross and jostle 
 system, tripped up Molly, but nothing was the 
 piatter, to the great disappointment of the 
 joskins, who grinned like fools at the acci- 
 dent. But Sally was the crack of the day, she 
 was the favorite amongst the lovers of quick 
 work ; her movcnients were much admired ; 
 she phot by the whole of the above ' sprigs of 
 womanhood ' like an arrow — got the lead, 
 kept it — and won the ' inner garment' in good 
 style ; but refused to wear it in public, ac- 
 cording to the usual custom at these fetes, on 
 the plea that the shift was considered an 
 'inner garment,' and that it was sl private 
 thing altogether. The stewards applauded 
 her modesty — and Sally was permitted to 
 walk off with i\\c shift under her arm ! The 
 aI)ove "rum one to go" has sltift-e6 for herself 
 fifteen times with success. 
 
 The Gingli.sg Match. — This species of 
 
 amusement afforded the spectators consider- 
 able fun and laughter. Twenty lieaus, with 
 bandages over their eyes, like blind man's 
 bufl", in a small ring, teazed by only one lielle 
 (as one of the cockney jokers termed it, 
 who was determined to show off his know- 
 ledge of punning at any price), who rang the 
 changes so cleverly and so often to the great 
 disappointment of the Beaus — that a great 
 deal of hugging and violent embracing quite 
 out of nature took place, in consequence of 
 the great agility displayed by the Belle, \\\u) 
 was determined not to be conquered without 
 giving her followers a great deal of trouble. 
 This was one of the best gingling matches we 
 ever witnessed ; and twenty minutes elapsed 
 before the bell was silenced; or the gingler 
 caught. 
 
 Jumping in Sacks. — Nothing can convey to 
 the reader, however sketchy and well written 
 it might be, the fun and laughter amongst the 
 spectators produced by this crippled sort of 
 agility — several of the candidates went down 
 never to rise again witliout the assistance of 
 some friend ; in truth, their exertions could not 
 come under the denomination either of a hop, 
 skip, or a jump. The appearance too of the 
 candidates was of the most ludicrous descrip- 
 tion — to see only their Johnny Kaw nobs peep- 
 ingout of the sacks — beggared all description. 
 But one of the candidates, more knowing than 
 any of the rest, observed, grinning to the 
 crowd, that he would not be sacked this time, 
 and was determined to win. He held the 
 sack tight under his feet, never lost his ba- 
 lance, and took very small, but steady and 
 firm jumps, by which means he was also ena- 
 bled to keep his feet upon the ground, and 
 won the prize amidst loud shouts of applause 
 from the crowd. The winner was also a bit 
 of a punster in his way, and laughed heartily 
 at his own joke, when he told the losing ones, 
 he called it sacking the prize ! 
 
 Climbing up a Greasy Pole for a Li:g of 
 IMuTTON. — The above feature, for fun, frolic, 
 and laughter, beat all the other sports of the 
 day, two to one. It was a slippery thing al- 
 together, and the disappointments which oc- 
 curred to the numerous candidates to gc«;);)/<? 
 with the mutton, were of the most ludicrous 
 description. All manner of schemes were re- 
 sorted to obtain the delicious joint which was 
 tied to the top of a long pole, about fifty feet 
 from the ground. The country haivbucks had 
 not the slightest chance whatever, although 
 some of them threw resin and sawdust on the 
 pole as they climbed up, to reduce its stipperi- 
 ness ; but all attempts were useless, and they 
 came down much faster than they got up — 
 indeed they all came down with a run, without 
 moving their legs, to the great amusement of 
 a very large multitude of spectators, who had 
 assembled together for niiles round to enjoy 
 the humours of a Rustic Feti:. But a young 
 son of Neptune, a dreadnought hero, offered 
 himself for the prize, and ascended the pole 
 like a seaman ; hut he had scarcely got up 
 
26S 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 half the way to the mutton, when he came 
 down like a shot ; but little Jack, too game 
 to be denied, and well knowing that nothing 
 venture, nothing win, he made another trial of 
 skill and courage, obtained a few paces 
 nearer to the leg of mutton than before, but 
 down he came again to the ground before you 
 could say Jack Robinson. A pyramid was 
 then formed by three or four men at the bot- 
 tom of the pole, and another pyramid also on 
 them, when Little Jack ajrain had another 
 trial, amidst the shouts of the multitude, 
 trying a different scheme ; having a piece of 
 rope in his hand with a noose at the end of it, 
 he fastened the rope round the pole, and 
 pulled himself up so successfully by it, that 
 he touched the mutton with his left hand, re- 
 ceiving the loudest tokens of approbation, 
 and several wagers were laid that the leg of 
 mutton would soon be in his possession, but it 
 was tied so tight to the pole, that Jack could 
 not remove it, therefore his knife was ne- 
 cessary to release the leg from its confined 
 situation ; but as many things happen be- 
 tween the 'cup and the lip,' Little Jack, in 
 searching his pockets for the bit of steel, lost 
 his hold, when he came down with a run, and 
 also knocked both his pyramids to the ground, 
 to the great laughter and shouts of the crowd. 
 However, nothing dismayed by the disap- 
 pointment, the pyramids were again formed, 
 and little Jack ascended once more the pole, 
 determined on victory. He tied the rope as 
 before, twisted his legs round the pole, and 
 worked well with his knees, and after making 
 three or four slips, but never exactly loosing 
 his situation, he firmly ascended the pole, and 
 chipping his left hand on the top of it, the 
 critical minute again arrived, when Jack felt 
 foi his knife — the eyes of the crowd were now 
 in suspense, and doubts and fears were ex- 
 pressed upon the subject, when little Jack 
 flourished his knife, put an end to all surmises, 
 and separated the leg of mutton from the pole. 
 He remained in this situation for about a mi- 
 nute, enjoying the pl;aidits of the multitude 
 for his exertions — when he descended in 
 quick time, holding the mutton fast in his 
 hand. Several persons were so pleased with 
 little Jack's exertions, that a subscription 
 was entered into for him, and his cap was 
 soon filled with halfpence, when little Jack 
 exclaimed, " t!ie mutton would not go without 
 sauce to it" — " nor capers neither," said an 
 ould tar, who had been contemplating the 
 Rustic scene. 
 
 Such were the humorous /fafwr^s displayed 
 at one of the Rustic Fetes at Northfleet — it 
 was all happiness; — every body appeared 
 pleased and satisfied , -and not the slightest 
 disorder occurred : we therefore feel ourselves 
 perfectly correct in asserting that no man can 
 be viewed as a friend to his country, or a 
 supporter of the government, who would en- 
 deayour in the slightest degree to interfere or 
 prevent the people from enjoying those Sports 
 which have been handed down to them from 
 
 their forefathers, and which tend so much to 
 lighten toil, and to promote happiness. — 
 Amicus humani generis. 
 
 Singular Deer Chase. 
 
 An extraordinary day's sport at Spy Park, 
 the residence of Colonel Thornton. October, 
 1815, in Spy Park, Wiltshire, notwithstand- 
 ing the unexampled heat of the weather 
 (which caused a thermometer to burst), a party 
 of ladies and gentlemen riding and driving 
 through the park, and the rides of the neigh- 
 bouring coppices and woods, a milk-white, 
 full-headed, aged buck, fat as an ortolan, 
 made his appearance. The company were all 
 anxious to hunt him, which was immediately 
 complied with ; a couple of blood-hounds 
 were sent for, and notwithstanding the sun 
 was at its height (one o'clock, merely to take 
 a canter, and not to kill him) the hounds, not 
 to be surpassed in symmetry and beauty, were 
 then laid on the slot ; they very faintly ac- 
 knowledged the scent, but by perseverance 
 they got up to bis layer, and he was un- 
 harboured in view of all the company, and 
 also at the same instant a six-year-old mennel- 
 colonred heaver. To prevent the hounds 
 dividing, they were rated up to the milk- 
 white buck, which the ladies called Adonis ; 
 he made a circle, and, passing through several 
 coppices, tried different modes of getting into 
 the park, in sight of all the company and the 
 hounds, which were stopped,and ordered to lay 
 down ; at last he seemed to have formed some 
 resolution, and dashed over some very high 
 palings, which he cleared, with a crash, into 
 Foxbury copse. He shone like flying silver, 
 beautiful to behold ! The hounds were again 
 laid on, when they ran him (now heated) 
 merrily ; their ardour was checked frequently 
 by gleams of sun, and he was nearly lost in 
 dry roads, hot sands, &c., but by perseverance, 
 after running him through Rowden Wood, 
 Loxley Heath, Sandy Lane, he crossed over 
 to Hean VFood (Lord Lansdowne's). These 
 unerring hounds, in spite of the above obsta- 
 cles, killed him after a run of five hours. The 
 names of Luther and Mahomet are worthy to 
 be recorded, and drank in many a bumper. 
 If a couple of hounds can afford the above 
 sport, under all these circumstances, why 
 have we such immense packs ? they would save 
 to a sportsman a fortune. When the crimson- 
 stained sledge brought up the buck to the 
 portico,— the ladies, then so gay, turned away 
 from the scene, and with tears, exclaimed, — 
 Alas ! poor Adonis. 
 
 The Melodious Rice Bird. 
 
 The cultivators of rice in America some- 
 times suffer severely from the depredations of 
 tlje rice bird of Catesby (emberiza oryzivorti ), 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 267 
 
 known familiarly in the country by the name 
 of Bob Lincoln. This bird is about six or 
 seven inches long ; its head, and the under 
 part of its body are black ; the upper part is 
 a mixture of black, white, and yellow, 
 and the legs are red. Immense flocks of these 
 birds are seen in the island of Cuba, where 
 the rice crop precedes that of Carolina ; but 
 when, from the hardening of the grain, the 
 rice in that quarter is no longer agreeable to 
 thetn, they migrate towards the north, and 
 pass over the sea in such numerous parties as 
 to be sometimes heard in their flights by sailors 
 frequenting that course. These birds appear 
 in Carolina while the rice is yet milky. Their 
 attacks upon the grain while in tiiis state are 
 60 destructive as to bring considerable loss 
 upon the farmers. The birds arrive in the 
 United States very lean, but thrive so well 
 upon their favorite diet, tha.t during the three 
 weeks to which their visit is usually limited, 
 they become excessively fat, so as to fly with 
 difliculty, and, when shot, to be burst with 
 the fall. So soon as the rice begins to harden 
 here, they retire to other parts, remaining in 
 one place only so long as the rice continues 
 green. When this food entirely fails, they 
 have recourse for their subsistence to insects, 
 until the maize begins to form its grains, and 
 then the milky substance which these contain 
 is devoured with the same avidity that marks 
 their attacks upon the rice-plant. Extensive 
 flocks of the oryzivora are found during the 
 spring and summer in New York and Rhode 
 Island ; tliere they breed, quitting with their 
 young for the southward, in time for the tender 
 rice-grains of Cuba. It is remarkable that 
 the males and females do not migrate in com- 
 pany, the females being always the first to 
 perform their voyages. These birds are eaten 
 as a great delicacy, and the song of the male 
 is said to be melodious. 
 
 THE DISAPPOINTED SPORTSMAN. 
 
 AN ANCIENT STORY, IN VERSE. 
 
 One time, as 'twas my ordinary wont, 
 
 I went abroad into the fields to himt : 
 
 Started a hare, pursued her with full cry. 
 
 And near wearied her ; when by and bye, 
 
 Miso, because I hunted on his grounds. 
 
 Let loose his running dogs, and bang'd my hounds ; 
 
 From thence that sport 1 utterly forswore. 
 
 Being so un indly crost by such a bore ; 
 
 So, shunning th' open fields, and forests wiJe, 
 
 My common haunt was by the water side 
 
 For what, thought I, though lands enclosed be. 
 
 Yet seas and rivers questionless are free : 
 
 There will 1 sport rae with a scaly fry, 
 
 Fearless, though all the world were standing by. 
 
 I had not scarce cast iu my bait to take. 
 
 But straight one comes, it seems he haste did make, 
 
 That bids me pack, when first I did appear ; 
 
 Away went I, it was no fishing there. 
 
 Scarce knowing now what sport to entertain. 
 
 Being banished both the earth and wat'ry plain. 
 
 Took a piece next time, and forthwith went. 
 
 To sport me in the aeiry regiment ; 
 
 Where, having scarce discharg'd to kill a daw. 
 
 Another comes, and brings me Statute Law 
 
 Upon my piece, where I it lost : then swore 
 
 ' ne'er would hunt, nor angle, nor shoot, more ; 
 
 Then took I dice iu haud, my heavy fate, — 
 
 Thus, crost in all, I lost my whole estate. 
 
 Presence of Mind ; or an Alligator de- 
 prived OF HIS PREY. 
 
 In the height of the dry season, when in 
 those torrid regions all animated nature pants 
 with consuming thirst, a party of the wood- 
 cutters, English and liish, went to hunt in 
 the neighbourhood of a lake called Pies Pond 
 in Beef Island, one of the smaller islands of 
 the bay of Campeachy. To this pond the 
 wild cattle repaired in herds to drink, and 
 here the hunters lay in wait for them. The 
 chase had been prosecuted with gieat success 
 for a week, when an Irisiiman of the party, 
 going into the water during the day, stumbled 
 upon an alligator, which seized him by the 
 knee. His cries alarmed his companions, 
 who, fearing that he had been seized by the 
 Spaniards, to whom the island belonged, and 
 who chose the dry season to hunt and repel 
 their unwelcome neighbours, instead of afford- 
 ing assistance, fled from the huts they had 
 erected. The Irishman, seeing no appearance 
 of help, with happy presence of mind quietly 
 waited till the alligator loosened its teeth to 
 take a new and surer hold ; and, when it did 
 so, snatched away his knee, interposing the 
 butt-end of his gun in its stead, which the 
 animal seized so firmly that it was jerked out 
 of the man's hand, and carried it off. He 
 then crawled up a neighbouring tree, again 
 shouting after his comrades, who now found 
 courage to return. His gun was found next 
 day, dragged ten or twelve paces from the 
 place where it had been seized by the alligator. 
 
 The White Elephant of Ava. 
 
 " A singularly absurd custom takes place in 
 this country (observes Mrs. Judson), in cer- 
 tain forms of political homage shown to a 
 white elephant, an animal kept for the pur- 
 pose, superbly lodged near the royal palace, 
 sumptuously dressed and fed, provided with 
 functionaries like a sovereign, held next in 
 rank to the king, and superior to the 
 queen, and made to receive presents, and 
 other tokens of respect, from foreign ambas- 
 sadors. 
 
 " I dare not attempt a description of that 
 splendid day when majesty, with all its at- 
 tendant glory, entered tiie gates of the golden 
 city, and amid tiie acclamations of millions, 
 I may say, took possession of the palace. The 
 saupwars of the provinces bordering on China, 
 all the viceroys and iiigii ofl!icers of the king- 
 dom, were assembled on the occasion, dressed 
 in their robes of state, and ornamented with 
 the insignia of their office. The white ele- 
 phant, richly adorned with gold and jewels, 
 was one of the most beautiful objects in the 
 procession. The king and queen alone were 
 unadorned, dressed in the simple garb of the 
 country. Tliey, hand in hand, entered the 
 garden in which we had taken our seats, and 
 where a banquet was prepared for their re- 
 
268 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 freshmcnt. All the riches and glory of the 
 empire were on tliis day exhibited to view. 
 The number, and immense size of the ele- 
 phants, the numerous horses, and great 
 variety of vehicles of all descriptions, far sur- 
 passing any thing I have ever seen or 
 imagined. . 
 
 " Within the first gate of the palace is a 
 very large court, on both sides of which are 
 the houses for the king's elephants, which are 
 wonderfully large and handsome, and ar"? 
 trained for war and for the King's service. 
 Among the rest, he has four white elephants, 
 which are a great rarity, no other King 
 having any but he ; and, wore any other King 
 to have any, he would send for it, and if re 
 fused would go to war for it, and would 
 rather lose a great part of his kingdom than 
 not have the elephant. When any white 
 elephant is brought to the King, all the mer- 
 chants in the city are commanded to go and 
 visit him, on which occasion each individual 
 makes a present of half a ducat, which 
 amounts to a good round sum, as there are a 
 vast many merchants : after which present 
 you may go and see them at your pleasure, 
 although they stand in the King's house. 
 Among his titles, the King takes that of King 
 of the white elephants. They do great honoi 
 and service to these white elephants ; every 
 one of them having a house with gold, and 
 getting their food in vessels of gilt silver. 
 Every day, when they go to the river to wash, 
 each goes under a canopy of cloth of gold or 
 silk, carried by six or eight men; and eight 
 or ten men go before each, playing on drums, 
 shawms, and other instruments. When each 
 has washed, and is come out of the river, he 
 has a gentleman to wash his feet in a silver 
 basin, which office is appointed by the King, 
 There is no such account made of the black 
 elephants, be they ever so great ; and some 
 of them are wonderfully large and handsome, 
 bome being nine cubits high. 
 
 " While we were at Ava, a report was 
 brought, that a white elephant had been seen ; 
 but it was stated, at the same time, that its 
 capture, and transport on a sledge, over the 
 cultivated country, would be accompanied by 
 the destruction of ten thousand baskets of 
 rice. His Majesty is said to have exclaimed, 
 more with the enthusiasm of an amateur than 
 the consideration of a patriot King, ' What 
 signifies the destruction of ten thousand 
 baskets of rice, in comparison with the pos- 
 session of a white elephant ?' and the order 
 was given for the hunt. 
 
 " The lower order, however, it must be ob- 
 served, perform the shiko, or obedience of 
 submission, to the white elephant; but the 
 chiefs view this as a vulgar superstition, and 
 do not follow it. When the present elephant 
 was taken, the event was considered a joyous 
 one ; and the late King, who was fond of 
 money, taking advantage of the circumstance, 
 issued an order to the tributaries and chiefs, 
 to ask pardon of the white elephant (Ka-dau), 
 
 accompanied, of course, by the usual presents, 
 which his majesty deposited in his coffers. 
 
 " The establishment of the white elephant 
 is very large ; he has his Wun, or minister; 
 his Wun-dauk, or deputy to that officer ; his 
 Sar^-gyi, or secretary, &c., with a considera- 
 ble endowment of land for his maintenance. 
 In the late reign, Sa len, one of the finest dis- 
 tricts in the kingdom, was the estate of the 
 white elephant." 
 
 " OH ! FOR A GLASS OF MAX." 
 
 Bvron's " Don Jua.n. 
 
 Cheer up, fill yoiir glass, .or while fortune is brewing 
 
 An ocean of care, well a day ! 
 There is nothing in life, like a drop of " blue ruin," 
 
 To drive the blue devils away. 
 
 When you 'start for the " mill;" a race ; or to shoot, 
 Good judgment to keep out the cold ; 
 
 'Tis the ' liquor of lite,' with ' spirits' to ooot— 
 " Old Tom"— is better than gold. 
 
 When Love turns his back, aud old friendships are 
 failing. 
 
 And the spirits are sinking therefrom — 
 I'he only receipt, that is ne'er unavailing, 
 
 Is a jolly stiff glass of " Old Tom." 
 
 WTien into the valley of years we're declining 
 And age comes, our pleasures to tax ; 
 
 When the fast-setting sun of our life's dimly shining— 
 Oh! brighten his beams with " Old Mar." 
 
 Is the Poet ambitious of wreathing his tresses 
 
 With bays that shall ever be green ? 
 Let him quaff at this spring, for e'en Byron confesses, 
 
 He found it the true liippocrene. 
 
 Does the lover want words to address his dear maiden ? 
 
 Let him straight to this fountain repair ; 
 Is his mistress unkind, and he droops, sorrow-laden — 
 
 He will here find a spell 'gainst despair. 
 
 Then cheer up, fill your glass, for while fortune is 
 brewing 
 
 An ocean of care, well a-day ! 
 i here is nothing in life, like a drop of " blue ruin," 
 
 I'o drive the blue devils away. 
 
 A Sketch of the Swallow 
 
 The swallow, and other birds of passage — 
 that is, birds who fly from one country to ano- 
 ther, as the weather becomes unsuited to their 
 natures — now begin to return to us. The 
 swallow is a general favourite. He comes 
 to us when nature is putting on her most 
 smiling aspect, and he stays with us through 
 the months of sunshine and gladness. " The 
 swallow," says Sir H. Davy, " is one of my 
 favorite birds, and a rival of the nightingale; 
 for he glads my sense of seeing as much as 
 the other does my sense of hearing. He is 
 the joyous prophet of the year, the harbinger 
 of the best season ; he lives a life of enjoy- 
 ment amongst the loveliest forms of nature ; 
 winter is unknown to him, and he leaves the 
 green meadows of England in autumn, for the 
 myrtle and orange groves of Italy, and for 
 the palms of Africa." 
 
 The Return of the Swallow. 
 By Miss Strickland. 
 Lo ! Spring's gay heral I, fluttering witb dclifc'Ut 
 The joyous swallow, is already here, 
 
PIKRCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 269 
 
 Who still proclaims her welcome visit here ; 
 
 When first we bail him in the circling flight, 
 
 He tells of smiling skies and seasons bright. 
 
 Of vernal buds, and all that shall appear 
 
 When summer crowns with flowery wreaths the year ; 
 
 And, dressed in rich luxuriance, charms the siglit. 
 
 He hastes to meet her when her first soft gale 
 
 Sighs with sweet breath amidst her leafless bowers. 
 
 When early violets open in the vale 
 
 And April peeps through rainbow, suns, and showers. 
 
 Ere song of nightingale with thrilling strains 
 
 Floats on the evening breeze o'er moonlight plains. 
 
 The Determined Robber and the Snakk. 
 
 The following anecdote, which is extracted 
 from a work intituled, " Tales of the North- 
 West," displays such unheard-of temerity, 
 hardihood, daring, courage, bravado, and con- 
 tempt of death in an individual, call it by any 
 of those terms the reader may think proper, 
 that it scarcely appears credible ; and we do 
 not know in the whole course of our experi- 
 ence, and great variety of reading, ever to have 
 met with any thing like it. We recollect that 
 upon the ex-pugilistic champion, Tom Cribb, 
 (and a man possessing more real, or true 
 courage, is not to be found in the whole world) 
 once being tossed by a bull, that in his rage 
 and surprise at the moment, Tom wished " he 
 was a Bull for the Bull's sake !" that he might 
 have tossed the bull into the air in his turn ; 
 butlctthe determined resolution of the robber 
 in his struggle with the serpent speak for 
 itself : — " The boat having arrived at the port- 
 age of the Wisconsin, on his return to the 
 Sioux country, it was necessary to dry a part 
 of the cargo, which had been wet by a sheerer 
 the night preceding. The canvass used to 
 cover Macinac boats was spread upon the 
 ground to dry. While Le Due and his men 
 were engaged in eating, an enormous rattle- 
 snake crept out of the grass, and stretched 
 himself in the sun upon the canvass ; think- 
 ing, it is probable, that it was placed there for 
 his reception. It is well known that this 
 reptile is a generous enemy, never doing any 
 injury unless molested, nor thea, without 
 giving warning. When Pinchon and his com- 
 rade returned, they perceived the individual 
 in question. 
 
 Le Due seized a stick to kill it, but Pin- 
 chon held his arm, while the serpent regarded 
 them with the utmost indifference. " Joe Le 
 Due," said Pinchon, " we are called brave 
 men. Should you like to try which is the 
 best entitled to the name of the two ?" 
 
 " And how should that be tried ! You do 
 not wish to fight with me, I hope ? I have no 
 inclination of that kind myself; I would far 
 rather drink with you." 
 
 " Nay, it can be tried without fighting. 
 Dare you — will you catch that sn^ke in your 
 bare hands ?" 
 
 " Despardieux ! no ! I will fight the In- 
 dians with you, as long and as often as you 
 please, but I will not fight such an enemy as 
 that." 
 
 " Well, then, it shall never be said that I 
 
 feared man or beast. If you will not catch 
 him, I will." 
 
 Disregarding all remonstrance, the despe- 
 rado laid himself down within a few feet of 
 the reptile. He moved his hand towards him 
 as slowly as the hand of a clock, while the 
 snake raised his head, and looked him steadily 
 in the eye, without offering to strike. When 
 he had advanced his fingers within six inches 
 of the serpent, he snatched it up by the neck, 
 as quick as thought, and sprung upon his feet, 
 holding it out at arm's length. The reptile, 
 after a few revolutions of its tail, fixed it 
 firmly round the man's neck, and began to 
 contract his body. Though one of the strong- 
 est of men, he felt his arm bend, in spite of 
 all the force of his muscles. Still his iron 
 nerves remained firm. He grasped his right 
 wrist with his left hand, and resisted with all 
 his might ; but the snake was too strong for 
 him ; when, at last, he saw its white fangs 
 within six inches of his face, his courage gave 
 way, and he cried to Le Due to come with his 
 knife. The snake was severed in two, and 
 Pinchon east the part he held from him. The 
 animal had attained the full growth of its 
 species, and had thirty-two rattles. 
 
 Another Disposal of a Snake 
 In Demerara, and the adjacent parts of 
 South America, Mr. Charles Waterman, a 
 most enterprising traveller, relates the follow- 
 ing adventure he had with a snake; and, 
 although not displaying any thing like the 
 hiirdihood of Pinchon, the robber, yet, never- 
 theless, it will be found extremely interesting : 
 — " The sun (says he) had just passed the 
 meridian in a cloudless sky ; there was 
 scarcely a bird to be seen, for the winged 
 inhabitants of the forest, as though overcome 
 by heat, had retired to the thickest shades ; 
 all would have been like midnight silence, 
 were it not that the shrill voice of the pi-pi- 
 yo every now and then resounded from a dis- 
 tant tree. I was sitting with a Horace in my 
 hand, when a negro and his little dog came 
 down the hill in haste, and I was soon in- 
 formed that a snake had been discovered ; 
 but it was a young one, called the bush-mas- 
 ter, a rare and poisonous snake. I instantly 
 rose up, and, laying hold of the eight foot 
 lance, which was close by me, ' Well, then, 
 Daddy,' said I, ' We'll go and have a look 
 at the snake.' 1 was barefoot, with an old 
 hat, and check shirt, and trousers on, and pair 
 of braces to keep them up. The negro had 
 his cutlass, and we ascended the hill ; another 
 negro, armed with a cutlass, joined us, judg- 
 ing, from our pace, that there was something 
 to do. The little dog came along with us, 
 and, when we had got about half a mile in the 
 forest, the negro stopped, and pointed to a 
 fallen tree ; all was still and silent : 1 told 
 the negroes not to stir from the place where 
 they were, and keep the little dog in, anil tiwt 
 I would go in and reconnoitre. I advanced 
 
270 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 up to the place slow and cautious. The snake 
 was well concealed, but at last I made him 
 out ; it was a coulacanara, not poisonous, but 
 large enough to have crushed any of us to 
 death. On measuring him afterwards, he 
 was something more than fourteen feet long. 
 This species of snake is very rare, and much 
 thicker, in proportion to his length, than any 
 other snake in the forest. A coulacanara of 
 fourteen feet in length is as thick as a common 
 boa of twenty-four. After skinning this 
 snake, I could easily get my head into his 
 mouth, as the singular formation of the jaws 
 admits of wonderful extension. A Dutch 
 friend of mine, by name Brouwer, killed a 
 boa, twenty-two feet long, with a pair of stag's 
 horns in his mouth ; he had swallowed the 
 stag, but could not get the horns down ; so 
 he had to wait in patience with that uncom- 
 fortable mouthful till his stomach digested the 
 body, and then the horns would drop out. In 
 this plight the Dutchman found him, as he 
 was going in his canoe up the river, and sent 
 a ball through his head. On ascertaining the 
 size of the serpent which the negro had just 
 found, I retired slowly the way I came, and 
 promised four dollars to the negro who had 
 shown it to me, and one to the other who had 
 joined us. Aware that the day was on the 
 decline, and that the approach of night would 
 be detrimental to the dissection, a thought 
 struck me that I could take him alive. I 
 imagined if I conld strike bim with the lance 
 behind the head, and pin him to the ground, 
 I might succeed in capturing him. When I 
 told this to the negroes, they begged and 
 intreated me to let tliem go for a gun, and 
 bring more force, as they were sure the snake 
 would kill some of us ; but I had been in 
 search of a large serpent for years, and now 
 having come up with one, it did not become 
 me to turn soft. So, taking a cutlass from one 
 of the negroes, and then ranging both the 
 sable slaves behind me, I told them to follow 
 me, and that I would cut them down if they 
 offered to fly. I smiled as I said this ; but 
 they shook their heads in silence, and seemed 
 to have but a bad heart of it. When we got 
 up to the place, the serpent had not stirred ; 
 but I could see nothing of his head, and I 
 judged by the folds of his body that it must 
 be at the farthest side of his den. A species 
 of woodbine had formed a complete nsantle 
 over the branches of the fallen tree, almost 
 impervious to the rain or the rays of the sun. 
 Probably he had resorted to this sequestered 
 place for a length of time, as it bore marks of 
 an ancient settlement. I now took my knife, 
 determining to cut away the woodbine, and 
 break the twigs in the gentlest manner pos- 
 sible, till I could get a view of his head. One 
 negro stood guard close behind me with the 
 lance, and near him the other with a cutlass. 
 The cutlass which I had taken from the lirst 
 negro was on the ground close by me in case 
 of need. After working in dead silence for a 
 quarter of an hour, with one knee all the time 
 
 on the ground, I had cleared away enough to 
 see his head. It appeared coming out between 
 the lirst and second coil of his body, and was 
 flat on the ground. This was the very posi- 
 tion I wished it to be in. I rose in silence, 
 and retreated very slowly, making a sign to 
 the negroes to do the same. AVe were at this 
 time about twenty yards from the snake's 
 den. I now ranged the negroes behind me, 
 and told him who stood next to me to lay hold 
 of the lance the moment I struck the snake, 
 and that the other must attend my movements. 
 It now only remained to take their cutlasses 
 from them, for I was sure if I did not disarm 
 them, they would be tempted to strike the 
 snake in lime of danger, and thus for ever 
 spoil his skin. On taking their cutlasses 
 from them, if I might judge from their phy- 
 siognomy, they seemed to consider it as a most 
 intolerable act of tyranny in me. Probably 
 nothing kept them from bolting, but the con- 
 solation that I was to be between them and 
 the snake. Indeed, my own heart, in spite of 
 all I could do, beat quicker than usual ; and 
 I felt those sensations which one has on board 
 a merchant vessel in war time, when the cap- 
 tain orders all hands on deck to prepare for 
 action, while a strange vessel is coming down 
 upon us under suspicious colours. We went 
 slowly on in silence without moving our arms 
 or heads, in order to prevent alarm as much 
 as possible, lest the snake should glide off or 
 attack us in self-defence. I carried the lance 
 perpendicularly before me, with the point 
 about a foot from the ground. The snake had 
 not moved ; and, on getting up to him I struck 
 him with the lance on the near side, just 
 behind the neck, and pinned him to the 
 ground. That moment the negro next to me 
 seized the lance, and held it firm in its place, 
 while I dashed head foremost into the den to 
 grapple with the snake, and to get hold of his 
 tail before he could do any mischief. On 
 pinning him to the ground with the lance, he 
 gave a tremendous loud hiss, and the little 
 dog ran away, howling as he went. W^e had 
 a sharp fray in the den, the rotten sticks flying 
 on all sides, and each party struggling for 
 superiority. I called out to the second negro 
 to throw himself upon me, as I found I 
 was not heavy enough. He did so, and the 
 additional weight was of great service. I had 
 now got firm hold of his tail ; and after a vio- 
 lent struggle or two, he gave in, finding him- 
 self overpowered. This was the moment to 
 secure him. So, while the first negro con- 
 tinued to hold the lance firm to the ground, 
 and the other was helping me, I contrived to 
 unloose my braces, and with them tied up the 
 snake's mouth. The snake, now finding him- 
 self in an unpleasant situation, tried to better 
 himself, and set resolutely to work, but we 
 overpowered him. We contrived to make 
 him twist himself round the shaft of the lance, 
 and then prepared to convey him out of the 
 forest. I stood at his head, and held it firm 
 under my arm, one negro supporting the belly. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOPTS. 
 
 271 
 
 and the other the tail. In this order we 
 began to move slowly towards home, and 
 reached it, after resting ten times, for the snake 
 was too heavy for us to support him without 
 stopping to recruit our strength. As we pro- 
 ceeded onwards with him, he fought hard for 
 freedom, but it was all in vain. The day was 
 now too far spent to think of dissecting him. 
 Had I killed him, a partial putrefaction 
 would have taken place before morning. I 
 had brought with me into the forest a strong 
 bag, large enough to contain any animal that 
 I should want to diesect. I considered this 
 the best mode of keeping alive wild animals 
 when I was pressed for daylight ; (or Uie bag 
 yielding in every direction to their efforts 
 they would have nothing solid or fixed to work 
 on, and thus would be prevented from making 
 a hole through it. I say fixed, for after the 
 mouth of the bag was closed, the bag itself was 
 not fastened or tied to any thing, but moved 
 about wherever the animal inside caused it to 
 roll. After securing afresh the mouth of the 
 coulacanara, so that he could not open it, he 
 •was forced into this bag, and left to his fate till 
 morning. I cannot say he allowed me to have 
 a quiet night. My hammock was in the loft 
 just above him, and the floor between us half 
 gone to decay, sd that in parts of it no boards 
 intervened between his lodging and mine. He 
 Vi'as very restless and fretful ; and had Me- 
 dusa been my wife, there could not have been 
 more continued and disagreeable hissing in 
 the bed-chamber that night. At daybreak I 
 sent to borrow ten of the negroes who were 
 cutting wood at a distance ; I could have done 
 with lialf that number, but judged it most 
 prudent to have a good force, in case he should 
 try to escafie from the house when we opened 
 the bag. However, nothing serious occurred. 
 We untied the bag, kept him down by main 
 force, and then 1 cut his throat. He bled like 
 an ox. By six o'clock the same evening, he 
 was completely dissected." 
 
 two back on a sudden, and as quickly returns 
 again, keeping thus about one flower five or 
 six minutes, or more. 
 
 The Humming Bird. 
 
 The above bird (according to the Edinburgh 
 Cabinet Library) is a pretty little feathered 
 creature, no bigger than an overgrown wasp; 
 with a black bill no bigger than a small needle, 
 and with legs and feet in proportion to its 
 body. This creature does not wave its wings 
 like other birds vfhen it flies, but keeps them 
 in a continued quick motion, like bees or 
 other insects ; and like them makes a con- 
 tinued humming noise as it flies. It is very 
 quick in motion, and haunts about flovt'ers 
 and fruit like a bee gathering honey ; making 
 many addresses to its delightful objects, by 
 visiting tliem on all sides, and yet still keeps 
 in motion, sometimes on one side, sometimes 
 on the other, as often lebounding a foot or 
 
 Beavers. 
 
 Such if ,ie sagacity of the beavers (which 
 we extract from Cox's Colombia) that a tribe 
 of American Indians consider them as a fallen 
 race of human beings, who, in consequence of 
 their wickedness, vexed the Good Spirit, and 
 were condemned by him to their present shape, 
 but that in due time they will be restored to 
 their humanity. They allege that the beavers 
 have the power of speech, and that they have 
 heard them talk with each other, and seen 
 them sitting in council on an offending member. 
 The lovers of natural history are already 
 well acquainted with the surprising sagacity 
 of these wonderful animals, with their dex- 
 terity in cutting down trees, their skill i»i 
 constructing their houses, and their foresight 
 in collecting and storing provisions sufficient 
 to last them during the winter months; but 
 few are aware, I should imagine, of a remark- 
 able custom among them, which, more than 
 any other, confirms the Indians in believing 
 them a fallen race. Towards the latter end 
 of autumn, a certain number, varying from 
 twenty to thirty, assemble for the purpose of 
 building their winter habitations. They im- 
 mediately commence cutting down trees ; and 
 nothing can be moi'e wonderful than the skill 
 and patience which they manifest in this 
 laborious undertaking. To see them anxi- 
 ously looking up, watching the leaning of the 
 tree when the trunk is nearly severed, and 
 when its creaking announces its approachiug 
 fall, to observe them scampering off in all 
 directions to avoid being crushed. When the 
 tree is prostrate, they quickly strip off iis 
 branches ; after which, with their dental 
 chisels, they divide the trunk into several 
 pieces of equal lengths, which they roll to 
 the rivulet across which they intend to erect 
 their house. Two or three old ones generally 
 superintend the others, and it is no unusual 
 sight to see them beating those who exhibit 
 any symptoms of laziness ; should, however, 
 any fellow be incorrigible, and persist in re- 
 fusing to work, he is driven unanimously by 
 the whole tribe to seek shelter and provision 
 elsewhere. These outlaws are, therefore, 
 obliged to pass a miserable winter, half starved 
 in a burrow on the banks of some stream, 
 where they are easily trapped. The Indians 
 call them " lazy beaver," and their fur is not 
 half so valuable as that of the other animals, 
 whose persevering industry and prtvoyance 
 secure them provisions and a comfortable 
 shelter during the severity of the winter. 
 
 The Bank Martin. 
 The bill and claws of the above bird (says 
 the autiior of the Architcciure <>/ Birda) are 
 
'272 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 commonly hard and sharp, and admirably 
 adapted for digging. The bill is small, but 
 its shortness adds to its strength, as it sud- 
 denly tapers to a point like a sailor's niarlin- 
 spike, or rather like the points of a pair of 
 fine compasses when closed. The bank- 
 swallow perforates the sand bank with its bill 
 shut, it clings with its sharp claws and pegs 
 in its bill as a miner does his pickaxe, till it 
 has loosened a considerable portion of the 
 hard sand, and tumbled it down ainonj; the 
 loose rubbish below. Some of these swallows' 
 holes are nearly as circular as if they had 
 been planned out with a pair of compasses, 
 while some are more irregular in form : but 
 this seems to depend more upon the sand 
 crumbling away than any deficiency in the 
 original workmanship. It always scrapes out 
 with its feet the sand detached by the bill, 
 but so careful is this performed that it never 
 scratches up the unmined sand or disturbs 
 the plain of the floor which rather slopes 
 upwards, and of course the lodgment of rain 
 is thereby prevented. Bewick says that the 
 nest of the Sand-Martin is carelessly con- 
 structed of straw, dry grass, and feathers ; the 
 female lays five or six white eggs almost trans- 
 parent ; it is said to have only one brood in the 
 year. 
 
 Desperate Strdggle bftween a Man anp 
 A Mastiff for Life. 
 
 A short time since, Mr. Somerwill, the pro- 
 prietor of the Pettington Lime Kilns, North 
 Devon, arose from a little cabin he has fitted 
 up on the spot, to attend to the process of his 
 kiln, and, having effected his purpose, he lay 
 down again without undressing, having over 
 his clothes a smock-frock. Soon after the 
 door of his cabin, which he had neglected to 
 fasten, was thrust open, which alarmed his 
 little dog lying on the floor, and caused him 
 to bark, when the intruder, which proved to 
 be a very large mastiff dog, seized the little 
 animal, and shook it with great violence. On 
 loosing his prey, the little dog leaped up on 
 the bed, and sought the protection of his 
 tins er; thither the mastiff" pursued him, and, 
 placing his paws on the bed, he laid hold of, 
 not the dog, but his master, whom he dragged 
 from the bed to the ground, where he held 
 him for a while ; at length Mr. Somerwill 
 caught his assailant by the throat, and re- 
 gained his legs, but it was with the utmost 
 difficulty he could withstand his powerful 
 enemy. Fortunately for him, a piece of hoop 
 iron was within his reach, which served him 
 for a weapon, wherewith he continued to 
 beat the head of his shaggy antagonist till he 
 had cleft his skull, and finally destroyed him. 
 Mr. Somerwill received no other injury than 
 the alarm and fatigue occasioned by the con- 
 test, the thickness of his clothes having proved 
 a protection from the fangs of his canine foe. 
 
 HiiNnNG BY Steam. 
 A friend of mine startled me a little by 
 stating that he occasionally took the same horse 
 ninely-viiles to cover, and after u day's hunt- 
 ing, brought him home a like distance. — 
 "Unless you hunt by steam," I exclaimed, 
 "it is impossible!" " Why," says he, "that's 
 the whole secret. I go with my horse on 
 board the steamer at Quebec, and reached 
 Trois Riviere in good time to breakfast, hunt 
 with my father-in-law, who keeps a pack, and 
 return to Quebec by the afternoon boat." — 
 Ferguson s Visit to the United States and 
 Canada, in 1831. 
 
 Speed and Strength of Irish Horses. 
 
 The man who rode express from Cork to 
 obtain Mr. O'Connell's assistance as Counsel, 
 performed the journey on the iame horse, in a 
 most extraordinary manner. Mr. O'Connell 
 lives in the wildest part of Kerry, and the 
 country for half the journey is very moun- 
 tainous. Burke left Cork at five o'clock on 
 Saturday evening, and reached Mr. O'Con- 
 nell's on Sunday morning at half-past eight 
 o'clock. He rested and refreshed his horse 
 two hours, and rode him back to Cork at eight 
 on Monday morning ; thus performing, within 
 thirty-eight hours, a journey of 180 Irish 
 miles, on very rough roads, upon the same 
 horse. What say the Americans to this ex- 
 ploit. It resembles the flight of the wild 
 animal that bore away Mazeppa in Lord 
 Byron's beautiful poem. 
 
 "TO A WATERFOWL." 
 By William Bryant, an American Poet. 
 
 " Whither, midst falling dew. 
 While glow the heaveus with the last steps of day. 
 Far, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue 
 
 Thy solitary wayt 
 
 Vainly the fowler's eye 
 Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong 
 As, darkly painted on the crimson sky 
 
 Thy figure floats along. 
 
 Seek'st thou the plashy brink 
 Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, 
 Or where the rocking billows rise and sink 
 On tlie chafed ocean side 1 
 There is a Power whose care 
 Teaches thy way along that pathless coast — 
 The desert and illimitable air- 
 Lone wandering, but not lost. 
 
 All day thy wings have fanned, 
 At that far htight, the cold thin atmosphere. 
 Yet stoop not, weary to the welcome land, 
 
 'i'hough the dark night is near. 
 
 And soon that toil shall end, 
 Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest 
 And scream among thy fellows : reeds shall ben J 
 
 Soon o'er thy sheltered nest. 
 
 Thou'rt gone— the abyss of heaven 
 Hath swallowed up thy form ; yet on my heart 
 Deeply hast sunk the lesson thou hast given. 
 
 And shall not soon depart. 
 
 He, who from zone to zone, 
 Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight. 
 In the long way that I must tread alone, 
 
 Will lead my steps aright." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 273 
 
 THE JOLLY ANGLERS: 
 
 " Dr. Nowell died I'Vlruaiy 13tli, IfiOl, being aged Ninety-five Years, forty-four of which he had beeli 
 Dean of St. Paul's Cliurch ; and that his, age had neither impaired his hearing, nor dimmed his eyes, noi 
 weakened his memory, norr made any of the faculties of the mind weak or useless." 'Tis said, that ANGLING 
 an 1 TEMPERANCE were great causes of these blessings, and I wish the like to all that imitate him, and love 
 the memory of .so good a man.— .Iz.^ak. Walton 
 
 O 1 the jolly Angler's life, it is the best of any. 
 It is ?i fancy void of strife, and belov'd by many. 
 It is no crime, at any time, but a harmless pleasure ; 
 It is a bli.ss, of lawfijness, it is a joy, not a toy, 
 It is a skill that breeds uo ill, it is sweet and com- 
 plete 
 Adoration to the mind, it's witty, pretty, decent, 
 Pleasant pastime, we shall sweetly find, 
 If the weather proves "lut kind, wt'U enjoy our 
 leisiue, 
 18 
 
 In the morning up we rise, soon as daylight's peeping. 
 Take a cup to cheer the heart, leave the sluggard 
 
 sleeping. 
 Forth we walk, and merry talk, to some pleasant river. 
 Near the Thames, silver streams, there we stand, rod 
 
 in hand. 
 Fixing right, for a bite, all the time the fish allure. 
 Come leaping, skipping, bobbing, biting, 
 Dangling at our hooks secure : 
 
 Will; this pasticie sweet and nuie,we could fish forever 
 
 T 
 
274 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 As we walk the meadows green, where the fragrant 
 
 air i , 
 Where the object's to be seen, O ! what pleasure there 
 
 i« ; 
 Birds do sing, flowers spring, full of delectation. 
 Whistling breeze runs through the trees, there we 
 
 meet meadows sweet. 
 Flowers find to our mind, it is a scene of sweet content 
 From the sweet refreshius bowers, 
 Living, giving, casing, pleasing, vital powers. 
 Exhaled from those herbs and flowers. 
 Raised by Oie falling showers, for man's recreation. 
 
 Thro' the shady forest, where the horn is sounding, 
 Hound and huntsman roving, there is sport abounding ; 
 A hideous noise, is all their joys, not to be admired. 
 While we fish, to gain a dish, with our hook, in the 
 
 brook. 
 Watch our float, spare our throat. 
 While they are sweltering to and fro ; 
 Taiitivee, tantivee, the horn dofts loudly blow. 
 Hounds and huntsmen all a row, with their pastime 
 
 fired. 
 
 We have gentles in our horns, we have worms and 
 
 paste too. 
 Great coats we have, to stand a storm, baskets at our 
 
 waists too. 
 We have line, choice of twine, fitting for our angle. 
 If it's so, away we go, seeking out carp or trout. 
 Eel or pike, or the like, dace or bleak, what we lack. 
 Barbel, jack, or any more. 
 Gudgeons, roaches, perches, tenches, here's the jolly 
 
 Angler's stor^. 
 We have choice of fish galore, we will huve our 
 
 angling. 
 
 If the sun's excessive heat should our bodies swelter. 
 To bush or hedge we'll retreat for a friendly shelter ; 
 If we spy a shower high, or the day uncertain, 
 Then we flee beneath a tree, there we eat victuals 
 
 sweet ; 
 Take a coge, smoke and foge, 
 If we can no longer stay, 
 We go laughing, joking, quaffing, smoking. 
 So delightful all the way, 
 'Ihus we conclude the day, with a cup at parting. 
 
 None but an out-and-out Angler, we are 
 well assured, can enter into the "Jdys of 
 Angling ;" many persons, it is true, are 
 pleased with it as a mere pastime ; accept of 
 an invitation, play with the rod and line for a 
 few hours, and may, perhaps, be induced to 
 have another trial, if they are lucky enough 
 to catch a dish offish ! But to other persons, 
 Angling proves any thing but pleasing, nay, 
 tiresome ; and we have heard several indi- 
 viduals exclaim, in the words of the late ele- 
 gant, but fastidious Lord Chesterfield, who 
 gave his opinion in the following terms re- 
 specting hunting : "Do they ever go a second 
 time ?" Therefore, we again repeat the above 
 assertion, that it must be nothing else than an 
 out-and-out Angler, who can fully enter into 
 the "Joys of Angling." Indeed, something 
 after the adage, that a man must be born a 
 poet to excel in his art; or, in other words, 
 that a man must be born an Angler or he will 
 catch no fish ; there is such a peculiarity of 
 thinking attached to the sport — a matter of 
 taste altogether, and totally different from all 
 other kinds of Sporting. 
 
 An Angler, at all events, must possess one 
 of our greatest virtues, namely, Patience ; 
 without patience, no man can become any 
 tiling like an Angler ; and those persons who 
 
 are destitute of this most admirable quality 
 belongi.zg to human nature must give up all 
 ideas of a nusement to be obtained by the use 
 of the line and rod. But we have known 
 many persons, within the circle of our sport- 
 ing acquaintances, who have been perfectly 
 contented with only a nibblein the course of a 
 very long summer's day, much more the lucky 
 chance of experiencing a bite ; and who iiave 
 packed up their baskets with as much cool- 
 ness and composure as if they had the most 
 extraordinary luck in the world, and have 
 caught fish enough to have supplied Billings- 
 gate Market. But then it is said, accordin;? 
 to the old proverb, that " the patient man not 
 only endureth, but he overcometh all things !" 
 Be it so — the true Angler not only acts up to 
 the extremity of the above sentence, but he 
 also entertains a further opinion upon the sub- 
 ject, that however bad his luck might have 
 been one day, he may experience better the 
 next time he throws his line into the water. 
 
 Angling is most decidedly an art, and 
 Anglers, in general, are entirely devoted to 
 this contemplative pursuit ; in fact, they never 
 appear to tire at it. After the day's sport is 
 over, bad or good, we have found most of the 
 Anglers truly pleasant, and perfectly good- 
 tempered. Neither distance, nor weather, at 
 times operate upon the feelings of the Angltr ; 
 and he trudges towards the scene of his de- 
 light, some favorite piece of water, or river, 
 perhaps twenty miles, with as much ease and 
 indifference as if it was only a few yards — 
 contemplating on the healthful exercise and the 
 enjoyment which free air affords with the above 
 sport to the Philosopher! Yes, we must use 
 the term Philosopher ! for such we believe 
 them to be, and have no hesitation, generally 
 speaking, that all true Anglers come under 
 that denomination of character. 
 
 In tiie course of our variegated life we 
 have spent many very harmonious evenings in 
 the company of Anglers after they have re- 
 tired from their day's sport, to enjoy the com- 
 pany of their friends and acquaintances over 
 the glass, cigar, or pipe, and we never found 
 them tardy in telling their tale, or giving 
 their song, when required to contribute to tiie 
 conviviality of the night. We well remember 
 we were very much jjleased with Mr. Float's 
 song, who gave the following verses in the 
 true spirit and taste of an Angler : — 
 
 rO ANGLE WE WILL GO. 
 
 Of all the sports and pastimes 
 
 Which happen in the year. 
 To angling there are none, sure, 
 
 'Ihat ever can compare. 
 
 Then to angle we will go, &c. 
 
 We do not break our legs or arms, 
 
 As huntsmen often do ; 
 For when that we are angling. 
 
 No danger can ensue. 
 
 Then to angle, &.c. 
 Cards and dice are courtly games, 
 
 Then let them laugh who win ; 
 There's innocence in angling, 
 
 Hut gaming is a sia. 
 
 Then to an^le, &c. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S liOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 275 
 
 Then you wlio would be honest. 
 
 And to old age attain, 
 Forsake tlie city and the town, 
 
 And til) the angler's train. 
 
 Then to angle, &c. 
 
 For health and for diversion, 
 
 We rise by break of liay. 
 While courtiers, in their down beds, 
 
 Sleep half their time away, 
 
 Then to angle, &c. 
 And then unto the river. 
 
 In haste we do repair, 
 All day in sweet amusement, 
 
 We breathe good wholesome air. 
 
 ITieu to angle, ^c. 
 Our constitiitinu sound is. 
 
 Our appetites are keen ; 
 We laush and bid defiance. 
 
 To vapours and the spleen. 
 
 Then to angle, Ac. 
 
 The gout and spleen are often bred 
 
 By lolling in a coach ; 
 But anglers walk, and so remain 
 
 As sound as any roach. 
 
 Then to angle, &c. 
 
 The trout, the pike, the salmon. 
 
 The barbel, carp, and bream. 
 Afford good sport ; and so the perch 
 ^ And tench will do the same. 
 
 Then to angle &c. 
 So let us now remember 
 
 To praise the smaller fish : 
 Bleak, gudgeon, roach, and dace. 
 Will garnish well a dish. 
 
 Then to angle, &c. 
 Through meadows, by a river, 
 
 From place to place we roam 
 And when that we are weary. 
 We then go jogging home. 
 
 Then to angle, kc. 
 
 At night we take a bottle. 
 
 We prattle, laugh, and sing : 
 We drink a health unto our friends. 
 
 And so God bless tlie King. 
 
 Then to angle, cScc. 
 
 riie above chant having been well received 
 by the company present, and the toast haviujr 
 gone round, " May we float through life with 
 pleasure and success \" Mr. Rod was solicited 
 to favor his brother Anglers with a song to 
 keep the game alive ; to which Mr. R. readily 
 consented : — 
 
 Come Anglers, come, for work prepare. 
 The scaly-race demauds our care ; 
 The tears of morn in rain-drops fall, 
 Sweet tears of bliss to anglers all, 
 Bring forth your tackle, bait, and hooks, 
 The watery world divinely looks ! 
 Come, anglers, come, nor longer stay. 
 We must, we shall have sport to-day. 
 
 See yonder trout, how proudly shy — 
 But on the stream-king keep your eye ; 
 He must be taken, hook'd ere long — 
 To raise the smile, and laud the song; 
 'Ilie tiy-line plays — the iish bite well — 
 And who kills most, boys, time will tel ; 
 Yes, anglers, yes, for truth to say. 
 Our sport, sweet sl)ort, is good to-day. 
 
 Kow runs tlie time 1 Yet what care we 
 For care or time, while lipre we be. 
 Well caught ! that jack prolongs our stay 
 We cannot, must not, yet away. 
 Bravo ! that greedy perch too cries, 
 We must have more, tofcastour eyes ! 
 Y'es, anglers, yes, for fame to say, 
 Our sport, sweet sport, is good to day. 
 
 The owl-bird flies the shade .scene falls. 
 
 And "home, boys, home," the night bell calls ; 
 
 There, there to chauntthe festive strain, 
 
 And drink old Isaac o'er again ! 
 
 (ireat Walton ! whose piscatory skill. 
 
 Shall long a place in memory fill I 
 
 Shall live for truth's glad tongue to say, 
 
 •' Success to angling night or day." 
 
 Upon the conclusion of this song, Messrs. 
 Minnow, PiscATon, and Bream, were asked 
 for the Fisherman's Glee : and after the fol- 
 lowing toast — " May we never fish introubletl 
 water.s !"had been drank with loud npplause, 
 the above glee singers commenced : — 
 
 " We, we, 
 
 Fis/termen be. 
 For we try the stream, and we sound the sea : 
 
 Tlieu ilee, flee, 
 
 Adowu the lea, 
 For the south wind blows for we and thee. 
 
 Try, try. 
 
 The palmer fly, 
 Where the trout by yon rise doth seem to lie ; 
 
 And ply, ply, 
 
 Ere sun is hight 
 Where the insect falls on the wave to die. 
 
 Wake, wake. 
 
 From slumber break. 
 And your angler's garb and weapons take. 
 
 Make, make. 
 
 For Isaak's sake. 
 Your line whip the Wave, and your flnat sail the 
 
 lake." 
 
 Ancient Fisherman' s Mjludy." 
 
 The melody of the above glee delighted the 
 company ; when Mr. Groundbait, was asked 
 to sing his sentimental song in praise of 
 Angling, with which they had been so often 
 delighted. Mr. G. said he had no objection 
 as to himself, bnt he thought there was " some- 
 thing too much, about fishing," and a little 
 variety might be more acceptable to the com- 
 pany. But this objection was over-ruled by 
 all present, Blr. Groundbait being well- 
 known as a sentimental singer of the first 
 class. After the chairman had given the fol- 
 k)wing toast, " Success to the JollyAnglers!" 
 Mr. G. was listened to with the greatest at- 
 tention, when he commenced the following 
 song •• — 
 
 By purling stream, in shady dell, 
 The angler tunes his vocal shell, 
 
 And, hark ! invites the fair : 
 Soft and enticing are his lays, 
 And sweet of men of sense the praise — 
 Our smiles reward his care. 
 Cliurus. — The jolly angler's sports we'll join. 
 
 And love with pastmie shall combine. 
 
 Too long has foolish custom crept 
 Between the sexes— too long kept 
 
 Those form'd for bliss apart ; 
 
 The bottle's rude intemp'rate noise. 
 
 The social charms of life destroj's, 
 
 Wliich woman's born t'iiiipart, 
 
 C/iorus. — The jolly angler's sports we'll join. 
 
 And love with pastime shall combine. 
 
 The chase ill suits our tender frame, 
 lixposure brings the blush of shame — 
 
 Indelicate display ! 
 But see the fair, with arm divine, 
 Spring round the rod .and throw the line, 
 ■ 'I'is grace herself at play. 
 C/ionis. — The jolly angler's sports we'll join. 
 
 And love witli pastime sli ill combine. 
 T 2 
 
276 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 We'll share the peaceful angler's joys— 
 The world's tumult, care, and noise. 
 
 For calmer .<ceiies rt'sigi) ; 
 Upon our cheeks liealth's ruddy glow 
 Kthereal beauty will bestow, 
 iVnd make our charms divine. 
 CAurw.— The jolly angler's spirts we'll join, 
 
 And love with pastmie shall combine. 
 
 Boy, hither bring tVi' elastic wand. 
 Endued with magic by our hand, 
 
 'Twi'il charm the finny prey : 
 With graceful sweep, the line once thrown, 
 Fishes as well as men shall owp 
 Our universal sway. 
 Oioni.u—I'he jolly angler's sports we'U join. 
 And love with pastime shall combine 
 
 An encore was almost insisted upon by the 
 company, and Mr. Groundbait had some dif- 
 ficulty in not complying with their wishes: 
 but, on Mr. Mac Gregor, a bonny Scotsman, 
 being solicited to give his assistance to pro- 
 mote the cause of Harmony, he replied, " if 
 they would not take it amiss, he would give 
 them, for the sake of ' Auld Lang Syne' a 
 Scotch song in praise of Angling." " By all 
 means," replied the chairman, " and, in order 
 to give you a little time, I shall propose to 
 you, ' May nothing sca/j/ belong to any Angler 
 except his fish !"" This toast produced much 
 laughter, and was also drank with great ap- 
 plause, after which Mr. Mac Gregor sang the 
 following song with so much good taste and 
 feeling as to claim the approbation of every 
 one present: — 
 
 THE AULD FISHER'S FAREWEEL TO COQUET. 
 Tune, — " Grammachree." 
 Come brinu to me my limber gad 
 
 I've fish'd wi' mony a year. 
 An' let me hae my weel-worn creel. 
 
 An' a' my fishing gear ; 
 The sun-beams glint on Linden Ha', 
 
 The breeze comes frae the west, 
 An' lovely looks the gowdeu morn 
 
 On th' streams that 1 like best. 
 
 I've thrawn the flee thae sixty year, 
 
 Ay, sixty year an' mair, 
 An' mony a speckled Troutie kill'd 
 
 Wi' heckle, heuk, an' hair. 
 An' now I'm auld an' feeble grown, 
 
 My locks are like the snaw ; 
 But I'll gang again to Coquet side. 
 
 An' take afareweel thraw. 
 O Coquet ! in my youthfu' days 
 
 Thy river sweetly ran. 
 An' sweetly down thy woody braes 
 
 The bonnie birdies sang ; 
 But streams may rin, an' birds may sing 
 
 Sma' joy they bring to me 
 The blithesome strains I dimly hear, 
 
 The streams I dimly see. 
 But, ance again, the weel-ken'd sounds 
 
 My minutes shall beguile. 
 An' glistering in the airly sun 
 
 I'll see thy waters smile ; 
 An' Sorrow shall forget his sigh, 
 
 .4n' Age forget his pain, 
 An' ance mair, by sweet Coquet side. 
 My heart be young again. 
 
 Ance mair I'll touch, wi' pleesome foot. 
 
 Thy waters clear and cold, 
 Ance mair I'll cheat the uleg e'ed trout. 
 
 An' wile him frae his hold ; 
 Ance mair, at IVeldon's frien'ly doer, 
 
 I'll wind my tackle up. 
 An' drink " success to Coquet-side," 
 
 Tho' a tear fa' in the cup. 
 
 Aa' then fareweel ! — dear Coquet-side I 
 
 Aye gaily may thou rin. 
 An' lead thy waters sparkling on. 
 
 An' dash frae lin to lin; 
 Blithe be the music o' thy stream 
 
 An' banks, thro' afterdays. 
 An' blithe be every Fisher's heart 
 
 Shall ever tread thy Braes I 
 
 IzAAK Walton, the justly celebrated 
 Angler, was born in Stafl'ord in 1593, but 
 the greatest part of his time he resided in 
 London, carrying on the business of a whole- 
 sale linen draper in Chancery Lane. But he 
 established his reputation as a literary cha- 
 racter, and he was the biographer of Dr. John 
 Dorme, Mr. George Herbert, Bishop Saun- 
 derson, Mr. Richard Hooker, and Sir Henry 
 Woolton, whose lives obtained for him the 
 universal applause or his contemporaries. 
 But the greatest popularity Izaak Walton 
 procured for himself was his " Complete 
 Angler,'^ the first edition of which he pub- 
 lished in 1653, and he lived to see it go 
 through five editions; the last of which, 'in 
 1676, was accompanied by a Second Part, 
 written by his intimate friend and adopted 
 son, Charles Cotton, Esq., of Beresford Hall, 
 in the county of Stafford. Walton was also 
 brother-in-law to Bishop Ken ; father-in-law 
 to Dr. Hawkins, prebendary of Winchester; 
 and related also by marriage to the grand 
 nephew of that " first and brightest ornameni 
 of the Reformation," Archbishop Cranmer. 
 It has been observed, by one of his biogra- 
 phers, " there is so much simplicity, and such 
 a vein of good humour throughout his works, 
 that it has obtained the praise of all parties, 
 from the time of its first publication to the 
 present day ; and, though certain quaint pas- 
 sages in it may liave occasionally furnished 
 a theme for the punster, yet its moral instruc- 
 tions and pastoral descriptions, in prose and 
 verse, will ever be acknowledged by men of 
 true genius." 
 
 The above celebrated man, lived to a fine 
 old age, having passed quietly through the 
 vale of life till he counted ninety-three 
 years, and then dying in peace and harmony 
 with all mankind. He died on the 15th of 
 December, 1683, at the house of his son-in- 
 law. Dr. Hawkins, a prebendary of Winches- 
 ter, in which Cathedral his remains were de- 
 posited. 
 
 The following observations respecting a 
 person becoming an Angler, laid down by 
 Izaak Walton, are well worthy of notice: 
 " Now for the art of catching fish, that is to 
 say, how to make a man that was none, to be 
 an Angler by a book; he that undertakes it 
 shall undertake a harder task than Mr. Halls, 
 a most valiant and excellent fencer, who, in a 
 spirited book, called ' A Private School of 
 Defence,' undertake.^ to teach that art or 
 science, and was laughed at for his labor. 
 Not but that many useful things might be 
 learned by that book, but he was laughed at 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 277 
 
 because that art was not to be taught by 
 words, but practice; and so must Angling', 
 And note also, that in this discourse, I do not 
 undertake to say all that is known, or may be 
 said of it, but I undertake to acquaint the 
 reader with many things that are not usually 
 known to every Angler ; and I shall leave 
 gleanings and observations enough, to be 
 made out of tlie experience of all that love 
 and practise this recreation, to which I shall 
 encourage them : for Angling may be said to 
 be so like the mathematics, that it can never 
 be fully learned ; at least not so fully, but that 
 there will still be more new experiments left 
 for the trial of other men that succeed us." 
 
 For the information of the readers of the 
 Book of Sports, we quote the remarks of 
 Washington Irving, who, in his " Sketch 
 Book," thus speaks of the seductive qualities 
 of the pages of Izaak Walton's Complete 
 Angler, on the minds of young Anglers : — • 
 
 " It is said, that many an unlucky urchin 
 is induced to run away from his family, and 
 betake himself to a sea- faring life, from read- 
 ing the history of Robinson Crusoe ; and I sus- 
 pect that, in like manner, many of those worthy 
 gentlemen, who are given to haunt the sides 
 of pastoral streams with angle rods in hand, 
 may trace the origin of their passion to the se- 
 ductive pages of honest Izaak Walton. I re- 
 collect studying his ' Complete Angler,' se- 
 veral years since in company with a knot of 
 friends in America, and, moreover, that we 
 were all completely bitten with the Angling 
 mania. It was early in the year ; but as soon 
 as the weather was auspicious, and that the 
 spring began to melt into the verge as sum- 
 mer, we took rod in hand and sallied into the 
 country, as stark mad as ever was Don 
 Quixote from reading books of chivalry, 
 
 " One of our party had equalled the Don in 
 the fullness of his equipments, being attired 
 cap-a-pio for the enterprise. He wore a broad- 
 skirted fustian coat, perplexed with half a 
 hundred pockets ; a pair of stout shoes and 
 leathern gaiters ; a basket slung^on one side 
 for fish ; a patent rod ; a landing net ; and a 
 score of other inconveniences, only to be found 
 in the tsue Angler's armoury. Thus har- 
 nessed for the field, he was as great a matter 
 of stare and wonderment among the country 
 folk, who had never seen a regular Angler, 
 as was the steel-clad hero of La Mancha, 
 among the goat-herds of Sierra Morena. 
 
 " Our first essay was along a mountain 
 brook, among tlie highlanders of the Hudson ; 
 a most unfortunate place for the execution of 
 those piscatory tactics which had been in- 
 vented along the velvet margin of quiet En- 
 glish rivulets. 
 
 " For my part, I was always a bungler at 
 all kinds of sport that required either patience 
 or adroitness, and had not Angled abo\e half 
 an hour before I had completely ' satisfied the 
 sentiment,' and convinced myself of the truth 
 of Izaak Walton's opinion, ' that Angling is 
 something like poetry — a man must be born to 
 
 it.' I hooked myself instead of the fish ; 
 tangled my line in every tree ; lost my bait ; 
 broke my rod ; until I gave up the attempt in 
 despair, and passed the day under the trees, 
 reading old Izaak ; satisfied that it was his 
 fascinating vein of honest simplicity and rural 
 feeling that had bewitched me, and not the 
 passion for Angling. 
 
 " But, above all, I recollect the ' good, 
 honest, wholesome, hungry, ' repast, which 
 we made under a beech tree, just by a spring 
 of pure sweet water that stole out of (he side 
 of a hill ; and here, when it was over, one of 
 tiie party read old Izaak Walton's scene with 
 the milk-maid, while I lay on the grass, and 
 built castles in a bright pile of clouds until I 
 fell asleep." 
 
 In No. IX. of the Book of Sports, p. 137, 
 we have made an extract of part of a confer- 
 ence from the " Complete Angler," of Izaak 
 Walton, ^' between an AtiGLER, a Hunter, awd 
 a Falconer ; each commending his recreation" 
 we now return to the completion of the dia- 
 logue, so interestingly related by the above 
 celebrated writer and Angler: — 
 
 Piscator. Then first for the antiquity of 
 ANGLING, of which I shall not say mucli, but 
 only this ; some say it is as ancient as Deu- 
 calion's flood : others, that Beltis, who was the 
 first inventor of godly and virtuous recrea- 
 tions, was the first inventor of angling; and 
 some others say, for former times have had 
 their disquisitions about the antiquity of it, 
 that Seth, one of the sons of Adam, taught it 
 to his sons, and that by them it was derived 
 to posterity : others say that he left it en- 
 graven on those pillars which he erected, and 
 trusted to preserve the knowledge of the 
 mathematics, music, and the rest of that pre- 
 cious knowledge and those useful arts which, 
 by God's appointment or allowance and his 
 noble industry, were thereby preserved from 
 perishing in Noah's flood. 
 
 These, Sir, have been the opinions of several 
 men, that have possibly endeavoured to make 
 angling more ancient than is needful, or may 
 well be warranted ; but for my part, I shall 
 content myself in telling you that Angling is 
 much more ancient than the Incarnation of 
 our Saviour ; for in the prophet Amos mention 
 is made of fish-hooks ; and in the Book of 
 Job, which was long before the days of Amos, 
 for that book is said to be writ by Moses, 
 mention is made also of fish-hooks, which 
 must imply anglers in those times. 
 
 But, my worthy friend, as I would rather 
 prove myself a gentleman by being learned 
 and humble, valiant and inoffensive, virtuous 
 and communicable, than by any fond ostenta- 
 tion of riches, or wanting those virtues myself, 
 boast that these were in my ancestors, and 
 yet I grant that where a noble and ancient 
 descent, and such merits meet in any man, 
 it is a double dignification of that person ; so, 
 if this antiquity of Angling, whicli for my 
 part I have not forced, shall, like an ancient 
 family, be either an honour or an ornament to 
 
278 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 this virtuous art which I profess to love and 
 practise, 1 shall be the gladder that 1 made 
 an accideutal mention of the antiquity of it ; 
 of which I shall say no more, but proceed to 
 that just commendation which I think it de- 
 serves. 
 
 And for that I shall tell you, that in ancient 
 times a debate hath risen, and it remains yet 
 unresolved, whether the happiness of man in 
 this world, doth consist more in contemplatioa 
 or action. 
 
 Concerning which some have endeavoured 
 to maintain their opinion to the first, by saying 
 t!iat the nearer we mortals come to God by 
 way of imitation, the more happy we are. And 
 tliey say that God enjoys himself only by a 
 contemplation of his own infiniteness, eternity, 
 power, and goodness, and the like. And upon 
 this ground, many cloisteral men of great 
 learning and devotion, prefer contemplation 
 before action, and many of the fathers seem to 
 approve of this opinion, as may appear in their 
 commentaries upon the words of our Saviour 
 to Martha, Luke x. 41, 42. 
 
 And on the contrary there want not men of 
 equal authority and credit that prefer action to 
 be the more excellent ; as namely, experiments 
 in physic, and the application of it, both for 
 the ease and prolongation of man's life ; by 
 which each man is enabled to act and do good 
 to others ; either to serve his country, or 
 do good to particular persons ; and they say 
 also, that action is doctrinal, and teaches both 
 art and virtue, and is a maintainer of humane 
 Society ; and for these and other like reasons, 
 to l)e preferred befoi-s contemplation. 
 
 Conceralug which two opinions I shall 
 forbear to add a third by declaring my own, 
 and rest myself contented in telling you, my 
 very worthy friends, that both these meet 
 together, and do most properly belong to the 
 most honest, ingenious, quiet, and harmless 
 art of angling. 
 
 And, first, I shall tell you what some have 
 observed, and I have found it to be a real 
 truth, that the very sitting by the river's side 
 is not only the quietest and fittest place for 
 contemplation, but will invite an angler to it : 
 and this seems to be maintained by the learned 
 Pet. Du Miiulin, who, in his discourse of the 
 fulfilling of prophecies, observes, that when 
 God intended to reveal any future events or 
 high notions to his prophets, he then carried 
 them either to the deserts or the sea-shore, 
 that having so separated them from amidiit 
 the press of people and business, and the cares 
 of the world, he might settle their mind in a 
 quiet repose, and there make them fit for 
 revelation. 
 
 And tliis seems also to be intimated by tlie 
 Children of Israel, Psa. 137 ; who having in 
 a sad condition banished al! mirth and music 
 from their pensive hearts, and having hung 
 up their then mute harps vipon the willow 
 trees, growing by the rivers of Babylon, sat 
 down upon their banks bemoaning the ruins 
 
 of Sion, and contemplating their own sad 
 condition. 
 
 And an ingenious Spaniard says that " rivers 
 and the inhabitants of the watery element 
 were made for wise men to contemplate, and 
 fools to pass by without consideration." And 
 though I will not rank myself in the number 
 of the first, yet give me leave to free myself 
 from the last, by offering you a short contem- 
 plation, first of rivers and then of the fish ; 
 concerning which I doubt not but to give you 
 many observations that will appear very con- 
 siderable ; I am sure they have appeared so 
 to me, and made many an hour pass away 
 more pleasantly, as I have sat quietly on a 
 flowery bank by a calm river, and contempla- 
 ted what I shall now relate to you. 
 
 And, first, conceining rivers, there be so 
 many wonders reported and written of them, 
 and of the several creatures that be bred and 
 live in them ; and those by authors of so good 
 credit, that we need not to deny them on his- 
 torical faith. 
 
 As namely of a river in Epirus, that puts 
 out any lighted torch, and kindles any torch 
 that was not lighted. Some waters being 
 drank, cause madness, some drunkenness, 
 and some laughter to death. The river Scla- 
 rus in a few hours turns a rod or wand to 
 stone ; and our Camden mentions the like in 
 England, and the like in Loch 3Iere in Ireland. 
 There is also a river in Arabia, of which all 
 the sheep that drink thereof have their wool 
 turned into a Vermillion colour. And one of 
 no less credit than Aristotle tells us of a merry 
 liver, tlie river E/usina, that dances at the noise 
 of music, for with music it bubbles, dances, 
 and grows sandy, and so continues till the 
 music ceases, but then it presently returns to its 
 wonted calmness and clearness. And Camden 
 tells us of a well, near to Kirby in Westmore- 
 land, that ebbs and flows several times eve-j 
 day : and he tells us of a river in Surrey, it is 
 called Mole, that after it has run several 
 miles, being opposed by hills, finds or makes 
 itself a way under ground, and breaks out 
 again so far oflT, that the inhabitants thereabout 
 boast, as Spaniards do of their river Anus, 
 that they feed divers flocks of sheep upon a 
 bridge. And lastly, for I would not tire your 
 patience, one of no less authority than Jose- 
 phus, that learned Je' /, tells us of a river in 
 Judea that runs swiftly all the six days of the 
 week, and stands still and rests all their Sab- 
 bath. 
 
 But I will lay aside my discourse of rivers, 
 and tell you some things of the monsters or 
 fish, call them what you will, that they breed 
 and feed in them. Pliny, the philosopher, 
 says, in the third chapter of his ninth book, 
 that in the Indian Sea, the fish called the 
 Balcena, or Whirlpool, is so long and broad 
 as to take up more in length and breadth than 
 two acres of ground, and of other fish of two 
 hundred cubits long, and that in the river 
 Ganges there be eels of thirty foot long. He 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 270 
 
 says tliere that these monsters appear in that 
 sea only wiien tlie teinpestous winds oppose 
 the tor'-ents of waters falling from the rocks 
 into it, and so turning what lay at the bottom 
 to be seen on the water's top ; and he says 
 tiiat the people of Cadara, an island near this 
 place, make the timber for their houses of 
 those fish bones. He there tells us that there 
 are sometimes a thousand of these great eels 
 found wrapped or interwoven together. He 
 tells us there that it appears that Dolphins love 
 music, and will come, when called for by some 
 men or boys that know and use to feed them, 
 and that they can swim as swift as an arrow 
 can be shot out of a bow, and much of this is 
 spoken of concerning the Dolphin and other 
 iish, as may be found also in learned Dr. C«- 
 saubon's discourse of Credulity and Incre- 
 dulity, printed by him about the year 1670. 
 I know we islanders are averse to the belief 
 of these wonders, but there be so many strange 
 creatures to be now seen, many collected by 
 John Tradescant, and others added by my 
 friend Elias Asliinole, Esq., who now keeps 
 tliem carefully and methodically at his house 
 near to Lambeth, near London, as may ge some 
 belief of some of the other wonders I men- 
 tioned. I will tell you some of the wonders 
 that you may now see, and not till then be- 
 lieve unless you think fit. 
 
 You may there see the Hog-fish, the Dog- 
 fish, the Dolphin, the Coney-fish, the Parrot- 
 fish, the Shark, the Poison-fish, Sword-fish, 
 and not only other incredible fish, but you 
 may there see the Salamander, several sorts 
 of Barnacles, of Solon Geese, the Bird of 
 Paradise, such sorts of snakes, and such 
 birds'-nests, and of so various forms and so 
 wonderfully made as may beget wonder and. 
 amusement in any beholder, and so many 
 hundred of other rarities in that collection as 
 will make the other wonders I spake of the 
 less incredible, for you may note that the 
 Vv-aters are Nature's store- house, in which 
 she locks up her wonders. 
 
 But, Sir, lest this discourse ~may seem 
 tedious, I shall give it a sweet conclusion 
 out of that holy poet Mr. George Herbert, his 
 divine contemplation on God's Providence. 
 
 Lord, who hath praise enough, nay, who hath any? 
 
 None can express thy works but he that knows 
 them ; 
 And none can know thy works, they are so many, 
 
 And so complete, but only he that ewes them. 
 
 We all acknowledge both thy power and love 
 To be exact, tran:ceiidaiit, and divine ; 
 
 Wlio dost so strangely and so sweetly move. 
 
 Whilst all things have their end, yet none but thine. 
 
 Wherefore, most sacred Spirit, I here present, 
 For me and all my fellows^ praise to thee ; 
 nd just it is that 1 should pay the rent. 
 Because the benefit accrues to me. 
 
 And, as concerning fish in that Psalm, Psa. 
 104, wherein, for height of poetry and won- 
 ders, the prophet David seems even to exceed 
 himself, how doth he there express himself in 
 choice metaphors, even to the amazement of 
 
 a contemplative reader, concerning the sea, 
 the rivers, and the fish therein contained ; and 
 the great naturalist, Pliny, says " thatNature's 
 great and wonderful power is more demonstra- 
 ted by sea than on the land." And this may 
 appear by the numerous and various creatures 
 inhabiting both in and about that element : 
 as to the readers of Gesner, Rondelttius, Pliny, 
 Ausonius, Aristotle, and others, may be de- 
 monstrated. But I will sweeten this discourse 
 also out of a contemplation in divine Du 
 Bartas, who says : — 
 
 God quicKened in the sea and in the rivers, 
 
 So many fishes of so many feature.s. 
 
 That in the waters we may see all creatures. 
 
 E'en all that on the earth are to be found, 
 
 As if the world were in deep waters drown'd : 
 
 For seas as well as sikes, have sun, moon, stars, 
 
 As well as air — swallows, rooks, and stares ; 
 
 As well as earth — vines, roses, nettles, melons. 
 
 Mushrooms, pinks, gilliilowers, and many millions 
 
 Of other plants, more rare, more strange than these. 
 
 As very fishes living in the seas ; 
 
 As also rams, calves, horses, hares ard hogs, 
 
 Wohes, urchins, lions, elephr.nts and dogs ; 
 
 Yea, men and maids, and which I most admire. 
 
 The mitred bishop, and the cowled friar. 
 
 Of which examples, but a few years since. 
 
 Were shov.'n the Norway and Palonian prince. 
 
 These seem to be wonders, but have had so 
 many confirmations from men of learning and 
 credit, that you need not doubt them ; nor are 
 the number, nor the various shapes of fishes, 
 more strange or more fit for contemplation than 
 their difi"erent natures, inclinations, and ac- 
 tions ; concerning which I shall beg your 
 patient ear a little longer. 
 
 The Cuttle-fish will cast a long gut out 
 of her throat, which, like as an angler doth 
 his line, she sendeth forth and pulleth in 
 again at her pleasure, according as she sees 
 some little fish come near to her ; and the 
 Cuttle-fish, being then hid in the gravel, lets 
 the smaller fish nibble and bite the end of if, 
 at which time she by little and little draws 
 the smaller fish so near to her that she may 
 leap upon her, and then catches and devours 
 her ; and for this reason some have called this 
 fish the sea-angler. 
 
 And there is a fish called a Hermit, that at 
 a certain age gets into a dead fish's shell, and 
 like a hermit dwells there alone, studying 
 the wind and weather, and so turns her shell 
 that she makes it defend her from the injuries 
 that they W'ould bring upon her. » 
 
 There is also a fish called by Aelian, in his 
 9th book of Living Creatures, ch. 16, the 
 Adonis, or darling of the sea ; so called be- 
 cause it is a loving and innocent fish, a fish 
 that hurts nothing that hath life, and is at 
 peace with all the numerous inhabitants of 
 that vast watery element; and truly I think 
 most anglers are so disposed to most of man- 
 kind. 
 
 And there are also lustful and chaste fishes, 
 of which I shall give you examples. 
 
 And first, what Du Bartas says of a fish 
 called the Sargus ; which, because none can 
 express it better than he docs, I shall give 
 
280 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 you in his own words ; supposing it shall not 
 have the less credit for being verse, for he 
 hath gathered tliis and other oLiservatious out 
 of authors that have been great and indus- 
 trious searcliers into the secrets of nature. 
 
 The adult'rous Sargus doth not only cbnoge 
 Wives every day in the deep streams, but strange 
 As if the honey of sea-love delight 
 Could not suffice his ranging appetite, 
 Goes courting she-gi ats on the grassy shore, 
 Homing their husbands, that had horns before. 
 
 And the same author writes concerning the 
 Canlliarus, tliat which you shall also hear in 
 his own words ; — 
 
 But contrary, the constant Cantharus 
 Is ever constant to his faithful spouse ; 
 In huptial duties spending his chaste life. 
 Never loves any but his own dear wife. 
 
 Sir, but a little longer, and I Iiave done. 
 
 Few. Sir, take what liberty you think fit, 
 for your discourse seems to be music, and 
 charms me to an attention. 
 
 Pise. Why then, Sir, I will take a little 
 liberty to tell, or rather to remember you 
 what is said of turtle-doves — first, that they 
 silently plight their troth and marry ; and that 
 then the surviver scorns, as the Thracian 
 women are said to do, to outlive his or her 
 mate, and tiiis is taken for truth ; and if the 
 eurvivor shall ever couple with another, — 
 then not only the living, but tlie dead, be it 
 either the he or the she, is denied the name 
 and honour of a true turtle-dove. 
 
 And to parallel this land rarity, and teach 
 mankind moral faithfulness, and to condemn 
 those tliat talk of religion, and yet come short 
 of the moral faith of fish and fowl ; men that 
 vitiate the law affirmed by St- Paul, Rom. ii. 
 J 4, 15, to be writ in their hearts, and which 
 he says shall at the last day condemn and 
 leave them without excuse. I pray hearken 
 to what Du Baitas sings, for the hearing of 
 such conjugal faithfulness will be music to 
 all chaste ears, and therefore I pray hearken 
 to what Du Bartas sings of the mullet : — 
 
 But for chaste love the tnullet hath no peer, 
 For, if the fisher hath surprised her phear, 
 As mad with woe, to shore she foUoweth, 
 Prest to consort him both in life and death. 
 
 On the contrary, what shall I say of the 
 house-cock, whicii treads any hen, and then, 
 contrary" to the swan, tho partridge, and pi- 
 geon, takes no care to hatcli, to feed, or to 
 cherish his own brood, but is senseless though 
 they perish. 
 
 And 'tis considerable, that the hen, Avliicli, 
 because she also takes any cock, expects it 
 not, who is sure the chickens be her own, 
 liath by a moral impression her care and aifec- 
 tion to her own brood more than doubled, 
 even to such a height that our Saviour, in 
 expressing his love to Jerusalem, Matt, xxiii. 
 37, quotes her for an example of tender affec- 
 tion, as his Fathf'r had done Job for a patlern 
 of patience. And to parallel this cock there 
 
 be divers fishes that cast their spawn on flag? 
 or stones, and then leave it uncovered, and 
 exposed to become a prey, and be devoured 
 by vermin or other fishes ; but other fishes, as 
 namely, the barbel, takes such care for the pre- 
 servation of their seed, that, unlike to tiie 
 cock or the cuckoo, they mutually labour, 
 both the spawner and the melter, to cover 
 their spawn with sand, or watch it, or hide it 
 in some secret place, unfrequented by vermin, 
 or by any fish but themselves. 
 
 Sir, these examples may, to you and others, 
 seem strange ; but they are testified, some by 
 Aristotle, some by Pliny, some by Gesner, and 
 by many others of credit, and are believed 
 and known by divers, both of wisdom and 
 experience, to be a truth and indeed are, as I 
 said at the beginning, fit for the contemplation 
 of a most serious, and a most pious man, and, 
 doubtless, this made the prophet David say — 
 " They that occuiiy themselves in deep 
 waters see the wonderful works of God:" 
 indeed, such wonders and pleasures too as 
 the land affords not. 
 
 And that they be fit for the contemplation 
 of the most prudent, and pious, and peace- 
 able men, seems to be testified by the practice 
 of so many devout and contemplative men, 
 as the l*atriarchs and Prophets of old, and of 
 the Apostles of our Saviour in our latter 
 times; of which twelve, we are sure he chose 
 four that were simple fishermen, whom he 
 inspired, and sent to publish his blessed will 
 to the Gentiles, and inspired them also with 
 a power to speak all languages, and by their 
 powerful eloquence to beget faith in the un- 
 believing Jews, and themselves to suffer for 
 that Saviour whom their forefathers and they 
 had crucified ; and, in their sufferings, to 
 preach freedom from the incumbrances of the 
 law, and a new way to everlasting life. This 
 was the employment of these happy fishermen, 
 concerning which choice, some have made 
 these observations. 
 
 First, That he never reproved these for 
 their employment or calling, as he did Scribes 
 and the money-changers. And, secondly, he 
 found that the hearts of such men by nature 
 were fitted for contemplation and quietness ; 
 men of mild, and sweet, and peaceable spirits, 
 as indeed most anglers are : these men our 
 blessed Saviour, who is observed to love to 
 plant grace in good natures, though indeed 
 nothing be too hard for him, yet these men he 
 chose to call from tlieir irreprovable employ- 
 ment of fishing, and gave them grace to be 
 his disciples, and to follow him and do won- 
 ders ; I say four of twelve. 
 
 And it is observable that it was our Sa- 
 viour's will that these our four fishermen 
 should have a priority of nomination in the 
 catalogue of his twelve apostles, IMat. x. as 
 namely, first — St. Peter, St. Andrew, St. 
 James, and St. John, and then the rest in 
 their order. 
 
 And it is yet more observable, that when 
 our ble.st^ed Saviour went up into the inof.nt, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 281 
 
 when he left the rest of his disciples and chose 
 onlj' three to bear him company at his trans- 
 (Iguration, that tliose three were all fishermen. 
 And it is to be believed, that all the other 
 apostles, after tiiey betook themselves to follow 
 Christ, betook themselves to be fishermen too ; 
 for it is certain that the greater number of 
 them were found togetlier fishing by Jesus 
 after his Resurrection, as it is recorded in the 
 21st chapter of St. John's Gospel. 
 
 And since I have your promise to hear me 
 with patience, I will take a liberty to look 
 back upon an observ'ation that hath been made 
 by an ingenious and learned man, who ob- 
 serves, that God hath been pleased to allow 
 those, whom he himself hath appointed to 
 write his holy will in Holy Writ, yet, to ex- 
 press his will in such metaphors as their 
 former affections or practice had inclined them 
 to : and he brings Solomon for an example, 
 who before his conversion was reniarkably 
 carnally amorous : and after by God's ap- 
 pointment wrote that spiritual dialogue or 
 holy amorous love-song the Canticles, betwixt 
 God and his church ; in which he says his 
 beloved had eyes like the fish-pools of Hesh- 
 bon. 
 
 And if this hold in reason, as I see none to 
 the contrary, then it may be probably con- 
 cluded, that Moses, who, I told you before, 
 wrote the book of Job, and the prophet Amos, 
 who was a shepherd, were both Anglers ; for 
 you shall in all the Old Testament find fish- 
 hooks, I think but twice jneniioned, namely, 
 by meek Moses the friend of God, and by the 
 humble prophet Amos. 
 
 Concerning which last, namely, the prophet 
 Amos, I shall make but this observation, that 
 he that shall read the humble, lowly, plain 
 style of that prophet, and compare it with the 
 high, glorious, eloquent style of the prophet 
 Isaiah, though they be both equally true, may 
 easily believe Amos to be. not only a Shepherd, 
 but a good-natured, plain Fisherman. 
 
 Which I do the rather believe by compar- 
 ing the affectionate, loving, lowly-, humble 
 epistles of St. Peter, St. James, and St. John, 
 whom we know were all fishers, with the glo- 
 rious language and high metaphors of St. 
 Paul, who we may believe was not. 
 
 And for the lawfulness of fishing it may 
 very well be maintained by our Saviour's bid- 
 ding St. Peter cast his hook into the water 
 and catch a fish, for money to pay tribute to 
 Caesar. And let me tell you, that Angling is of 
 high esteem, and of much use in other nations. 
 He that reads the Voyages of Ferdinand 
 Mendez Pinto, sliall find that there he de- 
 clares to have found a king and several priests 
 a fishing. 
 
 And he that reads Plutarcli shall find that 
 Angling was not contemptible in the days of 
 Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and that they in 
 the midst of their wonderful glory used 
 Angling as a principal recreation. And let 
 me tell you that in the scripture Angling 
 is always taken in the best sense, and that 
 tiiDiigh hunting may be sometimes so taken. 
 
 yet it is but seldom to be so understood. And 
 let me add this more, he that views the 
 ancient Ecclesiastical canons shall find hunt- 
 ing to be forbidden to churchmen, as being a 
 turbulent, toilsome, perplexing recreation ; 
 and shall find Angling allowed to clergymen, 
 as being a harmless recreation : a recreation 
 that invites them to contemplation and quiet- 
 ness. 
 
 I might here enlarge myself by telling you 
 what commendations our learned Perkins 
 bestows on Angling ; and how dear a lover, 
 and great a practiser of it our learned Doctor 
 AVhitaker was, as indeed many others of great 
 learning have been. But I will content my- 
 self with two memorable men, that lived near 
 to our own time, whom I also take to have 
 been ornaments to the art of Angling. 
 
 The first is Doctor Nowell, some time Dean 
 of the Cathedral of St. Paul's, in London, 
 where his monument stands yet undefaced : 
 a man that in the reformation of Queen Eliza- 
 beth, not that of Henry VIII. was so noted 
 for his meek spirit, deep learning, prudence 
 and piety, that the then parliament and convo- 
 cation both, chose, enjoined, and trusted him 
 to be the man to make a catechism for public 
 use, such a one as should stand as a rule for 
 faith and manners to their posterity. And the 
 good old man, though he was very learned, 
 yet knowing that God leads us not to heaven 
 by many nor by hard questions, like an honest 
 Angler, made that good, plain, unperplexed 
 catechism which is printed with our good old 
 Service-Book. I say this good man was a 
 dear lover and constant practiser of Angling, 
 as any age can produce; and his custom was 
 to spend, besides his fixed hours of prayer, 
 .those hours which by command of the (Church 
 were enjoyed by the clergy, and voluntarily 
 dedicated to devotion by many primitive chris- 
 tians : I say, besides those hours, this good 
 man w as observed to spend part of his time in 
 Angling ; and also, for I have conversed witii 
 those which have conversed with him, to 
 bestow a tenth part of his revenue, and usually 
 all his fish, amongst the poor that inhabited 
 near to those rivers in which it was caught : 
 saying often, " that Charity gives life to re- 
 ligion," and at his return to his house would 
 praise God he had spent that day free from 
 earthly trouble ; both harmlessly, and in a 
 recreation that became a churchman. And 
 this good man was well content, if not desir- 
 ous, that posterity should know he was an 
 Angler, as may appear by his picture now to 
 be seen, and carefully kept in Brazen-nose 
 College, to which he was a liberal becefactor, 
 in which picture he is drawn leaning on a 
 desk, with his Bible before him, and on one 
 hand of him his lines, hooks, and other tack- 
 ling lying in a round ; and on his other hand 
 are the angle-rods of several sorts ; and by 
 them this is written, "That he died 13 Feb. 
 1601, being aged 95 years, 44 of which he had 
 been Dean of St. Paul's church ; and that his 
 age had neither impaired his hearing, nor 
 dinuned his eyes, nor weakened his memory, 
 
2B2 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 nor made any of the faculties of the mind 
 weak or useless." Tis said, that Angling 
 and Temperance were great causes of these 
 blessings, and I wish the like to all that 
 imitate him, and love the memory of so good 
 aman. 
 
 My next and last example shall be that 
 under-valuer of money, the late provost of 
 Eton College, Sir Henry Wotton, a man with 
 whom I have often fished and conversed, a 
 man whose foreign employments in the service 
 of this nation, and whose experience, learning, 
 wit, and cheerfulness, made his company to 
 be esteemed one of the delights of mankind ; 
 this man, whose very approbation of Angling 
 were sufficient to convince any modest cen- 
 surer of it, this man was also a most dear 
 lover, and a frequent practiser of the art of 
 Angling ; of which he would say, " 'Twas an 
 employment for his idle time, which was then 
 not idly spent ;" for Angling was, after tedi- 
 ous study, " a rest to his mind, a cheerer of 
 his spirits, a diverter of sadness, a calmer of 
 unquiet thoughts, a moderator of passions, a 
 procurer of contentedness ;" and " that it 
 begat habits of peace and patience in those 
 that professed and practised it." Indeed, my 
 friend, you will find Angling to be like the 
 virtue of humility, which has a calmness of 
 spirit, and a world of other blessings attend- 
 ing upon it. 
 
 Sir, this was the saying of that learned man, 
 and I do easily believe that peace, and 
 patience, and a calm content, did cohabit in 
 the cheerful heart of Sir Henry Wotton, 
 because I know that when he was beyond 
 seventy years of age he made this description 
 of a part of the present pleasure that possessed 
 him, as he sat quietly in a Summer's evening 
 on a bank a fishing ; it is a description of the 
 Spring, which, because it glided as soft and 
 sweetly from his pen as that river does at this 
 time, by which is was then made, I shall 
 repeat it unto you. 
 
 Tliis day dame Nature seem'd in love : 
 
 I'he lusty sap began to move : 
 
 Fresh juice did stir th' embracing vines. 
 
 And birds had drawn their valentines ; 
 
 i'he jealous Trout that low did lie. 
 
 Rose at a well-dissembled fly ; 
 
 'I'hcre stood my friend with patient skill, 
 
 Attending of his trembling quill. 
 
 Already were the eaves possest 
 
 With tlie swift Pilgrim's daubed nest ; 
 
 The groves already did rejoice, 
 
 ill I'hilomel'B triumphing voice : 
 
 'i'he showers were sliort, the weather mild. 
 
 The morning fresh, the evening fmil'd. 
 
 Joan takes her neat rubb'd pail, and now 
 She trips to milk the sand-red cow ; 
 Where, for some sturdy foot-ball swain, 
 Joan strokes a syllabub or twain, 
 Tlie fields and gardens were baset 
 With Tulips, Crocus, Violet : 
 
 4nd now, though late, the modest Rose 
 
 Did more than half a bliish disclose. 
 
 Thus all looks gay, and full of cheer. 
 
 To welcome the new livery'd year. 
 
 These were the thoughts that then possessed 
 the undisturbed mind of Sir Henry Wotton. 
 
 Will you hear the wish of another Angler, 
 and the commendation of his happy life, which 
 he also sings in verse ? viz. Jo. Davors, Esq. 
 
 Let me live harmlessly, and near the brink 
 Of Trent or Avon have a dwelling place : 
 'Where I may see my quill or cork down sink 
 With eager bite of Perch, or Bleak, or Dace. 
 And on the World and my Creator think ; 
 Whil'st some men strive ill gotten goods t' embrace. 
 And others spend their time in base excess 
 Of wine or worse, in war or wantonness. 
 
 Let them that list these pastimes still pursue. 
 And on such pleasing fancies feed their fill. 
 So I the fields and meadows green may view. 
 And daily by fresh rivers walk at will 
 Among the daisies and the violets blue. 
 Red hyacinth, and yellow daffodil. 
 Purple Narcissus like the morning rays 
 Pale gander-grass, and azure cnlverkeys. 
 
 I count it higher pleasure to behold 
 The stately compass of the lofty sky. 
 And in the midst thereof like burning gold. 
 The flaming chariot of the 'World's great eye ; 
 The watery clouds that in the air up roll'd, 
 ■With sundry kinds of painted colours fly. 
 And fair Aurora lifting up her head. 
 Still blushing, rise from old Tithonus' bed. 
 
 I'he hills and mountains raised from the plains, 
 The plains extended level with the ground, 
 The grounds divided into sundry veins. 
 The veins enclosed with rivers running round : 
 These rivers making way through Nature's chains 
 With headlong course into the sea profound : 
 The raging sea, beneath the valley low. 
 Where lakes, and rills, and rivulets do flow. 
 
 The lofty woods, the forests wide and long, 
 Adnrn'd with leaves and branches fresh and green. 
 In whose cool bowers the birds with many a song 
 Do welcome with their quire the Summer's Queen ; 
 The meadows fair where Flora's -gifts among 
 Are intermixed, with verdant grass between. 
 The silver scaled fish that softly swim 
 Within the sweet brook's chrystal watery stream 
 
 All these and many more of his creation 
 
 That made the heavens, the Angler oft doth see ; 
 
 Taking therein no little delectation. 
 
 To think how strange, how wonderful they be ; 
 
 Framing thereof an inward contemplation. 
 
 To set his heart from other fancies free t 
 
 And whilst he looks on these with joyful eye. 
 
 His mind is rapt above the starry sky. 
 
 Sir, I am glad my memory has not lost these 
 last verses, because they are somewhat more 
 pleasant and more suitable to May-day than 
 my harsh discourse, and I am glad your 
 patience hath held out so long as to hear them 
 and me ; for both of them have brought us 
 within the sight of the Thatched-house ; and 
 I must be your debtor, if you think it worth 
 your attention, for the rest of my promised 
 discourse, till some other opportunity, and a 
 like time of leisure. 
 
 Ven. Sir, you have angled me on with 
 much pleasure to the Thatched-house, and I 
 now find your words true, " That good com- 
 pany makes the way seem short ;" for, trust 
 me. Sir, I thought we had wanted three miles 
 of this house till you showed it to me ; but 
 now we are at it, we'll turn into it, and refresh 
 ourselves with a cup of drink, and a little 
 rest. 
 
 Pisc. Most gladly. Sir, and well drink a 
 civil cup to all the other hunters that are to 
 meet to-morrow. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 283 
 
 Ven. That we will, Sir, and to all the 
 lovers of Angling too, of which number I am 
 now willing to be one myself; for, by the help 
 of your good discourse and company, I have 
 put on new thoughts both of the art of Angling 
 and all that profess it ; and if you will but 
 meet nie to-morrow, at the time and place 
 appointed, and bestow one day with me and 
 my friends in hunting the otter, 1 will dedi- 
 cate the next two days to wait upon you, and 
 we two will for that time do nothing but 
 Angle, and talk of fish and fishing. 
 
 Pisc. 'Tis a match. Sir, I'll not fail you, 
 God willing, to be at Amwell-hill to morrow 
 morning before sun-rising. 
 
 The first articles that the young Angler 
 stands in need of before he commences his 
 fishing pursuits, are a rod and line ; we, there- 
 fore, insert the following directions for making 
 of a line, and for the colouring of both rod 
 and line : — '" I will lose no time," says Izaak 
 Walton, " but give you a little direction how 
 to make and order your lines, and to colour 
 the hair of which you make your lines, for 
 that is very needful to be known by an Angler ; 
 and also how to paint your rod, especially 
 your top, for a right brown top is a choice 
 commodity, and should be preserved from the 
 water soaking into it, which makes it in wet 
 weather to be heavy, and fish ill-favouredly, 
 and not true, and also it rots quickly for want 
 of painting ; and I think a good top is worth 
 preserving, or I had not taken care to keep a 
 top above twenty years. 
 
 " But first for your line. First, Note, that 
 you are to take care, that your hair be round 
 and clear, and free from galls or scabs, or 
 frets ; for a well-chosen, even, clear, round 
 hair, of a kind of glass-colour, will prove as 
 strong as three uneven, scabby hairs, that are 
 ill-chosen, and full of galls or unevenness. 
 You shall seldom find a black hair but it is 
 round, but many white are flat and uneven, 
 therefore, if you get a lock of right, round, 
 clear, glass-colour hair, make much of it. 
 
 " And for making your line, observe this 
 rule, first let your hair be clean washed ere 
 you go about to twist it ; and then choose not 
 only the clearest for it, but hairs that be of an 
 equal bigness, for such do usually stretch all 
 together, and break all together, wliicli hairs 
 of an unequal bigness never do, but break 
 singly, and so deceive the Angler that trusts 
 to them. 
 
 "When you have twisteo your links, lay 
 them in water for a quarter of an hour at 
 least, and then twist them over again before 
 you tie them into a line ; for those that do not 
 so, shall usually find tlieir line to have a hair 
 or two shrink, and be shorter than the rest 
 at the first fishing with it, which is so much of 
 the strength of the line lost for want of first 
 watering it and tken re-tvpisting it ; and this 
 is most visible in a seveu-hair line, one of 
 those which hath always a black hair in the 
 middle. 
 
 "And for dyeing of your hairs, do it thus : 
 
 Take a pint of strong aie, half a pound of 
 soot, and a little quantity of the juice of wal- 
 nut-tree leaves, and an equal quantity of 
 alum ; put these together into a pot, pan, or 
 pipkin, and boil them half an hour ; and 
 having so done, let it cool ; and being cold, 
 put your hair into it^ and there let it lie; it 
 will turn your hair to be a kind of water or 
 glass-colour, or greenish, and the longer you 
 let it lie, the deeper coloured it will be ; you 
 might be taught to make many other colours, 
 but it is to little purpose ; for doubtless the 
 water-colour, or glass-coloured hair, is the 
 most choice and most useful for an Angler ; 
 but let it not be too green. 
 
 " But if you desire to colour hair greener, 
 then do it thus : take a quart of small ale, 
 half a pound of alum ; then put these into a 
 pan or pipkin, and your hair into it with them ; 
 then put it upon a fire, and let it boil softly for 
 half an hour ; and then take out your hair, 
 and let it dry ; and having so done, then take 
 a pottle of water, and put into it two handfuls 
 of marygolds, and cover it with a tile, or 
 what you think fit, and set it again on the fire, 
 where it is to boil again softly for half an hour, 
 about which time the scum will turn yellow ; 
 then put into it half a pound of copperas, 
 beaten small, and with it the hair that you 
 intend to colour ; then let the hair be boiled 
 softly till half the liquor be wasted ; and then 
 let it cool three or four hours, with your hair 
 in it ; and you are to observe that the more 
 copperas you put into it the greener it will 
 be ; but doubtless the pale green is best ; but 
 if you desire yellow hair, which is only good 
 when the weeds rot, then put in the more 
 marygolds, and abate most of the copperas, or 
 leave it quite out, and take a little verdigrise 
 instead of it. 
 
 "This for colouring your hair. And as for 
 painting your rod, which must be in oil, you 
 must first make a size with glue and water 
 boiled together until the glue be dissolved, 
 and the size of a lye colour ; then strike your 
 size upon the wood with a bristle, or a brush, 
 or pencil, whilst it is hot; that being quite 
 dry, take white-lead, and a little red-lead, 
 and a little coal-black, so much as all together 
 will make an ash colour ; grind theie all to- 
 gether with linseed oil ; let it be thick, and 
 lay it thin upon the wood with a brush or 
 pencil ; this do for the ground of any colour 
 to lie upon wood. 
 
 " For a green. Take pink and verdigrise, 
 and grind them together in linseed oil, as tiiin 
 as you can well grind it ; then lay it smoothly 
 on with your brosh, and drive it thin : once 
 doing, for the most part, will serve, if you lay 
 it well ; and if twice, be sure your first 
 colour be thoroughly dry before you lay on a 
 second." 
 
 Ludicrous Angling Anecdotes. — Sir John 
 Hawkins, in his notes on the " Complete 
 Angler," relates the following story : — •" A 
 lover of angling told me he was fishing in the 
 river Lea, at the ferry called Jeremy's, and 
 
284 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 had hooked a large fish at the time when 
 some Londoners, with their horses, were 
 passing : they congratulated him on his suc- 
 cess, and got out of the ferry-boat ; but, find- 
 ing the lish not likely to yield, mounted their 
 horses, and rode oflF. The fact was, that, 
 angling for small fish, his bait had been taken 
 by a barbel, too large for the fisher to manage. 
 Not caring to risk his tackle by attempting 
 to raise him, he hoped to tire him ; and, for 
 that purpose, suffered himself to be led (to 
 use his own expression), as a blind man is by 
 a dog, several yards up, and as many down 
 the bank of the ri%'er ; in short, for so many 
 hours, that the horsemen above-mentioned, 
 who had been to Walthamstow and dined, 
 were returned, who, seeing him thus occu- 
 pied, cried out — ' What, master, another large 
 jfish.' — * No (says the Piscator), the very same.' 
 — ' Nay (says one of them), that can never be : 
 for it is Jive hours since we crossed the river !' 
 and, not believing him, they rode on their 
 way. At length our angler determined to do 
 that which a less patient one would have done 
 long before ; he made one vigorous effort to 
 land the fish, broke his tackle, and lost him." 
 
 The same intelligent knight furnishes us 
 with another anecdote relating to this sullen 
 fish : — " Living some years ago (says he) in 
 a village on the banks of the Thames, I was 
 used, in the summer months, to be much in a 
 boat on the river ; it happened that at Shep- 
 perton, where I had been for a few days, I 
 frequently passed an elderly gentleman in his 
 boat, who appeared to be fishing at different 
 stations for barbel. After a few salutations 
 had passed between us, and we were become 
 a little acquainted, I took occasion to enquire 
 of him what diversion he had met with. ' Sir, 
 (says he) I have but had bad luck to-day ; for 
 I fish for barbel, and you know they are not to 
 be caught like gudgeons.' * Very true (an- 
 swered I), but what you want in tale, I sup- 
 pose you make up in weight.' — ' Why, Sir 
 (replied he), that is just as it happens ; I like 
 the sport, and I love to catch fish ; but my 
 great delight is in going after them. I'll tell 
 you what, Sir (continued he), I am a man in 
 years, and have been used to the sea all my 
 life (he had been an India captain) ; but I 
 mean to go no more, and have bought that 
 little house which you see there (pointing to 
 it) for the sake of fishing : I get into this boat 
 (which he was then mopping) on a IMonday 
 morning, and fish on, till Saturday niglit, for 
 barbel, as I told you ; for that is my delight ; 
 and this I have sometimes done for a month 
 together, and in all that while have not had 
 one bite!" 
 
 Plutarch, speaking of angling, informs us 
 that Marc Antony and Cleopatra, in the midst 
 of their unparallelled splendor, passed many 
 of their hours in that tranquil amusement. 
 He also mentions a deception reciprocally 
 played off by those two royal personages upon 
 eadi other. The whole business of anglitjg 
 may, indeed, be said to bo deceptive, and 
 therefore tricks in that art siiould be excused. 
 
 " Antony (says Plutarch) went one day to 
 angle with Cleopatra, and being so unfortu- 
 nate as to catch nothing in the presence of his 
 mistress, he was much dissatisfied, and gave 
 secret orders to the fishermen to dive under 
 water, and put fishes which had been fresh 
 taken upon his hook. After he had drawn 
 up two or three, Cleopatra perceived the 
 trick ; she pretended, however, to be sur- 
 prised at his good fortune and dexterity, and 
 mentioned the circumstance to her friends, at 
 the same time inviting them to come and see 
 him angle. Accordingly a very large com- 
 pany went out in the fishing vessels, and as 
 soon as Antony had let down his line, she 
 commanded one of her servants to be before- 
 hand with Antony, and diving into the water, 
 to fix upon his hook a salted fish, one of those 
 which were brought from the Euxine Sea." 
 It docs not appear how Antony relished this 
 imposition from his fair associate. 
 
 New Mode of Fishing. — A remarkably 
 fine Newfoundland dog (named Carron), be- 
 longing to Mr. Henry Bell, of the Baths, 
 Helensburgh, in the month of August last, 
 was seen watching like a cat on the banks of 
 the Clyde, behind the baths. A person ob- 
 served at the same time a cod fish about 
 eighteen inches long, in sportive mood, jump- 
 ing repeatedly out of the water. The saga- 
 cious dog had noticed the unwary fish, and at 
 a favorable moment plunged into the Clyde, 
 and disappeared for a short time. He then 
 made his appearance with the fish in his 
 mouth, and delivered it to one of Mr. Bell's 
 servants, with very few marks of violence 
 upon it. 
 
 The Patient Angler. — A gentleman who 
 was allowed to be one of the greatest and 
 most philosophical Anglers of the age, passing 
 from Islington to town, as was his daily cus- 
 tom, frequently saw another sportsman planted 
 on a particular spot of the New River. Being- 
 jealous to think he should have all the sport 
 to himself, he resolved to rise early some 
 morning, and take his post before the other 
 arrived ; having taken his rod and line, and 
 the rest of the Angling apparatus, lie repaired • 
 to the spot, and remained uninterrupted for a 
 considerable time, but without success. At 
 length the original occupier of this envied 
 spot appeared, when the gentleman could not 
 help exclaiming, " Egad, Sir, I do not know 
 how you manage it, but I have been Angling 
 these three hours and have caught nothing at 
 all." "Oh, Lord, Sir," replied the other, 
 " what's that, compared to me ? Why I have 
 been Angling here these three years, and 
 never caught a fish 1" The former, with a 
 smile, answered, "then. Sir, you ought to 
 have eipattnt for patience !" 
 
 THE FISHER'S GA.RLAND ; or TYNE SIDE. 
 TiiNE — " Cayuiy Neucassel." 
 
 Now night has resign'd the soft mantle of sleep 
 And the stars are away slowly creeping ; 
 
 The young day has broken behind the far sleep, 
 And the lark on her free wii.g is sweeping. 
 
PIERCR EGAN'S HOOK OF SPOKTS. 
 
 '2i\5 
 
 llie wild rose is sweet in the green scented lane, 
 With the womibine so gaily cutwininiJ, 
 
 J'he daisies are briglit on the dew-spangled plain, 
 In tlie face of the firmament shining. 
 
 Then hey for the fisher, the creel, and the gad. 
 And hey for the scenes of his pleasure ; 
 
 (In Tyne's smiling sides, with a heart light and glad. 
 How he waves up the glittering treasure ! 
 
 Let high-flier fishermen sing of their streams, 
 
 Away on the Tweed or the Coquet; 
 Give ine the sweet wave where the black di'mond 
 beams. 
 
 Like the glance from the sky-seeking rocket ; 
 Far dearer to me is the slime-covered strand, 
 
 Where old Tyne in his majesty wanders 
 Than all the gay prospects romantic and grand, 
 
 Of the Tweed in its sweetest meanders. 
 
 Then hey, fic. 
 
 The shores of the Coquet, the banks of the Tweed, 
 
 May boast of a richer profusion 
 Of all that is sweetest in flower or in weed. 
 
 To deck the dim haunts of seclusion ; 
 Bill oh ! in their sunny time, never will they 
 
 In the zenith of all their gay shining. 
 So dear be to me as the rude banks of clay 
 O'er the Tyne's rapid progress reclining. 
 
 Then hey, &:c. 
 
 For there, in the spring-time of youth and its joy 
 
 When the bright eye is beaming with gladness. 
 When hope, love, and pleasure, each moment employ 
 
 And time is rmrobed of its sadness. 
 How sweetly the fleet-winged moments have fled. 
 
 While each innocent pastime pursumg ; 
 When no pang felt the heart, and no pain knew the 
 liead. 
 
 And our pleasures were ever renewing. 
 
 Theu hey, Sec. 
 
 The fisher may smile by his far-away stream. 
 
 As he marks his faint victims last quiver : 
 He may smile in contempt at the bard and his theme. 
 
 But still thou art dear ' shining river ;' 
 And gay are the tenants that people thy flood. 
 
 And elate are the bosoms that catch them, 
 Oh ! the hearts I and the scenes where those light 
 hearts have stood ! 
 
 Ye may walk the wide world ere ye match them. 
 Then hey, &c. 
 
 But, away I see ! the sun stands aloft in the sky, 
 
 And the trouts from the cool stream are leaping. 
 With the lithe taper rod, and the well-sort?d fly, 
 
 (While dull moralizers are sleeping,) 
 We'll brush the bright dew troni the soft- wavering 
 blade. 
 
 Till we reach some sweet spot on thy bordt r. 
 Romantic and rude, as by nature's hand made. 
 
 Where we'll put our trim tackle in order. 
 
 Then hey, &c. 
 
 At the Team or the Hazzacks, wherever we me t, 
 
 Nor in deeps nor in shallows we'll spare them. 
 In the dark woody Derwent's secluded retreat, 
 
 With the fly or the worm will we snare them ! 
 And further up yet, where the scenes of old days 
 
 Can fill a brief page with their stoiy. 
 We'll conquer again be as proud of our bays, 
 
 As the heroes who've left us their glory. 
 
 Then hey, iic. 
 
 And when, by the skill of our long practis'd art. 
 
 We have fiU'd up each creel to its cover. 
 When slowly, with many a glance back, we depart. 
 
 And the zest of our pastime is over ; 
 When the deep glow of sun-set is red on the sea. 
 
 When the songsters all homeward are hieing. 
 When the curtain of night is spread dark o'er the lea. 
 
 Still to Tyne will our fancies be flying ! 
 
 Then hey, A;c. 
 
 Still to Tyne and its scenes, in the g^iy circle warm, 
 V\ hen the glass round the table is wheeling. 
 
 We'll fondly revert, iind recount every charm. 
 While our cViorus resounds to the ceiling ; 
 
 And again, o'er the bowl ! while unmark'd the hours 
 
 , %• 
 
 In fancy, we'll hock the bright treasure. 
 And bumpers, the deepest that sorrow defy. 
 Well drain to our innocent pleasure. 
 
 Then hey for the fisher, the creel, and the gad. 
 And hey for the scenes of liis pleasure ; 
 
 On Tyne's smiling sides, with a heart light and glad, 
 How he waves up the glittering treasure ! 
 
 W. G. T. 
 Neucasile. 
 
 Attachment of Spiders to thkfr Young. 
 
 Those agreeable naturalists, Messrs. Kirby 
 and Spence, are of opiuion that in.sects are 
 capable of feeling quite as much attachment 
 to their offspring as the largest quadrupeds. 
 They assert that they undergo as severe pri- 
 vations in nourishing them, expose themselves 
 to as great risk in defending them, and in tho 
 very approach of death exhibit as much 
 anxiety for their preservation. I had an 
 instance of this the other day in the case of a 
 spider, and I watched its whole proceedings 
 with infinite gratification. I found a spider's 
 nest in the under part of the broad leaf of the 
 striped garden grass. It was covered with a 
 thick sort of silky web or cocoon, with an 
 opening to enable the spider to go in and out. 
 On taking off the covering, which consisted 
 of two different layers, 1 found a deposit of 
 eggs closely packed together, and the whole 
 collection was about the size of a large pea. 
 Having completely exposed the eggs, I put 
 the spider and a part of the leaf, to which the 
 eggs were attached, under a glass. In turn- 
 ing down the glass the spider was at the upper 
 part of il, but she no sooner perceived her 
 eggs than she ran to them with the greatest 
 eagerness, covered them as much as she was 
 able with her body, sensible, no doubt, how 
 necessary warmth was for them, and soon be- 
 gan to spin another silky web over them. No- 
 thing seemed capable of disturbing her during 
 this process, and there was no mistaking her 
 affection for, and attention to her eggs. This 
 she showed in another remarkable way. I 
 had placed the portion of striped grass, which 
 was nearly two inches in length, and about 
 three quarters of an inch in breadth (being 
 that part to which the eggs were attached), 
 under a glass upon a marble mantle-piece in 
 my sitting-room. One of the first operations of 
 my poor spider, as I said before, was to cover 
 her eggs with a web. She then proceeded to 
 fix one of her threads to the upper part of the 
 glass which confined her, and carried it to the 
 further end of the piece of grass, and in a 
 short time had succeeded in raising it up and 
 fixing it perpendicularly, working her threads 
 from the sides of the glass to the tup and sides 
 of the piece of grass. There was nn mistak- 
 ing her motives in doing lliis. .Sli ' nul only 
 
286 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 rendered her precious charge more secure than 
 it would have been had it remained flat onthe 
 marble, but she was probably aware that the 
 cold from the marble would chill her eggs, 
 and prevent their arriving at maturity ; she 
 therefore raised them from it in the manner I 
 have described. On the evening of the fourth 
 day after I had confined the spider, two other 
 eggs were batched. On coming into my room 
 the next morning, neither eggs nor young 
 spiders were to be seen. I was satisfied that 
 they could not have made their escape, as the 
 edges of the glass rested on the marble so 
 closely that the point of a needle could not be 
 introduced under them. After minutely ex- 
 amining the spider I was perfectly siire that 
 not one of her young had attached itself to 
 any part of her body, in the manner described 
 by Mr. Kirby. The abdomen of the spider 
 was however three times the size it had been 
 the day previous, being very much distended, 
 and shining as the abdomen of a bee does 
 when it returns to the hive loaded with honey. 
 Those who witnessed the altered appearance 
 of the spider were, like myself, convinced 
 that the young had been introduced into the 
 abdomen ; and of this circumstance there 
 could be no doubt. The death of the spider 
 soon afterwards prevented further observa- 
 tions. 
 
 The Cardinal : — There is a large breed of 
 spiders which are found very generally in the 
 palace at Hampton Court. They are called 
 there cardinals, having I suppose been first 
 seen in Cardinal Wolsey's hall. They are a 
 full inch in length, and many of them of the 
 thickness of a finger. Their legs are about 
 two inches long, and their body covered with 
 a thick hair. They feed chiefly on moths, as 
 appears from the wings of that insect being 
 found in great abundance under and amongst 
 their webs. In running across the carpet in 
 an evening, with the shade cast from their large 
 bodies by the light of the lamp or candle, they 
 have been mistaken for mice, and have occa- 
 sioned no little alarm to some of the more 
 nervous inhabitants of the palace. A doubt 
 has even been raised whether the name of 
 cardinal has not been given to this creature 
 from an ancient supposition that the ghost of 
 Wolsey haunts the place of his former glory 
 under this shape. Be this as it may, the 
 spider is considered as a curiosity, and 
 Hampton Court is the only place in which I 
 have met with it. 
 
 The Virginian Horned Owl. 
 
 This species of Owl, according to Mac- 
 gregor's account of America, is found in 
 almost every quarter of the United States, 
 and occurs in all parts of tlie fur-countries 
 where the timber is of a large size. Its loud 
 and full nocturnal cry, issuing from the gloomy 
 recesses of the forest, bears some resemblance 
 to the human voice, uttered in a hollow. 
 
 sepulchral tone, and has been frequently pro- 
 ductive of alarm to the traveller, of which 
 an instance occurred within my own know- 
 ledge. A party of Scottish Highlanders, in 
 the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, 
 happened, in a winter journey, to encamp 
 after nightfall in a dense clump of trees, 
 whose dark tops and lofty stems, the growth 
 of centuries, gave a solemnity to the scene 
 that strongly tended to excite the superstitious 
 feelings of the Highlanders. The effect was 
 heightened by the discovery of a tomb, which, 
 with a natural taste often exhibited by the 
 Indians, had been placed in this secluded 
 spot. Our travellers, having finished tlieir 
 supper, were trimming their fire preparatory 
 to retiring to rest, when the slow and dismal 
 notes of the horned owl fell on the ear with 
 a startling nearness. None of them being 
 acquainted with the sound, they at once con- 
 cluded that so unearthly a voice must be the 
 moaning of the spirit of the departed, whose 
 repose they supposed they had disturbed by 
 inadvertently making a fire of some of the 
 wood of which his tomb had been constructed. 
 They passed a tedious night of fear, and with 
 the first dawn of day hastily quitted the ill- 
 omened spot." 
 
 Shooting Wild Deer. 
 
 A number of deer having descended from 
 the higher grounds in the island of Mull, and 
 taken shelter in the woods of Drimfin, the 
 property of Hugh Maclean, Esq., of Coll, in 
 the vicinity of Tobermory, Argyleshire, a 
 large party of gentlemen went out some time 
 since, and, after scouring the woods for a short 
 time, Wemyss Orrick, Esq. succeeded in 
 shooting one of these noble animals, at the 
 distance of about ninety yards. Although 
 the deer was at full speed when shot at, both 
 bullets from the double-barrelled gun entered 
 his body, within two inclies of each other. 
 The deer required the assistance of six men 
 to remove it to to the road, whence it was 
 conveyed to the Castle. The sport of the 
 day was concluded by a numerous party of 
 ladies and gentlemen sitting down to a sump- 
 tuous dinner. 
 
 The manner of Hunting Elephants into a 
 Keddah in India. 
 This grand species of amusement in India 
 might almost be called a matter of business ; 
 for it must be undertaken on a very large 
 scale, at great expense, and it is obviously 
 intended to serve the purposes of trade and 
 profit. Elephants are of so much importance 
 for the various labours of peace, and in the 
 operations of war, that to provide them now 
 for our immense possessions in Hindoostan 
 is a matter of extensive speculation. When 
 elephant hunting is to be undertaken on this 
 comprehensive plan, a circuit of country fre- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 287 
 
 qiiented by these animals is selected, extend- 
 ing sometimes to fifty miles ; the whole popu- 
 lation of the district is raised, and paid for 
 assisting ; so that on some of these occasions, 
 more than three thousand persons have been 
 engaged. A convenient plain is chosen for 
 the Keddah ; and a deep and wide ditch 
 being formed, in almost a circle, a high strong 
 fence of bamboos is erected on the outside of 
 it. From the points of the enclosure which 
 leave the circle imperfect, two quarter circles, 
 of the same kind of fence, extend, like arms, 
 or a funnel, to receive the approaching ani- 
 mals. In the Keddahs, and on the advanced 
 ground near it, quantities of the elephant's 
 favorite food are scattered ; and within the 
 area are stationed some female decoy ele- 
 phants, well trained to act their part in the 
 scheme. As soon as the business commences, 
 the different parties appointed on the confines 
 of the district begin by beating the trees and 
 bushes, by making various noises, and some- 
 times by making fires. From these the ele- 
 phants retire; and being pressed by similar 
 excitements, always directed towards the 
 Keddah, they may in three or four days be 
 brought to its aperture. Here they begin to 
 devour the food that has been spread for 
 them ; and are gradually led into the enclo- 
 sure by the increased supply of nutriment, 
 aided by the incitements of the females ; after 
 which a strong barrier is thiown across the 
 part of the circle left open before, so that the 
 whole number is secured. Some of the larger 
 animals will occasionally prove refractory ; 
 but they are soon intimidated by a squib 
 thrown amongst them, and often the female 
 decoy elephants can reduce them to obedience 
 by beating them with their trunks. 
 
 The value of a capture of this kind may be 
 conjectured, when it is known that more than 
 a hundred elephants are frequently taken on 
 such occasions, and that a fine elephant is 
 worth nearly a hundred pounds. 
 
 A Murderer singled out by a Dog. 
 
 There is at Nemours, in France, a castle of 
 very ancient structure : it was built by Charles 
 the Fifth. On one of the chimneys in this 
 building there is a remarkable piece of sculp- 
 ture. It represents a battle between an un- 
 armed man and a mastiflf, before a multitude 
 of spectators. The story is preserved on 
 record, and is as old as the time of Charles 
 the Fifth. It is as follows : — A person of 
 some distinction was found early in the morn- 
 ing, by some peasants, dead, in the midst of an 
 unfrequented wood, and with marks of vio- 
 lence on him ; by his side stood a mastiff dog, 
 that used to attend him in his walks. The 
 monarch was on the spot when the accident 
 happened ; he inquired with the utmost rigour 
 after all that could be supposed guilty. An 
 ancient animosity between the deceased and 
 a man of fortune in the neighbourhood had 
 
 rendered him suspected. His servants had 
 sworn to his being in bed early ; himself gave 
 asseverations of having made up the dispute ; 
 but the King suspected. Charles the Fifth 
 was a man of discernment ; he thought guilt 
 was in his face, in spite of all his assertions 
 of innocence. He ordered the suspected per- 
 son, and twenty others, to be set before him 
 the next day. He produced the faithful dog 
 that had been found near his master's body ; 
 the creature singled out the murderer, who 
 was the very person suspected, and would 
 have torn him to pieces on the spot, if he had 
 not confessed the fact, and changed the pun- 
 ishment." 
 
 Smolensko ; or, a Second Eclipse. 
 Smolensko, the property of Sir Charles 
 Bunbury, which, during his racing career, 
 excited a greater share of the public curiosity 
 than any of his most famous predecessors, in 
 1813 won the two great stakes in the New- 
 market Spring Meetings ; immediately after- 
 wards, the Derby Stakes at Epsom ; and the 
 Magna Charta Stakes at Egham in the fol- 
 lowing August. It was even betting for the 
 Derby between Smolensko and the field, and 
 an unfortunate gentleman, backing the field to 
 a large amount, had not sufficient firmness of 
 mind to bear up against the consequence of 
 his own imprudence. A few days, however, 
 before the race, a report getting abroad that 
 the horse was lame, and he being seen with- 
 out one of his shoes, Sir Charles Bunbury 
 took and won five and six hundred pounds to 
 ten thi-ee times over. The betting soon re- 
 turned to its former state. At this time the 
 newspapers were filled with Smolensko, and 
 he was by them represented as the speediest 
 horse which had appeared since Eclipse, and 
 " unlike Eclipse only in his coolness and 
 want of driving." All the world went to 
 Epsom to witness the performance of this new 
 Eclipse. On his return to London, he was 
 ordered from Tattersall's, for the inspection 
 of his Royal Highness the Regent. Many 
 persons were desirous of purchasing this 
 horse, and there seems no doubt that four or 
 five thousand pounds might have been ob- 
 tained, had the proprietor been desirous to 
 part with him. On the approach of the Egham 
 meeting, the public papers were again full of 
 Smolensko, and a turnpikeman on the road 
 declared, that, in twenty years, he had no' 
 seen such crowds pass his gate, of carriage 
 company, horse, and foot, the latter of all 
 descriptions, and all for the purpose of gett- 
 ing a sight of the famous black horse. Many 
 had come eighteen or twenty miles on foot, 
 returning through the gate, till two o'clock in 
 the morning. Crowds gathered round him on 
 the course, and he was then exhibited to her 
 Majesty the Queen and the Princesses at the 
 royal stand. A man actually offered Sir 
 Charles Bunbury two hundred pounds for the 
 
28{? 
 
 PIEiiCK EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 nse L ''''S horse, lo make a show of; <i"'l, 
 there is nr doubt but that Sir Charles, could 
 he have done such a thing, might have made 
 five hundred pounds by exhibiting him in 
 London. Among llie curious tattle at Egham, 
 on the subject of this wonderful horse, it 
 went about that, the day before the race, he 
 had been stinted of his meat and water, ac- 
 cording to the old system ; most probably a 
 hoax of the groom, by way of answer to some 
 sage inquiry ; it, however, reached the ears 
 of Sir Charles, who remarked to his informant 
 that, should a servant of his make so gross a 
 breach of his orders, " he would never eat 
 any more of his beef and pudding." It was 
 reported Sir Charles challenged all England, 
 offering to take four pounds and run his horse 
 against any horse of his year, his horse not to 
 take a sweat. Smolensko was one of the 
 healthiest, quietest, and best tempered horses 
 that ever was trained ; about sixteen hands 
 and a half high, full brother to Thunderbolt, 
 got by Sorcerer, a son of Trumpator, and his 
 pedigree is filled with our oldest and highest 
 racing blood. 
 
 The Sporting Duke and the Curate. 
 
 Many years since, when the accomplished 
 Duke of Nivernois was ambassador to England, 
 he was going to lord Townsend's seat, at 
 Rainham, in Norfolk, on a private visit, en 
 dishabille, and with only one servant, when 
 he was obliged by a very heavy shower to 
 stop at a farm-house in the way. The master 
 of the house was a clergyman, who, to a poor 
 curacy, added the care of a few scholars in 
 the neighbourhood, which, in all, might make 
 his living about eighty pounds a year : this 
 was all he had to maintain a wife and six 
 children. When the duke alighted, the cler- 
 gyman not knowing his rank, begged him to 
 come in and dry himself, which the other ac- 
 cepted by borrowing a pair of old worsted 
 stockings and slippers, and warming himself 
 by a good fire. After some conversation the 
 duke observed an old chess-board hanging 
 up, and, as he was passionately fond of that 
 game, he asked the clergyman whether he 
 could play. The latter told him that he could 
 play pretty tolerably, but found it difficult in 
 that part of the country to get an antagonist. 
 " I am your man," says the duke. " With all 
 my heart," answers the clergyman ; " and if 
 you will stay and take pot-luck, I will see if 
 I cannot beat you." The day continuing 
 rainy, the duke accepted his offer.^ when his 
 antagonist played so much better that he won 
 every game. This was so far from fretting 
 the duke, that he was pleased to meet a man 
 who could give him so much entertainment 
 at his favorite game. He accordingly 
 enquired into the state of his family affairs, 
 and, making a memorandum of his address, 
 without discovering his title, thanked him and 
 departed. 
 
 Some months elapsed, and the clergyman 
 never thought of the matter, when, one even- 
 ing a footman rode up to the door, and pre- 
 sented him with a note — "The Duke de Ni- 
 vernois' compliments wait on the Rev. Mr. — , 
 and, as a remembrance for the good drubbing 
 he gave him at chess, begs that he will accept 
 
 the living of , worth £400 per annum; 
 
 and that lie will wait upon his Grace thi^ 
 Duke of Newcastle, on Friday next, to thank 
 him for the same." 
 
 The good clergyman was some time before 
 he could imagine it to be any more than a jest, 
 and hesitated to obey the mandate ; but, as 
 his wife insisted on his making a trial, he 
 Avent up to town, and, to his unspeakable 
 satisfaction, found the contents of the note 
 literally true. 
 
 Silver Horse Shoes. 
 
 It is mentioned by Beckman that when the 
 Marquis of Tuscany, one of the richest princes 
 of his time, went to meet Beatrix, his bride, 
 about the year 1038, his whole train were so 
 magnificently decorated, that his horses were 
 shod, not with iron, but with silver. The 
 nails even were of the same metal ; and when 
 any of them dropped out they belonged to 
 those who found them. It is well known that 
 an ambassador from England to France once 
 indulged in a similar extravagance, to exhibit 
 his opulence and generosity ; having had his 
 horse shod with silver shoes, so slightly at- 
 tached, that, by purposely curvetting the 
 animal, they were shaken off, and allowed to 
 be picked up by the populace. 
 
 THE OLD SHEPHERD'S DOG. 
 By Dr. Walcot. 
 
 'ITic old Shepherd's dog, like his master, was grey. 
 His teeth all departed, and feeble his tongue ; 
 
 Yet where'er Conn went, he was follow d by Trav— 
 Thus happy through life did they hobble along 
 
 When fatigued, on the grass the Shepherd would ue, 
 For a nap in the sun — 'midst his slumbers so sweet. 
 
 His faithful companion crawl'd constantly nigh 
 PJac'd his head on his lap, or lay down at his feet. 
 
 W1.3n Winter was heard on the hill and the plain, 
 A;.d torrents desceu ed, and cold was the wind; 
 
 If Cor ill went forth mid the tempest and rain 
 Tray scorn'd to be left in the chimney behind. 
 
 At length in the straw Tray made his last bed : 
 
 For vain, against Death, is the stoutest endeavour; 
 
 To lick. Coi ill's hand he rear'd up his weak head ; 
 Then fell back, clos'd his eyes, and ah ! clos'd them 
 for ever! 
 
 Not long after Tray did the Shepherd remain, 
 
 Who oft o'er his grave with true surrow would bend, 
 
 And, when dying, thus feebly was heaid the poo' 
 swain, 
 " O, bury me, neighbours, beside my old Friend l 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 289 
 
 SPOUTING AT SEA: 
 
 Or, the Vet Monkky giving chase to the Ship's Crew I 
 
 " Monkey's allowance, more kicks than halfpence." 
 
 To such men as the Jolly Tars of old England, 
 \vho at times are some thousands of miles from 
 their dear native home, their wives and chil- 
 dren, and whose exertions day after day are 
 confined as it were within the small space of 
 a few hundred yards, any thing in the shape 
 of a bit of fun to drive away unwelcome 
 thoughts, a mere trifle, under such circum- 
 stances, must operate upon the feelings like 
 new life to them ; or, as Jack Jolly sings ; — 
 
 There's nothing goes wrong when the grog's mixed 
 
 right, 
 And 1 never looks dull when the liquor looks bright ; 
 Though my head it grows heavy, my heela they go 
 light— 
 
 And 1 likes fun and humour, 
 1 likes fun and humour 
 
 Tol de rol liildie le ri do — 
 Yes, ehi mates, I lilces fun and hnraour. 
 19. 
 
 We Tars are all for fun and glee I 
 
 '' 1 need not dwell on the common-place 
 trickii of a nautical monkey (observes Captain 
 Basil Hall), as they must be well known to 
 every one; such as catching hold of the ead 
 of the sail makers' ball of twine, and paying 
 the whole overboard, hand over hand, from a 
 secure station in the rigging ; or his stealing 
 tiie boatswain's silver call, and letting it drop 
 from the end of the cathead : or his getting 
 into one of the cabin ports, and tearing up the 
 captain's letters, a trick at which even the 
 stately skipper is obliged to laugh. 
 
 " One of our monkey's grand amusements 
 was to watch some one arranging his clothes 
 in ills bag. After the stowage was ci.mpleted 
 and every (hing put carefully awny, he would 
 
290 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 steal round, untie the strings, and, having 
 opened the mouth of the bag, would draw 
 forth in succession every article of dress, first 
 smell to it, then turn it over and over, and 
 lastly, flinj; it away on the wet deck. It was 
 amusing enough to observe that, all the while 
 he was committing any piece of mischief, he 
 appeared not only to be under the fullest con- 
 sciousness of guilt, but living under the per- 
 fect certainly that he was earning a good 
 Sound drubbing for his pains. Still, the plea- 
 sure of doing wrong was so strong and habi- 
 tual within him, that he seemed utterly in- 
 capable of resisting the temptation whenever 
 it fell in his way. When occupied in these 
 misdeeds, he continued alternately chattering 
 with terror, and screaming with delight at his 
 own ingenuity, till the enraged owner of the 
 property burst in upon him, hardly more angry 
 with Jacko than with his malicious mess- 
 mates, who, instead of preventing, rather 
 encouraged the pillage. 
 
 " All this was innocent, however, compared 
 to the tricks which the blue jackets taught 
 him to play upon the jolly marines. How 
 they set about this laudable piece of instruc- 
 tion I know not : but the antipathy which 
 they established in Jacko's breast against the 
 red coats was something far beyond ordinary 
 prejudice, and in its consequences partook 
 more of the interminable war between cat and 
 dog. 
 
 " The monkey, who entered with all flie 
 zeal of a hot partisan into the designs of the 
 blues, showed no mercy to the red faction, 
 against whom he had not, in fact, the slightest 
 shadow of a real quarrel. As that trifling 
 circumstance, however, seemed, as in graver 
 cases of quarrel, only to aggravate tiie hos- 
 tility, every new day brought a new mode of 
 attack upon the unliappy soldiers, who were 
 never safe. At first he merely chattered, or 
 grinned contemptuously at them ; or, at worst 
 snapped at his heels, soiled their fine pipe- 
 clayed trousers, or pulled the cartridges out 
 of their cartouch-boxes, and scattered the 
 powder over the decks, feats for which his 
 rump was sure to smart under the ratan of the 
 indignant sergeant, to whom the ' party' made 
 their complaint. Upon these occasions the 
 sailors laughed so heartily at their friend 
 Jacko, as he placed his hands behind him, 
 and, in an agony of rage and pain, rubbed the 
 seat of honour, smarting under the sergeant's 
 chastisement, that, if he could only have rea- 
 soned the matter like a statesman, he would 
 soon have distrusted his advantage in this of- 
 fensive, but not defensive, alliance with the 
 Johnnies against the Jollies. Sometimes, 
 indeed, he appeared to be quite sensible of 
 his absurd position, caned by his enemy and 
 ridiculed by his friends, in whose cause he 
 was suflfering. On these occasions he often 
 made a run, open-mouthed, at the sailors ; in 
 return for which mutinous proceeding he was 
 sure to get a smart rap over the nose from his 
 own party, which more than counterpoised 
 
 the anguish at the other extremity of his per- 
 son, giving ludicrous occupation to both his 
 hands, and redoubling the shouts of laughter 
 at his expense. In short, poor St. Jago lite- 
 rally got what is currently called monkey's 
 allowance, viz. * more kicks than halfpence.' 
 
 '' In process of time, as Mr. Monkey, by 
 dint of that bitter monitor, experience, gained 
 higher knowledge in the art of marine war- 
 fare and ship diplomacy, he became much 
 more formidable in his attacks on the ' corps,' 
 and generally contrived to keep himself well 
 beyond the reach of the sergeant's merciless 
 ratan. One of the favorite pranks of the 
 sailors was to place him near the break of the 
 forecastle, with a handspike, taken from the 
 bow-chaser gun, in his paws. It was quite 
 as much as he could carry, and far more than 
 he could use as a missile against the royals ; 
 but he was soon instructed in a method of 
 employing it, which always grievously annoyed 
 the enemy. Theoretically speaking, I presume 
 poor Jacko knew no more of the laws of gra- 
 vitation, when applying it to the annoyance 
 of the marines, than his friends the seamen 
 did of centrifugal action, when swinging 
 round the hand-lead to gain soundings by 
 pitching it far forward into the water ; but 
 without such scientific knowledge, both the 
 monkey and his wicked associates knew very 
 well that if a handspike were held across the 
 top of the forecastle ladder, and let go when a 
 person was about half way down it, the heels 
 of the said individual would be sure to bring 
 up or stop the bar. The unhappy marine, 
 therefore, who happened to be descending the 
 steps when Jacko let his handspike fall, gene- 
 ' rally got the skin taken oflf his heels, or his 
 instep, according as his rear or his front was 
 turned towards the foe. The instant Jacko 
 let go his hold and the law of gravitation be- 
 gan to act, so that the handspike was heard to 
 rattle down the ladder, off he jumped to the 
 bow of the barge, overlooking the spot, and 
 there sat, with his neck stretched out, his 
 eyes starting from his head, and his lips 
 drawn back, till his teeth, displayed from ear 
 to ear, rapped against one another like a pair 
 of castanets in a bolero, under the influence of 
 the most ecstatic alarm, curiously mixed up 
 with the joy of complete success. The poor 
 wounded Gulpin, in the meantime, rubbed his 
 ankles, as he fired off a volley of imprecations, 
 the only effect of which was to increase the 
 number of his audience, grinning and laugh- 
 ing in chorus with the terrified mischief- 
 monger," 
 
 Happy Jerry ! 
 
 Late of the Surrey Zoological Gardens. 
 
 The individual with this felicitous soubri- 
 quet, was a specimen of the great Mandrill 
 Baboon, in its adult state, the Papio Maimon 
 of Geoffrey, and the Cynocephalus Maimon 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 291 
 
 of Desniarest. It is a native of the Gold 
 Coast and Guinea, in Africa, where whole 
 droves of them often plunder the orchards 
 and vineyards. Their colours are grayish- 
 brown, inclining to olive above; the cheeks 
 are blue and furrowed, and tlie chin has a 
 sharp pointed orange beard ; the nose grows 
 red, especially towards the end, where it 
 becomes of a bright scarlet. Such are, how- 
 ever, only the colours of the adult animal ; 
 the young differs materially, on which account 
 it has been considered by naturalists as a dis- 
 tinct species. 
 
 Jerry is now a member of death's " antic 
 court" (observes the editor of the 31in-(,r), 
 but his necrology may be interesting to the 
 reader. JNIr. Cross describes him as " from 
 on board a slave vessel that had been cap- 
 tured off the Gold Coast in the year 1815," 
 when he was supposed to be three years old. 
 He was landed at Bristol, and was there pur- 
 chased by the proprietor of a travelling me- 
 nagerie, who kept him for some years, and 
 taught him the various accomplishments he 
 after excelled in, as sitting in a chair, smok- 
 ing, drinking grog, &c. ; probably he re- 
 quired but little tuition in the latter ; since 
 we find a fondness for fermented liquors 
 numbered among his habits by the biographers 
 of his species. In 182S Jerry was purchased 
 by Mr. Cross, and exhibited at the King's 
 Mews, when he appeared in full vigour, and 
 attracted a large number of daily visitors. 
 He was fed daily from the table of his owner, 
 and almost made a parlor guest; taking tea, 
 toast, bread and butter, soup, boiled and 
 roast meats, vegetables, pastry, &c., with as 
 much godt as any member of a club in his 
 vicinity. In 1829 his eccentricities reached 
 the royal ear at Windsor, and George the 
 Fourth (whose partiality to exotics, animate 
 or inanimate, was well known) sent an " ex- 
 press command" that Jerry should attend at 
 the Castle. The invitations of royalty are 
 always undeclinable, and Jerry~obeyed ac- 
 cordingly. The King was much amused with 
 his visiter, and, says our informant, " his 
 Majesty was delighted at seeing him eat the 
 state dinner, consisting of venison, &c., which 
 had been prepared for him." * Thus, Jerry 
 was not in the parlous state described by 
 Touchstone : he was not damned like the poor 
 shepherd : he had been to court. He had 
 also learnt good and gallant manners. He 
 recognised many of his frequent visiters, and 
 if any female among them was laid hold of, 
 in his presence, he would bristle with rage, 
 strike the bars of his cage with tremendous 
 force, and violently gnash his teeth at the 
 ungallant offender. 
 
 * This leiniiids us of the attachment of the late 
 Duke of Norfolk to his dogs. 'J'hey were admitttd to 
 the apartment in which his Grace dined ; and he often 
 selected the fine cuts from joints at table, and threw 
 the pieoes to the curs upon the polished oak floors of 
 Aiundel Castle. 
 
 In the autumn of 1831 Jerry's health began 
 to decline, and he was accordingly removed 
 from (Jliaring Cross to the suburban salubrity 
 of the Surrey Zoological (iardens. All was 
 of no avail; though, as a biographer would 
 say of a nobler animal, every remedy was 
 tried to restore him to healtii. Life's fitful 
 fever was well nigh over with him, and in the 
 month of December last — he died. His body 
 was opened and examined, when it appeared 
 that his death was through old age ; and, 
 although he had been a free liver, and, as 
 Mr. Cross facetiously observes, " was not a 
 member of a Temperance Society," his in- 
 ternal organization did not seem to have suf- 
 fered in the way usually consequent upon hard 
 drinking. Perhaps a few ascetic advocates 
 of cant and care-wearing abstinence will 
 think that we ought to conceal tljis excep- 
 tionable fact, lest Jerry's example should be 
 more frequently followed. Justice demands 
 otherwise; and as tiie biogi-ophers of old tell 
 us that Alexander the Great died of hard 
 drinking, so ought we to record that Happy 
 Jerry's life was not shortened by the imperial 
 propensity : in this case, the monkeyhasbeat thy 
 man ; proverbially, the man beats the monkey. 
 Jerry had, however, his share of ailment — he 
 had been a martyr to that love-pain, the tooth- 
 ache ; several of his large molar teeth being 
 entirely decayed. This circumstance ac- 
 counted for the gloomy appearance he would 
 sometimes put on, and his covering his head 
 with his hands and laying it in his chair. 
 Poor fellow ! we could have sympathized 
 with him from our very hearts — we mean 
 teeth. Jerry's remains have been carefully 
 embalmed (we hope in his favourite spirit), 
 and are now at the Surrey Gardens ; where 
 the arrival of a living congener is daily ex- 
 pected. Meanwhile, will nobody write the 
 hicjacet of the deceased ?* or no Dublisher 
 
 • The Editor of the " Book of Sporis" has most 
 humbly endeavoured to scibhle out an Epitaph ; or, 
 in other words, " a sort of remembrance" respecting 
 the character of the late Happy Jekry for the amuse- 
 ment of his readers ; how fai he has succeeded in his 
 attempts to describe the qualities of Jerry, he must 
 leave to the candid opinion of the public. However, 
 Mr. Cross may adopt it if lie thinks proper, should he 
 have some little iiicke left in the Surrey Zoological 
 Gardens unoccupied, where he can make it public; if 
 not, it will maintain its situation iu the pages of the 
 " Book of Sports .'" 
 
 HeUE filES 
 
 The remains of H.iPPY JERRY ! I I 
 
 Who never uttered one complaint during his life ! 
 
 A most EccENTKic l^uiiATURp ; 
 
 and one of those 
 
 EXTR/VORDINARY BEINGS 
 
 Rarely to be met with in this most enlightened age 
 
 in which the Liberty of the Hkk.ss might have 
 
 afforded such great facilities 
 
 To an observer of human nature ; 
 
 but, nevertheless. 
 
 He heard, saw, and said NOTHING I 
 
 A good example to all Tatlers ! 
 
 HAPPY JERRY 
 
 Was an object of attraction to thousands of persons^ 
 
 although he was considered 
 
 A VERY FREE LIVER! 
 
 U 2 
 
292 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 engage for Iiis reminiscences ?t Mr. Cross 
 would probably supply the skeleton — of the 
 memoir — not of his poor dead Jerry, What 
 
 And would not listen to the valuable advice of the 
 
 'I'empkra.nce SociETiiis : 
 
 In truth, their remarks as to the preservation 
 
 of healtli were entirely thrown away upon 
 
 his understanding ! 
 
 He was no respecter of persons — and Jerry looked 
 
 upon King George in his palace 
 
 With the same sort of indifterence as he did on 
 
 the lowest of his subjects out of it. 
 
 In the establishment to which he belonged 
 
 HAPPY JERRY 
 
 Was treated with the respect of a parlour boarder, 
 
 all the good things of this life he was fond of, 
 
 to excess : and he enjoyed his 
 
 Tea, and Toast, with as much guit 
 
 as the richest Duke in the land. 
 
 Jerry was fond of his grog, although he never toasted 
 
 any of his acquaintances over it ; and very much 
 
 attached to smoking ! but he never gave 
 
 his visitors the benefit of 
 
 his cogitations. 
 
 We have not been able to trace his yeeligree on either 
 
 side of the question, 
 
 respecting his Sire or his Dam ; 
 
 therefore, it must suffice, that he was of foreign 
 
 extraction. However, Jerry did not boast 
 
 of family pride : and would not 
 
 have returned thanks for 
 
 A Peerage ! 
 
 Such was his state of independence ! 
 
 He was never known to flatter any person ; and 
 
 nothing in the shape of a back-hHer 
 
 attached to his character. 
 
 But TIME 
 
 proved his overthrow : Old Age was too much for 
 
 him, and Death gave Happy Jerry 
 
 his quietus ! 
 
 In the month of December, 18S1. 
 
 t The reminiscences of Uappy Jerry, as one of the 
 on dits of the day, are under consideration at the pre- 
 sent moment, but the learned Pundits, it should seem 
 are rather at fault to decipher the marks, or rather 
 scratches of society, which he has left behind him ; 
 hut the above learned gents, have not the slightest 
 doubt, if they could be tnade out in a tangible sort of 
 ruannsr, that the rising generation might be greatly 
 benefited by his remarks. However, it will not be 
 denied, that the late Happy Jerry, was a "Monkey 
 who had seen the world .'" and its fashionable movements, 
 airs, and grimaces ; but the thing most to be deplored 
 is at the present period— that the great march of in- 
 tellect will be impeded by it — as he kept all his observa- 
 tions to himself. It is thus Gay, in his delightful 
 fables, describes the " Monkey who had seen the 
 world :" — 
 
 A monkey to reform the times, 
 Resolv'd to visit foreign climes : 
 For men in distant regions roam 
 To bring politer manners home. 
 So forth he sets, all toil defies ; 
 Misfortune serves to make us wise. 
 
 At length the treach'rous snare was laid ; 
 Poor Pug was caught, to town convey'd. 
 There sold. How euvy'd was his doom, 
 Made captive in a lady's room i 
 Proud as a lover of his chains. 
 He day by day her favour gains. 
 \\ hene'er tlie duty of the day 
 The toilet calls with mimic play. 
 He twirls her knots, he cracks her fan, 
 Like any other gentleman. 
 In visits too his parts and wit, 
 When jests grew dull were sure to hit. 
 Proud with applause, he thought his mind 
 In ev'ry courtly art refin'd : 
 Like Orpheus burnt with public zeal. 
 To civilize the Monkey weal ; 
 So watch'd occasion, broke his chain. 
 And sought his native woods again ? 
 
 tales could he have told of the slave-strioken 
 people of the Gold Coast, what horrors of the 
 slave-ship whence he was taken, what a fine 
 graphic picture of his voyage, and his travels 
 in England, a la Prince Puckler Muskuu, not 
 forgetting his visit to Windsor Castle 
 
 Baboons n)ay be rendered docile in confine- 
 ment, though they almost always retain the 
 disposition to revenge an injury. At the Cape 
 they are often caught when young,and brought 
 up with milk ; perhaps Jerry was so nur- 
 tured ; and Kolben tells us that they will 
 become as watchful over their master's pro- 
 perty as the most valuable house-dog is in 
 Europe. Many of the Hottentots believe 
 they can speak, but that they avoid doing so 
 lest they should be enslaved, and com- 
 pelled to work ! What a libel upon human 
 nature is conveyed in this trait of savage 
 credulity. The bitterest reproofs of man's 
 wickedness are not only to be found in the 
 varnished lessons of civilization. Here is a 
 touching piece of simplicity upon which 
 James Montgomery might found a whole 
 poem. 
 
 Baboons, in their native coiintries, are some- 
 times hunted with dogs, but their chase iff 
 often fatal to the assailants. Mr. Burchell 
 tells us that several of his dogs were wounded 
 by the bites of baboons, and two or three 
 dogs were thus bitten asunder. A species of 
 baboon, common in Ceylon, often attains the 
 height of man. It is very fearless ; and 
 Bishop Heber relates that an acquaintance 
 of his having on one occasion shot a young 
 baboon, the mother came boldly up and wrested 
 the gun out of his hand without doing him 
 any injury. 
 
 The Ourang Outang. 
 
 Whilst we are on the subject of Monkeys, 
 the following description of the above animal, 
 read by Dr. Abel, on the 5th of January, 1825, 
 in the Asiatic Society, will be found rather 
 interesting to our readers, contained in some 
 observations on the skin, and some fragments 
 (which had been presented to the Society) of 
 an Ourang Outang, which had been killed on 
 the coast of Sumatra, and which seems to have 
 been the largest and most remarkable animal 
 of this kind that has ever been seen by Euro- 
 peans. It appears that an officer of the ship 
 Mary-Anne-Sophia was on shore at a place 
 called Ramboon, near Touromon, on the 
 west coast of Sumatra, where he discovered 
 the animal in a tree. He assembled his 
 people, and followed him to a tree in a culti- 
 vated spot, on which he took refuge. His 
 walk was erect and waddling, but not quick, 
 and he was obliged occasionally to accelerate 
 his motion with his hands ; but with the bough 
 of a tree he impelled himself forward with 
 great rapidity. VVhen he reached the trees 
 his strength was shown in a high degree, for 
 with one spring he gained a very lofty bough, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 293 
 
 and bounded from it with the ease of the 
 smaller animals of his kind. Had the circum- 
 jacent land been covered with wood, he would 
 certainly have escaped from his pursuers, his 
 mode of travelling by bough or tree being de- 
 scribed as rapid as the progress of a very fleet 
 horse. But at Ramboon there are but few 
 trees left in the midst of cultivated lields, and 
 amidst these alone he jumped about to avoid 
 being taken. He was first shot on a tree, and 
 after having received five balls his exertion 
 was relaxed, owing, no doubt, to loss of 
 blood ; and the ammunition being about this 
 time expended, they were obliged to have 
 recourse toother measures for his destruction. 
 One of the first balls probably penetrated his 
 lungs, for immediately after the infliction of 
 the wound he slung himself by the feet from a 
 branch, with his head downwards, and allow- 
 ed the blood to flow from his mouth. On 
 receiving a wound, he always put his hand 
 over the injured part, and the human-like 
 agony of his expression had the natural effect 
 of exciting painful feelings among his pur- 
 suers. With the assistance of the peasantry, 
 who seemed as amazed at the sight of the 
 animal as the crew of the Mary-Anne-Sophia, 
 never having seen one before, although living 
 within two days' journey from the vast and 
 impenetrable forests on the island, they cut 
 down the tree on which he was reclining ex- 
 hausted ; but, the moment he found it falling, 
 he exerted his remaining strength, and gained 
 another tree, and then a third, until he was 
 finally brought to the ground, and forced to 
 combat his assailants, who now gathered very 
 thickly round, and discharged spears and 
 other missiles against him. The first spear, 
 made of a very strong supple sort of wood,, 
 which would have resisted the strength of the 
 strongest man, was broken by him like a 
 carrot, and, had he not been at this time in 
 almost a dying state, it was feared that he 
 would have severed the heads of some of the 
 party with equal ease. He fell at lengtli 
 under innumerable stabs inflicted-by the pea- 
 santry. 
 
 The animal is supposed to have travelled 
 some distance to the place where he was 
 killed, as his legs were covered with mud, up 
 to the knees. The ha^ds and feet of the ani- 
 mal had great analogy to human hands and 
 feet, only that the thumbs were smaller in 
 proportion, and situated nearer the wrist- 
 joint tlian the thumbs of human beings gene- 
 rally are. His body was well-proportioned, 
 he had a tine, broad, expanded chest, and 
 narrow waist. His legs, however, were rather 
 short, and his arms very long, though both 
 possessed such sinew and muscle as left no 
 doubt of their power and strength. His head 
 was well-proportioned with his body; the 
 nose was prominent ; the eyes large ; and the 
 mouth larger than tlie mouth in man. His 
 chin was fringed from the extremity of one 
 ear to the other with a shaggy beard, curling 
 luxuriantly on each side, and forming altoge- 
 
 ther an ornamental, rather than a frightful 
 appendage to his visage. The hair of his 
 coat was smooth and glossy, when he was 
 first killed, and his teeth and whole appear- 
 ance indicated that he was young, and in the 
 full possession of his physical powers. He 
 was nearly eight feet high. Dr. Abel has, 
 with great care and ability, examined all the 
 fragments of the animal presented to the So- 
 ciety. The height mentioned is a mere esti- 
 mate by those who saw it alive ; but the 
 measurement of the skin goes far to determine 
 this question. The skin, dried and shrivelled 
 as it is, in a straight line, from the top of the 
 shoulders, to the point whence the ancle has 
 been removed, measures five feet ten inches ; 
 the perpendicular length of the neck, as it is 
 in the preparation, three inches and a half; 
 length of the face, from the forehead to the 
 chin, nine inches ; and of the skin now at- 
 tached to the foot, from the line of its separa- 
 tion from the body to the heel, eight inches; 
 — measurements made by Dr. Abel himself: 
 thus we have one foot ten inches and a half 
 to be added to the five feet ten inches, in 
 order to approximate his real stature, which 
 would make seven feet eight inches and a 
 half; but, allowing the six inches and a half 
 for the shortening that would result from the 
 folding of the skin over the shoulders, the 
 height will then be full seven feet. 
 
 This is the greatest ascertained height of 
 any tailless monkey on record, as may be 
 gathered from the several notices which Dr. 
 Abel has collected from different writers on 
 man-like apes. 
 
 The skin itself was of a dark leaden colour ; 
 the hair of a brownish red, shaggy, and long 
 over the shoulders and flank. 
 
 It is observed by Dr. Abel that of the small 
 animals, more particularly known in Europe 
 under the designation of Ourang Outang, one 
 is an inhabitant of Africa, the other of the 
 East. Of both several living specimens have 
 been seen in Europe, but all were of small 
 stature, and very young, never exceeding 
 three feet in height ; or as many years of age. 
 These animals were long considered as vari- 
 eties of the same species, although, in point 
 of fact, they are very distinctly separated by 
 external character, and anatomical distinc- 
 tions ; the African animal being always 
 black, with large ears ; the Eastern speci- 
 mens as invariably having reddish-brown 
 hair, and very small ears ; the former also 
 being unprovided with sacs communicating 
 with the windpipe, whilst they are always 
 found in the latter. 
 
 The Sporting Monkey. 
 The late Duke of Richmond had several 
 hunters at his seat, Goodwood, in Sussex, 
 near Chichestex. A monkey who was kept 
 in the same stable was remarkably fond of 
 riding the horses, skipping from ono to the 
 
294 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 other, and teazingthe poor animals incessantly. 
 The groom made a complaint to the Duke, 
 •who immediately formed a plan to remedy the 
 evil. " If he is fond of riding," replied his 
 Grace, " we'll endeavour to give him enough 
 of it ;" and accordingly provided a complete 
 jockey dress for the monkey. The next time 
 the hounds were out, Jackoo in his uniform, 
 was strapped to one of the best hunters. The 
 view halloo being given, away they went 
 through thick and thin ; the horse carrying so 
 light a weight presently left all the company 
 behind. Some of the party, passing by a farm- 
 house, enquired of a countryman whether he 
 he had seen the fox. " Ay, zure," said the 
 man, " he is gone over yon fallow." " And 
 was there any one up with him?" "Ay, 
 zure," said John, '' there be a little man in a 
 yellow jacket jiist gone by, ridin' as tho' the 
 devil be in un. I hope from my heart the 
 young gentleman mayn't meet with a fall, for 
 he rides most monstrous hard." His experi- 
 ment had the desired effect : Jackoo was suf- 
 ficiently chafed by his exercise to make him 
 dislike the sight of a stable ever afterwards. 
 
 The Opinions of the late Prince Lee Boo, 
 respecting the British Sports, extracted 
 from a letter written to his father the King 
 of the Peleiv Islands : — 
 " There is one circumstance respecting 
 this country, which, to my ideas, is altogether 
 unaccountable ; and that is, the great leisure 
 they have for idleness, in the midst of such 
 proofs of their labour and ingenuity as over- 
 power the imagination. It surprises me the 
 more, my beloved father, because you know I 
 have been accustomed to see every individual 
 usefully employed in my own country, it 
 being one of your favourite maxims, that the 
 happiness of your whole people require it. 
 Thou, who art a mighty prince, art likewise 
 the best workman in thy dominions ; for who 
 can make hatchets to equal thine ? But here 
 the great men can bear to sit whole days un- 
 employed, and will eat their food with instru- 
 ments which other hands have formed, and 
 live in houses with the very principal of whose 
 construction they are little acquainted. From 
 all this must result a vast deal of idle time to 
 be filled up with mere amusements, and it 
 is astonishing how many these people have 
 imagined, of which we have no conception. 
 They are extremely fond of dancing ; a pas- 
 time which implies much less exertion with 
 them than with us, and consists chiefly in 
 eating, drinking, and wearing fine ornaments. 
 They extend this accomplishment even to the 
 brute creation ; for I observe that their dogs 
 are taught to dance in the streets of the 
 capital ; so much leisure time have English- 
 men to bestow upon these diversions. 
 
 " Their hunting is of various kinds, hut 
 the principal object of it is a poor little timid 
 auiinal they call a hare ; I have not yet seen 
 
 it, but I shall hope to be enAt)led to send you 
 a description of it, together with an account 
 of the birds and beasts of the country. I 
 cannot, however, forbear mentioning one re- 
 markable property ascribed to it, that of loving 
 to be hunted, although its entertainment con- 
 sists solely in being torn to pieces by dogs ; I 
 was assured, however, of this by a person 
 who is very fond of the chase. Another 
 species of hunting, in which apparently they 
 take great delight, is that of a huge animal, 
 called in tiieir language ox ; and this takes 
 place often in the streets of the city, to the 
 great terror of all who do not mix in the .sport. 
 Tiiere are no dogs used in this kind of hunt- 
 ing, at least I could perceive none ; indeed, 1 
 was hurried away by my kind protectors so 
 quick when the beast approached, that I could 
 see but little of their mode of proceeding, 
 though I beheld enough to make me wonder 
 at such a predilection in a people who are in 
 a thousand respects so civilized and so hu- 
 mane. 
 
 " In my future account of the beasts of 
 this country I shall say a great deal to you 
 about a beautiful animal, called the horse, 
 which will with great ease and celerity bear a 
 man from place to place upon his back. They 
 make this animal conducive to their sport in 
 an amusement they term racing, in which two 
 or more of them are made to run one against 
 the other with men on their backs, and 
 wounded all the way with sharp spikes. I 
 cannot help wondering how good men can be 
 pleased with such sights ; for it seems an 
 unnatural and ungenerous contest, when two 
 animals are urged beyond their strength, and 
 forced on by violent treatment. I am sorry 
 to find fault with a peo^.le to whom we have 
 all, and myself particularly, been so greatly 
 obliged ; so that I am drawn opposite ways 
 by TRUTH and gratitude; but then again I 
 consider that nothing is so sacred as truth, 
 and that, after all, my greatest gratitude is 
 due to my father and my king, who requires 
 that I should always tell him the truth. 
 
 " The other day I observed two men in a 
 field, stripped as naked as it is the custom 
 with us, and beating one another till they 
 were covered with blood, for the diversion of 
 an infinite number of spectators, who seemed 
 to be delighted with the scene. Though our 
 enemies taken in war have often been slaugh- 
 tered before my eyes, yet 1 could so ill bear 
 to see this fury between countrymen, as I was 
 told, between men who had never quarrelled, 
 and all to amuse their fellow creatures, that I 
 turned away my eyes, and was sorrowful all 
 the rest of the day. It added a good deal to 
 my chagrin to observe in my way home two 
 DOGS very furiously engaged ; and, while they 
 were miserably tearing one another to pieces, 
 a vast number of people gathering round 
 them, and provoking their fury by clapping 
 their hands, and a thousand savage gesticula- 
 tions. 
 
 "They have also another sport here, of a 
 
PIERCE EP.AN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 295 
 
 piece with some which I have already men- 
 tioned, teniied by the natives cock-kiciiting ; 
 though 1 am told that this amusement is a 
 little on the decline. The entertainment con- 
 sists in contemplating a very fierce combat 
 between two large birds of great beauty and 
 signal use to mankind, which they arm with 
 instruments that enable them to inflict dread- 
 ful wounds on each other, till one of them 
 expires in considerable torture. 1 am sorry to 
 add that I have seen some poltroons amuse 
 themselves with throwing sticks at this noble 
 bird, which, for that purpose, they had con- 
 lined by the leg. Their diveisions within 
 doors are in such great variety that it would 
 rob more important subjects of all my time, if 
 1 were to think of describing them to you ; 
 besides which, I have only glanced at the 
 greater part of them ; for my dear friends 
 here think I am more profitably employed 
 when I am improving myself in the language, 
 or am acquiring knowledge which may turn 
 to the future benefit of your majesty's people. 
 
 " Their principal amusement, in their own 
 houses, appears to be derived from a certain 
 number of thin substances, spotted in a cer- 
 tain manner with different colours, and which, 
 though they allow that they gain no ideas 
 from them, will entertain them during the 
 time that your majesty would take to repel an 
 invasion of your dominions. I am prejudiced 
 against this amusement, because I have ob- 
 served it to operate very unpleasantly on the 
 countenances of those who are engaged in it ; 
 and I have seen some very handsome persons, 
 entirely stripped, while playing at cards, of 
 what rendered them before so amiable in my 
 eyes. They have not yet made me com- 
 prehend how it can be ; but they tell it to me. 
 as an undoubted truth, that oftentimes men 
 lose every thing that is valuable to them in this 
 amusement, if it deserve that name, after we 
 are told of its destructive tendency ; so that 
 be assured, beloved father, I will not attempt. 
 to acquire so pernicious a talent. But the 
 pastime of which this great people^seems most 
 enamoured is what their language denomi- 
 nates a PLAY. I have not yet been present at 
 one, so that I cannot pretend to give you any 
 account of it : but, as far as I can understand 
 such descriptions as have been given me of 
 it, it is a powerful engine, whether it be used 
 on the side of vice or virtue. I will send 
 you a full account of the first which I shall 
 be permitted to attend ; but I fear that the 
 silence observed about this amusement, by my 
 dearest friends is on account of the neglect 
 into which this its moral efficacy may have 
 sunk in the present times. 
 
 " The other day I was present at a diversion 
 which at first wore a formidable appearance, 
 but soon turned out to be a very insignificant 
 spectacle. A number of persons, armed with 
 weapons, which they call BOWS and at. rows, 
 and which serve to the same purpose pretty 
 nearly as our slings and spears, met toge- 
 ther on a spacious plain. The professed 
 
 object of their meeting is to send their arrows 
 into a painted piece of wood, which they 
 denominate a target; but not more than a 
 small number of those that catne with that 
 pretence partook at all of the diversion ; so 
 that, to make a display before a great number 
 of the women of the country, of their persons 
 and decorations, looks to be, with the major 
 part, the real object which assembles them. 
 I could not easily be convinced that all this 
 noise and parade was to answer no political 
 end ; at one time it occurred to me, that it was 
 a sort of divination by which heaven Avas con- 
 sulted in the appointment to certain posts of 
 eminence, and that the generals of armies, 
 and captains of expeditions, were chosen in 
 this kind of lottery ; at another, that some 
 secret terrors of an invasion had begun to 
 spread in the country, and that this martial 
 exercise was meant as preparative to a vigor- 
 ous defence. I was at length, however, per- 
 suaded that they were a very peaceable set of 
 people, and that all this uproar proceeded 
 only from an outrageous love of flourish and 
 show, and, in fact, was nothing more than an 
 apology for a feather in their hats. I was a 
 little afraid at first of coming near them ; but, 
 upon trial, I found them so familiarly and 
 tamely disposed, that one of them sufl^ered me 
 totake his hat ofThis head, and strutted to and 
 fio, and apparently in high good humour, while 
 I admired his feather. There is always a great 
 gathering from all parts to see this spectacle ; 
 and the ladies, for whose amusement the 
 whole is designed, appear extravagantly 
 pleased with beholding their husbands and 
 relatives so cheaply metamorphosed inio cham- 
 pions and warriors. The inofTensiveness, 
 however, and the pampered good humour 
 which appeared in their countenances, does 
 not suffer one long to couple with them the 
 idea of any thing that is terrible ; and I much 
 question, supposing these men had been cast 
 upon j'our majesty's dominions, instead of 
 those to whom we are so much indebted, 
 whether you would have found their assist- 
 ance so serviceable in your battles." 
 
 SlACGHTERlNG OF GaME, BY GrEAT FoLKS. 
 
 Charles III. of Spain, a little before his 
 death, boasted to a foreign ambassador that he 
 had killed with his own hand 539 wolves, and 
 323 foxes ! and tliis he was enabled to tell 
 accurately, as he kept a diary of this impor- 
 tant matter. 
 
 When the king of Naples (the greatest 
 sportsman in Europe) was in Germany, about 
 the year 1792, it was said in the German 
 papers, that in the different times he had been 
 shooting in Austria, Bohemia, and IMoravia, 
 he had killed 5 bears, 1S20 wild boars, 19G8 
 stags, 13 wolves, 354 foxes, 15,350 pheasants, 
 1121 rabbits, 16,354 hares, 1025 she-goats, 
 1025 roebucks, and 12,435 partridges. 
 
 The following is an account of *l>e destruc- 
 
206 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 tion of gjame in Bohemia by a hunting party, 
 of which the king of France made one, in 
 1755. There were twenty-three persons in 
 the party, three of whom were ladies ; the 
 Princess Charlotte of Lorraine was one of 
 them. The cliase lasted eighteen days, and 
 during that time they killed 47,950 head of 
 game and wild deer; of which 19 were stags, 
 17 roebucks, 10 foxes, 18,243 hares, 19,545 
 partridges, 9499 pheasants, 114 larks, 353 
 quails, 454 other birds. The Emperor fired 
 179S shots, and the Princess Charlotte 9010 ; 
 in ail there were 16,209 shots fired. 
 
 But all we have stated comes short of the 
 game establishment of Chantilli, the most ex- 
 traordinary one in Europe, once belonging to 
 the house of Cond^. It included twenty-one 
 miles of park, and forty-eigiit miles of forest. 
 The horses, when the family were at that 
 place, were above 500 ; the dogs GO to 80 
 couple ; the servants above 500 ; the stables 
 the finest and best in Europe. We shall now 
 present to the sporting and unsporting reader, 
 for both will lift up their eyes, a list of game 
 killed, year by year, through a series of thirty- 
 two years — beginning with the year 1748, and 
 ending with the year 1779 : — 
 
 LIST OF THE GAME. 
 
 54,878 24,029 
 
 37,160 27,013 
 
 58,712 26,405 
 
 39.892 38,055 
 32,470 50,812 
 
 39.893 40.234 
 32,470 26,267 
 16,186 25,953 
 
 37.109 19,932 
 
 42,902 27,164 
 
 31,620 30,429 
 
 25,994 30,859 
 
 18,479 25,813 
 
 18,050 50,606 
 
 26,371 13,304 
 
 19,771 17,566 
 
 Now let us give (of birds and beasts) their 
 bill of mortality ; that is, the numbers, in de- 
 tail, of each specific description, registered as 
 below, and detailed to have been killed at 
 ('hantilli, in the above-mentioned series of 
 years. Hares 77,750, rabbits 587,470, part- 
 ridges 117,574, red ditto 12,426, pheasants 
 86,193, quails 19,697, rattles 449, woodcocks 
 2164, snipes 2856, ducks 1353, wood-piquers 
 517, lapwings 720, becfique (small birds like 
 our wheatear) 67, curlews 32, oves d' Egypt 
 3, oyes sauvage 14, bustards 2, larks 106, 
 tudells 2, fox 1, crapeaux 8, thrushes 1313, 
 guynard 4, stags 1712, hinds 1682, falcons 
 519, does 1921, young does 135, roebucks 
 4669, young ditto 810, wild boars 1942, mar- 
 cassies (young boars) 818 : a magnificent list 
 of animal slaughter, carefully and systematic- 
 ally recorded as achievements. It has, how- 
 ever, been flatly asserted by a tourist, that, at 
 different times, near 1000 men were condemned 
 to the gallies ! many hundred peasants, it is 
 well known, fell, murdered by the keepers, 
 literally hunted down and shot ! and the 
 bodies of the dead thrown into the next ditch, 
 or hid under a little mould grubbed up in the 
 park ! — Si;ch were the abuses growing out of 
 a passion for destroying the birds of the air 
 and the beasts of the field, called sporting. 
 In these archives it is stated, with more than 
 
 senatorial gravity, that " the pieces of game 
 killed by S. A. R. Monseigneur Le Prince do 
 Condd were, in number, 65,524." '* That the 
 nine pieces killed by the late Prince's grand- 
 son, the Due D'Enghein, were all rabbits." 
 That •' the pieces killed by Due de Bourbon 
 were these — pheasants 1451, hares 1207 par- 
 tridges 1254, red ditto 143 ;" and by Compte 
 D' Artois, these — " pheasants 978, hares 870, 
 partridges 1109, red ditto 115." Such were 
 the records kept by those possessed of a lord- 
 ship or manor ! 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the Pniz^ Ring. 
 
 Second Battle between 
 
 Young Sam and Ned Neal. 
 
 The above battle, although perhaps not so 
 much heavy betting occurred upon it as might 
 be produced on several other pugilistic events 
 on record, yet nevertheless it excited an im- 
 mense interest throughout the Sporting World 
 in general. Neal was so confident that he 
 should recover his lost laurels at Ludlow that 
 he fought Sam 220/. to 2001, on Tuesday, 
 January 18th, 1831. Sam having won the 
 toss for choice of place, started immediately 
 for Newmarket, accompanied by Dick Curtis, 
 followed, in a day or two afterwards, by Harry 
 Holt. The above Sporting Town was made 
 the rallying point for the Fancy ; and the 
 White Hart (kept by Goodered of the Royal 
 Saloon, in ondou) Head Quarters. Sam 
 devoted the intermediate days previous to the 
 battle in training, over the downs at New- 
 Uiarket. 
 
 Neal, on " the office'' being given to him, 
 left the Isle of Wight, and proceeded on h s 
 journey by gentle stages to the Swan at Both- 
 sam, within six miles of Newmarket, where 
 he arrived in the course of Monday, in 
 rather a iirivate manner, accompanied by one 
 or two steady friends. 
 
 Newmarket, by the numerous arrivals during 
 Monday, was as full as a tick ; nay, overflow- 
 ing v\ith the right sort of folks to give the 
 Bonifaces a turn, who kept a good look out 
 to nap the well-breeched Sporting Coves, who 
 are liberal in the extreme, and tip the steeveiiy 
 if the figure is any thing near the mark, like 
 winking, and without the slightest murmurs. 
 " Mine host" at the White Hart, who had an 
 eye to the main chance, as well as to make 
 the " wisit pleasant," had provided a prime 
 " blow out" against the arrival of his friends ; 
 and the peck and booze presented upon this 
 occasion were of the first quality ; Goodered 
 being well aware that the " Victualling 
 Offices" of his friends were wide awake to 
 the good things of this life. In order to 
 preserve a little regularity, and to keep the 
 company together, a well-known sporting 
 man at Newmarket, and Pierce Egan, were 
 solicited to preside as chairmen. Sam, Cur- 
 tis, Holt, and their friends, were of the party ; 
 and the '' Young One" entered into all the 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 297 
 
 spirit of the scene, until his trainers gave him 
 H hint that a view oC the Downs wonld be tlie 
 most proper view of the picture for liim, when 
 he immediately started, and, after having 
 taken his usual walk and exercise, he re- 
 turned to the White Hart to tea; and, for a 
 short time afterwards, he partook of the chaft"- 
 cutting and betting on tlie subject of his fight, 
 until it was necessary tor Sam to retire to his 
 dab. His conduct throughout the day and 
 evening-was of the most cheerlul description. 
 The extensive coffee-room overflowed with 
 Sporting men from London, Cambridge, Nor- 
 wich, &c., and other parts of the kingdom, 
 wiien the game was kept alive until a late 
 hour. The singing of Mr. Hart excited con- 
 siderable attention, and also afforded much 
 pleasure to the visitors, assisted at intervals 
 by the natural eflusions of Mr. Fngo, respect- 
 ing the movements in the prize Ring. In the 
 early part of the evening the betting was 
 rather shy ; and ten pounds to nine were 
 offered and taken several times, but, as the 
 night advanced the bettingbecame n)ore even, 
 and, taking Sam for choice, a tolerable stake 
 of money was laid out. Spring offered 50/. 
 that Neal was not defeated in one hour and a 
 half; but not the slightest wrangle occurred, 
 and the meeting altogether was of the most 
 harmonious and pleasant description, although 
 materially divided in their opinions as to the 
 result of the contest. 
 
 In another part of the town a sparring- 
 match was got np by Mr. Oliver to amuse 
 the natives — the appeal to the country-folks 
 proved successful, and a crowded audience 
 was the result. Oliver and Uncle Ben en- 
 deavoured to explain to the inhabitants of 
 Newmarket the advantages of head-know- 
 ledge ; and deaf Burke also exhibited, in five 
 distinct combats, tliat the Yokels might not 
 complain they had not had " their whack" 
 for their money. To those persons who were 
 fond of another sort of " stage-play," the 
 theatre, under the management of Mr. Fisher 
 (relative to the celebrated Clara Ftsher), was 
 open, toamuse them with the "Wreck Ashore," 
 and " Popping the Question." The Rutland 
 Arms, the crack Inn for the Uppt r House 
 kind of gents, and heavy swells, was full from 
 the bottom to the top: the Bull, the Bear, 
 and the Commercial Inns, were likewise 
 crowded to excess ; in fact there were lots of 
 kids who preferred having forty winks upon 
 their chairs, than tipping an extravagant sum 
 for an hour or two in a snoozing ken ; and 
 several of the chaps who were ou the strolling 
 system, scoured the " back slums" on the sly, 
 to ascertain what sort of game was to be 
 turned up m Newmarket. Thus passed the 
 day and the night in this famed sporting spot, 
 until " bright Chanticleer" gave notice of the 
 coming and important dny that was '' big with 
 fate to milling and the Prize King." 
 
 Newmarket on Tuesday morning appeared 
 in a high state of bustle by the arrival of 
 vehicles of every description, tilled with 
 
 sporting characters, cantabs, farmers &c., 
 many of whom had been travelling all night. 
 In the streets were to be recognized, inter- 
 mixed with amateurs, in a deep state of con- 
 sultation, like barristers in an assize town, 
 only with a different sortof argument— G to 4, 
 instead of " Bull'em versus Boat'em," Spring, 
 Ned Painter, Reuben Marten, Tom Gaynor, 
 Redman, Stockman, Scroggins, Teasdale, 
 Tom Cannon, Peter Crawley, &c. Sam was 
 up early, and took his run across the downs, 
 when he returned to breakfast. He disposed 
 of tw:o mutton chops and some tea, when the 
 barbatic was sent for to render his nob in 
 unison with the true notions of milling, and 
 also to appear sightly in the ring, on making 
 his bow to the spectators. He was full of 
 fun, cheerful, and hummed the tunes of 
 several of the most popular airs, with the 
 utmost sang froid. When time was called, 
 the " lads of the village" were off in a twink- 
 ling for the scene of action, and Sam started 
 in a barouche and four, with Curtis and Holt, 
 and his immediate friends, sporting the " ye!- 
 low fogle." Newmarket was literally drained 
 of all her male population, save the old, the 
 lame, and those persons required to attend to 
 business which could not be left. The Ring, 
 which was a most extensive one, was made in 
 a large field at Burrough Green, within six 
 n;iles of Newmarket, when every thing gave 
 " dreadful note of preparation!" If a turn- 
 pike-road did not lead to the immediate mil- 
 ling spot of ground, nevertheless a gate 
 protected the entrance to the field of glory, 
 and for which 5s. each was demanded for the 
 admission of a carriage, 2s. for a gig, and so 
 on in proportion as to the respectability of the 
 vehicle. About twelve o'clock, just as the 
 combatants had arrived on the ground, and 
 all was anxious expectation, to the great 
 dismay and vexation of the amateurs, the 
 Beak popped in his nose (a gent, of the name 
 of Eaton), and, taking off his topper, thus 
 addressed the spectators: — "Gentlemen," 
 said he, " I am a magistrate for the counties 
 of (Cambridge and Suffolk, and cannot permit 
 a breach of the peace to be committed within 
 these districts." He proved inexorable to all 
 the gammon that was pitched to him ; he would 
 not be " stalled off — bought over" — talked 
 into the thing ; and nothing less but a removal 
 would satisfy his duty as a magistrate ; after 
 a consultation of the nobs on the subject, a 
 bolt into Essex was resolved upon, as the only 
 sure mode that the fight might come off that 
 day; and in all probability his Beakship was 
 not altogether disposed for a long trot; — more 
 especially as he did not possess the authority 
 to put on the stopper ! in the calf country. 
 
 The immense interest which a Prize Fight 
 excites in the breasts of the inhabitants of 
 England was now proved beyond all refuta- 
 tion ; and long before Oliver and Fogo had 
 pulled up the stakes, and got the ropes into 
 their possession, the Cavalcade, horse and 
 foot, were oft' like lightning ; and the ' devil 
 
298 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 take the hiDdmost' the order of the day. The 
 scene was so truly ludicrous that it beggared 
 all description, and to do justice to only an 
 outline of it would require the pencil of a Bob 
 Cruikshank. The horsemen were seen gal- 
 loping through fields, and leaping over hedges 
 and ditches, like a steeple chase ; the poor 
 toddlers winded, and the perspiration running 
 down their cheeks like drops of water, up to 
 their knees in mud, every step they advanced 
 upon the road, losing the soles of their shoes, 
 and labouring under the dread of being tram- 
 pled upon by the horses, or the wheels of the 
 carriages running over their feet. The horses 
 in the gigs restive, and on the gib, would not 
 answer the whip, upsetting and breaking the 
 panels of the coaches and other vehicles 
 which could not get out of their way. Lots 
 of fun and fights, occasioned by numerous 
 strong fellows on the road, who were tired of 
 walking and running, endeavouring to plant 
 themselves on the outside of some of the car- 
 riages, without having previously booked 
 themselves for the journey. The public 
 houses in the little villages where the caval- 
 cade passed through without any previous 
 notice were beseiged as to the grub in their 
 larders ; and the pots of heavy-wet snatched 
 out of the hands of the surprised, and almost 
 frightened hosts, by the thirsty pedestrians, 
 who were not so eager to offer their blunt in 
 return. It is impossible to describe the effect 
 which the mighty rush of thousands of persons 
 had upon the feelings of the inhabitants in 
 Elsted and Haverhill (the latter town is the 
 birth-place of Bloomfield the poet, author of 
 the Farmer's boy), the tradespeople were all 
 out of their doors, lost, as it were, in surprise, 
 wondering whether the French were near at 
 hand, and quite at a loss to conjecture the 
 reason of such a movement upon their town. 
 The females could not tell what to make of 
 the mob ; and the boys shouting ; in truth, all 
 was wonderment and surprise ; every amateur 
 being in such a hurry to get up to the ring, 
 that no time could be spared by the way of 
 explanation. Several horses were left at 
 Haverhill, being quite "done up;" also 
 numbers of broken gigs ; and lots of pedes- 
 trians were likewise compelled, against their 
 will, to give up the pursuit, having run them- 
 selves off their lefrs, and become literally 
 " mud larks," bespattered with dirt from head 
 to foot. " Gentle and simple" were all alike, 
 whose prads were beaten to a stand-still, as 
 fresh horses could not be procured for love or 
 money ; and the scene of action, Bumpstead, 
 still three miles further on the road, before 
 any thing like a certainty could be obtained 
 of witnessing the mill. Thus, after encoun- 
 tering numerous delays and difficulties, the 
 cavalcade arrived at Bumpstead in Essex, a 
 distance of upwards of twenty miles from 
 Newmarket. Here a most extensive ring was 
 made in a field belonging to Guy's Farm ; and 
 we scarcely remember to have seen such a 
 numerous assemblage of horsemen of a supe- 
 
 rior class round the ring ; the milling coves, 
 by the sudden removal of the fight, were 
 thrown out of their usual chance of waggons, 
 as to collecting the blunt, but who were re- 
 luctantly compelled to " pocket the affront ;" 
 and therefore this defect was supplied by 
 swell barouches, and other vehicles, as they 
 arrived on the ground. 
 
 At ten minutes past three Sam, with the 
 *' yellow fogle " round his squeeze, accom- 
 panied by Curtis and Holt, entered the ring, 
 amidst very loud shouts of applause, and 
 threw up his hat shortly afterwards. Ned, 
 with his " blue bird's eye," also appeared, 
 and threw his hat into the ring, cheered by 
 his friends, waited upon by Spring and Tom 
 Oliver. Sam immediately went up to Neal, 
 and shook hands with him, saying, " Let all 
 animosity now be buried between us." " Cer- 
 tainly," replied Ned ; " and I wish the best 
 man to win. I will bet you, Sam, 10/. on the 
 fight !" The frieads of Sam and Spring agreed 
 to make it a Poney. Some time was lost in 
 selecting a referee : i. e. to find an impartial 
 person, one completely disinterested as to 
 betting on the fight ; and also a man who was 
 perfectly acquainted with the laws of boxing. 
 At length this difficulty was adjusted; when 
 the men began to peel. The swellish appear- 
 ance of Curtis and Holt attracted the attention 
 of the spectators : they were dressed in white 
 trowsers, white waistcoats, new fine flannel 
 jackets, neatly trimmed all round with yellow 
 silk binding ; also the pockets, with the addi- 
 tion of side ditto ; in fact, they might be 
 termed dress jackets ; and to render the tout 
 ensemble complete, the tonsor had been em- 
 ployed to decorate their nobs. Some surprise 
 was manifested by the old Ring-goers, in 
 witnessing Holt acting as the second to Sam, 
 Harry having performed that office to Neal, 
 in all his previous battles, — but it was said, 
 in answer, that a screw was loose between 
 them, and that accounted for it. The anxious 
 moment had now arrived — the men were at 
 the scratch — the hands were also shaken in 
 friendship between the combatants and the 
 seconds — " go to work," was the cry, and 
 even betting the true state of the case : — 
 
 THE FIGHT. 
 
 Round 1. Sam was in high spirits, waiting 
 to commence the attack, with a coat over his 
 canvas, to protect him from the cold, when 
 Holt said to Spring " bring your man up, we 
 are quite ready ; don't keep us waiting the 
 whole of the day. Spring was employed ''^ 
 lacing up the shoes of Neal, and repliea, 
 " don't be in such a hurry, we shall be too 
 soon for you, come what time we may." On 
 peeling, Sam was as fine as a star ; as sleek 
 as a greyhound, proud and erect as a race- 
 horse — and though not absolutely crowing, 
 yet possessing all the confidence of a game 
 cock. His nob, a fighting one (snake-headed 
 as the Fanciers term it) ; his neck, handsome, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 299 
 
 his arms long ; his shoulders good ; and his 
 loins muscular, and indicating- strength, such 
 as tlie lovers of anatomical beauty would 
 pronounce a fine picture of the human frame, 
 and the patrons of boxing a complete repre- 
 sentative of a milling cove. Neal, to our 
 peepers, never appeared in finer condition ; 
 in truth, he had answered all the purposes of 
 training, and better health he could not enjoy. 
 His skin was clearer than heretofore ; his 
 friends were satisfied with his conduct ; he 
 was satisfied with himself, that he had done 
 his duty ; he entered the ring to win, and 
 nothing else ; he was left the choice to please 
 himself as to weight ; he had no complaints 
 to make about being deprived of his natural 
 strength ; in truth, it was Ned Neal, bang-up 
 to the mark, and in the highest state of condi- 
 tion, and he now felt confident of recovering 
 his lost laurels. The attitudes of both of the 
 combatants on setting to, were beautiful ; and 
 the skill and anxiety manifested by Sam to 
 obtain an opening, were of the most interest- 
 ing description : but the leary Neal was not 
 to be gammoned at going off, he was wide 
 awake to the tactics of his opponent, and 
 acted completely on the defensive. It was 
 dodge for dodge — look for look — but Sam, 
 after a little time had elapsed, on finding that 
 Neal would not commence milling, made play 
 with his left hand, which was cleverly stopped 
 by Neal ; Sam, however, was moi-e successful 
 with his right hand, and planted a tre- 
 mendous checker, which put Neal's ivories 
 on the move ; this attack also put Neal on his 
 mettle, when a sharp rally occurred between 
 them. In closing for the throw, Sam fibbed 
 his opponent, a la Randall ; but the strength 
 of Neal enabled him not only to obtain the 
 fall, but he also went down upon Sam with 
 all his weight.— The shouting from the yel- 
 low-fogle men was artillery like — Sam for 
 £1000 — Two hundred to one ! and such like 
 encouraging cheers, nearly all round the 
 ring, so numerous were the friends of the 
 Young One. 
 
 2. The face of Neal appeared flushed from 
 the handy-work of his opponent, and Harry 
 Holt exclaimed, " first blood ;" the fact was 
 admitted by Spring, on perceiving the claret 
 issuing from one of Ned's listeners ; therefore, 
 the betting on that particular event was de- 
 cided. " Go to work, Sam," cried out Stock- 
 man, " you are as big as Neal as to size." 
 " So he is," answered Neal ; " aye," replied 
 Stockman, "but Sam's heart is twice as big 
 as yours." The Young One, as gay as a lark, 
 endeavoured to provoke Neal to commence 
 offensive operations, when the latter made 
 play with his right hand, which was admira- 
 bly countered by the left of Sam (Bravo ! and 
 well done on both sides). A sharp rally now 
 occurred, when some rum ones were ex- 
 changed between them, but rather to the ad- 
 vantage of Sam. Neal planted a heavy facer 
 upon his opponent, which Sam returned 
 slightly, and Neal, as it appeared to us, 
 
 slipped down, but it was claimed as the first 
 knock-down blow. — To attempt to give, even 
 an outline of the joy manifested by the friends 
 of Sam would be totally impossible. Hats 
 were thrown up ; " and it is as right as the 
 day ; the Young One has got him," &c. &c. 
 
 3. Sam cautious, like a skilful general, yet 
 only waiting to make play with advantage. 
 Neal planted a facer cleverly ; and also 
 stopped two hits from his opponent (well done 
 Neal). Neal encouraged, endeavoured to 
 plant another facer. Stop a bit, said Sam, 
 and the science the Young One displayed was 
 the admiration of the spectators. A pause — 
 and both on the look out for a chance. Some 
 sharp exchanges occurred ; and, in closing, 
 the strength of Neal appeared conspicuously ; 
 he positively lifted Sam off the ground, and 
 fell with all his weight upon him. — (" Bravo, 
 Ned!" but nothing like the applause from 
 the opposite side.) 
 
 4. The face of Neal was changed, and the 
 claret visible all over it, while, on the con- 
 trary, the mug of Sam sustained its smiling 
 quality. This was a good round altogether, 
 and the scientific points displayed on both 
 sides, satisfied the patrons of boxing that it 
 was a superior battle. Several sharp hits 
 were exchanged, when Sam went down, and 
 Neal also lost his balance. Sam for lOOi. ! he 
 can't lose it ! 
 
 5. Sam meant mischief, and went to work 
 without delay ; but Ned got away from 
 danger. Ned planted two facers with dex- 
 terity. Both cautious, and rather a long 
 pause. Sam put in a severe body blow without 
 any return, " Do that again," said Stock- 
 man, "and Neal will let you do what you 
 like with him." Counter hits. Another 
 pause. Neal missed a tremendous blow 
 which he aimed at the front of Sam's head ; 
 and the latter, who endeavoured to return the 
 compliment, was rather too far back to do 
 much injury. [Here a bet took place between 
 Tom Cannon and Gaynor; when the latter 
 boxer took Neal ; " but mind," said Tom, " it 
 is only for a hedge." " I do not care about 
 that," replied Cannon, " I shall win the bet."] 
 The hitting and stopping, throughout this 
 very long round attracted the attention of the 
 scientific amateurs, who pronounced it a beau- 
 tiful specimen of the art of self-defence. In 
 closing Sam took great liberties with the mug 
 of his opponent, and a most desperate struggle 
 took place to obtain the throw, when Sam 
 ultimately got Ned undermost. The Samites 
 were seen capering for joy all over the ring, 
 who declared it was as safe as the Bank ; and 
 offered, boldly, two to one. 
 
 G. " You may shout," said Spring, " but we 
 shall win to-day." Sam smiled ; and Neal 
 got away from a well-meant hit of his oppo- 
 nent's. " Wake him up, Sam," cried Stock- 
 man, " and finish him off, as you know how !" 
 Sam fought his way into a rally, and Neal 
 was very busy, but not effective in appearance. 
 Id closing, Neal was undermost, and he com- 
 
300 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 plained to Spring that Sam had put his finger 
 into his eye. The friends of Sam made a 
 laugh of the above declaration of Neal's, and 
 in return they said " he was coming it." " Not 
 in a thousand years," replied Spring. 
 
 7. On setting to, Neal spoke to Sam on the 
 subject, and observed it was unfair to put his 
 finger in his eye ; the latter said it was an ac- 
 cident. Both of the men were now upon their 
 mettle, and a desperate rally was the result. 
 Neal's face was deluged with claret, until he 
 went down. Another roar of artillery from 
 the friends of Sam ; and offering their blunt 
 to any amount upon the Young One. 
 
 8. The right eye of Neal was nearly closed ; 
 but, nevertheless, he made some excellent 
 stops, and also put in a severe facer (Bravo, 
 Neal I) But Sam soon made up for this 
 advantage by planting his left and right hand 
 so heavily as to produce the claret. " You 
 have got him," said Tom Gaynor ; " but, Sam, 
 don't take it all out of him — leave a little for 
 me." Neal kept out of mischief, until he got 
 into a rally, when the milling Avas heavy on 
 both sides, until Neal went down. Immense 
 applause for Sam ; and he most certainly de- 
 served it, for the high spirit he displayed ; and 
 is but common justice to state that Neal 
 never tried to win more in his life. 
 
 9. This was a scientific and manly round — 
 both fighting at points. Some of the blows 
 were truly heavy ; and the punishment he had 
 hitherto received in the former rounds — and 
 the additional nobbing administered to him at 
 tliis period, satisfied the ring that Neal was a 
 game man. He went down covered with 
 claret. 
 
 10. Neal missed several of his right-handed 
 blows ; and although he nobbed Sam repeat- 
 edly, still the index of the Young One re- 
 mained unchanged. In closing, Sam was 
 undermost. 
 
 11. Sam had been so busy that he appeared 
 rather distressed ; but, like a good judge, he 
 sparred for Tvind. A sharp rally, in which 
 the claret covered the face of Neat ; but he 
 fought gaily until he went down. Two to one 
 on Sam. — During the time Neal was on the 
 knee of his second, he took the bottle and 
 drank some brandy. 
 
 12. In this round Neal had a chance of 
 turning the battle in his favor. Sam appeared 
 very much distressed, and he also received 
 two severe blows on his lips, which jjroduced 
 the claret ; and his knees were in a trembling 
 state from over exertion. [Here the friends of 
 Neal began to shout in favor of him, and, in 
 t!ie ecstacy of the moment, offered 7 to 4, and 
 2 to 1, and " Ned will win it now." " Win 
 it," replied the fogle-men — " When ? Some 
 Sunday next week!"] But, in spite of this 
 drawback upon his exertions, he turned to 
 with the most determined spirit, giving and 
 taking, until Neal was hit down, and fell 
 upon his face. The fogle-men now set no 
 bounds to their joy. Three fifties to one were 
 offered ; in fact, any odds might have been 
 
 had — the friends of Sam, had rendered, in 
 their own minds, conquest such a certainty, 
 
 13. Sam appeared at the scratch again 
 distressed ; but, nevertheless, the chance 
 was gone by for Neal. A rally occurred, 
 feeble on the part of Neal, but effective on the 
 already damaged mug of the latter, by the 
 handy-work of Sam. Both down. Neal got 
 up very weak ; and his nob all to pieces. 
 
 14th and last. Generally speaking, it was 
 the opinion of the spectators that Sam must 
 win the fight ; yet the battle was not expected 
 to be so soon over. Sam nobbed his opponent 
 like winking ; and he also planted a heavy 
 body-blow. Neal however returned a facer, 
 and endeavoured to repeat it, but Sam got 
 away like lightning. A pause ; when Neal 
 again tried to make play, but it was useless, 
 and the polish was put on him. Sam bored 
 Neal to the ropes, where he " licked him to a 
 complete stand-still." The Young One, with 
 the most perfect ease, put in one, two, three, 
 FOUR facers, enough to take the fight out of 
 any man, when Neal was so much abroad that 
 he could not make any return. He however 
 got away from the ropes, but not out of danger. 
 r— " Shoot," said Stockman, " it is all your 
 own ; you cannot miss the mark." Sam went 
 in with his one, two — which proved the finish- 
 ing touches to his opponent. Neal dropped 
 down like a log ; and on being picked up by 
 his seconds, he was quite insensible to the 
 call of Time. At the expiration of fifty -two 
 minutes, Sam, amidst loud shouts and con- 
 gratulations of joy, was proclaimed the con- 
 queror. 
 
 REMARKS. 
 
 The termination of this truly interesting 
 battle, to the patrons of pugilism, has com- 
 pletely set at rest the various disputes and 
 numerous quarrels which have taken place 
 upon the subject; and Sam has likewise satis- 
 fied the Sporting World as to his superior 
 qualities, not only as a pugilist, but to the 
 title of the " better man of the two ;" and in 
 spite of all the assassin-like attempts of per- 
 sons ear-wigging in the dark, to put a stop to, 
 or cause an end to be made to this manly, 
 English mode of settling a dispute, all their 
 attempts have been foiled, and we assert with 
 confidence that milling, once more, has risen 
 cent, per cent., not only amongst the old ring' 
 goers, but throughout the Fancy in general 
 by the true courage and noble feeling dis 
 played in the above battle between Young 
 Sam and Neal. 
 
 Sam^ by comparison, is a Jem Belcher as tc 
 his mode of fighting ; his gaiety of milling 
 must be seen to be properly appreciated ; hia 
 science partakes of the schools of Angelo and 
 Roland kind of talent ; it is as neat as fencing, 
 and the parries of Young Sam to the amateurs 
 are of the most tasteful description ; but his 
 execution is terrific ; there is a sort of magic 
 about his blows ; the bat of Harlequin cannot 
 change the scene quicker than the " bunch of 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 301 
 
 fives" of our hero can, and Joes always ac- 
 complish upon the mugs of all his opponents. 
 Conquest is his object and victory he will 
 obtain, if it is within his grasp, and like one 
 of Shakspeare's greatest characters, " his soul 
 and body is on the action and eager for the 
 fray." 
 
 Neal, it cannot be refuted, never fought 
 better, if so well, in any of his previous bat- 
 tles ; and the science he displayed, in several 
 of the rounds of the light, proclaimed his 
 knowledge of the art of self-defence, in a 
 superior point of view ; and had he not have 
 been a game man, he could not, would not, 
 have taken any thing like the severe punish- 
 ment he received during the fight ; but the 
 truth is, and nothing else but the truth, Neal 
 was out-generalled, out-fought, and laeaten 
 against his will. In giving due praise to Sam, 
 it would be unjust and illiberal to withhold 
 the meed from Neal. A BETTER, OR A 
 MORE MANLY, SCIENTIFIC FIGHT 
 has not been witnessed in the Prize Ring. It 
 was hit and get away ; or give and take 
 throughout the mill ; there was nothing like 
 pulling and hauling attached to its character ; 
 but a superior display of fine fighting from 
 the beginning to the end of the chapter. The 
 whole of the spectators (several thousand per- 
 sons) declared the distance of 100, or even 200 
 miles, was no object by comparison, to witness 
 such an out-and-out exhibition of manhood 
 and true courage. It has been urged that 
 Neal went down once without a blow ; to be 
 candid, it did not appear so to us : that he 
 went down is most true, but the hits of Sam 
 had been of so punishing a quality during the 
 round, that Neal never recovered from their 
 stunning effects, and he was always upon the 
 totter until he measured his length upon the 
 grass, 
 
 Tis cruelty to load a fallen man. 
 
 The blows which Neal had received during 
 the first five rounds had not only altered his 
 knowledge-box, but must have affected his 
 vision. Several of his right-handed blows 
 were thrown away, and he repeatedly missed 
 his aim and hit out of distance. His strength 
 had likewise been reduced, and he could not 
 throw his opponent with that ease and facility 
 with which he had been distinguished in 
 many of his former battles ; but it came down 
 to a sort of struggle with Sam, when the latter 
 had decidedly the best of that point also, long 
 before the fight was over ; and Neal miglit 
 have exclaimed, in the words of our immortal 
 bard — 
 
 I dare do all that man dares. 
 And he who dares more, Ls none 
 
 It was evident to the spectators that Sam 
 betrayed symptoms of weakness, nay, he was 
 very much distressed at one period of the 
 fight : he was not unlike a fine race-horse 
 that had been trained to run two miles, and 
 had accomplished four ; that is to say, there 
 
 is no knowing what game can effect when put 
 to the test. Sam, it seems to us, has more 
 spirit than strength attached to his composi- 
 tion ; and when Neal endeavoured to take 
 advantage of the chance which the weakness 
 of Sam had given to him, the fine eye of the 
 latter seemed to penetrate into the very soul 
 of his adversary (and reminded us of the truly 
 expressive, animated peepers of his warlike 
 sire, when engaged in battle), and he posi- 
 tively rallied against the effects of nature; 
 recovered his leading position, and, to quote 
 the motto he had adopted upon his yellow 
 fogle, at the previous fight between him and 
 Neal — " NIL DESPiiRANDUM," he planted his 
 blows right and left, until he sent his oppo- 
 nent down amidst the admiring shouts of 
 thousands. 
 
 It was now clear that weight in opposition 
 to fine fighting, or against the activity of 
 youth, is not of that vast importance which 
 has been attached to it on the part of the 
 friends of Neal, previous to the battle. In 
 the mill at Ludlow, Neal only weighed list, 
 41bs., ds he had reduced himself Gibs, below 
 the weight required by the articles, list, lOlbs. 
 when the contest lasted one hour and forty- 
 one MINUTES. Mark the difference, Neal, on 
 entering the ring at Bumpstead, weighed 
 12st. 41bs., and Sam scarcely reached the 
 weight of list. 2lbs., and the latter boxer 
 won the fight in nearly half the time — FIFTY- 
 TWO MINUTES. 
 
 If Neal came into the ring a better man 
 altogether than in the previous contest, it is 
 equally true that Sam was also a better man 
 than when he peeled at Ludlow : it was at 
 that period urged by the patrons of Sam, that 
 he had not arrived at his proper growth ; that 
 his stamina was not complete ; and that his 
 frame partookmore of agristly nature than sup- 
 ported by bones ; in fact, Sam altogether was 
 little else than a cartilaginous subject. But 
 in the above fight, the case was completely 
 changed, and without any punning upon the 
 matter, Sam proved himself a Bourparte ! 
 Although Sam, throughout this most interest- 
 ing contest to the Fancy, has been designated 
 by the appellation of the " Young One," the 
 combatants could not quarrel on the subject 
 of Age. Sam was born on the 30th of Jan., 
 1808, nearly 23 years old ; and Neal first made 
 his appearance in this world on March 22nd, 
 1805 ; therefore he did not exceed 26. There 
 can be no question but Ned Neal is the stalest 
 man of the two ; and it is equally true that 
 he has received in his numerous contests 
 much more punishment and lots of wopping 
 than the " Young One," had met with during 
 his fighting in the P. R. Sam has scarcely 
 received any licking at all from bis oppo- 
 nents ; and he won the above battle without 
 a scratch upon his face ! The blows of Neal, 
 although in many instances were round, but 
 nevertheless were very dangerous, and had 
 some of them told according to their aim, a 
 very different account might have been re- 
 
302 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 corded of the battle. The plunges of Sam are 
 terrific ; he also Iiits strait from the shoulder ; 
 and his cuttin<?-up lunges are of the most 
 finishing quality. 
 
 To sum up our remarks upon the merits of 
 the combatants, it will be only necessary to 
 relate the following anecdote, which occurred 
 between Jem Burn and Phil. Sampson, on 
 their meeting together at an inn upon the 
 road, on their return from the fight, betwet^n 
 Bumpstead and Newmarket. Jem Burn ob- 
 served, in a room full of company, that Young 
 Sam must be a PHENOMENON indeed, 
 •who had defeated Neal without a mark upon 
 his nob ; but it should also be recollected that 
 the latter boxer had twice wopped himself 
 (Jem Burn) ; he had also " polished oflF" 
 Phil. Sampson ; that Neal had thumped Tom 
 Cannon ; he had likewise licked Tom Gaynor, 
 and beaten White-headed Bob ; and lots of 
 other pugilists, Sampson, in reply, said Sam 
 was the best fighter in the world at the present 
 moment : and that he could beat every one on 
 the milling list, " Who was to fight Young 
 Sam, he would ask ; he had already won more 
 battles than his father, so renowned in the 
 pages of Boxiana." " He can beat them all 
 but one," replied uncle Ben. " But one !" 
 Name him ! name him ! was the cry. The 
 champion, laughina, " why Peter Crawley !" 
 "A pretty thing, indeed !" said Jack Clark, 
 " Peter is only seven stone heavier than Sam !" 
 This conversation had scarcely concluded 
 when Young Sam's vehicle drove up to the 
 door, and he alighted to receive the congratu- 
 lations of his friends. Except his face being 
 rather flushed, no person could have enter- 
 tained for a single moment, from his general 
 appearance, that he had been engaged in a 
 prize battle, on which many thousands of 
 pounds were depending, and tlie interest of 
 the Sporting world had been so much excited : 
 previous to which he had been amusing his 
 pals in the barouche along the road with his 
 imitations of the skylark, and other birds, for 
 which Sam is distinguished in his convivial 
 hours. The only inconvenience he felt from 
 the battle, Sam said, was the soreness of his 
 hands. 
 
 Of course this second defeat to Neal, must 
 have been to his feelings mortifying in the 
 extreme ; and, to a brave man, almost worse 
 than death ; but he has the consolation to 
 reflect that his friends are perfectly satisfied 
 that he had done all that a boxer could do to 
 obtain victory ; and even his decided oppo- 
 nents, the backers of Sam, do him the justice 
 to state that he never fought so well, or dis- 
 played so much game in any of his former 
 battles ; and that he surrendered to a superior 
 fighter ; and like many other heroes he might 
 exclaim — 
 
 Who can rule the uncertain chance of war 1 
 
 In sustaining defeat he has not disgraced his 
 character as a pugilist ; and when it is taken 
 into consideration that he has proved the 
 
 conqueror in eleven battles straight forward ; 
 in tlie twelfth, with White-headed Bob, he 
 made a draw of it ; in the thirteenth he lost 
 the fight with Bob ; and out of SEVENTEEN 
 battles in the Prize Ring, Neal has only been 
 defeated three times. 
 
 CIRCUMSTANCES CONNECTED WITH 
 THE ABOVE BATTLE. 
 
 Sam walked out of the ring to his carriage 
 with as much gaiety as he entered it ; but on 
 his arrival at Haverhill, it was thought pru- 
 dent by his friends that he should be bled ; 
 but, on the contrary, Neal required the as- 
 sistance of his seconds to carry him to his 
 vehicle ; and at a few miles distance from the 
 scene of action he was also bled and put to 
 bed, and every humane attention paid to him 
 that his situation required. He received but 
 one body-blow during the fight, which caught 
 him in the wind ; the punishment he received 
 being principally directed towards the head. 
 
 Upon the arrival of Sam at the White Hart 
 a crowd of persons had assembled round the 
 door, and welcomed him back to Newmarket 
 with three loud cheers. A splendid dinner 
 was also prepared for his reception, when he 
 dressed himself for the occasion, and after- 
 wards sent two or three letters to his patrons 
 in London, and also to his " Mama," informing 
 her of his success for the ninth time in the 
 Prize Ring. Early the next morning (W^ed- 
 nesday), in a a post-chaise and four, he took 
 leave of his friends at Newmarket and Cam- 
 bridge, in his way to London. On that 
 classic ground he was hailed as a man of 
 science by several of the cantabs ; and although 
 he could not obtain any degree from the 
 " Learned Pundits," yet none of the " wran- 
 glers" felt pluck enough to dispute his right 
 to it. However, Sam, Curtis, and the eloquent 
 Holt, expressed their gratitude for the degree 
 of respect which had been paid to them as 
 P. P.'s, and, in bumpers of Champagne and 
 claret, drank success to the above seat of 
 learning, coupled with the hope that its pro- 
 fessors might, to the end of time, be always 
 able to produce good nobb-ed ones ! He 
 arrived in London on Wednesday evening, 
 and was highly received by his backers. 
 
 Sam's Benefit at the Tennis Court. — On 
 Thursday, after the fight, soon after the doors 
 were opened the Court was crowded to excess, 
 from the Corinthian to the commoner; evincing 
 a strong proof that milling is not on the de- 
 cline, but on the contrary, all the patrons are 
 eager to give their three bob when the Ring is 
 conducted on fair principles, and the combat- 
 ants exert themselves to behave " sound and 
 true." The setts-to, generally, were capital 
 between Phil. Sampson and Jem Burn ; Bar- 
 ney Aaron and Curtis ; Oliver and Uncle 
 Ben; Carter and Adams ; and Tom Cannon and 
 Harry Holt. The bout between the two little 
 ones (boxers inminature). Noon and Hinton, 
 produced bursts of applause ; a more mac^ 
 or scientific set-to could not have been wit ■ 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 303 
 
 nessed. Hinton floored Noon, to the great 
 surprise of the spectators. Rickens, the Bath 
 champion, who once fought with Jem 'Ward, 
 put on the gloves with deaf Burke ; but the 
 latter treated the exertions of Rickens with 
 the utmost contempt — instead of looking in 
 his opponent's face, he cast his eyes towards 
 his toes, but Burke never missed the head of 
 the Bath champion, convulsing the court with 
 roars of laughter. The wind-up of the sports 
 of the day were between Spring and Tom 
 Gaynor, This set-to was much admired ; and, 
 in the general opinion of the amateurs, Tom 
 Gaynor exhibited great signs of improvement. 
 Spring came forward and apologised for the 
 absence of Neal ; he stated that, owing to 
 some mistake with the post-boy, Neal had not 
 arrived in London until that morning, and his 
 eyes were so bad that he could not quit his 
 bed ; otherwise, he would most certainly have 
 appeared at the court. 
 
 Sam returned thanks for the patronage he 
 had received from the amateurs, and trusted 
 that his future conduct would always merit 
 their support. On his quitting the stage, he 
 was loudly cheered by the spectators. 
 
 If Fortune, fickle jade, should e'er wish to scourge my 
 
 name, 
 And what she generously gave would wish to have 
 
 again, 
 O that I'll freely grant, and without theleast remorse. 
 Only give me v/hat God can grant — my health, my 
 
 wife, and horse. 
 
 So he rides away, &c. 
 
 THE TROTTING-HORSE. 
 
 A CRACK CHANT IN THE SPORTING WORLD. 
 
 Come, I ride as good a trotting-horse as any one in 
 town. 
 
 He'll trot yon sixteen miles an hour, I'll bet a hun- 
 dred pound ; 
 
 He's such a one to bend his knees, and tuck his 
 haunches in, 
 
 That to heave the dirt in people's eyes he thinks it 
 not a sin. 
 
 Chorus— So he rides away, and trots 
 away, fal de la. 
 
 He's an eye like a hawk, and a neck like a swan ; 
 He's a foot like a cat, and his backs a longish span ; 
 Kind Nature formed him so that he's as honest as he's 
 
 good ; 
 He's every thing ahorse should be— he's bottom, bone, 
 
 and blood. 
 
 When I drop my hand, I see him nod, and safely 
 
 walk away ; 
 What others brag and bounce about, to him is only 
 
 play ; 
 No safer horse, or honester, e'er trod on English 
 
 ground ; 
 He's rising six— can catch a bird — all over right and 
 
 sound. 
 
 There's your starched andstiffened towel-blades, what 
 tiauspoits they produce 1 
 
 They cock their toes, and square their arms, and come 
 the loving noose, — 
 
 Then I let go my rattling prad, and pass them like 
 the wind, 
 
 I drop a nod and tips a smile, and leaves the flats be- 
 hind. 
 
 If twenty miles and I am from home, in the dark, I 
 
 not mind. 
 If my friends are all brushed, and I with pipe and 
 
 bottle left behind ; 
 If a scampsman bold should come, or a kiddy on the 
 
 hop, 
 " Pull sharp your trigger, my boys," says I, or I'll 
 
 outride the shot." 
 
 Hunting Frolic of Henry IV 
 " It must be either you or /." 
 
 The education which this great man re- 
 ceived was calculated to make him fond of 
 woodland scenery, and the sports of the field. 
 Sent to a remote castle, amid the dreary rocks 
 in the vicinity of the Pyrenean mountains, 
 delicacy had no part in the education of the 
 youthful Henry. His ordinary food was 
 brown bread, cheese, and beef. He was 
 clothed like other children of the country, in 
 the coarsest stuff, and was inured to climb 
 and rove over the rocks, often barefooted and 
 bareheaded. Thus, moreover, by habituating 
 his body early to exercise and labour, he pre- 
 pared his mind to support with fortitude all 
 the vicissitudes of his future life. 
 
 Hunting was ever the favorite diversion of 
 this monarch. He often strayed from his at- 
 tendants, and met with some adventures which 
 proved pleasant to himself, &nd evinced the 
 native goodness of his heart, and an affability 
 of disposition which charmed all who had an 
 opportunity of observing It. 
 
 Being on a hunting-party one day, in the 
 Vendomois, he strayed from his attendants, 
 and some time after observed a peasant sitting 
 at the foot of a tree : — " What are you about 
 there ?" said Henry. — " I am sitting here. Sir, 
 to see the king go by." — " If you have a mind," 
 answered the monarch " to get up behind me, 
 I will carry you to a place where you can have 
 a good sight of him." The peasant immedi- 
 ately mounts behind, and on the road asks the 
 gentleman how he should know the king. 
 " You need only look at him who keeps his 
 hat on while all the rest remain uncovered." 
 The king joins his company, and all the lords 
 salute him : — " Well," said he to the peasant, 
 "which is the king?" — "Fakes," answered 
 the clown, " it must be either you or I, for we 
 both keep our hats on !" 
 
 Extinct Animals. 
 
 The most extraordinary family of extinct 
 animals whose bones have been discovered, is 
 that of the Megatherium. It consists of two 
 species — the Megatherium, properly so called, 
 and the Megalonyx. They appear to have 
 had something of the formation cf the sloth, 
 with the size of the ox. Their stout limbs 
 were terminated by five thick toes ; some of 
 which were provided with an enormous claw. 
 Their thick and ossified skin was divided into 
 scales, closel-y fitted into each other. The 
 form of the teeth shows that these animals 
 
304 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 fpd on vegetables and roots. Cuvier thinks 
 that they were furnished with a short trunk. 
 Tlie remains of these two quadrupeds h-ive 
 only been found in America; but it is consi- 
 dered that an animal of the same order, and of 
 equal size and power, existed in Europe. The 
 proof rests upon a single claw dug up near 
 the Rhine. 
 
 THE LAWS OF THE ROAD. 
 
 The laws of the Road, are a paradox quite, 
 For when yoii are travelling along. 
 
 If you keep to the li.ft you'll sure to be right, 
 If you keep to the right you'll be wrong ! 
 
 The Elephant. 
 
 In the early periods of the Mogul empire 
 elephants were armed for battle with prepar- 
 ations somewhat similar to the defences of 
 warriors in the ao;es of chivalry. Dow, de- 
 scribing the elephants of A.kbar, says, " they 
 wear plates of iron upon their foreheads." 
 Vincent le Blanc mentions the elephants of 
 the king of Ternassery as " of the largest size 
 of the east, covered to the ground with beeves' 
 hides, and, over them, with divers trappings. 
 Those hides are fastened underneath the belly 
 with iron chains, and are difficult to be got 
 off." The Ayeen Akbery is more minute. 
 " Five plates of iron, each one cubit long and 
 four fingers broad, are joined together by 
 rings, and fastened round the eais of the ele- 
 phant by four chains, each an ell in length ; 
 and betwixt these another chain passes over 
 the head, and is fastened in the kellmceh; 
 and across it are four iron spikes with laitas- 
 ses and iron knobs. There are other chains 
 with iron spikes and knobs hung under the 
 throat and over the breast, and others fastened 
 to the trunk ; these are for ornament, and to 
 frighten horses. Pakher is a kind of steel 
 armour that covers the body of the elephant : 
 there are other pieces of it for the head and 
 proboscis. Gejjiiemp is a covering made of 
 three folds, and is laid over the pakher." Dow 
 adds that " a sword is bound to their trunk, 
 and daggers are fastened to their tusks." But 
 the mighty power of the animal in crushing 
 the ranks of an enemy, was principally relied 
 upon. The armour and the swords were to 
 add to the dismay which an immense troop of 
 elephants were of themselves calculated to 
 produce. The emperor Akbar well knew 
 their power in scattering masses of terrified 
 men. On one occasion, when he stormed the 
 fort of Chitar, the garrison retired to the tem- 
 ples. " Akbar, perceiving he must lose a 
 great number of his troops in case of a close 
 attack, ordered a distant fire to be kept up 
 upon the desperate Rajaputs, till he had intro- 
 duced three hundred elephants of war, which 
 he immediately ordered to advance to tread 
 them to death. The scene became now too 
 shocking to be described. Brave men, ren- 
 dered more valiant by despair, crowded around 
 
 the elephants, seized them even by the tusks, 
 and inflicted upon them unavailing wounds. 
 The terrible animals trode the Indians like 
 grasshoppers under their feet, or winding them 
 in their powerful trunks, tossed them aloft into 
 the air, or dashed them against the walls and 
 pavements. Of the garrison, which consisted 
 of eight thousand soldiers, and of forty thou- 
 sand inhabitants, thirty thousand were slain, 
 and most of the rest taken prisoners." — In the 
 rapid marches of this victorious prince, the 
 elephants suffered greatly. Purchas, speak- 
 ing of his progress from Kashire, in 1597, 
 says, " This country he left when summer 
 was past, and returned to Lahore, losing many 
 elephants and horses in the way, both by fa- 
 mine, then oppressing the country, and the 
 difficulty of the passages ; the elephants some- 
 times, in the ascent of hills, helping themselves 
 with their trunks, leaning and staying them- 
 selves, being burthened, thereon, as on a 
 staff." — The power of the elephant in battle 
 has fallen before the greater power of artillery 
 and of scientific tactics. But it is little more 
 than three centuries ago that the chief in 
 India who possessed the greatest force of 
 elephants was almost sure of victory. The Em- 
 peror Baber, in his Memoirs, gives a remark- 
 able illustratation of the terror which the 
 animal produced. '' The troops who accom- 
 panied Alim Khan were dispersed, being busy 
 plundering and pillaging. Sultan Ibrahim's 
 troops perceived that the enemy were not in 
 great force, and immediately moved forward 
 from the station which they had kept, though 
 very few in number, and havi^ng only a single 
 elephant ; but no sooner had the elephant 
 come up, than Alim Khan's men took to flight, 
 without attempting to keep their ground." 
 Baber himself scarcely employed elephants in 
 war, although descended from Timour, to 
 whom their use was familiar ; but he appears 
 to have met their terror with a bold front. 
 His expressions remind us of the quaint lan- 
 guage of Bunyan : " I placed my foot in the 
 stirrup of resolution, and my hand on the 
 reins of confidence in God, and marched 
 against Sultan Ibrahim, the son of Sultan Is- 
 kander, the son of Sultan Behlul Lodi Afghan, 
 in whose possession the throne of Delhi and 
 the dominions of Hindustan at that time 
 were ; whose army in the field were said to 
 amount to a hundred thousand men, and who, 
 including those of his Emirs, had nearly a 
 thousand elepliants." 
 
 Although from the earliest times ivory was 
 an article of commerce in demand amongst all 
 the people who traded with India, the elephant 
 does not appear to have been employed as an 
 animal of burthen even by the Persians and 
 Assyrians, until a comparatively recent period. 
 The camel was the principal medium of inter- 
 course amongst those nations. Neither is the 
 name of the elephant (a circumstance which 
 shows that he was unknown to the early Jews) 
 to be found in the Hebrew language. 
 
PIERCE EGA^'6 BOOK OF yPOUTS. 
 
 305 
 
 HAWKING. 
 
 Hist! ROMEO ! hist I O for a falconer's voice. 
 To lure this tassel-gentle back again ! 
 
 Shaksfgare. 
 As Venus' bird, the white, swift, lovely dove, 
 O ! happy dove, that art compared to her I 
 - Doth in her wings her utmost swiftness prove. 
 Finding the gripe oifulcon fierce nor far. 
 
 SlbNEY. 
 
 Falconry, at the present higli-bied tinie of 
 clay, is a species of sporting more talked about 
 by the members of the turf and chase — or, that 
 books are perused by them upon the subject, 
 tlian brought into actual display before the 
 public, and followed as a diversion ; how- 
 ever much it might have been admired in the 
 olden times. Hawking, at the period alluded 
 to, was in high repute, nay, it was almost 
 viewed as a patent of nobility ; indted, it was 
 20 
 
 such a mark of distinction, that persons of 
 quality seldom undertook a journey without 
 their hawks and attendants. 
 
 It was no uncommon thing in those days to 
 witness the falconer, with his dogs and hawks, 
 following his master to battle ; but it has 
 almost ceased, by comparison, to be followed 
 as a sport, except in a few instances, some- 
 thing after the change of circumstances in 
 life, described by Pope : — 
 
 Manners with fortunes, humours turn witli climes ; 
 Tenets with books ; and princij>les with times 1 
 
 It is true, that the present Duke of St. 
 Albans has made several attempts to revive 
 the ancient sport of Hawking, in his cliaracter 
 of the Grand Hereditary Falconer of England 
 
306 
 
 PIERCE EGA>"S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 on hisown cst.itcs, and lie has also, dnrins; the 
 time he took up his residence at Brighton, 
 given the inhabitants of that fashionable 
 watering-place some splendid displays ol the 
 above sport upon the neighbouring dovFUs, at- 
 tended by the Duchess of St. Albans, the 
 Ladies Beauclerc, and also accompanied by 
 several persons of quality, within the last 
 three years. 
 
 The appearance of the Duke in the splendid 
 dress of his oflice, and the rest of his attend- 
 ants all apparelled in the costume attached 
 to falconry, proved highly attractive to the 
 spectators; indeed, it was quite a studied 
 sort of aflPair, in order not only to render the 
 pageant accurate as to taste, but complete 
 as to the effect of the thing : in truth, 
 there was a theatrical nicety about it altoge- 
 ther. But, nevertheless, Hawking is not in 
 fashion at the present day ; or, perhaps to 
 speak more correctly on the subject, it is not 
 followed as a sport by the gentlemen compos- 
 ing the Sporting World. The racecourse; 
 the chase ; a coursing match ; shooting, sau. .. ^, 
 or cricket matches, appear to have far greater 
 claims of attraction in their eyes, than the 
 ANCIENT, and once much followed sport of 
 Hawking. 
 
 A very interesting exhibition of the above 
 species of amusement took place on Thurs- 
 day, October 7, 1824, in the neighbourhood of 
 Amesbury,and was witnessed by a numerous 
 field ofsporting gentlemen and others attracted 
 ky curiosity. The hawks, six in number, 
 were remarkably large and fine young birds ; 
 and their proprietor, Colonel Thornhill, di- 
 rected the sport of the day, in the presence of 
 Sir llussey Vivyan, Sir Francis Burdett, Blr. 
 Rlills, and numerous other gentlemen, who 
 u ere invited on the occasion. The scene of 
 action was an extensive field of turnips, in 
 which it was known that there were partridges 
 in sufficient number for the purpose, and the 
 ground was graced by several carriages con- 
 taining ladies. The hawks were brought to 
 the field by the Colonel's falconer and assistant, 
 pi'iching, hooded, upon a frame ; the sports- 
 men and spectators were ranged on the out- 
 side of the field ; a fine bird was then taken 
 from the perch by the falconer, unhooded, and 
 permitted to fly. The hawk immediately 
 towered, and lowered over the field, with his 
 eyes intently bent towards the turnip plants 
 in search of prey : he beat over the ground 
 with evolutions similar to those of a pointer 
 upon the ground. After a few minutes had 
 elapsed, Colonel Thornhill ordered some boys 
 to enter the field for the purpose of disturbing 
 the birds ; and a partridge at length arose, 
 which was instantaneously seen by the hawk, 
 though at a great distance. The hawk darted 
 after it and struck it to the earth ; but the par- 
 tridge recovering, flew, as it were for protec- 
 tion, amongst the spectators ; here it was pur- 
 sued by the relentless hawk and killed. The 
 other hawks were afterwards severally let 
 loose, and all but one of them killed a par- 
 
 tridge each ; some of the latter were pursuci^ 
 and killed out of sight of the spectators; anr' 
 it is highly worthy of remark, that the hawk* 
 had been so well trained that they invariabl"* 
 returned to the falconer at his call ; and when 
 out of sight and hearing, he attracted them 
 by tlirowing into the air a lure, something re- 
 sembling a stuffed partridge. The above 
 exhibition afforded a most gratifying specimen 
 of this ancient and very curious sport. 
 
 Hawking, it appears, has occupied the 
 attention of several of our first literary char- 
 acteYs,as the followingquotations most clearly 
 point out : — 
 
 Ride unto St. Alban's, 
 Whereas the king and queen do mean to /lawk, 
 
 Hhakspeare, 
 Do'st thou love hawking ? Thou hast haaks will soar 
 Above the morning lark. Id. 
 
 A faulcon, tow'ring in her pride of place, 
 Was by a mousing owl ha-uked at and killed. Id. 
 
 To grace this honoured day the qiieen proclaims. 
 By herald /laukers high, heroick games ; 
 She summons all her sons : an endless band 
 Pours forth, and leaves unpeopled all the land. 
 
 Pofe. 
 
 Whence borne on liquid wing 
 The sounding culver shoots ; or where the /laak. 
 High in the beetling cliffs, his eyry builds. 
 
 TAomion, 
 
 Whether upward to the moon they go. 
 Or dream the Winter out in caves below, ' 
 Or Aanik at tlies elsewhere, concerns us not to know. 
 
 Diyden. 
 
 One followed study and knowledge, aud another 
 hau'king and hunting. 
 
 Locke. 
 
 He that kawks at larks and sparrows has no less 
 sport, tliough a much less considerable quarry, than he 
 that flies at nobler yame. Id, 
 
 A falc'ner Henry is, when "Exaraz. kauks ; 
 \\'ith her of larsels and of lures he talks. 
 
 Prior. 
 
 A long-winged hawk, when he is first whi^teled off 
 the fist, mounts aloft, and for liis pleasure fetcheth 
 many a circuit in the ayr, still soaring higher and 
 higher, till he become to his full pitch, and in the end, 
 when the £;ame is sprang, comes down amain, and 
 stoops upon the sudden. 
 
 Burton's Anatomi/ of Melanc/my/j/. 
 
 Hawking comes near to hunting, the one in the ayre 
 as the other on the eai th, a sport as much affected as 
 the other, by some preferj ed. Id. 
 
 It can be no more disgrace to a great lord to draw a 
 fair picture, than to cut his hawk's meat. 
 
 Peacham 
 
 It will also be found in " The Guardian" of 
 Massinger that he had not overlooked the 
 Sports of the Field, from a delightful conver- 
 sation which occurs respecting the ancient 
 sports of Hawking and hunting. Shakspeare, 
 also, introduced a variety of sporting scenes 
 in his plays ; and in almost all the novels of 
 Sir ^V^alter Scott, he describes hunting, hawk- 
 ing, or shooting events. The Ettrick Siiepherd 
 has a tale denominated " The Eildon Hunt." 
 In Malpas, vol. i., several descriptions will be 
 found both of hawking and hunting ; and one 
 of the most important events in the " King of 
 the Peak" takes place in a hunt. The sports 
 of ancient Kome occupy half the first volume 
 of Howison's Valerius. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 307 
 
 A fine description of a stag-hunt is to be 
 met with in the " Lady of the Lake ;" and 
 also Fieldint; has introduced the chase in his 
 novel of Tom Jones, in which Sophia meets 
 with an accident. In Don Quixote, an ani- 
 mated account of a Boar-hunt is given by the 
 inimitable Cervantes : indeed, many other 
 authors might be pointed out who have in 
 their works given some very pleasing descrip- 
 tions of the manly sports of ''the olden 
 times ;" and also of very recent date may be 
 quoted, Lloyd's Field Sports in the North of 
 Europe ; Captain Mundy's Pen and Pencil 
 Sketches of the Sports of India ; and Captain 
 liasil Hall's Fragments of Voyages and Tra- 
 vels, all abounding with interesting accounts 
 of sporting events of every character. 
 
 HAWKING BANQUET, AT KNOLE. 
 
 To Knole's famous seat, ia the year sixty-two. 
 
 Four nobles came over from France ; 
 They brought their stanch hawks the fleet hern to 
 pursue. 
 
 The bird with a beak like a lance. 
 Four falr.'ners, all skilful, arriv'd in their train. 
 
 And my lord, if we credit report, 
 Resolv'd that their visit should not be iu vain. 
 
 Most kindly prepar'd for their sport. 
 At Penshurst, blest seat of the Sidneys of old. 
 
 On the tops of its high towering trees, 
 Ahernry for ages, so story has told. 
 
 Has been rock'd and refresh'd by the breeze. 
 The day was delightful, the harvest all done. 
 
 And the farmers at rest from thtir toil, 
 Up the vast arch of Heav'n bright Phoebus had run. 
 
 And had drank up the pools on tVie soil. 
 On Chislehurst common, iu gallant array. 
 
 The duke with his nobles were seen. 
 When the falc'ners prepared for the sport of the day, 
 
 All clad in their liv'ries of green : 
 
 Their hawks were unhooded and bold for the chase. 
 
 When high floating in beautiful form, 
 A hern from her quarry was mark'd by his grace, 
 
 When the crowd were like bees when they swarm. 
 
 A falcon selected was thrown to the wind, 
 
 A second and third to pursue. 
 While those iu reserve were impatient behind. 
 
 To mount to the game bird in view. 
 
 The game knew her foes, and increas'd in Tier flight. 
 
 Yet boldly prepar'd to defend ; 
 Tho' her courage was great, yet unequal the fight. 
 
 For the hern had with three to contend. ~ 
 
 Ah 1 this was a moment of matchles." delight. 
 
 The birds were at war in the skies. 
 And the hawks on their pinions exerting their might. 
 
 To conrpier and bring down the prize. 
 Full great was the concourse assembled below, 
 
 Rich and poor in the pleasure unite. 
 Every breast from his grace felt the rapturous glow. 
 
 At so novel so marshall'd a sight. 
 
 At length, overcome with fatigue and despair. 
 
 The hem strove for life to depart, 
 When the falcon, too eager her plumage to tear 
 
 Felt her strong pointed beak in his heart. 
 Nor escap'd the game a less rhare of distress. 
 
 For the while she wns wheeling around, 
 ITie falcon's sharp talons had struck her to death. 
 
 And they both fell like shot to the ground. 
 
 The hem's gaudy top, the pride of our knights, 
 
 The falc'ner swift tore from its place ; 
 And now amidst shouLs and the Highest delight. 
 
 Presented the prize to his grace. 
 The sport being over, my lord with his guest, 
 
 Retum'd to a banquet at Knole, 
 Where they finish'd that day with a liberal zest 
 
 Which meanness could never control. 
 
 The nobles return 'd to their gay Gallic court. 
 
 And report with the greatest delight. 
 That the Britons were equally brave in their sport. 
 
 As they were when led on to the fight. 
 
 According to the account of the late Colonel 
 Thornton, one of the most practical spoils- 
 men in the kingdom, and who was particularly 
 attached to the amusement of Hawking, he 
 thus describes the different species of hawks : 
 — there are two kinds of the haick, the long 
 and the short-winged. 
 
 " The first year it is called a soarage ; the 
 second, an interview ; the third, a white 
 hawk ; and the fourth, a hawk of the first 
 coat. 
 
 " Of those most in use in this kingdom, are 
 the following : — 
 
 The gerfalcon, and its male the jerkin. 
 
 The falcon, and ditto tierce gentle. 
 
 The lanper, and ditto lannerel. 
 
 Bockerel, and ditto bockeret. 
 
 The saker, and ditto sackerel. 
 
 The merlin, and ditto jack merlin. 
 
 The hobby, and ditto jack or robin. 
 
 The seletto of Spain. 
 
 The blood-red rook of Turkey. 
 
 The waskete from Virginia. 
 Of the short-winged are the following: — 
 
 The eagle, and its male the iron. 
 
 The go.'ihawk, and ditto tiercel. 
 
 The sparrow-hawk, and its male the musket. 
 
 The two sorts of French pie. . 
 Of the inferior : — 
 
 The stangel, or ring-tail. 
 
 The raven and buzzard. 
 
 The forked kite and bold buzzard. 
 
 The hen driver, &c." 
 
 The French Kings had a grand falconer, an 
 .officer dismembered from that of grand veneux, 
 as early as the year 12.50. A falconer should 
 be well acquainted with the quality and 
 mettle of his hawks, that he may know which 
 of them to fly early, and which late. Every 
 night after flying he should give them casting ; 
 one while plumage, sometimes pellets of cot- 
 ton, and and at another time physic, as he 
 finds necessary. He ought also every evening 
 to make the place clean under the perch, that 
 by her casting he may know whether she 
 wants scouring upwards or downwards. He 
 must water his hawk every evening, except on 
 such days as she has butted ; after which, 
 at night, she should be put into a warm room, 
 having a candle burning by her, where she 
 is to sit unhooded, if she be not raniage, that 
 she may prick and prune herself. He should 
 always carry proper medicines into the field, 
 as hawks frequently meet with accidents there. 
 He must take with him all his hawking 
 implements ; and should be skilful in making 
 lures, hoods of all sorts, gins, bewits, and 
 other furniture. He ought to have liis coping 
 irons, to cope his hawk's beak when over- 
 grown, and to cut her pounces and talons as 
 there shall be occasion ; nor should his cau- 
 terising irons be wanting. 
 
 The Saxon dialogues in the Cotton Library 
 
 X 2 
 
808 
 
 PIERCK EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 epcak thus of the fowler : — " How do you 
 deceive fowls ?" " Many ways ; sometimes 
 with gins, sometimes with lime, sometimes 
 with whistling, sometimes with hawks, some- 
 times with traps." " Have you a hawk ?" 
 " 1 have." " Can you tame them ?" " I can. 
 What use would they be to me if I could 
 not lame them!" " Give me a hawk?" "I 
 Avill give it willingly if you will give me a 
 swift houud ; which hawk will you have, the 
 greater or the less ?" " The less ; the greater." 
 " How do you feed them ?" " Tliey feed 
 themselves and me in winter ; and in spring 
 I lei them fly to the woods. I take for my- 
 self young ones in harvest, and tame them." 
 " And why do you let them fly from you when 
 tamed ?" " Because I will not keep them in 
 summer, as they eat too much. But many feed 
 and keep them through the summer, that they 
 may again have them ready." " So they do, 
 but I will not have that trouble about them, 
 as I can make many others." 
 
 In short, this diversion was among the 
 ancient English the pride of the rich, and the 
 privilege of the poor ; no rank of men seems 
 to have been excluded from it. We learn from 
 the book of St. Albans, that every degree had 
 its peculiar hawk, from the emperor down to 
 the holy-water clerk. Vast was the expense 
 that sometimes attended this sport. 
 
 The Norwegian breed was, in old times, in 
 high esteem in England ; they were thought 
 bribes worthy a king. Geoffrey Fitzpierse 
 gave two good Norway hawks to King John, 
 to obtain for his friend, Walter Le Madena, 
 the liberty of exporting 100 weight of cheese ; 
 and Nicholas, the Dane, was to give the king 
 a hawk every time he came to England, that 
 he might have free liberty to traffic through- 
 out the King's dominions. They were also 
 made the tenures by which some nobles held 
 their estates from the crown. 
 
 In order to instruct them, the following 
 method is generally pursued : — When a hawk 
 or falcon is taken, she must be seeled in such 
 a manner that as the seeling slackens she may 
 see what provision lies before her ; but care 
 ought to be taken not to seel her too hard. 
 A falcon or hawk, newly taken, should have 
 all new furniture, as new pieces of good 
 leather, mailled leashes with buttons at the 
 end, and new bewits. There should also be 
 provided a small round stick to stroke the 
 hawk ; because the oftener this is done, the 
 sooner and better she will be manned. She 
 must also have two large bells ' that she may 
 be found when she scattereth.' Her hood 
 should be well fashioned, raised, and em- 
 bossed against her eyes deep, and yet strait 
 enough beneath that it may fasten about her 
 head witiiout hurting her : her beak and 
 talons must be a little coped, but not so near 
 as to make them bleed. A soar falcon, which 
 has passed the seas, will be iiarder to reclaim, 
 but will prove the best of falcons. Her food 
 must be good and warm, and given twice or 
 thrice a day, till she be full gorged : the best 
 
 for this purpose is pigeons, larks, or other live 
 birds ; because she must be broken off by 
 degrees from her accustomed feeding. When 
 she is fed jou must whoop and lure that she 
 may know when you intend to give her meat. 
 The lure is a piece of red stuflT, or wool, on 
 which are fixed a bill, talons, and wings. To 
 this is likewise fastened a piece of that flesh 
 on which the bird feeds, and the lure is thrown 
 out to him. When they intend to reclaim or 
 recall him, the siglit of the food brings him 
 back : and in time the voice will be sufficient. 
 The various plumage with which the lure is 
 set off is called '« drawer!' V\'hen they 
 accustom the hawk to fly at a kite, a heron, 
 or a partridge, they change the drawer ac- 
 cording to the kind of game to which he is 
 to be devoted. When tliis is a kite they fix 
 the bill and feathers of that bird to the lure ; 
 and so of the rest ; and in order to entice the 
 bird to this object, they fasten beneath the 
 drawer or plumage the flesh of a chicken, or 
 other fowl, occasionally seasoned with sugar 
 and spices, together with marrow and other 
 delicacies Three things are to be considered 
 before the lure be showed her :— 1. That she 
 be bold and familiar in company, and not 
 afraid of dogs and hares. 2. Sharp set and 
 hungry, having regard to the hour of morning 
 and evening, when you would have her. 3. 
 Clean within, and lure well garnished with 
 meat on both sides ; and when you intend to 
 give her the length of a leash you must 
 abscond. She must also be unhooded, and 
 have a bit or two given her on the lure, as she 
 sits on your fist ; afterwards, talie the lure 
 from her and hide it that she may not see it ; 
 and when she is unseeled cast the lure so near 
 her that she may catch it witliin the length of 
 her leash, and as soon as she has seized it use 
 your voice, feeding her upon the lure on the 
 ground, with the heart and warm thigh of 
 a pullet. Having so lured your falcon, give 
 her but little meat in the evening, and let this 
 luring be so timely that you may give her plum- 
 age next morning upon your fist. When she is 
 used to the lure on foot, she is to be lured on 
 horseback ; which may be effected the sooner 
 by causing horsemen to be about her when 
 she is lured on foot. AVhen she has grown 
 familiar this way Jet somebody on foot hold 
 the hawk, and the person on horseback must 
 call and cast the lure about his head, the 
 holder taking off the hood by the tassel ; and 
 if she seize eagerly on the lure without fear 
 of man or horse, then take off the creance, 
 and lure her at a greater distance. If you 
 would have her love dogs as well as the lure, 
 call dogs when you give her her living or 
 plumage. After this she may be allowed to 
 fly, in a large field, unincumbered with trees. 
 To excite her to fly, whistle softly; unhood 
 her, and let her fly with her head to the wind ; 
 as she will thus the more readily get upon the 
 wing, and fly upwards. The hawk some- 
 times flies from the falconer's fist, and takes 
 stand on the ground : this is a fault very com 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 309 
 
 mon v.iili soar folcons. To remedy this, 
 fright liet- up with your wand, and when you 
 have found lier fo talce a turn or two, take 
 her down to the lure, and feed her. J5ut if 
 this does not do, tlien you must have a duck 
 in readiness seeled, so that they may see no 
 way but backwards, and that will make her 
 mount the higher. Hold this duck in your 
 hand, by one of the wings near the body; 
 then lure with your voice, to make the falcon 
 turn her head, and when she is at a reason- 
 able pitch cast your duck up just under her, 
 when, if she strike, stoop, or truss the duck, 
 permit her to kill it, and reward her by giving 
 her a reasonable gorge. After you have 
 practised this two or three times, your hawk 
 will leave the stand, and, delighted to be on 
 the wing, will be very obedient. 
 
 When falcons are taught to fly at rabbits, 
 hares, &c., it is called, ' flying at the fur ;' 
 and some are instructed to fly at the fur and 
 the plume, or to the pursuit of hares or rab- 
 bits, as well as of pheasants and partridges, 
 &c. Falcons of the larger kind have been 
 taught to fly at the roebuck, and even at the 
 wild boar, and the wolf. With this view they 
 should be accustomed to feed when younp, 
 from out of the sockets of the eyes of a wolf 
 or boar's head ; the whole skin of the animal 
 stuflTed so as to make it appear alive. While 
 the bird is feeding the falconer begins to move 
 the figure gradually ; in consequence of which 
 the bird learns to fasten itself so as to stand 
 firm, notwithstanding the precipitate motions 
 which are gradually given to the stuffed 
 animal. He would lose his meal if he quitted 
 his hold, and, therefore, he takes care to 
 secure himself. When these first exercises are 
 finished, the skin is placed on a cart, drawn by 
 a horse at full speed ; the bird follows it, and 
 is particularly feeding; and then, when they 
 come to flj hira in the field, he never fails to 
 dart on the head of the first beast he discovers, 
 and begins to scoop out the eyes. This puts 
 the animal into such distress that the hunters 
 have time to approach, and dispatch it with 
 their spears. 
 
 THE JOLLY FALCONER. 
 Heigho ! heigho ! the morning is up. 
 
 And the pallant Falconer's abroad ; 
 We've each of us had a stirruping cup. 
 
 And of game we'll bring home a load : — 
 Uncouple the spaniels, and let the dogs try, 
 
 See the partridge there on the wing ; 
 Quick, quick ! jolly Falconer, let the hawks fly, 
 
 'Tis a pleasure fit for a King. 
 Then mark the swift hawk, see him now make his 
 
 stoop, 
 Ah ! down goes the game ! call him in then ! la leup ! 
 la leup ! 
 
 Barons of old, and princes so high, 
 
 Lov'd hawking as their lives : 
 The health of the field, and the Falconer's cry, 
 
 Drown'd even the pipes of their wives : 
 Our hawks, they are a gallantie show. 
 
 With rings and feathers so fine ; 
 The Falconer laughs at sports below, 
 
 And cries " the air is mine !" 
 What sportsmen to joys then inferior would stoop, 
 When the summit of sporting is hawking! la leiip ! 
 la leup ! 
 
 Antiquity of Hawking. 
 
 "Tiie diversion of falconry, "observes Strtitt, 
 " was much followed by the ladies of the fif- 
 teenth century, and considered to have excelled 
 the gentlemen in the above now neglected sport. 
 Hawking was performed on horseback, and 
 sometimes on foot, as occasion required. On 
 horseback, when in the fields, and open coun- 
 try ; and on foot, when in the woods aiu! 
 coverts. In following the hawk on foot, it 
 was usival for the sportsman to have a stout 
 pole with him, to assist him in leaping over 
 little rivulets and ditches, which might other- 
 wise jircvent him in his progress ; and this we 
 learn from an historical fact related by Hall ; 
 who informs us tiiat Henry VIII. pursuing 
 his hawk on foot, at Hitchen in Hertford- 
 shire, attempted, with the assistance of his 
 pole, to jump over a ditch that was half full 
 of muddy water ; the pole broke, and the king 
 fell with his head into the mud, where he 
 would have been stifled had not a footman, 
 named John Moody, who was near at hand, 
 and seeing the accident, leaped in to the ditch, 
 and released his majesty from his perilous 
 situation ; and so," says the honest historian, 
 " God of hys Goodnesse preserved him." 
 
 The practice of Hawking declined, from the 
 moment the musket was brought to perfection 
 and used in killing birds, which pointing out 
 a method more ready and more certain of pro- 
 curing game, and, at the same time, affording 
 an equal degree of air and exercise, the im- 
 mense expense of training, and maintaining 
 of hawks became altogether \innecessary ; it 
 was therefore no wonder that the assistance of 
 the gun superseded that of the bird ; or that 
 the art of hawking, when rendered useless, 
 should be laid aside. Its fall was very rapid. 
 Hentzner, who wrote his Itinerary, A. D. 
 1598, assures us that hawking was the general 
 sport of the English nobility ; at the same 
 time most of the best treatises upon this sub- 
 ject were written. At the commencement of 
 the seventeenth century, it seems to have been 
 in the zenith of its glory. At the close of the 
 same century the sport was rarely practised, 
 and a few years afterwards hardly known. 
 
 Brook-Hawking. — In addition to those 
 hawks which have been previously described, 
 there are others of considerable note under 
 different denominations, such as the haggard- 
 falcon, the tassel-gentle, the Barbary or tar- 
 taret-falcon, the Tunician, &c. But for the 
 sport of brook- hunting, the ger-falcon, the 
 jerkin, the haggard-falcon, and the tassel- 
 gentle are to be preferred. 
 
 Ponds are often enclosed and obscured by 
 woods, bushes, and thickets, and escape the 
 observations of passengers ; to such places 
 ducks are accustomed to resort ; and, in order 
 to train the hawk for taking them, the follow- 
 ing directions should be attended to : — 
 
 The hawk, being in all points ready to fly, 
 be provided with two or tlircc live trained 
 ducks, and let a man be concealed with them 
 
310 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 in a bnsh near the pond ; and when you come 
 to the place, with the hawk ready for the 
 middle flight, beat, with a pole, the bush in 
 which the man lies concealed with the ducks, 
 who must instantly let fly one of them, that 
 the hawk may suppose it to have been put up 
 by you, and if she takes it with courage re- 
 ward her well. A gos-hawk may thus be 
 trained up to catch a fowl at once. 
 
 Your hawk being trained, you may confi- 
 dently go with her to the ponds which are the 
 haunts of the ducks, as above described, and 
 creeping close to the spot, raise them by beat- 
 ing about with a pole ; and when any rise, let 
 go your hawk from your fist, and if she should 
 seize, let her enjoy the sport, and encourage 
 her by a reward. 
 
 It will be necessary to have a spaniel with 
 you, for, if the hawk is well-acquainted with 
 the sport, she will be so nimble at the catch, 
 that both she and her prey will probably fall 
 into the water together, and the latter will 
 endeavour to plunge ; the spaniel will there- 
 fore be essentially serviceable, without de- 
 terring or offending the hawk. 
 
 The Laws respecting hawks are found to 
 be rather severe towards the preservation of 
 falconry in the olden times : — " It is enacted 
 by the 34 Ed. III. c. 22, that every person 
 who findeth a falcon, tercelet, laner, or lane- 
 ret, or other hawk that is lost, shall presently 
 bring it to the sheriff, who shall make pro- 
 clamation in all the good towns in the country, 
 that he hath such an hawk in his custody ; 
 and if he is challenged in four months the 
 owner shall have him again, paying the costs : 
 if not challenged in that time the sheriff shall 
 have him, making free to him that took him, 
 if he be a simple man, but if a gentleman, and 
 of estate to have the hawk, he shall re-deliver 
 to him the hawk, taking of him reasonable 
 costs for the time he had him in his custody. 
 
 " If a man shall steal a hawk, and carry it 
 away, not doing the ordinance aforesaid, it 
 shall be done of him as of a thief that stealeth 
 a horse, or other thing, 37 Ed. III. c. 19, that 
 is, he shall be guilty of felony, but shall have 
 his clergy. 3 Hist. 98." 
 
 The 11 H. VII. c. 17, enacts that no man 
 shall bear any hawk of the breed of England, 
 called a nyesu, gos-hawk, tassel, laner, 
 laneret, or falcon, on pain of forfeiting his 
 hawk to the king. And if he bring any of 
 them over sea, or out of Scotland, he shall 
 bring a certificate thereof from the officer of 
 the port ; on the like pain of forfeiting the 
 same to the king. And the person who bringeth 
 any such hawk to the king, shall have a rea- 
 sonable reward of the king, or the hawk for 
 his labour. 
 
 And no manner of person, of \\hat condi- 
 tion or degree he be, shall take, or cause to 
 be taken, on his own or any other person's 
 ground, the eggs of any falcon, gos-hawk, or 
 laner, out of the nest, on pain (being convicted 
 thereof before the justices of the peace) of 
 toprisonment for a year and a da_\, and line 
 
 at the king's will ; half to the king, and half 
 to the owner of the ground where the eggs 
 were taken. Id. 
 
 And by the same statute, no man shall take 
 any ayre, falcon, gos-hawk, tassel, laner, or 
 laneret, in their warren, wood, or other place, 
 nor purposely drive them out of their coverts 
 accustomed to breed in, to cause them to go 
 to other coverts to breed ; nor flay them for 
 any hurt done by them, on pain of £10, half 
 to him that will sue before the justices of the 
 peace, and half to the king. Id. 
 
 The 5 Eliz. c. 21, enacts that if any person 
 shall unlawfully take any hawks, or their 
 eggs, out of the woods or ground of any per- 
 son, and be thereof convicted at the assizes 
 or sessions, on indictment, bill, or informa- 
 tion at the suit of the king, or of the party, 
 he shall be imprisoned three months, and pay 
 treble damages, and after the expiration of 
 three months shall find sureties for his good 
 abearing for seven years, or remain in prison 
 till he doth. s. 3. 
 
 The last statute concerning /«?conry (except 
 a clause in 7 Jac. c. 11, which limits the time 
 of hawking at piieasants and partridges) is , 
 that of the 23 Eliz. c. 10, which enacts that 
 if any manner of person shall hawk in another 
 man's corn, after it is eared, and before it is 
 shocked, and be thereof convicted at the 
 assizes, sessions, or leet, he shall pay 40s. to 
 the owner, and if not paid within ten days 
 he shall be imprisoned for a month." 
 
 The Hawker, an Asiatic Tale, from Abul- 
 fazel, showing the fatal effects of precipita- 
 tion, will be found rather interesting : — I have 
 heard that a King of Persia had a favorite 
 hawk. Being one day on a hunting party 
 with his hawk upon his hand, a deer started 
 up before him ; the king let fly the hawk, and 
 followed it with great eagerness, till at length 
 the deer was taken. The courtiers were all 
 left behind in the chase.Theking,being thirsty, 
 rode about in quest of water, till, having 
 reached the foot of a mountain, he discovered 
 some trickling down in drops from the rock. 
 He took a little cup from his quiver, and held 
 it to catch the water. Just when the cup was 
 filled, and he was going to drink, the hawk 
 shook his pinions, and overset the cup. The 
 king was vexed at the accident, and again 
 applied the cup to the hole in the rock. When 
 the cup was replenished, and he was lifting it 
 to his mouth, the hawk clapped his wings 
 again, and threw it down, at which the king 
 M'as so enraged, that he threw the bird with 
 such violence against the ground that he ex- 
 pired. 
 
 At this time the table-decker came up, and, 
 taking a napkin from his budget, wiped the 
 cup, and was going to give the king water to 
 drink ; the king said he had a great inclina- 
 tion to taste the pure water that distilled 
 through the rock, birt, not having patience to 
 wait for its being collected by drops, he 
 ordered the table-decker to go to the top of the 
 mountain, and till the cup at the fountain-bead. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 311 
 
 The attendant, having reached the top of the 
 mountain, discovered a serpent of prodigious 
 magnitude lying dead, with its head in the 
 spring; and his poisonous foam, mixing with 
 the water, fell in drops through the rock ; he 
 then descended, related the fact to the king, 
 and presented hitn with a cup of cold water 
 out of his flagon. 
 
 When the king lifted the cup to his lips, 
 the tears of reflection gushed from his eyes. 
 He then related the adventure of the hawk ; 
 made many reflections upon the destructive 
 consequences of precipitancy and thoughtless- 
 ness, and, during the remainder of his life, the 
 arrows of regret were rankling in his breast. 
 The above little translation from the Hindoo, 
 respecting the attachment of the hawk to his 
 royal master, we hope will serve as a hint to 
 those hot and inconsiderate sportsmen who 
 sometimes give a loose to immoderate passion, 
 ■when self-interest and good manners claim an 
 attachment to liberality and decency. 
 
 Falconry among the ancients. 
 
 An early writer on this subject gives us the 
 following anecdote : — " I once had (says he) 
 an excellent opportunity of seeing this sport 
 near Nazareth, in Galilee. An Arab, mount- 
 ing a swift courser, held the falcon on his 
 hand, as huntsmen commonly do. When he 
 espied the animal on the top of the mountain, 
 he let loose the falcon, which flew in a direct 
 line, like an arrow, and attacked the antelope, 
 fixing the talons of one of his feet into its 
 cheeks, and those of the other into its throat, 
 extending his wings obliquely over the animal, 
 spreading one towards onfc of his ears, and 
 the other to the opposite hip. The creature, 
 thus attacked, made a leap twice the height of 
 a man, and freed himself from the falcon ; but 
 being wounded, and losing both its strength 
 and speed, it was again attacked by the bird, 
 which fixed the talons of both his feet into its 
 throat, and held it fast, till the huntsman 
 coming up, took it alive, and cut its throat. 
 The falcon was allowed to drink tiie blood, as 
 a reward for his labour ; and a young falcon, 
 which was learning, was likewise put to the 
 throat. By this means the young birds are 
 taught to fix their talons in the throat of the 
 animal, as the properest part : for, should the 
 falcon fix upon the creature's hip, or some other 
 part of the body, the huntsman would not only 
 lose his game, but his falcon too ; for the beast 
 roused by the wound, which could not prove 
 mortal, would run to the deserts and the tops 
 of the mountains, whither its enemy, keeping 
 its hold, would be obliged to follow, and, being 
 separated from its master, must of course 
 perish. 
 
 The Editor of " Knowledge for the People" 
 has introduced the ancient sport of Hawking 
 in so pleasing a manner, by Questions and 
 Answers, that we have been induced to quote 
 it:— 
 
 Why is hawking generally placed at the 
 head of rural amusements? — Betai se of its 
 
 being so generally followed by the nobility, 
 not only in this country, but also on the con- 
 tinent. In olden times, persons of high rank 
 rarely appeared without their dogs and their 
 hawks ; the latter they carried with them 
 when they journeyed from one country to 
 another ; and sometimes even when they went 
 to battle, and would not part with them even 
 to procure their own liberty when taken pri- 
 soners. These birds were considered as 
 ensigns of noi)ility ; and no action could be 
 reckoned more dishonorable to a man of 
 rank, than to give up his ha\\ k. Upon the 
 tapestry of Bayeaux, Harold is represented 
 approaching the Duke of Normandy, with 
 his hawk upon his hand. Sometimes hawks 
 formed part of the train of an ecclesiastic : 
 Becket liad hawks and hounds of every de- 
 scription with him, when he went to the court 
 of France, as Ambassador from England. 
 Females of distinction were occasionally re- 
 presented with hawks on their hands, as we 
 know, from an ancient sculpture, in the 
 church of jMilton-Abbey, where the consort 
 of King Athelstan appears, with a falcon on 
 her fist, tearing a bird. The AVelsh had a 
 saying in very early times, that "you may 
 know a gentleman by his hawk, horse, and 
 greyhound.'' Alfred the Great is said to have 
 written a treatise on hawking ; and from va- 
 rious sources the pastime may be traced in 
 high favor, to the end of the Saxon era. — 
 Strutt. 
 
 In the fields, and open country, ha^vking 
 was followed on horseback ; and on foot, 
 when in the woods and coverts. In the latter 
 case, the sportsman had with him a stout 
 pole, to assist him in leaping over rivulets 
 and ditches; and we learn from Hall, the 
 chronicler, that Henry VIII., pursuing his 
 hawk on foot, at Hitcham, in Hertfordshire, 
 was plunged into a deep slough, by the 
 breaking of his pole, and would have been 
 stifled but for prompt assistance. 
 
 AV'e may gather some idea of the value at- 
 tached to hawks, and the prices given for 
 them, — from the laws enacted for their pre- 
 servation. Each species of bird seems to 
 have had its rank of patron ; and Strutt 
 quotes from the book of St. Alban's (so called 
 from its being printed at St. Alban's) the sort 
 of birds assigned to the difierent ranks of per- 
 sons, in the following order : — 
 
 The eagle, the vulture, and the me'o-ia, for an em- 
 peror. 
 
 The ger falcon, and the tercel of the ger-falcon, for a 
 king. 
 
 The falcon gentle, and the tercel gentle for a prince. 
 
 The falcon of the rock for a duke. 
 
 The falcon peregrive for an earl. 
 
 ITie ba.stard for a baron. 
 
 The sacre and the sacret for a knight. 
 
 The lanere and the lanerct for an ijcjuire. 
 
 The marlyou for a lady. 
 
 The hobby for a young man. 
 
 The goshawk for a yeoman. 
 
 The tercel for a poor man. 
 
 The sparrow-hawk for a priest. 
 
 The luusket fer a holy-water clerk. 
 
 Tlie nusterel for a knave or a servant. 
 
an 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK )F SPORTS. 
 
 Tlie prevalence of inclosurcs 1ms made hawk- 
 ing almost impossil)le in most parts of Eng- 
 land. Latterly, however, the Duke of St. 
 Albans, hereditary Grand Falconer, has im- 
 ported hawks from Germany, and has attempted 
 to revive the noble art of falconry. Some of 
 these experiments have been made upon his 
 Grace's estate in Lincolnshire, but with little 
 of the glory of the olden sport. 
 
 It may, however, be interesting to know 
 that Sir John S. Sebright, Bart, has very 
 recently published a pamphlet upon hawking, 
 which details the best method of taking, rear- 
 ing, and training the hunting hawks, with all 
 the terms of falconry ; including feeding, 
 tiring, &c. ; with descriptions of their game, 
 and directions for using them in pursuit of it. 
 
 Why have the ancient English illuminators 
 uniformly represented King Stephen with a 
 hawk upon his hand ? — Because, by that 
 symbol, it is presumed they intended to sig- 
 nify that Stephen was nobly, though not 
 royally born. The same reason will hold 
 {jood respecting the representation of Harold, 
 just mentioned, — Notes to Strutt. 
 
 Why was it formerly illegal to take a hawk's 
 nest? — Because the bird was so highly es- 
 teemed by the nobility of England. 
 
 Ill the 11th of Henry VII. it was deemed, 
 " That if any person was convicted of taking 
 from the nests, or destroying the eggs of a 
 falcon, a gos-hawk, a laner, or a swan, he 
 should suffer imprisonment for one year and 
 one day, and be liable to a fine at the King's 
 pleasure ; one half of which belotiged to the 
 crown, and the other half to the owner of the 
 ground whereon the eggs were found :" and 
 if a man destroyed the same sort of eggs upon 
 his own ground, he was equally subject to the 
 penalty. This act was somewhat ameliorated 
 in the reign of Elizabeth, and the imprison- 
 ment reduced tc three months ; with security 
 for good behaviour for seven years. 
 
 Why was the female usually preferred in 
 hawking ? — Because she is much more cou- 
 rageous than the male. 
 
 Some of the falcon tribe, it may be here 
 observed, have been used for hunting hares, 
 deer, &c. Mr. Southey alludes to this sport 
 in Thalaba : 
 
 The deer bounds over the plain : 
 
 The lagging dogs behind, 
 
 Follow from afar I 
 But, lo ! the Falcon o'er head 
 
 Hovers with hostile wings, 
 And buffets blm with blinding strokes. 
 
 Why was the slight falcon called one of " the 
 lure ?" — Because, being a long-winged hawk, 
 it was flown to lure other birds. 
 
 AVhy was the gos-hawk called one of the 
 fist ?" — Because it was carried upon the hand, 
 with straps of silk or leather, called jesses, 
 about its legs ; the jesses being made suffi- 
 ciently long for the knots to appear between 
 the litile and middle finger of the hand that 
 held them, so Hint l!ie small thonas of leather 
 
 might be fastened to tliem with two strings ; 
 and the lliongs were loosely wound round the 
 little finger : lastly, each leg was adorned 
 with a bell, fastened with rings of leather, to 
 which was added a long thread, by which the 
 bird, ill tutoring, was drawn back, after she 
 had been pennilted to fiy ; and this was called 
 reclaiininji- the hawk. These threads were 
 useful to keej) the hawk from winding ' when 
 she bated,' that is, when she fluttered her 
 wings to fly after her game. The person who 
 carried the hawk was also provided with 
 gloves, to prevent the talons from hurting his 
 hand. In tiie inventories of apparel belong- 
 ing to Henry Vllf. such articles frequently 
 occur. At Hampton Court, in the Jewel- 
 house, were seven hawks' gloves, embroidered. 
 — Abridged from Strutt. 
 
 Why were the bells made at Milan the best 
 for gos-hawks ? — Because, says Strutt, "they 
 were commonly sounded with silver, and 
 charged for accordingly." Strutt adds in a 
 note, " I am told that silver being mixed with 
 the metal, when the bells are cast, adds much 
 to the sweetness of the sound," and hence, 
 probably the allusion of Shakspeare, when he 
 says. 
 
 How silver sweet sound lovers' tongues by night ! 
 
 Why was a hawk said to be whistled off? — 
 Because hawks were usually sent off with 
 a whistle, against the wind, when sent in 
 Pursuit of prey ; with it, or down the wind, 
 when turned loose, and abandoned. Thus : 
 
 If I do prove her haggard, 
 Though that her jesses were my dear heart strings, 
 I'd whistle her off, and let her down the wind, 
 To prey at fortune. 
 
 Oihello. 
 
 The hawk was called back to the hand by 
 
 the same signal • 
 
 If you can whistle her 
 To come to fist, make trial, play the young falconer. 
 
 Old PiilU- 
 
 Sir Thomas Browne has written a Tract 
 " Of Hawks and Falconry, Ancient and Mo- 
 dern," in which he illustrates the economy of 
 the birds with great minuteness. He says, 
 " They carried their hawks in the left hand, 
 and let them fly from the right. They used .t 
 bell, and took great care tiiat their jesses 
 should not be red, lest eagles should fly at 
 them." The ancient recreation " seemed more 
 solemn and sober than ours at present, so im- 
 properly attended with oaths and imprecations. 
 For they called on God at their setting out,"^ 
 Fulio edit. IG8G. 
 
 Why was it believed by the old naturalists 
 that hav^'ks and other birds of prey did not 
 drink ? — Because all birds of prey are capa- 
 ble of sustaining tlie want of food and water 
 for long periods, particularly the latter ; but 
 of which they also seem remarkably fond, 
 drinking frequently in a state of nature, and 
 during summer washing almost daily : the 
 error must, therefore, have arisen from impcr- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 313 
 
 feet observation of their habits. Sir Thomas 
 Browne, who quotes Aristotle in this error, 
 says, " although it will not strictly hold, yet 
 1 kept an eagle two years, which fed upon 
 cats, kitlings, whelps, and rats, without one 
 drop of water." 
 
 Why is the Mews, at Charing Cross, so 
 called ? — -Because it wae originally the nietc, 
 which, in the falconer's language, signifies a 
 place wherein the hawks were put at the 
 moulting (or mewing) tin.ie, when they cast 
 their feathers. The king's hawks were kept 
 at this place as early as the year 1377, an. 1, 
 Richard II., but in 1537, the 27th year of 
 Henry VIII., it was converted into stables for 
 that monarch's use, and the hawks were re- 
 moved. 
 
 The word mew is also used metaphorically 
 for any close place. Spencer has : 
 
 Forth coming from her darksome mew, 
 Where she all day did hide her hated hew. 
 
 Fairy Quetn. 
 
 Hence also, to mew, or keep shut up: 
 
 More piiy that tlie eagle should be mew'd, 
 While kites aud buzzards prey at liberty. 
 
 Rtchard HI. 
 
 Why was a seller of hawks called a cadger ? 
 — Because the round frame of wood on which 
 they carried their birds was formerly called a 
 cadge. Cadger* is also given as meaning a 
 huckster, from which tlie familiar term codger 
 is more likely to be formed than from any 
 foreign origin. — Narex, 
 
 Why is an itinerant dealer called a hawker ? 
 — Because, perhaps, it originally signified one 
 who carried about hawks for sale, though ob- 
 solete in that sense by the disuse of the thing. 
 — Nares. 
 
 Johnson derives it from hvch, a German 
 word for a salesman. 
 
 \\ hy do wc use the proverb, between hawk 
 and buzzard ? — Because it originally meant 
 between two dangerous enemies, a hawk and 
 a kite. It is now chiefly used to express mere 
 doubt. The hawk is teachable, tlje buzzard 
 is not ; whence the French put them together 
 in a proverb : — " You cannot make a hawk of 
 a buzzard." — Nnres. 
 
 Why was the stalking-horse used in fowl- 
 ing ? — Because it was originally a horse 
 trained for the purpose, and covered with 
 trappings, so as to conceal the sportsman from 
 the game he intended to shoot at. It enabled 
 the archer to approach the birds unseen by 
 them, so near, that his arrows might easily 
 reach them : but as this method was fre- 
 quently inconvenient, and often impracticable, 
 the fowler had recourse to art, and caused 
 a canvass figure to be stuffed, and painted 
 like a horse grazing, but sufficiently light to 
 be moved with one hand. These deceptions 
 were made in the form of oxen, cows, stags, 
 &c. 
 
 Cadger, a cant term for a legg:. 
 
 The King and the Danish Chieftain. 
 
 A Danish chieftain, of high rank, some say 
 of royal blood (so it is stated by Ledgate, a 
 monk of St. Edmund's Bury), named Loth- 
 broc, amusing himself with his hawk near the 
 sea, upon the western coasts of Denmark, the 
 bird, in pursuit of her game, fell into the 
 water ; Lothbroc, anxious for her safety, got 
 into a little boat that was near at hand, and 
 rowed from the shore to take her up, but 
 before he could return to the land, a sudden 
 storm arose, and he was driven out to sea. 
 After suffering great hardship, during a voyage 
 of infinite peril, he reached the coast of Nor- 
 folk, and landed at a port called Rodham : he 
 was immediately seized by the inhabitant?, 
 and sent to the court of Edmund, King of tlie 
 East Angles ; when that monarch was made 
 acquainted with the occasion of his coming, 
 he received him very favorably, and soon 
 became particularly attached to him, on ac- 
 count of his great skill in the training and 
 flying of hawks. The partiality which Ed- 
 mund manifested for this unfortunate stranger, 
 excited the jealousy of Beoric, the king's 
 falconer, who took an opportunity of mur- 
 dering the Dane, whilst he was exercising of 
 his birds in the midst of a wood, and secreted 
 the body ; which was soon afterwards dis- 
 covered by the vigilance of a favorite spaniel. 
 Beoric was apprehended, and, it seems, con- 
 victed of the murder ; for he was condemned 
 to be put into an open boat (some say the very 
 boat in which the Danish chieftain came to 
 England) without oars, mast, or rudder, and 
 in that condition abandoned to the mercy of 
 the ocean. It so chanced, that the boat was 
 wafted to the very point of land that Loth- 
 broc came from ; and Beoric, escaped from 
 the danger of the waves, was apprehended 
 by the Danes, and taken before two of the 
 chieftains of the country, named Hinguar and 
 Hubba; who were both of them the sons of 
 Lothbroc. The crafty falconer soon learned 
 this circumstance, and, in order to acquire 
 their favor, made them acquainted with the 
 murder of their father, which he affirmed was 
 executed at the command of King Edmund, 
 and that he himself had suffered the hardship 
 at sea, from which he had been delivered by 
 reaching the shore, because he had the courage 
 to oppose the king's order, and endeavored to 
 save the life of the Danish nobleman. In- 
 cited by this abominable falsehood to revenge 
 the murder of their father, by force of arms, 
 they invaded the kingdom of the East Angles, 
 pillaged the country, and, having taken the 
 king prisoner, caused him to be tied to a stake, 
 aud shot to death with arrows. 
 
 HAWKING— A BALLAD. 
 
 Made at Falconer's Hall, Yorkshire. 
 
 Come Sportsmen away— the morning how fair I 
 To the wolds, to the wolds, let us (juickly repair; 
 
314 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Bold Thunder* and Lightning* are made for the game. 
 And Death* and the Oevil* are both just the same. 
 
 See, Beckerst. a Kite— a mere speck in the sky — 
 Zouuds! out with the owl— lo I he catches his eye- 
 Down he comes with a sweep— be unhooded each 
 
 hawk, 
 Very soon will they both to the gentleman sta 
 
 T>iey're at him— he's off— now they're o'er him again ; 
 Ah !— that was a stroke— see, he drops to the plain — 
 They rake him— they tear him— he flutters, he cries. 
 He struggles, he turns up his talons, and dies ! 
 
 See, a Magpie ! let fly— how he flutters and shambles' 
 How he chatters, poor rogue ! now he darts to the 
 
 brambles — 
 Out again— overtaken — his spirits no flag, 
 Flip ! he gives up the ghost— good night. Mister Mag. 
 
 Lo, a Heron ! let loose— how he pokes his long neck, 
 And darts, with what vengeance, but vainly, his beak ! 
 'Egad, he shifts well — now he feels a death-wound, 
 And with Thunder and Lightning rolls tiunbliug to 
 ground. 
 
 Thus we falconers sport — now homewards we stray. 
 To fight o'er the bottle the wars of the day : 
 And in honour, at night, of the chr.se and its charms, 
 Sink sweetly to rest, with a dove in our arms. 
 
 Field and other Sports for June. 
 
 '■The very season of leaves and verdure, when the 
 days are at the longest, and the weather at the finest, 
 and the whole cheerful and healthful world is longing 
 to enjoy and disport itself out of doors, and iu manly 
 activities." — Mitford. 
 
 Although the loud cry of thel-ejoicing chase 
 is, for a vphile, hushed by the balmy breeze of 
 the opening summer into a doze of silence — 
 and the maddening delights of the fox hunt, 
 the rapid rivalry of the slim gaze-hounds, the 
 musical chorus of the mottled harriers, the 
 anxieties of the shooter's occupation, and the 
 truly royal pursuit of the stag, can only be en- 
 joyed by remembrance, or doted on in pros- 
 pect ; yet Sport sleepeth not — for he bath 
 but changed, not destroyed — varied, no- an- 
 nihilated — his inspiriting lessons. As of old, 
 he still " leaps up, and waves his ashea 
 spear," kindly assimilating his pursuits to 
 those most congenial to the season, and so, 
 making the relaxations of the present fully as 
 ])leasurable, in their degree, as the delights of 
 tl>e past, or the mind-pictured anticipations 
 which Hope traces of the future. \Vhilst, 
 then, during the witrm months, the huntsman, 
 the breeder of the pointer, spaniel, setter, 
 otter, or greyhound, are attending to the 
 rearing, breaking-, and seasoning the 
 young ones, as well as duly illustrating the 
 economy of kennel management — whilst the 
 stud-grooms are recruiting the feet or restor- 
 ing the constitution of the hard-worked steed, 
 by a judicious " summering" in soft paddock 
 or roomy box, taking care that in either place 
 there be protectipn as much as possible 
 afi'urded from the annoying and heat-engen- 
 
 • Names of Hawks. 
 t I'he head falconer. 
 
 dered flies and insects that now buz theirlittle 
 stinging life away — and finally, whilst the 
 shooter, or he that has ambition, "to drink 
 new vigour from the morning gale," and to be 
 taught by " sport of skill, the tedious hour tc 
 foil," is consulting the " instructions" of a 
 Hawker,or growing rich in precept byperusing 
 the admirable lessons of a Johnson— let us 
 show how others, also, may still enjoy a plea- 
 sant Life in London, or hours of amusing (per- 
 chance profitable) pastime in the country. 
 
 This, then, is the period of Turf trials — in 
 other words, of the Race Meetings of England 
 — Meetings originally sanctioned by Royal 
 authority, and now, in this our day, fortu- 
 nately and admirably supported by regal par- 
 ticipation. 
 
 Besides these, the graceful pastime of 
 Archery (formerly more encouraged than 
 now, though that, too, is being re-invigorated) 
 is now allied to the season's amusements, and 
 it would gratify us to be again enabled to re- 
 port a facsimile, as it were, of tiiose days 
 when the " Royal Surry," the " St. George's," 
 the " Toxopholites," the " Woodmen of Ar- 
 den," "Robin Hood's Bowmen," the "Bowmen 
 of Chevy Chase," the " Royal Kentish," and 
 the " Suffolk," advanced to their targets to the 
 march of martial music ; and the " Ayles- 
 fords," the " Leeds's," the " Leiths," the 
 " Andersons," and other Captains and Lieu- 
 tenants of Numbers, received the gold arrows, 
 the jewelled bows, or the silvered bugle horn, 
 from the hands of elegance, and amidst the 
 smiles of beauty. 
 
 Cricket, the most manly of games, will 
 soon, too, put into lithsome exercise the active 
 of all grades ; whilst those amusements 
 which belong more exclusively to, and form 
 the character of, the British people — such as 
 Wrestling, the use of the Single Stick, Run- 
 ning, Rowing, Bowls, Fives, Quoits — and 
 which no petty legislation should be suffered 
 to Interfere with, are (beneath the sunshine of 
 wise, and in many instances potent, encou- 
 ragement) in active operation. Pugilistics, 
 as our pages abundantly show, are for all sea- 
 sons. 
 
 But, whilst the field affords these salves for 
 the wounds, all of us, more or less, receive 
 from the shafts of care, numbers will be ready 
 to exclaim, " Does not the river, also, confer 
 its portion of healing"!" We answer, unequi- 
 vocally, " Yes ;" and, at this period of the 
 year, no inconsiderable delights. For, 
 
 " Par away from the noise or deceptions of life,'" 
 
 and as the lark at heaven's gate sings, the 
 Waltonians, the Cottonians, and the Salto- 
 nians (for Walton, Cotton, and Salter, are 
 their feat-books), may nove with profit watch 
 
 " Their float down the current go dancing along," 
 
 as, at Ilford, they seek to entrap the silver 
 dace — at Woodford, they try to securely hook 
 the prickly perch — at Hampton, the barbel 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 315 
 
 chub, or skegger, become their prey — or, at 
 Carsiiallon, the trout, " with gilded spots be- 
 dropped ," yields to their skill. Or, if the 
 more skilful art of fly-fishing be their aim, nu- 
 merous are the glorious streams, from (he far- 
 oflF Severn, the winding Wily, Tweed's fair 
 flood, or '• Holy Dee," to the " old Lea, proud 
 of his Danish blood," which will befriend 
 them— so that, if they have the patience, and 
 possess the accomplishments of fishermen (all 
 are not such that bear the name) they will not 
 return at eve with an empty basket or an un- 
 wetted bag ; nor go supperless to bed, though 
 the larder of his inn be as innocent of dainties 
 as was that of Boniface's, in the Beaux Strat- 
 agem. — Join then, anglers, with all of us who 
 are sportsmen, as we say to each other — 
 
 " Full smooth as the current our life let it flow, 
 And our breasts ever yield to humanity's glow : 
 May our road through society ever be fair, 
 And not like our baits — invite to ensnare." 
 
 Sports in the East. 
 
 In the Pen and Pencil Sketches of India, re- 
 cently published by Capt. IMundy, he observes 
 that "■' The king, Nuseer-ood-Deen Hyder, is a 
 plain, Vulgar-looking man, of about twenty- 
 six years of age, his stature about five feet 
 nine inches, and his complexion rather unu- 
 sually dark. His majesty's menial endow- 
 ments, pursuits, and amusements, are by no 
 means of an elevated or dignified order ; 
 though his deficiencies ai-e in some measure 
 supplied by the abilities and shrewdness of 
 his minister, who is, however, an unexampled 
 rogue, displaying it in his countenance with 
 such perspicuity of developement as would- 
 satisfy the most sceptical unbeliever in Lava- 
 ter. He is detested by all ranks, with tlie 
 exception of his royal master, who reposes the 
 most perfect confidence iu him. I remarked 
 that the attendant who sat behind him in the 
 howdah kept his finger twisted in the knot of 
 his lord's sword, as though he feared the pos- 
 sibility of some wronged wretch snatching it 
 out of the scabbard, from the roof or window 
 of the overhanging houses, and making free 
 with the wearer's head ; which act, par pa- 
 renthese, would be doing the state some ser- 
 vice. 
 
 " The streets of Lucknow are extremely 
 narrow, — so much so, as in some places 
 scarcely to admit more than one elephant to 
 pass at a time. The houses, from the win- 
 dows of which were displayed silks and dra- 
 peries, were, as well as the streets, completely 
 covered with spectators ; some of them em- 
 ployed in greeting their sovereign with 
 profound salaams ; the greater proportion, 
 however, consisting of wretched-looking beg- 
 gars, who followed the cavalcade, vociferating 
 for charity, and greedily scrambling for the 
 handsful of rupees which were from time to 
 time thrown by the king, the commander-in- 
 chief, and the resident, among the crowd. It 
 
 was curious to see with what care the ele- 
 phants avoided treading upon or injuring some 
 of these paupers, who, in eager pursuit of the 
 scattered largesse, fearlessly threw themselves 
 under the feet of these animals, the slightest 
 touch of which would have shattered a limb. 
 A few coins thrown on the roof of a house 
 sometimes caused the most amusing scramble ; 
 and I more than once saw one of the gleaners 
 roll into the street, upon the heads of the 
 gaping crowd below. In some of the narrow 
 passes the crush was awful ; the elephants 
 trumpeting, jhools and ladders tearing and 
 crashing ; and now and then the projecting 
 roof or veranda of a house carried away by 
 the resistless progress of these powerful ani- 
 mals. The strongest elephants, and most 
 determined mahouts, held the first places in 
 the cavalcade, next to the king, the com- 
 mander-in-chief, and the resident. The 
 princes royal were not unfrequently most 
 unceremoniously jostled ; and as for the minis- 
 ter, he was generally among the ' unplaced.' " 
 An outline of a day's sport is thus described : — 
 
 " Early in the morning the whole party, 
 including ladies, eager for the novel specta- 
 cle, mounted elephants, and repaired to the 
 private gate of the royal palace, where the 
 king met the commander-in-chief, and con- 
 ducted him and his company to a palace in 
 the park, in one of the courts of which, the 
 arena for the combats was prepared. In 
 the centre was erected a gigantic cage of 
 strong bamboos, about fifty feet high, and of 
 like diameter, and roofed with rope net-work. 
 Sundry smaller cells, communicating by slid- 
 ing doors with the main theatre, weie tenanted 
 by every species of the savagest inhabitants 
 of the forest. In the large cage, crowded 
 together, and presenting a formidable front of 
 broad, shaggy foreheads, well armed with 
 horns, stood a group of buffaloes, sternly 
 awaiting the conflict, with their rear scien- 
 tifically appuye against the bamboos. 
 
 " The trap-doors being lifted, two tigers, 
 and the same number of bears and leopards, 
 rushed into the centre. The bulFaloes in- 
 stantly commenced hostilities, and made 
 complete shuttlecocks of the bears, who, 
 however, finally escaped by climbing up the 
 bamboos, beyond the reach of their horned 
 antagonists. The tigers, one of which was 
 a beautiful animal, fared scarcely better; 
 indeed, the odds were much against them, 
 there being five buff'aloes. They appeared, 
 however, to be no match for these powerful 
 creatures even single-handed, and showed 
 little disposition to be the assaulters. The 
 larger tiger was much gored in the head, and 
 in return took a mouthful of his enemy's dew- 
 lap, but was finally (as the Fancy would 
 describe it) ' bored to the ropes and floored.' 
 The leopards seemed throughout the conflict 
 sedulously to avoid a breach of the peace. 
 
 " A rhinoceros was next let loose in the 
 open court-yard, and the attendants attempted 
 to induce him to pick a quarrel with a tiger 
 
316 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 who was chained to a ring. The rhinoceros 
 app«iared, however, to consider a fettered foe 
 as quite beneath his enmity ; and having once 
 approached the tiger, and quietly surveyed 
 him, as he writhed and growled, expecting 
 the attack, turned suddenly round and trotted 
 awkwardly off to the yard-gate, where he 
 capsised a palankeen, which was carrying 
 away a lady fatigued with the sight of these 
 unfeminine sports. 
 
 " A buffalo and a tiger were the next combat- 
 ants; they attacked furiously, the tiger spring- 
 ing at the first onset on the other's head, and 
 tearing his neck severely ; but he was quickly 
 dismounted, and thrown with such violence 
 as nearly to break his back, and quite to dis- 
 able him from renewing the combat. A small 
 elephant was next impelled to attack a leo- 
 pard. The battle was short and decisive ; the 
 former falling on his knees, and thrusting his 
 blunted tusks nearly through his antagonist. 
 
 " On our return from the beast-fight, a 
 breakfast awaited us at the royal palace ; and 
 the white table-cloth being removed, quails, 
 trained for the purpose, were placed upon the 
 green cloth, and fought most gamely, after the 
 manner of the English cockpit. This is an 
 amusement much in fashion among the natives 
 of rank, and they bet large sums on their birds, 
 as they lounge luxuriously round, smoking 
 their houkahs. 
 
 " Elephant fights were announced as the 
 concluding scene of this day of strife. The 
 spectators took their seats in a long veranda. 
 The narrow stream of the river Goomty runs 
 close under the palace walls, and on the op- 
 posite bank a large, open, sandy space pre- 
 sented a convenient theatre for the operations 
 of these gigantic athletes. The elephants 
 educated for the arena are large powerful 
 males, wrought up to a state of fury by con- 
 stant feeding with exciting spices. On the 
 spacious plain before us we counted several 
 of these animals parading singly and sulkily 
 to and fro, their mahouts seated on their backs, 
 which were covered with a strong network for 
 the driver to cling by in the conflict. In at- 
 tendance upon every elephant were two or 
 three men, armed with long spears, a weapon 
 of which this animal has the greatest dread. 
 We soon discovered two of the combatants 
 slowly advancing towards each other from 
 opposite sides of the plain. As they ap- 
 proached, their speed gradually increased, 
 and they at length met, with a grand shock, 
 entwining their trunks, and pushing, until 
 one, finding himself over-matched, fairly 
 turned tail, and received his adversary's 
 charge in the rear. This was so violent, that 
 the mahout of the flying elephant was dis- 
 lodged from his seat ; he fortunately fell 
 wide of the pursuer, and escaped with a few 
 bruises. Five or six couple were fought, but 
 showed little sport ; the sagacious animals 
 instantly discovering when they were over- 
 matched." 
 
 The dealers in cattle are of the same de- 
 scription as in London : — 
 
 " Before breakfast, went into the cattle fair 
 with Colonel Stevenson, and bought a hand- 
 some, though small mule, for the mountain 
 journeys. The price was eight rupees, for 
 which sum a fine camel may be purchased. 
 We took a native bargainer with us, and I 
 was much amused by the manner in which the 
 buyer and seller arranged their baigain. The 
 business of chaffering was carried on through 
 the medium of their hands, concealed under a 
 cloth, certain movements of the fingers having 
 corresponding prices. It was a matter of 
 some minutes ; and much shaking of heads, 
 though no verbal altercation, was gone through 
 on both sides, before the bargain was con- 
 cluded. We next inspected some elephants 
 for sale ; and the dealers descanted upon their 
 good points as largely and as knowingly as 
 Tattersall could do on those of a horse, — 
 though the perfections of the two animals 
 differ considerably. An elephant is extolled 
 for a large head, large ears, arched back, 
 sloping quarters, deep flank, long trunk well 
 mottled, short legs, and the forearm bowing 
 out well in front. The flat bunch of hair at 
 the extremity of the tail is also a great desi- 
 deratum." 
 
 SPORTING EPITAPH. 
 
 On the death of the late 
 
 JOHN PRATT, Esq., 
 
 Of Askrigg, in Weusleydale, 
 
 Who died at Newmarket, May, 8, 1785. 
 
 A character fo eccentric — so variable — so valuable, 
 
 Astonished the age he lived in. 
 
 Tho' small his patrimony. 
 
 Yet, assisted by that and his own genius, 
 
 He, for upwards of thirty years, 
 
 Supported all the hospitality 
 
 Of an ancient Baron. 
 
 The excellent qualities of his heart 
 
 Were eminently evinced 
 
 By his bounty to the poor. 
 
 His sympathetic feelings for distress, 
 
 And his charity for all mankind. 
 
 Various and wonderful were tlie means 
 
 Which enabled him, with unsullied reputation, 
 
 To .'iupport his course of life : 
 
 In which he saw and experienced 
 
 Many trials, and many vicissitudes 
 
 of fortune ; 
 
 And tho' often hard pressed, whipped, and spurred. 
 
 By that Jockey NECf.ssiTV, 
 
 He never swerved out of the course 
 
 of honor. 
 
 Once, when his finances were impaired. 
 
 He received a seasonable supply. 
 
 By tho performance of a Miracle !• 
 
 At different periods he exhibited 
 
 (Which were the just emblems of his own life) 
 
 A Conundrum, an Enigma, and a Riuule ; 
 
 And, strange to tell ! even these 
 
 Enriched his pocket. 
 
 Without incurring censure, 
 
 He trained up an lNFinEL,t 
 
 Which turned out to his advantage. 
 
 He had mi singular partiality 
 
 For flowers, shrubs, roots, or birds, 
 
 Yet for several years he maintained a PloristJ 
 
 • A famous horse of his, got by Changeling. 
 t Got by Turk, dam («oldtiuch and Mi.ss Nightin- 
 gale's dam) by Crab. 
 ■^ (Jot by Match'eni. 
 
PIERCE EOAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 317 
 
 And bij Red Rose, more than once, 
 
 Obtaintil the prfiniuni. 
 
 He had a Honeysuckle and a Pumpkin, 
 
 Which brought hundreds into his puree : 
 
 And a Phoenix, a Nightingale, a GoLU^■l^CH,• 
 
 and a Chaffinch, 
 
 VVhicli produced him thousands. 
 
 In the last war, 
 
 He was owner of a Privateer, 
 
 Which brouglit him several valuable prizes. 
 
 Though never famed for gallantry, 
 
 Yet he had in keeping at different periods, 
 
 A Virgin, a Maiden, + an Orange Girl, and a 
 
 Ballau-Singer : 
 
 Besides several Misses,| 
 
 To all whom his attachment was notorious. 
 
 And (what is still more a paradox) 
 
 Tho' he bad no issue by his lawful wife, 
 
 Yet the numerous progeny, and quick, abilities, 
 
 Of these very females. 
 
 Proved to him a source of supply. 
 
 With all his seeming peculiaritie-! and foibles. 
 
 He retain'd his PurityH 
 
 Till a few days before his death ; 
 
 When the great Camden 
 
 Spread the fume thereof so extensively 
 
 As to attract the notice of bis Prince, 
 
 \\ ho tliought it no diminution of royal*.y 
 
 'J'o obtain so valuable an acquisition by purchase. 
 
 Although he parted with his Purity 
 
 At a great price. 
 
 Yet his honor and good name 
 
 Remained untarnished to the end of his life. 
 
 At his death, indeed, Slander, 
 
 (In the semblance of Pity) 
 
 Talk'd much of his insolvency. 
 
 And much of the ruin of individuals ; 
 
 But the proof of his substance. 
 
 And of a surplus not much inferior 
 
 To his original patrimony, 
 
 Soon answered, refuted, and wiped away the calumny. 
 
 To sum up the abstract of his character 
 
 It may truly be said of him. 
 
 That his frailiies were few ; 
 
 His virtues many : 
 
 That he lived, 
 
 Almost universally beloved ; 
 
 That he died. 
 Almost universally lamented. 
 
 Horse Chase upon the Frozen Sea. 
 
 However singular the above title may ap- 
 pear, Mr, Joseph Acerbi thus relates his 
 passage over the Gulf of Bosnia. 
 
 " When a traveller is going to cross over 
 the gulf on the ice to Finland, the peasants 
 always oblige him to engage double the num- 
 ber of horses to what he had upon his arrival 
 at Griolehani. We were forced to take no 
 less than eight sledges, though being only 
 three in company, and two servants. The 
 distance acro&s is forty-three English miles, 
 thirty of which you travel on the ice, without 
 touching on land. This passage over the 
 frozen sea is, doubtless, the most singular and 
 striking spectacle that a traveller from the 
 south can behold. I expected to travel forty- 
 three miles without sight of land, over a vast 
 and uniform plain, and that every successive 
 mile would be iu exact unison and monotonous 
 
 * Got by Match'em out of Iiifidel's dam. 
 
 t Got by Match'em, out of his famous Squirt P4are, 
 ♦he dam of Conundrum, Pumpkin, Ranthus, yEnigma, 
 &c., and grandam of Miracle, Virgin, Dido, &c. 
 
 X The dam of Rockingham, got by Match'em, out of 
 his Squirt mare. 
 
 ){ Afterwards Rockingham. 
 
 correspondence with those I had already tra- 
 velled ; but my astonishment was greatly 
 increased, in proportion as we advauced from 
 our starting-post. Tlie sea, at first smooth 
 and even, became more rugged and unequal. 
 It assumed, as we proceeded, an undulating 
 appearance, resembling the waves by which 
 it had been agitated. At length we met with 
 masses of ice heaped one upon the other, and 
 some of them seemed as if suspended in the 
 air, while others were raised in the form of 
 pyramids. On the Avhole, they exhibited a 
 picture of the wildest and most savage con- 
 fusion, that surprised the eye by the novelty 
 of its appearance. It was an immense chaos 
 of icy ruins, presented to view under every 
 possible form, and embellished by superb 
 stalactites of a blue-green colour. 
 
 " Amidst this chaos, it was not without 
 much fatigue and trouble that our horses were 
 able to find and pursue their way ; it was 
 necessary to make frequent windings, and 
 sometimes to return in a contrary diiection, 
 following that of a frozen wave, in order to 
 avoid a collection of icy mountains. In spite 
 of all our expedients for discovering the 
 evenest paths, our sledges were every moment 
 overturned to the right or the left, and fre- 
 quently the legs of one or the other of the com- 
 pany raised perpendicularly in the air, served 
 as a signal for the whole of the caravan to 
 halt. The inconvenience and the danger of our 
 journey were still farther increased by the 
 following circumstances. Our horses were 
 made wild and furious both by the sight and 
 smell of our great pelisses, manufactured of 
 the skins of Russian wolves or bears. When 
 any of the sledges were overturned, the hoi-ses 
 that belonged to it, or to that next to it, fright- 
 ened at the sight of what they supposed to be 
 a wolf or bear rolling on the ice, would set off 
 at full gallop, to the great terror of both passen- 
 ger and driver. The peasant, apprehensive 
 of losing his horse in the midst of this desert, 
 kept firm hold of his bridle, and suffered the 
 horse to drag his body through masses of ice, 
 of which the sharp points threatened to cut 
 him in pieces. The animal at last, wearied 
 out by the constancy of the man, and disheart- 
 ened by the obstacles continually opposed to 
 his flight, would stop ; then we were enabled 
 again to get into our sledges, but not till the 
 driver had blinded the animal's eyes : but one 
 time, one of the wildest and most spirited 
 horses in our train, having taken fright, and 
 completely made his escape, the peasant who 
 conducted him, unable any longer to endure 
 the fatigue and pain of being dragged throu.uii 
 the ice, let go his hold of the bridle. Tlie 
 horse, relieved from his weight, and feeling 
 himself at perfect liberty, redoubled his speed, 
 and surmounted every impediment; the sledge, 
 which he made to dance in the air, by alarm- 
 ing his fears, added wings to his flight. When 
 he had fled a considerable distance from us, 
 he appeared, from time to time, as a dark 
 spot, which continued to diminish in the air, 
 
318 
 
 PIERCE EGA.N'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 and at last totally vanislied from our sight. 
 And now the peasant, who was the owner of 
 the fugitive, taking one of tlie sledges, went 
 in search of hinij trying to find him again by 
 following the traces of his flight. As for 
 ourselves, we made the best of our way to one 
 of the isles of Aland, keeping as nearly as we 
 could in the middle of the same plain, still 
 being repeatedly overturned, and always in 
 danger of losing one or other of our horses, 
 which would have occasioned a very serious 
 embarrassment. During the whole of this 
 journey on the ice, we did not meet with so 
 much as a man, a beast, a bird, or any living 
 creature. These vast solitudes present a de- 
 sert abandoned, as it were, by nature. The 
 dead silence that reigns is interrupted only by 
 the whistling of the winds against tiie promi- 
 nent points of ice, and sometimes by the loud 
 crackings occasioned by their being irresisti- 
 bly torn from this frozen expanse : pieces thus 
 forcibly broken off, are frequently blown to 
 a considerable distance. Through the rents 
 produced by these ruptures you may see the 
 watery abyss below ; and it is sometimes 
 necessary to lay planks across these rents, as 
 bridges for the sledges to pass over. 
 
 " After considerable fatigue, and having 
 refreshed our horses, about half way on the 
 high sea, we at length touched at the small 
 island of Signilskar, about thirty-five English 
 miles distant from where we started ; but, 
 from the turnings we were obliged to make, 
 not less than ten miles might be added. All 
 this while, however, we were kept in anxious 
 suspense about the fugitive horse, supposing 
 him lost in the abyss ; we had even prepared 
 to continue our journey, and had put on new 
 horses to the sledges, when, with inexpressi- 
 ble pleasure we espied the two sledges that 
 went in pursuit, returning with the fugitive. 
 The animal was in the most deplorable condi- 
 tion imaginable ; his body was covered all 
 over with sweat and foam, and was still enve- 
 loped in a cloud of smoke. Still we did not 
 dare to come near him ; the excessive fatigue 
 of his violent course had not abated his fero- 
 city ; he was as much alarmed at the sight of 
 our pelisses as before ; he snorted, bounded, 
 and beat the snow and ice with his feet ; nor 
 could the utmost exertions of the peasants 
 to hold him fast have prevented him from once 
 more making his escape, if we had not retired 
 to some distance, and removed the sight and 
 sense of our pelisses. From Signilskar we 
 pursued our journey through the whole of the 
 isles of Aland, where you meet with post- 
 houses, that is to say, places where you may 
 get horses. You travel partly by land, and 
 partly over the ice of the sea. The distance 
 between some of these islands is not less than 
 eight or ten miles. On the sea, the natives 
 have had the precaution of fixing branches of 
 trees, or putting small pines along the whole 
 route, for the guidance of travellers in the 
 night time, or directing them how to find out 
 the right way after the falls of snow." 
 
 Gratitude in a Buil! 
 
 Mr. Benson, a gentleman whose veracity 
 may be depended upon, informed us, that he 
 was spending a month, a few years since, at 
 the house of a farmer in the North of England, 
 who had a bull so wild and ferocious that he 
 was kept constantly chained, except when led 
 to water &c., at which time he was never suf- 
 fered to be out of the hands of a trusty person. 
 This animal seemed to have conceived a par- 
 ticular antipathy towards Mr. B. who, being 
 young and daring, had probably at some time 
 irritated him. He never saw him approach the 
 open shed in which he was kept without being 
 heard to bellow most dreadfully, which he 
 continued when the object of his dislike was 
 in view ; at the same time tearing up the earth 
 with his horns, and giving every symptom of 
 the utmost aversion. On two occasions while 
 leading to water, he very cunningly watched 
 an opportunity, and endeavoured to make a 
 sudden spring out of the hands of his attend- 
 ant at Mr. B. who was standing in the yard. 
 But during the time Mr. Benson sojourned at 
 the house of the farmer, a most tremendous 
 storm of thunder and lightning occurred ; 
 and though Mr. B. has often been in tropical 
 storms, he declares for about ten minutes he 
 never witnessed any thing more awful. The 
 lightning resembled sheets of fire, and each 
 flash was instantly succeeded by a thunder- 
 clap, as loud as if a volley of ten thousand 
 cannon had been discharged. But what most 
 affected him were the piteous roarings of the 
 poor bull, which, exposed in its open shed to 
 all the fury of the elements, sent forth every 
 instant a yell of terror beyond description 
 hideous. Imagining that it was the lightning 
 that caused alarm to the animal, Mr. B. pro- 
 posed to the men servants to go and remove it 
 into the barn, but in vain. They were, one 
 praying in one corner and another in another, 
 as much terrified as the bull, whose roaring 
 made no impression upon them. He then 
 said, " Well then, I will go myself; the poor 
 creature will be tame enough now." He 
 accordingly put on his coat and went into the 
 yard. The moment he approached the bull, 
 which was lying trembling on its back, and 
 had almost torn its chain through the gristle 
 of its nose in its efforts to get loose, it rose, 
 and by its fawning actions expressed how 
 delighted it was at the sight of any thing 
 human amidst such a scene of horror. Like 
 Roderick Dhu's bull in the Lady of the Lake, 
 when it had been pricked on some scores of 
 miles by the lances of a troop of Highland 
 foragers, its ferocity was gone ; and with the 
 utmost quietness it suffered my friend to untie 
 it and lead it into the barn. 
 
 The next morning in crossing the farm yard, 
 Mr. B. remarked that his friend, who had re- 
 gained his shed, no longer saluted him with 
 his accustomed bellow. It struck him that 
 the animal might remember his last night's 
 kindness. He accordingly ventured by de- 
 grees to approach it, and found that now, so 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 319 
 
 far from shewing any iU-will towards him, it 
 with the utmost f^entleness suffered him to 
 scratch its head ; and from that very day, 
 became to him as tame as a lamb, suffering 
 him to play all kinds of tricks with it, which 
 no person about the farm durst venture to 
 attempt ; and seeming even to take pleasure 
 in being noticed by him. 
 
 A more striking instance of gratitude 
 amongst brutes than tliis has scarcely ever 
 l)een known, certainly none in wliich the 
 hatred was so markedly succeeded by affec- 
 tion, and in which the cause of the sudden 
 change was so distinctly obvious. It is the 
 more worthy of notice because we are not 
 accustomed to regard bulls as very sagacious 
 animals. They are doubtless much less so 
 than the dog, horse, or elephant ; yet this fact 
 proves that they are at least equally suscepti- 
 ble of gratitude for favours, and have the 
 faculty of memory in as strong a degree. 
 
 Ha ! cliaf St thou, great bird, iniliy tun-etted dwelling 
 I'ntanit'd, though eiitramniell'd, indignantly grand: 
 1 blush to survey thee, huge feather king, swelling 
 Tlie triumphs of man, 'mid tlie wrecks of his band« 
 
 Yet be contented ! DunoUy enfolds thee. 
 The halls of the baron, the lovely one's bowers. 
 And while with compassion the stranger beholds thee, 
 Thou'rt heir of M'JDougal, and chief of his towers. 
 
 This still is left thee— a prince in thy prison, 
 Tliy golden eye glaring can challenge the skies ! 
 While the lords for whose palace these towers have 
 
 arisen. 
 Each nameless and cold in his sepulchre lies. 
 
 The Honey Guide Bino. 
 While travelling in the interior of Africa, 
 Mr. Parke had frequent opportunities of ob- 
 serving the conduct of that remarkable bird, 
 called the Honey Guide, mentioned by Dr. 
 Sparman, and other naturalists who have 
 travelled into Africa. It is a curious species 
 of the Wokow, and derives its name from its 
 singular quality of discovering wild honey to 
 travellers. Honey is the favourite food of 
 this bird ; and morning and evening being the 
 time feeding, it is then heard calling in a shrill 
 Xone, cherr, cherr, which the honey-hunters 
 carefully attend to as the summons to the 
 chase. At last the bird is observed to hover 
 for a few minutes over a certain spot, and then 
 silently retiring to a neighbouring bush, or 
 other resting-place, the hunters are sure of 
 finding the bees' nest in that identical spot, 
 whether it be in a tree, or in the crevice of a 
 rock. The bee-hunters never fail to leave a 
 small portion for their conductor, but com- 
 monly take care not to leave so much as would 
 satisfy his hunger. The bird's appetite being 
 only whetted by this parsimony, it is obliged 
 to commit a second treason, by discovering 
 another bees' nest, in hopes of a better salary. 
 It is further observed, that the nearer the bird 
 approaches to the hidden hive, the more fre- 
 quently it repeats its call, and seems the more 
 impatient. 
 
 TO THE EAGLE 
 
 Caged in a ruined Turret of DuiioUiy. 
 By Horace Guilford. 
 Tameless sky wanderer, sunward aspiring. 
 Where was the eyiie that gave thee thy birth? 
 Wiiowas the sire, undaunted, untiring, 
 Made thee tempt Heaven in scorning the earth ? 
 This is thy punishment — man, whose dominions 
 Oue whirl of thy plumes could have proudly o'erilown, 
 Whose Babels sublime, thy imperial pinions 
 Forsook as they soar'd to a world of their own : 
 Man hath enthralfd thee, oh I lord of the mountain. 
 That scom'd in thy sim-flight Ben Cruachau's crest : 
 And slaked but thy beak in the mist-mantled fountain, 
 That ne'er had a hiuubler than thee by his breast. 
 
 Sporting in India. 
 
 Shortly after my arrival at Calcutta, I was 
 
 invited to a day's sporting by INIajor 
 
 We started before day-break, in a style more 
 resembling the march of a corps d'arm^e, or a 
 triumphal procession in honor of the goddess 
 of the chase, than the preparations for a day's 
 hunting. No Scotch laird, Yorkshire squire, 
 nor our Melton Mowbray sportsmen, can con- 
 ceive any thing equal to it (observes the editor 
 of the Metropolitan) ; our strength and num- 
 bers, our arms and appointments, our slaves 
 and attendants, were astounding to behold. 
 A tiger-hunt was the object in view, and a 
 grand and memorable day we had. The ma- 
 jor, a line portly man, was mounted on an 
 elephant, from the elevation of which, placed 
 in a castle, he scoured the circumjacent 
 country with eagle eye, preceded by sharp- 
 shooters, tirailleurs, scouts, spies and savages, 
 followed and surrounded by divers brother 
 sportsmen, comrades, and domestics. We 
 were not long before we found a tiger, which 
 afforded considerable sport, and was killed 
 by a brother officer's rifle. From the dingle 
 in which we found the last ferocious animal, 
 we proceeded on with nobler game in view — 
 the monarch of all beasts of prey : and, after 
 some excursive riding, a magnificent lion made 
 its appearance. The sight was most grand ! 
 but I confess that, at this moment, no small 
 degree of fear mingled with my ambition to 
 have to record a lion-hunt amongst the adven- 
 tures of my life. The attack seemed more 
 like actual war than any thing else, so great 
 and grand was the enemy to which we were 
 opposed. The bold major, and a dashing 
 young cavalry subaltern, discharged their 
 rifles simultaneously at the lion, and each of 
 them wounded him ; infuriated with pain, the 
 fierce animal attacked the elephant, whilst 
 the major seized another rifle, and took de- 
 liberate aim at him ; but, being anxious that 
 this shot might tell, he leaned so far forward 
 that he overbalanced himself, and fell from 
 his castle into the lion's arms (or rather paws). 
 Here was an awful moment! but, wonderful 
 to tell, the major got off with a broken arm 
 only, a rush having been made towards the 
 lion, whereby he was despatched, covered 
 with wounds, and torrents of blood streaming 
 around. Nothing could be so brave, so des- 
 perate, or so marvellous. 
 
320 
 
 PIKRCE KGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 A SPORTSMAN'S EXCUSE TO HIS FRIEND; 
 
 OR, IT " WONT FIT!" 
 Dick. Lend me ahorse, my friond Bob, for to morrow, 
 Pray whicli of them all will you leuil I 
 It's cursed unpleasant you well know to borrow, 
 But I'm easy with you, my good friend. 
 Bob. 'Pon honor,witli pleasure I would but— indeed — 
 Which would you prefer then 1 — 
 The Grey — 
 
 Dick, 
 Bob. 
 
 Dick. 
 
 Bob. 
 
 Dick 
 
 Bon. 
 
 Dick, 
 
 Bob. 
 
 Dick, 
 Bob. 
 
 Poor devil, he's badly, and quite off his feed — 
 We'd a d— ran — ble run the last day — 
 The Black- - 
 He is blister'd — 
 The Brown — 
 He is lir'd — 
 The Bay- 
 She's a stumbling bitch : 
 
 You should not have her, Dick, unless I desir'd 
 To see you laid dead in a ditch. 
 Pray which shall I have then- 
 Brown, Muzzle, or Crop ? 
 I lend none— if truth I must tell— 
 I've no licence, I own— but my stable's a shop — 
 I ride all my horses — to sell. 
 
 Hints for Anglers. 
 
 Do not imagine that (observes Mr. Jesse, in 
 his Natural History) because a fish does not 
 instantly dart off on first seeing you, he is tlie 
 less aware of your presence ; he almost always, 
 on such occasions, ceases to feed, and pays 
 you the compliment of devoting his whole at- 
 tention to you, whilst he is preparing for a 
 start whenever the apprehended danger be- 
 comes sufficiently imminent. 
 
 If you pass your fiy neatly and well three 
 times over a trout, and he refuses it, do not 
 wait any longer for him ; you may be sure 
 that he has seen the line of invitation which 
 you have sent over the water to him, and does 
 not intend to come. 
 
 Remember that, in whijiping with the arti- 
 ficial fly, it must have time, when you have 
 drawn it out of the water, to make the whole 
 circuit, and to be at one time straight behind 
 you, before it can be driven out straight before 
 you. If you give it the forward impulse too 
 soon, you will hear a crack : take this as a 
 hint that your fly has gone to grass. 
 
 It appears to me that, in whipping with an 
 artificial fly, there are only two cases in which 
 a fish taking the fly will infallibly hook him- 
 self without your assistance, viz. : I. When 
 your fly first touches the water at the end of a 
 straight line. 2. When you are drawing out 
 your fly for a new throw. In all other cases 
 it is necessary that, in order to hook him when 
 he has taken the fly, you should do something 
 with your wrist which is not easy to describe. 
 If your line should fall loose and wavy into 
 the water, it will either frighten away the 
 fish, or he will take the fly into his mouth 
 without fastening himself; and when he finds 
 that it does not answer his purpose, he will 
 spit it out again before it has answered yours. 
 Never mind what they of the old school say 
 about " playing him till he is tired." Much 
 valuable time, and many a good fish may be 
 lost by this antiquated proceeding. Put 
 him into your basket as sovn as you can. 
 
 Every thing depends on the manner in which 
 you commence your acquaintance with him. 
 If you can at first prevail on him to wak a 
 little way down the stream with you, you will 
 have no difficulty afterwards in persuading 
 him to let you have the pleasure of seeing him 
 at dinner. 
 
 Do not leave off fishing early in the evening 
 because your friends are tired. After a bright 
 day, the largest fish are to be caught by whip- 
 ping between sunset and dark. Even, how- 
 ever, in these precious moments you will not 
 have good sport, if you continue throwing 
 after you have whipped your fly off. Pay at- 
 tention to this: and if you have any doubt after 
 dusk, you may easily ascertain the point, by 
 drawing the end of the line quickly through 
 your hand, particularly if you do not wear 
 gloves. 
 
 When you have got hold of a good fish, 
 which is not very tractable, if you are married, 
 gentle reader, think of your wife, who, like 
 the fish, is united to you by very tender ties, 
 which can only end with her death, or her 
 going into weeds. If you are single, the 
 loss of the fish, when you thought the prize 
 your own, may remind you of some more seri- 
 ous disappointment. 
 
 Singular Sporting Feat. 
 
 On the Stretford Road, near Manchester, a 
 short time ago, Townsend, the celebrated pe- 
 destrian, was backed for £10 aside, against a 
 person of the name of John Wyatt, a baker, who 
 gained some celebrity in the vicinity of the me- 
 tropolis, at the same game, which would pick 
 up, in the least time, with his mouth, 200 stones, 
 placed one yard apart from each other. The 
 stones were arranged in double columns, with 
 the basket placed in the centre, into which 
 the men were to deposit their cargo. On 
 starting, each of them picked up a few near 
 home, and then pegged away to the extent, — 
 Townsend clearing the two columns as he 
 went on, whilst the baker only made play at 
 one of the rows ; thus they went on for an 
 hour, without any advantage to either ; but 
 dovghey seemed to have had too much barm in 
 him —he was all puff. It was evident now 
 that the baker's batch would soon be baked : 
 however, he kept kneading away, until he 
 had picked up about 160, and run himself 
 nearly blind, when he resigned. Townsend 
 completed the task in one hour and forty-three 
 minutes. The distance is nearly ll^ miles. 
 It was from the idea that the baker would 
 puff a stone into the basket three yards from 
 it, and thus save so much, that he was backed 
 at odds ; but we could not see that it made 
 any material difference, for he had to make a 
 dead stop, then a puff — and, in some instances, 
 missed his aim, when he had to follow up the 
 stone, and place it in the basket. After the 
 above match, a gentleman ofl'ered to back 
 Townsend for £10, to stand on one leg for two 
 hours, and commence iiistunter. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 321 
 
 TOE -WRESTLERS 
 
 a mutual yoke of hands, 
 
 Drijpging with arms and elbow-jniiits in intertwisted bands; 
 And in their clasp reciprocal they lifted from the ground 
 Each other s body, snatched in air, descending round and round ; 
 A double pleasure thus employ'd th' Olympian dweller's mind. 
 Lifting and lifted thus by turns upon the wafted wind. 
 
 Oi l(iii(h).— l come but in, as others do, to try with hira the strength of my youth. — Shaksi'eaue. 
 
 Wrestling, the oldest sport upon record, has 
 recently become a complete " Fanct/ article" 
 in the Sporting World ; and also quite an 
 established species of amusement during the 
 last five years in various parts of the Metro- 
 polis. For several years past the above sport 
 was followed in the fields near \Vhite Conduit 
 House, on Good Friday, by a few young men 
 21 
 
 who had left their native towns, and who feeling 
 anxious to have a bit of the old amusement 
 formed themselves into a club, denominated 
 the Cumberland and Wes'uiioreland youths. 
 The above club gave a handsome belt to the 
 successful Wrestler in the Ring on that day ; 
 but scarcely any thing was ever heard of Hie 
 f»bove sport during the remainder of ihe year, 
 
822 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 except in a private match or two, until the 
 next Good Friday afforded them another 
 leisure day, for the Wrestlers ap,ain to ex- 
 hibit their skill and strength. 
 
 However, about five years since, a society 
 of Devonshire men frequently assembled to- 
 gether at a public-house in Essex-street, in 
 the Strand, and laid a kind of foundation for 
 the above sport in London ; but, for some 
 time after its introduction, the few Cornish 
 Wrestlers in the Metropolis were incompetent 
 to uphold the honor of their county, as Abra- 
 ham Cann, and others of the best men of 
 Devon, were always introduced to carry off 
 the prizes, when their amount was of any 
 value. Indeed, it is said, that the men of 
 Devonshire " look" upon themselves as the 
 crack Wrestlers in the Kingdom ; and Abra- 
 ham Cann, in the eyes of his countrymen, is 
 not only put forth as their champion, but 
 viewed as almost invulnerable. 
 
 It is likewise asserted that the Men of 
 Cornwall are not a jot behind the Devonians 
 in the above respect ; and Polkinhorne has, 
 by his countrymen, also been elevated to the 
 Championship, and who, likewise, defeated 
 Cann in their celebrated contest.* Olxer, 
 Rooke, Jordan, &c., have distinguished them- 
 selves as Wrestlers of the " first class" in the 
 London ring; and, according to the old 
 axiom : 
 ' When Greek meets GreeK. tnen comes the tug of war ! 
 
 The Patlanders, the gay boys of the Eme- 
 rald Isle, nothing wanting to have a finger in 
 the " pie" of public approbation, have always 
 been ready to sport a toe -give a kick — or 
 obtain a back fall, with either Devonshire or 
 Cornish men, when any match has been offered 
 to them. Gaffney, Finney, &c. have proved 
 themselves on several occasions very trouble- 
 some customers, and who have withs'ood many 
 a severe kick of the shins, when the claret has 
 been seen trickling down their legs, remind- 
 ing us very strongly of the Philosopher's 
 assertion, that pain is only an imaginary 
 feeling; in truth, the above Wrestlers have 
 kept their ground like bricks and mortar. But 
 we hate all invidious distinctions — country or 
 colour are the same to us — and we only, in our 
 reports of these contests, look to the talent and 
 strength exhibited in the various matches. 
 All the men are alike to us in the above re- 
 spect — and ability of any kind never was, nor 
 ever will be, confined to any particular spot: 
 but, in the London Ring, a man is sure to meet 
 with his match ; and be he whoever he may 
 that gets at tl\e top of the tree in the Metro- 
 polis, he must prove himself — somebody. 
 
 * It is true that the above contest ended in a dis- 
 pute between tl>e umpires : and althougli a variety of 
 letters in the shape of challenges have appeared in all 
 the Sporting Newspapers, on both svles of the ques- 
 tion, and places appointed for meetings to make ano- 
 ther match, the parties have not come to any con- 
 clusion on the subject: and it is more than likely, 
 after nearly six \iears have been suffered to elapse, 
 that the disputed siibject is entirely done with. 
 
 Notwithstanding the appearance of * tt'for 
 and tear' attached to Wrestling* (it is insisted 
 upon by William Litt, a. great Wrestler for 
 many years), in contradiction to the foolish, 
 
 • We speak from our own knowledge (observes 
 Mr. LiiT, in his Wrestliana), and from such cor- 
 responding information as insures the correctness of 
 every thing we shall state as matter of fact. During 
 the many years we were attached to this hardy and 
 athletic exercise, 
 " The men who threw us, and the men we threw," 
 could not fail to perfect us in the practice of the 
 ring ; and the number of veteran wrestlers, and vete- 
 ran amateurs we conversed with, who 
 
 " Our memory stor'd with feats of valor done, 
 And, youth recalling, told how belts were wen," 
 gave us an equal claim to understand tlie theory of 
 the business ; and consequently we scruple not to say, 
 we believe ourselves as well acquainted with the va- 
 rious interesting particulars comprised in such a Re- 
 view, as any one person whatever. 
 
 We shall, therefor^, for the better information of 
 those spectators not conversant either in the practice 
 or theory of wrestling, as well as of those %vho wish 
 to become so, devote a few pHges to the explanation 
 of those terms usually applied to the methods which 
 are used in the art ; or, to speak more intelligibly to 
 our less knowing readers, the different methods of 
 striking or assailing an opponent, so as to effect the 
 desired object of bringing him down, generally 
 termed throwing him by the spectators, but by some 
 hardy and unrefined practisers of the exercise, broadly, 
 and we must own, rather brutally, called felling him. 
 These methods are much more various and complicated 
 in close-hold wrestling than in any other mode ; 
 whirh diversity we conceive to be a strong proof of 
 the superiority of this exercise to any other, which in- 
 deed is evinced by the gi-eat interest it never has 
 failed to excite ;— a diversity which must be re- 
 garded as characteristic of something noble and 
 .manly, as it can be occasioned only by a contest of 
 nien. The most general and usual methods are those 
 which follow : — 
 
 Throwing men by lifting them fiom off the ground, 
 and rapidly placing one of the knees between their 
 thighs, is now become very common all over Cumber- 
 land and Westmoreland. It was, however, very little 
 known between the rivers Derwent and Duddon till 
 within thebe last thirty years. It is generally called 
 hipeing, we conceive from the supposed great use of 
 the hip in the execution of it. There is, however, too 
 essential a difference in the modes of practising it for 
 any general agreement in the propriety of the term. 
 An explanation of one or two of these modes may 
 serve to elucidate the point, — give the reader some 
 idea as to the propriety of the term,— and enable him 
 to ascertain the accuracy of our definition of it. 
 
 When, immediately on lifting, the knee and thigh 
 are thrown in and forced upwards, so that, quickly 
 wheeling the whole frame to the contrary side, the 
 a-sailant is enabled, when turning his man with his 
 arms and delivering him from his breast, to Jjitch 
 him with his hip, (which will then be close against 
 the lower part of his opponent's belly) in such a man- 
 ner that, not being able to catch the ground with 
 cither foot, he is thrown upon his back — an operation 
 which requires a close hold, and great rapidity in the 
 execution of it— Ave conceive it may, with propriety, 
 be provincially called Inpehis;. Thomas Richardson of 
 Hesket, commonly called the dyer, is allowed tt> be 
 one, if not the very be.st hiper among the present list 
 of Cumbrian wre.stlers. 
 
 But when, on lifting, the superior length of the as- 
 sailant enables him to throw his leg so high that his 
 opponent is turned by the action of the knee against 
 the ins de of his thigh, and the simultaneous effort o( 
 the arms and breast, as was generally practised by the 
 celebrated William Wil.son, of Ambleside, we con 
 ceive the proper appellation to be, iii.side striking 
 That this is quite a different mode from what we havf 
 termed hi^<ing, is still more evident by some wrest 
 lers lifting -heir man, and waiting some time for ai 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 323 
 
 but commonly received opinion, ihaiWresllhig 
 is so injurious to the frame that it destroys the 
 constitution in a very few years, and lirings 
 on so many aches and rheumatic pains, that 
 
 many believe a Wrestler when advanced in 
 years must necessarily be a cripple : so far 
 are we from coinciding in this opinion, that, 
 as far as we are able to judge, we have reason 
 
 opportunity ; when this is the case, the fall is usually 
 occasioned by the knee, iiided by toe dexterous man- 
 agement of tlie anus only, ani does not require the 
 men being so close to each otiier as hipeiug. This 
 method is now become very common, and if the term 
 striking can be as properly, as it is commonly applied 
 to wrestling, we think it can admit of no definition 
 but an inside stroke. 
 
 It is an invariable maxim, that «hen a man is de- 
 termined to make play, the sooner he does it, and the 
 quicker he is in doing it, the greater will be his 
 chance of succeeding. To i;uard against an inside 
 stroke, or hipe, the defendant should if possible keep 
 himself on the ground. To do this, he must either 
 lift against his opponent, or, slackening his own hold, 
 endeavour by wrenching his body from his opponent's 
 grasp to plant himself, as it were, to the ground, 
 striving at the same time to keep his opponent off with 
 his breast, and if possilile to shrink it underneath his 
 assailant's. If he succeed in this latter mode, he 
 should be on the alert to secure such a hold, when 
 his opponent attacks him, (which he cannot do without 
 in some measure giving his body within the compass 
 of his grasp) as will ensure him of victory. It is true 
 a skilful wrestler will be very careful when he 
 hazards an attack to keep his right arm well up, to 
 prevent his opponent getting a low hold of him ; but 
 still, if he does not succeed, one equally skilful will 
 inevitably gain some advantage by it, such as catching 
 his heel, mending his ho/d, or attacking him in turn 
 before he can recover his balance. If the defendant 
 cannot prevent his opponent from lifting him, he must 
 endeavour, by shrinking his body, to give him the 
 greatest weight upon his breast he possibly can, and 
 instantaneously try to fix his knees and feet so as to 
 prevent the assailant from getting his knee between 
 his thighs, and, at the same time, so as fully to inform 
 himself of every meditated movement the moment it 
 is attempted. If he thus succeeds in checking the 
 first assault, and be equal, or nearly so, to the assailant, 
 he ought to win the fall. As these observations will, 
 with some triHing deviations, apply to lifting in gene- 
 ral, we shall not have occiision to dwell much in fu- 
 tui-e upon that particular subject. 
 
 The methods of assailing a man on either side are 
 various. They may, however, be reduced to the four 
 principal ones, namely : striking with the knee,— the 
 leg, — the foot,— and the leg and foot alternately. The 
 first is done by striking with great pith and force with 
 either of the knees, though generally the left, against 
 the outside of an opponent's knee or thigh ; and by 
 the force of the stroke, and the correspondent move- 
 nient ot the arms, first force him from, and then turn 
 him upon the ground. Slee, of Dacre, who won the 
 prize at Penrith races in the year 181.S, was, in our 
 judgment, the best at this stroke of any man we ever 
 saw practise it. Sometimes it is made use of after 
 lifting, by throwing the knee outside an opponent's 
 tbigh ; a method we have in propria persona; often 
 practised with great success. The second is generally 
 termed in and out, owing to striking out with the 
 leg, so that the knee of the assailant is outside his 
 opponent's, and the foot inside his ancle, or small of 
 the leg, — thus placing a kind of lock upon tlje knee 
 and leg. This is a very common mode with many 
 first-rate, as well as inferior, wrestlers. 'I'lie t'.iird 
 mode is usually called a chip, and is effected by try. 
 ing to swing an opponent round, and strike the wrist 
 of the foot against the outside of his leg or ancle, or, 
 as in the preceding mode, by doing so, and turning 
 him with the assist-ance of the arms ; a method which 
 Thomas Golightly (now no more) excelled in, and 
 in which we have seen Nicholson himself evince 
 much dexterity. It in general requires more dexterity 
 than any of the preceding modes. The fourth is ef- 
 fected by striking an antagonist from the around with 
 the leg, either outside, or in and out, with the assist- 
 ance of the arms ; and instantly planting that foot upon 
 the ground, strike with the other across liis farther 
 
 shin before he rea( hes the grodnd. This stroke re- 
 quires great quickness and activity, and is, when well 
 e\ecuted, i.ne of the surest and neatest methods of 
 wrestling practised. 'I'he best and cleanest practiser 
 of this mode we ever knew, or heard of, was William 
 I'onsonby, of Endside, near Egrcniont, who retired 
 from the ring nearly twenty years ago. He displayed 
 such uncommon dexterity in this stroke, that his feet 
 might frequently have been heard at a considerable 
 distance, succeeding each other against his opponent's 
 legs lilie two distinct claps of the hand i — it is at the 
 present time by no means unusual. 
 
 Althoagli we have classed outside striking under 
 four principal heads, yet it is to be observed that the 
 occasions on which they are resorted to are extremely 
 various ; being often used as sufficient of themselves, 
 sometimes as precursors to other meditated attacks, 
 and, not unfrequently, subsequent to other movements. 
 As a clear explanation of their nature, and the differ- 
 ent modes of using them, are a sufficient means of in. 
 formation to enable any practiser of wrestling to 
 judge what are the surest methods of guarding 
 against them, it is unnecessary to detain our readers 
 any longer on this particular subject. 
 
 When one party gets a leg behind an opponent's, it 
 is called haraing, or catching his heel, according to the 
 manner in which it is done. If the legs are inter- 
 twined with each other, or if the heel of the assailant 
 is above the small of the defendant's leg, it is usually 
 termed haming : for no other reason that we can di- 
 vine, except from the strength required in the ham, 
 either for accelerating, or defending the attack. 
 Sometimes a ham is practised at the moment of 
 taking hold, or when taken off the ground, by rapidly 
 striking the heel behind the knee ; as the sinews of tlie 
 person lifting are then at full stretch ; if the party 
 lifted do it forcibly, and ran throw the full weight of 
 his body along with it, it is often effective. Haming, 
 as well as catching the heel, is indiscriminately piac- 
 tised, either as attacks of themselves, or as auxilia- 
 ries to other attacks. To guard against a ham, the 
 defendant shoul 1 feel his feet firm upon the ground, 
 slack, his hold, and bear forward with his breast 
 against the assailant's. If he succaed in this, he 
 .should endeavour, if the ham be persevered in, to turn 
 or twist his opponent over by wheeling him off his 
 breast to the opposite side, as lie will have only 
 one leg on the ground; but, should he quit the ham, 
 no time should be lost in closing the hands lower 
 down upon his back, and becoming the assailant in 
 turn 
 
 Catching the heel is often quite a different opera- 
 tion;- -its object generally is to force the foot forward 
 by rapidly striking the heel against the heel or an 
 cle of the defendant. Should it not prove immedi- 
 ately effective, yet if the defendant staggers, and ul- 
 timately falls by not being able to extricate himself 
 from it, it is usually called hankering the heel. 
 Catching the heel may be practised either on the out- 
 side, or inside ; and, if done with force and quickness, 
 it is a very difficult manoeuvre to guard against, and a 
 wrestler known to be expert in catching, or hankering, 
 is generally as little fancied for an opponent, as one 
 skilled in any other mode whatever. Thomas Nichol- 
 son, of Threlkeld, who won at Carlisle for three suc- 
 cessive years, was a forciiile illustrator of this mode. 
 He was certainly uncommonly good at it, and though 
 by no means wanting in many other modes, yet he 
 \\ as more indebted to this method for victory than all 
 the rest put together. There is another mode some- 
 what similar to these last mentioned, by which falls, 
 particularly among new beginners, or novices, are 
 often decided. This may be termed twining over tha 
 knee, as it is effected by getting the knee outside and 
 twining an opponent over it. 
 
 It is not our intention to dwell much upon what is often 
 indiscriminately termed handling, benching, hipping, 
 buttocking, or crossbuttocking, as they are all effected 
 ill nearly the same manner ; and in fact, whatere, 
 
 Y 2 
 
■A24 
 
 PIEUCE EGAN'S liOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 to believe it to be a lieiiltliful and Ktienatheu- 
 iuj^ exercise. We. may be lauglied at for such 
 ail o],inioii ; but facts are stubborn things, and 
 numerous Wrestlers can be produced who 
 
 tliey ni=»y be faucically called, the breast and side are 
 ♦liteutinies, thougli n.t always, as much used as the 
 hip, or what is the most general a]ii)ellati<in, the but- 
 tock. A man skilh'd in this method of wrestling gene- 
 rally strives for a loose hold, and it is the left side 
 which is mostly used for ell'ecting the desired object. 
 Uy stejiping partly in, and cr.issways with the left 
 foot, twining the body in, and throwing the buttock 
 underneath the belly ; the defendant is, by the assail- 
 ant s anus being kept tight round liis leck or shoui- 
 di IS, hoisted on, aud thrown off, or over the side, or 
 buttock ; as tlie latter is by the act of stejiping thiown 
 fartlitst in. it has acquired the uame of buttocking ; 
 and, when the leg or foot gels quite across the de- 
 fendant's body, of crossbuttockiag ; though e\en then, 
 it is evident, unless the eftbrt was siconded by the 
 arms and higlurpart of the body, the act of throwing 
 tiie leg acro.ss would be fntal to the aggressor. Some- 
 times when the assailant perctives, or feels his man 
 staggered, or balanced uiion liis side, or buttock, he is 
 so circumstanced as to be able to strike witli one of 
 his feet across the shins ; when this is done the fall is 
 often clean aud eft'ectiie. At other times the situation 
 admits of getting the leg. or foot, behind both of the 
 defendant's ; when this happens it is iii some places 
 called grandystepping. It sometimes happens that the 
 assailant, by turning in quickly with very loose liolds, 
 i;ets into a position exactly before, or with his back to 
 his opponent ; in that case, if he do not, by keeping 
 his hands fast, and stooping forward, throw hiin over 
 his head and shoulders, his .situation is a dangerous 
 one for losing the fall. In short, the modes of as- 
 sault and delence, in this most manly of all exercises, 
 are so diversified, that a volume might be filled by il- 
 lustratin;- that pait of our subject only. Tiie act of 
 buttockiug, slipping from the side or breast, aud in 
 fact, of every thing that constitutes the science of 
 wrestling, depends much upon the different situations 
 which may occur in a contest ; and the judgment 
 formed by feeling with the chest, and breast, what 
 kind of assault is most likely to prove effective: and, 
 generally .sp. a'liing, quickness in a.xsault, and prompti- 
 tude in judiciously availing himself of any circum- 
 stance that may arise during the struggle, may be 
 called the distinguishing characteristics of a good and 
 scientific wrestler. 
 
 Opinions respecting the best mode of standing, when 
 takinji hold, are no doubt various, and the particular 
 method of wrestling usually adopted by the antagonist 
 to be encountered, in order to counteract his intention 
 as well as keeping in view the method he himself ex- 
 cels in, V. ill always have some influence on every 
 judicious wrestler. In the rule solely devoted to the 
 purpose of obliging those to take hold who cannot 
 themselves agree about it, we found it absolutely ne- 
 cessary to fix some standard for regulating the hold. 
 Any wrestler need not be told that the subject is the 
 most difficult one that could arise ; and that one cer- 
 tain standard only was indispensable. Making ])roper 
 allowance for any man's mode of wrestling, except it 
 be in an extreme of tight (the usual epithet for a close 
 or fast hold) or slack, we .are fully prepared to main- 
 tain that le standard we have fixed on is the best and 
 mo.st judicious that can be adopted. It is usual for 
 men wishing to take more than a fair hold to shrink 
 their own breast underneath their opponent's, and pin 
 his arm to his side, close to the elbow ;— the merest 
 Bovice in the art will not permit this, and yet the 
 shorter man will sometimes argue they ought to st md 
 straight up ! Knee to knee is sometimes with equal ab- 
 surdity proposed ; for unless the men are of exactly 
 the same dimensions upwards, it does not in the least 
 alter the subject of dlsptite. A hat, or a stick, is often 
 laid down, and the men are required to bring their 
 toes up to the mark. The monstrous absurdity of the 
 ridiculous position this will place men of different sizes 
 in, with their feet close together, and what is some- 
 ti]vies jocosely termed the seat of honor of the taller 
 wan hung back, needs no comment. No ccrt.ain dis 
 
 liave enjoyed better health than men in gen- 
 eral, and lived to a fine old age. In fsct, 
 many of the idle stories respecting the terrific 
 consequences are mere chimeras ; originating 
 
 tance between the toes can be equally applicable to 
 all ; and, therefore, the di.stance which will admit of 
 both feeling themselves at ease, and firmly on the 
 ground, may soon be settled between tbeni with the 
 assistance of the umpire, as breast to breast is the 
 only mode of placing them on an equal tooting. 
 Many wre.stlers are fond of leaning to the left side, a 
 habit acquired while in their novitiate by the desire ol 
 Iseeing their opponent s feet, or at least his right foot. 
 This latter circumstance is of no material advantage 
 of itself, as it is the feel and not the sight which ge- 
 nerally regulates the movements of a good wrestler, 
 c.sjiecially at the commencement of a contest, as is 
 suiliciently evident from the fact, that one man, de- 
 cidedly the master of another, will throw him blind- 
 folded. This lean to the left, as with many it is a 
 supposed advantage, and therefore often a considerable 
 ob.-,tac,le to tlieir getting hold, is worthy of some con- 
 ^.•deralion in regard to its utility, both in assaulting 
 and defending ; aud therefore, thouuh a dry and com- 
 plex subject to some of our readers, yet as mauy 
 wrestlers will deem it both important and interesting, 
 it is our duty to attempt .some elucidation of the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 It must be .sufficiently evident to all, that leaning to 
 either side is a deviation from the natural and true 
 centre of balance ; and of course will lay some stress 
 upon, or partly brace, the muscles of theopposite side. 
 Thus if the lean be to the left side, themu.scles of the 
 right, from the neck to the foot downwards, will be 
 pioportionably braced, as those on the left are con- 
 tracted in with the Kody ; and part of the weight (.f 
 the body by being thmwu upon the right aim of the 
 opponent, will detract in a corresponding degree from 
 the weight u])on, or firmness of, the feet upon tlie 
 ground. Now it is certain, that the easier and firmer 
 any wrestler feels himself upon the ground, the less 
 stri s.i thei e will be upon the arms and breast ; and that 
 when all the powers of the fraine can at once be 
 brought effectively into action, the more vigorous will 
 be the attack. It is to be remarked, that these obsta- 
 cles apply even to an attack with the left leg; while 
 the lean, being from the right, must of course greatly 
 detract from the force of any intended eft'ort to throw 
 an opponent to that side ; and the position itself 
 totally precludes the idea of an effective buttock ; 
 because, instead of facilitating the act of getting the 
 foot partly across, or the breast underneath, it acts in 
 the very re\crse, by contributing to place the body on 
 the outside,— an unavoid.ible consequence of the lean. 
 As forbuttocking with the right side, there are very few 
 vt'ho ever attempt it, except it is afteran outside stroke 
 with the left leg; because, in taking hold, the left 
 arm is always abo'. e tlie right; and consequently, 
 when the hold is loose, there is no material obstacle 
 to prevent that side from being thrown in ; whereas, 
 the ri).;ht arm being underneatli the o.xter, prevents 
 that side from being brought into action with equal 
 freedom and facility ; notwithstanding this, there aie 
 some few who contrive to t'nrow in the right side with 
 considerable effect; yet, against a good wrestler,^ it 
 must always be considered a losing cha>ice. 
 
 It is obser< able that these remarks apply to the act 
 of taking hold before the contest is begun. 'Jhelean 
 to the left acquired after, or during a struggle, is quite 
 a different thing. It is then a certain sign, either that 
 the opponent has lost all command of the ho d, or that 
 both parties have their arms round each other's neck. 
 If the former be the case, it necessarily implies that 
 the party who has the lean, has broke his oi)ponent's 
 hold, hais himself got a commanding one, is standing 
 perfectly at ease, and is nearly sure of the fall ; while 
 his adversary, scarcely able to preserve an upright 
 position and without liold, is incapable of making any 
 offen.sive effort which is likely to succeed. The onlj 
 thing he can do. is to attempt to get his side in, and 
 try to buttock ; but the other, perfectly aware of his 
 movements, will probably catch him under the ribs, 
 and often dispose of him with ease and safety. If both 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 325 
 
 ^ith those who know nothing about it, and 
 credited only by those who have had no oppor- 
 tunities of judging for themselves. It is niost 
 true, that our forefathers cherished these 
 
 parties have lost hold of the hack, he who has the lean 
 is much more advantageously situated than his oppo- 
 nent; he stands freer with his nock, and easier with 
 his body ; and is consequently more at liberty to as- 
 sault or defond with a much greater prospect of suc- 
 cess. As the tv.'o most iniport<int objrcts in wrestling 
 — namely, hold, and feeling with the breast, are, in 
 that situation, of coniparativtly little consequence, a 
 view of the right leg becomes an object of some con- 
 sideration, as it implies the fact of the right arm being 
 more up, and the left more down, than his antagonist's 
 (if t:.e nitn have any hold) can possibly be; as the 
 left buttock, is then the only attack that his opponent 
 can make, and which lie cannot make without mov 
 ing the right leg. On the other hand, the person pos- 
 sessing the lean is by no means in so confined a situa- 
 ti.m. Bj standing perfectly at ease, lie can choose 
 his time of assault, or is fully prepared to avail him- 
 self of any tft'ort his antagonist can make; and if lie 
 be a good striker with the left leg acro>s the shin, he 
 has e\ery chance of doing so with success; which he 
 ought not to defer doing, lest his antagonist should 
 wreiich his head locse, and thus oblige him to forfeit 
 his advantage by taking a fresh hold. 
 
 Having thus proved that leaning to one side when 
 the men are supposed to be on ei|ual terms, and ac- 
 quiring a commanding lean after the contest is begun, 
 are two very diffeient things, it remains for us to con- 
 sider the advantage, or disadvantage, of the lean to 
 the left side, as it regards the efficacy of repelling or 
 guarding an attack. As this lean, which implies lay- 
 ing an additional weight upon an opponent's right 
 arm at the commencement of a contest, when the 
 holds are, or ought to be, equally low round the arm 
 and body, cannot be done without detracting from the 
 tirnines.< of the feet upon the ground, it must apparently 
 impede the act of guarding, either a judicious stroke, 
 or buttock : for although it may be a preventive to 
 his being turned to the right side by nn outside stroke 
 with the left leg ; yet it must proportionahly facilitate 
 his being turned to the left side, by the leit log in- 
 side, or by the right outside ; and hanging his weight 
 to the left side, so far from the centre of balance, is 
 certainly the very thin,' a good buttocker, or slipper 
 from tl-.e breast, would desire. It likewise is not, as 
 some imagine, any obstacle to his teing lifted from the 
 pround ; because, by hanging his weight downwards, 
 he has not au immediate command of his strength to 
 counteract the lift of his opponent; and instead of 
 bearing him forward with his breast and arms, he has 
 one hanging upon him, and nhe other closely locked 
 round him. His antagonist, so far from having an ad- 
 ditional weight to lift, has only the same weight in a 
 more favorable position for lifting it; hecau.se, having 
 the greater part already, he has only that part to 
 raise higher, and the other comes hy degrees upon 
 bi'ii, and the weight he has to sustain is close to him ; 
 whereas, were his antnijonist lifting, or bearing 
 against him, the weight would come upon him at once, 
 and would he farther from him. Again, the weight 
 of a man is so far from being equal to his strength, 
 that if no impediment were thrown in the way by 
 lifting against, or bearing forward with the arms and 
 breast, a man ten stone weight would easily lift one 
 of twenty. When lifted, the lean i* an evident dis- 
 advantage ; as it tends to throw him from the exact 
 front of his opponent, it must of course be a consider- 
 able impediment to clap ing the knees, or legs, close 
 upon him to prevent his strikini; out, and feeling in 
 what manner, and with what leg, he intends to do it. 
 
 Having discussed this pi;int fully, and, we hopp, 
 iatisfactorily, to the experienced wrestler, we will 
 offer a few short remarks upon the hold recommended 
 in the third Rule. It is surely a most important and 
 desifrible thing, that the same method of taking hold 
 should pre\ail throughout this and the adjacent coun- 
 ties ; becau.se by pracri>ing in some places with h.ose, 
 and in others with tight holds, wlien they meet for 
 some considerable pii/.e, no hold satisfactory to all 
 
 rustic games as the surest means of keeping 
 alive, in times of peace, that martial spirit, 
 and tliat robust frame of body, which has 
 hitlierto opposed such an insuperable barrier 
 to the gigantic efforts of the enemies of 
 Britain. 
 
 About a century ago these games were in 
 high repute ; but the many restrictions imposed 
 on the diversions of the lower classes of 
 society caused their decay in all parts of the 
 empire, except in some of the western coun- 
 ties of England, and a few places in Ireland. 
 We, therefore, hail the revival of them with 
 
 parties can be obtained. 'I'his evilently compelled the 
 author of any treatise on the subject to lay down some 
 one particular manner to be resorted to as a standard, 
 when any dispute occurred. The one which seemed 
 to ns best adapted to this difficult point, is, as we 
 have before remarked in our obsei'vatious upon it, 
 such a one as the tight-hold wrestler may gather with, 
 or strike f-om ; and at the same time, one which does 
 not p event the loose hold wrestler from making u-e 
 of his own peculiar mode. Such a meditim between 
 the two extremes is the thini; evidently calculated to 
 compromise the subject of dispute. As the parties are 
 equally standing without inclining to either side, — 
 exactly fronting each other, — at liberty to breathe 
 freely,— and feeling each other hy the junction of 
 their breasts— all characteristics of a fair, and which 
 cannot exist in an unfair, hold— they are at full and 
 equal liberty to attack with vigour, and every part of 
 the frame may at once he promptly combimd to repel, 
 and on the alert to take any advantage which may 
 present itself in consequence of the attack. 
 
 But still, after all that can be said respecting the 
 superiority of any particular method of taking hold, 
 considerable practice, and attachment to almost any, 
 will render a man very dexterous in it. Accordingly 
 we may see many acknowledged tirst-rate wrestlers 
 differ as much in their notions of taking hold, as in their 
 methods of assault and defence. Thus, Thomas 
 Nicholson, and Ihnmas Todd, two of the best wres- 
 tlers of their weight in Cumberland, and saying this, 
 we conceive we might safely add the United King- 
 dom or the world, are, or were, both upright standers : 
 while William Richardson, of Caldbeck (commonly 
 called Ritson), the winner of more prizes than any 
 other man in the kingdom, was paitial to the lean ; 
 and Jolm Louden, from the vicinity of Keswick, a 
 first-rate, and a most dangerous customer, was never 
 satisfied without it. 
 
 Finally, the circumstance of taking hold, while it 
 is the most frequent cause of dissension an<ong wres- 
 tlers, it is at the same time the most difficult for an 
 impartial spectator, or umpire, to form a correct and 
 decisive judgment upon. The biassed and interested 
 spectator, and the weil-wi.shers of either party, are 
 often determined not to be convinced that the fault- 
 originates with their favorite. 'J'his being the case, 
 those who gi.e the prize uught .41-wavs phomi'ti.y 
 
 TO f-NKORCi: THE JUUGMr.Nr OK THE U M 1' 1 1! K VVlliiM 
 
 THEV HAVE CHOSEN. The rule for deciding the hold, 
 notwithstanding the difficulty of the sul.j>ct, is, we 
 hope, st/Jficioi/lij iutellinihb- lo iniii inau n ho is rem- 
 ptti-nt to fill fit the arduous sit itatimi of actiiiji iis 
 ■umpire. Being fully conscious, that as harmony and 
 unanimity ought to be the distinguished characteristics 
 of an amusement, we could not be too explicit, or 
 minute, on the point which tends most to interrupt 
 them ; such a consideration could alone have induced 
 us to treat every thing relative to the su'oject of 
 taking hold, in so lengthy a manner ; but feeling, aa 
 we do, that the frequency and s; lendour of the 
 prizes given to wrestle for, will be considerably influ- 
 enced by the cordiality displayed by the wrestlers 
 towards eaili other, it appeared to us an indispensable, 
 duty to give this particular subject a full considera- 
 tion ; as shrinking from it would have implied an, 
 inability to t'lat of it, — a stigma, we possess egoiisui 
 enough to believe, we by no means merit. 
 
S20 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 pleasure, as W; consider them a desirable 
 source of recreation for Ihe peasantry, being 
 devoid of any thing brutal or disgusting, and 
 hope to see them patronised to the extent they 
 merit ; indeed, Wrestling has become very 
 popular amongst the admirers of athletic 
 sports in the Metropolis. In proof of which, 
 Silver Cups, and a variety of other valuable 
 prizes are frequently given by the proprietors 
 of bowling-greens, cricket-grounds, &c. to 
 the best Wrestlers, as rewards for their exer- 
 tions and skill. Amongst the foremost of the 
 above class of persons stands Mr. Thomas 
 Rouse, the well-known spirited proprietor of 
 the Eagle Tavern, in the City Road, who has 
 kept the " game alive" ever since the above 
 period, and who may be considered one of the 
 best judges (without a wig) in the kingdom 
 as to a general knowledge of society. Tom 
 has icrestled with the world to a good purpose ; 
 and by his never-tiring exertions he has ob- 
 tained the smiles of victory. In his " Caleb 
 Quotem" sort of capacity (for he appears to be 
 at all in the ring) he displays considerable 
 tact ; and the praise cannot be withheld from 
 him that he has proved himself a good caterer 
 for the public ; and who also furnishes them 
 ■with lots of amusement at a truly reasonable 
 FiGURK. In his concert-room — I beg par- 
 don, the Grecian Saloon — a tip-top sort of 
 thing of its kind, nay more, a very brilliant 
 affair, in which authors, musicians, and pro- 
 fessional singers are engaged, to give edit 
 to the exertions of the proprietor of the Eagle 
 Tavern. Either in his characters of *' Mine 
 Host," manager of the musical department, 
 or acting as an arbiter in the athletic amuse- 
 ments to attract and interest the members of 
 the Sporting World, it might be fairly said, 
 that Tom Rouse is not only up and dressed in 
 the whole of them, but at home to a peg. In 
 short, the hero of the Eagle Tavern is a host 
 within himself — and affords a convincing 
 proof what may be achieved in this wonderful 
 Metropolis by the union of industry and 
 talent. 
 
 It might be asked, why nave the inhabitants 
 of Cornwall and Devon been so long cele- 
 brated for their expertness in Wrestling? Be- 
 cause they learned the art at an early period 
 of life, " for you shall hardly find," says 
 Carew, " an assembly of boys in Devon and 
 Cornwall, where the most untowardly among 
 them will not as readily give you a. muster 
 (trial) of this exercise as you are prone to re- 
 quire it." — Survey of Cornwall. Hence, to 
 give a Cornish hug, is a proverbial expression. 
 The Cornish, says Fuller, are Masters of 
 Wrestling, so that if the Olympian Games 
 were now in fashion, they would come away 
 with the victory. 
 
 Their hug is a cunning close with their fel- 
 low combatants, the fruit whereof is his fair 
 fall or foil at the least. — Worthies of Cornwall. 
 
 We learn from Stow, that the citizens of 
 London formerly Wrestled on St. Bartholo- 
 mew's daj before the lord mayor and alder- 
 
 men, who rode out of town on horseback to 
 witness the sport. The Londoners and in- 
 habitants of Westminster also made frequent 
 matches,- the reward being usually a ram. 
 Thus Chaucer says of Sir Mopas : 
 
 Of wrastling there was none his pere 
 Where any ram shulde stonde. 
 
 Before Chaucer's time, however, acock seems 
 to have been a frequent prize. 
 
 In order that the readers of the Book of 
 Sports may form their own judgments on the 
 merits of the various Wrestlers who have 
 won various prizes, we have selected the best 
 of the matches that have taken place within 
 the Metropolis during the last three or four 
 years, excepting the following great con- 
 test, which took place between Abraham 
 Cann and Polkinhorne, atDevonport, Oct. 23, 
 1820. It is impossible to describe the 
 intense interest which the match between 
 Cann and Polkinhorne, decided this day, 
 has excited in this neighbourhood. These 
 men being considered the two best men of 
 their respective counties, Devon and Corn- 
 wall, their long-anticipated trial for the mas- 
 tery has been eagerly awaited by the lovers 
 of this athletic sport. The frequent chal- 
 lenges that have been, from time to time, 
 sent to each other by the two champions, and 
 which have hitherto ended in mere words, 
 created a suspicion that they were afraid of 
 one another ; and there is no doubt that the 
 wish on both sides to destroy this impression 
 has been the chief cause of the present meet- 
 ing. Ever since it has been known that these 
 renowned heroes of the wrestling ring would 
 try a fall for the honor of their counties, the 
 large population of these towns (70,000), and 
 of the country for more than fifty miles round, 
 has been on tip-toe for the event. 
 
 There is an evident difference between the 
 wrestling of the two counties ; but the pecu- 
 liarity of the former is kicking below the 
 knee, and the seeming indifference with 
 which practised Devonshire wrestlers receive 
 the most violent contusions on the legs, is 
 truly astonishing. Although the rules of the 
 game allow the legs to be padded, it is very 
 rare that the candidates wear more than a 
 single stocking. The Cornish wrestlers in- 
 variably enter the ring without shoes, and they 
 bear the severest kicks from their Devonshire 
 antagonists without making the slightest at- 
 tempt to return the compliment. The most 
 formidable kicker in the AVest is, perhaps, 
 John Jordan, a North-of-Devon man, some 
 six feet three or four inches high, and whose 
 Herculean proportions have procured for him 
 the cognomen of " the Devonshire Giant." 
 This man's prowess has caused him to be ex- 
 cluded from most of the annual matches in the 
 vicinity of Devonport, the bills announcing 
 such games generally containing the paren- 
 thetical words, " John Jordan excepted ;" for 
 he almost always bears off the chief prize. 
 Jordan has more than once thrown Canu, and 
 
I'lERCK EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 327 
 
 Cann lias, in his turn, thrown Jordan ; and 
 coiisideiable douhl still exists whicii is the 
 better man. The latter is confident in liis OAvn 
 superiority, and has frequently been heard to 
 det.lare, in his own slang phraseology, that he 
 would " kick Cann all to rags in vive mi- 
 nut'is." For the information of those wi)o are 
 not acquainted with tlie diflerence between 
 Devonshire and Cornish wrestling, it may be 
 well to remark, that the former is generally 
 characterised by kicking and tripping, while 
 the latter consists more of the close struggle. 
 ^Vho has not heard of the Cornisii hug? 
 
 The influx of strangers into Devonport was 
 immense. The beds of all the inns were en- 
 gaged, and numerous individuals were obliged 
 to seek lodgings in private families. Visitors 
 flocked from Exeter, IJarnstable, Bideford, 
 Tavistock, Dartmouth, and the most distant 
 parts of tlie county, and there was a pretty 
 considerable sprinkling of the Tres, Pols, and 
 Pens, * from Falmouth, Truro, Penzance, 
 Launceston, St. IMichael's INlount, and even 
 from that ultima Thule of Fnglnnd, the Land's 
 End, mustering, " one and all, ' to witness the 
 feats of their champion. There were, besides, 
 present a great number of wrestlers, old and 
 young, retired and practical, from the bleak 
 wilds of Dartmoor and the sterile regions of 
 the South Hams; and not deficient were the 
 mighty " huggers " from the hard-named ham- 
 lets of the laud of pilchards. 
 
 The spot chosen for the contest between 
 Cann and Polkinhorne was a large enclosed 
 yard at Morice-Town, a village about a quar- 
 ter of A mile from Devonport, and the scene of 
 many a celebrated struggle between the prime 
 men of Devon and Cornwall, it being situated 
 on the bank of the river Tamar, which se- 
 parates the two counties. The yard alluded 
 to, which formed, in time of war, part of a 
 large government establishment, presented the 
 finest possible arena for such a display. Ex- 
 clusive of the ground occupied by the seats, 
 which were fitted up for the comfortable ac- 
 commodation of 10,000 spectators, there re- 
 mained an expanse of level springy turf, 400 
 feet long, and 110 feet wide, for the wrestlers. 
 At one end of the yard an extensive range of 
 warciiousus were fitted up as an inn, by Mr. 
 Elliott, of the Devonport Hotel, for the pur- 
 pose of affording accommodation and refresh- 
 ment. The prices of admission to the ring 
 were five sliillings and half-a-crown. 
 
 At twelve o'clock at noon, there were above 
 10,000 persons in the ring, and the money 
 taken at the doors amounted to more than 
 £1300. The hills around were crowded with 
 spectators, and it may be stated, without ex- 
 aggeration, that the match took place in the 
 sight of 20,000 individuals. At half-past 
 
 » The sarnaraes of most true Cornishraeu begin with 
 Tre, Pol, or i'en. For instance, tlie name of tue 
 cliampion, 1'olk.inhorne. An ancient local rhjnie 
 alludes to this : — 
 
 •■ By Ire, Pol, and Pen 
 
 Vuu may liiiov/ the Curni^shinen." 
 
 twelve, the champions entered the ring, and 
 were loudlycheered by tlie numerous company. 
 A striking difference was perceived between 
 the two men when they stripped ; Polkin- 
 horne being nearly twice as stout as (^ann, 
 and 3st. 41b. heavier. Cann weighs 12st. 7lb. 
 They were, however, nearly of a height ; and, 
 if there was any advantage in tallness, it was 
 on the side of Cann. Polkinhorne played 
 without shoes ; but, as kicking forms part of 
 the tactics of a Devonshire wrestler, Cann had 
 a shoe on the right foot. The terms of the 
 wrestle were, that the wager should be de- 
 cided by the best of three back falls, to be de- 
 termined by four tryers — two Devonshire and 
 two Cornish ; the men to catch what hold they 
 could. Betting was considerably in favor of 
 Cann before the set-to. 
 
 Round 1. After some manoeuvring for a hold, 
 Cann seized Polkinhorne with a firm grasp 
 by the shoulders, and Polkinhorne seized his 
 antagonist by the elbow, and placed his head 
 on the left side of his (Cann's; breast. They 
 then walked slowly round the ring, Cann 
 keeping off the Cornishman, and occasionally 
 dealing him a kick or two under the right 
 knee, for the purpose of weakening his legs as 
 much as possible. It was, however, now per- 
 ceived that Polkinhorne was by much the 
 most powerful man of the two, which, indeed 
 bis appearance had from the first promised. 
 Cann, however, displayed considerable mus- 
 cular power, and proved that the title of 
 champion had not been bestowed on one who 
 could not show play for it. The two men 
 were continually shifting their holds, each en- 
 deavouring to obtain his favorite grip. At last, 
 however, after a struggle of four minutes and 
 a half, they both fell together : Cann under, 
 but no fair back. 
 
 2. The men again advanced to each other, 
 and each seized hold where he could of his 
 antagonist. Cann at first kept hold of Pol- 
 kinhorne's right arm, but the latter freed 
 himself by a most gigantic effort, flung his arm 
 over Cann's shoulder, and seized him by the 
 jacket half-way down his back. The efforts 
 of the two rivals were now truly fine. Tiie 
 physical power displayed by both was as- 
 tonishing. I'olkinhorne, however, gained an 
 advantageous hold round Cann's body, when 
 the latter, to avoid being thrown, partly disen- 
 gaged himself and fell on his knees. 
 
 3. There was very little manoeuvring in this 
 round. Polkinhorne made an impetuous 
 onset, and, having obtained his favorite hold, 
 threw Cann the first /o/r backfall. 
 
 4. After the lapse of fifteen minutes, which 
 was the time allowed between the falls, the 
 champions again grappled each other. Pol- 
 kinhorne showed his superior strength, by 
 frequently putting his antagonist forward, but 
 this " pully-hauly work," as wrestlers call it, 
 denjonstruted no superiority of skill. Pol- 
 kinhorne had once nearly got Cann on the 
 fore-hip, wliich would have been the prtdude 
 of a fair throw, but Cann, by using a favorite 
 
328 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 crook of the leg, for which lie is famous, dis- 
 engaged himself, though they both continued 
 their hold. They walked round the ring 
 closely grappled together, Cann now and then 
 iflicting a most severe kick on Polkinhorne's 
 leg, which discipline the latter, by frequently 
 flinching, began to show symptoms of not 
 liking. After a round of ten minutes they 
 both fell. 
 
 5. This round displayed nothing peculiarly 
 interesting. Both men instanced the aston- 
 ishing strength of their hands by freeing them- 
 selves from the holds of each other. After a 
 considerable time they mutually separated, 
 without either falling. 
 
 G. After considerable exertion on both sides, 
 the men fell together, the Cornishman under. 
 
 7 and 8. These rounds were marked by 
 some fine play, and were evidently in favour 
 of Cann, who showed that he possessed tlie 
 valuable qualification of holding out. Pol- 
 kinhorne appeared much distressed by the 
 severe kicks which Cann inflicted with his 
 right foot, and repeatedly attempted to close 
 with Cann, in order to settle the matter by 
 main strength, but Cann persevered in keep- 
 ing him off, evidently with the intention of 
 wearing him out, for the Devonshire hei'o has 
 the superiority over Polkinhorne in point of 
 wind. Cann continued his kicking system 
 for some time, when the Cornishman, by a 
 desperate effort, closed with him, and got him 
 on the hip. Cann then had recourse to his 
 favorite crook of the leg, and threw Polkin- 
 horne, what was almost universally deemed a 
 back fall, but, to the surprise of every body 
 present, it was given against Devonshire. A 
 dispute of nearly an hour first occupied the 
 two committees. 
 
 9, 10, 11, and 12. During these rounds Pol- 
 kinhorne showed play ; that is, he acted less 
 cautiously, and more on the ofiensive. Cann 
 continued to kick him most severely, and was 
 evidently getting a better man, while Polkin- 
 horne was losing ground. At last, however, 
 in the 12th round, a desperate struggle took 
 place, and Cann, contrary to the expectations 
 of all present, was thrown another fall, which 
 by some was declared to be fair, and by others 
 not. 
 
 Remarks. — This match was decided by 
 main strength. Cann, as has been before ob- 
 served, was no match for Polkinhorne in 
 point of size, and, though the Devonshire 
 hero has been beaten, he has gained consider- 
 able celebrity by the manner in which he held 
 out ; and there is no doubt but the victory 
 would have been his, had not the dispute 
 about the fall in the 8th round afforded Pol- 
 kinhorne time to regain his wind, which he 
 had almost entirely lost. Cann is a very 
 modest unassuming man, and gave in to the 
 decision of the umpires without a dissenting 
 word ; but, when the dispute concerning the 
 fall occurred, Polkinhorne did not show him- 
 self very ready to acquiesce in defeat. It was 
 the feeling of the majority of the ring, that 
 
 Cann was not fairly treated. Let this be as 
 it may, Cann would undoubtedly have thrown 
 twenty men of his own weight, one after the 
 other. The pride of Devonshire has no need 
 to be ashamed of the issue of the match. He 
 is an honor to the West, and, should he again 
 meet Polkinhorne, it is very likely that the 
 palm will not be borne off to the western side 
 of the Tamar. — Cann has always been eager 
 for another trial. 
 
 The Grand Match between Abraham (Jann 
 and Gaffney, was decided on Monday, Sept. 
 24, 1827, at the Golden Eagle, Mile End Road, 
 Cann betting £60 to £50, three fair backfalls 
 out of Five. Two to One, and higher odds, 
 were laid upon the ground, and taken by the 
 Patlanders. 
 
 The concourse of spectators was immense, 
 amongst whom were great numbers of sport- 
 ing characters. The crowd at length, became 
 excessive. The roofs of the long line of 
 boxes or sheds, which surround the green, 
 were filled with spectators; and about two 
 hundred, who could get no better accommo- 
 dation, climbed the poplars to witness the 
 contest. At four, Cann threw his hat into the 
 ring ; and shortly after, whilst expectation 
 was on the stretch for the appearance of 
 Gaflney, a tremendous crash was heard ; in 
 fact, a large portion of the tiled roofs of the 
 boxes gave way, and precipitated some hun- 
 dreds of persons to the ground. As soon as 
 it was ascertained that the fallen persons had 
 nothing to bewail but dirty faces, crushed 
 hats, and light bruises, shouts of laughter were 
 uttered at their dismal and frightened appear- 
 ance. At length the two champions shook 
 hands and grappled, and the attention of the 
 immense crowd was intense. Cann was ex- 
 tremely quick in getting the hold, and his 
 adversary's left hand was over his shoulder 
 grasping his loose jacket, while his right was 
 more firmly fixed on the waistband. Gaffney, 
 immediately he had got his hold, set to work, 
 and acted as much as possible on the offensive ; 
 whilst Cann remained almost fixed to the 
 earth, his face expressing great caution, and 
 as great confidence and self-possession. 
 Gaffney kicked very much at the shins of 
 Cann, but they exhibited no signs of punish- 
 ment, though the sound resounded through 
 the ring ; whilst, after Cann had inflicted a 
 few retorts upon the shins of Gaffney, his 
 worsted stockings were sopped with blood, 
 and his laced shoe of the left foo-t seemed 
 saturated like that of a slaughterer from the 
 shambles. After a close contest of four mi- 
 nutes and fifty seconds, Cann gave his adver- 
 sary a fair back fall. This was a beautiful 
 throw, given in the best possible style. 
 
 2d. This bout was well contested, and Cann 
 administered some severe punishment to Gaff- 
 uey's. shins. His repeated kicks caused the 
 blood to flow profusely. Gaffney was thrown 
 after a struggle of fifteen minutes ; but the 
 umpires decided that it was not a fair back 
 fall. 
 
PIERCE EGANS IJOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 3-29 
 
 3d. Tliis was a most interesting bout. GiilT- 
 ney succeeded in gaining the inner ciook, but 
 the superior science of Cann enabled him to 
 avoid a back fall. 
 
 4th. This bout lasted nearly twenty minutes, 
 and was well contested, and at length Gaffney 
 was thrown. There were loud cries of" Fair," 
 " Foul," &c., but the umpires, on being ap- 
 pealed to, decided that it was not a fair fall. 
 
 5th. This was a short bout, and Gaffney was 
 laid on his back. The match being the best 
 of five back falls, and Gaffney not having 
 thrown Cann as yet, the betting underwent 
 considerable alteration, and, to use the phra- 
 seology of Josh. Hudson, " It was a horse to 
 a hen." 
 
 Cth. Gaffney came to the scratch evidently 
 exhausted, and was thrown, but not a fair 
 fall 
 
 7tl). Gaffney ^^as thrown a heavy fall, and, 
 on getting up, said his shoulder was put out, 
 and that he resigned the contest. The Devon- 
 shiremen then threw up their hats in hiy,li 
 glee, and Cann left the ground amidst deaf- 
 ening cheers. 
 
 Remarks. — As a Wrestler, we have never 
 seen any one like Abraham Cann ; he appears 
 to us to use his legs with the same facility 
 and judgment as Jack Randall exercised his 
 fists in the P. R. This is saying quite enough 
 to place Abraham Cann at the top of the tree 
 amongst Wrestlers. 
 
 Second Dav.^ — The match for forty sove- 
 reigns commenced on Tuesday evening at the 
 Eagle Tavern, Riile End. Several first-rate 
 players were in attendance, among others, 
 Abraiiam and James Cann, Copp, Thorne, 
 Chappell, &c. The conditions were, that 
 twenty standard players should be made ; the 
 standards either to throw two men, or to 
 thruw one man and hold out ten minute.s 
 against two oth.ers. 
 
 The articles having been read, Parish threw 
 his castor into the ring, and his challenge 
 was immediately accepted by Taylor, a Berk- 
 shire man. The bout was altogether devoid 
 of interest, and ended in Taylor being fhrown. 
 Finney, a tall, athletic Irishman- tlien en- 
 tered the ring, but Parish, although little more 
 than half his size, contrived to hold out. 
 
 Finney was then matched against Ajurray, 
 whom he threw easily, 
 
 I'arish and Finney. — These two men having 
 thrown one man, and held out another, were 
 again matched ; having only to hold out to 
 make themselves standards, the tiling was 
 very quietly arranged between them — they 
 pulled each other about until time was called, 
 without an attempt to throw on either side. 
 Uncle Ben, who had bet upon I'arish, said it 
 was a complete humbug. 
 
 Euston and Jordan held out. 
 Rliddleton and Jordan. — In this bout tliere 
 was some very excellent play, and it Vvas the 
 first in vvhich the men went to work in any 
 thing like earnest. After manoeuvring for a 
 few minutes, iMiddleton threw liis opponent a 
 heavy back 1;;:!. 
 
 Middlefon and Clargoe. — This bout was 
 well-contested, and it was generally con- 
 sidered the former would be unable to stand 
 the severe kicking of Clargoe. They held 
 out until time was called, when it was found 
 that (31argoc had sprained his ancle. 
 
 Knight and Lyon. — A well contested match, 
 and held out. 
 
 James Cann, brother of Abraham Cann, 
 and Knight. — This bout excited considerable 
 interest, Jam>^s Cann being considered by 
 many persons to be as expert a wrestler as 
 his brother, and Knight is generally considered 
 a good one. There were several bets made on 
 the event. Cann displayed considerable skill, 
 and threw his opponent easily. His success 
 appeared to damp the spirits of the other 
 players, and he continued in the ring six 
 minutes without meeting with an opponent. 
 Hutchins at length tried his luck with him, 
 and was thrown in fine style. 
 
 Several other matches were played, and the 
 sport continued until dark, when the follow- 
 ing were declared standard players: — Parish, 
 Finney, James Cann, Easton, and Clarke. 
 
 Third Day. — The AV'restling on A\'ednes- 
 day was renewed with great animation. A 
 great number of the best Wrestlers in London, 
 who showed great unwillingness to come for- 
 ward on the preceding day, were obliged to 
 make themselves standards, or relinquish their 
 chance for the prizes altogether ; in conse- 
 quence of which the sports were of the best 
 description. The play was principally con- 
 fined to the Devonshiremen ; only one Cornish 
 Wrestler was present (Saunders, of tb.e Cold- 
 stream Regiment of Guards), and he quickly 
 made himself a standard by throwing two 
 men. TAvelve double players were made. 
 Abraham Cann closed the play by throwing 
 • one man. Among the double players are the 
 following names: — James Cann, Sanders, 
 Copp, IMiddleton, Thorne, Pyle, Finney, 
 Clarke, &c. 
 
 Fourth Day. — The match terminated on 
 Thursday, in the presence of an immenst^ 
 number of the patrons of this manly sjjort. 
 The following matches wer'! the most worthy 
 of notice : — 
 
 JMiddleton andSaundeis. — This match was 
 well contested throughout; IMiddleton did 
 his best to win, but fortune favoured his rival, 
 and he was reluctantly compelled to rest his 
 back on his mother earth. 
 
 James Cann and Bell. — The name of the 
 former was no sooner announced than the 
 winner was named — Bell was on his back in 
 less than a second. 
 
 Jennings and Finney. — This bout lasted 
 upwards of half an hour, and several falls 
 were given, but none of them fair back ones. 
 The last fall was disputed, amidst loud cries 
 of " Foul, fair," &c. 'i he umpires were re- 
 ferred to, but ihev differed in opinion; and 
 the referee, on being api)ealed to,j^(lecided in 
 favour of Finney. 
 
 A disj)ute arose amongst the respective 
 partiiuns of the men, as to the decision 
 
330 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 Uncle Ben, who had sported his blunt on 
 Jennings, ofleied to bet a thousand pounds 
 that it was not a fair fall ; and Ned O'Neal, 
 who had betted on Finney, was equally cer- 
 tain that it was. After a very long wrangle 
 the men were taken from the ring. 
 
 Thorne and Knight. — This match was like a 
 donkey's gallop, short and sweet, and decided 
 in favour of the former. 
 
 Saunders and James Cann. — This was de- 
 cidedly tiie best bout throughout the whole 
 three days' play. In the opinion of the best 
 judges it was inipofsible the men could be 
 more fairly matched, and the bets were ac- 
 cordingly even. Each tried to gain his 
 favourite hold, and when they closed, the 
 display of science and strength exhibited by 
 each in the struggle for the fall elicited ap- 
 plause from all parts of the ring. Saunders 
 avoided a fair back fall for upwards of half 
 an hour; but his opponent proved too much 
 for him, and he was compelled to yield. 
 
 Abraham Cann (the Devonshire Champion) 
 and Copp. — The latter is acknowledged to be 
 an out-and-out good one, but it was evident 
 he stood no chance with the Champion ; he 
 however displayed considerable science, and 
 proved himself to be no easy customer. He 
 fell defeated, but not dishonoured. 
 
 Abraham Cann and Thorne. — In this, as in 
 the former bout, the result was obvious, and 
 Thorne was soon laid on his back. 
 
 Tiie umpires then decided Abraham Cann 
 entitled to the first prize, £12. James Cann 
 to the second, £10. 
 
 Finney and Thorne being the last two 
 thrown, contended for the last two prizes, 
 when, after a slight struggle, the latter was 
 thrown. 
 
 Finney was declared entitled to the liiird 
 prize, £5. 
 
 Thorne to 'he last, £3. 
 
 The sports were conducted throughout with 
 the greatest regularity, and afforded a tine 
 treat to the company assembled. 
 
 At Leeds, in April, 1828, several days " good 
 play" took place, but we have selected the 
 double play for the amusement of our readers : 
 — as several iirst-rate names appear in the 
 various trials of skill : — Holt and Burnet had 
 a very severe turn; the latter was thrown: 
 Clark and Wreford, the former gave up the 
 point; Robert Stone and Bell, two good little 
 ones, played a pretty turn, the latter was 
 thrown ; James Cann and Pook, the latter 
 was thrown. On Abraham Cann and Finney 
 mounting the stage, great expectations were 
 raised of its being likely to be a good display 
 of the science. 'J'hey were not hitched above 
 live minutes, when Finney gave Cann an ex- 
 cellent foil,* and had it not been overdone, 
 the point at issue between them would have 
 been decided. The men again set to, when 
 Finney was decidedly thrown in about ten 
 
 * InforiiiatioD from several sources, that this was as 
 f:«ir A fall as was ever thi'oun, h;is leacheil us 
 
 minutes. — Joe Butler (Bull-calf) and Jame« 
 Stone were then called, and Butler was 
 thrown after about twenty minutes' good play. 
 — Roach and Cahir, the latter gave his back. 
 Jordan and Webber, the last of whom also gave 
 his back. — King and Pyle, a well-matched 
 pair, who played an excellent bout, which was 
 terminated by King being thrown. This 
 ended the double play. 
 
 The triple play commenced with James 
 Cann and James Stone, the latter quickly 
 picked up the former, and threw him a com- 
 plete somerset, heels over head. — Abraham 
 Cann and W re ford then set to, when the 
 latter was thrown. — Pyle was absent, and 
 Bolt was given the fall. — Roach was thrown 
 by Jordan. 
 
 The quadruple play commenced with Bolt 
 and Robert Stone, when the latter was thrown. 
 — Abraham Cann and Jordan tossed for who 
 should have the fall, when Jordan lost. 
 
 The quintuple play was between Bolt and 
 James Stone ; the latter took the former up 
 in his arms, as he had before done with 
 James Cann, and flung his heels over his 
 head. 
 
 There now only remained to contend for 
 the first and second prizes — Abraham Cann 
 and James Stone — and such were the exer- 
 tions of both, that a vast number of bets were 
 laid on the result, the odds being in favor of 
 Cann. Every eye was fixed upon their move- 
 ments, and Stone's strength and dexterity 
 drew forth thunders of applause. He was, 
 however, finally thrown, after upvvards of an 
 hour's struggle. This concluded the play 
 and the daylight, and tlie prizes were awarded 
 as follows ; — A. Cann the first, of £30 ; James 
 Stone the second, of £20 ; Bolt the third, of 
 £l5; Jordan the fourth, of £10; Robert 
 Stone the fifth, of £7 ; and Roach the sixth, 
 of £5. 
 
 The sports were terminated with the great- 
 est good humour among all parties. Not a 
 blow took place, nor even an angry or improper 
 word was uttered during the whole of the 
 time. 
 
 In Devonshire, early in June, 1828, the 
 Wrestling INIatch in St. Thomas's, adjoining 
 Exeter, commenced ; at which, Woolaway, 
 Wreford, Simon, "Webber, Huxtable, Jackman, 
 and Flower, from the North ; the Underdowns, 
 F'reys, &c. from the east, were particularly 
 noticed. The champion, attended by his bro- 
 ther James, Roach, &c., was on the ground, 
 but not playable — he was hobbling under all 
 the acute sensations of gout. Persons enter- 
 taining suspicion that this was assumed, 
 Abraham, with great naivete, produced his 
 swollen and burning foot, convincing the 
 most sceptical of the painful reality. His 
 success as a wrestler is without parallel — all^ 
 however, must regret that a brave and modest 
 man, who has so long upheld the character of 
 his native county in this way, has not reaped 
 that solid reward to which his prowess entitled 
 him, and that the future has cold, cheerless 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 J31 
 
 scant in the prospect James Cann kept liim- 
 self in reserve for i\is match in the metropolis, 
 with Gafl'ney. During the second day — Joiin 
 Webber, of Exeter, and Holmes, literally a 
 couple of chiclcens, presented themselves. The 
 former, an apprentice to a baker, and scarcely 
 eighteen years of age, has figured at our juve- 
 nile matches for some time, and acquired such 
 celebrity as to be dubbed '' The Champion," 
 a title he aii})ears well to merit. He is of 
 short stature, but strongly limbed, and well- 
 made, and came every thing so completely 
 « la Cann, that a delightful ring testified their 
 approbation by loud and continued plaudits ; 
 indeed, if he but uses time to come, as he 
 appears to have done that which is past, the 
 day is not distant when he will compete with 
 the first wi-estlers in Devon ; he is at present 
 the best copy of a master in the art, of whom 
 it seems we must take leave, that has appear- 
 ed. At the end of four minutes, Webber 
 gathered his man up in Abraham's best style, 
 and laid him tlat as a pancake on mother 
 earth. He was called for at the booths, and 
 received an instant and well-merited re\^ard 
 for his exertions. On the third day Webber 
 again entered the ring with George Clarke, of 
 St. Thomas, amidst loud cheers. Clarke is 
 also a stripling, but with advantage in point 
 of age. It was an excellent match, and the 
 baker, to the fullest extent, supported his 
 previous character — he came it again after 
 Abraham's fashion, and the lock with the left 
 seemed his favorite— this he essayed again 
 and again, but wanted a little more weight to 
 bring him over ; nothing daunted by failure, 
 he persevered, and at the end of thirty minutes, 
 locking himself firmly with the left inner, his 
 opponent gave way before the extraordinary 
 force applied, and was brought over in the 
 tinest style, loud shouts te.-lifying the appro- 
 bation of the spectators. 
 
 The final round brought Woolaway and 
 Wreford together ; this was a treat worth 
 riding 100 miles to witness ; they are both 
 well known, and the odds were in favor of 
 Woolaway at setting to ; the foils, however, 
 changed the aspect of affairs ; and ill eighteen 
 minutes Wreford laid his powerful opponent 
 on his back in the very first style. 
 
 The prizes were awarded as follows : — 
 Wreford first prize, £12 ; W^oolaway second, 
 £8 ; Robert Underdown third, £5 ; Archer 
 fourth, £3 ; Bradford fifth, £2 ; and Westlake 
 sixth, £1 10s. — The match closed at a quarter 
 to eight o'clock. 
 
 There was some excellent play at Paignton, 
 from the 29th to the 31st ult. The crack turn 
 cf the match was between Archer and Hyne. 
 Archer is a youth of extraordinary promise, 
 and possessing great good nature ; Hyne's 
 qualities every frequenter of the ring is ac- 
 quainted with. Ihey are both severe pu- 
 nishers, and played in the most masterly 
 manner ; it was a succession of foils for one 
 hour and forty minutes, when a wish beijig 
 expressed that they should decide the matter 
 
 by a toss, it was complied with, and Archer 
 won. Ghaff had the first prize, of £8 ; 
 Archer the second, of £4 ; Pook the third, 
 of £2 ; besides which, each standard had 5s , 
 and the first 10s. in addition. 
 
 In June, 1828, a match took place at the 
 Eagle Tavern, in the City-road, for £20, be- 
 tween the celebrated Jaimes Cann, of Devon- 
 shire, and a youngCornishnian of good repute, 
 of the name of Olver. After a match for a 
 sovereign had been |)layed between Copp and 
 Finney, which the former won, the two men 
 first named entered the ring, and, after shak- 
 ing hands, grappled each other. In a few 
 minutes it was evident that Olver was not only 
 the younger and stronger man, but that he 
 possessed equal, if not more, science and 
 quickness than his opponent. In a few 
 minutes he caught Cann up in his arms for 
 the heave, but the latter, though he could not 
 prevent the fall, contrived to save his back ; 
 at least the Umpires decided that it was not a 
 fair back fall, although many of the specta- 
 tors thought otherwise. A number of fnils 
 followed, mostly in favor of the Cornishnmn ; 
 but such was the dependance on Cann, that 
 2 to 1 on him could find no takers. After an 
 hour's excellent play, in which Cann was 
 foiled in all his efforts, Olver succeeded in 
 giving him a burster, in the shape of a somer- 
 set, his heels being tossed up in the air, by 
 which he was so much stunned that he leaned 
 against one of the posts of the ring, and finally 
 relinquished the contest, which was to have 
 been the first two falls out of three. This 
 unexpected event gained Olver much ap- 
 plause, as the Canns have heretofore carried 
 every thing before them. A medical gentle- 
 man bled Cann, who was conveyed home in a 
 coach, and it was some time before he re- 
 covered from the stunning effects of the fall. 
 Olver stated that his brother and himself 
 would wrestle with Abraham Cann and his 
 brother, for £50 a-side. 
 
 In the above month, also, a Wrestling 
 Match which excited the Irish part of the 
 Fancy to attend at the Wellington Ground, 
 Chelsea, to witness a trial of skill and strength 
 between Philip Gaffney and George Saun- 
 ders (a Cornish man) for forty sovereigns. 
 On entering the ring, at half past five, it was 
 at once seen that Gaffney was not only taller, 
 but also considerably heavier than his antag- 
 onist. Betting, 2 to 1 on Gafl'ney. 
 
 The articles being read, two of three fair 
 back falls, the men set to without shoes, and 
 after some very cautious play, a close took 
 place, and both fell— Saunders under. On 
 again meeting, the men gripped each other, 
 'aunders endeavouring to obtain a favourite 
 liold ; but Gaffney foiled his attempts, and 
 seizing him round the body threw him heavily, 
 but only a side fall. (The Patlanders in ex- 
 tacies — "Isn't he a broth of a boy? Sure 
 that was a fair side fall !") After a short 
 pause, the men again grappled, and some ex- 
 ceeding good play followed, in which the 
 
332 
 
 PIRRCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Btrenath of GalTney gave liim every advantape, 
 and Saunders was again thrown heavily, but 
 not fairly on his back. (Shouts from the Irish 
 gentlemen, and 10 to 1 on Gaffney.) 
 
 Aftor a lapse of a few minutes, the men 
 met again, shook hands, and prepared for the 
 tug of war anew ; and Saunders w as again 
 undermost, but on his side. Gaffney now 
 appeared determined to end the business at 
 once, and commenced a furious attack, which 
 was met with uncommon skill and coolners by 
 Saunders, whose exertions were loudly and 
 deservedly applauded. After a strugj;le of 
 very long continuance, the strength of Gaff- 
 ney again befriended him, and he had the best 
 of a foil ; but when on the ground, he forced 
 Ills antagonist's head to the earth in rather an 
 unfriendly way, which was observed and fol- 
 lowed by a shower of hisses. Gaffney now 
 began to be more cautious, and puffed a little, 
 seeming anxious to recover his wind. Several 
 others followed, in which " Fair! foul ! fair !" 
 was bandied about on both sides, but only 
 one of which was at all in favour of Saun- 
 ders, who, at the expiration of an hour and a 
 half, was thrown another burster, which re- 
 sounded through the ring, and from the eil'ccts 
 of which he remained on the earth in a state 
 of total insensibility. 
 
 A medical aentleman, who was on the 
 ground, immediately opened a vein in his right 
 arm, and after taking a considerable quantify 
 of blood from him, he showed signs of return- 
 ing animation, and was removed into the Wel- 
 lington, and put to bed. 
 
 Saunders was completely overmatched, and 
 h:td not half a chance from first to last. Had 
 the match been with a fair shoe and stockinjr, 
 the match would have been more equal — the 
 heavy kicking of Saunders acting as a coun- 
 terpoise to the Herculean strength of Gaffney. 
 A bye-match between little Avery, the 
 merry little baker (always first on the ground, 
 ard the last to leave it), and young Pardue, 
 was worth a score such matches. Avery was 
 victor. 
 
 The parties met at Tom Cribb's on Friday 
 evening, when Gaffney demanded the stHkes. 
 Cribb produced a letter from the backer of 
 Saunders, interdicting his giving up the 
 stakes, on the ground that offers of money h:id 
 been made to Saunders to lose the match ; but 
 of this there was no attempt at proof what- 
 ever, and Gaffney received the stakes, while 
 all bets verc paid. James Cann was present, 
 and offered to wrestle Gaffney the best two in 
 three frtir buck falls, with fair shoe and stock- 
 ing, for £;30. Gaffney objected to his wrest- 
 ling with anj thing but a light shoe; Cann 
 would not accede, and the business went off. 
 Indeed the AVellington Ground throughout 
 the wholeof the lastwei k in June, presented a 
 lively scene for the admirers of athletic sports. 
 The two first days of which were devoted to 
 making standards; and on Wednesday the 
 dciuble play commenced, in the presence of 
 Uj<\^ardsof one thousand spectators, one huii 
 
 dred of whom were noblemen and gentlemen 
 of the first distinction, among whom were — 
 Earls Grey and Talbot ; Lords Falmouth, 
 Clanwilliam, Elliott, H. Kerr, Valletort, 
 Wallscourl ; Honourable John Fortescue, 
 Hon. — Grey, Sir John Shelley, Bart., Sir 
 Charles Lemon, Bart., SirOeors^e Bampfvlde, 
 — Benett, Esq. M. P. for Milts, Rice "Tre- 
 vor, Esq. M.P., General Sir H. Vivian, M.P., 
 E. Pendarves, Esq., — Praed, Esq., Captain 
 Handley, &cc. 
 
 Shortly after two o'clock the ground was 
 opened, and lots were drawn to determine 
 which men should oppose each other, there 
 being exactly 13 Cornishmen, 13 Devonshire- 
 men, 1 Irishman, and 1 Cumberland man, 
 double players, making 14 couple, the Irish- 
 man being taken on the side of Cornwall, 
 and the Cumberland man on the side of Devon ; 
 after which the men entered the ring in the 
 following order : — Randall and Batstone, the 
 former was quickly thrown — Trenery and 
 Kerslake, a tedious bout, which, after fifty 
 minutes' duration, was decided by a toss 
 which Trenery lost — Trewicke and Andrews, 
 the latter was thrown after a short but good 
 turn — AVarren and Pxle, the former was 
 thrown — Finney and Steers, the latter was the 
 victor — Austin and I'erry, the former of whom 
 is a tall strong man, and the latter a diminu- 
 tive man, but remarkably strong built, pulkd 
 each other ab.out for a considerable time and 
 then tissed for it, which was won by Perry — ■ 
 Avery and French, the latter was thrown — 
 Johnson and Knight, the latter was thrown 
 — Olver and Tucker, the former threw his 
 man in such quick time as gained the applause 
 of all present — Thorn and Bennett, the latter 
 was thrown — James Cann and Bowden, the 
 former of course was victorious — Copp and 
 Julyan, the latter was thrown, but received 
 great applause for the manner in which he 
 played Copp, as he was considerably advanced 
 beyond the grand climacteric — 'Cocks and 
 Middleton, the latter was thrown. 
 
 Thus ended the double play, considerably 
 in favour of Devonshire, the winners being as 
 follows : — 
 
 Devon. — J. Cann, Thorn, Batstone, Kers- 
 lake, Steers, Pyle, Copp, Mossop (Cumber- 
 land), Perry, Avery. 
 
 Cornwall. — Olver, Trewicke, Johnson, 
 and Cocks. 
 
 Lots were again drawn, and the men en- 
 tered for the triple play in the following 
 order: — James Cann and Olver. It was 
 generally supposed that these were the best 
 men of each county, and much interest was 
 excited by the match. Great strength, agility, 
 and science were displayed by both the men. 
 Cann played much better than when he last 
 played with (Jlver, and succeeded in one 
 instance in throwing him, according to the 
 opinion of many round the ring, but tlie 
 umpires decided against its being a fair fall ; 
 but Cann had quitted the ring, and refused to 
 enter attain, considering he had fairly won it. 
 
PIERCE EGANS HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 333 
 
 At tlie request of several of the noblemen 
 present, however, he again entered the ring, 
 and was thrown. Johnson was then thrown, 
 by Thorn, Hatston by Cocks, Kerslake by 
 Trewicke, a rattler in quick time ; Perry by 
 Stec?o, Avery by Pyle, and Mossop by Copp. 
 The latter was an excellent turn ; Mossop is a 
 remarkably strong; young man, and gave Copp, 
 who is one of the best Wrestlers in London, 
 much trouble ; l)ut Copp tinally succeeded in 
 throwing him, when the approach of night put 
 an end to the sports. 
 
 On Thursday the play was concluded. Tiie 
 sevi>n follow ing men were the only ones that 
 had to play for the five pi izes, viz. — 
 
 For Cornwall — 0'.ver,Trewickeand Cocks. 
 For Devon — Steers, Copp, Pyle, and Thorn. 
 Lots were drawn for the odd man, and also 
 for the manner in which the remaining three 
 couple were to enter the ring. It fell to 
 I'yle's lot to be the odd man, and the remain- 
 ing six men entered the ring in pairs, as 
 follows : — Olver and Thorn — " a hoi-se to a 
 lien" — the latter thrown in five minutes. — 
 Trewicke and Copp ; several foils took place 
 between these men, but the strength of Tre- 
 wicke proved irresistible, and every time he 
 threw Copp he injured him, till he at length 
 fell an easy victim. Cocks and Steers ; the latter 
 was now the only hope of Devon, and though 
 a very clever wrestler, and a fine young man, 
 he found a troublesome customer in Cocks, 
 and for a long time the point was doubtful 
 between them ; at length Steers succeeded in 
 throwing him, for which he was loudly ap- 
 plauded. 
 
 The winning men of both counties were 
 now brought to a level, there being two for 
 each county, viz. : — Olver and Trewicke for 
 Cornwall ; and Steers and Pyle for Devtn. 
 
 Trewicke and Pyle first entered forthequin- 
 truple play. Pyle, as usual, played cautiously, 
 but had not sufficient strength to resist his 
 powerful opponent, whose wonderful strength 
 ■was the admiration of the ring, and finally 
 gained him a fall ; it was, however, so much 
 disputed, that the men again hitched, when 
 Pyle was decisively thrown. 
 
 Olver and Steers. — These men excited 
 considerable interest ; they were both fine 
 young men, but t)lver appeared to have con- 
 siderably the advantage in point of strength 
 and bulk ; he had also dispatched the last 
 man he had wrestled with in quick time, and 
 with little or no exertion ; while Steers, on 
 the contrary, had had much trouble in bring- 
 ing his opponent (Cocks) to his back, and 
 when called upon, had not recovered from the 
 fatigue of his first encounter. He played 
 Olver, however, with great animation and 
 spirit, and received much applause ; but he 
 was ultimately thrown, and thus all opposi- 
 tion on the part of Devon was at an end. 
 
 Olver and Trewicke being now the only 
 remaining men unthrown, were called upon to 
 contend for the first and second prizes; but 
 Trewicke resigned the point in favor of filver, 
 
 declaring his inability to contest it with him, 
 but expressed his willingness to play if the 
 gentlemen required it. After this explanation 
 it was considered unfair to require it, as they 
 were both from one county ; and the prizes 
 were adjudged as follows ; — Olver, the first, 
 £12; Trewicke, the second, £G ; (Steers and 
 Pyle tossed) Steers, the third, £3; Pyle, the 
 fourth, £2; and Copp, the fifth, £l. The 
 double players received .5s. each. 
 
 Early in the month of October, 1S28, a 
 wrestling-match took place at the grounds of 
 the Eagle Tavern in the City Road, between 
 Olver and Finney, the former a noted wres- 
 tler frcim Cornwall, who has floored all who 
 opposed him since his arrival in London, and 
 the latter an Irishman, who, though he could 
 neither fight, wrestle, or play at single-stick 
 in first-rate stjle, yet, neveitheless, he has 
 often proved a troublesome customer to sci- 
 entific professors in all the above games. — 
 M'ith but little knowledge of the art of wrest 
 ling, Finney accidentally, but fairly, threw 
 Abraham Cann, at Leeds, and having lately 
 supposed himself to have had the best of 
 Olver in a trial of slall at the wrestling-rooms, 
 he challenged him for twenty sovereigns 
 a-side, which Olver accepted, and on Tues- 
 day the men met to decide the point. About 
 four o'clock, after S(jme minor matches, the 
 two principals entered the ring, and began to 
 peel. Olver did not appear to be in good 
 condition, and seemed to lack that confident 
 superiority with which he used formerly to 
 enter the ring. He attempted, as usual, to 
 smile, but it was the smile of disdain at being 
 called upon by one who, without much chance 
 of throwing him, might foil his best endea- 
 vours. Finney, while " stacking his duds," 
 con\eyed no very cheering hope to his backers 
 — he was remarkably pale, and altogether out 
 of condition. They advanced to the centre of 
 the ring, shook hands, and commenced by 
 violently kicking each other. During the 
 first half hour Olver was said by good judges 
 to have missed two or three opportunities of 
 throwing Finney, and was once near being 
 thrown by him. For forty minutes the play 
 was of the most uninteresting and tedious 
 description, during which Finney appeared 
 to have imparted to the scientific movements 
 of Olver that awkwardness which accom- 
 panied his own. At length Finney, who ap- 
 peared nearly winded, anrl found no good 
 result from the unmerciful kicking which 
 took place between them, accused Olver of 
 having extra padding under his stockings ; 
 this the latter did not deny, but insisted o\\ 
 his right to have it, which was denied by the 
 partisans of Finney, and a warm altercation 
 took place, during which ''foul, foul!" — 
 " fair, fair!" was bandied about by their re- 
 spective partisans, and all was getting " con 
 fusion worse confounded," when the articles 
 were called for, and read by a jierson in the 
 ring. By them it appeared that the match 
 was to be decided by the first two fair Inck 
 
i34 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 falls out of three, with fair shoe and padding, 
 and Olver was adjudged to slip down his 
 stockings, from out of which two pieces of 
 padding were withdrawn. Before this point 
 was decided a heavy shower of rain delayed 
 the proceedings for another half hour, and 
 threw an additional damp on the previously 
 dissatisfied spectators. At length, the rain 
 having abated, tlie men again set-to upon 
 equal terms with regard to padding ; but bet- 
 ting, as at starting, was 2 to 1 on Olver, who 
 finally succeeded in giving Finney the first 
 fall ; but it was one of a most unsatisfactory 
 nature, as the receiver did cot emit one of 
 those hearty ejaculations which proceed from 
 paviors when handling a rammer, and which 
 convey so much gratification to the amateurs 
 of wrestling : it was given, however, against 
 Finney, who shortly after received another of 
 a similar description, which ended the match 
 in favor of Olver. but redounded little to his 
 previous credit ; indeed, he has fallen in the 
 estimation of many for not having defeated 
 Finney in a more masterly manner, and several 
 challenges to both will be the result of their 
 exhibition. Many, however, commented on 
 Olver's play, who would stand little chance 
 in his hands ; for, however it may be attempted 
 to deride Finney for his want of skill, it must 
 be allowed that he is a difficult man to throw, 
 and many who will not allow it would find it 
 to be so upon trial. A match between Avery, 
 the journeyman baker, and a young Cornish- 
 man, wound up the sports of the afternoon, 
 and afforded more gratification to the specta- 
 tors than the principal one. The Cornishman 
 appeared to lia\ e too much beer on board for 
 an active display of his powers, and lost the 
 match, when Avery threw a mock someiset, 
 which was followed by a challenge from Fin- 
 ney to Olver, to fight him for the same sum 
 (£40), to which no reply was given, and the 
 company separated. 
 
 In February, 1829, a Wrestling Match be- 
 tween Olvf.r and Saunders, both Cornish- 
 men, at the Eagle Tavern, in the City Road, 
 which excited considerable interest amongst 
 the supporters of the above Old English 
 Sport. 
 
 About three o'clock in the afternoon the 
 grounds were well filled with spectators ; and 
 after two or three minor matches had been 
 played, Olver and Saunders entered the ring, 
 to contend for the first two fair back falls out 
 of three, for thirty sovereigns. It was agreed 
 that they should play with their shoes on, 
 and without padding, and a violent kicking, 
 bout was expected ; the friends of Saunders 
 relying principally upon his punishing abili- 
 ties with the shoe, which, they conceived, 
 Olver would not be able to withstand. On 
 con)ing to the scratch Saunders appeared in 
 fine condition, and in high spirits ; but Olver 
 seemed much out of condition, and advanced 
 to shake hands with his opponent with a very 
 desponding aspect. After five foils, and a 
 fine display of science, which occupied nearly 
 
 half an hour, Saunders sncceeded in throwing 
 Olver a fine fall. On setting-to again, Olver 
 showed symptoms of great weakness — he tot- 
 tered like a child ; but his mode of playing 
 was greatly admired. He several times at- 
 tempted to put in practice those masterly 
 heaves by which he gained so many prizes and 
 so much applause last summer ; but, though 
 Saunders is a comparatively light jnan to some 
 of those whom he liad so served, he was un- 
 able to lift him from the ground. After fifteen 
 niinutes' play, however, he succeeded in 
 throwing Saunders; but the fall was much 
 disputed by the partisans of Saunders, and a 
 violent altercation took place round the ring. 
 The Umpires, however, decided the point in 
 favor of Olver. During the resting-time be- 
 tween the falls, Olver's backer took him into 
 the house, and procured him some refresh- 
 ment ; Saunders remained in the ring. On 
 the return of Olver, the trial for the last fall 
 was resumed with more confidence on the 
 part of Olver. who tried to carry Saunders 
 over with the inner crook, but failed ; he then 
 struck him with the fore hip, but in this he 
 failed also; at length he seized Saunders by 
 the middle, and, by a desperate effort, turned 
 his heels up in the air, and threw him with 
 great violence a fine fall, amidst the enthu- 
 siastic acclamations of the spectators, many 
 of whom declared they had never seen a finer 
 fall. The friends of Saunders blame him for 
 not having kicked him enough; but injustice 
 to Olver we must say that he never once 
 flinched from the punishment inflicted on him, 
 nor was the kicking on either side so violent 
 as was expected. 
 
 Early in March, 1829, the second VV^restling 
 Match for the season also took place at the 
 above Tavern in the City Road, and the 
 muster was very strong of Cornish and Devon, 
 shire patrons. The match was betwixt James 
 Copp, a Devonian, and Francis Olver, of 
 Cornwall. Fifteen sovereigns aside was the 
 sum to be contended for, tiie two first back- 
 falls of three, and to be played in the Devon- 
 shire style, with fair shoe and padding. Copp 
 was the favorite with nine-tenths of those 
 present; but the well-known tactics of his 
 adversary prevented much betting. Several 
 minor bouts for small prizes were first played 
 to amuse the spectators ; and, at four o'clock, 
 Copp, who showed prime condition, threw his 
 hat into the ring, amidst loud cheers. Olver 
 followed his example, but was not so well 
 received. He, however, looked confident, 
 and much better than when he played Saun- 
 ders. After shaking hands, a siiarp turn at 
 off-kicking took place, each man waiting an 
 opportunity to make a favorite hitch. After 
 several feints Olver succeeded in getting a 
 hold, and they both grappled, Olver playing 
 for the fore-hip, and Copp using his best cau- 
 tion as a preventive. In this manner several 
 foils took place, and at length Olver was on 
 the point of trying the heave, when Copp, 
 whose fingers had become twisted in his ;in. 
 
PIKRCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 335 
 
 tagonist's jacket, and one of his nails torn 
 down to the quick, cried out, in some little 
 agony, " stop, stop." In an instant Olver 
 resigned his advantap;e, and left his man at 
 liberty. On again setling-to, Copp went to 
 work, but Olver was immovable, and siiowed 
 himself the stronger man: after a severe 
 struggle Copp was thrown on his side, Olver 
 falling at the same time. In another attempt 
 to strike the fore-hip, Olver suffered Copp 
 again to make his inner crook, the movement 
 on which he depended for ultimate success ; 
 but it was all wrong, for Olver, being unable 
 to extricate himself, by a masterly manoeuvre 
 hooked Copp's other leg, and giving him at 
 the same time a peculiar turn, threw him flat 
 on his back in his owu play, and fell rather 
 heavily on him. The Coppites cried "foul," 
 but both Umpires decided it a fair back fall. 
 The second turn commenced after a lapse of 
 ten minutes, and, for a short time, the off- 
 kicking was again resorted to. The bout 
 lasted half-an-hour, and was equally well 
 contested with the first, the foils being nearly 
 equal, and the play very superior to what is 
 generally seen; but the fill was ultimately 
 vvon by Copp, ^^ho made his lock as usual, 
 and Olver was brought down in attempting 
 the successful manoeuvre practised in the 
 previous turn. The friends of Copp offered 
 slight odds on his winning the third fall, 
 which were taken. When the third bout 
 began, both men went (o work in a desperate 
 manner, with mutual success, until " bellows 
 to mend" caused them to pause a little for 
 breath. Again they grappled, and, in a 
 struggle, Olver seized Copp round the waist, 
 and was gathering him in a fine position for 
 the "home ting," but, having inadveitently 
 grasped the handkerchief bound round Copp's 
 bod y,he was compelled, by the rules of fair play, 
 to relinquish his hold, and was consequently 
 left open for an instant to his opponent, who 
 threw him a heavy side-fall. After this turn, 
 Olver seemed to show weakness, and although 
 he foiled all Copp's attempts, yet, when he 
 had two fine op, ortunities to make the heave, 
 he could not stir Copp from the gr»und, and 
 barely saved himself. Copp saw his advan- 
 tage, and tiied to make the most of it; he 
 went in sharply, got a good firm hold, obtained 
 the usual crook, and was trying it on strong, 
 when Olver's jacket slipped over his head, 
 and he was free. (Loud laughter.) Another 
 severe struggle followed this, until both came 
 down together, neither on their backs, but in 
 such a position that the partisans of each in- 
 sisted that their man had won the fall. A 
 scene of shocking confusion followed, in the 
 midst of which Copp left the ring ; but Olver 
 kept his ground, and, when silence could be 
 obtained, the Umpires distinctly asserteii that 
 no fall had taken place. Copp was immedi- 
 ately informed of their decision, but he said 
 he had thrown his man, and refused to return 
 or wrestle any more. Olver remained several 
 minutes in the ring, but, finding his opponent 
 
 did not return, said he should of course claim 
 the stakes; and having also stated that he 
 was ready to make a match with Copp for £')0 
 or £100, and play within a month, he also 
 retired. Olver had the stakes given to him. 
 
 At the Eagle Tavern, City F{oad, in April, 
 1829, a match took place for £20, between 
 Philip Pyle and William Archer. In ap- 
 pearance Archer exhibited no superiority over 
 his veteran antagonist, except his youth ; but 
 when they grappled his strength was evidently 
 superior. Pyle. who has always been consi- 
 dered a heavy kicker, commenced with some 
 severe visitations to the padded shins of his an- 
 tagonist, who, nothing loath, repaid him in 
 his own coin, and apparently had the best of 
 it, as Pyle appeared to be the first to fight 
 siiy. After playing twenty-five minutes, 
 Archer took the inner crook with his left leg, 
 and, although Pyle put every manoeuvre in 
 execution to slip it, he could not, nor could 
 he prevent himself from receiving as fair a 
 back fall as was ever, perhaps, witnessed in 
 the London ring. When the second bout 
 commenced. Archer made almost instant play, 
 and again locked Pyle's right leg, but the 
 latter disengaged himself vei-y adroitly, and 
 threw Archer a foil, Avhich was much ap- 
 plauded. Archer got a little more on his 
 mettle after this, and went to work desperately; 
 but Pyle's coolness did not for a moment for- 
 sake him ; and although it was now quite 
 evident, even to himself, that he was over- 
 matched, yet the manner in Avhich he conti- 
 nued to save his back when repeatedly floored 
 with the toe, was the admiration of the ring. 
 — Once only did Pyle attempt to lead, butit 
 was no go ; and the only hope of his friends 
 was that he might tire the young one ; but 
 this hope was futile ; and at the expiration of 
 three quarters of an hour, after doing all that 
 man could to protract the struggle, and get 
 half a chance, Pyle was again thrown, by the 
 same lock, a second indisputable back fall, 
 and lost the match. — Archer played without 
 a shoe on the right foot, and the manner in 
 which Pyle kept out, prevented any extraor- 
 dinary display of tactics. He is, however, 
 a first-rate player, and the amateurs present 
 appeared highly satisfied with the match. 
 
 Cumberland and W estmoreland Wrest- 
 ling FOR a Silver Cup and other Prizes. — 
 On Good Friday, in 1829, the annual Wrest- 
 ling and Leaping Matches for ten distinct 
 prizes, raised by Subscription, and only 
 allowed to be played for by natives of the 
 above counties, took place at the Eyre Arms 
 Tavern, St. John's Wood, in the presence of 
 an immense assemblage of spectators, whom 
 the fineness of tlie morning and the usual 
 superiority of the sports had attracted to the 
 grounds. The prizes consisted of a silver 
 cup (the grand prize) value £20, six silver 
 snuff-boxes, two handsome gold seals, and a 
 chased gold watch-key, of the value of thirty 
 shillings, tiie latter to bo awarded to one of 
 ten candidates who should cover the greatest 
 
330 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 quantity of ground in two hops and a leap. 
 The grand prize was a beautiful piece of 
 workmanship, shaped as a vase, and made to 
 contain a quart; the outside richly ornamented, 
 nnd the inside gilt. On one side appeared 
 the (ifrures of two men wrestling, over which 
 was the uiotfo, " The labour itself is a plea- 
 sure ;" and on the other side, " Grand Prize, 
 played for by natives of Cumberland and 
 Westmoreland only, April 17th, 1829." Within 
 the lid of each box was engraved its nun)ber 
 as a prize, and the date. — Soon after twelve 
 o'clock the sports were commenced with the 
 hopping; and, after a very excellent display, 
 the gold key was awarded to a native of Cum- 
 berland. For the Wrestling prizes nearly two 
 hundred candidates entered their names on 
 the Committee's list ; and after some of the 
 finest play ever witnessed (in the style pecu- 
 liar to the counties of Westmoreland and 
 Cumberland, which is widely different from 
 the usual Cornish and Devonshire modes of 
 wrestling, but of which our limits will not 
 allow us to enter into a detail), four prizes 
 were adjudged as follows. — The grand prize 
 to Joseph Dobson, of Cubbom, "Westmore- 
 land. — A silver snuff-box, beautifully chased, 
 value £12, to Joseph Stamper, of Keswick, 
 Cumberland. — A plain silver snuff-box, value 
 £8, to Joseph Wells, also of Keswick. — 
 A silver box, value £.'5, to William Robin- 
 son, of Highcomb, Westmoreland. — The five 
 remaining prizes were then played for in a 
 second bout by the losing men in the first 
 play ; and, notwithstanding the unwelcome 
 visitations of several April showers, every 
 turn was admirably contested, and the final 
 decision was protracted until near night fall, 
 ^vhen they were awarded by the Committee in 
 the following manner : — A chased silver snuff- 
 box to Timothy Dobson, a relative of the for- 
 tunate winner of the silver cup. — 2nd A plain 
 silver snuff-box to John Elwood, of Appleby, 
 Cumberland. — 3rd. A silver box, of less 
 value, to John Hick, of Cumberland. — 4th. A 
 chased gold seal to Thomas F'oy, of West- 
 mo'-eland. — 5th. A plain gold seal, to Miles 
 Dodd, of Westmoreland. The company, which 
 was highly respectable, departed highly gra- 
 tified with the sports ; and the Committee, 
 with a very numerous party of friends, after- 
 v/ards partook of an excellent dinner, served 
 up in Messrs. Hinton and "Bailey's best style, 
 and did not separate until a late hour. 
 
 In the middle of July, 1829, the Eagle 
 Tavern, in the City Road, was again the scene 
 of Sporting events for five days in succession. 
 These games would be much more numerously 
 attended than they are, were it not for the 
 uninteresting and unnecessary delay of making 
 standards. In the present instance the making 
 of the standards was not completed before 
 nine o'clock on Wednesday evening, and much 
 dissatisfaction was expressed by the specta- 
 tors, to appease whom the conductors were 
 under the necessity of beginning the double 
 play at that late hour ; and Benjamin Sambell, 
 
 and Samuel Steers were called on to oppose 
 each other — the former a Cornishnian, and the 
 latter a Devonshire man, both of first-rate 
 science ; and from that moment the games be- 
 came lively, and far more interesting than 
 they had previously been. Two or three foils 
 took place between them, one of which was 
 so much in favor of Sambell, that he consi- 
 dered himself hardly dealt with in not having 
 it adjudged to him as a fall. He was shortly 
 afterwards thrown. Thorn and Howard, both 
 of Devonshire, were then called on ; and, after 
 a pretty turn, Howard was thrown. This 
 ended the sports of Wednesday. We cannot 
 omit to notice, however, a most interesting 
 turn that took place in the course of that day, 
 between Olver and Trewicke, both Cornish- 
 men, and extremely jealous of each other. 
 Meeting on the ground, and eager to decide 
 the point at issue, they entered the ring amid 
 the ])lau(lits of their friends. Three foils took 
 place, tlie first in favor of Trewicke, but the 
 two following, and finally the fall, were de- 
 cidedly in favor of Olver, whose superiority 
 was very apparent, and wlio has thus decided 
 a point upon which the amateurs of wrestling 
 were much divided. 
 
 On Thursday the double-play was renewed, 
 and in the commencement it appeared to be 
 all in favor of the men of Devon : but as the 
 play advanced the best men on both sides 
 were called into action, commencing with 
 Saunders, of Cornwall, and Jones, of Devon, 
 when the latter was thrown, after an excelltnt 
 display of the science. James Cann, of Devon, 
 and Oh er, of Cornwall, were then called, and 
 entered the ring amid loud cheers, as the hopes 
 of their respective counties appeared to de- 
 pend on the result of their contest ; and Cann 
 seemed to hold the opinion that he had not 
 been fairly thrown by Olver at their last 
 meeting. In about ten minutes, however, 
 Olver threw him by one of those high fore- 
 hips, which appear to be so dangerous to liin»- 
 self to try, but which, he assures us, ai"e 
 perfectly safe and effective, and of which, 
 indeed, he gave ocular demonstration. Wray- 
 ford, Devon — who, with James (Jann, had 
 been brought up from Devon, with a strong 
 hope of their getting the first and fiecond 
 prizes — was then called on to oppose James 
 Rook, of Cornwall ; but he fared no better 
 than his friend Cann, which blighted all the 
 hopes of the Devonians, as both their cham- 
 pions are thus altogether thrown out of any 
 share of the prizes. Olver caught Rook up 
 in his arms, as if he had been a child, and 
 carried him out of the ring in triumph, while 
 the exultation of the Cornishmen knew no 
 bounds, — The above noble game still maintains 
 its ground with unabated patronage, and num- 
 bers of young Wrksti.ers are continually 
 arriving from the country, not only to obtain 
 the standard of excellence (the LoNDONstamp), 
 but also to have a shy for the prizes offered by 
 INIr. Rouse, of the Eagle Tavern, City Road, 
 and other persons. — More anon. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 337 
 
 ^^h^ 
 
 
 THE CRICKETERS. 
 
 Now, Life, to me, has always seem'd a Game — 
 Not a mere game of chance, but one where skill 
 Will often throw the chances in our way — 
 
 Jostlike (my favorite sport) the GAME of CRICKET; 
 Where, tho' the match he well contested, still, 
 
 A steady player, careful of his fame. 
 
 May have a good long Innings, with fair play. 
 
 Whoever bowls, or stops, or keeps the wicket. 
 
 The above manly and noble game of Cricket 
 may be considered, without the fear of con- 
 tradiction, one of the truly denominated 
 BRITISH SPORTS; indeed, it may be said, 
 'Tis English, Sirs I from top to toe ! 
 
 The game having originated with our ances- 
 tors in Great Britain ; and for the last sixty 
 years it has not only obtained the support of 
 the nobility of the highest class in the. king- 
 dom, but also the flattering patronage of 
 Royalty. 
 22 
 
 The late King, George IV., when Prince of 
 Wales, was so much attached to the noble 
 Game of Cricket, that he ordered a piece of 
 ground to be railed in at Brighton, contiguous 
 to the Pavilion, and called the Prince's 
 Cricket ground ; and which retains its name 
 and situation to the present day. Upon the 
 above ground some very celebrated matches 
 have been contested ; and in which several 
 personages of great notoriety have exhibited 
 their talents with the bat and ball. The late 
 Lord Barrymore, who unfortunately lost his 
 life owing to bis blunderbuss accidentally 
 discharging its contents, as he was ascending 
 his Phaeton, very often appeared amongst the 
 celebrated " Elevens," at that period in high 
 repute all over the kingdom, as crack players. 
 
 Here also the late Duke of Richmond, thei* 
 
 Z 
 
338 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 well-known as the thorough-bred, affable, 
 jolly, good-natured, and high-spirited Colonel 
 Lennox, anxious at all times to keep the game 
 alive, a most distinguished cricketer, and a 
 great lover and patron of athletic sports upon 
 all occasions, displayed his knowledge of the 
 game : indeed, for a (oot-race, or a standing 
 or running jump, his agility and great speed 
 were so very conspicuous, that few men in the 
 kingdom could compete with the late Duke 
 of Richmond, at the period alluded to, with 
 any thing like a chance of success ; and, to 
 the last hour of his life, the above buoyancy 
 of good spirits never deserted him. In 
 Canada his Grace was quite a model for life 
 and activity for all the young officers ; indeed, 
 the company of the late Duke of Richmond 
 (who did not at all appear to feel the infirmi- 
 ties of age) was so much admired for the 
 de gaiete de caur, which he always possessed, 
 that he was surrounded by the ' young ones' at 
 all times, who had the permission to visit his 
 Grace. 
 
 The liberal-minded, late patriotic Duke of 
 Bedford, whose statue in Russel-square 
 must always remind the passer-by of his 
 Grace's noble qualities, and sincere attach- 
 ment to the cause of liberty, was a great sup- 
 porter of the game of cricket, and all other 
 athletic sports. 
 
 The late Duke of Hamilton, of sporting 
 notoriety, was acknowledged a first-rate 
 cricketer, and the best bowlers found much 
 difficulty to derange his stumps ; and there 
 was a mark in Lord's Old Ground, called the 
 Duke's stroke ; it was an unusual length, 
 measuring, from the wicket, to where the ball 
 first fell, 132 yards, a circumstance scarcely 
 paralleled. 
 
 VERSES IN PRAISE OF CRICKET.* 
 By the Rev. M. Cotton. 
 
 Assist all ye muses, and join to rehearse 
 All old Knglish sport, never prais'd yet in verse ; 
 'Ti» Cricket I sing of, illustrluus in fame, — 
 No nation e'er boasted so noble a game. 
 
 ♦ To Mr. T. W. Bower, Mathematical Master in 
 Winchester CoUeRC, we are indebted for the MS. 
 of the above song, written above half a century 
 since by the Rev. Mr. Cotton (observes Mr. Samuel 
 Maunder, a geutleman of considerable research, and 
 whose recently published Universal Dictionary re- 
 flects the highest credit on liis persevering disposi- 
 tion and extensive mind) who at that time was the 
 Master of Hyde Abbey School, in that city. Instead 
 of offering any excuse for giving it a place in " Death's 
 Doings," we think we may fairly urge the following 
 as reasons why it ought not to be withheld : — first, 
 that it is eloquent in the praise of the game of 
 cricket ; secondly, that it not only commemorates the 
 successful prowess of the far-famed Hambledon Club, 
 which at one time was the pride of Hampshire, and 
 the envy of " all England," but affords us an oppor- 
 tunity of introducing a biographical sketch of the last 
 ; Tirvivor of the original members of that club ; 
 ; nd thirdly, that its author was the conductor of a 
 chool which has had the honor of enrolling in its 
 list of pu Ills, many talented youths who, in after-life, 
 have fiUeil 'he most distinguished stations, of which 
 we may (without appearing invidious to others) ad- 
 duce a brilliant example in the per.snn of the present 
 enlightened Secretary of State, the Right Hon. 
 George Canning. 
 
 Great Pindar has bragg'd of his heroes of old- 
 Some were swift in tho race, some iu battle «er« 
 
 bold ; 
 The brows of the victors with olive were crown'd ; 
 Hark ! they sliout, and Olympia returns the glad 
 
 sound ! 
 What boasting of Castor and Pollux, his brother ! 
 The one fam'd for riding— for bruising the other ! 
 Compar'd witli our heroes tliey'll not shine at all ; 
 What were Castor and Pollux to Nyreu and Small.* 
 
 * The whole of the Hambledon Club have now been 
 bowled down by death ; Mr. John Small, sen., of 
 Peteisfield, Hants., who was the last survivor of the 
 original members, having terminated hi.s raoital 
 career on the 31st of December, 1826, aged nearly 
 ninety. 
 
 The great have their historians, and why should 
 not the small ? Nay, since every one in the present 
 day exercises his right of publishing his " reminiscen- 
 ces," if he can but find a bookseller who is bold 
 enough to venture on the speculation, we trust we 
 shall -stand excused for preserving a few stray notices 
 of this venerable cricketer, whose exploits were once 
 the theme of universal praise, and whose life was as 
 amiable as his station was bumble. 
 
 John Small, sen., the celebrated cricketer, was 
 bom at Empshott, on the l9th of April, 1737, 
 and went to Petersfield when about six years of 
 age, where he afterwards followed the trade of a 
 shoemaker for several years ; but being remarkably 
 fond of cricket, and excelling most of his contempo- 
 raries in that manly amusement, he relinquished his 
 former trade, and practised the making of bats and 
 balls, in the art of which he became equally profi- 
 cient as in the use of them ; and, accordingly, we find 
 that these articles of his manufacture were, in the 
 course of a short time, in request wherever the game 
 of cricket was known. 
 
 Mr. Small was considered the surest batsman of his 
 day, and as a fieldsman, he was decidedly without an 
 equal. On one occasion, in a match made either by 
 the Duke of Dorset, or Sir Horace Mann (for we can. 
 not exactly call to mind which), England against the 
 Hambledon Club, Mr. Small was in three whole days, 
 though opposed to some of the best players in Uie 
 kingdom— nor did he at last lose his wicket, liis ten 
 mates having all had their wickets put down. At 
 another time, in a five-of-a-side match, played in the 
 Artillery-ground, he got seventy-five runs at his first 
 innings, and went in the last mate for seven runs, 
 which it is hardly necessary to say, were soon scored. 
 On this occasion, the Duke of Dorset being desirous 
 of complimenting him for his skill, and knowing that 
 Small was as passionately fond of music as he was of 
 cricket, he made him a present of a fine violin, which 
 he played upon many years, and which is now made 
 use of by his grandson. 
 
 We shall not, however, enter into a detail of the 
 numerous proofs he gave of his skill as a cricketer, nor 
 of the flattering testimonies of approbation he at vari- 
 ous times received from the patrons of the game : 
 suflice it to state, that the first County match he 
 played in was in the year 1755, and that he continued 
 playing in all the grand matches till after be was 
 seventy. 
 
 Mr. Small was also an excellent sportsman, and 
 capital shot. He held the deputation of the Manor of 
 Greatham and Foley for many years, as game-keeper 
 under Madame Beckford, and retained it under her 
 son and successor, till the property was parted with, 
 which did not happen till Small was nearly seventy 
 years of age ; yet, such was his strength and activity 
 at that time of life, that, before he began his day's 
 amusement, he regularly took bis tour of seven miles, 
 frequently doing execution with his gun, which to re- 
 late would appear almost incredible. 
 
 We ought also to mention that among other active 
 exercises for which Mr. Small was famed, was that 
 of skating — those who have witnessed his evolutions 
 on Petersfield Heath Pond, (a fine sheet of water, a 
 mile in circumference) have no hesitation in pro- 
 nouncing him equal to any who have figured away on 
 the Serpentine, how much soever they may have 
 " astonished the natives." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 339 
 
 Hfire's (yarding, and catching, and running, and 
 
 crossing, 
 And batting, and bowling, and throwing, and tossing ; 
 Each mate niust excel in some principal part, — 
 The Panttahlon of Greece never show'd so much art. 
 
 The parties are met and array'd all in white ; 
 Fam'd Elis ne'er boasted so pleasing a sight ; 
 Each nymph looks askew at her favourite swain. 
 And views him, half stripped, both with pleasure and 
 ain. 
 
 But we turn from Mr. Small's athletic amusements 
 to notice his taste for music ; and, though we cannot 
 say that his excellence as a musician was equal to 
 his excellence as a cricketer, still, among his compeers 
 he was pre-eminent ; and, we have no doubt, that to 
 the soothing power of music he was not a little in- 
 debted for the equanimity of temper he possessed, 
 and the tranquil delight he felt in the company of his 
 friends — for those who knew him can conscientiously 
 declare that no man was more remarkable for playful 
 wit, cheerful conversation, or inoffensive manners. 
 
 So early did he display his taste for music, that at 
 fourteen years of age, he played the bass at Peters- 
 field choir, of which choir he continued a member 
 about stventy-five years, having performed on the 
 tenor violin there within the last twelve months, and 
 that too without the aid of spectacles. After what 
 has been said it will not be a matter of surprise to 
 hear that Mr. Small was highly respected by all the 
 gentlemen who patronized cricket ; and, as they knew 
 nothing could gratify him more, they frequently 
 joined in a concert with his musical friends after 
 cricket was over for the day. 
 
 His two surviving sons, John and Eli, not only in- 
 herit his love for the game, but the first mentioned 
 particularly excels in it, and both are equally cele- 
 brated for their musical attainments ; indeed, during 
 their father's life this musical trio ranked high among 
 the performers at all the amateur concerts in the 
 neighbourh ood. 
 
 O that our readers would but tolerate our "fond 
 garrulity," for much could we yet inform them con- 
 cerning John Small I We should delight in telling 
 them that he was not merely a player on the violin- 
 cello and violin, but that he was both a makfr and a 
 mender of them ! with pleasure should we descant on 
 his mechanical, as well as his musical skill, andshow 
 that his proficiency iu each was the result of his own 
 untutored ingenuity, proving that he had a natural 
 genius for fiddle-making, as well as for bat and ball- 
 making. We should bring proof that he once made 
 a violiucello, aye, and a right good one too, which he 
 sold for two guineas— nay, we should further prove, 
 that the old instrument which his son, the present 
 John Small, plays on at church every Sunday, (made 
 by Andria Weber, Genoa, 1713) was thoroughly re- 
 paired by him, and an entire new belly put thereto, 
 and that since it has been so repaired, an eminent pro- 
 fessor has pronounced it to be worth as many gumeas 
 as would reach from one end of it to the other. We 
 should ^"^ '^^ have not for- 
 gotten the old proverb, which says, " too much of a 
 good thing is good for nothing ;" and we desist, fear- 
 ing that too much may be said even of our old friend 
 John Small. But, notwithstanding our deference' to 
 the proverb, and our wish to be as taciturn as possible, 
 there is one more musical anecdote which we must 
 be allowed to narrate, inasmuch as it not only shows 
 that our praises of his skill are by no means exagger- 
 ated, but because it cannot fail to be regarded as a 
 corroboration of a most important fact— the influence 
 of music upon the brute creation— or to speak m the 
 language of the poet, an additional proof that 
 
 " Mosic hath charms to soothe the savage beast .'" 
 
 In his younger days, Mr. Small was in the habit of 
 attending balls and concerts ; sometimes contributing 
 to the delight of the gay votaries of Tepsuhore— at 
 others forming one of tiie instrumental band, which 
 met for tlie gratification cf himself and his amateur 
 friends. Returning one evening with a musical com- 
 
 Tlie wickets are pitch 'd now, andmeasur'd the ground. 
 Then they form a la'-ge ring and stand gazing around; 
 Since Ajax fought Hector in sight of all Troy, 
 No contest was seen with such fear and such joy. 
 
 Ye bowlers take heed— to my precepts attend ; 
 On you the whole fate of the game must depend ; 
 Spare your vigour at first, nor exert all your strength. 
 Then measure each step and be sure pitch a length. 
 
 Ye fieldsmen look sharp I lest your pains ye beguile, 
 Move close, like an army, in rank and in file ; 
 When the ball is returned, back it sure— fori trow, 
 Whole states have been ruiu'd by one overthrow. 
 
 And when the game's o'er, I O victory rings ! 
 Echo doubles her chorus iiiid Fame spreads her wings ; 
 Let's now hail our champions, all steady and true. 
 Such as Homer ne'er sung of, nor Pindar e'er knew. 
 
 Birch,* Curry,* and Hogsflcsh,* and Barber,* jind 
 
 Brett,* 
 Whose swiftness in bowling was ne'er equall'd yet : 
 1 had almost forgot — they deserve a large bumper. 
 Little George* the long stop, and Tom Suetor* the 
 
 stumper. 
 
 panion from a concert in the neighbourhood, they 
 were rather suddenly saluted, when in the middle of 
 a large field, by a bull, who, in no very gentle mood, 
 gave them reason to believe that, to insure their 
 safety, they must either hit upon some expedient to 
 allay his ra!»e, or make a hasty retreat. Mr. Small's 
 companion adopted the latter plan ; but our hero, like 
 a true believer in the miraculous power of Orpheus, 
 and confiding in his own ability to produce such tones 
 as should ch^rni the infuriate animal into lamblike 
 docility, boldly faced him, and began to play a lively 
 tune. Scarcely had the catgut vibrated, when the 
 bull suddenly stopped, and listened with evident signs 
 of pleasure and attention. The skilful master of the 
 bow, felt a secret satisfaction on discovering so un- 
 questionable a proof of the influence of sweet sounds ; 
 and, continuing to play, while he gradually retreated 
 towards the gate, quietly followed by the bull, he 
 there gave his quadruped audi+or an example of his 
 agility by leaping over it, and unceremoniously left 
 him to bewail the loss of so agreeable a concert. 
 
 Having thus given such memorabilia, in the life of 
 Mr. John Small, as we conceive ouRht to be handed 
 down to posterity, and (with humility be it spoken) 
 hoping to obtain some distinction for ourselves in this 
 necrological, autobiographical, and reminiscent age, 
 we shall close our remarks by observing that so great 
 a degree of health and vigour did Mr. Small uninter- 
 ruptedly enjoy, that even during the lastthree or four 
 years of his life he took the most active exercise as a 
 sport.sman, and frequently followed the hounds ou 
 vol ! 
 
 Thus it will be seen, that by an attention to tem- 
 perance and exercise, and by encouraging cheerful- 
 ness and equanimity of temper, a man may still attain 
 the age of a patriarch, enjoying to the last, health of 
 body, peace of mind, and the rational amusements of 
 life. 
 
 Were we to write his epitaph, it should be an unla- 
 bored composition of quaint simplicity, just such a one 
 as the parish dork himself would indite — something, 
 for example, after the following fashion : — 
 
 Here lies, bowl'd out by Death's unerring ball, 
 A Cbicke.teii renowned, by name John Small; 
 I'ut though his name was small, yet great his fame. 
 For nobly did he play the " noble game." ' 
 
 His life was like his in7iitigs — long and good ; 
 Full ninety summers he had Death withstood. 
 At length the ninetieth winter came — when (Fate 
 Not leaving him one solitary mate. J 
 This last oi Hambledoniaiis, old John Small, 
 Gave up his bat and ball — his leather, wax and 
 all. 
 
 • Part of the Hambledon Club. 
 
 Z 2 
 
a4o 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Tbeji whyshould we fear either Sackville* or .\fann,» 
 Or repine at the loss of Baynton, or Uaun I 
 With such troops as these we'll be lords of the game, 
 Spite of Miller,* and Minchin,*and Lumpy,* and 
 
 Frame.* 
 Then fill up your glasses ! he's best that drinks most ! 
 Here's the Hambledon Club! who refuses the toast? 
 Let us join in the praise of the bat and the wicket. 
 And sing in full chorus the patronsof Cricket. 
 
 When we've play'd our Iwt game, and our fate shall 
 
 draw nigh, 
 (For the heroes of Cricket, like others, must die,) 
 Our bats we'll resign, neither troubled nor vext, 
 Anil give up our wickets to those that come next.t 
 
 It might be askefl, why is cricket supposed 
 to be a modern ^anie, and to have originated 
 from the club-ball, which nearly resembles 
 f^olf? — Because, according to Strutt, the ap- 
 uellation cannot be traced beyond the com- 
 mencement of the last century, where it occurs 
 in one of D'Urfey's songs : — 
 
 He was the prettiest fellow. 
 At foot-ball or at cricket ; 
 At hunting-race, or nimble race, 
 How featly he could prick it ! 
 
 " Of all the popular pastimes to which the 
 ball has given origin (and they are numerous), 
 observe the Editors of the Percy Anecdotes, 
 the game of cricket is the most pleasant and 
 manly exercise. It is a sport of very recent 
 date, and its appellation cannot be traced 
 beyond the commencement of the eighteenth 
 century. 
 
 " The Persians had a similar game, but 
 performed on horseback, called clitigan, which 
 was a favorite recreation of kings and chiefs, 
 and was originally considered as almost pe- 
 culiar to illustrious personages, though it 
 afterwards became universally practised 
 throughout Persia. Chardin describes it as 
 one of the popular amusements, admitting 
 thirty or forty persons, formed into two parties, 
 to engage at once. The object of those who 
 played was to drive a ball made of light wood 
 through the goal, by means of sticks, having 
 semicircular or straight transverse heads ; 
 while the contending parties, governed by 
 certain prescribed laws, and striking only 
 when at full gallop, endeavoured to bear off 
 the ball. Of this game there were several 
 kinds. 
 
 *' Reduced to a pedestrian exercise, and 
 under various denominations, this game seems 
 to have been widely diffused throughout 
 Europe ; and we may perhaps trace it in the 
 cracket of England, the golf or gough of Scot- 
 land, and the hurling matches of Ireland. 
 
 * All England meu. 
 
 t And yet, although old Messieurs Death andTiME 
 Are sure to come oft' winners in the end .' 
 There's something in this ' game of Life' that's plea- 
 sant ; 
 For though " to die I" in verse may sound stiblime, 
 {Blank verse I mean, of course — not.doggrel thyme), 
 Such is the love 1 bear for Like and Cricket, 
 Pither at single or at double wicket, 
 I'd rather play a pood long game— and spend 
 My time agreeably with some kind friend, 
 'I'han throw my bat and ball up — just at present I 
 
 Pietro della Valle discovered it in the Flo- 
 rentine calcio ; and the original name of chugan 
 appears but slightly disguised in the chicane 
 of Languedoc, where the game is played as in 
 Persia, with a wooden ball and a club, headed 
 like a mallet or hammer. A similar game, in 
 which women as well as men partake, is a 
 favorite amusement in Chili, and is there 
 called la chtica. The game often lasts a whole 
 evening, and sometimes is forced to be put off 
 to another day. 
 
 " Of late yeais cricket has become, in 
 England, exceedingly fashionable, being much 
 patronized by the nobility and gentlemen of 
 fortune, who frequently join in the diversion. 
 In the cricket-ground in Mary-le-bonne, called 
 Lord's Ground, there are frequently matches, 
 which are played by gentlemen of the first 
 families in the kingdom ; and there is not, 
 perhaps, a county that has not several cricket 
 clubs." 
 
 To which might be added, the great interest 
 attached to cricket-matches in general, at 
 " Lord's" Ground, will warrant something 
 more than the mere comparison of numbers 
 and names of the gamesters. Besides, so 
 much is the truly " noble" pastime in question 
 now scientifically studied — so popular has it 
 become with the rich as well as the humble — 
 the lord as the lacquey — the landlord as the 
 tenant — that observations made by experience, 
 and drawn, as these are, from practical 
 sources, must be read with attention, and 
 received with sincerity. It also appears that, 
 within the last three or four years, an English 
 Cricket Club has been formed at Paris; it is 
 called the Albion Club, and is composed 
 principally of the young sprigs of the 
 aristocracy. Several grand matches have 
 been played on the plains of Morceaux ; 
 and although the weather was at times 
 unfavorable, the ground was attended by a 
 very numerous and fashionable assemblage, 
 chiefly French, who seemed to take great in- 
 terest in the contest. It does not seem pro- 
 bable that this English Sport will ever be 
 adopted by the French, although they acknow • 
 ledge that it is better calculated to improve 
 health than the gymnasiums which they have 
 so much encouraged. With horse-racing it is 
 different. They can here gratify their pro- 
 pensity to gambling, as the excitement is 
 greater than at cricket-matches ; and their 
 vanity is piqued by a competition with the 
 English, in which, as the breed of horses is 
 actively promoting in France, they expect 
 ultimately to be the victors. But to return to 
 England, where the exhilarating game of 
 cricket will always be admired, in which 
 exercise may be combined with delight and 
 amuseriient, as well by the noble and distin- 
 guished amateur, as by the more humble par- 
 ticipator in the sport. That this noble game 
 has of late considerably increased in attrac- 
 tion, and become a most favorite amusement 
 among men distinguished for rank and wealth 
 as well as by other classes of society, niaj 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 341 
 
 clearly be perceived from the recent revival of 
 old, and the formation of new clubs through- 
 out the kingdom. The Royal Clarence Club, 
 at Hampton, instituted under the patronage of 
 his present Majesty, when he was the Duke 
 of Clarence, has now to boast of between one 
 and two hundred members, the major part of 
 whom are entitled to be ranked as superior 
 and scientific players of the game of cricket. 
 Besides the Mary-le-bonne, the Old West- 
 minster, Brighton, Arundel, Epsom, Enfield, 
 Harrow, Eton, Bury, Suffolk, Woolwich, and 
 numerous other clubs in Middlesex, Surrey, 
 Kent, Essex, Herts, Hants, York, &c., &c., 
 Norfolk has also to boast of four fine grounds, 
 one at Norwich, a second at Dereham, a third 
 on the Swaffham race-course, and a fourth at 
 Gunton, in the park of Lord Suflield, their 
 president ; and the following is a list of the 
 gentlemen players who may be often seen 
 during- the season exercising their talents in 
 the game of cricket at Lord's Ground : — Lord 
 W. Thynne, Lord C. Russel, Sir. T. Ormsby, 
 Colonel Lowther, Captain Loftus, Captain 
 Mackinnon, Aislabie, Wodehouse, Jones, 
 Jenner, Nicholl, Montague, Lloyd, Deedes, 
 Howard, Esqrs. : Major Cowell, Honorable 
 F. Curzon, Greville, Ladbroke, Lloyd, How- 
 ard, Kinscole, Appleyard, Barnet, Romilly, 
 Esqrs., Howard, and Caldecourt, Lord 
 Strathaven, Wodehouse, Ward, Hoare, 
 Wells, Barnard, Sanson, Davidson, Mills, 
 J. Dolphin, Esqrs., Burt and Cobbett. In ad- 
 dition 10 which, the out-and-outers are often 
 selected to join in various matches — such as 
 Lilly white, Matthews, Searle, J. Broadbridge, 
 and Saunders: also Pilch, Marsden, &c. 
 
 The formation of the above club, in 1828, 
 was thus announced, through the medium of 
 Belfs Life in London, to the public :— " We 
 bear, with unfeigned pleasure, that a grand 
 cricket-club has been formed at Hampton, 
 consisting of eighty-one members, at the head 
 of which is the Lord High Admiral, who, 
 with a feeling every way consistent with his 
 manly character, thinks he cannot render more 
 service to his country than by encouraging 
 those hardy games which are calculated to 
 improve the stamina and increase the confi- 
 dence of its people, in preference to lending 
 his countenance to those ^ petit maitre' amuse- 
 ments, which tend to debase, as well as to 
 demoralize the rising generation. In the club 
 in question, some of the most distinguished 
 names in the country are enrolled ; and we 
 have no doubt that so noble an example will 
 soon find abundance of imitators. Moulsey 
 Hurst is chosen as the head quarters of the 
 club, and men are now actively engaged in 
 levelling and laying down a suitable area of 
 turf. The club will play every week daring 
 the season. Marquees will be pitched on the 
 Hurst, and lunches will be furnished altern- 
 ately by the hosts of the Red Lion and the 
 Bell ; and the members will dine together 
 once a fortnight, at ihe Toy, at Hcimpton 
 Court. On the opening dinner, we under- 
 
 stand, the Duke of Clarence has graciously 
 promised to take the chair. This is indeed 
 going hack to the good old practices of our fore- 
 fathers ; and, if we have not tilts and tourna- 
 ments, we shall have our Knights and Squires 
 contending with equal zeal for superiority in 
 these athletic games, which, in times of yore, 
 placed Englishmen of the highest rank supe- 
 rior to all competitors, our Kings themselves 
 not disdaining to throw a fall, or handle their 
 quarter-staff. His present Majesty was very 
 partial to cricket, and in his youth frequently 
 played at the Islington ground. He was an 
 excellent batsman." 
 
 The celebrated Izaak Walton was elabo- 
 rate in his praises on the Art of Angling ; 
 Roger Ascham, equally animated on the de- 
 lightful sport of Archery; and other spoits- 
 men upon fox-hunting, horse-racing, &c. ; 
 therefore no apology is required to make 
 extracts from those writers who have devoted 
 some small portion of their time to celebrate 
 the advantages accruing to the human frame 
 from the manly and noble game of Cricket ; 
 which not only removes every thing like las- 
 situde or debility from the constitution, but 
 it gives energy to the mind, raises the spirits, 
 and creates a sort of ambition in the breasts 
 of those individuals who are fond of the sport, 
 to obtain the title of A good Cricketer. A 
 match at cricket is quite A feature in many 
 villages in different parts of England, and a 
 complete holiday altogether. Challenges are 
 given and received from one parish to another, 
 with all the high-sounding rivalry worthy of 
 a higher cause ; — but to obtain a Victory, — 
 yes, the Victory, appears of more importance, 
 as a lasting token of the success of such a 
 parish in their memories, than the taking of a 
 town or a city from an enemy. But the 
 interest and character of the above games has 
 been so admirably, not to say dra?naticallij 
 represented by a female author, that we shoulc/ 
 be neglectful upon the present occasion, were 
 we to pass it over. 
 
 " I doubt if there be any scene in the world 
 more animating or delightful than a cricket- 
 match," says Miss Mitford, in the first volume 
 of " Our Village," where she describes— 
 " not a set match at Lord's Ground for money," 
 but — "a real solid old-fashioned match be 
 tween neighbouiing parishes, where each 
 attacks tiie other for honour and a supper, 
 glory and half a-crown a man." Indeed, so 
 full of genuine character — so expressive of 
 rustic feelings— and, altogether, so admirably 
 well related, is her history of a country 
 cricket-match, that we are irresistibly led to 
 quote a very considerable portion of it Miss 
 M. writes, as will be seen, not. only with all 
 the ardour of a partisan, but like one who 
 well understands the subject. 
 
 "Thus ran our list: — William Grey, 1. — 
 Samuel Long, 2.— James Brown, 3.— George 
 and John Simmons, one capital, the other so, 
 so, — an uncertain hitter, but a good fieldsman, 
 &.-Joel Brent, excellent, G.— Ben Appleton — 
 
342 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Here was a little pause — Ben's abilities at 
 cricket were not completely ascertained ; but 
 then he was so good a fellow, so full of fun 
 and waggery ! no doinp without Ben. So he 
 figured in the list, 7. — George Harris — a short 
 halt there too I Slowish — slow, but sure. 1 
 think the proverb brought him in, 8. — Tom 
 Coper — oh, beyond the world, Tom Coper ! 
 the red-headed gardening lad, whose left- 
 handed strokes send her (a cricket-ball, like 
 that other moving thing, a ship, is always of 
 the feminine gender), send her spinning a mile, 
 9.— Robert Willis, another blacksmith, 10. 
 
 " We had now ten of our eleven, but the 
 choice of the last occasioned some demur. 
 Three young Martins, rich farmers in the 
 neighbourhod, successively presented them- 
 selves, and were all rejected by our inde- 
 pendent and impartial general for want of 
 merit — cricketal merit. ' Not good enough,' 
 was his pithy answer. Then our worthy 
 neighbour, the half-pay lieutenant, offered his 
 services — he, too, though with some hesitation 
 and modesty, was refused — ' Not quite young 
 enough, was his sentence. John Strong, the 
 exceedingly long son of our dwarfish mason, 
 was the next candidate, — a nice youth, — every 
 body likes John Strong, — and a willing, but 
 so tall and so limp, bent in the middle— a 
 thread-paper, six feet-high ! We were all 
 afraid that, in spite of his name, his strength 
 would never hold out. ' Wait till next year, 
 John,' quoth William Grey, with all the dig- 
 nified seniority of twenty speaking to eighteen. 
 * Coper's a year younger,' said John. ' Coper's 
 a foot shorter,' replied William ; so John re- 
 tired ; and the eleventh man remained un- 
 chosen, almost till the eleventh hour. The 
 eve of the match arrived, and the post was 
 still vacant, when a little boy of fifteen, David 
 Willis, brother to Robert, admitted by acci- 
 dent to the last practice, saw eight of them 
 out, and was voted in by acclamation. 
 
 " That Sunday evening's practice (for Mon- 
 day was the important day) was a period of 
 great anxiety, and, to say the truth, of great 
 pleasure. There is something strangely de- 
 lightful in the innocent spirit of party. To 
 be one of a numerous body, to be author- 
 ised to say we, to have a rightful interest in 
 triumph, or defeat, is gratifying at once to 
 social feeling and to personal pride. There 
 was not a ten-year old urchin, or a septua- 
 genary woman in the parish, who did not feel 
 an additional importance, a reflected conse- 
 quence, in speaking of 'our side.' An elec- 
 tion interests in the same way ; but that feel- 
 ing is less pure. Money is there, and hatred, 
 and politics, and lies. Oh, to be a voter, or a 
 voter's wife, comes nothing near the genuine 
 and hearty sympathy of belonging to a parish, 
 breathing the same air, looking on the same 
 trees, listening to the same nightingales ! Talk 
 of a patriotic elector ! — Give me a parochial 
 patriot, a man who loves his parish f Even 
 we, the female partisans, may partake the 
 comtnoa ardour. I am sure I did. I uever. 
 
 though tolerably eager and enthusiastic at all 
 times, remember being in a more delicious 
 state of excitation than on the eve of that 
 battle. Our hopes waxed stronger and 
 stronger. Those of our players who were 
 present, were excellent. William Grey got 
 forty notches off his own bat ; and that bril- 
 liant hitter, Tom Coper, gained eight from two 
 successive balls. As the evening advanced, 
 too, we had encouragement of another sort. 
 A spy, who had been despatched to reconnoitre 
 the enemy's quarters, returned from their 
 practising ground, with a most consolatory 
 report. ' Really,' said Charles Grover, our 
 intelligencer — a fine old steady judge, one 
 who had played well in his day — ' they are no 
 better than so many old women. Any five of 
 ours would beat their eleven.' This sent us 
 to bed in high spirits. 
 
 " Morning dawned less favourably. The 
 sky promised a series of deluging showers, 
 and kept its word, as English skies were wont 
 to do on such occasions ; and a lamentable 
 message arrived at the head quarters from our 
 trusty comrade, Joel Brent. His master, a 
 great farmer, had begun the hay-harvest that 
 very morning, and Joel, being as eminent in 
 one field as in another, could not be spared. 
 Imagine Joel's plight ! the most ardent of all 
 our eleven ! a knight held back from the 
 tourney ! a soldier from the battle ! The poor 
 swain was inconsolable. At last, one who is 
 always ready to do a good-natured action, 
 great or little, set forth to back his petition ; 
 and, by dint of appealing to the public spirit 
 of our worthy neighbour, and the state of the 
 barometer, talking alternately of the parish 
 honour and thunder-showers, of lost matches 
 and sopped hay, he carried his point, and re- 
 turned triumphantly with the delighted Joel. 
 " In the meantime we became sensible of 
 another defalcation. On calling over, our 
 roll Brown was missing ; and the spy of the 
 preceding night, Charles Grover — the univer- 
 sal scout and messenger of the village, a man 
 who will run half a dozen miles for a pint of 
 beer, who does errands for the very love of the 
 trade, who, if he had been a lord, would have 
 been an ambassador — weis instantly despatched 
 to summon the truant. His report spread 
 general consternation. Brown had set off at 
 four o'clock in the morning to play in a cricket- 
 match at M., a little town twelve miles off, 
 which had been his last residence. Here was 
 desertion ! Here was treachery ! Here was 
 treason against that goodly state, our parish ! 
 To send James Brown to Coventry was the 
 immediate resolution ; but even that seemed 
 too light a punishment for such delinquency. 
 Then how we cried him down ! At ten, on 
 Sunday night (for the rascal had actually 
 practised with us, and never said a word of 
 his intended disloyalty), he was our faithful 
 mate, and the best player (take him for all in 
 all) of the eleven. At ten in the morning he 
 had run awiiy, and we were well rid of him ; 
 he was no batter compared with William 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 34J 
 
 Grey or Torn Coper ; not fit to wipe the shoes 
 of Samuel Long, as a bowler; nothing of a 
 scout to John Simmons ; the boy David Willis 
 was worth fifty of him — • 
 
 ' 1 trust we have within our realm 
 Five hundred good as he,' 
 was the universal sentiment. So we took tall 
 John Strong, who, with an incurable hanker- 
 ing after the honour of being admitted, had 
 kept constantly with the players, to take the 
 chance of some such accident — we took John 
 for our pis-aller. I never saw any one prouder 
 than the good-humoured lad was of this not 
 very flattering piece of preferment. 
 
 " John Strong was elected, and Brown sent 
 to Coventry ; and, when I first heard of his 
 delinquency, I thought the punishment only 
 too mild for the crime. But I have since 
 learned the secret history of the offence (if 
 we could know the secret histories of all 
 offences, how much better the world would 
 seem than it does now !) and really my wrath 
 is much abated. It was a piece of gallantry, 
 of devotion to the sex, or rather a chivalrous 
 obedience to one chosen fair. I must tell my 
 readers the story. Mary Allen, the prettiest 
 girl of M., had, it seems, revenged upon our 
 blacksmith the numberless inconstancies of 
 which he stood accused. He was in love over 
 head and ears, but the nymph was cruel. 
 She said no, and no, and no ; and poor Brown, 
 three times rejected, at last resolved to leave 
 the place, partly in' despair, and partly in that 
 hope which often mingles strangely with a 
 lover's despair, the hope that when he was 
 gone he should be missed. He came home to 
 his brother's accordingly ; but for five weeks 
 he heard nothing from or of the inexorable 
 Mary, and was glad to beguile his own ' vex- 
 ing thoughts' by endeavouring to create in his 
 mind an artificial and factitious interest in our 
 cricket-match — all unimportant as such a trille 
 must have seemed to a man in love. Poor 
 James, however, is a social and warm-hearted 
 person, not likely to resist a contagious sym- 
 pathy. As the time for the play advanced 
 the interest which he had at first affected 
 became genuine and sincere ; and he was 
 really, when he had left the ground on Sun- 
 day night, almost as enthusiastically absorbed 
 in the event of the next day as Joel Brent 
 himself. He little foresaw the new and de- 
 lightful interest which awaited him at home, 
 where, on the moment of his arrival, his sister- 
 in-law and confidante presented him with a 
 billet from the lady of his heart. It had, 
 with the usual delay of letters sent by private 
 hands in that rank of life, loitered on the 
 road in a degree inconceivable to those who 
 are accustomed to the punctual speed of the 
 post, and had taken ten days for its twelve 
 miles' journey. Have my readers any wish 
 to see this billet-doux ? I can show them 
 (but in strict confidence) a literal copy. It 
 was addressed, 
 
 ' For mistur jem browne, 
 ' blaxmith by 
 ' S.* 
 
 ''The inside ran thus : 
 
 " ' Mistur Browne this is to Inform yew that ouro 
 parish playes bramley next monday is a v eek, i think 
 we shall lose without yew. from your humbell servant 
 to command 
 
 'Mary Allen/ 
 
 <' Was there ever a prettier relenting ? a 
 summons more flattering, more delicate, more 
 irresistible ? The precious epistle was un • 
 dated ; but having ascertained who brought it, 
 and found, by cross-examining the messenger, 
 that the Monday in question was the very next 
 day, we were not surprised to find that Mistur 
 browne forgot his engagement to us, forgot all 
 but Mary and Mary's letter, and set off at four 
 o'clock next morning to walk twelve miles, 
 and play for her parish and in her sight. 
 Really we must not send James Brown to 
 Coventry— must we ? Though if, as his sister- 
 in-law tells our damsel Harriet he hopes to 
 do he should bring the fair Mary home as his 
 bride, he will not greatly care how little we 
 say to him. But he must not be sent to 
 Coventry — True-love forbid ! 
 
 " At last we were all assembled, and 
 marched down to H. common, the appointed 
 ground, which, though in our dominions ac- 
 cording to the map, was the constant prac- 
 tising place of our opponents, and terra incog- 
 nita to us. We found our adversaries on the 
 ground, as we expected, for our various delays 
 had hindered us from taking the field so early 
 as we wished ; and, as soon as we had settled 
 all preliminaries, the match began. 
 
 "But, alas! I have been so long settling 
 my preliminaries that I have left myself no 
 room for the detail of our victory, and must 
 squeeze the account of our grand achieve- 
 ments into as little compass as Cowley, when 
 he crammed the names of eleven of his mis- 
 tresses into the narrow space of four ei;;ht- 
 syllable lines. They began the warfare— these 
 boastful men of B. And what think you, 
 gentle reader, was the amount of their innings'? 
 These challengers— Ihe famous eleven — how 
 many did they get ? Think ! Imagine ! guess ! 
 — You cannot? — Well! — they got tweniy- 
 two, or rather they got twenty ; for two of 
 theirs were short notches, and would never 
 have been allowed, only that, seeing what 
 they were made of, we and our umpire were 
 not particular. They should have had twenty 
 more if they had chosen to claim them. 
 Oh, how well we fielded ! and how well we 
 bowled ! our good play had quite as much to 
 do with their miserable failure as their bad. 
 Samuel Long is a slow bowler, George Sim- 
 mons a fast one, and the change from Long's 
 lobbing to Simmons's fast balls posed them 
 completely. Poor simpletons ! they were 
 always wrong, expecting- the slow for the 
 quick, and the quick for the slow. Well, we 
 wentifl. And what were our innings? Guess 
 again — guess ! A hundred and sixty-nine ! 
 In spite of soaking showers, and wretched 
 ground, where the ball would not run a yard, 
 we headed them by a hundred and forty- 
 
344 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 seven ; and then they gave in, as well as they 
 might. William Grey pressed them much to 
 try another innings. * There was so much 
 chance,' as he cautiously observed, ' in 
 cricket, that, advantageous as our position 
 seemed, we might, very possibly, be overtaken. 
 The B. men had better try.' But they were 
 beaten sulky, and would not move — to my 
 great disappointment; I wanted to prolong 
 the pleasure of success. What a glorious 
 sensation it is to be for five hours together 
 winning — winning — winning ! always feeling 
 what a whist-player feels when he takes up 
 four honours, seven trumps ! Who would 
 think that a little bit of leather, and two 
 pieces of wood, had such a delightful and de- 
 lighting power !" 
 
 IN PRAISE OF CRICKET. 
 
 St/ a Rhyming Cricketer. 
 
 Of games that are play'd in court, chamber, or field, 
 Not one equals Cricket — to that all must yield : 
 A fine manly sport that in England is known. 
 And strange that 'tis play'd but in England aloue. 
 
 The Scotch boast their golf ; and the Irish declare. 
 There is nothing comes up to dear Donnybrook Fair ? 
 But I really can't say 1 should relish, at all, 
 For a bat a sinllaley, my head for a ball. 
 
 And while praising cricket, I must not omit 
 Its professors who bowl, field, keep wicket, or hit; 
 And of all who frequent the ground, nam'd after Lord, 
 On the list, first and foremost, should stand Mr. W — d. 
 
 No man will deny it, I'm sure, when I say 
 That he's without rival first bat of the day ; 
 And although he has grown a little too stout. 
 Even Matthews is bother'd in bowling him out. 
 
 He's the life-blood and soul of this noblest of games, 
 And yet on our praises has many more claims ; 
 No pride, although rich, condescending and free. 
 And a well-inform'd man, though a City M.P. 
 
 Mr. K — ijgsc — e comes next, and as fine a youugman 
 As ever was built upon nature's best plan : 
 He stands six feet four, and what don't often follow. 
 His leg is a model to form an Apollo. 
 
 A fine slashing hitter as ever was found. 
 He sometimes has knock'd the ball out of the grotmd ; 
 An excellent thrower— a hundred yards clear ; 
 And tiiO ladies protest that he runs like a deer. 
 
 Then there's Kn— t, gallant K— nt, who has not play'd 
 
 this season, 
 At least I've not seen him — I've not heard the reason ; 
 As a bowler first rate — with the bat far from vile. 
 And he bowls in the new " march of intellect" style. 
 
 Mr. P — rr — y's a lawyer and oft he will say 
 
 '*'hat he any man for opinions will play ; 
 
 «liat he'll give e'ni for nothing, and some in their 
 
 mirth 
 Assert he will still get as much as they're worth. 
 
 If in l«w he is skilful I know not — that's flat — 
 He's skilful at cricket, and most with the bat ; 
 Yet so much to his attitude seems to attend, 
 You might fancy 'twas all you might have to com- 
 mend. 
 
 With S— w— 11 the very same fault may be found, 
 If not at his wicket, at least on the ground : 
 ' Dancing Master' they call'd him for this, as I guess ; 
 He's a fine ciicket-player, though, nevertheless. 
 
 Free from all affectation young J — nn— r stands forth. 
 And all who are judges acknowledge his worth ; 
 Wicket-keeper, or bowler, or batter— in all 
 He is good, but perhaps he shines most with the ball. 
 
 There is one to whose merits scarce justice is done, 
 
 A small active man and a schoolmaster's son ; 
 
 I can't bring his name very well into verse. 
 
 But the Uxbridge Club boasts many cricketers woree. 
 
 Besides he can play wel! at billiards and fives. 
 
 To each of which games some devote their whole lives 
 
 And he challenges players of every degree, 
 
 To beat him at cricket, fives, billiards — all three. 
 
 Mr. Townshend, they say, is a merchant of wine, 
 And supplies all the Marybonne Club when they dine .' 
 In the field he is good — much the same as his liquor ; 
 At the bat and the botlle they find him a sticker. 
 
 Two Lords sometimes play upon Lord's pleasant groimd 
 In rank and in play they're quite Peers, I'll be 
 
 bound : 
 I'll not give their titles — each family Scotch is ; 
 They play, because Lords— but they get but few 
 
 notches. 
 
 Two R — ^m — lly's likewise, and very fine lads, 
 Who don't seem to like the same course as their dads. 
 Often play in the matches — the one, as things go, 
 A good bat and good field; but the other so, so. 
 
 Two gentlemen lately have given up play. 
 And both, let me add, of renown in their day : 
 The one's hurt his arm, and the other now '' narrow* 
 His mind" down to popping at pigeons and sparrows 
 
 Were they in the field now, the Marybonne Club 
 Might still be enabled opponents to drub. 
 B — dd'g arm may get well— Osb — Id — think proper 
 Again to play cricket, and lay by his poj/per 
 
 I've omitted full many I ought to include : 
 L— wth — r, Om— ny, D — ke, I don't mean to be rude ; 
 But a few stanzas more I must give you, because 
 I have not yet sung the " Old Soldier's" applause. 
 'Us A— si— bie's boast to form most of the matches ; 
 In this way at cricket he makes but few catches ; 
 But still he's contented some money to pay 
 For the sake of encouraging excellent play. 
 
 He doats on the game — has play'd many a year — 
 Weighs at least 17 stone — on his pins rather queer : 
 But he still takes the bat, and there's no better fun 
 Thau to see him, when batting, 'attempting to rim. 
 
 Now I've gone o'er the names that came just to my 
 
 mind ; 
 Perhaps some will thank me to leave them behind. 
 As no harm's intended, I'm sure 'twill be sense 
 For those who are mention'd to take no offence. 
 
 The j>layers by trade I hereafter will treat. 
 And name an Eleven not easy to beat : 
 If any shall think in my choice 1 have blunder'd, 
 I'm ready to back 'em for two or three hundred. 
 
 It appears that his late Majesty, George 
 IV., during one of his airings in the Great 
 Park at Windsor, when riding in the vicinity 
 of Cumberland Lodge, came suddenly on a 
 large party of his domestics playing cricket. 
 At this unexpected approach of their Royai 
 Master, they began to scamper in all direc- 
 tions ; but the king, with his accustomed 
 good-nature, sent one of the gentlemen in 
 attendance to desire them to continue their 
 game, and never to let his approach interrupt 
 their sports. His Majesty then continued his 
 ride in another direction, observing to his 
 attendants that cricket was a noble game, 
 and that when he was able to play, he himself 
 enjoyed the exercise as much as any one. 
 
 It is true that some very large stakes have 
 been played for at the game of cricket — such 
 as One Thousand Pounds a-side ; but we 
 have never heard of any thing wrong being 
 attempted at the above game ; indeed, it has 
 always been viewed more as a healthful, 
 manly game, than converted into any thing 
 like a source for gambling : — We have there- 
 fore merely selected a few games for the 
 amusement of our readers : — 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S HOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 »4d 
 
 KrGiiT Handed against Left Handed. 
 
 The grand match bet\veen eleven right- 
 handed, and eleven left-handed players, com- 
 menced on Monday, in July, 1828, at Lord's 
 Ground, St. John's Wood ; and, from the in- 
 terest it excited, the ground, throughout the 
 contest, was thronged by the amateurs and 
 admirers of the noble game, from Norwich, 
 Brighton, Kent, and other parts of the country, 
 among whom were an unusual assemblage of 
 distinguished spectators. The match did not 
 terminate till Wednesday evening. The fol- 
 lowing is a correct statement of the game : — 
 
 Right-handed. 
 
 First Innings. Second Innings. 
 
 Mr. J. Broadbridge .. ... 71 
 
 Matthews . . . . 22 . . . 7 
 
 \V. Broadbridge. . 35 . . . 
 
 Beagley . . . . 20 . . . 9 
 
 Ward 57 ... 20 
 
 Hooker . . . . 11 . . . 4 
 
 Brown .... 18 ... 24 
 
 Pilch, not out . . 47 . . . 5 
 
 Kingscote ... 21 ... 19 
 
 Liilyvvhite . . . 9 . . . 
 
 Howard , . . . 3 . . . 7 
 
 Wide balls . 4 ... 14 
 
 Byes . . . I . . . 3 
 
 Total 248 Total 183 
 
 Left-handed^ 
 
 First Innings. Second Imiings- 
 
 Mr. Mayuard . . . . 3 . . . 
 
 Boyer . . . 5 
 
 Mellersh . . . . 5 . . . 
 
 Wenman . . . . 7 . . . I 
 
 Searle 33 ... 10 
 
 Marsden . . . . 10 . . . 6 
 
 Saunders .... 27 ... 18 
 
 Woolhouse . . . 13 . . . 3 
 
 Pierpolnt . , . . 6 . . . 4 
 
 Slater 13 . . . 
 
 W. Slater .... 12 ... 23 
 
 Wide balls . 3 . . . 3 
 
 Byes . . . . . . 
 
 Total 132 Total 73 
 
 From the above, it will be perceived the 
 right-handed players scored in their two 
 innings the enormous number of 431 runs ; 
 and their opponents only gaining 205, they 
 were consequently left in a minority of 220 
 runs and byes. The excellent batting, how- 
 ever, of the losing party, was apparent to 
 every one, througliout the match ; but they, 
 unquestionably, had not any bowlers of so 
 superior a description as their antagonists, 
 who had six of the best in the kingdom ; and, 
 from the left-handed players having to con- 
 tend against so great a disadvantage, may be 
 attributed tlieir coming off in so dispropor- 
 tionate a manner. 
 
 Remarks. —The right-hand hitters against 
 the left naturally brought to the wicket most 
 of the very best players in the world. From 
 the striking qualities of Marsden, Searle, 
 
 M'oolhouse, Saunders, Mellersh, &c., the 
 latter had hosts of friends ; but when we look 
 on the opponent side, we may well parody the 
 dramatist, and say — 
 
 " The bowler's quality is a tower of strength, 
 Which they upon the adverse faction want." 
 
 This was literally the case, for here were 
 Lillywhite, who quite retrieved his character, 
 by beautifully effective deliveries, Howa/J, 
 Matthews, Broadbridge, and Pilch, against 
 Marsden, and, at most, Searle and Pierpoint. 
 The consequences were inevitable — viz., an 
 innings of great power (248) on the part of 
 the Right-handers, and in which the average 
 was more than a score to each bat. Marsden 
 certainty bowled well ; and, in comparison 
 with those at the other wicket, much fewer 
 runs were booked horn his balls ; but the 
 state of the score will show how utterly use- 
 less it is to look for success without eflective 
 strength in the bowling department. Pilch, 
 a tine young player from Bury St. Edmund's, 
 showed great capabilities, both in the field 
 and with the bat ; though early down in the 
 second innings, Mr. Ward recalled the re- 
 membrance of his best days, playing, not only 
 effectively, but with caution and precision, 
 Marsden, upon whom those who had " their 
 right hands put on the wrong side" (as the 
 famous left-handed north country coachman 
 once told the writer upon mounting his box) 
 much depended, was very unfortunate, being 
 caught (as, it will be observed, were the ma- 
 jority of the best bats, not being able to hit 
 down Matthews, nor hit cut Lilly white's 
 bowling) when commencing well. When it 
 is considered he scored 114 from his own bat, 
 at Leicester, we may consider him a player. 
 Woolhouse wanted confidence to lash as he 
 should have done ; and Mellersh was too 
 new to the ground and players. The Slaters 
 and Saunders were, however, as steady and 
 active as ever, and the latter in particular 
 worthy of his hire. Indeed, Mr. Aislabie, 
 who backed this party, was not dissatisfied 
 with his men throughout, but cheered them 
 to the last ; in fact, he was aware their capa- 
 bilities, or the want of them, and not their 
 will, consented to the defeat. The weather, 
 to use a cant word of the day, was very '' un- 
 toward," and much delayed the completion 
 of the match. As it turned out, it is much to 
 be regretted that the left-handed hitters did 
 not have the first itigo, and quite as much that 
 the dinner-folks in the Pavilion should not 
 have given up, on Monday, a little more time 
 than they did, and have fed when the storm 
 had no respect for cricket, rather than when 
 Sol shone encouragement to bats, stumps, and 
 balls, or, at least, not have wasted so much 
 lunger a period than usual at the festive board. 
 
 THE CRACK ELEVEN OF ENGLAND. 
 
 Ye lovers of cricket, now " lend me your ears," 
 And 1 soon shall obtain your applauses and cheers. 
 For 1 sing an tiltitu the gauntlet that hurled 
 Ut di-liance, and challenged the rcit of the world. 
 
346 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Of the nollest of games, they are the noblest profes 
 
 sors — 
 Of all mere preten/lers the lordly suppressors. 
 Who can beat tiventii-tiio, with some wickets to spare. 
 Of the nentlemen-playe) s , and try if they dare. 
 
 They may talk of their Ward, their Knight, Parry, or 
 
 Jenner, 
 I own their high merits, but know what my men are. 
 I wish tiiey would play— 1 wan't no better fun 
 Than just for Jive hundred to say " done !" and 
 
 " done !" 
 Come forward, then. Ward, again — down with tlie 
 
 dust ; 
 Back twenty-two ge»tlemen, whom you can trust : 
 I'll trust to the players, well knowing their claims, 
 And I'll give you a list of their merits and names ; — 
 Searle first shall be mentioned— the " far- noted 
 
 Searle" — 
 His flag of defiance he'll quickly unfurl 
 Against any player that e'er struck a ball ; 
 And while he is confident, modest withal. 
 
 He's good at all points, let them name whom they 
 
 will, 
 I'll maintain, and he'll prove, he's thebest of it still : 
 VV ith the bat he's unrivalled, although there may be 
 Some two or three players more sliouy than he. 
 
 There's Saunders, to whom this remark will apply, 
 Who has 5;ot but few notches this year, by the bye ; 
 Yet a fine flashy hitter — by few he's surpassed, 
 And, when he's well in, fetches runs very fast. 
 
 On himself he's quite nutty — to make myself clear — 
 Of his play he don't think, I am certain, snuillberr ; 
 And he's right, let me add : after what he has done 
 He has cause to think well of that " dear nvmber 
 one." 
 
 In som? points, and good ones, a contrast to him, 
 1 may notice James Broadbridge— they call him "our 
 
 Jem :" 
 A safe wary cricketer, slouching in play. 
 Who never is known to throw chances away. 
 
 His brother I do not include in my list, 
 But tiio other Sussex men must not be miss'd ; 
 The one IJrown, the tailor, yet strong and compTete, 
 >fo ninth of a man, and stands more than six feet. 
 
 A free slasliiog hitter, who holds it a crime 
 To get any less than six runs at a time ; 
 And a capital bowler — some people will say. 
 The fastest and surest we have in our day. 
 
 The other is Lillywhite — active though thiik, 
 
 Who handles a ball as he would do a brick ; 
 
 By trade a brick-maker — earns three poun.ls a week 
 
 well — 
 As a slow-twistirif! bolder he has not his equal. 
 There's another slow bowler I've got in the match, 
 A very good field, who makes sure of a catch ; 
 His name it is Matthews, esteemed the next best ; 
 But as hitters, they neither can cope with the rest. 
 
 Another " bold tailor," as fine a young man 
 
 As e'er hit a ball, and then afterwards ran — 
 
 Is from Bury St. Edmond's, and Pilch they him call: 
 
 In a few years 'tis thought he'll be better than all. 
 
 At present his batting's a little too wild, 
 
 Tliough the " nonpareil hitter," he's sometimes been 
 
 styled : 
 So free and so fine, with a hand of a master. 
 Spectators all grieve when he meets a disaster, 
 
 I ve wronged a most excellent player, J own, 
 That thus I've consented his name to postpone — 
 I mean worthy Beagley, who's quite at the top. 
 With the bat he's first rate— a brick wall at long stop. 
 
 Next Marsden may come, though it here must be 
 
 stated, 
 That his sl;ill down at Sheffield is oft over-rated : 
 But an out and out bat, where the bowling is loose. 
 As a bowler and fielder of very great use. 
 
 Then Slater I take, as a good wicket keeper. 
 With the bat also good, and a quick-sighted j eeper ; 
 J5nt, speaking of prefers, they say. on the sly, 
 lie ia rather too apt to get " bunging his eye." 
 
 Steady Hooker comes last — know we somebody must 
 And if in his place to his merits unjust, 
 Ic is only because I could hardly tell where 
 I'o bring him in sooner — I'd no place to spare. 
 
 It foraetime.-i has happened he can't come to play; 
 I'll have William Broadbridge if Hooker's away: 
 And thus 1 have chosen as good an eleven 
 As you'll find upon earth — aye, or even in hearen. 
 Let those who are oldish applaud the old school — 
 To think the dead best has been always the rule ; 
 But the living forme, and I only repeat, 
 Keither living nor dead my Eleven can beat. 
 
 Cricketing in France. 
 We are extremely glad to find that onr 
 countrymen do not forget their national 
 games, although distant from their o'wn soil. 
 The .second match between the Albion Cricket 
 Club, and eleven English residents in Paris, 
 not members of the club, took place, August, 
 1829, when the club were beat in a single 
 irnings, by nineteen runs. The third match 
 was playeti on Thursday, the 6th instant, and 
 came off as follows ; the club being again 
 beaten, with five wickets to go down : — 
 
 Albion Club. 
 
 Lord Waldegrave . 
 
 1st Inn. 
 . . . 
 
 2nd Inn 
 . 12 
 
 Robinson . • . 
 
 . . 14 . 
 
 . . 
 
 Kemble .... 
 
 . . 9 . 
 
 . 
 
 W. Bertolacci, Esq. 
 
 . . 1 . 
 
 . 1 
 
 — Glossop, Esq. . 
 N. Bertolacci, Esq. 
 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . . 9 . 
 
 . .'5 
 . 
 
 Count Ciioiseul 
 
 . . 3 . 
 
 . 
 
 ~ Costello, Esq. . 
 
 . . 3 . 
 
 . 2 
 
 — Mathurin, Esq. 
 
 . . . . 
 
 . 3 
 
 C. Bertolacci, Esq. 
 
 . . . 
 
 . 1 
 
 — Isaacson, Esq. . 
 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . 2 
 
 Byes . 
 
 . . 5 , 
 
 . G 
 
 Total . . 
 
 . 48 '. 
 
 . 32 
 
 Eleven 
 
 of Paris. 
 
 
 Woods 
 
 . . 1 . 
 
 . 
 
 Balchin .... 
 
 . . 5 . 
 
 . 
 
 Lucas 
 
 . . 1 . 
 
 . 4 
 
 Grant, Esq. . . , 
 
 . . . 
 
 . . 10 
 
 Scarlett, Esq. . . 
 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . 8 
 
 Creswick . . . 
 
 . . 32 . 
 
 . 4 
 
 Sir Alexander Malet 
 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . 
 
 Cutler .... 
 
 . . 4 . 
 
 . 
 
 Stanley .... 
 Scalfe 
 
 . . . 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . 
 . . 
 
 Page 
 
 Byes 
 
 . . 1 . 
 . . 3 . 
 
 . 
 . 2 
 
 Total . . 53 28 
 
 The eleven of Paris winning with five wickets 
 to go down. 
 Female Cricketers. — A cricket match of 
 a novel nature in this part of the country was 
 played on Lavant Level, Sussex, a few years 
 since. The competitors were selected from 
 the dames and lasses of the neighbourhood, 
 who came on the ground preceded by music, 
 and most neatly attired in white cricket 
 dresses, decorated with their distinguishing 
 colours, as sashes, shoulder and top-knots. 
 The day proved favorable, and the game was 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 347 
 
 so well played as to call forth bursts of ac- 
 clamation several times. Nothing could 
 exceed the decorum observed tliroughout the 
 day ; and the attraction of the ladies was so 
 great, as to cause an assemblage of three 
 thousand spectators, who were highly grati- 
 lied with the amusement this rustic holiday 
 afforded. At seven o'clock the game ended, 
 when the parties retired to the great room at 
 the Earl of March's Arms, at West Lavant, 
 and partook of tea and coffee in perfect har- 
 mony. The result of the game was as follows ; 
 
 Blues. Pinks. 
 
 First Innings ... 47 ... 44 
 Second Innings. .. 61 ... 53 
 
 Total 108 97 
 
 Sussex against England. 
 The return match between these clubs took 
 place on the Royal Ground, Brighton, in 
 August, 1829, and terminated in favor of 
 England, much to the chagrin of numbers 
 who had booked Sussex to win at odds. In 
 consequence of the unfavorable state of the 
 weather, Tuesday passed off without any 
 thing being done. On England being put out 
 for 104 runs, the betting rather increased in 
 favor of Sussex ; but on the latter going in 
 and losing all their wickets for 47, the odds 
 changed sides, and 5 to 1, and in many in- 
 stances more than that, were betted against 
 them. In consequence of England losing 
 about six wickets with a small proportion of 
 runs, the betting varied considerably; and, 
 on their scoring no more than 57 for their 
 second innings, Sussex %v«nt in full of confi- 
 dence, the betting being nearly even. Some 
 inferior batting, however, took place, it being 
 only by chance, as in the first innings, that 
 Sussex fetched 50 runs, and they were conse- 
 quently beat in one innings. The following 
 is a statement of the game : — 
 
 England, 
 
 1st Inn. 2nd Inn. 
 
 Kcan 10 . . . 5 
 
 Wells 9 . . . 2 
 
 Searle 8..~. 7 
 
 Pilch 18 . . . 
 
 Saunders 3 ... 26 
 
 Thwaites 4 
 
 Lauaway 3 
 
 Meads 11 
 
 Lillywhite .... 7 
 
 Slater 1 
 
 Wide Balls and Byes 1 
 
 Total 
 
 47 
 
 ] 
 
 6 
 5 
 5 
 9 
 
 50 
 
 Scarcely a man on the Sussex side (Brown 
 always among those excepted) hit in the style 
 a country player ought to do, and their inferi- 
 ority in batting was obvious throughout. The 
 bowling of Lillywhite and Broadbridge was, 
 as usual, excellent, and the batting of England 
 was remarkable for steadiness and science. 
 
 The following Singular Cricket Match, on 
 Friday, August 28, 1818, was played at 
 Woking, near Guildford, between eleven gen- 
 tlemen of Woking, and eleven of Shiere. In 
 the tirst innings Woking gained 71 runs. 
 Shiere then went in and got 71. Second 
 innings, Woking 71 ; ditto, Shiere 71 ; it was 
 consequently a tye-gume, under circumstances 
 unprecedented in the annals of cricket-play- 
 ing. 
 
 Mr. Bayley and Club against Mary-la- 
 
 BONNE. 
 
 A grand match was played at the Mary-la- 
 bonne Ground, in July, 1828, between John 
 Bayley, Esq. (a son of Judge Bayley) and his 
 club, consisting principally of farmers in the 
 immediate neighbourhood of his country resi- 
 dence (Updown House, near Sandwich, in 
 Kent), with Mr. KnatchbuU added, against 
 twelve of the Mary-la- bonne Club. 
 
 The match, in the first instance, was made 
 by Mr. Bayley, to play iiis club against eleven 
 of the Mary-la-bonne ; but one of the gentle- 
 men named to play on the side of the latter, 
 not having arrived in time, his place was 
 supplied by another ; but he, on his arrival, 
 expressing a wish to play in the match, it was 
 agreed to, and Mr. JKnatchbuU was given on 
 Mr. Bayley's side, in the usual way — the 
 gentleman and Mr. KnatchbuU to hat, but not 
 io field. The following is a statement of the 
 match as it eventually came off: — 
 
 Beagley . . . 
 
 , . 10 . 
 
 . . 
 
 J. Bayley, Esq. 
 
 
 Marsden . . . 
 
 . . 29 . 
 
 . . 
 
 
 1st Inn. 
 
 2nd Inn 
 
 Kingscote . 
 
 . . 1 . 
 
 . . 14 
 
 Mr. Chandler . . 
 
 . 16 . 
 
 . 11 
 
 Barrett . . . 
 
 . . 6 . 
 
 . . 
 
 KnatchbuU . . 
 
 . G . 
 
 . 2 
 
 Matthews . . . 
 
 . . . 
 
 . . 
 
 Carrie k . . . 
 
 . 10 . 
 
 . 37 
 
 Ashby .... 
 
 . . . 
 
 . . 
 
 Upton 
 
 . 
 
 2 
 
 Byes and Wide Balls 9 . 
 
 . . 3 
 
 Bradley . . . 
 
 . 1 . 
 
 . . 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 B. Spain . . . 
 
 . . 
 
 . . 29 
 
 Tota. 
 
 . . 104 
 
 57 
 
 T. Spain . . 
 
 . 3 . . 
 
 . 19 
 
 
 Sussex. 
 
 
 Holtam . . . 
 
 . 7 . 
 
 . 2 
 
 
 1st Inn. 
 
 2nd Inn. 
 
 Manser . . . 
 
 1 . 
 
 . 4 
 
 Warner . . . 
 
 . 
 
 . . 4 
 
 Fagg .... 
 
 . . 
 
 . 21 
 
 Vallance . . . 
 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . . 1 
 
 Bayley . . . 
 
 . 4 . 
 
 . 4 
 
 Hooker . . . 
 
 . . 2 . 
 
 . . 1 
 
 J. Moat . . . 
 
 . 
 
 . 
 
 Brown .... 
 
 . . 11 . 
 
 . . 12 
 
 Byes . 
 
 2 
 
 . 14 
 
 J. Broadbridge . 
 
 . . G . 
 
 . . 
 
 
 — 
 
 — 
 
 W Broadbridge 
 
 . . . 
 
 . . 9 
 
 Total . 
 
 . 50 
 
 148 
 
318 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Mary -la-bonne, 
 Ist Inu. 
 
 Mr. Romilly . 
 
 Cheslyn . . 
 
 Jenner . , 
 Lord Slrathavea , 
 
 7 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 11 
 
 Mr. Parry 45 
 
 NicoU . . . . 1 
 
 Dyke 41 
 
 Colonel Lowther . . 4 
 
 Mr. Deeds .... 26 
 
 H. Lloyd ... 
 
 Barnett .... 2 
 
 Major Cowell ... 
 
 Byes . . 5 
 
 2u(l Ion. 
 10 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 11 
 
 2 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 
 10 
 20 
 42 
 14 
 
 
 
 Total . . 156 125 
 
 The Mary-la-bonne beating by 83 runs. 
 On the first day (he Kentish men had many 
 disath'antages to cope with on account of the 
 beautiful evenness of the ground, which made 
 I hem unprepared for the ball in the field, and 
 the different style of bowling lately brought 
 into vogue (a fine specimen of which was 
 given by Mr. Jenner), which, added to the 
 very thought of playing with the Mary -la- 
 bonne club, not a little daunted their confi- 
 dence. These " novelties" made them commit 
 many blunders on the first day, which drew 
 forth not a few jokes at their expense from 
 their opponents. However, on the second 
 day, having 231 runs to get, on going in for 
 their second innings, they amply made up for 
 all their past bad play, and gained for them- 
 selves fresh laurels to crown their manly 
 brows, already thickly shaded, having gained 
 last year eight matches in nine. As the Dons 
 had many a laugh at the Johns on the first 
 day, it is but justice to state that the tables 
 were completely turned on the second — so 
 confident were the Great Club of easy success, 
 that they gave orders to Mr. Dark, at the stand 
 on the ground, not to provide dinner for them 
 on that day, as the match would be over so 
 early they should not require it ; and also 
 ordered their servants to bring their horses, 
 &c. for them at three o'clock ; but, behold, 
 the countrymen played so much superior to 
 what was expected, that it was six o'clock 
 before the last wicket went down. This net- 
 tled them much ; however, it was fine nuts 
 for the aivkwurds, and they made the most of 
 it, as it was the source of many a laugh during 
 the whole of the evening. It was remarked 
 by many on the ground, that had Mr. Bayley's 
 club shown as good play on the first, as they 
 did on the second day, the Mary-la-bonne 
 would certainly have been beat. 
 
 BOB BOWLER AND DICK DRIVER- 
 
 The Rival Cricketers! 
 
 You ask a song, and I'll essay 
 
 My share of mirth to bring ; 
 For, though but i/i I sing at bst, 
 
 I think, it best to sing ! 
 And that each lusty amateur 
 
 Of bat and ball and wicket, 
 May own I like a ciicketchirp, 
 
 I'll strive to cLirp o/ cricket. 
 
 Bob Bowler was a ciicketer 
 
 Of strength and courage rare ; 
 And, though he on a common play'd, 
 
 lie was no common player ! 
 For, let the space 'tween wickets be 
 
 As rough as e'er 'twas seen, 
 The green, when he began to boul. 
 
 Became a bowling-green ! 
 
 Upon his native spot there dwelt 
 
 A compeer, oam'd Dick Driver ; 
 And each to win, though iwrf of strife. 
 
 For years had been a striver .' 
 At length, they swore one inning more 
 
 Their rivalry should calm ; 
 And each his palm, without dispute. 
 
 Gave to dispute the palm 
 
 Each chose ten mates, and 'twas agreed— 
 
 Though, by old Cocker's lore, 
 The rest alone a score could ?nake — 
 
 Their runs alo7ie should score I 
 And all iu spikes and jackets clad/ 
 
 Klate for vict'ry came, 
 And pilch' d a tent, their friends to make 
 
 Intent upon the game ! 
 
 Dick Driver to the wicket went ; 
 
 And, bent on rattling at her. 
 That they might batter best the ball. 
 
 He buici'd for the best batter ! 
 Who, turning round to lash a toss. 
 
 Just lob< ing on his rump, 
 Slipp'd back, and his own itutnpy-leg 
 
 Knock'd down his own leg-stump! 
 
 Next ball was hit, and oS' Bob ran, 
 
 ResolvJ his speed to show : 
 But, sloppircg, overthrew himjelj, 
 
 'i'o stiip the overthrow ! 
 Away she flew, but soon came back. 
 
 Too fast for Bob to stop ; 
 For on the grass, his back was down. 
 
 So he could not back up. 
 
 The batsman now his weapon rais'd 
 
 To meet a puzzling twister ; 
 And, though he did not hit amiss. 
 
 By too hard hitting missed her ! 
 VV hile she, to perfect his mishap. 
 
 When for four runs he meant her. 
 Just as he thought he'd sent her off, 
 
 Ripp'd up the off and ceiiire ! 
 
 Now, finding Dick was parch'd with thirst 
 
 From labouring like a ditcher, 
 Bob called his men to draw well deep. 
 
 And gave him &full pitcher ! 
 And as the ground, just like the men. 
 
 Was dry as summer fleeces. 
 They poured some water in each create. 
 
 And made them water creases ! 
 
 With various luck the game advanced. 
 
 With many a broken joint ; 
 And many, through the point, hit sharp. 
 
 For want of a sharp point ! 
 And some, from loss off stumps, stump' d ojf 
 
 To grace this match of matches ; 
 And high hit catches hung as long 
 
 As if they'd been Jack Catches ! 
 
 When all were out, Dick (though the grounij 
 
 Was, by a shower, made greasy). 
 To bear high conquest €aiy home. 
 
 Began high home and easy ! 
 But, when the ball, f.om Bowler's hit. 
 
 He, for six runs, saw rolling. 
 Each time he pac'd the bowling-crease, 
 
 Inci eased his pace t.i bowling ! 
 
 At length, he jerk'd so swift and wild. 
 
 No ball the stumps came nigh ; 
 .411 thought the umpire was taking leave^ 
 
 So olt he cried *y .' by ! 
 And every man who played behind 
 
 In turn was sent off hopping ; 
 For Dick's shin-breakers stop'd them short 
 
 In 'midst of their lung stopping .' 
 
PIERCE EGAIS'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 349 
 
 Thus 'amely on the pastime went, contest were of all ages and sizes, from four- 
 
 Each thought his laurels leaping, teen to aixtu , the youne had shawls, and the 
 
 n'o™^t''of1:^i;X>^r''"' -'^ l-S '=l-ks. The Han,psbire were dis- 
 
 The slips so slipi, that scarce a ball tinguished by the colour ot true blue, which 
 
 Their feet could get the start of; ^^g pinned in their bonnets, in the shape of 
 
 And 4tj long ./?,« receiv'd a blow ^, p^jn^ -g plume. The Surrey were equally 
 
 His tes 1071' teeled tne smart ot I . . i i i 
 
 . ^.. , ,j as smart, — their colours were blue, sur- 
 
 At last a trimmer Dick sent do\vn — . j -ii „ tu^ io«f>^. „l.„-„^ ^„„ 
 
 Bob Yiew-d it with a scoff, mounted with orange. The latter eleven con- 
 
 And turned to play it off his bail, sisted of Ann Baker (sixty years ot age, the 
 
 But found his /fg A«j/ of .' best runner and bowler on that side), Ann 
 
 TH^ match thus cios'd, the score vas cast, Taylor, Maria Barfatt, Hannah Higgs, Eliza • 
 
 \\ hen Fate's propitious die ■ ■'■ A ■ .. . /-in tt i i> h ^» 
 
 In Friendship's bonds to tie tUeir hands, beth Gale, Hannah Collas, Hannah bartlett. 
 
 Had made their hands a tie .' Maria Cooke, Charlotte Cooke, Elizabeth 
 
 Bright Phoebus now his course had run, Stocke, and Mary Fry. 
 
 The tent was borne away, The Hampshire eleven were Sarah Luff', 
 
 And Nox came down to heal, by night, Charlotte Pulain, Hannah Parker, Elizabeth 
 
 The Avii/f/(i they dhad by day ! _, .. ,. . <-.•»! ht iti j m 
 The men shook hands, and swore to live Smith, Martha Smith, Mary Woodrow, Nancy 
 Thenceforth in kind communion. Porter, Ann Poulters, Mary Novell, Mary 
 And, on their common, formed our club, Hislock, and Mary Jougan. 
 In name and tact the Union ! ^^^^ excellent play took place on Wednes- 
 Curious Match of Cricket hetiven Twenty-two day ; one of the Hampshire lasses made forty- 
 Grf.enwich Pensioners — eleven men tvitlt one innings, before she was thrown out; and, 
 one leg, against the same number with one arm. at the conclusion of the day's sport, the 
 From the novelty of the advertisement an- Hampshire eleven were 81 a-head. The un- 
 nouncing a cricket-match to be played by favorableness of the weather prevented any 
 eleven Greenwich Pensioners with one leg more sport that day, thoiigh the ground was 
 against eleven with one arm, for one thousand filled with spectators. On the follcwing day 
 guineas, at the new cricket-ground, Mont- the Surrey lasses kept the field with great 
 pelier Gardens, Walworth, in 1796, an im- success; and on Monday, the 7th, being the 
 mense concourse of people assembled. About last day to decide the contest, an unusual 
 nine o'clock the men arrived in three Green- assemblage of elegant persons were on the 
 wich stages; about ten the wickets were ground. At three o cock the match was won 
 pitched, and the match commenced. Those ^y ^^e Hampshire lasses, who not being 
 with but one leg had the first innings, and "'•"'"g *« leave the field at so early an hour, 
 got ninety-three runs. About three o'clock, a^^ having only won by two innings, they 
 while those with but one arm were having played a single game, m which they wi-re also 
 their innings, a scene of riot and confusion successful. Afterwards they marched in 
 took place, owing to the pressure of the po- t"»mp'i to the Angel, at Islington, where a 
 pulace to gain admittance to the ground : the handsome entertainment had been provided 
 gates were forced open, and several parts of '"o' tjiem by the Nobleman that made the 
 the fencing were broke down, and a great ™atch. ,, i ^ ^^ ^ • 
 number of persons having got upon the roof , ^'•««'' Cricket Match for ICOO Guineas, 
 of a stable, the roof broke in, and several "ei^'een the Bury and Mary-la-bonne Clubs.— 
 persons falling among the horses were taken The return match between these clubs com- 
 out much bruised. About six o'clock the fenced on Monday, August, 1829, at Bury 
 game was renewed, and those with one arm ^t. Edmunds. At an early hour the town 
 got but forty-two runs during their innings, ^^^s all alive from the influx of gentry from 
 The one legs commenced their second innings, t^e different parts adjacent The ground 
 and six were bowled out after they got sixty exhibited all the beauty, wealth, and respect- 
 runs, so that they left off one hundred and ability of this great county, including the 
 eleven more than those with one arm. I'lgh sheriff. It was an excellent match, and 
 A match was played on the Wednesday fol- the only drawback was the continued showers 
 lowing, and the men with one leg beat the one '^hich fell during the three days the contest 
 arms by one hundred and three runnings, jasted. On Wednesday the match terminated 
 After the match was finished, the eleven one- as follows: 
 legged men ran one hundred yards for twenty Bury, 
 guineas. The three first divided the money! ^^^ ^"i"- '^^^ ^o"- 
 
 ,^ ^ J. Brand, Esq. ... . . . 6 
 
 Extraordinary Femaie Cricket Match. W.Blake Esq.. . . 3 . . . 8 
 
 —In a Geld belonging to Mr. Story, at the G. Caldwell, Esq. . . 16 . . . 1 
 
 back of Newington Green, near Ball's Pond, D. Hanbury, Esq. . . . . . 9 
 
 Middlesex, on Wednesday, October 2, 1811, — Knalchbull, Esq . 12 . . . 2 
 
 this singular performance, between the Hamp- C. D. Leech, Esq . . . . . 1 
 
 shire and the Surrey Heroines (twenty-two W. Quarles, Esq. . . 4 . . . 3 
 
 females) commenced at eleven o'clock in the King 8 . . . 7 
 
 morning. It was made by two noblemen, foi Matthews G . . , 7 
 
 500 guineas aside. The performers in this F. Pilch 42 ... 13 
 
350 
 
 W. Pilch 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 Wi e balls 
 
 14 
 
 Total .111 
 Mary-la-bonne. 
 
 )st Inu. 
 
 B. Aislabie, Esq. . 4 . 
 
 C. Barnett, Esq. . . 10 . 
 J. Dolphin, Esq. . . 18 
 J. Gurdon, Esq. . . 1 . 
 H. Jenner, Esq. ... . 
 — Wodehouse, Esq. . . 
 
 Darke 2 . 
 
 Burt 1 . 
 
 Cobbett . 
 
 Saunders 26 . 
 
 Searle 8 . 
 
 Wide Balls. 4 . 
 
 Total . 74 
 
 4 
 5 
 
 60 
 
 2nd Inn. 
 . 
 
 3 
 . 1 
 . 3 
 . 
 . 12 
 
 7 
 . 2 
 . 
 . 16 
 . 37 
 . 3 
 
 84 
 
 Bury winning by 19. Nothing could exceed 
 the anxiety exhibited on Wednesday morning 
 as to the issue of the match; the country 
 folks backed the Lnnnunners, as they thought 
 they were knowing ones. The result caused 
 many a long face among the pastoralites of 
 Suffolk, and some were heard to exclaim, — 
 " It's all gammon — it's a made-up thing be- 
 tween Bury and themselves," which really 
 did not appear, as several of the amateurs of 
 this town are heavy losers. In one instance 
 there have been ^£"40 to £30 paid six times 
 over, by a gentleman who is thought to be a 
 real knowing one. So elated were the Bury 
 Club at the victory, that they challenged the 
 Mary-la-bonne for another match, permitting 
 them to include all England in their club, 
 with the exception of their own county (Suf- 
 folk.) 
 
 On Tuesday, in July, 1828, on Clapham 
 Common, a match took place between eleven 
 blacksmiths, .of Clapham, and a similar num- 
 ber of Wandsworth Vulcans, for a supper. 
 The parties wore white leather aprons, bran 
 new for the occasion ; and after a well-con- 
 tested match the Clapham men won with three 
 wickets to go down. Dr. Beech, one of the 
 Clapham heroes, happened to get quite full 
 of half-and-half, and, being upwards of 
 twenty stone in weight, he was placed for a 
 long stop, but, in pursuing the ball, he fre- 
 quently tumbled, and rolled about like a sick 
 elephant. The supper was placed on the 
 table at Mr. O. N.'s, the Windmill, Clapham 
 Common, and was well served up. 
 
 Pilch, the crack bowler, is a native of 
 Brenton, near Holt, in the county of Norfolk ; 
 and, when a youth, played with the Holt 
 club. The first match he played in conse- 
 quence, was that of Norfolk (with E. H, 
 Budd, Esq., F. Leadbroke, Esq., and T. 
 Vigne, Esq.), against the Mary-la-bonne club, 
 at Lord's, on the 24th July, 1820. On that 
 occasion he bowled out C. Barnard, Esq., 
 who only scored three in the two innings ; 
 the second innings Pilch bowled him out 
 
 without a run. The match was also cele- 
 brated by W. Ward, Esq. scoring 278 runs 
 with his own bat. Pilch's two brothers Na- 
 thaniel and William also played in that match. 
 
 During the month of September, in 1830, so 
 great was the interest for the game 6f cricket, 
 in Sheffield, after they had beaten the Notts, 
 that nine double-wickets were pitched on the 
 Hyde Park Ground, Sheffield, where upwards 
 of TWO HDNDRED PLAYERS wcrc at Work at 
 one time. The ground is about five anda-half 
 acres in extent; indeed, it is most delightfully 
 situated altogether, and well calculated for 
 the above sport. 
 
 We shall now conclude our article with 
 the Rules of the Game of Cricket — and, by 
 comparison with a copy which we have in our 
 possession, published nearly forty years since, 
 in 1793, the principal alterations are in the 
 stumps, the bowling crease, and the popping 
 crease : — 
 
 The Laws of Cricket, 
 As approved by the Mary -la-bonne Club. 
 
 1. The ball must not weigh less than five 
 ounces and a half, nor more than five ounces 
 and three quarters. At the beginning of each 
 innings either party may call for a new ball. 
 
 2. The bat must not exceed four inches and 
 one quarter in the widest part. 
 
 3. The stumps must be twenty-seven inches 
 out of the ground ; the bails eight inches in 
 length ; the stumps of sufficient thickness to 
 prevent the ball from passing through. 
 
 4. The bowling-crease must be in a line 
 with the stumps, six feet eight inches in 
 length (the stumps in the centre), with a re- 
 turn-crease at each end, at right angles. 
 
 5. The popping-crease must be four feet 
 from the wicket, and parallel to it. 
 
 6. The wickets must be pitched opposite to 
 each other by the umpires, at the distance of 
 twenty-two yards. 
 
 7. It shall not be lawful for either party 
 during a match, without the consent of the 
 other, to alter the ground, by rolling, water- 
 ing, covering, mowing, or beating. This rule 
 is not meant to prevent the striker from beat- 
 ing the ground with the bat near where he 
 stands during the innings, nor to prevent the 
 bowler from filling up holes, watering his 
 ground, or using sawdust, &c., when the 
 ground shall be wet. 
 
 8. After rain, the wickets may be changed 
 with the consent of both parties. 
 
 9. The bowler shall deliver the ball with 
 one foot behind the bowling-crease, and 
 within the return crease ; and shall bowl four 
 balls before he change wickets, which he 
 shall be permitted to do but once in the same 
 innings. 
 
 10. The bail shall be bowled. If it be 
 thrown or jerked, or if any part of the hand 
 or arm be above the elbow at the time of de- 
 livery, the umpire shall call "no ball." 
 
 11. He may order the striker at his wicket 
 to stand on which side of it he pleases. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 351 
 
 12. If the bowler toss the ball over the 
 striker's head, or bowl it so wide that it shall 
 be out of distance to be played at, the umpire 
 (either with or without an appeal from the 
 party receiving the innings) shall adjudge one 
 run to the striker, even although lie attempt 
 to hit it, which shall be put down to the score 
 of wide balls ; and such ball shall not be 
 reckoned as any of the four balls. 
 
 13. If the bowler bowl a " no ball," the 
 striker may play at it, and be allowed all the 
 runs he can get ; and shall not be put out, 
 except by running out. 
 
 1 1. In the event of a change of bowling, no 
 more than two balls shall be allowed in 
 practice. 
 
 15. The bowler who takes the two balls, 
 shall be obliged to bowl four balls, 
 
 IG. The striker is out if the ball be bowled 
 off, or the stump bowled out of the ground. 
 
 17. Or if the ball, from a stroke over or 
 under the bat, or upon his hands (but not 
 wrists), be held before it touch the ground, 
 although it be hugged to the body of the 
 catcher. 
 
 18. Or, if in striking, or at any other time 
 while the ball is in play, both his feet be over 
 the popping-crease, and his wicket put down, 
 except his bat be grounded within it. 
 
 19. Or, if in striking at the ball he hit 
 down his wicket. 
 
 20. Or, if under pretence of running a notch 
 or otherwise, either of the strikers prevent a 
 ball from being caught, the striker of the ball 
 is out. 
 
 21. Or, if the ball be struck, and he wil- 
 fully strike it again. 
 
 22. Or, if in running a notch, the wicket be 
 struck down by a throw, or by the hand or 
 arm (with ball in hand) before his foot, hand, 
 or bat be grounded over the popping-crease. 
 But if the ball be off, the stump must be 
 struck out of the ground. 
 
 23. Or, if any part of the striker's dress 
 knock down the wicket. 
 
 24. Or, if the striker touch, or take np the 
 ball while in play, unless at the request of the 
 other party. 
 
 25. Or, if with any part of his person he 
 stop the ball, which in the opinion of the um- 
 pire at the bowler's wicket shall have been 
 delivered in a straight line to the striker's 
 wicket, and would have hit it. 
 
 20. If the players have crossed each other, 
 he that runs for the wicket which is put down 
 is out. 
 
 27. When a ball is caught, no notch shall 
 be reckoned. 
 
 28. When a striker is run out, the notch 
 which they were running for is not to be 
 reckoned. 
 
 29. If a lost ball shall be called, the striker 
 shall be allowed six ; but if more than six 
 shall have been run before '' lost ball " shall 
 have been called, then the striker shall have 
 all which have been run. 
 
 30. When the ball has been in the bowler's 
 
 or wicket-keeper's hands, it is considered no 
 longer in play ; and the strikers need not 
 keep within their ground till the umpire has 
 called ' play ;' but if the player go out of his 
 ground with an intent to run before the ball 
 be delivered, the bowler may put him out. 
 
 31. If the striker be hurt, he may retire 
 from his wicket, and return to it at any time 
 in that innings. 
 
 32. If a striker be hurt, some other person 
 may be allowed to stand out for him, but not 
 to go in. 
 
 33. No substitute in the field shall be al- 
 lowed to bowl, keep wicket, stand at the 
 point or middle wicket, or stop behind to a 
 fast bowler, unless with the consent of the 
 adverse party. 
 
 34. If any person stop the ball with his hat, 
 the ball shall be considered as dead, and the 
 opposite party shall add five notches to their 
 score ; if any be run, they are to have five in 
 all. 
 
 35. If the ball be struck, the striker may 
 guard his wicket either with his bat, or his 
 body. 
 
 30. The wicket-keeper shall stand at a 
 reasonable distance behind the wicket, and 
 shall not move till the ball be out of the 
 bowler's hand, and shall not by any noise in- 
 commode the striker, and if any part of his 
 person be over or before the wicket, although 
 the ball hit it, the striker shall not be out. 
 
 37. The umpires are sole judges of fair and 
 unfair play, and all disputes shall be deter- 
 mined by them, each at his own wicket — but 
 in case of a catch, which the umpire at the 
 wicket bowled from cannot see sufficiently to 
 decide upon, he may apply to the other um- 
 pire, whose opinion is conclusive. 
 
 38. The umpires in all matches shall pitch 
 fair wickets, and the parties shall toss for the 
 choice of innings. 
 
 39. They shall allow two minutes for each 
 man to come in, and fifteen minutes between 
 each innings, when the umpires shall call 
 " play," the party refusing to play shall lose 
 the match. 
 
 40. They are not to order a player out, un- 
 less appealed to by the adversaries. 
 
 41. But if the bowler's foot be not behind 
 the bowling-crease, and within the return- 
 crease, when he shall deliver the ball, they 
 must, unasked, call " no ball." 
 
 42. If the striker run a short notch, the um- 
 pire must call, " no n^itcli." 
 
 43. The umpires are not to be changed 
 during the match, but by the consent of both 
 parties. 
 
 Laws for Single Wicket. 
 
 A\'hen there shall be less than five players 
 on a side, bounds shall be placed twenty-two 
 yards each in a line from the off and leg- 
 stump. 
 
 The ball must be hit before the bounds to 
 entitle the striker to a run, which run cannot 
 be obtained unless he touch the bowling- 
 
352 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 stump Willi his bat, or some part of his per- 
 son ; returning to the popping-crease as at 
 double wicket, according to the twenty-second 
 law. 
 
 When the striker shall hit the ball, one of 
 his feet must be on tlie ground, and behind 
 the popping-crease ; otherwise the umpire 
 shall call " no hit." 
 
 When there shall be less than five players 
 on a side, no byes nor overthrows shall be 
 allowed. 
 
 The field's-man must return the bail so tiiat 
 it shall cross the play between the wicket 
 and the bowling-stump — or between the 
 wicket and the bounds ; the striker may run 
 till the ball shall be so returned. 
 
 After the striker shall have run one notch, 
 if he start again, he must touch the bowling- 
 stump, and turn before the ball shall cross the 
 play to entitle him to another. 
 
 The striker shall be entitled to three 
 notches for lost ball, and the same number for 
 ball stopped with bat, with reference to the 
 29th and 34th laws at double wicket. 
 
 When there shall be more than four players 
 on a side, there shall be no bounds. All hits, 
 byes, and overthrows, shall then be allowed. 
 
 The bowler is subject to the same laws as 
 at double wicket. 
 
 Not more than one minute shall be allowed 
 between each ball. 
 
 Bets. 
 
 If the notches of one player be laid against 
 those of another, the bets depend on the first 
 innings, unless otherwise specided. 
 
 If the bets bo made upon both innings, and 
 one party beat the other in one innings, the 
 notches in the first innings shall determine 
 the bet. 
 
 But if the other party go in a second time, 
 then the bet must be determined by the num- 
 ber on the score. 
 
 The Nightingale. 
 
 From the Dutch of Maria Tessdschade 
 
 Visscher. 
 
 Prijst vrlj lie Nuclitegael. 
 
 Prize thou the Nightingale, 
 Who soothes thee with his tale. 
 And wakes the woods around ; 
 A singing featherhe— a wing'd and wandering sound. 
 
 Whose tender caroling 
 Sets all ears listening 
 Unto that living lyre 
 Whence flow the airy notes his ecstasies inspire ; 
 
 Whose shrill capricious song 
 Breathes like a flute along, 
 With many a careless tone, 
 Music of thousand tongues form'd by one tongue alone. 
 
 O charming creature rare ! 
 Can aught with thee compare ? 
 Thou art all song ; thy breast 
 Thrills for one month o' the year— is tranquil ai: the 
 rest. 
 
 Thee wondrous we may call — 
 Most wondrous this of all, 
 That such a tiny throat 
 Should wake so wide a sound, and poor so loud a note. 
 
 Emulntion oj Nightingales, 
 
 In the gardens of the DilgushS, in Shiraz, 
 in Persia, nightingales are said to abound, 
 which not only sing during the night, but 
 whose plaintive melody is not by day sus- 
 pended in the East as it is in our colder re- 
 gion ; and it is said, that several of those 
 biids have expired while contending with 
 musicians in the loudness or variety of their 
 notes. It has, indeed, been known, according 
 to Pliny, that in vocal trials among nightin- 
 gales, the vanquished bird terminated its 
 song only with its life. 
 
 An intelligent Persian, who repeated his 
 story again and again, and permitted me to 
 write it down from his lips (observes Sir 
 William Ouseley), declared that he had more 
 than once been present when a celebrated 
 lutanist, Mirza Mohammed, surnamed Baltab, 
 was playing to -i large company in a grove 
 near Shirdz, where lie distinctly saw the 
 nightingales trying to vie with the musician ; 
 sometimes warbling on the trees, sometimes 
 fluttering from branch to branch, as if they 
 wished to approach the instrument whence the 
 melody proteeded ; and at length, dropping 
 on the ground in a kind of ecstasy, from which 
 he assured me they were soon raised by a 
 change in the mode. And in one of Strada's 
 Academical Prolusions, we find a most beauti- 
 ful poem, which tends to confirm the Persian 
 report : for it supposes a spirit of emulation 
 so powerful in the nightingale, that having 
 strained her little throat, vainly endeavouring 
 to excel the musician, she breathes out her 
 life in one last effort, and drops upon the in- 
 strument which had contributed to her de- 
 feat. 
 
 THE BELT WHICH ONCE THE CHAMPION 
 BRAC'D. 
 
 Am — " The Harp that once in Taras Halls." 
 
 The Belt which once the Champion brac'd. 
 
 When boxing honor reigned. 
 In modern times has been disgraced; 
 
 And all its glory stain'd ; 
 For he, whose pugilistic fame 
 
 Each Fancy Bard should sing, 
 Now hides his head in conscious shame. 
 
 And banish'd from the Ring. 
 
 Tom Cribb, thy manly form no more, 
 
 In fighv we shall beheld ; 
 But matchless were thy deeds of yore, 
 
 As generous as bold : 
 Base acts youi gallant spirit spurned. 
 
 And manfully you dealt. 
 And honestly, though hardly, earn'd 
 
 The English Champiom's Belt. 
 
 Thy praise shall long resound afar, 
 
 The Champion long wert thou. 
 And honor was thy leading star. 
 
 And triumph deck'd ihy brow 
 But glory now is on the wane, 
 
 The Fancy in despair — 
 When shall we see thy like again. 
 
 The Champion's iJelt to wear ! 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 353 
 
 AQUATIC SPORTS: 
 
 A SAILING MATCH ; or, LIFE ON THE WATER .' 
 
 OLD FATHER THAMES— to wit i 
 
 They may talk of their Ganges, their Euphrates so fair .' 
 
 Also of the Nile aud the Lea, Sirs ! 
 But can all, e'en the Pactolus, or Liffby compare, 
 
 To FATHER THAMES, call'd the Londoners' Sea, Sirs t 
 
 Pactolus, accoidino; to the Ancients,* was a 
 most fascinating, attractive, and desirable 
 iver there cannot be the slightest doubt ; 
 
 * Pactolux a celebrated river of Lydia, rising in 
 Mount Tmolus, and falling into the Hermus, after 
 ■watering the city of Sardes. It was in this river that 
 Midas washed himself when he turned into gold 
 whatever he touched ; and from that circumstance it 
 ever after rolled jjolden sand, and received the name 
 of Chrysorrhoas. It is called Tmolus by t'liny. Strabo 
 observes, that it had no golden sand in his age. Virg. 
 Strab., &c. 
 
 23. 
 
 and, perhaps the Emperor of Punsters, Tommy 
 Hood, might have observed, if the subject in 
 question had ^'suited his Book!" that its 
 Bmik was not only rich indeed, hut that no- 
 thing in the shape of a hu-nan being could 
 have altered its running account; therefore, 
 a few drops bottled off from its '' golden 
 stream" would have proved quantum sufT. 
 for our purpose ; neither have we any desire 
 to detract from the terrific grandeur of the 
 powerful and rolling Ganges; nor have we 
 anything to offer in the shape of opposition to 
 
 2 A 
 
a54 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 the delightful and picturesque situation of the 
 Euphrates; No! we like everj' thing in its 
 place ! and in accordance with such ideas we 
 most cordially join in the praises bestowed on 
 the Nile, given by that enterprising and in- 
 defatigable traveller, the late Mr. Bruce, on his 
 discovering the source of the above immense 
 «nd sublime waterfall ! Respecting the Lea, 
 we must leave the pleasure of bestowing 
 praises on that placid stream to the mild and 
 patient angler : — 
 
 Where he will sit upon the rocks, 
 Aud see the .Sliepherd feed their flocks, 
 By shallow rivers, to whose falls. 
 Melodious hirds sing madrigals. 
 
 Then for (he Liffey, the Irishman's pride, and 
 the Gourmand's boast, when chuckling to 
 himself the delicious salmon contained within 
 its stream, reminds him of the song which 
 cries from the table — 
 
 " Come, come, and eat me I" 
 
 We have strolled along the banks of the Liffey, 
 and have not been insensible to the delightful 
 scenery which surrounds it, and the interest- 
 ing prospects which also abound in the Emer- 
 ald Isle : — 
 
 Ere liffey's waters meet the tide, 
 
 They toll by many lovely bowers ; 
 There's one more fair than all beside. 
 
 For Kathlene's bauds entwine the flowers. 
 You've seen the primrose in the glade, 
 
 Robed with purest dews of morning I 
 Others, iu modesty array'd, 
 
 She blooms, her native fields adorning ! 
 
 But for Oi.D Father Thames, the delight- 
 ful scene of our boyhood — the interesting 
 pleasures of our youth — and the numerous 
 gay and happy parties which we have mixed 
 with in the meridian of our life, calling to 
 our remembrance the many pleasant hours 
 that we have passed upon its ' silvery stream ;' 
 we have only to regret that we do not possess 
 the talents of a Byron, to sound its praises ; 
 that we are also deficient in ability to describe 
 its surrounding scenery with the effect of a 
 Sir Walter Scott; and likewise that we 
 are incapable to do justice to its forest of 
 masts below Bridge — those terrors to the 
 whole world — the wooden walls of Old Eng- 
 land, with the accuracy and spirit of a Cooper 
 — if such capabilities were in our power, than 
 the Thames, Old Father Thames, should be 
 our theme to the very echo ; leaving those 
 persons who might be enamoured with tlie 
 Tiber, or attracted by the waves of the Hel- 
 lespont, to eulogise these rivers until they are 
 tired of them. But for a Row, or a Sail to 
 Richmond, however travellers may boast of 
 the beauties connected with Italian scenery, 
 and painters that have been in search of pic- 
 turesque views in Foreign parts, extolling 
 them to the skies ; let us enjoy our opinion — 
 that the rural walks contiguous, and the 
 aquatic view from Richmond Hill, may be 
 equalled , but it can never be surpassed ; and 
 
 also that a trip down the river is equally mag- 
 nificent and commanding in another important 
 point of view — thus rendering Old Father 
 Thames the pride and envy, at all events, of 
 the inhabitants of the Metropolis. 
 
 True it is, that there is a time for every 
 thing in this gay aud busy metropolis ; and 
 few men are without their hobbies, where such 
 a variety of attractions claim their attention, 
 to fill up a leisure hour or two in a pleasant 
 and agreeable manner, with tliis ditference 
 only, that some of those persons who are 
 attached to any particular sort of amusement, 
 ride them much harder and faster than their 
 neighbours. However, be that as it may, the 
 Sports on the Rivfr Thames are kept up 
 ■during the season, nearly with equal spirit to 
 those of the Field ; and if the Cocknies cannot 
 shoot flying ; leap over a five-barred gate ; 
 join in a steeple-chase ; or give the view-hal- 
 loo ! in tiie same spirit and style of excellence, 
 and want that sort of character and finish to 
 the thing, like those persons reared in the 
 country — they nevertheless flatter themselves 
 they are not much from Home on Old Father 
 Thames ; and who also view the river as a 
 sort of element of their own, in consequence 
 of their quick and easy access to it from busi- 
 ness. There may be some weight attached to 
 this position — they rather pride themselves in 
 being competent to take a lead in a cutter, — 
 from their frequent practice ; or to handle a 
 scull ; to feather an oar ; take the situation as 
 strokesman in an eight-oared boat ; do their 
 duty in the tnid-ships ; and, at times, show 
 themselves off to advantage by acting like a 
 waterman at the bow. It is the ambition of 
 most men to excel in that sort of amusement or 
 sporting towards which their penchant appears 
 so conspicuous. But, more anon., when Row- 
 ing Matches are the subject of discussion. 
 
 Within the last few years Sailing Matches 
 have increased in a great degree on the 
 Thames; and numerous Yacht Clubs have 
 been formed in various parts of England; 
 several prizes of various descriptions have 
 also been sailed for, exhibiting great spirit 
 and ability, and amongst their Commanders, 
 Captains, Ship's Company ; or any other 
 phrase the reader may think proper to adopt ; 
 we have been informed from some of the best 
 judges on the subject, that some excellent 
 sailors are to be found on board the Sailing- 
 boats, who can hand, reef, and steer, in good 
 seaman's style, and who would do credit to 
 vessels of a much larger size, and prove them- 
 selves not unworthy to be trusted 
 
 " On the deep, deep sea." 
 
 Although there is a great spirit of rivalry 
 and emulation displayed between the various 
 clubs to become the crack party, or boat, on 
 the river, yet, we are happy to assert, there 
 is nothing else but the most gentlemanly feel- 
 ing manifested towards each other upoa all 
 occasions— Victory being the only object iu 
 view. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 355 
 
 Sir Godfrey Webster, Bart, hiid a superb 
 yacht of his own ; and also Lord Harhoroiigh ; 
 who conducted themselves, and tiieir crew, 
 when on board, strictly, in every point of view, 
 like nautical men ; indeed, our limits will 
 not permit us to name the numerous persons of 
 rank and fashion, who are so devoted to sail-- 
 ing, that they have splendid yachts of their 
 own. 
 
 The Duke of Buckingham's yacht, it is 
 said, carries twelve brass guns, eighteen and 
 twelve-pounders, and a full complement of 
 seamen and marines, with a chaplain, doctor, 
 &c. The building and fittin<;s up of the 
 yacht cost upwards of £16,000. The rope- 
 maker's bill was £700. 
 
 The Sailing Matches are supported with 
 great spirit by the Royal Thames Yacht, 
 Clarence Yacht, and Loyal Yacht Clubs, in 
 the Metropolis : and if they do not produce 
 attraction equal to the Derby, Oaks, Ascot 
 Gold Cup, or the Doncaster Races, in abetting 
 point of view — the company is numerous in 
 the extreme ; upon any of the above occasions 
 the Thames, in general, is covered with boats 
 — and both sides of the river are thronged 
 with company of the most genteel description. 
 Indeed, it will not be denied that a Sailbig 
 Mai'ck on the river Thames has not only a fine 
 effect — but the scene is altogether of the most 
 liveJy description, and lots of fun and humour 
 are often the result.* 
 
 But it appears that the inhabitants of Lon- 
 don have long been familiar to the amusement 
 of sailing matclies on the Thames : upon look- 
 ing over the "Town and County Rlagazine," 
 for June, 1770, exactly Jiftij-six years since, 
 we find the following account of a matcl), 
 conducted with the same sort of spirit as at 
 
 • THE SAILING MATCH. 
 
 Air — "Here's to the Maiden.'" 
 
 They may talk of their Ganges, their Euphrates so 
 fair, 
 
 Al.so of the Nile and the Lea, sirs. 
 Rut can all, e'en the Pactolus or Liffey compare 
 
 To t'ather Tiiames, called tht Londoners' sea sirs ! 
 
 Spoken.] Now, are yo'i all ready there in the 
 boat ? Where's Mrs. B. ? oh, liere you are, do you sit 
 in the middle ; Tommy and Dickey, do you sit tn one 
 side of your mamma, Wilhelmina and Augustus on 
 the other, like two pockets, and take that basket of 
 sandwiches in your lap ; also tea-kettle, but miad the 
 smut — there, now trim the boat. Ah, I Kke to come 
 out with Aquatic, he's been a sailor. — No, he h.Hs'ut. 
 — Ves, he has — Well, if I was'r.t, my father was ; 
 and moreover than that, he was drowned in Chelsea- 
 reach : so I think I ought to know something of the 
 navigation of the river.— 1 say, young man, what are 
 the names of the ve.ssels that start 1 — Why, Ma'am, 
 the Wenus, the Wirgin, the Wictoria, Will o' the- 
 Vi.^ip, and three others, whose names I can't properly 
 pronouijce ; hut they're all ready, and will start 
 «hen the pistol fires. — Bless me, do they use pistols 
 in sailing matches ? — Yes, ma'am, that's the prize ; 
 which ever vessel brings back the bullet in the short- 
 est time gains the day. — Ah ! how do you do, Mr. 
 Chesterfield ? — I say, that's Mr. Chesterfield, son to 
 the gentleman that wrote a book about politeness, 
 warning how to blow noses, and leave go of button- 
 holes. Is it indeed? I'll speak to him; how does 
 your venerable father do, sir ( — How t why, the old 
 buffer is as stiff as pitch. — Ah, neighbour Henpeck, 
 how is it you are out to-day, this is the first day I 
 ever saw you take pleasure, how is tliis ? — How 1 Mrs. 
 H. is buried to-day. — Hollo ! tliere goes the Don 
 Giovanni, how she outs along — there they go — now 
 mind, Mrs. B. — all right, look out now — down with 
 your oars, gentlemen, and all keep time by your 
 
 watches —Mrs. B. put the rudder a little to the other 
 
 side.— Ort" «e go. 
 
 As the wind blows, so the boat rows, 
 
 And still with more vigour each waterman glows. 
 
 The boats are skimming, their white pouting sails. 
 Like swains cleaving through the blue sky, sirs. 
 
 Petitions are sent up for favoring gales. 
 As onward the vessels quick fly, sirs. 
 
 Spoken.] There they go ! Oh, how beautiful ! 
 how majestic. B. my dear, which do you think will 
 wiu '.' — 'Why, she that gets in first. — How far have 
 they to go. Aquatic ? Why, right up the river through 
 Battersea arches, and back agiiu against wind and tide, 
 until they anchor safe at Cumberland gardens. Now, 
 that's why I like to come out with Aquatic, he knows 
 every thing. Sir, why is that place called the lied 
 House 1 — \\ hy, because it's brown. Ishould not think 
 anything could go quicker than that ere wessel,my love ! 
 Don't under-rate the velocity of your own tongue, my 
 dear. — Oh dear ! see if that little boy has'nt fallen 
 through by the bridge, and there he's hanging. — Oh 
 dear ! oh ! oh I — 1 say, my young one, did you see the 
 vessels start? — Yes. — Well, wait there, and you'U 
 se'em come back again. — Now they go ; look at them ; 
 they're in, t'ney're in, the Wictoria I the Wictoria! 
 Now, he's going, to have his cup. — What cup. Sir. 
 Aquatic? — Why, don't you know all this sailing is 
 for a little cup, which is filled with a gallon of brandy 
 punch, and given to the conqueror, who is expected to 
 drink it all. — What all ? — Every drop, and eat the 
 lemon of it. Bless me, what an undertaking I — Ah ; 
 but that isn't half, he must keep sober afterwards. 
 As the wind blows, &c. 
 
 Contention has ceased, and, resigned up to glee. 
 Each party floats down with the tide, sir; 
 
 They take out their dinners and prepare for the tea. 
 With ham sandwiches, and sour meat beside, sir. 
 
 Spoken.] Well now, we'll lay upon our oars a 
 little while, and take a rest. — Sir, 1 don't know what 
 you mean by them ere uawtical expressions, but when. 
 you come out with ladies, you might be a little more 
 discriminate. — Oh, there's no h3im to lay upon our 
 oars, it means to give up to i:he direction of Neptune 
 and Heolus.— Really, 1 don't think we ought to give 
 it up to anybody except the people we hired it of, and 
 their names is Sullivan.— Mr. Dulcet, might we beg 
 the favour of your services of the flute ? — 1 am, suj-e, 
 ma'am, 1 shall be very happy, but you see as we 
 begin to row again, 1 can't pull and blow too, — Here, 
 stop, first fill me this tea-kettle with water. — I'll do 
 that; oh, bless me, it has fallen to the bottom.— I did 
 not tell you to do that — No, but jou told me to fill it 
 with water, and 1 dare say it is. Well, sir, I don't 
 wan't to say any thing, only, don't talk to me any 
 more on the voyage ; now, where's the sugar ? oh, I 
 have it in my coat-pocket. Have you? then your 
 coat-pocket has been in the water this half-hour — Sir, 
 you are very obnoxious, very obnoxious indeed ; 1 
 don't like it, and mind youdon't speak tome anymore 
 during the voyage. — Well, 1 won't. — Don't. — I won't. 
 — Don't, I say. — Now, Mr. Dulcet, will you blow? — 
 With all my wind, ma'am. (Piays the tlute.) — Beau- 
 tiful ! well now, this is pleasant ; though I wish we 
 had some tea. Don't you, Aquatic ? why, where's 
 Aquatic? — Mr. A. where can he be gone to? friend 
 A. where are you? — My love A. where can he have 
 get to 1 Well, if I must .speak, Mr. A. fell overboard 
 some time time since ; but as he desired me to take 
 no notioe of it during the voyage, 1 held my tongue. 
 As the wind blows, &c 
 2 A 2 
 
356 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 (he present daj', and under the immediate 
 patnmage of Royalty : — " On the 17th of June 
 the sailing boats started from Hlackfriars' 
 Bridge, for the Cup given by liis Royal High- 
 ness the Duke of Cumberland, value £20., 
 when, after going through an arch of Fulham 
 bridge, thty returned, and the Kind's Fisher 
 (the property of Messrs. Taylor, Prince, and 
 White) being the first through the centre arch 
 of Blackfriars' Bridge was adjudged the win- 
 ner, upon which his Royal Highness took the 
 Cup (tilled with claret) and wished him joy. 
 Ten boats were entered, and the first five came 
 all within a minute alike. The Sea-horse was 
 the second. Commodore Smith, the proprietor 
 of the several boats, and the other members of 
 the Cumberland Sailing Club, afterwards 
 dined at Smith's Tea Gardens, where the 
 Duke's health was drank out of the Prize 
 Cup by all present." 
 
 The late Mr. Astley, of the Royal Amphi- 
 theatre, but Young Astley, as he was gene- 
 rally termed, was not only very much attached 
 to sailing, but, we believe he won one or two 
 prize Silver Cups and Covers, given by the 
 proprietors of Vauxhall Gardens, with his boat 
 called the Mercury. 
 
 The Don Giovanni at one period, we well 
 remember, proved a great Don on the river, 
 and won two Silver Cups; but we regret to 
 state that some envious persons, or rather, 
 ill-disposed folks, thinking that Mr. Devey, 
 the spirited proprietor of the Don, might have 
 a 'Cup too much,' without any thing like 
 ' sailing orders,' in an unguarded moment 
 captured (as they were /ouZ pirates) the above 
 prizes: ufair start was out of the question — 
 indeed, they did not give him half a chance 
 to recover these pleasing remembrances to him 
 of his acknowledged capabilities of a naval 
 tactician ; and also the revs'ards for his exer- 
 tions during the time he was Captain of the 
 above crack sailing boat. 
 
 In order to show the Readers of the Book 
 OF Sports, not only the extensive patronage 
 given by j.ersons of the first consequence and 
 character to Sailing Matches and Regattas, 
 al! over the Kingdom ; but we have intro- 
 duced rhe following sketches for their inform 
 ation, and we also hope that we may add, 
 a_iusement. 
 
 King George IV. 's Coronation Fleet. 
 
 The day appointed for the Sailing Match 
 (Wednesday, July 21, 1829) between the 
 under-mentioned gentlemen's pleasure ves- 
 sels, for a magnificent Silver Cup and 
 Cover, given by the Coronation Fleet, in 
 commemoration of his Majesty's Coronation 
 and birth-day, the river, for some time 
 previous to the starting of the vessels, was 
 crowded with boats of every denomination, 
 the majority of which contained spectators 
 of the greatest opulence and respectability; 
 and never do we recollect to have seen, since 
 the grand public breakfast given off Whitehall, 
 by the Duke of Clarence, so numerous an 
 
 assemblage of elegantly attired ladies on the 
 Thames as on this occasion ; indeed, the coup 
 d'oeil was beyond description. The following 
 boats had been entered, but only the first six 
 sailed for the prize : — 
 
 Ho, Names. Owners. 
 
 1 Clarence W. i. Sawyer . , 
 
 2 Daphne J. Nelbon 
 
 3 Ariel J. Uiiwin.Jun.. 
 
 4 Donna del Lagoil. Thornton. . . . 
 
 5 liCander W. Cotiiughani 
 
 6 Rowena T. Groves 
 
 7 Rose in June.. J. Sheffield .... 
 
 8 John and Anne. J, Watson 
 
 9 Prince George 
 
 of Cumberland C. C. Haiselden 
 
 Belonging to Tons 
 Hammersmith. .7 
 
 I.ambeth 7 
 
 Battersea 6 
 
 Deptford 9 
 
 .Battersea 7 
 
 Lambeth 6 
 
 .Arundel Stairs. .6 
 Ipswich 8 
 
 .BlacVwall 4 
 
 There was no restriction as to the owners 
 steering their vessels, and, consequently, some 
 of the most experienced men at the helm were 
 appointed to that important station. In con- 
 sequence of the indispostion of E. Nettleford, 
 Esq., the Commodore, who caught a severe 
 cold a few days since, while engaged on the 
 river during several heavy showers, in the 
 service of the Fleet, H. C. Teinpleton, Esq., 
 Honorary Secretary, officiated as Deputy ; 
 and, at the hour appointed, the latter gentle- 
 man was pulled up to Waterloo Bridge, ac- 
 companied by three of the Directors in a four- 
 oared boat, by the Engineer, and three of the 
 Palladium Fire-office men, Mr. Roberts, of 
 Lambeth, taking the lines. About five o'clock 
 the six first vessels on the list took their re- 
 spective stations at the bridge, to sail from 
 thence to a boat moored off the Powder- 
 house, Putney Meadows, and back through 
 the centre arch of Vauxhall Bridge. In 
 about a quarter of an hour the Deputy-Com- 
 modore gave the signal for starting, when the 
 Rowena, with the celebrated Samuel Johnson 
 at her helm, was instantly in trim, and led the 
 way. The other five were almost equally 
 expert in getting under weigh, and the whole 
 proceeded up the river with rather a stiff 
 breeze from W.S.W., the whole flotilla of 
 boats preceding them in grand array. On 
 passing through Vauxhall the Rowena was a 
 board and a half a-head of the Donna del 
 Lago, which was second boat. The Clarence 
 went through the bridge third, followed by 
 the little Daphne, Ariel, and Leander. At 
 this period it was fully expected that the 
 Donna, who bore the sails of the Don Giovanni, 
 would ultimately take the lead, and that 
 Nelson's boat would overreach some of the 
 headmost vessels. From the running qualities 
 of the Clarence, much was expected from her 
 coming down ; and, indeed, great alterations 
 were expected to have taken place in the po- 
 sitions of the boats. Notwithstanding the 
 tacking and manoeuvring, which, with one or 
 two exceptions, were excellent, no change took 
 place of consequence the whole way up, much 
 to the regret of many ; and the Rowena rounded 
 the boat in the Meadows, three and a-half 
 minutes before the Lady, who was followed 
 by the Clarence, the others going round at a 
 respectful distance, but shortly after each 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 3.Y, 
 
 other. On conung down, the Rowena main- 
 tained her advantage, which, in a great mea- 
 sure, is to be attributed to the manner in 
 which she was handled at the helm, and it 
 was thought that they would arrive at Vaux- 
 hall iu the same manner as they went up ; for 
 it was not till they neared the Red House that 
 any thing like a change took place, when the 
 Clarence, in running before a stiffish breeze, 
 went past the Donna del Lago, and became 
 second boat. This certainly put many in rap- 
 tures : with others, however, it had a contrary 
 effect, as the Lady of the Lake was, previous 
 to starting, booked in several instances to 
 win. The Rowena was never headed through- 
 out the match ; and it was only when her crew 
 were shifting jibs that the Douna del Lago in 
 any manner drew on her. They passed through 
 the centre arch of Vauxhall Bridge amidst the 
 cheeers of a vast assemblage, as follows : — 
 Rowena firsf, Clarence second, Donna del 
 Lago third. Daphne fourth, Ariel fifth, and 
 the Leander sixth ; the Rowena winning by 
 three minutes and fifteen seconds. After the 
 match the majority of the owners proceeded 
 to their residences, and, having put themselves 
 into trim, repaired to the Royal Gardens, 
 Vauxhall, accompanied by their respective 
 friends, where the magnificent Prize, whicli 
 weighs upwards of fifty ounces, was presented 
 by iNIr. Williams to the successful winner 
 (Mr. Groves) in the presence of as numerous 
 an assemblage as ever congregated in this 
 delightful place of fashionable resort. 
 
 Thames Yacht Club. 
 river at Greenwich presented a very 
 and interesting appearance, on Saturday, 
 in June, 1828, to witness the starting for the 
 Thames Yacht Club Cup. Never were so 
 many yachts assembled : the Zephyr, Betsy,- 
 Donna del Lago, Ariel, Isabel, Pearl, Fairy, 
 Twin, &c., were all under weigh, to accom- 
 pany the wager vessels ; and the Echo Go- 
 vernment steamer was decorated in her gayest 
 colours, to do honor to the occasion. Soon 
 after nine o'clock the following yachts took 
 their stations: — Mr. J. IrvingV Daisy, 14 
 tons; Mr. T. Smith's Lady Louisa, 14 tons; 
 Mr. W. H. Harrison's Will-o'-the-Wisp, 16 
 tons; Mr. R. Hope's Success, 14 tons; Mr. 
 Bank's Atalanta, 14 tons ; Mr. E. Codd's 
 Sylph, 14 tons; Mr. W'ingfield's Rlermaid, 
 7 tons ; and soon afterwards the Royal Sove- 
 reign arrived from the Tower, having oa 
 board the Commodore and a numerous party. 
 At ten o'clock the gun tor getting ready was 
 fired, and every man took his particular sta- 
 tion, so that, upon the starting gun being 
 fired, every sail was set with astonishing 
 rapidity. The Success was rather the quick- 
 est, but all were properly under weigh in less 
 than one minute. The Daisy, having the 
 weather start, took the lead, followed closely 
 by the Lady Louisa ; but, at the top of Wool- 
 wich Reach, the Will-o'-the-Wisp ran up to 
 thfm both, and in jibing upon the Lady, 
 
 carried away her gaff, which considerably 
 lessened the interest of the match, there being 
 several bets that she would round the boat at 
 Gravesend first. The Lady continued second 
 till just as she arrived at the flag-boat, when 
 the Sylph passed her. Here commenced the 
 beauty of the match, there being a fresh 
 breeze at W.N.W., and three hours ebb to 
 run. A finely contested race it was : the 
 Daisy never was headed, although twice very 
 near it ; in fact, it was impossible to tell, just 
 below Purfleet, when on different tacks, 
 which would go to windward, she or the 
 Lady. The Sylph, after being beaten by the 
 Lady, had a fiesh competitor in the Success ; 
 but, after contending every incli of ground 
 most skilfully, was oldiged to be contented 
 by coming in fourth. The Atalanta was 
 beaten by the little iMermaid, but both were 
 completely distanced. So good a day's sport 
 has seldom been seen, and upon the arrival of 
 the Daisy, as the winner, at Greenwich, to 
 which place she belongs, the cheers of her 
 friends were most iiproarinus. Dancing was 
 kept up on board the Koyal Sovereign to a 
 late hour, and every body seemed delighted 
 with the general arrangements. 
 
 Will o' the Wisp and Success. 
 The Match between Mr. Hope's Success, 
 16 tons, and Mr. Harrison's Will-o'-the-Wisp, 
 16 tons, for 50 sovereigns was decided on 
 Saturday, in June, 1828. They started from 
 Greenwich precisely at eleven o'clock, with 
 a light breeze, N.N.W., the Success taking 
 the lead ; but, in turning through Blackwall 
 Reach, the Will headed her, and main- 
 tained it to Erith Reach, when the breezes 
 became partial, and the Success being the 
 more fortunate, she was again a-head, and 
 had increased her distance at Greenhithe 
 to at least a quarter of a mile. The wind 
 here freshened, and became more steady ; 
 and iu going round the Flag Vessel at 
 Gravesend, they were both together, but 
 the Will by some means got to windward 
 There was still an hour's ebb to run, and both 
 hammered away over the tide with alternate 
 advantage ; so equal were they, that, under 
 Broadness-point, it was thought tiie Success 
 would have won ; but directly the tide eased, 
 away went the Will-o'-the-Wisp, without 
 giving her a chance, till she eventually won 
 by thirteen minutes. It was the opinion of 
 every body present, that a better match was 
 never seen ; and the odds at one time looked 
 very queer. When it is recollected how good 
 a place the Success held for the T. Y. C. Cup, 
 this match proves the " Will '' to be a very 
 fast vessel of her class. 
 
 Peter Boat Sailing Match. 
 In July, 1829, a Sailing Match took place 
 at Hammersmith., between twenty- four work- 
 ing l*etcr-boats, ouned by fishermen, fot 
 various prizes, in sovereigns, given bv the 
 Ladies and Gentlemen of Chiswick and Ham - 
 
358 PIEUCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 mersmith. The clay was extremely unpropi- other place along the water's edge, from 
 tious for those vvlio delight in witnessing such whence a eight of the sailing could be wit- 
 matches, but, notwithstanding, the spectators nessed, were filled with elegantly-dressed 
 were numerous. On the usual signal being females, and a suitable number of the 
 given the whole twenty-four boats started "'Lords of the Creation," while the vessels 
 from the Hammersmith Bridge, to sail to Kew, in the Reach were equally profuse in the 
 and back to a boat moored near the place of display of the quantity and quality of their 
 starting. On the boats getting in trim and company. At half-past twelve o'clock the 
 going off, a more interesting scene could not elegant and fast-sailing steamer, the Kent, 
 be witnessed on the Thames. The Countess appeared in the Reach, with between 400 and 
 INlacartney took the lead, followed by the 500 passengers, and shortly after the Earl of 
 Providence, and, after a contest which afford- Darnley's yacht, having on board his Lordship 
 ed great gratification to the admirers of sail- and Lady Darnley, Lord Clifton, and the 
 ing, and in which the boats passed and repassed Honorable (Colonel and Lady Bligh, and a 
 each other several times, they came in thus : select party, hove in sight, and was saluted 
 — Providence, T. Humphreys, Hammersmith, with twenty-one rounds from the Committee's 
 first ; Countess INlacartney, Moses Gibson, barge. This was the signal for the coni- 
 Chiswick, second ; George and William, Wil- mencement of the sport, and, in a moment 
 liam Malcolm, Hammersmith, third ; Henry, after, the hatch-boats in the following order 
 William White, Chiswick, fourth; Richard were seen to steer from the wharf — 
 and Sarah, R. Pearce, Strand, fifth ; Owner's ,^ „ , 
 Dplicrht W RnUnn Chi^wirk <!iyth • Arfivf- No. Name. Tons. Owners. Colours. 
 
 ueught, \v . Boiton, cnit,wicK, sixin , active, j ^^„ ^^^ Elizabeth . . is. .T. Tisdell Red. 
 
 S. Earlam, Hammersmith, seventh; I he re- 2 Eliza 14. .J. Wall Blue. 
 
 maining seventeen came in shortly after each 3 Diligence is.. G.Arnold White, 
 
 other. A purse of about twenty sovereigns 4 Guardian 19.. S. Keeling Green. 
 
 J- i .L .^ J t_ ii. /-. -n 4 41 cu- 5 Henrietta 14. .W. Martin Yellow, 
 
 was distributed by the Committee at the bhip g William is.. G.Martin Pink. 
 
 Inn among the first six boats. The rain at 
 
 .short intervals came down in torrents, and The order of the sailing, as laid down by 
 
 consequently prevented many witnessing the the Committee, was as follows : — From Gla- 
 
 match. dish's wharf, round a flag-boat stationed off 
 
 the Cole-house Point, to proceed upwards 
 
 Gravesend Regatta. round a flag-boat stationed in Northfleet Hope, 
 
 The fourth anniversary of the above splen- from thence round a flag-boat off the Custom- 
 did Regatta, which was instituted to comme- house, and return to the southward and west- 
 morate tlie coronation of his gracious Majesty, ward of the Committee's barge. 
 George the Fourth, under the immediate pa- The prizes were to be bestowed in the fol- 
 tronage of the late Earl of Darnley, took place lowing order :— First boat £10.— Second boat 
 on Monday, in July, 1829, between six hatch £5.— Third boat £3.— Fourth boat £2.— Fifth 
 boats, not to exceed twenty tons, and to sail boat £1.5s. 
 
 under unlimited canvas ; a sailing match by This match was contested in a truly sea- 
 six short ferry-boats, under mainsail and fore- man-like manner on the part of the crew of 
 sail only ; and a rowing match by six short each of the vessels. The Red, however took 
 ferry boats. t^c lead at starting, and kept it all through. 
 
 At an early hour the town's folk were all The White kept close to it, followed by the 
 
 on tiie qui vive, and the country for miles Pink. The contest lay entirely between 
 
 round was emptied of its residents, all of White and Pink for the second place, and on 
 
 whom flocked to the great focus of attraction, two occasions in the course of the match, the 
 
 The metropolis, too, yielded forth its quantum latter got a-head of the former. At the con- 
 
 of admirers of aquatic sports. The appear- elusion of about two hours the match ended 
 
 ance of Gravesend was quite animating ; flags by the boats passing the Committee's barge in 
 
 were seen flying in various directions; a the following order :— Red first. White se- 
 
 splendid new one, with the Lennox arms upon cond, Pink third. Yellow fourth, and Green 
 
 it, fluttered above the new pier, and the bells fifth. Blue did not sail the last distance, 
 rang forth a merry peal. Gravesend Reach m t. d 
 
 was completely studded with vessels— yachts, The Dublin Regatta. 
 
 galleys, and punts were seen flying along the This splendid and interesting exhibitioa 
 
 surface of the water in all directions. took place on Monday, July, 1828, in the 
 
 About twelve o'clock the sailing and oared presence of an immense multitude collected 
 
 boats selected to contend for the prizes, were on the hills and shores which surrounded the 
 
 seen putting from tlie land. The hatch-boats bay. The Lord- Lieutenant was present in his 
 
 made for the point from whence they were to beautiful yacht, the Pearl, and was highly 
 
 start — namely, Gladish's Wharf, — while the delighted by the beauty of the scene, the 
 
 six-oared boats, and the short ferry-boats, bosom of the bay being covered with craft of 
 
 kept near to the Committee's barge. To give every description, including four steamers, 
 an idea of the heightened and animated scene The vessels eiit'ered to sail for tlie first prize 
 
 that presented itself at this moment would be cup, value ?.i sovereigns, having beeti ar- 
 
 iiiipossible. Every house-top, window, and ranged by Lord William Paget, a gun was 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 359 
 
 fired from on board the Tiger revenue cruizer, 
 as a signal of their readiness for sailing ; two 
 guns noticed that they had slipped their 
 moorings, when they proceeded. The fol- 
 lowing are the names of the yachts, and their 
 ownei'S : — 
 
 Ganymede, 70 tons, Colonel Madden ; Ruby, 
 50 tons, John Fitzgerald, Esq., M. P. ; Li- 
 berty, 42 tons. Earl of Errol ; Thetis, 37 tons, 
 Rev. D. George ; Emerald Isle, 54 tons, For- 
 tescue Grey, Esq. ; Sapphire, (19 tons. Lord 
 Newborough. 
 
 After a beautiful contest the Thetis was 
 hailed as the victor. 
 
 At half-past three, the preliminaries having 
 been gone through, the following vessels 
 sailed for the seventh class prize cup, value 
 ten pounds : — 
 
 Corsair, 8 tons, John Coldwell, Esq. ; Me- 
 dora, 7 tons, — Barnes, Esq. ; Daisy, 5 tons, 
 Fortescue Gregg, Esq. ; Esther, 6 tons, Tho- 
 mas Farnell, Esq. ; Mary (of Bullock), Hon. 
 Mr. Annesley. 
 
 This match was won at six o'clock by the 
 Corsair. 
 
 Two rowing matches, which took place 
 whilst the sailing matches proceeded, excited 
 a good deal of interest. They were well con- 
 tested. 
 
 On Tuesday the sports were renewed, when 
 the Liberty (Ead of Errol) won the second 
 prize cup, value fifty guineas, beating the 
 Ruby, the Medora, the Thetis, and the Eme- 
 rald Isle, in two heats. The sixth class prize 
 cup, value fifteen pounds, was won by the 
 Anglesey. 
 
 Portsmouth Regatta. 
 The above splendid naval fete took place in 
 August, 1S29, in the presence of a highly 
 fashionable assemblage. The first prize, tlie 
 Anglesey Ville Cup, value fifty pounds, was 
 sailed for by the Oberon, of 43 tons, G. H. 
 Gunstan, Esq. ; the Turk, 44 tons. Captain 
 Kean, R. N. ; and Elizabeth, 42 tons, the 
 Earl of Darniey. They started at llh. 43m. 
 A. M., at which time the wind had freshened 
 to a two-reef mainsail gale. Their course was 
 to go round a flag-boat off Southsea Castle, 
 thence round the Knab Light, and to the 
 westward, round the N. W. buoy of the 
 Sturbridge. The Elizabeth, in rounding the 
 Knab Light vessel (the Turk being nearly 
 aboard of her), fell on board, stove a part of 
 her bulwarks, split her foresail, and was 
 obliged to give up the contest, leaving the 
 Turk and Oberon proceeding on the course; 
 unfortunately, however, for the latter vessel, 
 in jibing round the buoy of the Boyne, she 
 carried away her boom, thus leaving the Turk 
 master of the field. After the latter vessel 
 had gone the second round, the prize was 
 awarded to Captain Kean. The gale still 
 increasing, the rowing galleys could not be 
 started ; but the larger sailing wherries having 
 taken their stations, the signal-gun was fired, 
 when seven competed for the following prizes 
 
 — ten, seven, five, and one pounds. The two 
 Brothers, Proctor, broke her rudder soon 
 after starting, and was obliged to run back 
 into the harbour ; and the Good Friends, 
 Main, carried away her mast in rounding the 
 buoy of the Boyne. .The others, alter sailing 
 twice round, came in as follows : — Packet, 
 Little ; Turkish Knight, Parsels ; Sovereign, 
 Main, sen. ; William and Mary, Grub ; and 
 the P^ox, Smith. If any thing were wanting 
 to prove tlie superiority of wherries over every 
 other description of boat, the proof this day 
 of their safety, and the general excellence of 
 their management, would be sufficient. It 
 was clearly seen that the large class wherries 
 were improving yearly. 
 
 On the second day the weather proved more 
 auspicious, and at the appointed hour the 
 signal was made for the vessels which were 
 entered to sail for the Gloucester Cup to 
 take their station. The yachts belonging to 
 the Royal Yacht Club, which had originally 
 entered, came as per signal (except Mr. 
 Smith's Menai, and IMr. Weld's Lulworth, 
 which, we understand, from some misunder- 
 standing between these gentlemen and Lord 
 Belfast, declined sailing) ; it was conse- 
 quently generally supposed that Lord Belfast 
 .would also withdraw his Louisa ; but his 
 Lordship having signified his intention 
 of sailing, at 2. 26. P. M., the Louisa, 102 
 tons, started with the Hebe, 08 tons, A Cor- 
 bett, Esq. ; Blue-eyed Maid, of 49 tons, J. 
 Lyon, Esq. ; and the Neuha, of 44 tons, be- 
 longing to J. Saunderson, Esq. In running 
 through Spithead it was observed that the 
 Blue-eyed Maid and the Neuha hauled their 
 wind, and bent to the westward for Cowes, 
 the Hebe keeping her course with the Louisa. 
 In the first and second round the Louisa came 
 in first, and the Hebe not until half-past 
 twelve at night, having got on the Spit Bank. 
 Lord Belfast claims the Gloucester Cup ; 
 on this subject the Committee met, when, 
 from its being evident to them collu- 
 sion had been practised on the subscribers by 
 the starting of two of the vessels, merely to 
 make up the number, the owners of wliich 
 had no intention of running the course, they 
 decided the cup should be reserved for a future 
 competition. "The Neuha and Blue-eyed Maid 
 quitted the course before they had reached 
 the Spit Buoy, one of them having lost sixteen 
 minutes in hoisting her mainsail : the other, 
 on running out of tlie course, hauled down his 
 racing-flag, and hoisted the Yacht Club bur- 
 gee. The small vessels, under 17 tons, were 
 started at 12. 4. for the prizes of £10. 7s. 
 and £5. — viz. Clymene, Brain ; Iphigenia, 
 List ; and Duke of Gloucester, Maniaws : 
 this was a very pretty match, and afforded 
 much sport ; they came in in the following 
 order, after going three times round — Duke 
 of Gloucester, Iphigenia, Clymene. The first 
 division of boats belonging to his Majesty's 
 ships in ordinary, to the number of about 
 twenty-one, started at 12. 43. for a Silver 
 
860 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Cup of £5 value, which was won every round 
 by that belonging to the Prince. The second 
 division of boats of the Ordinary, twelve in 
 number, commenced their course for a cup of 
 the same value, at 3, 59., and having gone 
 three times round, the boat belonging to the 
 Nymph beat the whole, terminating at 7. 29. 
 The Amateur Galleys — Highland Lassie, be- 
 longing to Mr. Woolgar ; Corsair, Pushman ; 
 Gloucester, Nicholson; Maria, Frazier; 
 and also the Recruit, belonging to the 
 Hon. Mr. Trench, of the 52nd Regiment, 
 and pulled by officers of the regiment — • 
 were started at 5. 7. for the Gold Medals, 
 and were won in grand style by the latter 
 (Recruit). The second prize, that of Silver 
 Medals, was awarded to the Highland Lassie. 
 — The Rowing Galleys, by picked waterman, 
 next started at 7. 8., p. m. for ihe prizes — 
 £5, £4, £3, and £1,— and the Neger, be- 
 longing to Lieutenant Brooking, R. N., won 
 the first ; the others as follows : — Maria, 
 Highland Lassie, and Gulnare. 
 
 Plymouth Regatta. 
 
 On Tuesday, in July, 1828, the Royal So- 
 vereign Yacht, bearing the flag of his Royal 
 Highness, the Lord High Admiral, arrived at 
 Plymouth from Dartmouth, towed by the 
 Lightning and Meteor Government steam ves- 
 sels, and anchored in Stonehouse Pool, under 
 a salute from the forts and shipping. His 
 Royal Highness dined with Commissioner 
 Shield at the Dock-yard. The Regatta drew 
 immense crowds : the weather was fine ; the 
 Sound was filled with vessels of all sizes, and 
 the scene from the Hoe was altogether beau- 
 tiful, and animated beyond description. The 
 sport was excellent. The following yachts 
 started for the Ladies' Cup : — Mr. Smith's 
 Menai, Earl of Belfast's Harriet, Mr. Weld's 
 Lulworth, and Mr. Corbett's Hebe. The 
 Lulworth was likely to win, but one of her 
 men falling overboard from the cross-trees, 
 she brought-to to pick him up, and he escaped 
 a watery grave, but was the cause of the race 
 being lost, the Menai beating the Lulworth 
 by one minute, and thus winning. The Silver 
 Yase was won by Mr. Mills's Julia, beating 
 Mr. Symond's Emerald by one minute and 
 thirty-five seconds. The weather was such 
 as a lover of the sport could desire — a stiff 
 breeze from W.S.W. 
 
 On Wednesday four cutters started for the 
 Clarence Cup, which was won by Mr. Weld's 
 Lulworth beating the Menai by three minutes, 
 and completely distancing the Navriet and 
 Hebe. The Members' Cup was also won by 
 Mr. Weld's Lulworth. 
 
 A purse of sovereigns, given to the three 
 best hookers, or fine-fishing boats, was divided 
 between the Brothers, Dolphin, and another, 
 whose name we could not learn : throughout 
 this race, the Brothers and Dolphin alternately 
 maintained the head ; and it was impossible 
 to guess, from the clever style in which they 
 were both managed, and the very trifling 
 
 changes in their relative position, which 
 would be the winner ; and after an arduous 
 and most interesting struggle, the Brothers 
 won the majority of sovereigns by about half 
 her length. 
 
 The Mersey Regatta. 
 
 This pleasing festival took place on Friday, 
 in July 1828, in the presence of an immense 
 multitude. The Silver Cup was won by the 
 Fairy, the property of T. Tobin, Esq., beating 
 the Emerald, Experiment, Telegraph, and 
 Isabella. 
 
 The second race, ten guineas lor the first 
 boat, and three guineas for the second boat- 
 men's sailing boats, was won by the William, 
 Thomas Little, and the endeavour ; four 
 others started. The third race, similar prizes 
 for sailing boats, was won by the Victory, of 
 Seacombe, and the James, of Rock Ferry. 
 
 In the Rowing Matches, the Silver Cup for 
 row-boats with six oars, owned, rowed, and 
 steered by gentlemen, was awarded to the 
 Cygnet, although second in the race ; the first 
 boat (the Rover) having neglected to go 
 round the proper boats. A second Silver 
 Cup was won by the Harlequin. There was a 
 third race between row-boats with six oars, 
 rowed by boatmen, for two prizes, often and 
 three guineas, which was won by the Diver 
 and the Psyche, and the day's amusement 
 closed with a contest for superiority between 
 the gentlemen of the Harlequin and those of 
 the Cygnet, as winners of the cups, from a 
 boat moored off Tranmere to the Leda, off 
 Seacombe. The Harlequin won cleverly by 
 two lengths. The style of rowing of the gen- 
 tlemen who manned this boat excited the ad- 
 miration of every one. 
 
 Pegwell Bay Regatta. 
 
 The following sports took place in Septem- 
 ber, 1828, under the patronage of the Ri,;ht 
 Honorable Lord Clifton, and J. A. Warre, 
 Esq. 
 
 Four-onred Galleys. 
 
 Names. Steered by Colourg. 
 
 The Queen Robert Cooper Red 
 
 The Olive Branch James Goldsmith .. . Blue. 
 
 The Poll James Cooper Yellow. 
 
 The Gelona Robert Graut White, 
 
 To start from a boat moored off the Belle-vue 
 Tavern, and round a boat stationed in the 
 Haven, also round the Spar Beacon, and re- 
 turn to the starting-boat. This was an admi- 
 rably contested race ; the whole might have 
 been covered with a sheet, nearly all the dis- 
 tance; the Olive Branch, however, having the 
 inside birth, maintained rather the advantage, 
 but was so hard-pressed by the Queen, that 
 the coxswain, fearful of losing an inch, kept 
 so direct a course as to run foul of the Spar 
 Beacon ; the hindrance this occasioned, al- 
 though it did not exceed ten seconds, enabled 
 the Queen to shoot a-head, and, notwith- 
 standing the men in the Olive Branch used 
 
PIliRCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. SGI 
 
 every exertion, yet they could not again in converting old rugs into jackets and caps 
 obtain tlio lead, and the Queen was declared of divers colours. After making the usual 
 entitled to the prize. display for the purpose of adjusting their 
 
 The second contest was announced to be a stirrups, &c., they weje led with all due for- 
 
 ?ailing match. To start from a boat off the niality to the starting-post, and when the word 
 
 Belle-vue Tavern, and sail twice round the "away" was given, the little mare, although 
 
 above-named course. The boats entered for very groggy, quickly obeyed the voice of the 
 
 the contest, were — starter, and took the lead, the big ones dis- 
 
 „ c. J K /-I pl^iying their well-bred extractions, by cere- 
 Names. Steered by Colours. ',.„: .? i * j- .. ,. ' .■; „ 
 
 The Jane Thomas Stock ... . Red. tnoniously standing on etiquette, neither of 
 
 The Alert Robert Fo\ White. them feeling inclined to take precedence of 
 
 The Poll... Edward Goldsmith Blue. the other ; however, by dint of jockeyship, 
 
 Ihe Favourue. . . . Robert Cooper. . . . lellow. they were at length got into a trot, but ttiis not 
 
 There not being a " cap full " of wind, the sati.sfying their merciless riders, who each 
 
 oars were obliged to be substituted for sails, carried a tremendous flogger, in addition to 
 
 and gave another display of manly exertion. ^^^^ persuaders with which their heels were 
 
 The Poll, however, took the lead, with the ii'med, and which were used unceasingly, 
 
 Jane and Alert well laid in ; (lie Poll retained until the " ould" ones were put upon their 
 
 her station the whole of the race, and obtained '"ettle, and made an interesting race, each 
 
 comparatively an easy victory. disdaining to leave the other in the lurch. In 
 
 The third race consisted of " Small Class ^^^ meanwhile, however, the little mare made 
 
 of Sailing Boats," not allowed to (arry an sure of the heat,and as there was no stimulus 
 
 oar ; the length of each boat not to exceed ^^^ the second horse, not even the entrance 
 
 thirteen feet ; to sail once round the course, nioney returned (which amounted to half-a- 
 
 Twelve boats started. In consequence of its ^"^0 accounts for the excessive politeness of 
 
 being a dead calm, the oars, as in the last these high-bred ones, in thus ceremoniously 
 
 race, were again obliged to be brought into refusing to take the lead, as by so doing he 
 
 play ; and as two men only were allowed to must expose his hind quarters to the gaze of 
 
 each boat, and these two plying the oars, his opponent. But the jockeyship displayed 
 
 there was no one at the helm, which created in the last heat was trifling when compared 
 
 a scene of laujrhable confusion, the cockle- with the energy exerted in the second, for the 
 
 shells running foul of each other, enabled the sport was got up expressly for the amusement 
 
 Garland to slip a-head, and win an easy prize, of the visitors, who kindly contributed " lots 
 
 On ray return through Ramsgate the whole of browns" to make a purse, and which the 
 
 population appeared on the " qui vive," and, yokels had arranged the disposal of without 
 
 enquiring the occasion, I learned that there '^ contest; still it was necessary to make a 
 
 was to be a horst-race on the sands. I ac- race, and as three heats would be expressive 
 
 cordingly determined on seeing the event, and of greater gratitude to their patrons tlian two, 
 
 sure such a display of " hanimals" were never it was necessary that one of the losing horses 
 
 before congregated to start for " Match, Plate, should come in first. When placed in aline 
 
 or Sweepstakes. "The first "high-mettled racer" the little inare was all alive, but her jockey, 
 
 that caught my view was IVIr. Tanner's chesnut determined to obey orders, said " no go ;" 
 
 gelding, high in bone and low in flesh ; second- and as she was very impatient, he thought it 
 
 ly, Mr. Pattison's bay gelding, which showed a favorable opportunity for showing off; so 
 
 evident symptoms of having undergone iiis keeping the insidious spur in her flank, whilst 
 
 training in a costermonger's " wehicle ;" Mr. he held the reins tight, she continued to 
 
 Smith'sChesnutgelding was likewise entered, twirl round, as though fixed upon a pivot, 
 
 and amongst the knowing ones booklid as sure At length, however, accident put an end to 
 
 to win, notwithstanding the circumstance of the torment; Smith's man had made such 
 
 his owner, the better to d'?guise his racing tremendous use of his whip, that the thong 
 
 qualities, having attached tne appendage of a broke, and gave such a decided advantage to 
 
 crupper to the saddle : but the caricature was Turner, that he, being persuaded into a gal- 
 
 too palpable, for instead of the saddle being Inp, won heat the second. The jockey kept 
 
 likely to get too forward, the " hanimal" was the little mare upon the pivot until the horse 
 
 trained so very fine that his loins might rival had got so far a-head that he thought he might 
 
 those of the tightest laced dandy in Regent- let loose with impunity ; however, he had 
 
 street ; Mr. Shotten's brown mare was evi- reckoned without his host, for, notwith- 
 
 dently kept in the back-ground, " to cause a standing he sat well back, and pulled with 
 
 sensation," — she was a neat little cock-tail, all his might, she got to the haunches of the 
 
 and notwithstanding she showed symptoms of "ould'' horse ere he had passed the goal, 
 
 having seen her best days, yet there whs a All hope of a third heat was vanishing, when, 
 
 display of game about her that will show as a last resoujce, the jockey contrived to 
 
 itself in a well-bred one, even when reduced turn the mare's head in a direction diverging 
 
 to a poster. At four o'clock the signal was fmm the winning post, and, dashing amongst 
 
 made for mounting, ^Vhen the jockeys dis- the spectators, caused such a screaming and 
 
 encumberedthemselvesof their upper toggery, uproar, that confusion seemed confoun led. 
 
 they displayed the ingenuity ot their wives A third heat now became essential, which 
 
;iC2 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 was disposed ot as the first ; bnt, in deference 
 to the Stewards, I shall subjoin the oflicial 
 announcement of the contest: — Mr. Sholten's 
 b. m., aged— 1 2 1. Mr. Tanner's b. r., aged 
 — 2 1 2. Mr. Smith's b. g. aged— S 3 3. Mr, 
 Pattison's b. g. aged— not placed. 
 
 The cliffs which overhang the Bay were 
 graced with avast assemblage of the fair sex, 
 from the adjacent watering places, and caused 
 a very animated scene. There were several 
 carriages on the heights, and one with a 
 Ducal Coronet created general exclamations 
 of "Whose carriage is that?" It proved to 
 belong to his Grace the Duke of Newcastle, 
 who liberally presented the funds with a sub- 
 scription of five guineas. At the conclusion 
 of the sports lots of good cheer was provided 
 by the worthy host of the Belle-vue, and a 
 numerous party sat down to a sumptuous 
 dinner, and gave ample proof of the exhili- 
 rating effects of sea air in creating a zest for 
 the numerous good things with which the 
 table was crowded. 
 
 Regatta on the Humber. 
 As usual, the above Regatta, in September, 
 1830, attracted a vast assemblage of specta- 
 tors. On the first day a Silver Cup, value 
 40 sovereigns was sailed for by gentlemen's 
 yachts and pleasure boats. They came in as 
 follows:— Nymph, cutter, W. G. Turnbali, 
 Esq., first; Cutty Sark, schooner, G. Gilbert- 
 son, Esq., second ; "Vesper, cutter, Messrs. 
 Bruce and Co. ; third ; and the Nonpariel, 
 cutter, J. Grayburn, Esq. fourth. The Nymph 
 won easy. The second race was won by 
 Gold Duster's boats, plying on the Humber. 
 The Falcon came in first, and received three 
 sovereigns; the Phoenix, as second boat, be- 
 came entitled to two sovereigns. For the 
 prizes of fifteen, ten, and five sovereigns, 
 seven six-oared boats, rowed by amateurs, 
 contended, when they came iu thus in the last 
 heats : — Diana first, Vulcan second, Rob Roy 
 third, and Kingston fourth.— It was a fine 
 contest. On Thursday the two prizes of ten 
 and five sovereigns, sailed for by fishing boats, 
 were won by the Dove and Mary Frances. 
 Nine boats started, and an admirable contest 
 ensued.— The four-oared match followed, for 
 two prizes of ten and five sovereigns. The 
 Kingston, in the third heat, came in first, 
 and the Rowena second. Owing to the 
 Brockelsby and Vulcan fouling in the last 
 heat, they lost. In the first heat the 
 Stewards started the Kingston and Rowena 
 before the Diana was ready, consequently 
 she never contended ; betting was two to one 
 in her favor. The Welton and Watson jolly- 
 boats, manned by sailors, won the prizes of 
 three and two sovereigns. On the first day 
 the weather was fine ; but on the following day 
 the river was very rough, and it was expected 
 the boats would not have been started. Had 
 not the Brockelsby fouled, many think she 
 would have won the first prize. The Diana 
 and Brockelsby are London boats, and were 
 
 the chief winners last year. The rest are 
 Hull boats, built after their models. The 
 Vulcan is built of iron, and the Harlequin of 
 tin. 
 
 The Severn and the Vestris. 
 A Sailing Match took place between the 
 above two vessels of about six tons each, 
 in Sept. 1829, — the Vestris belonging to S. 
 Johnson, and a fine little craft, the Severn, 
 the property of Messrs. Honey and Archer, of 
 Lambeth. The match was for twenty sove- 
 reigns ; to start from Blackwall, round the 
 Flamer at Gravesend, and back to the place 
 of starting. At ten o'clock the vessels " let 
 go" with a fine " soldier's breeze," the Ves- 
 tris to windward, which in consequence took 
 the lead ; but it was soon seen that she was 
 of no use with the Severn, who came up to her 
 weather quarter in fine style to pass her ; the 
 Vestris, however, luffed uj), and prevented the 
 accomplishment of this object. The Severn 
 then stood away to leeward, but with as little 
 success : and in this way, for about sixteen 
 miles, the match was beautifully contested, 
 the excellent seamanship of Johnson thwart- 
 ing all the endeavours of his antagonist to 
 get away from him. At length, in Erith 
 Sands, a heavy squall came on, which was 
 too much for the Vestris, and she was obliged 
 to reef; and while her crew were engaged at 
 this, the Severn, who was gallantly carrying 
 on with all her sail, slipped by to leeward, 
 and kept improving her distance, through 
 Gravesend Reach, and rounded the Flamer 
 considerably a-head. The Vestris shook out 
 her reef after the squall was over, but there 
 was no hope of her again nearing her antag- 
 onist. The Severn, in weathering North- 
 fleet point, was nearly a mile a-head, when an 
 unfortunate accident happened, which at once 
 put an end to her sailing. The mast-head, 
 which must have been sprung in the squall, 
 fell by the lee, with a loud crash, carrying 
 with it all the rigging, sails, and spars, but 
 without injuring any of the crew. The Ves- 
 tris shortly after came up to her aid, and 
 assisted in getting the wreck of the mast on 
 board, and thus the unfortunate Severn was 
 towed to London by the Earl Spencer Graves- 
 end sailing-packet. The Vestris sailed her 
 distance, and of course won the match. The 
 losing boat was well sailed by Mr. Bishop, of 
 the Palace Tavern, and, had it not been for 
 the accident, it was thought, would have won 
 by a very considerable distance. 
 
 Second Match between the Severn and 
 the Vestris. 
 The proprietors of the Severn not being ex- 
 actly satisfied in their minds respecting the 
 befit sailer of the two boats, another match 
 was made for £10 aside from Greenwich to 
 Gravesend, and back to the place of starting, 
 which took place, as soon as convenient to 
 both parties. Tlie Severn had a new mast 
 and bowsprit made for the occasion by 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 303 
 
 GouUy. and a fine suit of waarer sails belong- 
 ing to the Leander. Tiie vt'ssels started at 
 nine o'clock from alongside the Fairy yacht, 
 with a ligiit wind blowing on the Greenwich 
 shore. The Vestris made a short board to 
 get oat to windward, and passed the weather 
 side of some craft which were lying at anchor. 
 The Severn, however, stood down at once, 
 passed to leeward of the craft, and headed 
 her opponent. In turning down to Blackwall 
 Point, the Vesiris gained a little upon tlie 
 Severn, in consequence of her being once or 
 twice hindered by the numerous vessels under- 
 way ; but when they passed Blackwall. they 
 had a free wind down, and the Severn shook 
 out the reef in her mainsail, got up a large 
 running jib, and went completely away from 
 her opponent. To describe the match further 
 would be unnecessary, as the Vestris had not 
 the least chance, the Severn having run away 
 not only from her, but from nearly all the 
 yachts which accompanied the match, and, 
 with the exception of the Rob Roy, was the 
 onlj^ vessel which reached Gravesend, After 
 passing round the Custom-house vessel at tliat 
 place, she proceeded homewards, and met the 
 "Vestris at Northfleet, the crew of which, 
 seeing they had no chance, hauled their wind, 
 and stood upwards, without proceeding to 
 Gravesend. The Severn arrived off Green- 
 wich about seven, winning the match in gal- 
 lant style. The latter vessel was the property 
 of Honey and Archer, of Lambeth, and this 
 circumstance prevents her belonging to any of 
 the London Yacht Clubs, no vessel which is 
 let out on hire being allowed to contend in 
 their matches. A number of crack boats 
 accompanied the match, and amongst them we 
 noticed the Rowena, Mountain INIaid, Falcon, 
 Rob Roy, Leander, Mr. Fillon's Caroline, &c. ; 
 on the whole, forming a very interesting spec- 
 tacle. 
 
 Margate Regatta. 
 On Monday in August 1827, at the above 
 lively watering place, the announcement of 
 the Regatta attracted a large assemblage both 
 from London and the adjacent country ; but, 
 owing to the disappointment of a " Great 
 IVIan," nothing else but a match took place 
 between four six-oared cutters belonging to 
 the town of Margate, for a cup, the sole gift 
 of the late highly-respected and liberal in- 
 dividual, James Taddy, Esq. The cup, an 
 extremely handsome one, though small, repre- 
 senting on one side the passengers and crew of 
 the Hindostan East Indiaman saved by the 
 intrepidity of the Lord Nelson Margate 
 lugger in 1803. The following boats started: 
 — Reculver Queen, Rose, Polly Peachum, 
 and Queen ; but the distance of rowing was 
 so badly arranged, that one boat had to row 
 several hundred yards less than another, 
 which gave the Reculver Queen the advantage, 
 and she has now had the good fortune of 
 winning two successive years. The Margate 
 men, however, cannot row, it is quite out of 
 
 their line, and immediately tne neat was over 
 six Deal men ciiallenged any six men in ftlar- 
 gate, from £.50 to I'lOO, wliich was not ac- 
 cepted. Expectation had brought togethei 
 several gentlemen's pleasure vessels, and as 
 nothing was given to be sailed for, a Sweep- 
 stakes of 10 gs. eaoli, for the sole purjjose of 
 making sport, was proposed upon the spur of 
 moment, and the following yachts entered: — 
 Names. Owners. Tons. 
 
 Cameleon . . W. Nettlefold, Esq. 23 
 
 Royal Eagle . T. Stokes, Esq. ... 11 
 Will-o'-the-Wisp, W. H. Harrison, Esq. IG 
 Pearl . . . James Heigliington, Esq. IG 
 
 Just as the boats took their stations, the 
 Will-o'-the-Wisp, apparently to take some 
 gentleman on board, stood in to the Pier head, 
 and the others started without her ; she, how- 
 ever followed, and a most beautifully con- 
 tested match took place, round the buoy off 
 the Hook, the wind being dead at \V'., with a 
 two-reefed mainsail breeze. It was with 
 some ditliculty won by the Pearl, the Royal 
 Eagle being second, the Cameleon last, very 
 much against the general opinicm. With this 
 material addition to the sport, the day which 
 was very fine, passed off merrily, and appa- 
 rently to the satisfaction of every one. Eie\ en 
 hundred persons were brought down by steam 
 on the Saturday previous to the Jiegatta. 
 
 Southampton Regatta. 
 
 Southampton Regatta took place on Monday 
 and Tuesday in August 1827, and, for splen- 
 dour, attraction, and amusement, far ex- 
 ceeded the expectations of the most sanguine. 
 Monday morning opened with most beautiful 
 weather, a fine breeze from the north-east, 
 and an immense number of vessels covering 
 our delightful estuary. At nine a gun was 
 fired for the sail boats, six in number, to start. 
 Their course was to a boat below NetleyAbbey, 
 and back. They were all Itchenferry fishing- 
 boats ; and the first prize, after a good contest, 
 was won iiy James Diaper's Industry, seven- 
 teen feet. During this, the start of the yachts 
 for the fifty pounds cup took place; nine vessels 
 had entered for this, but only five, i. e. Mr. 
 Weld's Arrow, Lord Belfast's Therese and 
 Harriet, Lord Darnley's Elizabeth, and Caji- 
 tain Brown's Dolphin, started. "The course 
 was to tlie Brambles and back. The Arrow- 
 got the start, kept the lead, increasing her 
 distance from her opponents, and finally 
 reached the gaol about half a mile a-head of 
 the Harriet, and nearly two miles before the 
 Therese. The other two were, in horse-jockey 
 language, no where. Almost the best part of 
 the whole Regatta was the boat-race of the 
 women — four pullers, and a hen-swain, we 
 suppose we must call the steers-woman. We 
 cannot enlarge on this most popular race, more 
 than to say, it was contested by four boats, 
 and won byAnn Diaper and her female friends, 
 \-. ho are all, we presume, better known in the 
 l.sh market, and at Itchenferry than, to any 
 
364 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 of our readers. The next match was the 
 small yj'.cht.s for a £25 cup. Tliis was not a 
 very interesting match, as all the other vessels 
 (three in number) were notoriotish' unable to 
 compete with Mr. James Weld's Paul Pry, 
 The start, however, was very gocd. Mr. 
 Corry's l^aura ptsshed close after Paul, but 
 was ultimately beaten in good style; Mr, 
 Janverin's Lotos coming in after her at a re- 
 spectful distance, and the Louisa, the largest 
 of ail, being completely distanced. 
 
 CLA^E^CE Yatch Club. 
 
 A Sailing Match for a Silver Cup and Cover, 
 given by the above Club, took place in June 
 1S28. The distance sailed was from West- 
 minster Bridge to Hammersmith, and back to 
 Westminster. A great number of boats were 
 01) the water, and as a tine breeze was up at 
 N.E., fine sj)ort was expected. Eleven ves- 
 sels were entered to start, but only nine were 
 at their stations at the signal given for pre- 
 paration. 
 
 The Commodore, at half-past four o'clock, 
 gave the signal for starting ; and the Clarence, 
 of seven tons, took the lead, followed closely 
 by the Lcander. The Fortitude was the next 
 vessel. The others were likewise close upon 
 each other. The Clarence kept the lead up to 
 Hammersmith, and was the first boat which 
 rounded the flag boat, the Fortitude and 
 Leander being close upon the Clarence. In 
 making the first tack the Clarence ran foul of 
 a boat moored near the shore and became en- 
 tangled, and a man on board cleared her with 
 his foot. This, as will be seen below, led to 
 a dispute. The boats kept their relative sta- 
 tions, with the exception of the Leander, 
 which changed places vvith the Fortitude. At 
 about 25 minutes past seven the Clarence 
 rounded the flag-boat stationed near West- 
 minster Bridge, winning the match by about 
 four minutes, the Fortitude coming in next, 
 almost immediately after ; all the other boats 
 came up within a quarter of an hour. Tlie 
 match was a well-contested one. 
 
 The Wrangle. — The unfortunate boats 
 raised an objection to the means adopted by 
 the Clarence, when she ran foul of the boat 
 off Putney. According to the rules of the 
 Club no means, except the hands, are to 
 be used in getting clear of any impediments 
 which may arise to impede the vessels. A 
 person on board the (Clarence cleared the 
 vessel with his feet. This was deemed unfair 
 by the majority of the Club, but the Commo- 
 dore decided that the crew of the Clarence 
 acted right. In the evening the cup was pre- 
 Bented to the winner at the Club-room of Oli- 
 ver's Cofl!'ee house, Westminster-bridge. 
 
 Kerne Bay Pier Regatta. 
 Herne Bay is deliglufully situate on tlie 
 Kentish Coast, and to those persons who are 
 of a retired disposition, and who wish to enjoy 
 the pleasures of rural enjoyment for a few du) s 
 week, month, or -iurinj! the season, will find 
 
 Herne Bay a place well calculated to suit 
 their ideas and feelings in ihc above respect, 
 A Pier, almost like magic, has made its ap- 
 pearance in the Bay, in the very short space 
 of eleven mojiihs, 2000 feet in length ; and, if 
 we may judge from the above rapidity of ex- 
 ecution, we may expect in the course of a few 
 months, or early in the next season, the com- 
 pletion of three beautiful squares, also hand- 
 some wide streets, and a new church, which 
 have been laid cut for some time past, to form 
 the new town of St. Augustine. 
 
 The bathtjig at Herne Bay, by those per- 
 sons who are well informed upon such mat- 
 ters, is said to be of the most inviting de- 
 scription. It also possesses another great ad- 
 vantage to those persons whom Time is of 
 importance in their afl!airs — a person njay 
 leave London in the morning, and return to 
 the Metropolis in the evening ; it is likewise 
 14 miles nearer than Margate ; and only seven 
 miles distant from that noble piece of anti- 
 quity, Canterbury Cathedral, so much the 
 object of curiosity to foreigners, from all parts 
 of the world. The above Cathedral, which 
 has been the subject of one of the finest paint- 
 tings at the Diorama in Regent's Park, has, 
 within the last four years, not only undergone 
 a complete repair, but beautified in various 
 parts of it, to render this venerable pile more 
 attractive, if possible, than heretofore. To 
 the Antiquarian, Canterbury Cathedral is a 
 most intellectual treat, and it will bear in- 
 specting again and again with pleasure to the 
 mind not to be described ; and even ihe care- 
 less and indifferent traveller, v/ho might visit 
 this ancient religious structure, merely to fill 
 up a leisure hour, perhaps, while waiting the 
 airival of a stage coach, or other busiiiess, 
 will find his time well occupied, as well as 
 experiencing a treat of no common descrip- 
 tion. 
 
 Herne Bay is between Reculver (this noted 
 land-mark to Mariners, and which adds to tiie 
 prospect from the Pier, called " The Sisters"), 
 once the residence of the Saxon king Ethel- 
 berl and his Court, and Whitstable, celebrated 
 for oyster fisheries. It is said by Buncombe, 
 in his " Antiquities of Reculver and Herne," 
 to have derived its name from the immense 
 numbers of herons that formerly frequented 
 it. The county of Kent has long been desig- 
 nated the Garden of England, from the ex- 
 cellency of its soil and the salubrity of its air ; 
 and, as a proof of this, Sir John Fineux, Chief 
 Justice of the King's Bench, in the reign of 
 King Henry the Vlllth, purchased an estate 
 in the parish of Herne, whereon " he builded 
 his faire house for preserving his helth." 
 
 Heme Bay combines superior local advan- 
 tages for the establishment of a town and 
 watering place ; it stands on an easy eleva- 
 tion, comm anding in front an open and ex- 
 tensive view of the ocean, and at the rear the 
 surrounding country is most picturesque, with 
 romantic woody walks and rides ; the line of 
 shore uninterriipifd, permitting the tide to 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 26b 
 
 ebb, and flow freely, so as eflfectually to pre- 
 vent, at any time, the accumulation of muddy 
 or impure water ; thus affording peculiar 
 facilities for sea bathing ; and it is much fre- 
 quented by the inhabitants of Canterbury and 
 its vicinity, for that peculiar purpos' . 
 
 For several years Heme Bay has been 
 rising in public estimation, as a select sea 
 retreat ; it was formerly much more consider- 
 able and had a market. The church is a large 
 structure, similar to a Cathedral, with a choir 
 and stalls, divided from the nave by an ele- 
 gant screen <;f carved oak ; but the want of 
 a landing place has hitherto prevented its 
 acquiring greater notoriety, and has been the 
 only drawback to its becoming one of the 
 most fashionable places of resort of the day ; 
 to remove this inconvenience, and to insure to 
 it that increased patronage to which its numer- 
 ous local advantages so eminently entitle it, 
 a Company has been firmed, under the pro- 
 tective provisions of an act of parliament, to 
 raise a Capital of £50,000, in shares of £50 
 each. 
 
 The pier is so constructed as to afford a 
 delightful promenade, and will, when finished, 
 extend 3,000 feet over the sands and sea, and 
 to allow steam-packets and other vessels to 
 embark and land passengers and goods at all 
 times of the tide. In addition to this accom- 
 modation, the parade of 50 feet wide, will 
 extend nearly a mile along the front of the 
 town facing the sea, for the accommodation of 
 riding and walking. 
 
 The directors of the Pier at Heme Bay, it 
 should seem, and also the proprietors of the 
 land, have determined to take the liberal side 
 of the question, in order that Heme Bay, shall 
 in the shortest time possible, not only rival for 
 elegance of appearance and comforts of life, 
 the first watering places in the kingdom, by 
 disposing of their lands on such moderate 
 terms as to induce persons to become pur- 
 chasers, and to build houses without any hesi- 
 tation or delay. The directors, likewise for 
 the accommodation of those persons who 
 might wish to take a view of Heme Bay, the 
 surrounding coast and country, 4)efore they 
 make up their minds to become inhabitants, 
 have erected a most spacious and complete 
 establishment under the title of the Pier 
 Hotel, which cost them £0000. The above 
 elegant tavern is under the direction of Mr. 
 Alexander (formerly a partner with Mr. 
 Bleaden of the London Tavern), a person 
 from his well-known experience in such mat- 
 ters, united with gentlemanly manners, is 
 well calculated to render bis visitors all that 
 sort of attention and comfort which travellers 
 require — and, to use his own words, at a pub- 
 lic declaration at his opening dinner, that he 
 was determined to conduct the affairs of the 
 above Hotel on a liberal scale, and that no- 
 thing like tevrifyinf; charges should be made, 
 which might call forth disagreeable animad- 
 versions from those ladies and gentlemen who 
 
 might extend to him their patronage and sup- 
 port. 
 
 The Heme Bay Pieu, and the above Hotel, 
 was opened on the 4th of June, 1832, in the 
 most spirited and elegant style by the direc- 
 tors, under the immediate patronage of Mr. 
 Burge, and conducted by Messrs. Clift and 
 Fisher, Clerks to the Heme Bay Pier Com- 
 pany. The Venus Steam Packet started from 
 St. Katherine's Docks at nine o'clock in the 
 morning, decorated with numerous flags, and 
 also ornamented in various parts of it, with 
 flowers of the most beautilu! description. A 
 military band was also provided by the direc- 
 tors, to" give additional life and harmony to 
 the scene. The Venus on leaving the dock 
 fired a salute, in fact, as she passed Green- 
 wich, Woolwich, Northfleet, Gravesend, &c., 
 she saluted all the above places with becoming- 
 respect and attention, until the Venus arrived 
 alongside of the Pier ! The Pier had a most 
 delightful and interesting appearance, dis- 
 playing nearly ninety flags suspended by large 
 poles, some yards distant from each other, on 
 both sides of it ; and the Hotel was similarly 
 decorated ; and although the Pier is 2000 feet 
 in length, it was crowded from one end of it 
 to the other, with persons of the most genteel 
 description, joining in the loudest cheers 
 which assailed the crew of the Venus, when 
 she appeared in sight. Salutes were ex- 
 changed from iheVenus, and persons appointed 
 on the shore to return them. The band play- 
 ing God save the King, Rule Britannia, &c. 
 Upon the Directors and Shareholders ascend- 
 ing the Pier, they walked in couples until 
 they arrived at the door of the Hotel, which 
 is contiguous to the Pier, and, previous to their 
 entrance to the Tavern, the procession ter- 
 minated v.'ith nine loud cheers ; another mili- 
 tary band, which had arrived from Canter- 
 bury, was stationed in front of the Pier Hotel, 
 playing, in succession, a variety of tunes — in 
 truth, the whole was one continued scene of 
 joyous merriment and congratulations between 
 the Men of Kent and the citizens of London, 
 on their rapid progress and successful attempts 
 to form a new town, and fashionable watering 
 place on the Kentish Coast. 
 
 Previous to the arrival of the Venus at 
 Heme Bay, the following Sailing Match took 
 place for a silver cup and cover, but owing to 
 the unmanly conduct of several of the com- 
 petitors, it turned out a very unsatisfactory 
 affair. There were six boats entered to sail, 
 viz. : — 
 
 Helene 16 tons T. S. Torr. 
 
 Sidney 15 tons A. Nicholls. 
 
 Star 14 tons W. Nicholls. 
 
 flirt 15 tons J. B. West. 
 
 Alert 13 tons J. Nicholls. 
 
 Alert 16 tons A. Lyon. 
 
 The boats started from the umpires' vessel 
 moored about a mile westward of the pier to 
 sail round a boat about two miles below the 
 Pier, up again, round tlie Commodore's boat 
 
966 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 twice. There was great confusion at starting, 
 as tlie boats lay alongside of each other. The 
 Sydney took the lead (having- the best station) 
 and kept it till within a quarter of a mile of 
 the flag pile, the second time of going round, 
 when Mr. A. Lyon's Alert (late Commodore 
 of the R, T. Y. C), went in advance a con- 
 siderable distance. A breeze, however, 
 brought up the Alert (J. Nicholls) and the 
 Helene, when the former sailed into the after 
 part of Mr. Lyons boat, and the latter assisted 
 in holding her until the Sydney passed her. 
 Mr. Lyon put in a protest against the Sydney 
 having the cup, and urged, that as his boat 
 ■was first when the others maliciously fouled 
 him, he only by the fair rules of sailing was 
 entitled to the prize. Mr. Lyon challenged 
 the parties to resail for the cup, or £50, but 
 they refused ; he then offered if they gave 
 up the cup, to present them with Five 
 Pounds. It was pretty generally known, 
 that notwithstanding the Regatta was open to 
 all boats under 20 tons, some of the parties 
 wished to prevent Mr. Lyon's Alert from sail- 
 ing, because forsooth they were fearful she 
 would carry off the prize. Being thwarted 
 in this, they adopted another mode of proceed- 
 ing. 
 
 Although the crew of the Venus were dis- 
 appointed in witnessing the Sailing Match, 
 they were in good time to witness the Donkey 
 Baces, according to the following printed 
 hand-bill, which was circulated through the 
 neighbouring towns and villages : — 
 
 Herne Bay. 
 
 Donkey Race. 
 
 The following well-bred Donkeys wil start 
 from, and come in at the approach to the Pier, 
 and pioceed round the esplanade and planta- 
 tion shrubberies, at Five o'clock precisely. 
 
 Donkeys. Color. 
 
 Smuggler Blue Mr. Scott. . Canterbury. 
 
 Ho7iesl Tom . . Pink Mr. Perkins. . ditto 
 
 Smiler Orange , . . Mr. Batts ditto 
 
 Black Tom Red Mr. Halford. . ditto 
 
 Swing Tail White & GreenMi-. Blackuian ditto 
 
 Bose rink & Blue. . Mr. Brown . ilerne Bay 
 
 l,ion Blue & Pink with a bit of white, ditto 
 
 Dusty Bob Yellow & Blue Mr. Wood. . Herue Bay 
 
 Sarak (the bethrothed of) commonly called 
 
 Black Sal Pea Green ditto 
 
 Thespis Bl. c. & p. jt. Mr. Bedsworth . ditto 
 
 Chammy Purple Mr. Marsh . Wliitstable 
 
 Sukey Yellow Mr. Neaves . . ditto 
 
 The Stakes to be contested for in Five 
 Heats, the Winning Donkey in each heat to 
 lay by for the grand one. In the Fourth 
 Heat, the whole of the Donkeys on the ground 
 (and not entered) will be allowed to run ; the 
 last Donkey to be the winner, and entitled to 
 run in the grand heat, for the following 
 prizes : — First donkey, £2. 2s. ; Second ditto, 
 £1. Is. ; Third ditto, 10s. ; Fourth ditto, 5s. 
 
 The above " terribly low bred beasts" pa- 
 raded before the doors of the Hotel, and who 
 were made by their riders to give specimens 
 
 of their bottom, speed, and all that sort of 
 thing attached to racing, as the conductors of 
 the Ri-GATTA, and Rustic Fetes, to shew smot- 
 mut like sporting, and to feel the ptilses of the 
 visitors, how they felt inclined to sport their 
 Rhino, as to the winners of the different 
 prizes. Smuggler, as a matter of course, was 
 the favorite on the coast of Kent ! in fact, 
 there seemed a good deal of spirit and daring 
 about his nob, and a prime kicker into the 
 bargain. " Five tizzies to four," said one of 
 the jockeys " that Smuggler smugs the lirst 
 prize !" It is but justice to remark, that the 
 riders were dished up in a variety of coloured 
 jackets and caps, much better than could be 
 expected ; but we suppose in order that the 
 bill might be correct, and no disappointment 
 ex))erienced by the spectators. 
 
 Holiest Tom had scarcely any backers — 
 " he'll not be placed any where, I know," ob- 
 served a yokel, one "of the originals of the Bay, 
 " T'jm was never good for any thing but to 
 bray; he's a stubborn animal. I never saw 
 any one that could make Tom go as yet." 
 
 Smiler, Black Tom, and Swing Tail, were 
 looked upon by the crowd, completely as 
 ' out siders,' of no use — that is to say ' neither 
 rum 'uns to look at nor good uns to mo"e :' a 
 bad lot altogether ; and not to be mentioned 
 when a race was the subject. 
 
 Rose and Lion, were also amongst the et 
 ceteras of Jack Asses — stubborn to the end of 
 the chapter, and no mistake ! defying spurs or 
 a mop-stick to get 'em on the toddle ! 
 
 Dusty Bob and Black Sal, " sure such a 
 pair was never seen !" Bob looked summut 
 like a hero, and Sarah that of a heroine ; and 
 as old acquaintances they were backed— either 
 one, if not both, to prove themselves winners. 
 Six Crowns to four against the field. 
 
 Thespis was quite of the hunt — the spec- 
 tators had no touch of the dram-a.-tic about 
 their compositions ; indeed, it vvas thought 
 poor Thespis would be sent back to the barn j 
 or, according to a sporting phrase—drawn. 
 
 Chammy, not known ! a sort of hedger and 
 ditcher, a travelling donkey, one of those sort 
 of hanimals, as his Propper-itor said, " as 
 how, he vas here to-day, and gone to-morrow." 
 And, with a grin upon his mug, he said, to an 
 old itinerant tinker in the crowd, " that he 
 thought Chammy would hedge to it !" 
 
 Sukey, poor Susan, like many other females, 
 was without a friend to put her forward in 
 the race ; but her master said, " never mind 
 that ere, she could push-along, and keep 
 moving with the best of any of 'em — and he 
 vou'd bet his ould castor, which had been ail 
 over the County of Kent for the last twenty 
 years, to a quartern of Mar, that Sukey would 
 be somewhere in the race ! D'ye mind me," 
 said he, " I mean Suckey will be placed !" 
 
 The STARTS were rich m the extreme ; and 
 to the admirers or lovers of kicking and pranc- 
 ing, they proved quite a treat ; indeed, the 
 ludicrous appearance of the aflfair altogcthei 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 3fi7 
 
 forcibly reminded us of Joey Grimaldi's cele- 
 brated comic song : — 
 
 Don't I look spruce on my Neddy I 
 In spite of his kicking and prancing ! 
 Gee up ! Gee Woo ! Here we go 1 
 
 But the whole ended in something like a 
 wrangle as to coming in ; but on hearing the 
 glad tidings announced, that dinner was on 
 the table, which, to the hungry person super- 
 sedes almost every other consideration. We 
 left them to settle tlieir differences, amongst 
 themselves — or refer them, like the great pro- 
 prietors of horses of another description, to 
 the members of the Jock — no, I beg pardon, 
 an appeal to the nobs of the Jack-Ass Club I 
 — Maximus in minimis. 
 
 Upwards of 150 persons sat down to a most 
 splendid dinner ; in short, the Hotel was full 
 from the top of the house to the bottom, so 
 anxious were the Men of Kent, and those of 
 London, to celebrate the opening of the Pier, 
 with spirit and good cheer. Upon the cloth 
 being removed, ' God save the King' was sung 
 with considerable talent by Mr. Smith, a pro- 
 fessional singer from London ; a number of 
 loyal and patriotic toasts and sentiments were 
 drank with enthusiasm ; and the cheers that 
 followed some of the local toasts respecting 
 the Pier, &c. were almost deafening. In the 
 course of the evening, INlr. Brain entertained 
 the company with an original song, written by 
 a Mr. Fyle, " The Pier that weathered the 
 storm," and which was loudly encored in 
 consequence of its allusions to Heme Bay. 
 IMr. Briant, the well-known comic Irish singer 
 also introduced a song of his own writing, 
 full of point and puns about the Pier, and 
 several comical allusions respecting the Ba- 
 lustrades,* which belonged to Old London 
 
 • The above transfer of the Balustrades of the 
 late London Bridge, most certainly in times hereafter 
 will be viewed as a ' great reiic ' of that Bridge 
 which not only carried safe over it so many thousands 
 daily : but it will be also remembered as the direct 
 road to industry, honors, and lenown, leading to the 
 first commercial city in the world, for euferprize, 
 ability, and integrity. We must observe, that who- 
 ever the idea originated with in the first mstance. it 
 was a good one ; and may ultimately, become a great 
 curiosity and source of attraction when the writer of 
 this paragraph, and also the proposers of the I'ier 
 are "gone to that Bourne, fiom whence no traveller 
 returns !" in order to induce a number of Persons to 
 visit lierne Bay, only as it were to take a peep at the 
 Balustrades of Olu London Buiuge. However, 
 we are not led away so strongly as to suppose that 
 the citizens of London will pay so great a veneration 
 to them as the Mahometans considered it their duty 
 once in their lives to make a pilgrimage to Mecca, to 
 do homage to the coffin of Mahomet; but, neverthe- 
 less, the above Balustrades may become a very inter- 
 esting object to the inhabitants of flerne Bay, by the 
 great influx of visitors. We remember, when quite a 
 child, the following verse of part of a song respecting 
 Old London Bridge : 
 
 London Bridge is broken down. 
 
 Dance o'er my Lady Lea, 
 London Bridge is broken down, 
 
 A gay Lady ! 
 
 '^n the conclusiDn of Mr. Briant's Song, which 
 gave rise to the following impromptu by a gentleman 
 present, it was immediately handed over to us : — 
 
 Bridge, being transplanted to commence the 
 i'ier head at Heme Hay. Several members 
 of the Corporation of (Canterbury were pre- 
 sent, who warmly professed themselves to be 
 friendly to the undertaking, and who, likewise, 
 gave their promise of support. The company 
 was highly amused by a professional gentle- 
 man from London, of the name of King, with 
 two songs, in which he introduced some ex- 
 traordinary powers of ventriloquism — his 
 imitations of the dog and cat quarreling over 
 a bone, were of the most natural description, 
 and produced for him one of the loudest 
 encores we ever remember to have heard. 
 The fire-works, which were let off at eleven 
 o'clock, at the extremity of the Pier, had a 
 very pleasing effect ; and not only delighted 
 the inhabitants of Heme Bay, but also the 
 visitors from London, who were accustomed 
 to this species of amusement. The Chairman 
 was so much devoted to harmony and good 
 fellowship, that he never left the chair until 
 day-light peeped into the room ; in short, the 
 whole evening was kept up with great sport 
 and harmony, and a number of excellent songs 
 were sung, that would not have disgraced the 
 boards of either of the Royal Theatres. But 
 beds were not to be had for Love, at all events, 
 at Heme Bay ; no, nor for money either ; the 
 Hotel was crowded to excess, so that all ac- 
 commodation as to resting places were over- 
 done at a very early hour ; and not a bed or a 
 sofa were to be had any where in the town of 
 Heme. But those gents, who were deprived 
 from going to roost, kept it up like game cocks 
 of the highest breed, crowing with delight at 
 the numerous jolly fellows that were thus 
 accidentally thrown together, although they 
 were ozisted from the comforts of Bedford-slnre. 
 But the above circumstances to them, were 
 .' trifles light as air,' and the song, jest, and 
 tale, most amply compensated for the loss of 
 a ' few winks' at most, which might, in the 
 course of a few hours, be repaid with interest. 
 Therefore, in the words of the well-known 
 parody, it was thus sung one to another over 
 tiie enlivening glass : — 
 
 Go not yet, for now's the time 
 The "boys'' are all bang-up and prime. 
 Full of syunk — ripe for a lark. 
 " D— n the expense !" exclaims each spark. 
 In sjiirits every one ! 
 
 But on the rising of the glorious sun, who not 
 only displayed her own beauties, but also 
 that of nature — the ocean — and picturesque 
 scenery of Heme Bay, the company separated 
 
 London Bridge is come to Herne Bay — 
 
 By the Direcioks sent? 
 Giving ! yes .' so the Wise Ones, say — 
 
 Antiquity to Kent. 
 
 Not so! — ass rt the Men of Kent, 
 
 A hold-fast to the Pier — 
 Can money thus be better spent? 
 
 'Gainst winds and storms no fear ! 
 
 Far better still !— " those Balustrades !" 
 
 Fine reiyinants of renown : 
 Great ornament to the Parades 
 
 Of Herne Bay, Pier, and Town. 
 
6GQ 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 for an early toddle — some scoured the fields, 
 and others, parts of the town, while a few of 
 the gents, on the look ont for their lost com- 
 panions, went and overhauled the Venus, who, 
 it appeared, had furnished lodgings for a 
 number of gay sparks, who felt themselves so 
 fully contented, and without the least com- 
 plaint in being admitted in the characters of 
 board-ers for that niglit only ! 
 
 At length, the sound of the gun announced 
 the departure of the Venus for the return to 
 London, and 
 
 The last boat destined from the Pier ! 
 soon arrived with her compliment on board. 
 The salutes were repeated at all the places as 
 before ; another pleasant day occurred — a 
 capital dinner was provided by the steward of 
 the Venus for his guests — and over a glass of 
 good wine, we joined in the toast of " Success 
 to the Pier at Heme Bay, and the rising town 
 of St. Augustine f Several excellent anec- 
 dotes well told, passed between a few gentle- 
 men, who never saw each other before, and, 
 perhaps, may never see each other again, and 
 which made time, fly as it were ! Such are 
 the delights of refined and enlightened con- 
 versation ; and the recollection of such plea- 
 sant moments, are invaluable. Greenwich 
 Hospital, that immense ornament to Old Eng- 
 land, appeared sooner than was anticipated by 
 the pleased eyes of the Cocknies — such a 
 monument of natural grandeur must be always 
 gratifying to the " heart that can feel for 
 another" — the Pools were cleared without the 
 slightest difiSculty ; and the jolly crew of the 
 Venus arrivedsafe and sound at St. Kathcrine's 
 Dock by six o'clock on Tuesday evening. 
 According to our immortal Bard : — 
 
 Parting is such svsreet sorrow ! 
 but no matter, we were compelled to part with 
 several interesting persons, positively, with 
 regret — yet, unlike j"/inny Gilpin, we did not 
 gro further than we intended ; and found our- 
 selves comfortably seated at home, yes "Sweet 
 Home," enjoying our Twankey before seven 
 o'clock, and relating our adventures, not ex- 
 actly with the flourishes of a Don Quixotte ; 
 but, nevertheless, delighted with our excur- 
 sion — the opening of the Pier at Herne 
 Bay, and to make it more lasting in the tablet 
 of our memory — its being coupled with the 
 passing of the never to be forgotten REFORM 
 BILL. — Dum vivimus vicamus/ 
 
 and descends from the uncle of Lahadah, the 
 sire of Alket — is of a fine figure, and fleet as 
 an ostrich ; herewith is his tooth, when a colt, 
 in a bag, with his pedigree, which a Caffre 
 may believe. Among the honors of relation- 
 ship he reckons Zalwah, the sire of Mahat, 
 who was the sire of Kallak, and the unique 
 Alket, sire of Manasseh, sire of Alsheh, from 
 generation to generation, down from the noble 
 horse, Lahalala. And upon him be green 
 herbage in abundance, and the water of life 
 with an edifice enclosed with walls, a reward 
 from the tribe of Zoab, for the fire of his race ; 
 and let a thousand cypresses shade his body 
 from the hyena of the tombs, from the wolf, 
 and the serpents of the plain ; within the iu- 
 closure a festival shall be kept, and at sun- 
 rise thousands shall come, and observers 
 arrive in troops, whilst the tribe exhibits, 
 under a canopy of celestial signs, the saddle, 
 and the name, and the place of the tribe of 
 Bek Altabek, in Alesopotaniia, and Kulasla 
 of Lularek of the inspired tribe of Zoab. 
 Then shall they strike with a loud noise, and 
 ask of Heaven, in solemn prayer, immunity 
 for the tribe from evil, and the demon of 
 languor, from pestilence, from wandering 
 from God, from scabby camels, from scarcity, 
 from perplexed congregations, from the spleen, 
 from the fiery dragon, from commixtion, from 
 beating on the feet, from treading out with 
 the feet, from Heiubnu, or the unknown son 
 of an unknown father, from lameness at birth, 
 from imposthumes, from seclusions, and from 
 fascination, from depression and elevation, 
 from cracks in the feet, from numerous assem- 
 blies, from importunate soothsayers, from the 
 oflfspring of prophets and nocturnal travellers, 
 from diviners of good opportunity for a pur- 
 pose, from relations and degrees of affinity, 
 and from rash and inordinate riders, deliver 
 this tribe, O Lord, and secure those who are 
 slow to follow and slow to advance, who guard 
 the truth and observe it. — Court Journal. 
 
 The Pedigree of an Arabian Horse. 
 
 Bought in Egypt by an English Nobleman, for 
 
 the price of 1000 Guineas. 
 
 [Translated from the original Arabic] 
 
 In the name of God, the merciful and com- 
 passionate, and Sid Mahomet, the agent of 
 the High God, and of the Ali of God, and the 
 companions of Mahomet, and Jerusalem, by 
 the grace of God, the Author of the creation. 
 This horse, the sire of Rabhamy, equal in 
 power to his son, is of the tribe of Zazzalali, 
 
 The Stag out of his element. 
 Not long fiince the attention of the inhabit- 
 ants of Itchenor was attracted by the appear- 
 ance of a stag on the opposite shore of the 
 river, which, after taking a survey of this arm 
 of the sea, without ceremony took soil and 
 swam across, a distance of about six hundred 
 yards ; he then majestically crossed the park, 
 and made his lair in an adjoining covert. The 
 keen sportsmen of the united parishes in the 
 neighbourhood, had speedy information of this 
 unexpected visitant, and the harriers were 
 collected with speed, and laid on his slot. 
 The animal was soon roused, and broke 
 cover in the most gallant style, and, during a 
 chase of two hours, topped every fence in his 
 way, showed capital sport, when, being 
 pressed by his staunch pursuers, he once 
 more attempted to cross the river at Wi-.st 
 Wittering, but the tide being ebbed, he gol 
 embayed in the mud, from which he was ex- 
 tricated unhurt. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 369 
 
 "■'>X: y^-r, 
 
 
 PIGEON SHOOTING. 
 
 2i 
 
 THE PIGEON SHOOTERS' (.I.F.K. 
 
 There's no rural .sport surpassi's 
 PiRton shootint;, circUng glasses. 
 Fill the chrjstal goblet up, 
 Fill thechrystal tobletup. 
 No Game Laws can ever tliwait us, 
 Nor qui lams nor Hahens Coi]iu\, 
 For our license Venus grants, 
 Let's be grateful ; here s a bumper ; 
 In our bounty, here's a bumper. 
 
 Li.stea unaer beauty's banners. 
 What's to u< freehold or manors ? 
 Fill the chry.stal goblet up. 
 Fill the chry-tal gi'blet up. 
 No suspense our temper's tryin;;. 
 Endless sport ocir trap supplying; 
 No ill stare 'twixt h<i| e and fear — 
 At magic w»rd o<ir birds appear; 
 Fill the chrystal goblet up. 
 
 Alike all seasons in our favoiir 
 O'er vales and hills, no toil or la 
 No alloy our pleasures viel 1 ; 
 No game keepir e'er employing 
 .Ski 'I'd in art of game destrnying 
 Free from trouble, void of care, 
 We set at nought the poacher's s 
 
 Fill the chry.tal gobbt up. 
 No bl»nk days can ever vex us, 
 No false points can e'er perjilex 
 
 Fill the chrystal goblet up. 
 
 Pigeons swift as wind aboundin,; 
 Detonating tuns resounding, 
 ■'"ee tlie tow'rin^ victims fall. 
 With Apollo sciL-nce vying. 
 View the heaps of dead and dying, 
 Forc'd to pay the debt of nature. 
 Matters it — or soon or later ? 
 Fill the chrystal goblet up. 
 
 2 li 
 
£70 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Upwards of forty yenrs ago Pigeon Shoot- 
 ing was in high repute ; and from that date 
 up to the present period, it has not lost aJo< 
 of its celebrity as a SroRT, in which some of 
 the first rate shots in tiie kingdom are repeat- 
 edly engaged in various matches; nay, on the 
 contrary, it has increased in a very great 
 degree ; and, amongst some of our noble Dons 
 in society, Pigeon Shooting has become quite 
 a favorite pursuit. 
 
 Kut it would far exceed our limits, were 
 we to attempt to enumerate one hnlf of the 
 craclc shots that are to be met with in tlie 
 Sporting World ; therefore, a lew of the high 
 sounding names, which we sliall quote for our 
 purpose, we trust will be quite sufficient : — 
 Lord Kennedy, Captain Ross, Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton. Lord Ranelagii, Hon. G. Anson, IMr. 
 Shouhridge, P.Ir. Gillmore, Mr. Arrowsniith, 
 &c.,w!io have merely to hold up their guns, 
 as it were, when destruction and death follow 
 the sound of their pieces to the feathered tribe : 
 but, added to the judgment and skill which 
 the above sporting heroes possess ; also the 
 repeated training they are continually under- 
 going, or immense practice, cannot fail to 
 render them perfect to bring down a bird, or 
 shoot at a mark ; and, if perfection can be 
 obtained in any pursuit, we verily believe, 
 few opponents can be found, except amongst 
 themselves, to compete, with any thing like 
 a chance of winning, with the above truly 
 celebrated Pigeon Shooters ! Independently 
 of gamekeepers, whom we should term as 
 professional* shots ; or, in other words, if tiie 
 above phrase should prove objectionable to 
 a peculiar class of society — men who have 
 been reared to shoot at game and other birds 
 from their cradles ! 
 
 Pigeon Shooting is kept up, notonly with 
 great spirit, but splendor; and Gold Cups, 
 Silver Tankards, and other prizes, are shot 
 fcr continually, in some instances for Two 
 Thousand Sovereigns, One Thousand, down to 
 ^10 aside. Also, a great variety of Sweep- 
 
 * We have consulted Dr. Johnson on the subject, 
 and find that PRoFtssiON is defined to be " a calling; 
 vocation ; known employment." We have also con- 
 sulted the word proj'essionnl, and which Dictionary 
 states the meaning to be " relating to a particular 
 calling, or profession ;" therefore, we have not strayed 
 much out of the right path ; but we have little do'ubt 
 that even the most fastidious character will pardon 
 us, for using at most, a douhtjul phrase, to convey our 
 meaning intelligently ; one of those sort of doubtful 
 things described by the facetious Geoige Colman, in 
 his Newcastle Apothecary : — 
 
 Bolus arriv'd, and gave a (/o7/«//«/tap, 
 Ketween a single and a uoublr rap ; 
 Knocks of his kind 
 Are giv'n by gentlemen who teach to dance 
 
 By fiddlers and by Opera singers ; 
 One loud, and then a little one behind, 
 As if the knocker, fell by chance 
 
 Out of their fingers. 
 
 Therefore, at times, most writers are rather at a loss 
 to coniey their intentions accurately to their readers, 
 without the slightest wish to give offence ; however,' 
 the term, perhaps, might have been expressed better, 
 ttumcly,—" prijessed shots 1" 
 
 stakes, under the management of Mr. Swaine, 
 the very able and well-conducted proprietor 
 of the Red House, Battersea, and the Enclosure. 
 Indeed, shooting at pigeons is quite a tip-top 
 sort of thing altogether in the Sporting World ; 
 and the Sicells, who are the principal actors 
 in the scene, are of the very first quality in 
 the fashionable world. We have noticed 
 amongst the visiters the Duke of Riche- 
 lieu, Lords Sefton, Jersey, and Belfast, Sir 
 Watkin Williams Wynn, and several other 
 persons of distinction. A military band may 
 be found here at times to enliven the scene ; 
 perhaps furnished on the old adage : — 
 
 " That music hath charms to ioothe " — 
 and why may not Pigeons be induced to stay 
 a little on the wing, to be delighted with 
 
 " Meet me by moonlight!" 
 when we are assured that Nightingales have 
 been so fascinated and overpowered with 
 musical sounds as to have expired withecstacy ; 
 and that even stone walls have exhibited 
 vibration, and been seen to move with a 
 sort of indescribable sympathy at the sweet 
 concords of harm;»ny. Men and women also 
 in the most rude state of civilization and 
 savage parts of the world, without knowing a 
 single note of music, have been seen to dance 
 with their feet and motion their hands on 
 hearing the fiddle or any other musical instru- 
 ment without any order or system ! Then 
 why not Pigeons, it might be asked, feci a 
 sort of inclination at the delightful air and 
 invitation of — 
 
 " Away, away, to the mountain brow ! 
 
 and Pigeon Shooters too, by the same sort 
 of feeling and inspiration, bring down their 
 birds, a la Bishop, Barnet, Lee, George 
 Stansburg, &c., with 
 
 " Will you, will you, come to the bower ?" 
 
 Pigeon Shooting, is also followed as an 
 amusement in almost every part of the king. 
 dom ; and numerous clubs have been formed 
 in several large towns, although, perhaps, 
 not with the same means of support ; but, 
 nevertheless, with equal spirit and ardour, by 
 the Red House Club, the Rifle Club, &c. at 
 Battersea. 
 
 However, to show the spirit with which the 
 above sport was followed in 1793, we have 
 made the following extract from the Old Si>ori- 
 ing Magazine, in the month of February of 
 the above date, nearly forty years since : — 
 
 " The great celebrity of this sport, in which 
 some of the first shots in England are so fre- 
 quently engaged, encourages us to communi- 
 cate an account of its fashionable influence 
 and increasing prevalence, as a subject appli- 
 cably entitled to a place in our sporting recep- 
 tacle. 
 
 " Matches coming under this denomination 
 are of two kinds : the first supported by 
 private subscription amongst such gentlemen 
 only as are members of their distinct and 
 separate clubs. Others of an inferior com- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 371 
 
 plexion by public contribution from candi- 
 dates of every description, and is SPueniliy 
 excited and collected by the landlords of 
 inns, to purchase different pieces of plate of 
 gradational value, for distribution amongst 
 the successful adventurers in such lottery of 
 hope and uncertainty. This practice is ex- 
 ceedingly common in almost every part of the 
 kingdom, but in none so frequently repeated, 
 or so fashionably followed, as in tiie countit^s 
 of Bucks, Berks, Hants, and Surrey, where, 
 at t'lis season of the year, it is in perpetual 
 succession at one spot or another. But the 
 most respectable meeting for the eminence 
 and opulence of its members as well as the 
 superior excellence of their shots, is held at 
 the Old Hats, on the Uxbridge Road, near 
 Ealing, at which many gentlemen of the first 
 fortunes constantly attend, and some from so 
 great a distance as Reading and Wokingham, 
 both which furnish a few of the most expert in 
 the circle. Amidst the respectability of this 
 meeting we have observed even a condescend- 
 ing relaxation from the fatigues of official 
 city dignity ; and never enjoyed greater fes- 
 tivity, witnessed more exhilarating convivi- 
 ality, or drank better Claret and Madeira than 
 upon this occasion. 
 
 " Having pointed out the two distinct 
 classes who appropriate a portion of their 
 time to this enjoyment, it becomes immedi- 
 ately applicable so to explain the sport, as may 
 render it perfectly easy of comprehension to 
 those who have never had an opportunity to 
 be present at so earnest a struggle for supe- 
 riority. In direct conformity with propriety, 
 we advert first to the match, as it is gene- 
 rally made and decided, between a given 
 number of gentlemen from different clubs 
 opposed to each other ; or members of the 
 same club, when by two tossing up for the 
 first choice they continue to choose in rota- 
 tion till the party is completely formed, which 
 may be contracted or extended to any number 
 required for the convenience of the company 
 intending to shoot. The match thus made, 
 and the names of the opponents arranged upon 
 paper by the arbiter, the sport begins in the 
 following way : — 
 
 " Several dozens of pigeons having been 
 provided for the purpose, are disposed in 
 baskets behind the company, there to wait the 
 destructive crisis, the ' deadly level,' that 
 dooms them to instant death, or gives them 
 liberty. A shallow box of about a foot long, 
 and eight or ten inches wide, is sunk in the 
 ground, parallel with the surface, and just 
 twenty-one yards from the foot mark at which 
 each gunner is bound to take his aim. This 
 box has a sliding lid, to which is affixed a 
 string held by one appointed to that office, 
 who is placed next the person going to shoot, 
 from whom he takes the word of command 
 for drawing the string whenever he is ready 
 to take his aim ; another pigeon being so ex- 
 peditiously placed in the box, for the succeed- 
 ing shot who stands ready (l)y the runners 
 
 that furnish the pigeons) that ten, twelve, or 
 fifteen dozen of pigeons are deposited in the 
 box, flown and shot at in much less time than 
 it is possible to conceive. The gunner is not 
 permitted to put his gun to his shoulder till 
 the bird is on wing ; and the bird must 
 fall within one hundred yards of the box, or 
 is deemed a lost shot. During this rapid suc- 
 cession (one of each side shooting alternately) 
 the arbiter is employed in penciling op[)()site 
 to each name the success of every individual, 
 by A 1, or, A 0; this, at the end of the match, 
 denotes the superiority, by demonstrating 
 ivliich party has killed most pigeons at the 
 least number of shots. Exclusive of the 
 general betting upon the match, there is a 
 variety amongst individuals ; the shots of 
 some against others, and the field betting of 
 the bird against the gun, as fancy may prompt 
 or the reputation of the gunner dictate. He 
 that kills most pigeons in the match, at an 
 equal number of shots with the rest, is by 
 such pre-eminence the Captain of the day, 
 stands elected chairman for the meeting, ancl 
 does the offices of the table accordingly. 
 
 " Matches of an inferior description are 
 still more numerous, and generally come under 
 the denomination of an help- ale, or make- 
 feast, at the instigation of those industrious 
 liberal landlords who advertize ' three pieces 
 of plate to be given to the three best shots ;' 
 but at the moment of entering the lists, it 
 becomes a collateral part of the contract, that 
 each adventurer is to contribute his propor- 
 tion towards the gifts of plate ; to pay for his 
 pigeons, and to dine at the ordinary. These 
 matters properly adjusted, the shooting is 
 carried on precisely in the manner before 
 described, with this exception only, that here 
 every individual shoots for himself alone, 
 without any connexion with party. The can- 
 didate killing most pigeons, at the least num- 
 ber of shots, becomes entitled to the piece of 
 plate highest in value, and so in proportion ; 
 but in so great a number of candidates there 
 is frequently an equality of success ; in such 
 cases they are called ties, and are shot off at 
 remaining pigeons till the superiority is ascer- 
 tained, and the victor proclaimed. This done, 
 the day concludes with the same degree of" 
 festivity and superabundance before describe<l, 
 but in a style of inferiority necessarily regu- 
 lated by the pecuniary sensations of parties 
 concerned. Looking however into its attrac- 
 tion as matter of sport, little or nothing can be 
 said in its favor, when put in competition 
 with the more noble and manly enjoyment of 
 the sports of the field. The liberal mind 
 feels a temporary repugnance at the idea of 
 first confining, and then liberating from that 
 confinement, hundreds of domestic animals 
 doomed to instant death, with a very slender 
 probability of life in their lavor, when a 
 moderate shot will bring down fourteen or 
 fifteen, and some nineteen out of tv/enty. 
 This picture affords but an indifferent idea of 
 the sportsman's humanity who indulges 
 
S72 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 1 ifkte^y in tliis species of gratiGcation. And 
 iai tlfer we presume to observe, for the infor- 
 mation of the inexperienced, that it is the 
 most infatuating and expensive amusement 
 the juvenile sportsman can possibly engage 
 in ; for one day very seldom terminates with- 
 out the appointment of a second ; one extra- 
 >ngance as constantly engenders another, to 
 the utter exclusion of economy, which is, 
 ■upon all similar occasions, generally laughed 
 out of countenance. Experience has also 
 convinced us that eight, nine, or ten pounds 
 tor pigeons. In addition to the bill of fashion- 
 able exorbitances for the day (amounting to 
 the inconsiderable reckoning of two and 
 three guineas each) has sent many a pigeon 
 shooter to his bed, and awakened him to the 
 pillow of reflection." 
 
 The E7iclo.sure belonging to the Red House 
 affords considerable fun at times to the spec- 
 tators, at the eagerness displayed by the 
 Oul Scouts, who will not be denied from 
 having a pop or two at these pigeons, who 
 liave been lucky enough to escape the almost 
 deadly guns, and who fly out of the bounds. 
 Thus, it appears, the poor pigeons have ' to 
 run the gauntlet' as it were, to save their ex- 
 istence ; and the bird who escapes from such 
 numerous shots, aimed at her life, must be 
 pronounced lucky indeed ! 
 
 The Red House, at Battersea, during the 
 Summer months, is a source of great attrac- 
 tion to numerous persons connected with the 
 Sporting World, namely, in two points of 
 view, for Pigeon Shooting and Rowing 
 Matches ; it also possesses other advantages 
 from its remarkably pleasant situation, and 
 otiering the choice to gentlemen, either going 
 by water, or land, to the Enclosure. The 
 above matches not only produce some excel- 
 lent dinners provided by ''Mine Host" in 
 lirst-rate style, but also some very capital con- 
 vivial evenings, which exhibit a very fine 
 feature of the Si'irit and Game which gen- 
 erally attaches to meelinfrs of a sjjorting 
 description, and more especially over " the 
 gaily circling glass !" 
 
 THE DELIGHTFUL OLD CHORUS TO SPORTS- 
 MEN OF " HA.HK, HARK AWAY !" 
 
 Ye true British Sportsmen wlio always delight, 
 In the field ev'ry morn, o'er the bottle at night, 
 Come, rouse from your slumbers, and let us prepare 
 To chase away dullness in chasing the hare ; 
 For what can delight, o'er the fields as we stray. 
 Like the sound of the horn, and the words—" Hark 
 away !" 
 
 Let dull stupid lovers their Pliillidas prize. 
 And boast of the charms that enliven their eyes, 
 While we, after puss, on the footsteps of fate. 
 Despise a widediich, a broad fence, or a gate. 
 Singing, as we fly over, so cheerlul and gay, 
 I'he delightful old chorus of " Hark, hark away!" 
 
 Our spirts in perusing, when weary we are. 
 
 All jocund, and nii-rry, we homeward repair ; 
 
 Sit down at the table of friendship to dine, 
 
 Acd diown all our cares in a bumper of wine ; 
 
 Ke«p sound till Aurora brinies on a new day, 
 
 'i'lien acaln to tlie field, with a loud " Hark away I" 
 
 It might, perhaps, be deemed invidious on 
 our part, to select one gentleman more than 
 anether, but in viewing George Osbaldeston, 
 Esq., in the character of an out-and- outer, in 
 every thing that he undertakes in the Sporting 
 World, and that, viite times out of ten, his ex- 
 ertions throughout most of his matches have 
 been crowned with success, we hope, we have 
 not trespassed in the slightest degree on the 
 path of any gentleman on the road to Sport- 
 ing celebrity. In truth, Mr. O. is always 
 ready " to keep the game alive," upon any 
 suit whatever : — 
 
 When inclined for a shot, I am up with Aurora, 
 My jacket lies ready, ray buskins are brief, 
 
 1 speak not a word at the Manse to the snorers. 
 But whistle to Juno, and off like a thief ! 
 
 I leave dykes and hedges, and up to the muirlanda 
 Tliatr stretch out so tempting, so brown, and so wide. 
 
 To me they are rich lands that others think poor lands, 
 As I stalk o'er the heather in freedom and pride. 
 
 I grudge rmi my time, nor of powder am chary. 
 
 Hut roam, looking shai-p after Juno's white back ; 
 'Mong the flowers and the rough bits she scuds like a 
 fairy, 
 But when fixed, she's like marble to wait for the 
 crack. 
 
 It may shower — it may shine — or the big clouds may 
 sever. 
 And drift with long shadows o'er mountain, and fell, 
 But the main-cocks still find that I'm their I'au. me- 
 
 N IVER, 
 
 Nor will finish the day till I've tickled them well. 
 
 VARIOUS MATCHES OF PIGEON 
 SHOOTING 
 
 At the Red House, Battersea. 
 
 In May 1828, on Monday, Mr. Anderson 
 and Captain Bishop shot a match of six birds 
 each, twenty-one yards from the trap, for £.5, 
 which the Captain lost. 
 
 Mr. Anderson then shot four matches with 
 Captain Ross, the former standing twenty-one 
 yards from the trap, and the latter thirty ; 
 Mr. Anderson betting Captain Ross £'l0 to 
 £5 on each match. The Captain was the 
 winner of all. 
 
 On Tuesday a match was shot by Mr. Hyde, 
 of Cambridge, against a gentleman of the name 
 of Tucketl, for £50, twelve birds each. At 
 the commencement of the match the betting 
 was even ; but, after the sixth shot, the supe- 
 rior style of Mr, Hyde's shooting, caused the 
 betting to be six to four in his favor. He 
 eventually won the match, having killed three 
 more than his opponent. The winner shot 
 with a gun made by Hall, of Mary-la-bonne. 
 
 The Red House Club met on Tuesday, May, 
 10, 1828. The first Sweepstakes was between 
 Captain Ross, Messrs. Osbaldeston and Bam- 
 bridge, at nine birds each, five traps, thirty 
 yar'is from the shooter, the stake fifteen sove- 
 reigns. Captain Ross was the winner, having 
 killed all his birds. The second was between 
 the same party, for the same stake and dis- 
 tance, which was won by Mr. Bambridge. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 37 
 
 The third was at forty yards, one trap, for £5. 
 It was contended for by Captains Ross and 
 Dixon, JMessrs. Osbaldeston and Bambiidge, 
 nine birds each. Mr. Osbaldeston was de- 
 clared the winner. 
 
 Two more followed at the same distance, on 
 the same terms, with the exception that five 
 traps were used instead of one. Captain 
 Ross won the first, and Mr. Bambridge the 
 other. 
 
 Captain Ross and Mr. Osbaldeston shot a 
 match of fourteen double shots, each for £10, 
 which the Captain lost by one bird. 
 
 In January 1829, on Wednesday, there was 
 a very full attendance at the enclosure near 
 the Red House, Battersea, to witness the 
 shooting of Captain Ross and Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton, it being their first appearance this season. 
 They commenced shooting at thirty yards, 
 with three traps, at ten birds each for £10, 
 which was won by the Captain, havi.ig killed 
 seven, and Mr. Osbaldeston four ; they tiien 
 shot three matches at double shots, six shots 
 each, at twenty-five yards distance, for ten 
 pounds a-side ; the two first were ties, and 
 tlie other was won by Mr. Osbaldeston. 
 Tiiey shot with double guns, made by Mr. 
 William Moore, of the Edgware Road. — On 
 Thursday they commenced shooting about 
 one o'clock ; Mr. Osbaldeston and Mr. Bam- 
 bridge shot four matches— one at thirty yards, 
 single birds, which was won by the former; 
 they shot at seven birds each, tor ten pounds ; 
 the others were at five double shots each, for 
 the same sum, which was won by Mr. Bam- 
 bridge. A sweepstakes of seven birds each, 
 fifteen pounds subscription, thirty yards. 
 Three traps were fixed by Captain Ross, and 
 Messrs. Osbaldeston and Bambridge, which 
 was won by the latter killing all his birds. 
 On Friday there were several matches be- 
 tween Captain Ross and Mr. Bambridge, at 
 double shots, twenty-five yards ; the Captain 
 was tije winner. Eley's improved patent 
 cartridges were used, but in several instances 
 they balled, thereby causing them in their 
 present state not to be safe. 
 
 On Monday, May, 1829, Mr. Gillmore shot 
 a match with Mr. Wauchap, at five double 
 shots, at twenty yards distance, with five 
 traps, for ten pounds a-side. At the fourth 
 siiot they were even ; but Rlr. Gillmore won 
 by a bird. They afterwards shot a match of 
 seven birds each, twenty-five yards distance, 
 which was also won by Mr. Gillmore ; the 
 match was for a pony. 
 
 On Tuesday a sweepstakes of six double 
 shots, twenty yards distance, with five traps, 
 ten pounds subscription, was contended for 
 by the following gentlemen of the Red House 
 Club : — the Hon. G. Anson, Captain Ross, 
 and Mr. Gillmore ; the latter gentleman 
 having three dead birds given him ; the shoot- 
 ing was very good. Mr. Gillmore was de- 
 clared the winner. A sweepstakes of ten 
 pounds was then fired at thirl.y yards, five 
 traps ; Captain Ross was the winner. 
 
 Two others followed at the same distance 
 and on the same conditions, which were alsa 
 won by the Captain. 
 
 The shooting of the day was concluded by 
 along-contended sweepstakes of double shoot 
 ing, which Mr. Gilmore won by a bird, aftei 
 having made six ties. 
 
 On Wednesday Captain Ross and Mr. Gdl- 
 more shot a match of seven double shots each, 
 at twenty yards, with the five traps, the Cap- 
 tain giving his opponent two dead birds, for 
 ten pounds. The shooting was so even that 
 Captain Ross won only by a bird. 
 
 Two sweepstakes of eight double shots, 
 twenty yards from the shooter, five traps, were 
 then shot for by Captain Ross, Mr. Gillmore, 
 and Mr. Shoubridge. The latter gentleman 
 was the winner or both. 
 
 Mr. Gillmore and a gentleman then had two 
 matches of five birds each, for twenty pounds 
 a-side, match at thirty yards, with the five 
 traps. Mr. Gillmore beat his antagonist botli 
 matches. 
 
 On Thursday Mr. Eastman and Mr. Tliorn- 
 ton shot a match of twenty-one birds each, 
 twenty-one yardsi, for twenty pounds. At 
 the commencement Mr. Thornton was the fa- 
 vorite at five to two ; but there were very few 
 takers. At tlie ninth round he was four 
 a-head ; his friends then freely laid three to 
 one on him ; in some instances it was taken. 
 At the seventeenth shot Mr. Eastman was 
 even with him ; but the favorite was eventu- 
 ally beaten by his missing the last bird. and. 
 his opponent killing. 
 
 On Friday Lord Ranelagh and Mr. Gill- 
 more shot a match of twelve birds each, 
 twenty-five yards from the trap, for twenty 
 pounds. They each killed ten birds. They 
 then shot the match off at eleven birds ; and 
 Mr. Gillmore was declared the winner. 
 
 A Handicap Siceepstakes of eleven birds, a.t 
 twenty-five yards, was then siiot by Captain 
 Ross, Mr. Osbaldeston, Mr. Gillmore, and 
 Lord Ranelagh, the two last gentlemen having 
 a dead bird given them. At the termination 
 of the fourth round they were all even ; and 
 at the tenth shot Lord Ranelagh and Captain 
 Ross were even, but tiie Captain v\on by 
 killing his last bird, having scored nine out 
 of his eleven. 
 
 A Siveepsiakes of Ten Poimds was tlien fired 
 by the same members, at three double-shots, 
 twenty yards distance from the shooter, which 
 Mr. Osbaldeston won. The stime members 
 then fired sweepstakes of seven birds each, at 
 thirty yards distance from the shooter, for the 
 purpose of trying Eley's improved la tritlges, 
 the effect of which gave great satisfaction. 
 Mr. Osbaldeston was declared the winner, 
 but it was a very close match be utcu him 
 and C^aptain Ross. 
 
 Nothing else but a Good Shot. 
 
 Captain Ross, of sporting celebrity, arrived 
 at the Bell Inn, in Leicester, in July, 1828, 
 and in the evening kindly consented to give 
 the shots of that town and neighbourhood a 
 
374 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S ROOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 treat, which proved of no ordinary character. 
 Fray's newly-invented air detonating gun was 
 selected for the occasion, and a numerous 
 field of gentlemen assembled in a paddock 
 contiguous to the town to witness the exploit. 
 The Captain proposed to fire with a single 
 pellet, at a card eighty yards distant; and to 
 the astonishment of all present, hit his mark 
 twice out of ten shots. He then took half 
 the distance, and, with the same number of 
 shots, only missed once ! A duck ivas next 
 placi:d at seventy-fice yard's distance, which he 
 cleverly despatched by shooting it through the 
 neck ; and a second shared a similar fate. 
 The Captain was on a tour to Scotland, to 
 join in the amusing sport of grouse shooting ; 
 and this certainly gave the gentlemen of 
 Leicester a fair specimen of the execution 
 likely to take place from the shots of this 
 celebrated, and we may add, unequalled 
 sportsman. Captain Ross was pleased to ex- 
 press his high approbation of Fray's improved 
 air detonator. 
 
 Shooting to a Nicety. 
 
 Prince Rupert's skill in firing at a mark we 
 have recorded on the evidence of eye-wit- 
 nesses, of whom King Charles the First was 
 one. Prince Rupert being at Stafford in the 
 time of the Civil War, while standing in the 
 garden of Capt. Richard Ineyd, who had 
 taken up arms for the King, and at about 
 sixty yards distance, made a shot at a weather- 
 cock upon the steeple of the collegiate church 
 of St. Mary, with a screwed horseman's pis- 
 tol and single bullet, which pierced the tail ; 
 the bullet-hole plainly appearing to all that 
 were below ; which the King presently judged 
 to be casualty only. Prince Rupert, how- 
 ever, immediately proved the contrary, by a 
 second shot to the same effect. 
 
 Singular great Shooting and Walking 
 Match for One Thousand Guineas. 
 
 The above novel and interesting match for 
 1000 guineas, between the Hon. G. Anson, 
 and INIr. Ross, which of them killed the most 
 partridges between sun-rise and sun-set, and 
 which perhaps excited more interest in the 
 Sporting World than any thing of the kind 
 on any former occasion, toiik place at Milden 
 Hall, Suffolk, on the manor belonging to the 
 Hon. Henry De Roos, on Monday, in Novem- 
 ber, 1828. It was originally fixed for the pre- 
 vious Saturday ; but one of the parties not 
 knowing whether it was to be shot with or- 
 dinary shot or witli Eley's patent cartridges 
 (no previous arrangement having been made), 
 was not provided with the latter; and as the 
 birds were very wild, and it was determined 
 to shiiot with them, a messenger was dispatched 
 to London for a supply ; he returned on Sun- 
 day night, and it was then agreed to com- 
 mence shooting at a quarter past seven o'clock 
 on Monday morning, and to leave off at a 
 quarter past four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Many gentlemen, friends of Mr. Ross, came 
 
 to witness his performance, some from Scot- 
 land ; and a number of gentlemen, friends of 
 the Hon. G. Anson's, were assembled at the 
 Hon. H. De Roos's, Milden Hall, for the same 
 purpose. The Hon. H. De Roos, the Hon. C. 
 Greville, the Hon. Col. Russell, Sir John 
 Shelley, Mr. H. Baring, and many other gen- 
 tlemen and amateurs of the sport were present. 
 Many horses were ready to assist the various 
 persons in attendance on the match ; each 
 party was allowed three guns, three loaders, 
 &c., that no delay might take place ; large 
 sums of money were betted, and both parties 
 came to the post in excellent condition, spirits, 
 and confidence. The morning, at break of 
 day, was unfavorable, it being very foggy, and 
 indeed continuing so the whole of the day. 
 In the first hour, the birds being excessively 
 wild, only four were shot ; and those getting 
 up most favorably for Colonel Anson, he shot 
 three out of the four. Both parties possessing 
 great pedestrian powers, and thinking to out- 
 wdk each other, commenced walking at five 
 miles an hour, and continued that pace for the 
 first two hours, and the remainder of tiie day 
 at four and a half miles an hour, without halt- 
 ing for five minutes, and the whole of the day 
 bare-headed. This pace kept those who accom- 
 panied them in a trot, as long as they could 
 last, which but few, if any, did to the end of 
 the day, without the assistance of a horse. 
 At three o'clock the match was even, both 
 having killed ten brace of birds, and it was 
 even again at four o'clock. Nothing could 
 now exceed the interest felt by all parties, a 
 quarter of an hour only being all the remain- 
 ing time for deciding the contest. It was 
 observed about this time that Col. Anson was 
 growing weak, the parties having walked 
 about thirty-five miles, and a great part of the 
 distance through heavy, wet turnips ; but Mr. 
 Ross went on with a gallant stride, to the 
 admiration of all, beating keepers and every 
 other person present. At this juncture Col. 
 Anson killed another bird, which made him 
 one a-head, but he became so weak that 
 he could no longer follow Mr. Ross, who kept 
 as fresh as ever; and although only ten 
 minutes remained, Col. Anson's friends ad- 
 vised him to propose a draw match, as Mr. 
 Ross would, in all probability, either tie or 
 beat him, which he did, and Mr. Ross very 
 handsomely accepted the proposal. Thus 
 concluded a match with which every lover of 
 the trigger present was highly delighted. 
 The number cf birds actually scored was 23| 
 brace ; many others were killed, but it could 
 not be decided by the umpires (Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton and others) to which party they belonged. 
 If the match had taken place in September, it 
 was supposed they would have killed a hun- 
 dred brace each. The superiority of the 
 patent cartridge over shot at long distances 
 was very apparent — most of the birds being 
 killed between fifty and seventy yards. Mr. 
 Ross offered at the conclusion of tlje match to 
 start inuuediately, and walk any person pre- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 37*> 
 
 sent (o London, being seventy miles, for 500 
 guineas. We ought to state, that according 
 to the terms of the match, Coh)ntl Anson and 
 Mr. Ross were to shoot side by side, so that 
 if tlie Colonel did not keep pace with ]\Ir. 
 Ross, he must have lost ; tiius the match 
 assumed the double character of a pedestrian 
 and a shooting match. 
 
 THREE'S NOTHIMG GIVES HRALTH LIKE 
 
 THE SPORTS OF THE FIELD! 
 Come ! come, ray good fellows, attend to my song, 
 And I'll learn yoii the way to live happy and long ; 
 Throw I throw off the tricks of the dull smoky town, 
 To rise with the lark, and lie down with the clown. 
 With vour pointers and gun, to the stubbles rt-pair. 
 To bring down the partridge, or fleet scudding h;ire ; 
 To start the gay pheasant, in woodland conceal'd. 
 Tor there's nothing gives health like the sports of the 
 field. 
 
 The aoctor to this, toys, will never api-ee, 
 
 It deprives him of practice, and lessens his fee: 
 
 To his skill and his prattle no crfdit bestow. 
 
 But leave him to botch >ip the musty old beau ; 
 
 Or to wait on my lady, who fancies she's lU, 
 
 And always in search of a medical pill : 
 
 For the whole of my life 1 ne'er valued his lore, 
 
 But rejected his drugs, and can hunt at fourscore. 
 
 The merchant may toil from morning till niglit. 
 And all turn to profit, that turns to his sight ; 
 But what ;ire his profits when health is no more. 
 E'en though thev amount to old Croesus's store f 
 When pang'd with the gout, he sits down to repent, 
 And wishes his youth in the fields had been spent. 
 Looks up to the sportsman with health in his face. 
 And thinks with a sigh on the charms of the chiise. 
 
 Thus you see, my good fellows, my thesis is true, 
 
 A sedentary life is the worst to pursue ; 
 
 It brings on infirmities, sorrows, and strife. 
 
 And is sure to effect an abridgTuent of lifo ; 
 
 Then who'd spend his days, who is favor'd with sense 
 
 In hoarding up nought but pounds, shillings, and 
 
 pence ? 
 Then tly from the town to the lav-^ns and the farm. 
 Where the beauties of nature have pler.ty to charm. 
 
 Then mount your brisk coursers, and fly to the fields, 
 And partake of the bliss that activity yields ; 
 Leave the dull plodding drudge to his ledger belnnd, 
 And the prig of the law courts to trouble mankind, 
 When winter approaches to drench from his urn, 
 And the fi;if;er of time shews the way to return. 
 You'll own that our sporis leave no stings to annoy, 
 And the charms of your Chloe with raptures enjoy. 
 
 Great Partridge Match bf.tween Lord 
 Kennedy and IMr. W. Cokk. 
 The bet between Mr. William Coke and 
 Lord Kennedy was for 200 sovereigns a-side, 
 play or pay, who shot and bagged the greatest 
 number of partridges in two days' sporting ; 
 both parties to shoot on the same days, the 
 2Gth of September, and the 4th of October, in 
 the season of 1823. Mr. William Coke to 
 sport upon his uncle's manors in Norfolk ; 
 and Lord Kennedy in any part of Scotland he 
 pleased. The residt of Mr. Coke's tirst day's 
 shooting was 80^ brace of birds bagged. On 
 Saturday, October 4, Mr. W. Cake took the 
 field soon after six o'clock in the mornm? ; 
 he was accompanied by his uncle, T. W. 
 Coke, Esq., M. P., and by two umpires, Col. 
 Dixon for Mr. Coke, and F. S. Blunt, E^q. 
 for Lord Kennedy ; also by two of his friends, 
 Sir H. Goderich, Bart, and F. HoUyhocke, 
 
 Esq. He was attended by several game- 
 keepers, and by one dog only, to pick up the 
 game. Several respectable neighbouring yeo- 
 men volunteered their services in assisting to 
 beat for game, and rendered essential service 
 throughout the day. Mr. Coke sported over 
 part of the Wigton and Egmere manors. The 
 morning was foggy, and the turnips were so 
 wet that the birds would not lie amongst 
 them. Very little execution was done iu 
 consequence in the early part of the day ; in 
 the two tirst hours only six brace of birds 
 were bagged. The day cleared up after eight 
 o'clock, and the sportsmen amply made up 
 for his previous lost time. He found birds 
 plentiful among Mr. Denny's fine crops of 
 turnips on the Egmere Farm, and in one 
 twenty-acre breck of swedes, he bagged Sr*' 
 brace of birds. He concluded his day's sport 
 soon after six in the evening, and had then 
 bagged 88 brace of birds, and five pheasants ; 
 but a dispute having arisen among the umpires 
 about one bird. Colonel Dixon gave the point 
 up, and the number was ultimately declared 
 to be 87J brace of birds bagged ; pheasants 
 and other game not counted in the match — 
 So that Mr. W. Coke's number of birds bagged 
 in the two days' shooting, stands 173 brace. 
 He had much fe'Acr shots in the second than 
 in the first day, but he shot better, as will be 
 seen from the comparative number of birds 
 bag';ed. On Saturday he bagged 180 birds 
 from 327 shots, which was considered good 
 shooting in a match of this nature, when a 
 ohauce,"^ however desperate it may appear, is 
 not to be thrown away. His uncle, T. W. 
 Coke, Esq., loaded a great part of the gun on 
 Saturday, and, as a finale to the day's sport, 
 shot at 'and killed the last bird, which his 
 nephew had previously missed. Lady Anne 
 Coke was in the field a great part of the day ; 
 her Ladyship carried refreshments for the 
 sportsmen in her pony gig. Lord Kennedy 
 chose for the scene of his exploits, Montreith, 
 in Scotland, a manor belonging to Sir William 
 Maxwell, considered equal to any lands in 
 Scotland for rearing partridges. On the first 
 day of trial his lordship bagged 50, and on 
 the 4th inst. 82 brace, being in all 132 brace 
 of partridges in two days. This match, from 
 its novelty, and the celebrity of the sportsmen 
 engaged in it, excited a considerable degree 
 of interest. 
 
 Pahtbidce Shooting. 
 
 Sang ii/ the late Mr. Inckdon, with great effect, al 
 
 several Sport'mg Dinners. 
 
 Now, while ahove that range of hills 
 'i'he moon abright'ning gleam distils, 
 I seize the gun, and call around 
 The easer pointers- just unbound- 
 Swift for a time— they dash away. 
 Too wild— t. o high of spirit to obey ? 
 At length the whistle, note th^ y hear. 
 Look round— and turn from their caieer; 
 The stubble quarter nicely o'er. 
 And every sheltering nook explore. 
 See CAKi.o-sudden-checks his speed : 
 To ho ! there lie the lird.s ! PtRO ■— take hec4? 
 
370 
 
 I'lERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 How wctl they back ! how fine they point ! 
 
 The head tum'd short, and fixed each joint. 
 
 I'll take the birds upon this side — 
 
 The covey rises! — scatt'ring wide — 
 
 D E A D I see the feathers to the right ! 
 
 Mark !— Mark!— Mark ! 
 
 Among the beans three braces alight 1 
 
 Carlo — watch — charge! keep in. Old Don I 
 
 When loaded — ho— good dogs— hey on ? 
 
 Thus range we, till the sun gets high. 
 
 And on the ground no scent will lie ; 
 
 Then take through vsoods eur homeward way. 
 
 And on good cheer boast how pass'd the day ! 
 
 Shooting for a Prize Gun. 
 
 In June 1829, after an elegant Public 
 Breakfast, provided by Mr. Swayne, the 
 shooting took place for the prize gun, fifteen 
 double shots each, with five traps, at twenty 
 yards. The numbers were handicapped by 
 Mr. Shoubridge. Lord Ranelagh, Mr. An- 
 derson, and Mr. Grant received four dead 
 birds each, and Mr. Worrell and Mr. Baird 
 five dead birds each. The performances at 
 the conclusion of the match were as follows : 
 — Captain Ross killed 19, Mr. Osbaldeston 
 17, Captain Bentinck 14, Lord Ranelagh 17, 
 Mr. Anderson 12, Mr. Grant 15, Mr. Worrell 
 9, Mr. Baird 13. Lord Ranelagh was, there- 
 ford, declared the winner, the dead birds 
 given to his Lordship making his score 21. 
 The ground was well attended throughout the 
 day, and a salute of pattereroes was fired on 
 the occasion. Two sweepstakes were after- 
 wards shot, upon similar terms, both of which 
 were won by Mr, Shoubridge, who shot more 
 double birds than ever was known. 
 
 Great Shooting. 
 
 It having been made known to the public 
 thatLord Elchohad killed 100 brace of grouse 
 in one day, upon his moors in Scotland, and it 
 being talked of as a great performance, in 
 1829 a gentleman under the signature of 
 O'Trigger has replied to it, stating that Sir 
 Richard Sutton, Bart., killed, upon his moors 
 in Yorksiiire, on the 12th of August, forty-five 
 brace, and on the 17th fifty brace, shoaling 
 from a pony. Add to this, on the evening of 
 Sir Richard's arrival in Swaledale, his keeper 
 informed hira that the breed of birds had failed 
 altogether, in consequence of the wet season, 
 tape-woim, &c. ; and, in short, gave him such 
 a wretched account, that he actually ordered 
 horses to take him back, without pulling a 
 trigger. When these things are taken into 
 consideration, and the comparative tame and 
 wild state of grouse in Scotland and in York- 
 shire, the Baronet's shooting, in my opinion 
 far exceeds my Lord's. The servant who 
 attends Sir Richard Sutton has travelled the 
 moors many years with many a good shot, and 
 he told me that it w.as ten to one against 
 every bird that rose within sixty-five yards. 
 
 NATURE AND HEALTH DEFY THE DOCTOR'S 
 PILL, 
 
 Come, you who love the pastime of the fields, 
 And hear a brother sing their charms with(jlee; 
 
 Of joys the plieasant to the sportsman yields, 
 \S liei) ycUort' autumn tints tiie forest tree. 
 
 Farewell the partridge, and the stubble field, 
 A loftier game our busy thoughts employ, 
 
 1 sing the charms the fading coverts yield. 
 When from the town we &y for sylvan joy. 
 
 Nor lose we little by the hasty change. 
 
 For there, we leave behind the source of ill ; 
 
 But here, the while the rural walks we range. 
 Nature and health defy tlie doctor's pill. 
 
 The shady woods our sober steps invite, 
 
 Through thickets dress'd in golden autumn's pride 
 To see our spaniels range, a pleasing sight t 
 
 To lazy sluggards and to sots denied. 
 
 The painter's art is studied to surprise ; 
 
 To balls and plays, let other sportsmen run, 
 What scene can equal when the pheasants rise 
 
 And blaze their beauties to the brilliant sun 
 
 And thus disturb'd, they mount the devious way^ 
 Now high in air, they ply the whirring wing. 
 
 That glittering gaudy in the face of day. 
 Presents a sight to gratify a king. 
 
 Though mimic thunder flies the leaden death. 
 And now to make our sylvan joys complete. 
 
 Our well-bred spaniels, panting out of breath, 
 Display the fcather'd treasure at otir feet. 
 
 Such is the manly sport that care defies, 
 
 Let us enjoy it (fortime) to the end. 
 And share the pleasure with the lads we prize 
 
 For what is life! or wealth ! without a friendf 
 
 Now raise the bumper to the fervid lip, 
 Let Ch oe's name be usher to the glass. 
 
 And ere the moments from our mem'ry slip. 
 Let ev'ry sportsman give his fav'rite lass. 
 
 Shooting at Penny Pieces. 
 
 At IMr. Tadd's, the Globe, Aberdeen-place, 
 St. John's Wood, on Friday, November 30th, 
 1827, a number of gentlemen assembled to 
 witness Mr. Arrovvsmith's putting 200 shots 
 in twelve penny pieces, at twelve shots. Se- 
 veral pigeon-matches were disposed of before 
 Mr. Arrowsmith commenced ; the ground at 
 that time was crowded, and bets to a consi- 
 derable amount were laid as to his completing 
 the task ; however, the bets were five to four 
 on Mr. Arrowsmith winning. Mr. Butler 
 was appointed to throw up the penny pieces, 
 the first of which Mr. Arrowsmith put in 90 
 shots; the second 21; the third 19; the fourth 
 above 100 ; leaving eight penny pieces to the 
 good, and over-winning by 30. A gentleman 
 on the ground ordered Clayard to bring his 
 best pigeons, and requested Mr. Arrowsmith 
 to stand near him ; four of the birds were 
 missed by the gentleman, but were brought 
 down by Mr. Arrowsmith, at the amazing 
 distance of 50 yards. The gentlemen after- 
 wards partook of a most excellent dinner at 
 Mr. Tadd's where every delicacy of the season 
 was provided. 
 
 Superior Shooting.— Unparalleled. 
 
 At the Red House, at Battersea, on Mon- 
 day, the SOth of June, 1829, the most inter- 
 esting shooting ever witnessed took place, in 
 regard to superior sliooting, in a Sweepstakes, 
 previous to Captain Ross leaving town for the 
 season. The sweepstakes were for 25 sovh. 
 each, 15 double shots each, at 20 yards dis 
 tance, with the five traps. The parties were 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 377 
 
 Lord Ranelagli, Captain Ross, Messrs. Osbal- 
 deston. Grant, and Shoubridge ; Lord R. and 
 Mr. Grant receiving four dead birds in ad- 
 vance. The match came off a tie at the fif- 
 teenth double sliot, between Captain Ross and 
 Mr. Shoubridge. Captain R. and Mr. S. tlien 
 shot the tie off. Captain R. led, and killed 
 his three double shots in succession ; Mr. S. 
 followed with the same success. Captain R. 
 in his next double shot missed one bird, and 
 Mr. S. killed both his and was declared the 
 winner. This was considered by all amateurs 
 present the best shooting ever witnessed, Mr. 
 S. having killed the unprecedented number of 
 ten double shots out of the last eleven, and the 
 first bird of the eleventh, making 21 birds out 
 of 22. A £1000 to £100 u-as offered that no 
 person can be produced to excel this jierformunce. 
 Mr. S. shot with a gun made by Purcley. 
 
 Shooting Match for One Thousand 
 Sovereigns. 
 
 This match was decided between Captain 
 Ross, and Mr. Osbaldeston, in May 1828, at 
 two hundred and fifty birds each, thirty yards 
 from the shooter. At the termination of Ihe 
 match the Captain was the winner by eleven ; 
 the betting was greatly in favor of Mr. Os- 
 baldeston on the last day, in consequence of 
 the Captain shooting so bad, he being very ill. 
 The gentlemen who had heavy bets on Mr. 
 Osbaldeston began to think there were souje 
 hopes for them, but at the second in-go, after 
 lunch, the Captain recovered, and won tiie 
 match. The stats of the shooting on each day 
 was as follows : — 
 
 CAPTAIN ROSS. 
 
 Killed. Missed. 
 
 First Day 55 7 
 
 Second day 40. . . . • • 22 
 
 Third day 44 18 
 
 Fourth day 33 28 
 
 175 
 
 75 
 
 MR. OSBALDESTON. 
 
 Killed. Missed. 
 
 First day 39 23 
 
 Secoud day 37 25 
 
 Third day 39 23 
 
 Fourth day 49 15 
 
 164 86 
 
 Since the establishment of (he Red House 
 Club, there never was known more betting 
 than on this match. The gun was backed at 
 larger odds than formerly at so short a dis- 
 tance. 
 
 Shooting for a Gold Cup. 
 The Enclosure at the Red House, Battersea, 
 on Tuesday, in June 1828, was completely 
 crowded to witness the fourth and last day's 
 shooting for the Gold Cup. Captain Ross 
 was hacked at six and seven to four against 
 the field, on the day's shooting. The Captain 
 killed his seventeen birds in succession, 
 missed his eigliteenth, and killed his nine- 
 teenth and twentietli. Mr. Osbaldeston was 
 the second on tiie day, having killed sixteen, 
 
 and Mr. Dore only fifteen. The following is 
 a detail of the total number of birds killed by 
 the first three members for the Cup : — 
 
 Killed. MLssed. 
 
 Captain Ross 75 5 
 
 Mr. Osbaldeston 02 18 
 
 Mr. Dore .60 20 
 
 Sweepstakes for 500 Sovereigns. 
 
 In May 1829, on Thursday, the Enclosure 
 was most respectably attended to witness this 
 match ; the shooters were the Hon. Col. 
 Anson, Captain Ross, Messrs. Osbaldeston 
 and Shoubridge. A.t the commencement of 
 the shooting the Hon. Col. Anson and Mr. 
 Osbaldeston were the favorites, at five to four. 
 Captain Ross made some of the most surpris- 
 ing double shots ever made on the ground ; 
 the distance was twenty yards with the five 
 traps, at twenty-five double shots each. The 
 betting was five to one, both birds being 
 killed against both being missed. At the 
 conclusion the numbers were : — INIr. Shou- 
 bridge, 27 ; Capt. Ross, 2G ; Hon. Col. Anson, 
 2.5 ; Mr. Osbaldeston, 24. The betting on the 
 next day's shooting was in favor of the Hon, 
 Col. Anson. The match was fired with shot. 
 Two matches were then shot by Captain Ross 
 and Mr. Osbaldeston, at thirty yards, with 
 the five traps, at twelve birds each. Captain 
 Ross was the winner of both matches, havinj; 
 killed ten out of twelve. The matches wtre 
 shot with Eley's improved cartridges, the 
 shooting of which was most excellent, and 
 gave to the gentlemen great satisfaction. 
 
 Double Shooting for 200 Sovereigns. 
 
 On Saturday, in June 1829, the ground at 
 the Red House, Battersea, was fully attended 
 to witness the match between Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton and Captain Bentinck, at fifty double 
 shots each, twenty yards distance, with the 
 five traps ; the Captain was the favorite at five 
 to four ; in the first twelve shots he was six 
 a-head ; at the thirty-fifth shot, Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton was even with him ; and at the last shot 
 but one the Captain was two a-head — he 
 missed both his birds, and Mr. Osbaldeston 
 killed both, which made the match a tie ; in 
 some instances, the Captain was backed abso- 
 lutely to win. On the same day Captain 
 Ross, Messrs. Osbaldeston and Shoubridge, 
 shot at five birds each, at thirty yards — five 
 pounds stake ; Mr. Shoubridge was the win- 
 ner, having killed all his birds. The latter 
 gentleman and Captain Ross then shot a match 
 on the same terms, at seven birds each, which 
 they tied ; they shot it off, and IMr. Shou- 
 bridge lost in consequence of his gun missing 
 fire. Mr. Gilmour and Mr. Shoubridge shot 
 two matches at twenty-five yards, for £5 each 
 match, Mr. Gilmour having the privilege of 
 using both his barrels against Mr. Shou- 
 bridge's one ; the matches were at twelve 
 birds each. Mr. Shoubridge was the winner 
 of both. 
 
378 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 Sweepstakes for 150 Sovereigns. 
 
 In June, on Friday the 20tl), 1828, Lord 
 Anson, Mr. Shoubridge, and a gentleman, shot 
 a sweepstakes for the above stake — iMr. Shou- 
 bridge jriving his O])! oneuts three dead birds — 
 the match was at (ifty birds each. The five 
 traps forty yards from the shooter. At the com- 
 mencement the gun was freely backed at two 
 to one, but, after the first twenty-five shots, 
 the betters of the odds declined going on. 
 At the beginning of the second innings Mr. 
 Shoubrldge was four a-head, and at the forty- 
 fourth round he was seven a-head, leaving 
 him only six shots more to fire. Mr. Shou- 
 brldge shot with a gun made by Purdy, of 
 Oxford-street. 
 
 Rifle Shooting. 
 On Wednesday, July 18, 1827, the Enclo- 
 sure at the back of the Red House, Battersea, 
 was numerously attended by persons of the 
 first class in society, to witness the rifle shoot- 
 ing match between Mr. Chinnery, Captain 
 Ross, Major Rhodes, and Captain Grant. 
 The above match was considered a very fine 
 one, and gave great pleasure to the crack 
 shots, the bull's-eye being frequently struck 
 by all four gentlemen. The match was ulti- 
 mately decided in favor of Major Rliodes. 
 Some very good minor matches closed the 
 day's sport ; and more betting took place 
 than usual. 
 
 Lord Kennedy and Mr. Arrowsmith. 
 
 A grand pigeon match for 600 guineas 
 aside, took place on Monday and Tuesday, 
 June 5th, 1826, between Lord Kennedy and 
 Mr. Arrowsmith, at the Enclosure near the 
 Red House, Battersea. Betting 5 to 4 on 
 Mr. Arrowsmith. In the first twentj-five 
 birds Mr. Arrowsmith killed 20, and Lord 
 Kennedy 18 ; in the second twenty-five, Mr. 
 Arrowsmith killed 20, and Lord Kennedy 
 19. On the second day in the first twenty- 
 five birds, each killed 19 ; Mr. Arrowsmith 
 keeping three a-iiead. In the second twenty- 
 five the interest upon the event was extremely 
 great. Lord Kennedy having brought the 
 match to a tie. At the twenty fifth shot, Mr. 
 Arrowsmith was one a-head : he missed the 
 the last bird, which produced the He. State 
 of the shooting ; — 
 
 LORD KENNEDY. MR. ARROWSMITH. 
 
 First day 37 First day , . . 4« 
 
 Second day 30 Second day 36 
 
 Mr. Arrowsmith killed as many birds out of 
 ninety-nine as his Lordship did out of a hun- 
 dred; and, therefore, if there is any best 
 about the thing, it certainly belongs to Mr. 
 Arrowsmith. Had Mr. Arrowsmith killed his 
 last bird within the bounds, he would have 
 been proclaimed the winner; butthepigton 
 falling sixty-two yards from the trap, and 
 only two yards out of distance, produced the 
 tie. 
 
 NouvuLLE Pigeon Sjiootino. 
 A singular match at pii^eons took placo on 
 Thursday, June 8th, at the Red House, Bat- 
 tersea, between iMessrs. Ross and Osbaldes- 
 ton, at fifty birds, for 100 sovereijjns. The 
 gun was placed on a table, and the shooter 
 was not allowed to touch it, until lie had pulled 
 the siring iiimself. Considering the dirticul- 
 ties arising from such restrictions, the shoot- 
 ing was excellent, particularly Mr. Osbaldes- 
 ton's during the last twenty-five shots, which 
 has never been equalled. We understand 
 that Mr. Osbaldeston has won every match 
 this season against Lord Kennedy and Cap- 
 tain Ross. The numbers killed are as follow : 
 
 MR. OSBALDESTON. CAPTAIN BOSS. 
 
 Out of first 25, killed. .16 Out of first 25, killed. . Iii 
 Second ditto 22 Second ditto 18 
 
 38 34 
 
 Red House Rifle and Pistol Chib. 
 
 On Wednesday, July 11, 1827, the sweep- 
 slakes were very closely con tended for between 
 Captain Dixon and Mr. Roach ; but was de-, 
 cided in favor of the former. Captain Ross 
 did not shoot so w ell by far as we have seen 
 him, and lost his temper, which we were 
 much surprised at in him, and his rifle suf- 
 fered for it, for he threw it down and broke 
 it all to pieces. After the Club had done 
 shooting, Captain Ross borrowed a rifle, and 
 had a long match with Mr. Roach, which 
 lasted upwards of two hours, and was a spe- 
 cimen of the finest shooting possible ; there 
 was only one shot difference in favor of Mr. 
 Roach. 
 
 Tie Pigeon Shooting Match. 
 There was a strong muster in the Enclosure 
 at the Red House, at Battersea, on Thursday, 
 July 12, 1827, and lots of betting took place. 
 The long-protracted match between Mr. Os- 
 baldeston and Captain Ross was the chief 
 attraction of the day. The distance was 
 thirty yards from the trap, at nineteen birds 
 each. Mr. Osbaldeston and Captain Ross 
 shot a tie at the first nineteen, and comnienced 
 again, when they shot another TIE. It 
 was altogether very fine shooting on both 
 sides — the betting was 5 to 4 on Mr. Osbal- 
 deston, and in some cases even. 
 
 Match for Two Thousand Sovereigns 
 between Lord Kennedy and Mr Osbal- 
 deston. 
 
 The Red House and Enclosure were crowd- 
 ed to excess on Wednesday, June 20, 1827, 
 to witness the last day's shooting (the fifth) 
 between Lord Kennedy and Mr. Osbaldeston 
 (said to be two of the best shots in the king- 
 dom). The shooting was at 100 birds each, 
 twenty-one yards from the trap. The ground 
 was covered with Swells of the highest grade, 
 and the day's shooting one of the best we ever 
 witnessed. The first bout at 50 birds was as 
 fallows : — Lord Kenuc^ly killed 44 ; Mt. Oa- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 37l> 
 
 Laldeston 42 ; the second bout, Lord Kennedy 
 killed 39; Mr. Osbaldeston 44; total, Lord 
 Kennedy, 83; and Mr. Osbaldeston 86. In 
 the seventeenth shot Lord Kennedy was five 
 a-liead ; but Mr. Osbaldeston won the match 
 finally in the five days shooting by 19 birds ! 
 
 A Capital Marksman. 
 
 On Monday, October 9, 1827, Mr. C, a 
 gentleman of Nottingham, undertook, for a 
 wager, to shoot and hit in the air twelve 
 penny pieces, two halfpence, and six small 
 stones, thrown up successively, which he ac- 
 complished as follows : — 
 
 Tst Shot, penny piece . hit with 7 corns. 
 
 2nd — 17 
 
 3rd — 13 
 
 4th — 35 
 
 5th — 17 
 
 Cth — 9 
 
 7th — 7 
 
 8th — 2 
 
 9th — 21 
 
 10th — 9 
 
 11th — 7 
 
 12th — 13 
 
 13th — Halfpenny .... 1 
 
 14th — 7 
 
 15th — Small stone ... 6 
 
 16th — 9 
 
 17th — 12 
 
 18th — 10 
 
 19th — 13 
 
 20th — 8 
 
 Averaging eleven corns, Total . . 223 
 
 Shooting Gallery, Havmarket. 
 
 A grand match was shot at Lang's Shooting 
 Gallery, in the Haymarket, on Thursday, 
 June 28, 1827, betwec-n Lord Kennedy and 
 Mr. lloss, for £50 ; the former to shoot with 
 his small rifle, at twenty-one yards, and Rlr. 
 Ross with his pistols, at twelve yards, at 
 twenty-one shots each— which was won by 
 Rlr. Ross by six shots. Another match also 
 took place between Lord Kennedy and Mr. 
 lloss, which was won by the latter gentleman, 
 by four shots ; it was altogether the finest 
 shooting ever witnessed ; out of eighteen shots 
 Lord Kennedy hit eight wafers, and Captain 
 Ross TEN. — The above gallery is a most 
 fashionable place of resort to the lovers of 
 shooting ; and it is but justice to state that 
 Mr. Lang has done every thing within his 
 power to render it not only attractive and com- 
 fortable to the gentleman sportsman, but the 
 visitei has also an opportunity of viewing the 
 ditferent guns made by those celebrated manu- 
 facturers, Manton, Purdey, Smith, Forsyth, 
 Moore, Egg, &c. — This, to a man of taste, 
 must prove a desirable object: indeed, IMr. 
 Lang has a variety of other subjects for in- 
 spection, which renders a vi.-;it to his Shooting 
 Gallery, at all times, a treat. 
 
 Great Slccess of Mr. Osbaldeston. 
 
 Since Mr. Osbaldeston's great matcli against 
 Lord Kennedy, and his bet with Captain Ross 
 that he killed eighty out of 100 with the net, 
 killing 89 and 92 within the Enclosure, lie has 
 shot several others, and won them all ! On 
 Saturday, July 7, 1827, he finished a match 
 against Captain Ross, at thirty yards from the 
 trap, with single guns, beating the Captain 
 four a-head in 70 shots. On the Thursday 
 following Captain Ross and Mr. Osbaldeston 
 were to have shot a match on the same terms. 
 Mr. Osbaldeston shot against Lord Kennedy, 
 but Mr. Ross paid forfeit ; after which they 
 shot 50 birds each, with single guns, from 
 five traps, when l\lr. Osbaldeston killed 43, 
 and Captain Ross 40. On Saturday se'nnight 
 Mr. Osbaldeston shot a match against Mr. 
 Shoubridge, giving him two dead birds out of 
 fifteen double shots, at twenty-one yards, 
 from five traps, when Mr. Osbaldeston killed 
 23 out of 26, winning the match with three 
 double shots to spare. This was one of the 
 best days of shooting ever witnessed. We 
 understand the guns belonging to Mr. Osbal- 
 deston are the finest specimens of workman- 
 ship in London, and were made by William 
 Moore, who lived a great many years with 
 Joseph Manton, and a distant relation of 
 Moore's, in St. James's Street. 
 
 Notwithstanding Pigeon Shooting afl^Drds 
 considerable amusement to the Sporting Gen- 
 try during their residence in the Metropolis, 
 and ' keeps the hand in,' as it were for better 
 things ; also proves a pleasing sort of practice 
 with the gun, and likewise gives an opportu- 
 nity of spending many pleasant hours with 
 old friends and acquaintances. Pigeon shoot- 
 ing, too, produces several trials of skill at the 
 Red House, &c., between the best shots in 
 the kingdom ; the occasion of several public 
 breakfasts, capital dinners, and some little 
 betting — which latter circumstance, to the 
 Sporting man, may be viewed as a kind of 
 food to feed upon, not only to give him 
 strength, but to increase his exertions — yet, 
 nevertheless, the real sportsman likes the 
 more substantial thing — that is to say, to 
 range the woods and forests — to beat the furze 
 and bush — and to be accompanied by his 
 steady pointers, something after the manner 
 of the old chant : — 
 
 COME, SPORTSMEN, TO THE FENS REPAIR. 
 
 Now Phoebus glads the hills no more,* 
 And icy winter spreads his store ; 
 Now ev'ry river, pool, and lake. 
 Faded bu.sh, and leafless brake. 
 Puts on the gear the clime bestows. 
 Without a tear to weep its woes. 
 
 * From the " Sporlsmini's Vocal Cabinet" con- 
 taining an extensive collection of scarce, curious, and 
 original Songs and Ballads, relative to Field .Sportu, 
 by (ie.irge Armiuer, Esq., and well worthy a plaijs ir 
 the Ijibrary uf every Sporting man. 
 
380 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Come, sportsmen, to the fens repair. 
 
 And find a consolation there ; 
 
 .Seek, out the secret sheltering spot, 
 
 By every wanton hreeze forgot — 
 
 There haunts the Snipe to pierce her bill, 
 
 To reach the sweets the springs distil. 
 
 Or. haste to Ely's osier way, 
 
 Where the wild duck loves to stray — 
 
 There lurks the Snipe, and there you'll find 
 
 A pastime to divert your mind ; 
 
 For there's beneath the treach'rous sward, 
 
 A moisture grateful to the bird. 
 
 When ev'ry spring the sod forsakes. 
 
 By Kussia's seas or Finland lakes— 
 
 Or to Old Romney's marsh repair, 
 
 You'll find the wint'ry travellers there : 
 
 Drove from their adamantine coast. 
 
 Here, seek their food the fledgichost. 
 
 Or by the banks of winding Lea, 
 
 Where oft the Snipe haspleasur'd me; 
 
 While City feasts (a dang'rous mess) 
 
 Have chokM the glutton with excess — 
 
 Then have I found round W^iltham marsh, 
 
 An antidote for civic trash. 
 
 Come then— equipp'd, a sportsman bold 
 
 Defies the rigour of the cold ; 
 
 Ihe fur-dress 'd cap, the friendly boot, 
 
 The buckskin glove, the light surtout — 
 
 But, above all, or nothing's gained. 
 
 Your spaniels must be fairly train'd. 
 
 1'hus take your way, and if your eje 
 Can mark the birds that downward fly, 
 Discharge your fire, and you shall find, 
 Sni] e shooting to your wishes kind. 
 At eve return, before the .sun 
 His short diurnal course has run. 
 
 'i'hen seek in town the friendly bowl, 
 Beneath sobriety's divine control: 
 And city frienils shall learn of you. 
 To kill the Snipe the season through. 
 When vernal sweets again arise. 
 And from our shores the woodcock flies — 
 
 To lands more grateful to his taste. 
 And the Snipe follows him in haste. 
 Then, sportsmen, for the chase prepare ; 
 Or hunt the stag, or course the hare — 
 By this you'll many a bliss disclose. 
 And wear in frost the summer's rose. 
 
 A Match between two Pigeons. 
 
 The above extraordinary match was decided 
 on Sunday, July 8, 1S27, between two pigeons, 
 tlie one a young lilack Beard Tumbler, be- 
 longing to Mr. I'riest, a celebrated fancier, 
 and the other a Blue Dragon, the property of 
 Mr. Gobby, of Clerkenwell. The betting w as 
 considerable, and principally in favor of the 
 lilue Dragon. At half-past one o'clock each 
 of the birds were released from their confine- 
 ment, and, the signal being given, the 
 chuckers threw them into the air. On their 
 arrival at a certain lieight, they flew perpen- 
 dicularly, in a circular way, till they were at 
 an immense elevation, and all at once Black 
 Beard made a dive directly to the point of 
 London, and continued his flight until he was 
 lost to the human sight. The Blue Dragon 
 took at first a contrary direction, but eventu- 
 ally was seen bending his course, and seem- 
 ingly bewildered, towards his home, and at 
 length was lost sight of. The belting was 
 now altogether in favor of Black Beard, at 
 Mickieham. From two to three o'clock in 
 tlitj afternoon the tops of the houses of the 
 
 London fanciers were covered with anxious 
 partisans, all eyes being fixed in the direction 
 of Surrey, to catch a sight of the birds. At 
 about half-past tw o o'clock a distant bird was 
 seen bending its way in the direction of St. 
 Giles's, which excited considerable expectant 
 interest among the parties, each conceiving it 
 to be his own— it looked like Black Beard. 
 It gradually approached until it arrived at 
 St. Ann's Church, where it took a few turns 
 and pitched, no doubt for a rest, or to come 
 to the point cool and steady, and to convince 
 his master that with all Dragon's experience 
 he could beat him like chaff. Shortly he 
 again took flight, and in a few moments he 
 hovered over the house of Mr. Priest, who 
 recognized his own bird, who at length pitched 
 into the house, and strutted with much conse- 
 quence until his master supplied him wilh 
 refreshment, of which he partook heartily, 
 and appeared to be ready for another match, 
 'i'he bird flew the 20 miles in one hour and 
 ten minutes, which was a great task for so 
 young a bird. 
 ADVICE RESPECTING SHOOTINO WELL. 
 By an Old fjjiurturnin. 
 
 Come then, ye hardy youths, who wish to pave 
 By gen'rous labour, powers tliat nature ga\e; 
 Glad on the upland brow, or echoing vale, 
 To drink new vigour from the morning gale. 
 Come, and the muse shall show you how to foil 
 By sports of skill the tedious hours to toil. 
 The healthful lessons of the field impart. 
 And careful teach the rudiments of art. 
 
 Every sportsman (observes the Old One) 
 in my time, nearly forty years ago, hatl 
 his own manner of bringing his gun up 
 to his shoulder, and of taking aim ; and each 
 followed his own fancy with respect to the 
 stock of his fuwling - piece, and its shape. 
 Some like it short, others long ; one prefers it 
 straight, another bent. 
 
 Though there are some sportsmen who shoot 
 equally \\ell with pieces stocked in difTerent 
 Ways and shapes, yet certain principles may 
 be laid down, as well with regard to the 
 proper length, as the proper bend that the 
 stock of a gun should have. But, in the 
 application, those principles are very fre- 
 quently counteracted by the whim, or the par- 
 ticular convenience of the shooter. 
 
 But, generally speaking, it is certain that 
 for a tall, long-armed man, the stock ol agun 
 should be longer than for one of a less stature, 
 and a shorter arm ; that a straight stock is 
 proper for him who has high shoulders, and 
 a short neck ; for if it be much bent, it would 
 be very difficult fur him, especially in the 
 quick motion required in the shouting at a fly- 
 ing or running object, to place the butt of the 
 gun-stock firmly to the shoulder; the uj per 
 part alone would in general be fixed, which 
 would not only raise the muzzle, and cimse- 
 quentiy shoot high, but make the recoil be 
 much more sensibly fell, than if the whole 
 end of the stock were firmly placed on his 
 shoulder. Besides, supposing the sho.drr t>i 
 bring the butt home to his thoulder, he would 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 U81 
 
 hardly be able to level his piece at tiie object. 
 On the contrary, a man with low shoulders, 
 and a long neck, requires a stock much bent ; 
 for if it is straight he will, in the act of low- 
 ering his head to that place of tiie stock at 
 which his cheek should rest in taking aim, 
 feel a constraint which he never experiences 
 when, by the effect of the proper degree of 
 bend, the stock lends him some assistance, 
 and, as it were, meets his aim lialf way. 
 
 Independent of these principles, we beg 
 leave to inform the sportsman that, generally 
 speaking, a long stock is preferable to a short 
 one, and, at the same time, rather more bent 
 than usual ; for a long stock fits firmer to the 
 shoulder than a short one, and particularly so 
 when the shooter is accustomed to place his 
 left hand, which principally supports the 
 piece, near the entrance of the ramrod into 
 the stock. The practice of placing that hand 
 near the bridge of the guard, is certainly a 
 bad one; the aim is never so sure, nor has 
 the shooter such a ready command over his 
 piece as when he places his hand near the 
 entrance of the ramrod, and at the same time 
 strongly grasps the barrel ; instead of rest- 
 ing it between Ins fore finger and thumb in con- 
 formity with the general custom. It may 
 therefore be depended upon that a stock, bent 
 a little more than ordinary, is better for 
 shooting true than one too straight; because 
 tlie latter, iu coming up to the aim, is subject 
 to the inconvenience of causing the sports- 
 man to shoot too high. 
 
 We would also advise the shooter to have 
 his fowling-piece a little elevated at the 
 muzzle, and the sight small and flat ; for the 
 experienced well know that it is more usual 
 to shoot low than high. It is therefore of 
 service that a piece should shoot a little too 
 high, and then the more flat the sight, the 
 better tiie line of aim will coincide witli the 
 line of fire, and consequently the gun will be 
 less liable to shoot low. 
 
 The metiiod by which to avoid missing a 
 cross shot, whether it be flying or running, is 
 not only to take aim before tiie object, but 
 likewise not involuntarily to stop the motion 
 of the arms at the moment of pulling the 
 trigger ; for the instant the hand stops in 
 order to fire, though tlie space of time is 
 almost imperceptible, the object, if a bird, 
 gets beyond the line of aim, and the shot will 
 fly behind it ; and if a hare or rabbit is shot 
 at in this manner whilst running, and espe- 
 cially if at a distance, the animal will only be 
 slightly struck in the buttocks, and will be 
 taken but by hazard. 
 
 When a bird, however, is flying in a straight 
 line from the shooter, this fault can do no 
 harm ; the object can hardly escape, if the 
 piece be but tolerably well directed, unless, 
 indeed, it is fired at the moment the game 
 springs, and before the birds have taken a 
 horizontal flight. In that case, if the hand 
 should stop ever so little, at the instant of 
 firing, the sportsman will slioot luw, and 
 inevitably miss the mark. It therefore be- 
 
 comes extremely essential to accustom the 
 hand, in taking aim, to follow the object, 
 without suspending the motion in the least 
 degree, which is a capital point towards 
 acquiring the art of shooting well ; tiie con- 
 trary habit, which it is very difficult to correct 
 when once contracted, prevents that person 
 from attaining perfection in the art, who, in 
 other respects, may eminently possess quick- 
 ness of sight, and steadiness of aim. 
 
 It is essential in a cross shot, to aim before 
 the object, in proportion to its distance at tlie 
 time of firing. Should a partridge, for in- 
 stance, fly across at the distance of thirty or 
 thirty-five paces, it will be sufficient to take 
 aim at the head, or, at most, but a small space 
 before. The same rule will nearly hold in 
 the cases of shooting quail, woodcock, phea- 
 sant, or wild duck, though they move their 
 wings slower than the partridge ; but when 
 the object is fifty, sixty, or seventy paces dis- 
 tant, it is necessary to aim at least half a foot 
 before the head. The same practice should 
 be observed in shooting at a iiare or rabbit, 
 when running in a cross direction, making 
 due allowance for the distance, and for the 
 swiftness of the pace. 
 
 In shooting at a very distant object, aim 
 should be taken a little above it, because shot, 
 as well as ball, have but a certain range in 
 point blank, beyond which each begins to 
 describe the curve of the parabola. 
 
 If a hare runs in a straight line from the 
 shooter, he should take his aim between the 
 ears, or he will run the hazard of missing, or 
 at least of not completely killing, or killing 
 clean in the language of the field. A true 
 sportsman, ambitious of shooting well, is not 
 satisfied with breaking the wing of a partridge, 
 or the thigh of a hare, when he shoots at a 
 fair distance ; for in such case the hare, or 
 partridge, ought to be shot in such a manner 
 that it should remain in the place where it 
 falls, and not require the assistance of the 
 dogs to take it ; but if he shoots at a great 
 distance, it is no reproach that the partridge 
 is only winged, or the hare wounded, so that 
 it cannot escape. 
 
 Practice soon teaches the sportsman the 
 proper distance at which he should shoot, 
 the distance at which he ought infallibly 
 to kill any kind of game, witii patent shot. 
 No. 3, provided the aim be well taken, is 
 from twenty-five to thirty-five paces for the 
 footed, and from forty to forty-five paces for 
 the winged game. Beyond this distance, even 
 to fifty or fifty-five paces, both partridge and 
 hares are sometimes killed ; but in general 
 the hares are only slightly wounded, and carry 
 away the shot, and the partridge, at that dis- 
 tance, present so small a surface, that they 
 frequently escape untouched between the 
 vacant spaces of the circle. Yet it does not 
 follow that a partridge may not be killed with 
 No. S patent shot, at sixty, and even at seventy 
 paces distance, but these shots are extremely 
 rare. 
 
 Those who know the range of a fowlinsf- 
 
382 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OP SPORTS. 
 
 piece, and tlie closeness of its shot, give little 
 credit to the romances of those sportsmen 
 who, by their own accounts, daily kill, with 
 the shot No. 3, at the distance of ninety, and 
 one hundred paces. Some, indeed, go so far 
 far as to assert that they have killed, with 
 this sized shot, hares at one hundred and ten 
 paces, and pheasants at one hundred and 
 twenty. It is possible, however, that with 
 shot No. 5, a man may have killed a hare or 
 a partridge at one hundred and ten, or one 
 hundred and twenty paces ; but these shots 
 are so extraordinary, and occur so seldom, 
 that the whole life of a sportsman will hardly 
 afford more than two or three instances ; and, 
 when it does so happen, it will be found to be 
 by a single pellet, which, by great chance, 
 has hit either the wing or the head of the 
 partridge, or has struck tiie head of the hare, 
 by which he is stunned, or perhaps has pene- 
 trated the sraall part of the shoulder, where, 
 to prevent the wound being mortal, there is 
 only a very thin skin, which being stretched 
 by the animal in running, is more liable to be 
 pierced with the shot. 
 
 In order to acquire the art of shooting fly- 
 ing, many young sportsmen are advised to 
 shoot at swallows ; but the flight of swallows 
 are so irregular and swift, and so unlike the 
 motion of those birds which are the objects 
 of sport, that we cannot approve of such a 
 method. No mode is so advantageous as the 
 actual practice of shooting the game, whereby 
 that trepidation and alarm, which most men 
 feel upon the rising of the covey, will be 
 sooner conquered ; for, while these are pos- 
 sessed, even in the most trifling degree, no 
 one can attain to be a steady and good shot. 
 
 This opinion is so well confirmed and en- 
 forced by the Laureat's beautiful poem, en- 
 titled Shooting, that we are tempted to 
 gratify our readers with the following quota- 
 tion from it : — 
 
 But vainly shall perceptive rules impart 
 
 A perfect knowledge of this manly ait : 
 
 Practice alone tan certain skill produce, 
 
 And theory confirra'd by constant use. 
 
 'J'he hardy youth, wlio pants with eager tlanie 
 
 To send his leaden liolts with certain aim, 
 
 Jlust ne'er with disappointed hopes recoil 
 
 From cold and heat, from hunger and from toil ; 
 
 Must climb the hill, must tread the marshy glade. 
 
 Or force his passage through tli' opposing shade ; 
 
 Must range untam'd by Sol's meridian pow'r. 
 
 And brave the force of winter's keenest hour, 
 
 'Till industry and time their work have wrought, 
 
 And honor crown the skill that labor taught. 
 
 Yet some, tliese harsher rudiments to spare, 
 
 And equal art with easier toil to .share. 
 
 Or watch with careful aim andstiaily sight, 
 
 'J'he swallow wheeling in her summer flight ; 
 
 Or on some lofty clitf, whose chalky steep 
 
 Hangs with rude biow impending o'er the deep ; 
 
 Where gulls and screaming sea-me«s haunt the rock, 
 
 Pour fire incessant on the mingled flock. 
 
 But vain their hopes, presented to the eye, 
 
 In such diversive lines the objects fly. 
 
 That the 'maz'd sight unnuraber'd marks pursues. 
 
 Uncertain where to aim, and which to choose, 
 
 Decision quick and calm, the shooter's boast, 
 
 By frequent change, is,check'd, confus'd and lost; 
 
 And, guarded by irresolute.delay, 
 
 Uutouch'd shall future coveys fleet away. 
 
 More hurtful still to try with distant blow, 
 To bring tlip percher frcni th' oeriel bough. 
 How shall his thoughts, the level that prepare 
 With all the caution of mechanic care, 
 Kxact and steady as the sage's eye. 
 Through Galileo's tube surveys the sky, 
 With ready view the transient object seize. 
 Swift as the motion of the rapid breeze. 
 Pursue th' uncertain mark with swift address, 
 And catch the fleeting moment of success! 
 
 If there are persons who still think the 
 practice of shooting swallows to be of assist- 
 ance in acquiring the art, we will venture to 
 recommend another mode, which, though 
 somewhat similar, is in our opinion much 
 better. This is, by putting small pieces of 
 white paper round the necks of sparrows, or 
 other small birds, by the means of a hole cut 
 in the middle of the paper; then, throwing a 
 single bird into the air, the shooter may 
 deliberately take his aim ; for, by this devise, 
 the flight of the bird is rendered less rapid, 
 and more regular : and at the same time pre- 
 sents a much better mark for practice. It 
 also affords excellent diversion in seasons 
 when game cannot be pursued, or in wet 
 weather, from underneath the shelter of a 
 shed, or a barn door. Some of the first shots 
 in England have been perfected by this mode. 
 
 A fowling-piece should not be fired more 
 than twenty or twenty-five times without 
 being washed ; a barrel, when foul, neither 
 shoots so ready, nor carries the shot so far as 
 when clean. The flint, pan, and hammer 
 should be well wiped after each shot ; this 
 contributes greatly to make the piece go off 
 quick, but it should be done with expedition. 
 Tho flint should be often changed, without 
 waiting till it misses fire before a new one is 
 put in. 
 
 A gun should never be fired with the prime 
 of the preceding day ; it may happen, indeed, 
 indeed, that an old priming will sometimes go 
 off well, but it will more frequently contract 
 moisture, and fuze in the firing ; the object 
 will therefore most probably be missed be- 
 cause the piece was not fresh primed. — More 
 
 ANON. 
 
 Snipe Shooting. 
 
 Snipes visit this country in autumn, and 
 remain here till the spring. It is generally 
 supposed that they return into Germany and 
 Switzerland to breed ; a great number of them, 
 however, continue with us during the summer, 
 and breed in the marshes where they lay their 
 eggs in June, to the number of about four or 
 five. These birds are hardly worth shooting 
 till the hrst frost sets in ; but in the month of 
 November they begin to grow very fat. Wlien 
 these little birds are plentiful they afford ex- 
 ceeding good sport. Snipes, as well as wood- 
 cocks, always fly against the wind ; it is 
 therefore best to hunt for them, as much as 
 possible, with the wind to the back, because 
 they then fly towards the sportsman, and pre- 
 sent a fairer mark. 
 
 It is a common observation that it is difli- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 $83 
 
 cult to shoot a snipe, on account of the many 
 turnings and twistings which it makes on 
 being sprung^, but this difficulty exists only in 
 the minds of inexjierienccd sportsmen, for 
 there are many birds more difficult to shoot 
 flyinp. If the shooter can accustom himself 
 to let the snipe fly away, without his being 
 alarmed, he will find that the flight is not 
 more difficult to follow than that of the quail : 
 and it is better to let him fly to some distance, 
 because the smallest g'^ain of shot will kill 
 him, and he will fall to the ground if struck 
 ever so slightly. 
 
 Among tiie common snipes the largest are 
 supposed to be the males. There are some 
 snipes, indeed, which are of a most extraor- 
 dinary size, but they are doubtless of a differ- 
 ent species ; they are also so extremely rare 
 tliat tiiey do not here require a particular 
 description. 
 
 Snipes are often to be found in great plenty 
 in those places where the water lies open in 
 hard frosty, or snowy weather. They delight 
 in haunting such places, and where springs 
 run with a gentle stream, because, on account 
 of their bills, they cannot feed in places that 
 are hard and stony. They resort very mutii 
 about these plashes in snowy weather. 
 
 Shooting Water Fowl in Sicily. 
 
 We mounted our horses very early (observes 
 Mr. Swinburne, in his Travels in the Two 
 Sicilies), and, leaving Augusta, I'ode directly 
 north, over the high promontory of Santa 
 Croce : the land very even, but cultivated 
 with spirit. As soon as we reached the north 
 side of the hill, and faced lElDa, I perceived 
 that all the stones were lumps of black lava. 
 We descended to the shore of the bay of 
 Catania, at its south-west angle, not far from 
 La Brucca, a small caricatore, and baited at 
 a public house, called Agnuni ; near it are 
 the foundations, and walls to the height of tea 
 feet, of a very large Gothic church, begun by 
 King Frederic the Second, but left in an im- 
 perfect state, either on account of his death, 
 or the insalubrity of the situation. Near this 
 spot antiquaries place the emporium of Leon- 
 tini, where the superabundance of their pro- 
 duce was shipped for foreign parts. 
 
 In the neighbouring fields grow a great 
 deal of rue and lupines. The waste was 
 already [the 20th of January] dressed in the 
 sweet garb of spring : the myrtle, woodbine, 
 and wild-rose, were powdered with flowers ; 
 among them an Iris, of a bright brimstone 
 color, dashed with purple, was very remark- 
 able. 
 
 From hence we travelled many miles close 
 by the sands of the sea, and forded tlie river 
 of Leontini, at the place where it dischargeth 
 itself into the bay. The weather had been so 
 long dry that there was no depth of water to 
 create either difficulty or danger. 
 
 A spacious plain extends towards the inland 
 country, and also along the shore, full of 
 ponds and marshes, which abound with wild 
 
 fowl of numberless sorts. We shot several 
 birds out of the flocks of snipes, teal, cootes, 
 ducks, &c., that rose on all sides as we rode 
 along : I never saw a finer field for a keen 
 sportsman, than these foggie, the Sicilian 
 name for marshy grounds near the sea. They 
 are frequented by many fowlers ; the report 
 of guns were almost incessant ; and wherever 
 I turned my eyes columns of smoke were as- 
 cending from the fens. My campiere, who 
 had often made one in these shooting parties, 
 informed me that it was usual to wade, up to 
 the middle, in the swamps, which, in winter, 
 are full of water ; and, on account of the 
 banks, impracticable for boats. The fowler 
 drags after him a couple of laquered baskets 
 for his ammunition and his game; while his 
 dog swims before him, or runs along tiie 
 ridges of dry ground, to spring the birds, or 
 fetch them when shot. The fishing-net is not 
 less amusing or profitable than the gun ; but 
 as soon as the sun enters the Lion this country 
 becomes the house of death ; fevers of the 
 most malignant kind seize upon the imprudent 
 or unfortunate wretch who passes a night 
 near them, and few escape with life when 
 attacked with so virulent a disorder. 
 
 We emerged from the fens to a noble plain, 
 covered with promising crops of corn, but 
 without a single enclosure, or even tree. No 
 country seems better calculated for pigeons ; 
 and, indeed, none has such incredible flights 
 of them ; frohi their abundance Ihey are con- 
 sidered as nuisances, and, therefore, deemed 
 public property. My soldier shot at them 
 whenever they flew within reach ; nay, he 
 even stopped his horse opposite a cottage, 
 and fired at a cluster of them basking on the 
 thatch ; the muleteer went lo the palace, and 
 picked up the slain, while the cottagers stood 
 at the door as unconcerned as if we had shot 
 a parcel of sparrows on a hedge. My servants 
 feasted several days on this game, but enjoyed 
 much more the eating of a magpie which I 
 bad shot for them. 
 
 Field Sports for July. 
 We have no hesitation in observing that a 
 thorough Sportsman, one game to the 
 back bone, must be the happiest fellow in the 
 world ; for in his vocation there is always 
 something to amuse on the tapis — something 
 to occupy attention — turning up or coming off. 
 If the gun must in February no longer i)e 
 levelled at game, the saddle may still be 
 pressed, and the hare " seehod." If March 
 gives its " mad" madam, and then puts the 
 " long dogs" out o( training, the fox may yet 
 be still halloo'd from covert, and the echo- 
 ing horn continue to give the signal of—" To 
 horse, my brave boys, and away." But then 
 cometli May, when 
 
 " No one wears a scarlet suit. 
 
 And no one wings a bird." 
 when the " kennel creatures" are permitind 
 to increase and multiply, and Reynard to form 
 her cradle. ^Vhat then? Why, let Izaac 
 
384 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPOUTS. 
 
 Walton answer, for dolh lie not say — '' Under 
 this sycamore tree, with the sound of the 
 clear river in our ears, with the odour of May 
 flowers freshly around us after this gentle 
 shower, and in the sight of these meadows, 
 gold and silver, the overflowing of nature for 
 the delectation of all quiet and contemplative 
 anglers, we do well to sigh that our life is so 
 much in walls, and so little here." Anon 
 June, lusty June, bursts upon us in its sun- 
 shiny glory, in its verdant apparel, and with 
 its coronal of flowers — its offering of fruits. 
 He walketh the teeming earth like a magician, 
 and plenty marketh the print of his footstep ; 
 he waveth his wand, and culture exhibits its 
 bounties, and nature her liberality. He is a 
 good friend to sportsmen, too, for he calleth 
 them to pastimes which a British King is 
 proud to participate in, and which princes, 
 equally with the people, approve and pa- 
 tronize. Not only on the green sward, but 
 also on the green wave, does he command 
 sports that invigorate, and relaxations that 
 amuse. The Race-course, the Cricket-ground, 
 the Archer's Circle, tlie Wrestler's Arena, the 
 Pigeon-shooter's Enclosure, the Boatman's 
 Course, and the Yaclit Crew's World, alike 
 produce evidences of his favor, and bear tes- 
 timonies to his sway. But now cometh July, 
 and with an equally beneficent cornucopia of 
 gifts, the more valuable of which are these : — 
 
 Beneath the sun, or, it may be, the showers 
 of the coming month, then the all-influential 
 sports of the turf will, with untiring vigour, 
 be continued (our columns will, as usual, ac- 
 curately record the results of the principal 
 meetings) ; aquatic amusements, or rather, 
 manly and tarlike struggles for fame, parti- 
 cularly among the members and craft of that 
 useful and patriotic institution, the Royal 
 Yacht Club : its rendezvous, Cowes Harbour, 
 Isle of Wight, will equally claim attention 
 and approbation. Add to these, Cricket, — 
 well might it be termed a " voble game," — 
 and all those manly amusements, both in the 
 environs of the INIetropolis, and in the country, 
 which strengthen the sinews, summon up the 
 generous blood, and characterise the English- 
 man above the inhabitants of every other 
 nation of the. world. 
 
 July, too, is the month when the Sports- 
 man's eye, and the Sportsman's vigilance, 
 should be peculiarly directed to the protec- 
 tion of the young birds, and other creatures 
 constituting game, or the objects of his after 
 pursuit, in which latter the fox may be more 
 particularly mentioned, inasmuch as the fu- 
 ture supply for the noblest of all field sports, 
 fox-hunting, will mainly depend upon the 
 caution observed in protecting from insidious 
 opponents (6af<er-fanciers), and plunderers 
 by profession, those who steal foxes, and 
 bring them to receiving-houses in town, for 
 the shameful purpose of selling them to cer- 
 tain Hunts not well supplied with brushes of 
 their own. 
 
 Angi.inc;. — Though the trout has now be- 
 come an exceeding daintv fp^fi-r aud the 
 
 salmon will not as eagerly as before come at 
 the lure dropped on the waters of Scotland, 
 or the streams of Wales (for they afford fishing 
 to content an epicure), angling may still be 
 actively pursued, and to skilful suitors will 
 yield pleasure, profit, health, and satisfaction. 
 The grayling now may be added to the list of 
 fish which are in season, and they will rise 
 now eagerly at a gaudy fly ; yet, being a 
 leather-mouthed fish, skill, when struck, will 
 be requisite to ensure the captive into your 
 landing-net. Trout are excellent now, and, 
 we should suppose, plentiful, for we have 
 seldom noticed more abundant supplies than 
 have beautified the sloping show-tables of 
 our leading fishmonger's shops this summer. 
 Dace, perch, bream, roach, and all the finny 
 tribe that '' Patient Runters on the peopled 
 Thames" think it a triumph to capture, are 
 now fair game ; but give us our native, far off 
 " Beauteous streams, that busy, long, 
 Filleth the flowery vales with song ;" 
 
 and then let those who will, enjoy the dull 
 monotony of watching the bobbing of a cork, 
 as the strokes of the waterman ripple the 
 wave; and of crying, "Here's one, here's 
 one ; I've got him, I've got him," and up 
 cometh a three ounce weight roach, or a 
 foolish minnow. Let us rather sing, after 
 the manner of our great master — 
 
 " The waters, the waters! how clearly they flow. 
 And how softly and balmy the summer winds blow. 
 There are joys in the chase when the red fox doth flee — 
 There are joys on the turf when the fleet ooursers be — 
 But the waters, the waters I and their melody ! 
 The waters, the waters ! o'ershadowed with leaves, 
 And cool'd by the evening, and faun'd by the breeze! 
 Be our sunset companions a down yonder lea, 
 When the scenes of our childhood delighted we sec ; 
 And sing, O, the waters, the waters for we !" 
 
 A TOUCH OF THE FaNCY IN ChINA : 
 
 But Country or Co lot r, to us are the same. 
 Only anxious are we in preserving the game ! 
 
 The following extract from a Journal of a 
 voyage from Macao, &c., published by Mr. 
 R. Phillips, shows that the science and 
 honorable mode of conducting pugilism, are 
 not unknown in China : — " Several of our 
 people, being intoxicated, began to fight with 
 one another in the square, which soon caused 
 the place to be filled with natives as specta- 
 tors. In our endeavours to get them without 
 
 the gates, one of the natives struck Mr. B , 
 
 and then gave him a fair challenge to box ; 
 but, from his temerity, he soon got so sound a 
 drubbing as to convince him how inferior a 
 Hainanese is tj a European in the noble art 
 of self-defence. Although this man was 
 thought a professor in that branch of the fine 
 arts, yet I fancy this was the first, and will 
 probably be the last, time he will venture 
 upon a similar experiment. The poor fellow, 
 however, fought toughly for about twenty 
 minutes before he asked for quarters, and the 
 surrounding multitude never once interfered 
 in tlie contest, although they evinced great 
 interest as to the result." 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 385 
 
 COURSING 
 
 Poor PUSS ! ami thy life is indeed but a day ! 
 
 When the eye-searehing Greyhound encount-irs your way; 
 
 Thy tears show the dread of the danger hehind, 
 
 And tell, but too plainly, your dew^A — doom is signed ! 
 
 This amusement is of great antiquity (ob- 
 serves Mr. Daniel, in his Rural Sports), and 
 is treated on by Arrian, who flourished A. D. 
 150. It was first used by the Gacls, tlie most 
 luxurious and onulent of whom used to send 
 out good hare-finders early in the morning, to 
 those places where it was likely to find haios 
 sitting ; they returned to their employers w ith 
 an account of the number of hares found, \i ho 
 then mounted their horses and took out their 
 greyhounds to course them. Not more than 
 two greyhounds were to be ran at once, and 
 those were not to be laid in too close to the 
 hare; for although the animal is swift, yet, 
 when first started, she is so terrified by the 
 liallowing, and by the closeness and speed of 
 
 the dogs, that her heart is overcome with feat, 
 and in the confusion, very often the best 
 sporting hares were killed without showing 
 any diversion ; she was, therefore, allowed to 
 run some distance from, her seat, before the 
 dogs were set after her. The best hares were 
 those found in open and exposed places ; they 
 did not immediately try to avoid the danger 
 by running to woods, but, whilst contending 
 in swiftness with the greyhound, moderated 
 their own speed according as they were 
 jjressed ; if over-matched in speed by the 
 dogs, they then tried to gain ground by fre- 
 quent turns, which threw the dogs beyond 
 them, making at the same time their shorlest 
 way to the covers, or nearest shelter. Tb«s 
 
 2 C 
 
38C 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 true Sportsman, even in Arrian's time, did 
 not take out his dogs to destroy the hares, 
 but for the sake of seeing the contest between 
 them, and was glad if the hare escaped, 
 which was never prevented, by disturbing any 
 brake in which she might have concealed 
 herself, after beating the greyhounds. They 
 were aiso frequently taken alive from the 
 dogs by the horsemen who closely followed 
 them, and, after the greyhounds were taken 
 up, were turned for future sport. They used 
 to speak to their greyhounds whilst in the 
 field, considering it a kind of encouragement 
 to them to know that their master was a wit- 
 ness of the excellence of their running ; but 
 this speaking was recommended to be chiefly 
 confined to the first course, lest, after being 
 weakened by a second or third, they might 
 by such encouragement, exert themselves be- 
 yond their strength, and hurt their insides, 
 which was thought to be the destruction of 
 many good dogs. 
 
 Those who had not the coBTeniency of 
 hare-finders, went out commonly in a company 
 on horseback, when they beat the likely 
 ground, and, on starting a hare, the grey- 
 hounds were let loose after her : those who 
 were more keen after the sport used to go on 
 foot, and if any one accompanied them on 
 horse-back, it was his business to follow the 
 dogs during the course. It is singular, that 
 after the lapse of so many centuries, the mode 
 of beating for a hare in Coursing should be 
 noto exactly what it then was. The compaiiy 
 were drawn up in a straight rank, either 
 horse or footmen, and pioceeded at certain 
 distances from each other, in a direct line to 
 a given point, and wheeling round, that they 
 might not go over precisely the same track, 
 they beat the ground regularly back. This 
 practice is still continued. A person was ap- 
 pointed to take the command of the sport, if 
 there were many dogs out ; he gave orders 
 that such and such dogs should be slipped, 
 according as the hare took to the right or left, 
 and these orders were punctually obeyed. 
 
 The Isle of Dogs, now converted to the first 
 commercial purposes, derived its name from 
 being the depot of the spaniels and grey- 
 hounds of Edward III., and this spot was 
 chosen, as lying contiguous to his sports of 
 Woodcock shooting, and Coursing the Red 
 Deer, in Waltham and the other Royal Forests 
 in Essex, for the more convenient enjoyment 
 of which, he generally resided in the Sporting 
 beason, at Greenwich. 
 
 In the days of Elizabeth, when she was 
 was not herself disposed to hunt, she was so 
 stationed as to see the Coursing of Deer with 
 greyhounds. At Cowdrey, in Sussex, the 
 seat of Lord Montacute, A. D. 1591, one day 
 after dinner, the Queen saw from a turret, 
 " sixteen bucks all having fayre lowe, pulled 
 down v-jith greyhounds in a launch or lawn." 
 
 In ancient times three several animals were 
 Coursed with greyhounds, the Deer, the Fox, 
 and the Hare, The two former are not prac- 
 
 tised at present, but the Coursing of deer for- 
 merly was a recreation in high esteem, and 
 was divided into two sorts, the Paddock and 
 the Forest or Purlieu. 
 
 THE SWEET PLEASURES THAT COURSING 
 DOES YIELD. 
 
 Ye mortals whose boast is the sports of the field, 
 And know the sweet pleasures that coursing does yield, 
 'Tis yours to illustrate the greyhound's swift run, 
 W hat cups he has gained, and what sweepstakes he's 
 won. 
 
 O'er Ashdown and Malton, how wind-like he flew ! 
 And the loud shout of " bravo !" from all around drew ; 
 With what triumph he bore off the trophies of bliss, 
 " On that day won the goblet, the couples on thia 1" 
 
 Pour puss ! and thy life is indeed but a day. 
 
 When the eye-searching greyhound encounters your 
 
 way ; 
 Thy tears show the dread of the danger behind. 
 And tell but too plainly your death-doom is sign'd ! 
 
 In vain is thy courage, thy daring and speed, 
 The fleet-looted greyhound condemns thee to bleed I 
 His mouth opens on you — his strength runs you down — 
 Thy death is his triumph — your life his renown ! 
 
 Not RiVEBS,* whose dogs with the best of dogs vies. 
 
 And oft bore away both the matches and ties ! 
 
 Not Rivers could save thee, when once his hounds 
 
 run — 
 Yoiu" field-sport was over — thy breath of life done ! 
 
 • The Right Honorable George Pitt, Baron Rivers 
 of Stratfieldsay, in Hampshire, who added fresh lustre 
 to the name he bore, and to the family from whom he 
 had the honor of being descended, died July iotli, 
 1S28, at his house in (Jrosvenor-place, near Hyde Paric 
 Comer. His lorosliip was born Scptcnibia- l<ith, 1751, 
 and succeeded his fatiiOi, Gi-oige, the late lord, iu 
 1803. No man, probably, ever bred more largely, 
 brought more capital greyliouuds into the field, or was 
 more successful in his various contests at Swaffham, 
 Kewmarket, &c. The names of all his lordship's 
 greyhounds began with R., and before he came to the 
 title with P. (the initial of Pitt, the family name). 
 
 Hare Park, contiguous to Newmarket, belonged to 
 Lord Rivers, which he sold to Mr. John Gully, and to 
 whom his lordship g«ve the (jrefereuce amiilst several 
 competitors who were anxious to purchase the above 
 Park. Mr. Gully took up bis residence at Hare Park 
 for two or three years, w hen circumstances called him 
 to another part of the country, when he sold it to Sir 
 Mark Wood, Bart. His lordship's mind not only soared 
 above vulgar prejudices, but he was a very kind, 
 liberal-hearted nobleman ; also a great patron of the 
 arts ; also a thorough-bred sportsman ; and he was not 
 ashamed to own that he had a ])e?ic/iant towards the 
 pursuits of the Fancy, in a national point of view. 
 
 The following card of admission to his lordship's 
 Gallery of Pictures we have had in our possession for 
 several years past — and as a proof of our assertion we 
 now insert a copy of it : — 
 
 " Mr. Garrard, A. R. A., having prepared the 
 Model of a BRITISH BOXER, Lord Rivers has 
 kindly permitted it to be put up for inspection in his 
 Gallery. 
 
 " The Figure is somewhat larger than life, and ex- 
 hibits the Boxer in the spirited, scientific, and com- 
 bined action, both of guard and attack. 
 
 " Any Nobleman and Gentleman will be permitted 
 to see the Model, at No. 10, Grosvtnor I'liicv, upon 
 producing a Card of Admission from Mr. Gauraud, 
 who presumes to hope that by subscription he may be 
 enabled to cast this work in Bronze, to be presented 
 by the Subscribers to the British Museum. 
 " By order of the Committee, 
 
 " G. Garrard." 
 
 Ticket of .Admission. 
 P. Eg AN, Esq. 
 
 From 2 till 5. 
 Not Transferable. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 30? 
 
 Rrave IJex .' and the sovereign indeed of greyhounds^ 
 Hare Park and elsewhere with tliy slory resounds ; 
 Like Siioirhall, triumphant thy deeds will long shine, 
 And your right noble master say proudly, " he's mine!" 
 
 Fill the howl, fill it flowing, since life glides apace, 
 
 And health be the toast to the dog-coursing race ! 
 
 To the greyhound's wing'd. speed, wheresoe'er it 
 
 abounds. 
 Till time calls away to the field, park, and downs. 
 
 Ancient and Modern Coursing. 
 
 " I see you stand like greyhounds in the slips, 
 " Straining upon the start — the game's afoot! '' 
 Shakspeare. Hen. J'. 
 
 The greyhound, under the ancient name of 
 gazehound (observed the late Major Top- 
 ham), formed one of the earliest dogs of 
 the chase ; and from the very nature of his 
 first appellation was intended only to run by 
 sight. He was the original accompaniment 
 of royalty in the sports of the field ; and in 
 lieu of fines and forfeitures due to the 
 crown. King John was wont to accept of 
 greyhounds ; whether, when received as a 
 lax, he was able to obtain those of a superior 
 description, is not to be ascertained. But 
 the dog of that day, which, under kings, was 
 the concomitant of hawking, was long-haired, 
 and somewhat resembling the one used by 
 warrenncrs; and, in the oldest pictures now 
 extant on the subject, the spaniel, and 
 sometimes the pointer, accompanied the 
 sportsman in what was at that period denomi- 
 nated coursing. 
 
 The greyhound then employed was proba- 
 bly larger than even the warren mongrel, re- 
 sembling more the sha^jgy wolf dog of former 
 times than any sporting dog of the present 
 day. The Wolds of Yorkshire, which, like 
 the Wealds of Kent, are a corruption of the 
 word " Wilds," appear, from the dates of pa- 
 rish books, to have been infested with wolves 
 later than any other part of England. In the 
 entries at Flixton, Stackston, and Folkston, 
 in the East Riding of Yorkshire, are still to be 
 seen memoranda of payments made for the 
 destruction of wolves, at a certain rate per 
 Lead. They used to breed in the cars below, 
 among the rushes, furze, and bogs, and in the 
 night-time came up from their dens, and 
 unless the sheep had been previously driven 
 into the town, or the shepherds indefatigably 
 vigilant, great numbers of them were destroy- 
 ed ; it being observed of all wild animals, 
 that when they have opportunity to depredate, 
 they prefer the blood to the flesh of the victim, 
 of course commit much unnecessary carnage. 
 From the wolves having so long remained 
 in the parts just mentioned, it is not more 
 than fifty years since many of the long-haired, 
 curl-tailed greyhounds were to be traced, bred 
 originally from the wolf-dog; and some of 
 these, for a short distance, could run with 
 surprising velocity. That a dog of this de- 
 scription should suflicienlly gratify the cours- 
 ing sentiment of that day, is by no means sur- 
 prising ; tiie uncultivated face of the country, 
 covered with brakes, buslies, wood, and inti- 
 
 nite obstacles, may readily account for it. In 
 running their game they had to surmount 
 these impediments, and to dart through thorn 
 hedges (in that unimproved state) which co- 
 vered eighteen or twenty feet in width, and 
 frequently to kill their object of pursuit in 
 the middle of them. 
 
 These dogs were accustomed to lie un- 
 housed upon the cold ground, and to endure all 
 hardships of indifferent food, and more indif- 
 ferent usage ; but when the owner, or pro- 
 tector, lived in the open air, unmindful of 
 the elements, and regardless of the storm, 
 it can create no surprise that the faith- 
 ful dog should fare no better than his master. 
 This, most likely, was the earliest stage of tlie 
 gaze, or greyhound ; wild in his aspect, erect 
 in his ears, and shaggy in his coat ; but even 
 in that unimproved state they had many good 
 points ; as straight, firm legs ; round, hard, 
 fox-hound feet ; were incredibly quick at 
 catching view, and being instantaneously 
 upon their legs, which modern sportsmen term 
 " firing quickly." 
 
 In uniform progress with time, improvement 
 proceeds also ; during " the merry days of 
 good Queen Bess," when maids of honor 
 could breakfast tipon beef, and ride a-gallop 
 for a day together, the sports of the field were 
 objects of due attention. It was then her 
 majesty, divested of regal dignity, would con- 
 descend to see a brace of deer pulled down 
 by greyhounds after dinner : and it was then 
 that coursing began to assume a more regu- 
 lated form, and to acquire a more universal 
 degree of emulative estimation. 
 
 Instead of the wild man, with his wilder 
 dogs, taking his solitary quest for game ; the 
 hourly enlightened sportsmen of that day 
 began to form themselves into more friendly 
 congeniality, and rules were adopted, by 
 which a general confidence and mutual in- 
 tercourse might be maintained. The Duke of 
 Norfolk, who waH the leading sportsman of 
 that time, was powerfully solicited, and ulti- 
 mately prevailed upon, to draw up a proper 
 code of laws, which constitute the magna 
 charta of the present day. 
 
 These rules, though established by a duke, 
 and regulated by a queen, rendered the cours 
 ing of that period but of a very sterile de- 
 scription. Pointers were used for the purpose 
 of finding the game, and when any of thes.' 
 made a point, the greyhounds were uncoupled 
 as a necessary prelude to the sport which was 
 to ensue. The greyhounds, even at this time, 
 deviated but little from the kind already de- 
 scribed ; rough and heavy, with strength 
 enough to overcome any difficulty it might be 
 necessary to break through. To found the 
 aera of improved coursing, and for introducing 
 greyhounds of superior form, and higher 
 blood, was reserved for the late princely 
 owner of Houghton. If the agricultural 
 meetings in the most distant counties feel 
 themselves gratefully jusliiied in drinking, as 
 their first toast, " The Memory of Mr. liake- 
 
 2 C 2 
 
388 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 well," no true and consistent coursing meeting 
 can ever omit to give, with equal enthusiasm, 
 " The memory of the Earl of Orford." 
 
 It is the distinguishing trait of genius to be 
 enthusiastically bold, and daringly courage- 
 ous. Nothing in art or science, nothing in 
 mental, or even in manual labour, was ever 
 achieved, of superior excellence, without that 
 ardent zeal, that impetuous sense of eager 
 avidity which, to the cold, inanimate, and un- 
 impassioned, bears the appearance, and some- 
 times the unqualified accusation of insanity. 
 "When a monarch of this country once received 
 the news of a most heroic action maintained 
 against one of his own fleets, and seemed con- 
 siderably chagrined at the result, the then 
 Lord of the Admiralty endeavoured to qualify 
 and soften down the matter, by assuring the 
 king that " the commander of the enemy's fleet 
 was mad." — "Mad! would he were mad 
 enough to bite one of my admirals." 
 
 Lord Orford had absolutely a phrenetic 
 furor of this kind, in anything he found him- 
 self disposed to undertake ; it was a predo- 
 minant trait in his character never to do any 
 thing by halves, and coursing was his most 
 prevalent passion beyond every other plea- 
 surable consideration. In consequence of his 
 most extensive property, and his extra-influ- 
 ence as lord-lieutenant of the county, he not 
 only interested numbers of opulent neighbours 
 in the diversion, but, from the extent of his 
 connexions, could command such an immensity 
 of private quarters for his young greyhounds, 
 and of making such occasional selections from 
 which, that few, if any, beside himself, could 
 possess. 
 
 There were times when he was known to 
 have fifty brace of greyhounds ; and as it was a 
 fixed rule never to part from a single whelp 
 till he had a fair and substantial trial of his 
 speed, he had evident chances (beyond almost 
 any other individual) of having, amongst so 
 great a number, a collection of very superior 
 dogs : but, so intent was he upon this pecu- 
 liar object of attainment, that he went still 
 farther in every possible direction to obtain 
 perfection, and introduced every experimental 
 cross from the English lurcher to the Italian 
 greyhound. He had strongly indulged an 
 idea of a successful cross with the bull-dog, 
 which he could never be divested of, and after 
 having persevered (-in opposition to every 
 opinion) most patiently for seven removes, he 
 found himself in possession of the best grey- 
 hounds ever yet known ; giving the small ear, 
 the rat-tail, and the skin almost without hair, 
 together with that innate courage which the 
 high-bred greyhound should possess, retaining 
 which instinctively, he would rather die than 
 relinquish the chase. 
 
 One defect only this cross Is admitted to 
 have, which the poacher would rather know 
 to be a truth, than the fair sportsman would 
 come willingly forward to demonstrate. To 
 the former it is a fact pretty well known, that 
 no dog has the sense of smelling in a more 
 
 exquisite degree than the bull-dog ; and. as 
 they run mute, they, under certain crosses, 
 best answer the midnight purposes of the 
 poacher, in driving hares to the wire or net. 
 Greyhounds bred from this cross have there- 
 fore some tendency to run by the nose, which, 
 if not immediately checked by the master, 
 they will continue for miles, and become very 
 destructive to the game in the neighbourhood 
 where they are kept, if not under confinement 
 or restraint. 
 
 In a short space of time after Lord Orford's 
 decease, his greyhounds (with various other 
 sporting appurtenances) came under the ham- 
 mer of the auctioneer. Colonel Thornton, of 
 Yorkshire, who had passed much of his early 
 life with Lord Orford, and had been an active 
 associate with him in his hawking establish- 
 ments, was the purchaser of Czarina, Jupiter, 
 and some of his best dogs, giving from thirty 
 to fifty guineas each. It was by this circum- 
 stance the select blood of the Norfolk dogs 
 was transferred to Yorkshire ; and thence a 
 fair trial was obtained how the fleetest grey- 
 hounds that had ever been seen on the sands 
 of Norfolk could run over the Wolds of York- 
 shire. 
 
 Old Jupiter, when produced by Colonel 
 Thornton in that county, presented to the eye 
 of either the sportsman or the painter, as gal- 
 lant and true a picture of the perfect grey- 
 hound as ever was submitted to judicious 
 inspection. He was a dog of great size, with 
 a very long and taper head, deep in the chest, 
 strong in the loins, with a skin exceedingly 
 soft and pliable, ears small, and a tail as fine 
 as whip-cord. From this uniformity of make 
 and shape, a cross was much sought after by 
 members of the different coursing meetings in 
 the northern districts, and it was universally 
 admitted that the breed in Yorkshire was 
 considerably improved by the Norfolk acqui- 
 sition. 
 
 Notwithstanding these dogs were amongst 
 the best Lord Orford had ever bred from his 
 experimental crosses, and were the boast of 
 the greatest coursers the south of England 
 ever knew ; yet, when they came to be started 
 against the hares of the High Wolds, they did 
 not altogether support the high character they 
 had previously obtained. This was more par- 
 ticularly demonstrated when the hares turned 
 short on the hill sides, where the greyhounds, 
 unable to stop themselves, frequently rolled 
 like barrels from the top to the bottom, while 
 the hare went away at her leisure, and heard 
 no more of them ; it was, however, unani- 
 mously agreed by all the sportsmen present, 
 that they ran with a great deal of energetic 
 exertion, and always at the hare ; that though 
 beaten, they did not give it in, or exhibit any 
 symptom of lurching, or waiting to kill. 
 
 In the low flat countries below the Wolds 
 fhey were more successful ; such gentlemen, 
 therefore, as had been witnesses of the Norfolk, 
 as well as the Berkshire coursing, and saw 
 how the best dogs of the south were beaten 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOR OF SPORTS. 
 
 389 
 
 by the Wold hares, were led to observe, and 
 afterwards to acknowledge, the superiority of 
 the Wold coursing, and the strength of the 
 hares there. Bj' those who had never seen it, 
 this had been much doubted : the good sports- 
 men of the south, each partial to his own 
 country (from a strong small enclosure to an 
 open marsh pasture), deny this totally, and 
 many invitations have passed from them to 
 the sporting gentlemen of Yorkshire, to have 
 a midway meeting of greyhounds from the 
 respective countries. 
 
 To have capital coursing, a good dog is 
 only one part of the business ; it is not only 
 necessary to have a good hare also, but a 
 country where nothing but speed and power 
 to continue it can save her. Over the high 
 wolds of Stackton, Flixton, and Sherborne, 
 in Yorkshire, where hares are frequently 
 found three or four miles from any covert or 
 enclosure whatever ; the ground the finest 
 that can possibly be conceived, consisting 
 chiefly of sheepwalk, including every diver- 
 sity of hill, plain, and valley, by which the 
 speed and strength of a dog can be fairly 
 brought to the test; it will not require many 
 words to convince the real sportsman that 
 such courses have been seen there, as no other 
 part of the kingdom, iu its present enclosed 
 state, can possibly offer, and these necessarily 
 require a dog to be in that high training, for 
 which, in coursing of much less severity, 
 there cannot be equal occasion. But the day 
 is fast approaching when coursing of such 
 description willno more be seen ; in a very few 
 years these Wolds will be surrounded, and 
 variously intersected with fences, and thus 
 equalized with other countries ; the husband- 
 man (who will then have his day of triumph 
 over the sportsman) may justly and exultingly 
 exclaim, 
 
 Seges est, ubi Troja fuit ! 
 
 The man who in any way challenges the 
 whole world should recollect — the world is a 
 wide place. Lord Orford once tried the ex- 
 periment, and the challenge thus confidently 
 made, was as confidently taken up by the 
 present duke of Queensbury (then Lord 
 March), who had not a greyhound belonging 
 to him in the world. Money will do much ; 
 with indefatigable exertion it will do more ; 
 and it is a circumstance well known to many 
 of the sporting world, that upon particular 
 occasions, some of the best pointers ever seen 
 have emerged from cellars in the Metropolis, 
 who, it might be imagined, had never seen a 
 bird in the field. The Duke in this instance 
 applied to that well-known character, old Mr. 
 Elwes, who recommended him to another 
 elderly sportsman of Berkshire (Captain 
 Hatt), a courser of no small celebrity, who 
 produced a greyhound that, in a common 
 country, beat Lord Orford's Phenomenon. 
 
 This same kind of challenge was some few 
 years since given for Snowball, and was the 
 only challenge of similar import that has not 
 
 been accepted ; but it is requisite, at the same 
 time, to remark that the match was restricted 
 to be run only in such places where a fair and 
 decisive trial could be obtained. Those who 
 have seen great matches decided by short 
 courses, and bad hares (where chance fre- 
 quently intervenes), must know that such 
 trials are uncertain and deceptive, and that the 
 real superiority of either dog may still remain 
 unknown when the match is over. Perhaps, 
 even in the best country, should the contest 
 be for a large sum, and between two grey- 
 hounds of equal celebrity, the most equitable 
 mode of ascertaining the merit of each, would 
 be to run three courses, and adjudge the prize 
 to the winner of the main of the three ; it 
 being very unlikely that, in three courses, 
 run in an open country, the superiority of one 
 greyhound over the other should not be evi- 
 dently perceived. 
 
 The excellence of Snowball, whose breed 
 was Yorkshire on the side of the dam, and 
 Norfolk on that of the sire, was acknowledged 
 by the great numbers who had seen him run ; 
 and, perhaps, taken " for all in all," he was 
 the best greyhound that ever ran in England. 
 All countries were nearly alike to him, though 
 bred where fences seldom occur ; yet, when 
 taken into the strongest enclosures, he topped 
 hedges of any height, and in that respect 
 equalled, if not surpassed, every dog in his 
 own country. They who did not think his 
 speed so superior, all allowed, that for wind, 
 and for powers in running up long hills with- 
 out being distressed, they had never seen his 
 equal. 
 
 On a public coursing-day given to the 
 township of Flixton, the continuance of his 
 speed was once reduced to a certainty 
 by the known distance, as well as the diffi- 
 culty of the ground. From the bottom of 
 Flixton Brow, where the village stands, to 
 the top of the hill where the wold begins, is a 
 measured mile, and very steep in ascent the 
 whole of the way. A hare was found mid- 
 way, and there was started with Snowball, a 
 sister of his, given to the Rev. Mr. Minithorpe, 
 and a young dog about twelve months old, of 
 another breed. The hare came immediately 
 up the hill, and after repeated turns upon the 
 wold, took down the hill again ; but finding 
 that in the sandy bottom she was less a match 
 for the dogs, she returned, and in the middle 
 of the hill the whelp gave in, Snowball and 
 his sister being left with the hare ; reaching 
 the wold a second time, she was turned at 
 least fifty times, where forcibly feeling the 
 certainty of approaching death, she again 
 went down the hill, in descending which the 
 bitch dropped, and by immediate bleeding was 
 recovered ; Snowball afterwards ran the hare 
 into the village, where he killed her. 
 
 The length of this course, by the ascertained 
 distance, was full four miles, without ad- 
 verting to the turns which must have much 
 increased it ; this, with a hill a mile high, 
 twice ascended, are most indubitable proofs of 
 
S90 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 continuance wliich few dogs could have given, 
 and wliirli few but Flixlon hares could have 
 required. The people of Flixton talk of it to 
 this day, and, accustomed as they are to 
 courses of the richest description in the annals 
 of sporting, they reckon this amongst the most 
 famous they have seen. 
 
 Snowball, Major, his brother, and Sylvia, 
 were perhaps the three best and most perfect 
 greyhounds ever produced at one litter. They 
 never were beaten. 
 
 The shape, make, systematic uniformity, 
 and all the characteristics of high blood were 
 distinguishable in the three ; the colour of 
 Major and Sylvia were singularly brindled, 
 that of Snowball a jet black, and when in 
 good running condition was as fine as black 
 satin. Snowball won ten large pieces of silver 
 plate, and upwards of forty matches, having 
 accepted every challenge, from whatever dogs 
 of different countries were brought against 
 him. His descendants have been equally 
 successful : Venus, a brindled bitch ; Black- 
 smith, who died from extreme exertion in run- 
 ning up a steep hill ; and young Snowball, 
 have beat every dog that was ever brought 
 against them. 
 
 For several years Snowball covered at three 
 guineas, and the farmers in that and the 
 neighbouring districts, have sold crosses from 
 his breed at ten and fifteen guineas each. 
 Major, his brother, has displayed his powers 
 before the gentlemen of the south as already 
 described ; this, as a public exhibition of the 
 dog to a few sporting amateurs, might be 
 bearable, but could he have found a tongue, 
 when he beheld himself brought to run a hare 
 out of a box, in the month of March, upon 
 Epsom Downs, amidst whiskies, buggies, and 
 gingerbread carts, well might he have ex- 
 claimed, 
 
 " To this complexion am I come at last I " 
 
 On the Qualities of the Greyhound. 
 
 Itappears (observes a well-known Sportsman 
 a few years since) from aWelsh proverb* that a 
 gentleman was known by his hawk, his horse, 
 and his greyhound ; and Mr. Pennant t has 
 observed by a law of Canute, a greyhound 
 was not to be kept by any person inferior to 
 a gentleman. 
 
 The different perfections of the greyhound, 
 it seems, have been comprised in the following 
 rude and barbarous rhymes : — 
 
 The head like a snake ; 
 The neck like a drake ; 
 The back like a beam ; 
 The side like a bream ; 
 The tail like a rat ; 
 The foot like a cat. 
 
 * Wrth ci walch, ei farche, a'i filgi, yr adwaenir 
 conheddig. Pennant. 
 
 British Zoology, vol. i. p. 53, 
 
 Ludicrous as this poetical effort may be, 
 the description is still correct ; and these dif- 
 ferent qualities, when united, even now form 
 the model of perfection in the race. On the 
 superior breed of greyhounds there has been 
 a variety of opinions ; the blood of the late 
 Lord Orford's was allowed to stand very 
 high, if not the first, in the public estimation. 
 Perhaps there has not been any person who 
 took more pains to arrive at the utmost state 
 of perfection in his object ; and it is a circum- 
 stance generally beliered, that he even had 
 recourse to a cross with the English bull-dog, 
 in order to acquire a courage and resolution 
 till then unknown. After seven descents, it 
 is said, he obtained the object for which he 
 had been so solicitous, without any diminu- 
 tion of speed, or the beauties of shape and 
 syn)metry. Lord Rivers's stock is now allow- 
 ed 10 be one of the first in England, and its 
 superiority may be owing to a judicious cross 
 of the Dorsetshire and Newmarket blood. 
 Mr. Gurney, of Norwich, has likewise for 
 some years been in possession of a breed in 
 considerable repute. It has the three great 
 requisites, blood, bone, and shape. Snow- 
 drop, a son of Snowball, won the Malton Cup 
 four successive years; and Fly, a grand- 
 daughter of Snowball, a yellow and white 
 bitch, the property of Major Topham, carried 
 it away also in the Malton Spring Meeting of 
 1810, though she had suffered previously by 
 very severe exercise. Scarcely a greyhound, 
 indeed, of any other blood now appears at the 
 Malton meeting, and it has been so celebrated 
 as to be introduced in almost every county in 
 the kingdom. 
 
 There was a circumstance respecting Snow- 
 ball, peculiar to him in the history of coursing. 
 He served greyhounds for years before his 
 death at three guineas each. The first year 
 had 10 ; the second 14 ; the third 11 ; and the 
 fourth 7. And amongst them two out of 
 Wales, two out of Scotland, one from the 
 Marquis of Townshend, out of Norfolk, and 
 the rest out of counties at some distance. 
 Fifty guineas were given for Young Snow- 
 ball, who was sold afterwards for one hun- 
 dred : and Mr. Mellish beat all Newmarket 
 with another son of Snowball. 
 
 In the South, Millar, belonging to Sir H. 
 B. Dudley, has been likewise very famous. 
 The sire of Millar was an Essex dog, Tulip, 
 by a blue Newmarket dog, and he was the 
 produce of a bitch by a Lancashire dog bred 
 by the late Mr. Bamber Gascoyne. Millar 
 was a large deep-chested dog, of a fawn- 
 colour, and whilst young did not discover any 
 pretension to his future reputation. He was 
 afterwards tried in the Essex Marshes, and in 
 a single day he beat no less than five of the 
 first and best dogs in the field, ilis superi- 
 ority continued for some years, and he won 
 upwards of seventy matches. His stock also 
 proved excellent runners, and Miss, one of 
 Ins daughters, received the Bradwell cup 
 from twelve opponents who had been ruu 
 
PIERCE ECAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 391 
 
 down to a brace. Whatever, therefore, may 
 be thought by a few individuals on the sub- 
 ject, it is certain that blood has a very striking 
 superiority. Half-bred horses have been 
 sometimes known to exhibit great speed and 
 bottom ; but, in general, a thorough-bred 
 horse only can maintain and continue his velo- 
 city for miles in succession. The same ob- 
 servation may be made with respect to the 
 greyhound, and it forms the essential differ- 
 ence, which is not often properly attended to, 
 between the greyhound in an open and en- 
 closed country. The coarse, rough-haired 
 greyhound may discover some prowess in the 
 latter ; but in the former, and in long and 
 severe courses, blood, which includes tlie 
 shape, sets all competition at defiance. 
 
 On the propriety of breeding akin, in the 
 sportsman's phrase, or from the same blood, 
 there have been various opinions ; but it ap- 
 pears to be a practice neither to be desired 
 iTor pursued with advantage. If continued 
 for some litters, a manifest inferiority of size, 
 and a deficiency of bone, will soon be visible, 
 as well as a want of courage and bottom ; 
 though the beauty of the form, with the ex- 
 ception of the size, may not be diminished. 
 If we are to believe Varro, there has been an 
 instance, even in the brute creation, of a 
 repugnance to such conjunctions. By a judi- 
 cious choice, and an attention to the shape, 
 blood, and bone of another stock, across may 
 always be procured, which will in general 
 meet the sportsman's wishes ; being attended 
 with every advantage, without any of the con- 
 sequences to be feared from a contrary prac- 
 tice, there can be little hesitation in adoptingit. 
 
 The most favorable season for the produc- 
 tion of the young brood, in the opinion of the 
 ancients, was that of the warai months. If 
 dogs are bred in the summer months, they will 
 also be of the fittest age to be brought into the 
 field the following year. 
 
 It is rather singular that no alterations 
 have been made in the " Rules and Laws of 
 Coursing" since the reign of Queen Elizabeth, 
 when the Regulations which are usually still in 
 force received the fiat of Thomas, Duke of 
 Norfolk, and are as follows : — 
 
 THE LAWS OP THE LEASH, OR COURSING ; 
 
 As they were commanded, allowed, and subscribed, 
 b;i Tkomas, late Duke of Norfolk, in the reign 
 of Queen Elizabeth- 
 
 First, Therefore it was ordered, that he which was 
 chosen fewterer, or letter-loose of the greyliouiids, 
 should receive the greyhounds match to run together 
 into his leash as soon as he came into the field, and to 
 foUow next to the hare finder till he caroe unto the 
 form ; and no horseman or footman, on pain of dis- 
 grace, to go before tliem, or on either side, but di- 
 rectly behind, the space of forty yards or thereabouts. 
 
 Item. That not above one brace of greyhounds do 
 course a bare at one instant. 
 
 Item, That the hare finder should give the hare 
 three Sohows before he put her from her lear, to 
 make the greyhounds gaze and attend her rising. 
 
 Item. That dog that giveth first turn, if, after the 
 turn be given, there be neithercoat, slip, nor wrench, 
 extraordinary, then he wliich gave the first turn 
 shall be held to win the wager. 
 
 Item. If one dog give the first turn, and the other 
 bear the hare, then lie which bore the hare shall win. 
 
 Item. Ir one dog give both tiie first turn, and last 
 turn and no other advantage between them, that odd 
 turn shall win the wager. 
 
 Item. That a ccat shall be more than two turns, and 
 a go-by, or the bearing of the hare, equal with two 
 turns. 
 
 Item. If neither dog turn the hare, then he which 
 leadeth last at the covert, shall be held to win the 
 wager. 
 
 Item. If one dog turn the hare, serve himself, and 
 turn her again, those two turns shall be as much as a 
 coat. 
 
 Item. If all the course be equal, then he only 
 which bears the hare shall win ; and if she be not 
 borne, then the course must be adjudged dead. 
 
 Item. If any dog shall take a fall in the course, and 
 yet perform his part, he shall challenge advantage cf 
 a turn more than he giveth. 
 
 Item. If one dog turn the hare, serve himself, and 
 give divers coats, yet in the end stand still in the 
 field, the otherdog without turn giving, running home 
 to the covert, that dog which stood still in the field 
 shall be then adjudged to lose the wager. 
 
 Itetn. If any man shall ride over a dog, and over 
 throw him in his course (though the dog were the 
 worst dog in opinion), yet the party for the offence 
 shall either receive the disgrace of the field, or pay 
 the wager, for between the parties it shall be adjudged 
 to course. 
 
 Item. Those who are chosen judges of the leash, 
 shall give their judgments presently before they de- 
 part from the field, or else he, in whose default it 
 lieth, shall pay the wager by a general voice and 
 sentence. 
 
 Tiie substance of the above rules, it seems, has been 
 adhered to in most of the sporting counties ; but the 
 dogs are now loosed out of a double spring-slip, which 
 reodei-s it impossible for either to have the advantage 
 of the start. In Wiltshire, however, some judicious 
 deviations have been introduced ; and the dog that 
 hath the best of the course, whether he kills the hare 
 or not, is there declared to be the winner. The pro- 
 priety of such a decision is apparent, for the best and 
 speediest dog may turn the hare directly on his oppo- 
 nent, who may have no other merit than that of laying 
 hold of his game when forced full upon him. 
 
 The Swaffham Coursing Society was esta- 
 blished in the year 177G, by the late Earl of 
 Orford, confining the number of members to 
 the number of letters in the alphabet, and 
 when any member died, or wished to retire, 
 his place was always filled up by ballot, con- 
 formable to the rules of the Society On the 
 decease of the founder, the members of this 
 Society unanimously agreed to purchase a 
 Silver Cup, value twenty-five guineas, to be 
 run for annually ; and it was then intended to 
 pass on from one to another like the Whip at 
 Newmarket ; but, before starting for it in the 
 year 1792, it was agreed that the winner of 
 the Cup should keep it ; and that a new Cup 
 should annually be purchased by the Society 
 to be run for in November. An opinion was 
 entertained by the Members of the Swaffham 
 Club, that it would best diffuse that respect 
 they wished to show to the memory of their 
 founder, by gracing the side-board of the dif- 
 ferent winners in the different parts of the 
 kingdom. The winner of the first Cup was 
 remarkable for having stood foremost in the 
 breed of greyhounds from the foundation of 
 the Society. 
 
 Coursing is kept up with great spirit during 
 the season, by the various Clubs for gold and 
 silver Cups, and other prizes at Newmarket 
 
392 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 ChatGwortli, Drayton, Barton, Malton, Higli- 
 dore,Cardington, Andoversford, near Chelten- 
 ham, Caistor, East llsey, Burton-upon-Trent, 
 Morfe Coursing meeting at Sir J. Piggott's 
 Park, Louth, Chesterfield, Cannet, Ashdown, 
 Derbyshire, West llsey, Dcptford Union, 
 Wilts, Barton, Southport, &c. 
 
 Curious Coursing Anecdote. 
 
 A good deal has been said of the sagacity 
 of the dog, and his natural fondness for the 
 sport to which he has been trained ; the fol- 
 lowing circumstance will go a good way to 
 prove that the horse also rejoiceth in the 
 chase, even when unurged by spur — undi- 
 rected by rein. — A party of gentlemen were 
 recently enjoying the sport of coursing over a 
 preserve of the Earl of Pembroke's, near Wel- 
 ton Abbey, Wilts., when, towards the conclu- 
 sion of a kUling-d&y, one of them dismounted 
 to beat a small gorse-patch (generally consi- 
 dered safe to hold a hare), giving his horse to 
 a boy to restrain in the meanwhile. Mr. S — e 
 was not disappointed : puss soon broke, and 
 a jolly " halloo" followed, and away went 
 madam, with the " long dogs" at her scent, 
 and the field in as good order as their nags 
 would let them ; away, too, boiled our beater's 
 nag ; for no sooner did the generous animal 
 hear the " well-remembered, long prolonged" 
 shout, than he broke from the puny grip that 
 but too faintly held him, and galloped, wild 
 and ardent as the steed of Mazeppa, or as 
 that now old, but ever-famous horse, Euphrates 
 (well does the writer remember seeing him, 
 when a colt, come starting up the hill just pre- 
 vious to the run-in on the Salisbury Race- 
 course), in the consciousness of irrestrainable 
 might. Instead, however, of breaking without 
 order over the field, Mr. S.'s horse, to the 
 astonishment of all, followed the track of the 
 run, doubling, as well as a larger animal 
 could be imagined to do, with the greyhounds, 
 without running over them, and stopping only 
 (being first in from a saddle only being up) at 
 the death ! The generous animal then per- 
 mitted itself to be captured, and was restored 
 to its master snorting delight. About twelve 
 years since we saw a similar proof of sagacity 
 in a coursing nag, which we in part accounted 
 for from the mare having been exercised con- 
 stantly with the brace of greyhounds he fol- 
 lowed, and taught by a clever groom to stop 
 as they stopped, and invariably at the loss or 
 the kill. 
 
 The Rational Apes. 
 
 The following interesting account of the 
 
 Pongos, or rational Apes, (is to be met with in 
 
 the AUrive Tales), from Mr. W. INIitchell, a 
 
 Settler at the Cape of Good Hope, to his 
 
 friend in England, dated October 1, 1826: 
 
 " In my last I related to you ali the circum- 
 stances of our settlement here, and the pros- 
 pect that we had of a peaceful and pleasant 
 
 habitation. In truth, it is a fine country, and 
 inhabited by a fine race of people ; for the 
 Kousies, as far as I have seen of them, are a 
 simple and ingenious race ; and Captain John- 
 stone having secured the friendship and pro- 
 tection of their chief, we lived in the most 
 perfect harmony with them, traflficing with 
 them for oxen, for which we gave them iron 
 and copper in exchange, the former being held 
 in high estimation by them. But, alas ! sir, 
 such a fate has befallen to me since I wrote 
 you last, as I am sure never fell to the lot of 
 a human being. And I am now going to re- 
 late to you one of those stories which, were it 
 to occur in a romance, would be reckoned 
 quite out of nature, and beyond all bounds of 
 probability ; so true is it, that there are many 
 things in heaven and earth that are not dream- 
 ed of in our philosophy. 
 
 You knew my Agnes from our childhood : 
 you were at our wedding at Beattock, and 
 cannot but remember what an amiable and 
 lovely girl she then was. I thought so, and 
 so did you, at least you said you never had 
 as bonny a bride on your knee. But you 
 will hardly believe that her beauty was then 
 nothing in comparison with what it became 
 afterwards ; and when she was going about 
 our new settlement with our little boy in her 
 arms, I have often fancied that I never saw 
 so lovely a human being. 
 
 Be that as it may, the chief Karoo came to 
 me one day, with his interpreter, whom he 
 caused to make a long palaver about his 
 power, and dominion, and virtues, and his 
 great desire to do much good. The language of 
 this fellow being a mixture of Kaffre, High 
 Dutch, and English, was peculiarly ludicrous, 
 and most of all so when he concluded with 
 expressing his lord's desire to have my wife 
 to be his own, and to give me in exchange for 
 her four oxen, the best that I could choose 
 from his herd ! 
 
 " As he made the proposal in presence of 
 my wife, she was so much tickled with the 
 absurdity of the proposed barter, and the 
 manner in which it was expressed, that she 
 laughed immoderately. Karoo, thinking she 
 was delighted with it, eyed her with a look 
 that surpasses all description, and then caused 
 his interpreter to make another palaver to 
 her concerning all the good things she was to 
 enjoy, one of which was that she was to ride 
 upon an ox whose horns were tipped with 
 gold. I thanked the great Karoo for his kind 
 intentions, but declared my incapability to 
 part with my wife, for that we were one flesh 
 and blood, and nothing could separate us but 
 death. He could comprehend no such tie as 
 this. All men sold their wives and daughters 
 as they listed, I was told — for that the women 
 were the sole property of the men. He had 
 bought many women from the Tambookies 
 that were virgins, and had never given above 
 two cows for any of them ; and because he 
 desired to have my wife, he had offered me as 
 much for her as would purchase four of the 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 303 
 
 best wives in all the two countries, and that 
 therefore I was bound to give her up to him. 
 And when I told him, finally, that nothing on 
 earth could induce me to part with her, he 
 seemed offended, bit his thumb, knitted his 
 brows, and studied long in silence, always 
 casting glances at Agnes, of great pathos and 
 languishment, which were perfectly irresist- 
 ible, and ultimately he stuck his spear's head 
 in the ground, and offered me ten cows and a 
 bull for my wife, and a choice virgin to boot, 
 when this proffer was likewise declined, he 
 smiled in derision, telling me I was the son 
 of foolishness, and that he foretold I should 
 repent it. Three times he went over this, and 
 then went away in high dudgeon. Will you. 
 Sir, believe, or will any person alive believe, 
 that it was possible I could live to repent this ? 
 
 My William was at this time about eleven 
 months old, but was still at the breast, as I 
 could never prevail on his lovely mother to 
 wean him, and, at the very time of which I 
 am speaking, our little settlement was invaded 
 one night by a tribe of those large baboons 
 called ourang-outangs, pongos, or wild men 
 of the woods, who did great mischief to our 
 fruits, yams, and carrots. From that time we 
 kept a great number of guns loaded, and set 
 a watch ; and at length the depredators were 
 again discovered. We sallied out upon them 
 in a body, not without alarm, for they are 
 powerful and vindictive animals, and our guns 
 were only loaded with common shot. They 
 fled at the first sight of us, and that with such 
 swiftness that we might as well have tried to 
 catch deer ; but we got one close fire at them, 
 and doubtless wounded a number of them, as 
 their course was traced with blood. We pur- 
 sued them as far as the Keys river, which 
 they swam, and we lost them. 
 
 Among all the depredators, there was none 
 fell but one youngling, which I lifted in my 
 arras, when it looked so pitifully, and cried 
 so like a child, that my heart bled for it. A 
 large monster, more than six feet high, per- 
 ceiving that he had lost his cub, returned, 
 brandishing a huge club, and grinning at me. 
 I wanted to restore the abominable brat, for I 
 could not bear the thought of killing it, it 
 was so like a human creature ; but before I 
 could do this, several shots had been fired by 
 my companions, at the hideous monster, which 
 caused him once more to take to his heels ; 
 but, turning oft as he fled, he made threaten- 
 ing gestures at me. A Kousi servant that we 
 had finished the cub, and I caused it to be 
 buried. 
 
 The very morning but one after, Agnes and 
 her black maid were milking our few cows 
 upon the green ; I was in the garden, and 
 William was toddling about pulling flowers, 
 when, all at once, the women were alarmed 
 by the sight of a tremendous ourang-outang 
 issuing from our house, which they had just 
 left. They seem to have been struck dumb 
 and senseless with amazement, for not one of 
 them uttered a sound, until the monster, 
 
 springing forward, in one moment snatched 
 up the child and made off with him. Instead 
 of coming to me, the women pursued the ani- 
 mal with the child, not knowing, I believe, 
 what they were doing. The fearful shrieks 
 which they uttered alarmed me, and I ran to 
 the milking-green, thinking the cows had 
 fallen on the women, as the cattle of that dis- 
 trict are ticklish for pushing when any way 
 hurt or irritated. Before I reached the green 
 where the cows stood, the ourang-outang was 
 fully half a mile gone, and only the poor, 
 feeble, exhausted women running screaming 
 after him. For a good while I could not 
 conceive what was the matter, but, having my 
 spade in my hand, I followed spontaneously 
 in the same direction. Before I overtook the 
 women, I heard the agonized cries of my dear 
 boy, my darling William, in the paws of that 
 horrible monster. There is no sensation of 
 which the human heart is capable, that can 
 at all be compared with the horror which at 
 that dreadful moment seized on mine. My 
 sinews lost their tension, and my whole frame 
 became lax and powerless. I believe I ran 
 faster than usual, but then I fell every minute, 
 and as I passed Agnes she fell into a fit. 
 Kela-kal, the black girl, with an astonishing 
 presence of mind, had gone off at a tangent, 
 without orders, or without being once missed, 
 to warn the rest of the settlers, which she did 
 with all expedition. I pursued on, breath- 
 less, and altogether unnerved with agony ; 
 but, alas ! I rather lost than gained ground. 
 
 I think if I had been fairly started, that 
 through desperation I could have overtaken 
 the monster ; but the hopelessness of success 
 rendered me feeble. The truth is, that he 
 did not make great speed, not nearly the speed 
 these animals are wont to make, for he was 
 greatly encumbered with the child. You, 
 perhaps, do not understand the nature of 
 these animals — neither do I : but they have 
 this peculiarity, that when they are walking 
 leisurely, or running down hill, they walk 
 upright like a human being ; but when hard- 
 pressed on level ground, or up hill, they use 
 their long arms as fore-legs, and then run with 
 inconceivable swiftness. When flying with 
 their own young, the greater part of them will 
 run nearly twice as fast as an ordinary man, 
 for the cubs cling to them with both feet and 
 hands ; but as my poor William shrunk fronii 
 the monster's touch, he was obliged to em- 
 brace him closely with one paw, and run on 
 three, and still in that manner he outran me. 
 O may never earthly paient be engaged in 
 such a heart-rending pursuit ! Keeping still 
 his distance before me, he reached the Keys 
 river, and there the last gleam of hope closed 
 on me, for I could not swim, while the ourang- 
 outang, with much acuteness, threw the child 
 across his shoulders, held him by the feet with 
 one paw, and with the other three stemmed 
 the river, though then in flood, with amazing 
 rapidity. It was at this dreadful moment that 
 my beloved babe cast his eyes on me as I ran 
 
394 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 across the plain towards him, and I saw liim 
 holding up his little hands in the midst of the 
 foaming flood, and crying out " Pa ! pa! pa'" 
 which he seemed to utter with a sort of despe- 
 rate joy at seeing me approach. 
 
 Alas ! that sight was the last, for in two 
 minutes thereafter the monster vanished with 
 my dear child, in the jungles and woods be- 
 yond the river, and there my course was 
 stayed ; for, to have thrown myself in, would 
 only have been committing suicide, and leav- 
 ing a destitute widow in a foreign land. I 
 had therefore no other resource but to throw 
 myself down, and pour out my soul in lament- 
 ation and prayer to God. From this state of 
 hapless misery I was quickly aroused by the 
 sight of twelve of my countrymen coming full 
 speed across the plain on my track. They 
 were all armed and stripped for the pursuit, 
 and four of them, some of whom you know, 
 Adam Johnstone, Adam Haliday, Peter Car- 
 ruthers, and Josoph Nicholson, being excel- 
 lent swimmers, plunged at once into the river, 
 and swam across, though not without both 
 difficulty and danger, and without loss of time 
 continued the pursuit. All pursuit is in vain. 
 
 About three months after this sad calamity, 
 one evening, on returning home from my la- 
 bour, my Agues was missing, and neither her 
 maid-servant, nor one of all the settlers, could 
 give the least account of her. 
 
 Tlie husband is about to attack the native 
 chief who, he thinks, has stolen her. Just 
 when we were on the eve of commencing a war, 
 which must have been ruinous to our settle- 
 ment, a black servant of Adam Johnstone's 
 came to me, and said that I ought not to fight 
 and kill his good chief, for that he had not 
 the white woman. I was astonished, and 
 asked the Kaffre what he meant, when he told 
 me that he himself saw my wife carried across 
 theriverby abandof pongos (ourang-outangs), 
 but he had always kept it a secret, for fear of 
 giving me distress, as they were too far gone 
 for pursuit when he beheld them. He said 
 they had her bound, and were carrying her 
 gently on their arms ; but she was either 
 dead, or in a swoon, for she was not crying, 
 and her long hair was hanging down. 
 
 About the beginning of last year a strange 
 piece of intelligence reached our settlement. 
 It was said that two maids of Kamboo had 
 been out on the mountains of Norroweldt, 
 gathering fruits, where they had seen a pongo 
 taller than any Kousi, and that this pongo had 
 a beautiful white boy with him, for whom he 
 was gathering the choicest fruits, and the boy 
 ■was gambolling and playing around him, and 
 leaping on his shoulders. 
 
 This was a piece of intelligence so extraor- 
 dinary and so much out of the common course 
 of events, that every one of the settlers agreed 
 that it could not be a forgery, and that it be- 
 hoved us to look after it immediately. We ap- 
 plied to Karoo for assistance, who had a great 
 number of slaves from that country, much at- 
 tached to him, who knew the language of the 
 
 place whither we were going,and all the passes 
 of the country. He complied readily with our 
 request, giving us an able and intelligent 
 guide, with as many of his people as we chose. 
 We raised in all fifty Malays and Kousis ; 
 nine British soldiers, and every one of the 
 settlers that could bear arms went with us ; 
 so that we had in all nearly an hundred men, 
 the blacks being armed with pikes, and all 
 the rest with swords, guns, and pistols. We 
 journeyed for a whole v\ eek, travelling much 
 by night, and resting in the shade by day, and 
 at last we came to the secluded district of 
 which we were in search, and in which we 
 found a temporary village, or camp, of one of 
 these independant inland tribes. They were in 
 great alarm at our approach, and were appa- 
 rently preparing for a vigorous resistance ; but 
 on our guide, who was one of their own tribe, 
 going up to them, and explaining our views, 
 they received us joyfully, and proffered their 
 assistance. 
 
 From this people we got the heart-stirring 
 intelligence that a whole colony of pongos had 
 taken possession of that country, and would 
 soon be masters of it all ; for that the Great 
 Spirit had sent them a queen from the country 
 beyond the sun, to teach them to speak, and 
 work, and go to war ; and that she had the 
 entire power over them, and would not suffer 
 them to hurt any person who did not offer 
 offence to them ; that they knew all she said 
 to them, and answered her, and lived in houses, 
 and kindled fires like other people, and like- 
 wise fought rank and file : that they had 
 taken one of the maidens of their own tribe to 
 wait upon the queen's child ; but because the 
 girl wept, the queen caused them to set her 
 at liberty. 
 
 I was now rent between hope and terror — 
 hope that this was my own wife and child, 
 and terror that they would be torn in pieces 
 by the savage monsters, rather than given up. 
 Of this last, the Lockos (the name of this 
 wandering tribe) assured us we needed not to 
 entertain any apprehensions, for that they 
 would, every one of them, die, rather than 
 wrong a hair of their queen's head. But that 
 it behoved us instantly to surround them : for 
 if they once came to understand that we were 
 in pursuit, they would make their escape, and 
 then the whole world would not turn or de- 
 tain them. 
 
 Accordingly, that very night, being joined 
 by the Lockos, we surrounded the colony by 
 au extensive circle, and continued to close as 
 we advanced. By the break of day we had 
 them closely surrounded. The monsters flew 
 to arms at the word of command, nothing 
 daunted, forming a circle round their camp 
 and queen, the strongest of the males being 
 placed outermost and the females inmost ; but 
 all armed alike, and all having the same de- 
 mure and melancholy faces. The circle being 
 so close that I could not see inside, I went 
 with the nine red-coats to the top of a cliff, 
 that, in some degree, overlooked the encamp- 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS 
 
 395 
 
 ment, in order that, if my Agnes really was 
 there, she niiyht understand who was near 
 her. Still I could not discover what was 
 within ; but 1 called her name aloud several 
 times, and in about five minutes after that, the 
 whole circle of tremendous brutal warriors 
 flung away their arms and retired backward, 
 leaving an open space for me to approach 
 their queen. 
 
 In the most dreadful trepidation I entered 
 between the hideous files, being well guarded 
 by soldiers on either hand, and followed by 
 the rest of the settlers ; and there I indeed 
 beheld my wife, my beloved Agnes, standing 
 ready to receive me, with little William in 
 her right hand, and a beautiful chubby daugh- 
 ter in her left, about two years old, and the 
 very image of her mother. Conceive, if you 
 can. Sir, such a meeting! Were there ever a 
 husband and wife met under such circum- 
 stances before? Never since the creation of 
 the world ! The two children looked healthy 
 and beautiful, with their fur aprons ; but it 
 struck me at first that my beloved was much 
 altered : it was only, however, caused by her 
 internal commotion, by feelings which over- 
 powered her grateful heart, against which 
 nature could not bear up ; for on my first em- 
 brace she fainted in my arms, which kept us 
 all in suspension and confusion for a long 
 space. The children fled from us, crying for 
 their mother, and took shelter with their 
 friends, the pongos, who seemed in great 
 amazement, and part of them begun to with- 
 draw, as if to hide themselves. 
 
 As soon as Agnes was somewhat restored, 
 I proposed that we should withdraw from the 
 camp of her savage colony ; but she refused, 
 and told me that it behoved her to part with 
 her protectors on good terms, and that she 
 must depart without any appearance of com- 
 pulsion, which they might resent; and we 
 actually rested ourselves during the heat of 
 the day, in the shades erected by those savage 
 inhabitants of the forest. My wife went to 
 her hoard of provisions, and distributed to 
 every one of the pongos his share of fruit, 
 succulent herbs, and roots, which they ate 
 with great composure. It was a curious 
 scene, something like what I had seen in a 
 menagerie ; and there was my little William, 
 serving out food to the young ourang-outangs, 
 cufBng them, and ordering them, in the broad 
 Annandale dialect, to do this, that, and the 
 other thing; and tliey were not only obedient, 
 but seemed flattered by his notice and correc- 
 tion. We were then presented with delicious 
 fruits; but I had no heart to partake, being 
 impatient to have my family away from the 
 midst of this brutal society ; for, as long as 
 we were there, I could not conceive them 
 safe, or fairly in my own power. 
 
 Agnes then stood up, and made a speech to 
 her subjects, accompanying her expressions 
 with violent motions and contortions, to make 
 them understand her meaning. They under- 
 itood it perfectly ; for when they heard that 
 
 she and her children were to leave them, 
 they set up such a jabbering of lamentation 
 as British ears never heard. Many of them 
 came cowering and fawning before her, and 
 she laid her iiand on their heads ; many, too, 
 of the young ones, came running, and lifting 
 up the children's hands, they put them on 
 their own heads. AVe then formed a close 
 circle round Agnes and the children, to the 
 exclusion of the pongos, that still followed 
 behind, howling and lamenting ; and that 
 night we lodged in the camp of the Lockos, 
 placing a triple guard round my family, of 
 which there stood great need. VVe durst not 
 travel by night ; but we contrived two covered 
 hurdles, in which we carried Agnes and the 
 children ; and for three days a considerable 
 body of the tallest and strongest of the ourang- 
 outangs attended our steps, and some of them 
 came to us fearlessly every day, as she said, 
 to see if she was well, and if we were not 
 hurting her. 
 
 We reached our own settlement one day sooner 
 than we took in marching westward ; but 
 there I durst not remain for a night, but get- 
 ting into a vessel, I sailed straight for the 
 Cape, having first made over all my goods and 
 chattels to my countrymen, who are to send 
 me down value here in corn and fruit; and 
 here I am, living with my Agnes and our two 
 children, at a little wigwam about five miles 
 from Cape Town. 
 
 My Agnes's part of the story is the most 
 extraordinary of all. But here I must needs 
 be concise, giving only a short and general 
 outline of her adventures ; for, among dumb 
 animals, whose signals and grimaces were so 
 liable to misinterpretation, much must have 
 been left to her own conjecture. The crea- 
 tures' motives for stealing and detaining her 
 appeared to have been as follows : — 
 
 These animals remain always in distinct 
 tribes, and are perfectly subordinate to a chief or 
 ruler,and his secondarychiefs. In their expedi- 
 tion to rob our gardens, they had brought their 
 sovereign's sole heir along with them, as they 
 never leave any of the royal family behind 
 them, for fear of a surprisal. It was this 
 royal cub which we killed ; and the queen, 
 his mother, having been distractedly inconsol- 
 able for the loss of her darling, the old mo- 
 narch had set out by night to try, if possible, 
 to recover it; and on not finding it, he seized 
 on my boy in its place, carried him home in 
 safety to his queen, and gave her him to nurse ! 
 She did so. Yes, she positively did nurse 
 him at her breast forjhree months, and never 
 child throve better than he did. By that time 
 he was beginning to walk, and aim at speech, 
 by imitating every voice he heard, whether of 
 beast or bird ; and it had struck the monsters 
 as a great loss that they had no means of 
 teaching their young sovereign to speak, at 
 which art he seemed so apt. This led to the 
 scheme of stealing his own mother to be his 
 instructor, which they eflfected in the most 
 masterly style, binding and gagging her in 
 
396 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 her own house, and carrying her from a popu- 
 lous hamlet in the fair forenoon, without 
 ^ having been discovered. Their expertness, 
 and the rapidity of their motions, Agnes de- 
 scribed as inconceivable by those who had 
 never witnessed them. They showed every 
 sort of tenderness and kindness by the way, 
 proffering her plenty of fruit and water; but 
 she gave herself totally up to despair, till, 
 behold ! she was introduced to her own little 
 William, plump, thriving, aud as merry as a 
 cricket, gambolling away among his brutal 
 compeers, for many of whom he had conceived 
 a great affection ; but then they far outgrew 
 him, while others as fast overtook him in size. 
 
 Agnes immediately took her boy under her 
 tuition, and was soon given to understand 
 that her will was to be the sole law of the 
 community ; and all the while that they 
 detained her, they never refused her in 
 aught save to take her home again. Our 
 little daughter she had named Beatrice, after 
 her maternal grandmother. She was born six 
 months and six days after Agnes's abstrac- 
 tion. She spoke highly of the pongos, of 
 their docility, generosity, warmth of affection 
 to their mates and young ones, and of their 
 irresistible strength. She conceived that, 
 however, to have been a tribe greatly supe- 
 rior to all others of the race, for she never 
 could regard them in any other light than as 
 dumb human creatures. I confess that I had 
 the same sort of feeling while in their settle- 
 ment, for many of the young females in parti- 
 cular were much conilier than negro savages 
 which I have often seen ; and they laughed, 
 emiled, and cried very much like human crea- 
 tures. At my wife's injunctions, or from her 
 example, they all wore aprons : and the fe- 
 males had let the hair of their heads grow 
 long. It was glossy black, and neither curled 
 nor woolly ; and, on the whole, I cannot help 
 having a lingering affection for the creatures. 
 They would make the most docile, powerful, 
 and affectionate of all slaves ; but they come 
 very soon to their growth, and are but short- 
 lived, in that way approximating to the rest 
 of the brute creation. They live entirely on 
 fruits, roots, and vegetables, and taste no 
 animal food whatever. 
 
 I asked Agnes much of the civility of their 
 manner to her, and she always described it 
 as respectful and uniform. For a while she 
 never thought herself quite safe when near 
 the queen ; but the dislike of the latter to her 
 arose entirely out of her boundless affection 
 for the boy. No mothar could possibly be 
 fonder of her own offspring than this affec- 
 tionate creature was of William, and she was 
 jealous of his mother for taking him from her, 
 and causing him instantly to be weaned. But 
 then the chief never once left the two queens 
 by themselves ; they had always a guard day 
 and night. 
 
 I have no objection to the publication of 
 these adventures in Britain, though I know 
 they will not obtain credit ; but 1 should not 
 
 like that the incidents reached the Sidney 
 Gazette, as I intend emigrating to that coun- 
 try as soon as I receive value for the stock I 
 left at the settlement, for I have a feeling that 
 my family is scarcely safe as long as I remain 
 on any part of the coast of Africa. And, for 
 the sake of my rising family, I have an aver- 
 sion to its being known that they were bred 
 among creatures that must still be conceived 
 to be of the brute creation. Do not write 
 till you hear from me again ; and believe me 
 ever your old affectionate friend, 
 — Allrive Tales, Wm. Mitchell. 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the Prize Ring. 
 
 The Little Mill, between 
 
 Harry Jones and Frank Redman. 
 
 Noman's Land, in Hertfordshire, was the 
 scene of attraction on Tuesday, March 31, 
 1829 ; and the road, generally speaking, ex- 
 hibited a better sprinkling of the old ring- 
 goers than usual. The battle-money, £100 
 a-side. When the match was first made Jones 
 was decidedly the favorite, at 6 and 7 to 4 ; 
 but on the night previous to the battle an 
 alarm had got abroad, and a sort of panic was 
 witnessed among the betters on Jones. Se- 
 veral, in the most modest manner, declared 
 their bets off, although contrary to the general 
 usage of the sporting world. It was at length 
 declared to be a square tight, and that it was 
 " all right," there being no foundation for 
 such reports. At one o'clock, Redman, at- 
 tended by Peter Crawley and Joe Fishwick, 
 threw his hat into the ring ; and Jones fol- 
 lowed shortly afterwards with his seconds, 
 Tom Spring and Tom Gaynor. Both of them 
 received loud applause. Jones weighed lOst. 
 21b. — Redman 9st. 81bs. The colours, yellow 
 for Redman, and dark blue with a white spot 
 for Jones, were tied to the stakes, and the 
 battle commenced. Five to two. and three to 
 one on Jones. 
 
 Round 1. Jones, on stripping, satisfied his 
 friends that he was " all right ;" aud Frank 
 Redman was equally slap-up to the mark ; 
 therefore it was quite clear they had both been 
 attentive to their training ; in fact, they were 
 pictures of men in fine health and strength. 
 A good look-out for squalls was the order of 
 the day between them : Jones kept his wea- 
 ther-eye up, and Frank also made the best of 
 liis peepers : Jones was not to be had, and 
 Redman was not to be gammoned ; and, 
 upon the whole, it was a fine scientific display 
 of the art of self-defence. To give a chance 
 away was out of tlie question ; and the Sailor 
 Boy was cautious to the very echo. After 
 measuring the little sinner from his nob to his 
 toe, Harry let fly with his right arm, but it 
 was no go — when Redman touched the body 
 of Jones slightly ; Jones smiled. A very 
 long pause, and nothing done. The seconds 
 were as quiet as mice, and kept their places 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 397 
 
 at the four corners of the ring. " This is as 
 it should be," observed an old ring-goer — " it 
 is a gentlemanly sort of mill, and all the par- 
 ties are behaving like men." Jones tried his 
 one, two ; but Frank was down, and pre- 
 vented any mischief. " Three to one ! — two to 
 one !" — "Why," roared out Bishop Sharpe, " it 
 is not six to four." A pause ; — both men ap- 
 peared ready to take advantage of the slightest 
 mistake. "Don't do all the work, Frank !" 
 said Peter Crawley. Redman parried well ; 
 in truth, the science displayed on both sides 
 was delightful. " Crawley drinks to Red- 
 man," observed Peter, something after the 
 manner of " the King drinks to Hamlet," and 
 as full of character. Redman got well out of 
 danger, and likewise made several good stops. 
 Redman went to work, and some exchanges 
 passed : " Hit him in the eye," said Peter, 
 " the same as Ward served me, and you'll 
 queer him a little bit." Jones laughed at the 
 challing ; but, nevertheless, kept a prime eye 
 upon his work, and let fly, one, two. " First 
 blood !" said Gaynor. — " No !" replied Fish- 
 wick, " we won't have that at any price." 
 Jones at length rushed in, and planted a nob- 
 ber ; and, in closing, he began the weaving 
 system, and threw his adversary with the 
 utmost ease, a severe cross-buttock. The 
 friends of Jones were all alive, and offered 
 any odds. Four to one, but no takers. This 
 round occupied thirteen minutes. 
 
 2. The claret was now visible on the conk 
 of Redman ; but it might be said that nothing 
 was the matter. Redman stopped two hits 
 cleverly ; when Dobell observed, " That is 
 science, not like our fight on Tuesday last." 
 Frank planted a ribber. A short rally, with 
 mutual exchanges. The parries o-f the Sailor 
 were excellent ; he stopped one, two, three, 
 four, rapid hits in succession. — [Applause 
 from all parts of the ring.] " Go to work, 
 Redman," from his pals, " he cannot hurt 
 you." Frank bolted in to do mischief; but, 
 in closing, Harry laid hold of him, and tlirew 
 him down with the most apparent ease, exhi- 
 biting great strength. 
 
 3. Redman was evidently the worse for the 
 last fall — his mug rather flushed ; but he ap- 
 peared anxious to do summut, and made play 
 with his right hand, which told on his adver- 
 sary's body ; but Jones parried off a rum one 
 intended for his nob. The spectators were 
 delighted with the science displayed on both 
 sides. Redman fought his way into a rally, 
 and marked the left peeper of Jones. " Bravo, 
 my Franky — another such a one, and the 
 Chancery suit will be visible !" — In closing, 
 Redman was again thrown, without the least 
 trouble ; in fact, he appeared little more than 
 a feather in Jones's hands. 
 
 4. " Look at his head," said Peter Crawley, 
 " and hit straight forward — what I mean is, 
 to down him." Redman endeavoured to fol- 
 low the advice of Peter, and hit out well ; 
 but it was of no use — Jones stopped his efforts 
 with the utmost indifference, and laughed at 
 
 him. Jones planted a teazer on Frank's nose, 
 and the Red Sea flowed down profusely. Red- 
 man conducted himself well in a sharp rally, 
 but he napt pepper. In closing Frank was 
 punished — down upon his knees. 
 
 5. Short, but against Frank — a facer stop- 
 ped his career ; and Redman, on the bustle to 
 do mischief, fell on his knees. The friends 
 of Jones said it was as safe as the Bank, and 
 the sooner Frank cut it the better. 
 
 6. This round was a sort of finisher to the 
 mill. Redman went to work ; but Jones 
 planted his one, two, slap-bang on his adver- 
 sary's nob, when he went down. The conduct 
 of Jones was loudly applauded ; he endea- 
 voured, in the fairest manner, not to fall on 
 his antagonist. Five to one. 
 
 7. Redman was piping, nay, worse- — quite 
 sick ; and the eau de vie bottle necessary, be- 
 fore he quitted the knee of his second. The 
 Sailor Boy went to work to put an end to the 
 combat — he nobbed his adversary in closing, 
 took liberties with his nob, and, by way of 
 climax, threw him a most terrible cross-but- 
 tock, enough to burst a giant, and in falling, 
 the knees of Jones severely pressed Redman's 
 abdomen. Any odds, but no takers. 
 
 8. The story was nearly told, and Frank 
 was quite groggy ; indeed, the fight appeared 
 to be all out of him. Jones went to work, 
 punished him in all directions, held him up 
 as if in a vice, fibbed and threw him. " It is 
 all U. P. — take him away ; he is a brave little 
 man ; but he cannot win." 
 
 9. It was nearly over. Frank showed fight, 
 but it was of no use ; he was hit right and 
 left by the Sailor Boy, and thrown down with 
 the utmost ease. He was quite gone, and the 
 general cry was for him to give it up ; but his 
 friends were anxious for Frank to proceed, 
 although he seemed much distressed. 
 
 10 and Last. On " Time" being called, 
 Frank got upon his pins, but did not show 
 any disposition to continue the battle. Craw- 
 ley, anxious for the honor of the ring, told 
 Frank that he was not half-licked ; and that 
 he was certain he could fight longer. But 
 Redman was satisfied that the chance was 
 against him, and all the gammon about stand- 
 ing up to be milled had not the desired effect 
 — Peter was quite out of temper on the sub- 
 ject. Redman said he had received an injury 
 in his last fall, and that he could not use his 
 left arm. Jones was declared the winner in 
 thirty-six minutes ; and he left off quite as 
 fresh as when he entered the ring. 
 
 Remarks. — Whatever might have been the 
 opinion of several persons present, who were 
 loud in their remarks, that summut was ori- 
 ginally intended to be wrong, it was a clear 
 case that Redman could not win — Jones is 
 his master in all points as a boxer ; and the 
 first four rounds, to the lovers of the art of 
 self-defence, was a perfect treat. Redman is 
 a brave little man ■ but it was generally ima- 
 gined that the contest would have been a more 
 determined one on the part of Redman. His 
 
398 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 battle with Barney Aaron was one of tlie 
 gamest of the game, continuing one hour and 
 twelve minutes. Jones is a most troublesome 
 customer to any boxer of his weight — he has 
 improved in a material degree as a pugilist ; in 
 fact, it is DOW Mr. Jones, and not the Sailor 
 Boy. 
 
 Buffalo : at the Cape of Good HorE. 
 
 The savage disposition of this animal ren- 
 ders it well known about the Cape of Good 
 Hope, and in the several other parts of Africa, 
 where it is found. It is very large, and enor- 
 mously strong. The body is of a black, or 
 dusky ash-colour ; the front parts covered 
 with long, coarse, black hair. The horns are 
 very thick, and rugged at the base ; some- 
 times measuring three feet in length, and 
 laying so flat as to cover almost all the top of 
 the head. The body and limbs are very thick 
 and muscular; and the animal is above twelve 
 feet long, and six in height. The head hangs 
 down, and bears a most fierce and malevolent 
 aspect. 
 
 In the plains of CafTraria, the buffalos are 
 so common, that it is by no means unusual to 
 .see a hundred and fifty, or two hundred of 
 them in a herd. They generally retire to the 
 thickets and woods in the day time, and at 
 night go out into the plains to graze. 
 
 Treacherous in the extreme, they frequently 
 conceal themselves among the trees, and there 
 stand lurking till some unfortunate passenger 
 comes by, when the animal at once rushes 
 out into the road, and attacks the traveller, 
 who has no chance to escape but by climbing 
 up a tree, if he is fortunate enough to be near 
 one. Flight is of no avail ; he is speedily 
 overtaken by the furious beast, who, not con- 
 tent with throwing him down and killing him, 
 stands over him for a long time afterwards, 
 trampling him with his hoofs, and crushing 
 him with his knees ; and not only mangles 
 and tears the body to pieces with his horns 
 and teeth, but likewise strips off the skin, by 
 licking it with his tongue. Nor does he per- 
 form all this at once, but often retires to some 
 distance from the body, and returns with 
 savage ferocity to gratify afresh his cruel in- 
 clination. 
 
 As Professor Thunberg was travelling in 
 Caffraria, he and his companions had just 
 entered a wood, when they discovered a large 
 old male buffalo, lying quite alone, in a spot 
 that, for the space of a few square yards, was 
 free from bushes. The animal no sooner ob- 
 served the guide, who went first, than, with a 
 horrible roar he rushed upon him. The fellow 
 turned his horse short round behind a large 
 tree, and the buffalo rushed straight forwards 
 to the next man, and gored his horse so dread- 
 fully in the belly, that it died soon after. 
 These two climbed into trees, and the furious 
 animal made his way towards the rest, of 
 whom the Professor was one, who were ap- 
 
 proaching, but at some distance. A horse 
 without a rider was in the front ; as soon as 
 the buffalo saw him he became more out- 
 rageous than before, and attacked him with 
 such fury that he not only drove his horns into 
 the horse's breast, but even again through the 
 very saddle. This horse was thrown to the 
 ground with such excessive violence, that he 
 instantly died, and many of his bones were 
 broken. Just at this moment the Professor 
 happened to come up, but, from the narrow- 
 ness of the path, having no room to turn 
 round, he was glad to abandon his horse, and 
 take refuge in a tolerably high tree. The 
 buffalo, however, had finished, for, after the 
 destruction of the second horse, he turned 
 suddenly round and galloped away- 
 Some time after this the Professor and his 
 party espied an extremely large herd of buf- 
 falos grazing on a plain. Being now suffici- 
 ently apprized of the disposition of these 
 animals, and knowing that they would not 
 attack any person in the open plains, they 
 approached within forty paces, and fired 
 amongst them. The whole troop, notwith- 
 standing the individual intrepidity of the 
 animals, surprised by the sudden flash and 
 report, turned about, and made off towards 
 the woods. The wounded buffalos separated 
 from the rest of the herd, from inability tc 
 keep pace with them. Amongst these was an 
 old bull buffalo, which ran with fury towards 
 the party. They knew, from the situation of 
 the eyes of these animals, they could see in 
 scarcely any oilier direction than straight for- 
 ward ; and, that in an open plain, if a man 
 that was pursued darted out of the course, 
 and threvv himself flat on the ground, they 
 would gallop forward to a considerable dis- 
 tance before they missed him. These circum- 
 stances prevented their suffering any material 
 alarm. The animal, from this circumstance, 
 psssed close by them, and fell before he ap- 
 peared to have discovered his error. Such, 
 however, was his strength, that, notwith- 
 standing the ball had entered his chest, and 
 penetrated through the greatest part of his 
 body, he ran at full speed several hundred 
 paces before he fell. 
 
 The Cape buffalo is frequently hunted by 
 Europeans, and by the natives of South Africa. 
 In Caffraria he is generally killed by means 
 of javelins, which the inhabitants use with 
 considerable dexterity. When a Caffre has 
 discovered the place where several buffalos are 
 collected together, he blows a pipe made of 
 the thigh-bone of a sheep, which is heard at 
 a great distance. The moment his comrades 
 hear this notice, they run up to the spot, and, 
 surrounding the animals, which they take 
 care to approach by degrees, lest they should 
 alarm them, throw their javelins at them. 
 This is generally done with so sure an aim, 
 that, out of eight or twelve, it very rarely 
 happens that a single one escapes. It some- 
 times, however, happens, that, while the buf- 
 faloes are runnintr off, some one of the hunters, 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 39S 
 
 who stands in the way, is tossed and killed ; up to the officers' door, and after the Captain 
 but this is a circumstance not much regarded had alighted in, a company sung the national 
 by the Caffrarians. When the chase is ended, anthem. The evening's entertainment con- 
 each one cuts and takes away his share of the eluded with a scramble for money. The fol- 
 game. lowing is a return of the times and distances, 
 
 Some Europeans at the Cape once chased a as completed :— 
 buffalo, and having driven him into a narrow „ :, ^ t> a x. ^ 
 
 place, he turned round, and instantly pushed ^^^^ ^"f .^r:.."- Ride ^"i o' '."■.. .2fi 
 
 at one of his pursuers, who had on a red waist- Drive 13 54 Drive 13 54 
 
 coat. The man, to save his life, ran to the Walk 7....1.... 8 Drive 7....0. ...24 
 
 water, plunged in and swam off; the animal Ride.. .. .. -.0. ...0... .23 ^^...■.- « • {,;f, 
 
 followed him so closely, that the poor lellow Drive »13 46 Ride 12 41 
 
 had no alternative but that of diving. He Walk...... 15;.;!2!!!.49 Walk 8....1....31 
 
 dipped overhead, and the buffalo, losing sight Drive 12. . . .0. . . .49 
 
 of him, swam on towards the opposite shore. Total, I86 rounds of three quarters of a mile and 104 
 three miles distant, and, as was supposed, y*'^^* ''^'='^- 
 
 would have reached it had he not been shot j^ the last round, Captain Polhill finished 
 
 by a gun from a ship lying at a little distance, ^jg arduous task by running ; at the conclu- 
 
 The skin was presented to the governor of the gjon of which, he appeared very little worse 
 
 Cape, who had it stuffed, and placed it among fo^ the exertion. The Captain performed his 
 
 his collection of curiosities. task in 19 hours, 5 minutes, including 1 hour 
 
 Like the hog, this animal is fond of wal- and 38 minutes for rest, 
 lowing in the mire. His flesh is lean, but 
 
 juicy, and of a high flavour. The hide is so 
 
 thick and tough, that targets, musket proof, 
 
 are formed of it ; and even while the animal Another Match by Captain PorHi. l. 
 is alive, it is sai(i to be in many places im- 
 penetrable to a leaden ransket-ban ; balhs Qn Thursday November 9th, 1820, the 
 
 hardened with a mixture of tin are, therefore, above Captain undertook for a considerable 
 
 always used, and even these are often flattened wager to ride ninety-five miles in five succes- 
 
 by the resistance. Of the skin the strongest sive hours, on Haigh Park Race Course. The 
 
 and best thongs for harness are made. Captain started at nine o'clock, and accom- 
 
 The Hottentots, who never put themselves plished his arduous task in 4 hours, 7 mi- 
 
 to any great trouble in dressing their victuals, nutes, being 53 minutes less than the time 
 
 cut the buffalo's flesh into slices, and then allowed. Many bets were depending on the 
 
 smoke, and at the same time half broil it over event, which excited considerable interest. 
 
 a few coals. They also frequently eat it in a Captain PoUhill had relays of nineteen horses, 
 
 state of putrefaction. They dress the hides but he only rode thirteen of them, 
 by stretching them on the ground with stakes, 
 afterwards strewing them over with warm ______ 
 
 ashes, and then with a knife scraping off the 
 
 faair. The Beagle. 
 
 Walking, Riding, and Driving Match. 
 
 Captain Polhill, of the 1st King's Dra- 
 goon Guards (the present lessee of the The- 
 atre Royal, Drury Lane), when stationed at 
 Leeds Barracks, having undertaken for a 
 match of 100 sov. to walk fifty miles, to 
 drive fifty, and to ride fifty, in the space of 
 twenty-four hours, commenced his arduous 
 task on Monday morning, April 17, 1826, at 
 one o'clock, on Haigh Park Race Course. 
 This feat having excited a good deal of in- 
 terest in the town, occasioned the attendance 
 of a numerous and respectable concourse of 
 equestrians and pedestrians. At five minutes 
 past eight the Captain completed his under- 
 taking, having lour hours and fifty-five minutes 
 to spare. He immediately stepped into a 
 coach, and, amidst repeated cheers, was drawn 
 to the barracks (a distance of upwards of four 
 miles), by the assembled multitude. Upon 
 arriviag at the barracks, the coach was drawn 
 
 Mille fugit refugitque vias : at vividus Umber 
 Haeret hians, jam jamque tenet. Virgil. 
 
 The beagle is the smallest of the genus of 
 hounds (for the largest do not stand above 
 twelve inches in height), and is used solely in 
 the pursuit of the hare. The beagle is re- 
 markable for an elongated form and short legs, 
 large head, chubby rather than long (as a 
 long narrow head in a dog is incompatible 
 with a good nose), and last, though not least, 
 a melodious voice. There are two sorts of 
 beagles, the rough and the smooth haired, 
 though the quality of the hound is little in- 
 fluenced by the texture of his coat, for there 
 are good ones of both sorts. Beagles do not 
 trust to their speed for killing the game, but to 
 the exquisiteness of their nose, tracing it 
 through all its windings with the greatest ac- 
 curacy — the beagle, always having his nose to 
 the ground, will puzzle an hour on one spot 
 rather than leave the scent ; the slower he 
 goes, the less likely will he be to overrun the 
 scent, and consequently will kill the game 
 sooner. A hare generally describes a circle 
 
400 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 as she runs, larger or less, according to her 
 strength and the openness of the country ; 
 among inclosures where there is much cover, 
 or where are sheep-stains, it is a constant 
 puzzle to hounds ; yet the beagle being able to 
 endure great fatigue, unravels the Gordian 
 knot, and will invariably kill his hare if the 
 day is long enough. It is a great object for a 
 pack of beagles to run well together ; a hound, 
 therefore, that runs too fast for the rest, ought 
 not to be kept. Some huntsmen load them 
 with heavy collars, but the best way would be 
 to part with them. Whether they go too fast 
 or too slow, they ought equally to be drafted. 
 Mr. Daniel, in his Rural Sports, tells us that 
 Colonel Hardy had a pack of these diminutive 
 animals, ten or twelve couple in number, 
 which he used to carry to cover in a couple of 
 panniers slung over a horse's back. 
 
 A NEW SPORTING CHANT! 
 
 Block ano White : or a sh? for to win a BET.* 
 
 Oh ! Betty Bell a milkmaid was. 
 
 Most beautiful to see. 
 And she was loved as others are, 
 
 Of high and low degree. 
 
 Why she was prized above the re8t> 
 
 The reason I've heard tell ; 
 Because above all other names, 
 
 Her's always bore the Bell. 
 
 She thought it could not be a sin. 
 
 What other folks might do ; 
 If every girl a sweet heart won. 
 
 Her one should follow too. 
 
 And two as quick as thought she found, 
 
 A Baker first she saw. 
 Who swore he'd baked too many a batch, 
 
 So like a batchelor. 
 
 The other was a Chimney-Swcep, 
 
 A dark and dingy brute ; 
 I'm sure 'twas nothing strange in him, 
 
 To carry on his soot. 
 
 The Baker talked of hearts and darts, 
 Oi flours, and fields, and groves ; 
 
 And of the fire that made his heart 
 As " crusty" as his loaves. 
 
 lliough this may be too strange a thing, 
 
 To be again exceeded, 
 He ate and drank from mom tUl night. 
 
 Yet still his bread he kneaded. 
 
 The man of cbimnies not abashed. 
 
 Stood on another tack, 
 And said though fond of gay attire- 
 
 He came to her in black. 
 
 But soon these heroes bold began. 
 
 With angry words to scoft' ; 
 And though they would not go themselves, 
 
 'ITiey took each other off. 
 
 High words from each alternate came. 
 Though both were rather " low ;" 
 
 And when they bio wed each other up, 
 'Twas with a " knock-doifx blow." 
 
 • The above ' bit of ligltt play,' in the Literary 
 Rinj, without any flbbiug on the subject, we believe, 
 belongs to the Editor of the Omnibus— after the man- 
 ner of Tommy Hood. 
 
 Then they determined for to fight 
 
 For love and for renown ; 
 To quarrel Jikc two gentlemen. 
 
 For Betty and ' a crown.' 
 
 The Baker, though a man of pluck. 
 
 Possessed no fighting .<iki11 ; 
 He owned a fight he'd seldom seen. 
 
 Though often at a mill. 
 
 But with the traininf: he received. 
 
 It quickly changed liis state, 
 For like his bread he soon became 
 
 As known for his ' ligJit weight.' 
 
 When these two warriors sought the field. 
 
 Their courage to be tried. 
 They found although tlie rin^ was there 
 
 It did not hold the bride. 
 
 Then bets were offered two to one. 
 
 By rogues more fit for fetters ; 
 'Twas strange indeed these fighting men 
 Were much above their bit/ers. 
 
 The Sweep came to the scratch, and kept 
 
 His courage up with lush. 
 Swore though through life he'd brushed his way, 
 
 From there he'd never brush. 
 
 Then right and left they pegged away. 
 
 Like two brave-hearted souls ; 
 The Sweep, he met with many scrapes, 
 
 And the baker many rolls. 
 
 But where the ' chummy^ struck his man 
 
 'Twas plain he left a trace, 
 And soon the baker, ('twas a fact !) 
 
 Grew black about the face. 
 
 Yet still he fought — although he seem'd 
 
 'To wear a nigger's skin ; 
 Till the folks, whu saw the fight, gave out 
 
 That the man of dough gave in. 
 
 And sad am I to tell the tale, 
 
 In any sort of rhyme ; 
 The last time Sweep came up to him. 
 
 He didn't come up to time. 
 
 For with the falls — and with the blows — 
 
 And with the fearful shaking — 
 He felt he'd got asmany join^t. 
 As made a Sunday's baking ! 
 
 But when Bet heard that this was done. 
 
 And done in her behoofs ; 
 That men like these — of faithful lovC'— 
 
 Should give such striking proofs I 
 
 She didn't like the thing at all. 
 
 It was not surely right ; 
 That the baker, who had won her heart, — 
 
 Should now have lost the fight. 
 
 She swore she wouldn't have the Sweep, 
 
 Nor any other he ; — 
 Whose only pride, wsia • once a year,' 
 
 A gentleman to be. 
 
 The tenant of the chimney-pots. 
 
 Nought could his grief assuage : 
 Like fires, when raging in a flue. 
 He then flew in a rage. 
 
 But as five shillings were his own. 
 
 And he was not in debt ; 
 He made light of his hapless lot. 
 
 With lots of heavy tthet. 
 
 He grew a drunkard and a rogue. 
 
 And had a thievish touch ; 
 Till ' Ketch' who keeps the Newgate tap, 
 Gave ' Sweep' a drop too much. 
 
 Tbe story of the Baker's fate 
 
 I ought not to forget. 
 Like Charles the Tenth he lost his crown, 
 
 But carried off his Bet. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 401 
 
 ElRMiNGHAM— THE Toppeii. 
 A New Racing Song, by a Sporting Gcntlnnan. 
 
 The books were sijuared, the favourite yet, 
 Maiutain'd his well earn'J place, 
 
 'Twas 't.";iinst the fit'ld, an even bet. 
 That 1'riam won the race. 
 
 The Riddlexu'nrt/i had told his speed : 
 
 The Derby he had wovi ; 
 And Chiffnky knew, against his breed, 
 No Northern horse could run. 
 
 The Yorkshire boys were mighty glum, 
 
 And Pktre's looVing blue. 
 Cried here's this Cockney fellow come. 
 
 To steal the Legeb too ! 
 
 Moxx Rosf and Uaxsan, both in trim. 
 
 Were known to go the pace ; 
 And Brnnstficlcer, some reckon'd him.. 
 
 The winner of the race. 
 
 The Cardinal was known before, 
 
 A prize or two to take ; 
 But by St Nicholas some swore. 
 
 It was Maria's race. 
 
 But one alone from Smoki/ BauM, 
 Both North and .South would pass: 
 
 They sneer'd and said, a button's come. 
 Whose shanks are polish'd brass. 
 
 Twenty to one, or more if you please, 
 
 In thousands, or in copper ; 
 Down with the dust, we'll win with ease. 
 
 For Bkummacem's a Topper. 
 
 The course was clear'd, they start complelei 
 
 With the swiftness of a shot ; 
 You might have thrown, at first, a sheet, 
 
 To cover all th<3 lot. 
 
 Pr'tam, by Chiffnfy, hniifc aloof, 
 
 .Sure of the Day's succe.ss; 
 Whilst Bruhmacem came to the proof. 
 
 To win, and nothing less ! 
 
 They shoot like arrows from the rest. 
 
 And Priam skims the gale ; 
 And now, by Brummagem hard press'd. 
 
 His gallop seems to fail. 
 
 Tliey're in I they're in ! the race is done ! 
 
 The winner ! who is he ? 
 'Tisi5RUMMAGEM ! the Buttons' won! 
 
 Victory I Victory ! 
 
 Now Northern boys, and Cockneys too — 
 
 Au't BIllMI^GHA^I a topper t 
 Come, don't look crabbed, I kuow'd he'd do 
 
 But damme, post the copper '. 
 
 Angling Contest. 
 
 Friday, June 8, 1832, being the day ap- 
 pointed for the Angling contest for a medal 
 given by the St. Ronan's Angling Club, Piper 
 Angus, at an early hour, struck up the Ga- 
 thering of the Anglers, when numerous com- 
 petitors appeared from Coldstream to the 
 head of the Tweed. After their names being 
 duly enrolled they marched off towards their 
 favorite streams ; and, agreeably to the regu- 
 lations of the club, returned at five, when the 
 contents of their baskets were weighed in the 
 presence of Earl Traquair and Mr. Hogg, 
 when the glory of the day was declared in 
 favor of Mr. Boyd, the Club Secretary, who 
 killed with the Earl Grey, of Reform fly, 20lb. 
 lOoz. of splendid trout. A. IMitchelson, Esq., 
 of Middleton, was found next in weight. For 
 the information of Anglers it may not be im- 
 
 2G. 
 
 proper to mention that the Reform lly, the 
 recent design of the Ettricic Shepherd, is com- 
 posed of a Grey wing, and a body same colour 
 as the ftirze of the Brougham, and is found to 
 be a killing fly in any ri\er and rivulet in 
 Scotland. 
 
 At six the competitors and their friends sat 
 down to dinner in RiddcU's Inn. 
 
 The Indian Falcon. 
 Mr. John Ward, of Egypt, near Wantage, 
 some time ago, shot a rare and beautiful In- 
 dian falcon, of Linnaeus ; and not a great dis- 
 tance from where he met with his first 
 curiosity, he also killed a green shank, or sea 
 yollok : both are in the possession of Mr. 
 John Bartholomew, of Lackhamstead, near 
 IVewbury, a most excellent shot, equal to the 
 tenowned Colonel Hawker's late respected 
 friend, Baylis Wavdell, Esq., or the present 
 Mr. A. Arrowsmith, in the art of " shooting- 
 flying " in the field. 
 
 Off-hand Pedestrian Match for 100 sovs. 
 
 In consequence of some difference of opinion 
 respecting what might be done if any gentle- 
 man felt inclined to exert himself as a pedes- 
 trian, David Ritchie, Esq., who resides at 
 Calloch, in the neighbourhood of Stranraer, 
 performed, some time since, a most remark- 
 able pedestrian feat. Mr. Ritchie took a bet 
 of 100 sovereigns with Sir James Hay, Bart,, 
 and Mr. M'Taggart, of Ardwell, that he would 
 walk to Ayr in fifteen hours, though the dis- 
 tance is 52 miles, and the road, which is a 
 shore one as far as Girvan, more remarkable 
 for ruggedness than any other feature. Ac- 
 cordingly, he left the King's Anns, Stranraer, 
 at seven minutes past three, a. m., breakfasted 
 at Ballintrae, lunched at Kirkoswald, and 
 arrived in Ayr at half-past five, p. m., having 
 completed the distance in fourteen hours and 
 a half, including stoppages. From the state 
 of the road, and the nature of the weather, 
 Mr. Ritchie felt rather timid at first, but his 
 spirits improved as he neared the goal ; and 
 after dining and changing his dress, he sallied 
 forth and visited his friends in Ayr, who one 
 and all marvelled to see him look so fresh. 
 Every one who has travelled the coast road to 
 Ayr, must have a lively recollection of the 
 Braes of Glenapp, and those tremendous ac- 
 clivities, the Binning aud Ardmillan hills. 
 As compared with those eminences, in length 
 as well as height, Errickstane Brae is a mere 
 trifle, and the feat performed is the more re- 
 markable on this account, that Mr. Ritchie, 
 from his status, has so little practice as a pe^ 
 destrian, that he scarcely ever walks a mile, 
 excepting when he goes abroad with his dog 
 and gun. 
 
 2D 
 
402 
 
 PIERCE EGAN'9 BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 Herculean Match performed by Mr. Os- 
 
 DALDESTON AT NeWMARKET. 
 
 The above extraordinary match, to ride two 
 hundred miles in TEN successive hours, for 
 1000 sovereigns, made between Col. Charitte 
 and Mr. Osbaldeston, was decided on Satur- 
 day, Nov, 5, 1831. Previous to the event 
 coming off, as it is termed, this match excited 
 an unusual degree of interest throughout the 
 sporting circles in all parts of the kingdom ; 
 but among the betting men it afforded 
 * numerous events ' to lay out their money 
 upon, according to the best calculations fhey 
 could make on the subject. A few of the im- 
 mediate friends of Mr, Osbaldeston, who were 
 perfectly aware of bis *' neck or nothing 
 qualities :" — 
 
 Of Sportsmen brave, who bunted tben. 
 
 The LEADKB hold was he, 
 And full in the teeth of the dread north wVi i 
 
 He led that company. 
 Now through the flashing stream he darts. 
 
 The wave asi.le he flings— 
 Now o'er the cataract's bright arch, 
 
 Withfearle.is leap he springs. 
 And many a chasm yawning \vide, 
 
 With a desperate bouod he clears; 
 Anon, like a shadow he glances by 
 
 The rock of six thousand years. 
 
 We repeat, Mr. Osbaldeston's neck or nothing 
 qualities operated so strongly on the feelings 
 of his friends, that they felt satisfied within 
 themselves he could ' win, and nothing else ;' 
 if there was a possibility about the circum- 
 stance : added to which, if good training, 
 judgment, and pluck that would not be denied, 
 could bring him through the piece, Mr, 
 Osbaldeston must win, barring an accident — 
 although at the same time they were ready to 
 admit that such an attempt was enough to try 
 the constitution and strength of a giant, and 
 would prove a teazer, or trying sort of match, 
 even to the out-and-out Mr, O, But it was 
 well known that he had " screwed his courage 
 up to the sticking-place," and exclaimed in the 
 words of Richard, — 
 
 I have set my life upon a cast, 
 
 And I will stand the hazard of the die? 
 
 But the leary sort of folks — the cautious sort 
 of betting men — the doubtful cove — and the 
 'field' sort of character, who prefers generally 
 a variety of chances for his book, stuck to the 
 Old Chap who never veers to the right nor to 
 the left, but with an unerring and steady pace 
 observes the greatest regularity in all his 
 movements, denominated TIME — an un- 
 doubted safe one, in a variety of instances, 
 took the latter as the best sort of chance 
 towards winning.* Pourquoi ! Because the 
 weather might prove stormy, and the rider 
 
 • When Jack Carter fought with Robinson, the black, 
 at MoQlsey Hurst, April 24, 1816, for a purse of 75 
 (ulneaa, he polished off the man of colour in the short 
 
 rce of seventeen minule.<!, and who had not half a 
 nee; but In a Time figlit, at Combe Warren, on 
 
 and his horses become deluged with rain ! 
 Also, General Frost might appear on the 
 Course, powerfullyassisted bysome of his staff, 
 Messrs. Snow and Sleet, calculated to damp the 
 ardour of the hero of the tale, if not rather to 
 annoy and depress his feelings ! He migiit 
 be out of condition altogether ! The tooth- 
 ache might suddenly attack him on starting .' 
 A violent pain in the stomach might occur 
 during the match ! His bowels become out 
 of sorts ! His head, the great pendulum of 
 the whole, towards winning the match, might 
 be out of order ; and a variety of other little 
 OJ.Tiplaints that ' the flesh is heir to ?" To 
 which might be added, his high-bred cattle, 
 on which he placed so much reliance, miglit 
 not exactly be "all right!" Likewise the 
 ;;^nce that Mr. Osbaldeston might undergo a 
 -K««^uvdry sort of blindness during the race; 
 ^ ^i an uncommon circumstance where so mucii 
 ■jTfcrtion is requisite, t The abo\e complaints 
 wwre all within the reach of probability ; and 
 one of them might have occurred to liave in- 
 creased the ' Chapter of Accidents !' Therefore 
 TIME ought always to be backed as a winner 
 by those persons who entertain a doubtful 
 opinion that the event cannot be accom- 
 plished ! 
 
 The day at length arrived for the match to 
 take place, and at the time appointed, seven 
 o'clock in the morning, Mr, Osbaldeston, 
 bang up to the mark in spirits, and ' fresh as 
 a four year old,' towards winning, accompa- 
 nied by his Umpire, Mr. T. Thelluson ; and 
 Col. Charitte with Mr. Bowater, on behalf of 
 the Colonel, appeared at the Dutch Stand. 
 The company was not so numerous as might 
 have been expected upon such an extraordi- 
 nary occasion ; but when it is considered that 
 the inhabitants of Newmarket have so much 
 Racing continually before their eyes — the no- 
 velty ceasesj — and accounts for the shyness 
 
 June 26, 1816, for 20 guineas a-side — D. Carter did not 
 conquer Robinson in thirty minutes. The black fought* 
 very shy, and Carter was very near losing the match — 
 in fact, after all, there was a demur about it — Twenty' 
 eight minutes and a half had expired ; and the fight not 
 half taken out of Robinson — but it was alleged against 
 him that he went down without a blow — and the Um- 
 pires decided in favor of Carter. See Boxiana, Vol. ii. 
 page 311,315. 
 
 t When Mr. Mytton, also of ' neck or nothing quality,' 
 rode from London to Stamford in less than five hours, 
 a distance of ninety-five miles, he was nearly stone-blinil 
 on his entering the town. Therefore the chance was 
 much greater against Mr. Osbaldeston, who had to ride 
 ttvice as far as Mr, Mytton. 
 
 I Mr. Rogers, the respectable and intelligent book- 
 seller at Newmarket, ubserved to me, in a conversation 
 respecting the taste, or character of the inhabitants, 
 that prints of race-horses were not at all saleable articli-s 
 at Newmarket ; but that he had sold a great many 
 volumes of Boxiana; something after the manner, if 
 . the comparison will be allowed, " that a Prophet is 
 never believed in his own country!" And, vice versa, 
 at Bristol, the hot-bed once for Pugilists, and also the 
 native place of Jem and Tom Belcher, Harmer, &c., so 
 renowned in the History of Boxing, that, at the Fail 
 held in St. James's Church-yard, when milling was in 
 its zenith, Mr. Smeeton, who had a stall there covered 
 with books on Boxing, were totally unheeded by Ih* 
 Bristol people ' 
 
PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS, 
 
 ■103 
 
 of spectators at the above early period of the 
 morning. However, the preliminaries for 
 starting were soon settled between the parties 
 appointed to watch the proceedings of the 
 match — the watches of the Umpires being set 
 and locked up, Mr. Osbaldeston prepared to 
 mount : he was dressed in a purple silk jacket, 
 doe skins, and a black velvet cap ; but some 
 little surprise was expressed that he did not 
 wear any flannel ; but Mr. Osbaldeston was 
 so warm within with the certainty of winning, 
 and ' eager for the fray,' that he stood in no 
 need of auxiliaries to give him courage, or to 
 raise a doubt in his mind on the subject. It 
 is true, that he wore a broad riding belt with 
 whalebone round his waist, which proved of 
 essential service to Mr. O., more especially 
 as he advanced towards the conclusion of his 
 unrivalled performance.* He started upon 
 Emma, who went the first round of four miles 
 in nine minutes. 
 
 Paradox, his second horse, had likely to 
 have proved unfortunate to him. Paradox, 
 like his name, was not exactly to be made out, 
 he proved rather stubborn at starting, and very 
 nearly rubbed his leg against the wall of the 
 stand. But Mr. Osbaldeston soon persuaded 
 Paradox to alter his conduct, and the Prad 
 took the hint, and finished the four miles in 
 good style. 
 
 Liberty, a cheerful sound to every person, 
 •went over the ground steadily ; and Coroner 
 was equally on the alert towards doing his 
 duty, 
 
 Oberon, a little, but capital horse, seemed 
 almost to enter with the spirit of victory, like 
 his rider, and got over the ground in first-rate 
 style. Twenty-five miles and a half had been 
 completed in the first hour. 
 
 Don Juan, although not a great Dow in this 
 match, nevertheless did his work quicker than 
 some of the horses which appear on the list. 
 Morgan Rattler, whose steps should be 
 lively at all times, if he had any music attach- 
 ed to his character, rendered assistance to his 
 rider : Paradox improved in the eyes of the 
 spectators by a more intimate acquaintance ; 
 and Cannon Ball, although not so swift as a 
 shot, and also long enough on the list, as to 
 time, in performing the round — yet the aim 
 was completely answered. 
 
 Clasher, in the tenth round, broke down a 
 short distance from home, and trotted to the 
 finish of his journey in a bad state ; but Mr. 
 Osbaldeston did not heed the above circum- 
 stance a jot, as he was perfectly aware that 
 accidents cannot be avoided; yet nothing was 
 the matter as to alter his opinion of winning 
 the bet. 
 
 Although Coroner proved himself rather 
 
 * The sketch of the above Match, and i portrait of 
 Mr. Osbaldeston, which appears in the title-page of this 
 work, is copied, by permission, from a spirited and 
 beau'tifnlly coloured engraving, drawn by Mr. H. Alkin 
 on the Course at Newmarket, and published by Mr. 
 Moore, in West-street St. Martin'slane. 
 
 an obstinate beast in his second round, never« 
 theless he was mannged witli considerable 
 tact by his able and undaunted rider, and 
 completed his ride in 8 minutes and 40 sec. 
 
 On the conclusion of the fourteenth round, 
 after Liberty had done her work for the 
 second time, Mr. Osbaldeston took a toothful 
 of brandy and water ; indeed, it could scarcely 
 be denominated — refreshment, 
 
 Emma ran on the wrong side of the post in 
 the fifteenth round ; but the squire soon made 
 it all right : Don Juan followed in successful 
 style ; and little Oberon delighted the spec- 
 tators by doing her journey in 8 minutes and 
 30 seconds. Cannon Ball kept up a sure 
 pace; and Ultima was nothing wanting. 
 
 Tranby, like his master, nothing else but a 
 good one, and game to the back bone, proved 
 the best horse rode by Mr. Osbaldeston during 
 the day. Tranby performed four rounds, 
 and all of them were done considerably under 
 vine minutes. Sixteen miles done in 33 mi- 
 nutes 15 seconds, is quite character enough 
 for any horse, without another word. But 
 Mr. Gully has always been distinguished for 
 the possession of good horses. We, most 
 certainly did not hear Mr. Osbaldeston, but 
 we were told that he was so pleased with the 
 movements of Tranby, that a gentleman 
 caught the sound as Mr. O. was riding by 
 him, humming the well-known sporting song — 
 
 I ride as good a trotting horse as any man in Town, 
 He'll trot you— 
 
 Fairy, aye, indeed, she tripped it along as 
 light as any Fairy, — and got over the coui'se 
 in the short space of 8 minutes and 8 seconds : 
 and her second attempt. 
 
 Morgan Rattler was quite at home a 
 second time, when tried ; and Lord Lowther's 
 colt, by Acorn, not only a ' rum 'un to look at,' 
 but a 'good un to go,' was much admired as 
 to condition. Mr. Osbaldeston now took a 
 ' tiny bit' of refreshment, and a drop of brandy 
 and water, and who appeared confident to the 
 echo. But he determined to lose no time, 
 and anxious to finish his work in the quickest 
 time possible, he was mounted again on 
 Tranby ; and, as if he had gained new spirit 
 by this trifling relaxation, he got over the 
 ground in the short space of eight minutes. 
 
 Skirmisher, by Smolensko ; Guilford, 
 and Dolly, were all good ones, and satisfied 
 their gallant rider that he was ' getting on 
 well !' Considering himself safe, Mr. Osbal- 
 deston now partook of a lunch in the stand ; 
 and although wet through, he would not 
 change his clothes. His attendant, or Nurse, 
 if we may be allowed the expression, Harry 
 England, a downy one, wide awake, and who 
 can see his way as far as most people in this 
 bustling world,and who also will never give any 
 thing like a chance away if he ' knows it, — 
 adhered to the good old maxim in this instance, 
 to ' push along, keep moving,' in order to win 
 a race— he got Mr. Osbaldeston again to his 
 
 2 D 2 
 
404 
 
 PItRCfc to AN S ttUOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 work, before his limbs felt stiff, or any thing 
 like chilliness should come over his frame. 
 Few men, in the sporting world, that we have 
 met with in our travels, can be ' trusted alone !' 
 better than the gay, merry, late landlord of 
 the Green Man > 
 
 Ikey Solomons had nearly proved a very 
 disastrous horse to INIr. Osbaldeston ; and 
 might have lost him the match. Ikey was 
 going a slashing pace when he made a floun- 
 der, and Mr. O., standing in his stirrups, 
 shot over his head. This, at all events, was 
 going farther than he intended ; and Ikey 
 Solomons bolted * for a hundred yards before 
 he was again grabbed. To say that the above 
 ' untoward circumstance' did not alter the 
 complexion of things for a short period would 
 be wrong; or that Mr. Osbaldeston was not put 
 out of his way by it for a few minutes— would 
 be equally untrue— but look to the result,— 
 Like a game cock of the highest breed, he was 
 at the scratch in a twinkling ; off like a shot ; 
 and finished the round well ; though not so 
 quickly as heretofore. It is true, Mr. Osbal- 
 deston came in alittle distressed— and his oppo- 
 nents were raised in hope a ' tiny bit ;' but 
 the game of Mr. O. is so good at all times— 
 that his motto appears to be " Death or Vic- 
 tory." 
 
 On Tam O'Shanter he became all right ; 
 and Ikey Solomons and the fall were com- 
 pletely obliterated from the tablet of his 
 memory. 
 
 El Dorado came in very lame ; but, never- 
 theless, the round was done in 9 minutes and 
 20 seconds. Keeping up the ' look of win- 
 ning,' and nothing else ! 
 
 Coventry and RrNGLEADER, kept the ' game 
 alive ;' and Tranby, for the third time, was 
 swift indeed. One hundred and forty-four 
 ^^Biiles were completed in six hours and seven- 
 teen minutes. 
 
 Ipsala, Skirmisher, Guilford, Stream- 
 let, DoNEGANi, Hassan, Filly, Ringleader, 
 Traney, and Coventry, all did their rounds 
 in the most satisfactory manner to the backers 
 of Mr. Osbaldeston. 
 
 Coventry and Ipsala repeated their 
 rounds so as to put the thing beyond all doubt 
 — and success was completely within the 
 reach of Mr. Osbaldeston— a Sovereign to 
 ninepence. 
 
 Streamlet had to encounter a violent 
 squall of nine and wind ; and, to prove the 
 out-and-out game of Mr. Osbaldeston, he stood 
 it like bricks and mortar, unmoved by the 
 rude and overwhelming elements ; but not so 
 Streamlet, the animal turned round from its 
 violence near the fir-trees, and in all probability 
 would not have faced it again for some time, 
 but his master, like the pilot that weathered 
 the ' storm,' steered Streamlet through the 
 round in nine minutes. 
 
 • Comparisons, it is said, are odioius; but there was 
 •omething rather ominous in the name for bolting. 
 
 Donegani, although the longest except Ikey 
 Solomons, performed his round quite time 
 enough, to the satisfaction of the visitors. 
 
 Skirmisher, the last horse required to give 
 eclat to this wonderful match, finished the 
 business at nine minutes before four o'clock — 
 or, in other words, this immense undertaking 
 was completed in EIGHT HOURS AND 
 THIRTY -NINE MINUTES, having one 
 hour, and twenty-one minutes to the good ! 
 
 His reception by the Public, on winning the 
 match, was of the most enthusiastic descrip- 
 tion ; and numbers of sporting gentlemen were 
 at a loss to show him the extent of their ap- 
 probation. Some seized hold of his hands ; 
 others patted him on the back ; and several 
 shouted out " Osbaldeston for ever ! Oshal- 
 deston against any man in the world ! He wins 
 FIVE points out of six, and let any person make 
 the match," &c., &c. He came in like one 
 of those Choice Spirits who think nothing im- 
 possible to achieve a match if he " wills it !" 
 flourishing his whip over his head. A 
 jolly venerable farmer was so delighted with 
 the success of Mr. Osbaldeston, that, in the 
 ecstacy of the moment he complimented him 
 with the view-halloo in fine rattling style. 
 
 Mr. Gully, Harry England, and Tom Oliver, 
 three of the right sort of persons at such a 
 time, rendered him some little assistance to 
 dismount at the Stand ; on ascending which, 
 he was honored by the congratulations of Lady 
 Chesterfield and her sister, Mrs. G. Anson, 
 who had driven from the race-course to be in 
 at the *' winning" of this extraordinary match 
 (to be recorded in the Book of Sports), some- 
 thing after the manner, we suppose, 
 
 '•■That none but the brave deserre the fair !" 
 
 There was no nonsense — no affectation— 
 about Mr. Osbaldeston, nor no Benjamin Bolus 
 required to take him in tow, and prescrilje 
 for him with a face as long as my arm, under 
 the impressive idea — to take great care of him- 
 self! Mr. Osbaldeston is his own physician 
 — an excellent trainer — a soul above Buttons 
 — and a man who does not meet difficulties 
 half-way. — Harry England prescribed physic 
 to Mr. O., as a cooler — a — 
 
 Throw the pbysic to the dogB; 
 I'll have none of it, 
 
 said Mr. Osbaldeston, with a smile upon his 
 countenance, and, without further ceremony, 
 he mounted Cannon BsU. He started at a 
 tidy pace, followed by all the horsemen, to his 
 lodgings at Perrin's in Newmarket, where he 
 made his bow to those gentlemen who had 
 done him the honor to attend him to the hotel, 
 A warm bath removed, or rather prevented 
 any thing like stiffness about his limbs, and a 
 comfortable nap in jBed-fordshire not only 
 composed his feelings, but, in the course of 
 two hours, enabled him to meet his friends to 
 partake of a good dinner and the pleasures of 
 the festive board. Such was the climax to 
 this unparalleled match in the Sporting 
 World. 
 
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 405 
 
 Mr. Osbaldeston did not ride the exact 
 round course, which is some furlongs under 
 four miles ; but by going outside of it, getting 
 into the Beacon, about Choke Jade, touching 
 on the Bunbury Mile, and coming home close 
 to the ditch, he made it a four mile course ; 
 and at the end of each round he changed his 
 horse. Mr. O. had a leg given him up each 
 mount, in consequence of the impossibility of 
 making the horses approach a wooden horse- 
 block, turfed over, and erected in front of the 
 Stand. 
 
 Previous to the above match, Mr. Osbal- 
 deston had been in close training for a week, 
 riding most of his horses ; his constant exer- 
 cise was of the severest description. He 
 hunted his hounds in Northamptonshire, and 
 afterwards, with two hacks he rode sixty-one 
 miles to dine at Newmarket. 
 
 During the match, as might be expected, a 
 variety of opinions were expressed upon the 
 subject-^some thought Mr. Osbaldeston, after 
 he had done upwards of 100 miles, appeared 
 rather weak ; and that one of the horses was 
 rather troublesome to him. Such might have 
 been the case ; but, upon the whole, his cool, 
 game, high-spirited conduct as the theme 
 of all the spectators, and the majority of per- 
 sons present entertained the opinion, from the 
 first moment of his starting, to the completion 
 of the match — that he always looked like 
 tvinning — his countenance was a complete 
 finger-post to his mind. Mr. John Gully, not 
 only anxious to assist his friend, but likewise 
 interested in the success of the match — gene- 
 rally met him at coming in towards the con- 
 clusion of it, and laid holdof his horse. 
 
 It has been said, but we do not vouch for 
 the truth of the assertion, that with all the 
 horses possessed by the parties connected with 
 the above great undertaking, that the stable 
 was Hot so well conducted as it might have 
 been, where so much depended upon Time — 
 a few seconds a loss, but a minute or two posi- 
 tively dangerous ; and at one period of the 
 match there was something like uncertainty 
 as to the arrival of horses ; and also that some 
 rounds had been accomplished by Mr. Osbal- 
 deston before the " lookers out' for spare 
 horses had made it all right. Be that as it 
 may — one thing is decidedly clear, connected 
 with this match, that Mr. Osbaldeston had 
 perfectly satisfied himself (barring accidents) 
 he could win it in Ten hours to the greatest 
 certainty ; that he could also win in nine by 
 taking 1000 sovereigns to 100; and also en- 
 tering most fully into the spirit of the follow- 
 ing motto, — 
 
 Forti et fideli nil difficiU : 
 
 It was the opinion of the best-informed upon 
 the subject, that had the day have proved 
 fine, the ground in a better state, and Mr. 
 Osbaldeston had not been thrown off Ikey 
 Solomons — he would have accomplished his 
 great task in less time — say, from 12 to 15 
 Winutes sooner than is recorded. 
 
 A List of the Horses, their names, and the time, 
 
 which each Horse performed the round of Four 
 Miles. 
 
 m, sec. 
 
 1 Emma 9 
 
 2 Paradox 9 20 
 
 3 Liberty 9 25 
 
 4 Coroner 9 15 
 
 5 Oberon 9 40 . 
 
 6 Don Juan 9 
 
 7 Morgan Rattler 9 13 
 
 8 Paradox, 2nd time 9 6 
 
 9 Cannon Ball 9 23 
 
 10 Clasher 9 25 
 
 11 Ultima 9 10 
 
 12 Fairy 9 5 
 
 13 Coroner, 2nd time 8 40 
 
 14 Liberty, 2nd time 9 
 
 i5 Emma, 2nd time 9 21 
 
 16 Don Juan, 2nd time 9 8 
 
 17 Oberon, 2nd time 8 20 
 
 18 Cannon Ball, 2nd time .... 9 45 
 
 19 Ultima, 2nd time 9 
 
 20 Tranby 8 10 
 
 21 Fairy, 2nd time 8 8 
 
 22 Morgan Rattler, 2nd time ... 9 28 
 
 23 Colt, by Tramp 8 68 
 
 24 Dolly 8 58 
 
 25 Acorn 9 2 
 
 26 A horse by Smolensko .... 8 52 
 
 27 Tranby, 2nd time 8 
 
 28 Skirmisher 9 25 
 
 29 Guilford 8 25 
 
 30 Dolly, 2nd time 8 45 
 
 31 Ikey Solomons 12 
 
 32 Tam O'Shanter 9 40 
 
 33 El Dorado 9 20 
 
 34 Coventry 9 
 
 35 Ringleader 8 42 
 
 36 Tranby, 3rd time S 15 
 
 37 Tpsala 8 20 
 
 38 Skirmisher, 2nd time . . . . 8 15 
 
 39 Guilford, 2nd time 9 ] o' 
 
 40 Streamlet 8 ;0 
 
 41 Donegani 9 J2 
 
 42 Hassan 
 
 43 Surprise (Filly) 9 10 
 
 44 Ringleader, 2nd time 9 30 
 
 45 Tranby, 4th time 8 50 
 
 46 Coventry, 2nd time . . . . . 9 30 
 
 47 Ipsala 2nd time 9 
 
 48 Donegani, 2nd time 10 15 
 
 49 Streamlet, 2nd time 9 
 
 50 Skirmisher, 3rd time 9 40 
 
 Mr. Osbaldeston, at the close of the match, 
 said he would give a plate of £50, to be run 
 for by the above horses. The above plate was 
 won by Lord Lowther's Smolensko Colt, three 
 years old, 7st. lOlb. (Chappie), was the win- 
 ner, and Donegani second (ConoUy). 
 
 In consequence of considerable chaffing (as 
 it is termed in the slau^ of the day) having 
 taken place respecting the above match — 
 " that any cripple, &c., could have done it 
 with the same horses," Mr. Osbaldeston, to 
 
40(> 
 
 PIERCE EGANS BOOK OF SPORTS. 
 
 put a stopper on the matter, addressed the 
 following letter to the Editor of Bell's Life, 
 on the subject : the following is an extract : — 
 
 " Sir, there are men, I have no doubt," ob- 
 serves Mr, Osbaldeston, can do the match in 
 the time I did, and in much less, who only 
 ride 7 stone, if they are to be called men. 
 Many fox-hunters, and even jockeys, before 
 the performance, thought it impossible to do 
 it in nine hours ; but now, the very same men 
 say any FOOL can do it ! If they are correct, 
 pray what can a wise man do ? Double, at 
 least : but, perhaps, no wise man will be fool 
 enough to try ! — 400 miles in 17 successive 
 hours and 12 minutes will puzzle all the wise 
 men of the East ! It is the pace which a man 
 is obliged to maintain, with such short inter- 
 vals between every four miles, that distresses 
 him, from which the muscles have not time to 
 recover. Two hundred miles in 10 hours 
 would be no performance to talk of — putting 
 on the extra steam of six. miles an hour tries 
 the wind and strength. A man riding 14st. 
 could do it in ten hours, if a good horseman, 
 sound wind and limb, and with good pluck. 
 Whoever accomplishes it in eight hours and 
 Jorty-two minutes, riding list. 31bs., will 
 find'' his stockings tied up tighter than he ever 
 had them tied up before,' to make use of a 
 waterman's phrase ! 
 
 Various rumours have gone abroad as to 
 the sum I won, and great exaggeration exists ; 
 some say £10,000 ; some £20,000 ; and some 
 even £36,000. After deducting all expenses, 
 I shall not net more than £1800, owing to the 
 supineness and bad advice of my friends. 
 They would not exert themselves for me, nor 
 would they allow me to back myself * in the 
 Ring ;' because, they said, I should spoil the 
 betting ; and if I would only be quiet they 
 would get plenty on for me. I followed their 
 advice ; but they never bet a shilling for me, 
 but kept humbugging me to the last. 
 
 " ' It was all right !' They knew I would 
 have betted 3, 4, and even 5 to 1 on the match, 
 two nights before, and kept me quiet to fill 
 their own pockets at 6 to 4, which they did 
 pretty handsomely at my expense. I never 
 ■was afraid of any thing but sudden indisposi- 
 tion, and at no one period of the match would 
 I have taken Ten to One about the nine hours ; 
 I had time enough to dine with the Lord 
 Mayor of London, and do it in ten. My 
 friends' advice to keep quiet was something 
 like the advice given to Dawson, who was 
 executed for poisoning the horses at New- 
 market. They persuaded him a pardon was 
 close at band, even up to the moment of his 
 
 execution, merely to keep his mouth shut, as 
 ' dead men tell no tales' they say. 
 
 • « « » « 
 
 " Having been pestered to death by so many 
 inquiries about the match, and having been 
 chaffed so much about the match, and a jockey 
 doing it in eight hours, I thought it best to 
 put a complete statement in the paper, and 
 also to add the following challenges to the 
 whole world, but of which one, at least, I 
 should imagine, may be selected for their 
 adoption. I have named large sums, because, 
 in my attempting or accomplishing any of 
 them, I should incur a great expense, and 
 risk my health and stamina, and it is not 
 worth my notice for less. I address myself 
 to all the sporting men in England, and surely, 
 as a body, they can stump the ready against 
 me alcne, if they think it a 'good catch.' 
 Should no man, or body of men, come forward 
 to take up any one of my offers, I trust I shall 
 not be bothered with — ' it is nothing to do — AN 
 OLD WOMAN can do it — and a jockey can do 
 it in eight hours,' and so on. I merely back 
 myself on my own stamina and determination ; 
 and a man of my age challenging all the 
 world to back a man of any age against me, is 
 unparalleled in the history of any sporting, 
 and hardly to be believed. I will, however, 
 appear at the scratch whenever called upon, 
 both with the needful, and my own carcase 
 ready for the fray. The following are my 
 offers : — 
 
 The Challenge. 
 
 " I challenge any man in the world, of any 
 age, weighing or carrying my weight, to ride 
 any distance he prefers, from Two hundred to 
 FIVE HUNDRED MILES, for TWENTY THOU- 
 SAND POUNDS ! But if he will only ride 
 200, or 250 miles, I will ride for Ten Thousand 
 Pounds. Or, I will ride against the Jockey 
 of seven stone, whom they talk of backing to 
 ride 200 miles in eight hours, receiving 30 
 minutes for the difference between seven stone 
 and eleven stone ; or, I will take £10,000 to 
 £3,000, or £20,000 to £0,000, that I ride Two 
 hundred miles in EIGHT HOURS, which, it 
 must be allowed, would be a wonderful per- 
 formance for eleven stone odd ; and, I think, 
 ALMOST impossible — at least, a single accident 
 would lose the match; and I should scarcely 
 have time to mount and dismount. I an 
 always to be heard of at Pitsford, near Nor- 
 thampton. 
 
 "George Osbaldeston. 
 " Pitsford, Wednesday, Nov. 16." 
 
INDEX 
 
 Page, 
 
 Affection of the Arabian Horse 9 
 
 Aberuethy, Dr., and the Fox Hunter 15 
 
 A new Song, to an Old Tune, by a Cove from 
 
 the West 28 
 
 Antiquity of Wrestling ib. 
 
 Archery 41 
 
 A day at Epsom Races 69 
 
 Advantages arising from baring Dummy for 
 
 your Partner at Whist 64 
 
 Attachment of Animals 11*7 
 
 A Sportsman of the Old School liO 
 
 Animal Kindness 137 
 
 Account of a Mermaid 1-13 
 
 Appearance of the late Queen of France (Marie- 
 Antoinette) at a Boar Hunt lH 
 
 Anecdotes of Animals 159 
 
 Adventures of a Pet Pig ICS 
 
 Alligator Hunt; or, Travellers see Strange 
 
 Things 174 
 
 A thorough-bred Dog hates a bad Shot 208 
 
 A licar caught napping 233 
 
 Archery (continued) 242 
 
 A Capital Pointer 256 
 
 Another Disposal of a Snake 269 
 
 Attachment of Spiders to their Young 285 
 
 A Murderer singled out by a Dog 287 
 
 Antiquity of Hawking 309 
 
 A Rhyming Cricketer 344 
 
 Aquatic Sports ; or Life on the Water 353 
 
 Anecdote of the late King George IV. and hia 
 
 Grooms 3 
 
 A dialogue between two Costard-Mongers, re- 
 specting the Gentleman-Coachman on the 
 
 iirighton Road 6 
 
 Anecdote of Abraham Cann 53 
 
 ■ of King WilUam IV., his remarks to a 
 
 Nobleman at a Prize Fight 55 
 
 An impartial Review of the 8portiug World. ... 57 
 Animated description of Epsom Races — the 
 
 Derby of 1831, after the manner of Goldfinch 63 
 Anecdote of the late Lord Chancellor Thurlow, 
 
 and Mr. Mellifh, of Sporting Notoriety 69 
 
 Anecdote of Mr. Hone respecting the talents of 
 
 Mr. Robert Cruickshank 73 
 
 An outline of Tom Moody, the Crack Huntsman 82 
 
 Anecdotes of " Old Amen," the Parish Clerk.. . 84 
 
 Anecdote of the late Mr. Thrale, the great brewer 98 
 
 A Saucy rolling blade am I, a Flash Song 146 
 
 Anecdotes of the original Mr. Christie, his ta- 
 lents as an Auctioneer 181 
 
 Anecdote of the late Rev. Mr. Bate Dudley 182 
 
 A Sketch of the late Tom Best, Esq., a crack 
 
 shot 228 
 
 A Picture of the interior of the King's Bench 
 
 diu-ing its gaiety ib. 
 
 Archery, as a School ornament 247 
 
 Archers, both on foot and mounted horses 953 
 
 Anecdotes concerning the Swell Tinman, 
 Hooper, the Uox.er ; and also the late Lord 
 
 Barrymore 261 
 
 I'age. 
 Advice gratis to Young Boseis, by an Old Pu 
 
 gilist ib. 
 
 A list of the crack, or clever " Toms " in the 
 
 Literary World l-l 
 
 A Taglioni in her line, in the Country, Miss 
 
 Kick-her-heels 2i 
 
 Account of Mr. llyley's visit to a Tavern in 
 Carey Street, kept by Mr. John Gully, ac 
 
 companied by the late Jack Emery 12 
 
 A Copy of Lord Byron's letter to John Jackson, 
 
 Esq 13 
 
 A Bit of fun for the Jolly Tars of Old England. . 2Stt 
 A Sportsman's Excuse to his Friend ; or, " it 
 
 wont tit J" 320 
 
 A furious Bull stopped in his career by the notes 
 
 of a Fid ale 339 
 
 A Sketch of a low Comedian, Mr. Ephraim 
 
 Mug-Cutter Si 
 
 A touch of the pathetic— although not exactly 
 
 after the manner of Sterne 27 
 
 A touch of the Fancy in China. .•■ 384 
 
 A Capital Marksman * 379 
 
 A match between two Pigeons 380 
 
 Advice respecting Shooting well, by an old 
 
 Sportsman ib. 
 
 A Fowling Piece should not be fired more than 
 twenty or twenty-five times without being 
 
 washed 382 
 
 A tliorough Sportsman, the happifst fellnv.' in tlie 
 
 World 3e.3 
 
 Argufying the Topic ; or, a word or two in fa- 
 vour of the persons who compose the Sporting 
 
 World 76 
 
 Arabian Horse, first introduced in the reign of 
 
 Henry 1 94 
 
 A Jockey in training 128 
 
 A Dwarf served up in a cold pie to Charles I. 
 
 at a masque, to his consort Henrietta-Maria. . 1!Z6 
 A true Sportsman is always a man of gallantry. 144 
 An Apple shot from a man's head with a Ritte. . ib. 
 A Hare run down by the late Col. Thornton, on 
 
 horseback 1 33 
 
 All sorts of fighting have been celebrated 121 
 
 A time for every thing 203 
 
 A Nautical Monkey 239 
 
 A Magistrate's ' pithy speech ' to the Boz.ei's re- 
 specting a Fight 297 
 
 A Swan's first love 159 
 
 Affection of Pigeons ib. 
 
 Aquatic Hen ib. 
 
 Adam, had he have been fiy to Milling, would 
 
 have taught his Sons to box 171 
 
 A Friend at Coiurt, its great advantages 74 
 
 An Apartment of an Author 210 
 
 • Aha, the Fox, and after him they ran' ........ 21 1 
 
 Archery was first in*xoduced to the English in 
 rather an unpleasant manner at the battle of 
 
 Hastings 122 
 
 At Wednesbury there was a Cocking 154 
 
 Ancient and Modern Coursing _ 3ST 
 
408 
 
 INPEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 A good dog, but a capital harci is also essential 
 
 to good Coursing 389 
 
 A Greyhound, according to law in the olden 
 times, was not to be kept by auy person infe- 
 rior to a (jentleman 390 
 
 A bandof Poiigos (Ourang-Outangs) stealing the 
 
 wife of a settler at the Cape 394 
 
 A child suckled by a female Ourang-Outang, the 
 
 Queen of ihe I'ongos , 3f)7 
 
 Angling Contest 40 1 
 
 Byron's, Lord, taste for Bo\ing 13 
 
 Bob Kullock, Ihe fancy Waterman's lameut. . . . 100 
 Birmingham, the winner of tl,e St. Leger stakes 
 at Doncaster in 1830 ; the property of Mr. 
 
 Beardsworth 113 
 
 Boxer, the « orn out 14-3 
 
 Bunch of hives, instead of Knives liiO 
 
 Brilliant Steeple Chase at St. Albaua. 161 
 
 Buckle, Francis, the Jockey 185 
 
 Beavers 27 1 
 
 By Purling Stream in Shady Dell : 275 
 
 Bets as to Cricket 352 
 
 Bill Put-emalong, a Sketch 
 
 Battles fought by Dick Curtis 27 
 
 Bright Phoebus though Patron of Poets below.. . 245 
 Bows and Arrows were the Arms used by the 
 
 Militia in the olden times 252 
 
 Bird's eye view of a Steeple Chase 163 
 
 Bell, Mr. John, the late, his enterprising disposi- 
 tion — Proprietor of Bell's Weekly Messenger.. 181 
 
 Brook Hawking 30!) 
 
 Battle of Brains 18 
 
 Byron, Lord, fond of Sparring. 13 
 
 : acquaintance with the slang lan- 
 guage 14 
 
 British Lads and Bla-.-k Millers 66 
 
 Battles of Tom Spring 72 
 
 Belcher, Tom- as a Landlord 71 
 
 Beckford, Peter, Esq., his thoughts upon Hunt- 
 ing 58 
 
 Bullfinch fence, in Leicestershire, a description 
 
 of 214 
 
 Baboons hunted with D ogs 292 
 
 Bull, the, attack upon Tom Cribb, and naivete 
 
 of the latter— true to Nature 269 
 
 Belief of the Hottentots that Monkeys can 
 
 speak 292 
 
 Bees, description of 159 
 
 Boxing Matches do not tend to debase, demora- 
 lize, or brutalize us as a Nation 171 
 
 Beneath this turf, pent in a narrow grave 77 
 
 Belvoir hounds, a very old established pack. . . . 216 
 Boxing, one of the honourable methods of an- 
 noyance and defence 121 
 
 Book for every body 2 
 
 Siiffalo : at the Cape of Good Hope 398 
 
 Black and White ; or a shy how to win a Bet.... 400 
 Blood, in every sort animal, has a striking supe- 
 riority 391 
 
 Birmingham, the topper 401 
 
 Canine Ingratitude 64 
 
 Curious Sporting Bond 80 
 
 Curious case at Four handed Cribbage 107 
 
 Canary Bird, account of 108 
 
 Colonel Thornton, a sketch of the late 131 
 
 Chinese Gamestress : Young Hoo v. Old Fat. . . . 436 
 Conference between an Angler, a Hunter, and a 
 
 Falconer ; each commending his recreation. . . 137 
 
 Cockpit, the 145 
 
 Carrier Pigeons 173 
 
 Coya, the 176 
 
 Corinthians, the, at Melton Mowbray, starting 
 
 to join the hunt 210 
 
 Come, .Anglers come, for work prepare 275 
 
 Cricketers, the 338 
 
 Cricketing in France 316 
 
 Curious match of Cricket, between Twenty-two 
 
 Greenwich Pensioners— eleven men with one 
 
 leg, against eleven with one arm 349 
 
 Change for the better, both in the manners and 
 
 dress of Stage Coachmen 7 
 
 Court of Conscience — Field (a barbatic) versus 
 
 Wells, gent 17 
 
 Conversation on a Race Course, in defence of 
 
 Jiinglishmen— a fig for Family pride 62 
 
 P»ge- 
 
 Captain D , of Sporting notoriety 68 
 
 Choice Spirits, a description of 69 
 
 Curious and expensive Wardrobe belonging to 
 
 the late Mr. Howell 102 
 
 Conveisation at the Melton Mowbray Club, after 
 
 a hard day's run 221 
 
 Comparisons made on the Flash Language, in- 
 serted in a work of Mr. Moore's, the cele- 
 brated Poet, by the Editor of the Book of 
 
 Sports, in justification of his own character. . . 263 
 Compliment paid to Mr. Jackson by the late 
 
 Lord Byron 14 
 
 Cash, ready ; its advantages in Society SO 
 
 Corni.sh Hug, the, in Wrestling 326 
 
 Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling for a 
 
 Silver Cup and other Prizes 335 
 
 Climbing up a grsasy pole for a leg of Mutton. . 205 
 ConvLTsation between Jem Burn and Phil Samp- 
 son respecting the merits of Young Sam as a 
 
 Bo.\er 302 
 
 Cherry Bounce ; a Parody 38 
 
 Characteristic account of a Fox Hunt 86 
 
 I Carney, Mr., a great Racket player, and also 
 
 celebrated for throwing a heavy Weight 228 
 
 Come Sportsmen to the Fens repair 379 
 
 Chalk Farm, a slang phrase ; explanation of it.. 82 
 
 Cromwell, Oliver, had a Stud of Race Horses. . 96 
 Canary Bird not known in England until the 
 
 Fifteenth Century 108 
 
 Cleopatra feasted by Mark Antony with eight 
 
 V ild boars roasted whole at one supper 140 
 
 Cock fighting, not noticed earlier than Henry 11. 146 
 Count Sandore, an Hungarian Nobleman, dis- 
 tinguished himself as a celebrated Hunter at 
 
 Melton Mowbray 218 
 
 Comparative use of the Bow and the Musket.. . 249 
 Chugan, a game similar to Cricket, a favourite 
 
 recreation of the Kings and Chiefs of Persia. . 310 
 
 Cockney Bee Hive 160 
 
 Come, Sportsman, away, the morning how fair.. 313 
 
 Come, come, my good fellows, attend to my song 375 
 
 Come you vvho love the pastime of the fields. . . . 376 
 Come then you hardy youths who wish to save 
 
 us 380 
 
 Counties of Cornwall and Devon celebrated for 
 
 Wrestling 326 
 
 Come bring me to my limber gad 276 
 
 Cheer up, fill your glass, for while fortune is 
 
 brewing 268 
 
 Coursing, its great antiquity 385 
 
 Coursing clubs in various parts of the Kingdom. 391 
 
 Curious Coursing Anecdote 392 
 
 Card of Admission to the Gallery of Lord Rivers 386 
 Crossing the Greyhound with the English Bull 
 
 dog 390 
 
 Dedication of the Book of Sports to George 
 
 ("■sb^ldeston. Esq iii, 
 
 Daniel Dabb, one of the Crack Club 14 
 
 Doings and Sayings in the Prize Ring, Curtis 
 
 and Perkins = 24 
 
 Tom Gaynor and Noal. ... 43 
 
 Tom Brown and Dobell.. . 188 
 
 Young Sam and Neal 1"J8 
 
 Do. Second Battle 296 
 
 Harry Jones & Frank Redman 3U6 
 
 Decapitated Fighting Cock 78 
 
 Dr. Franklin's Advice to a Young Sportsman. . . 80 
 Description of a Vos. Chase by a French Gentle- 
 man , 89 
 
 Desperate Fight between some Sword-fish and a 
 
 Whale 172 
 
 Disappointed Sportsman 207 
 
 Determined Robber and the Snake .- 269 
 
 Desperate Struggle between a Man and a Mas- 
 
 tilf for Life : 272 
 
 Dublin Regatta 358 
 
 Duke of Buckingham's Yacht 355 
 
 Description of a Sailing Alatch, nearly sixty 
 
 years since •!>• 
 
 Don Giovanni, a crack Sailing Boat 356 
 
 Duke of 15edford, the late, a good whip 3 
 
 Description of a Race 51 
 
 — ; the Club at the Stag's Head, in 
 
 Tom Moody's Village 83 
 
 Death of Tom Moody ^9 
 
INDEX. 
 
 409 
 
 Page. 
 
 Donkey Races at Noithfleet •■ti)4 
 
 l»esoription cf a Cockpit 140 
 
 ■ run with Fox Hounds 218 
 
 Tom Owen's Sportiu;; parlour, at 
 
 Northfleet 263 
 
 Do tiiey ever go a second Time ? 274 
 
 Doctor ^oweU, Dean of St. Paul's Catliedral, a 
 
 celebrated Angler, died at tlie advanced age of 
 
 ninety-five > 281 
 
 Duke of St. Albans, attempts of the, to revive 
 
 the Sport of Hawking 306 
 
 Dirt'erent species of Hawks. .- 307 
 
 Duke of Richmond, the late, a great Cricketer, 
 
 and fond of Athletic Sports 338 
 
 Duke of Hamilton's great stroke at Cricket ib. 
 
 Dogs, attachment to, by the late Duke of Nor- 
 folk 291 
 
 Dick Curtis was as brave a youth 28 
 
 Doncaster for Jiuu/c-iug against Cambridge foi 
 
 iVo6-work 6 
 
 Descriptive talent of Mr. Smithers , (i3 
 
 Description of I'om Moody's celebrated " View 
 
 Halloo !" 83 
 
 Daffy Club ; a sketch of 70 
 
 Desborough, Bill, a well known chanter of the 
 
 late Charles Dibbin's Sea Songs, at Margate.. 101 
 
 Double Shooting, for 2<I0 sovs 377 
 
 Description of Pigeon Shooting 371 
 
 Death, jMr., VVerry cruel to the Fancy. 75 
 
 Description of a Cockpit, at Lima, in South 
 
 America 153 
 
 Decline of Archery after the death of Charles II. 242 
 Death of a Piigilist ; or the ruling passion 
 
 strong in death— the end of Stockman 75 
 
 Death blow to the hopes of the Fancy 74 
 
 Difficult to determine when the first regularly 
 
 appointed Pack of Fox-hounds appeared 
 
 amongst us 211 
 
 Difficult to increase, or even to preserve hounds, 
 
 adhering to the same breed 217 
 
 Do not leave off Fishinj; early in the evening 320 
 
 Desperate broad-sword fight between those cele - 
 
 brated French Marshals, Junot and Lanner... 126 
 
 Different perfections of the Greyhound 390 
 
 Epitaph on a Sportsman 77 
 
 Extirpation of Beasts and Birds 90 
 
 Epitome of the points of Whist 1 12 
 
 Excellence of Yankee Rifle Shooting 144 
 
 Excellent and elegant copy of verses upon two 
 
 Cocks fighting, by Dr. R. Wild 150 
 
 Epitaph by the Editor of the Book of Sports, on 
 
 Happy Jerry 291 
 
 Extinct Animals 303 
 
 Epitaph, on Jolin Small, a Cricketer 339 
 
 Extraordinary Female Cricket Match 349 
 
 Emulation of Nightingales 352 
 
 Extraordinary conduct of the late Tom Shelion, 
 the boxer, hanging himself to a lamp-post, in 
 compliance with a debt of honour ; and as- 
 saulting a Police officer, for preventing him 
 making a second attempt. His trial at the 
 
 Quarter Sessions for the above assault 231 
 
 Eloquent harangue by a Barber, in a horse case 18 
 Entertainment given in the Island of Tongata- 
 
 boo, to Captain Cook 31 
 
 Extracts from Mr. Litt's Wrestliana, as to the 
 
 different modes of obtaining falls in Wrestling 322 
 
 Epsom and Ascot Races contrasted 56 
 
 Emery, Jack, the late ; his patronage to the 
 
 Fancy 66 
 
 Epitaph on Highflyer 180 
 
 Epping Hunt, description of it 195 
 
 E.-ipenses attached to hunting establishments.. . 217 
 
 Effects of the poisoned arrow 251 
 
 Elephant Fights 316 
 
 Emperor of the Court of Fun 33 
 
 I^uquiry into the Title and Origin of the Green 
 
 Huom 7 22 
 
 Enterprising mind of Mr. Rothschild 98 
 
 Exercise, the best Physic ■ • 15 
 
 Extraordinavygrief exhibited by a Male Ostrich 
 
 for the loss of a female bird 107 
 
 English Archers, superior to those of other 
 Countries 246 
 
 Page. 
 Each part he shone in, but excelled in none. ... 67 
 Epiius, a river, that puts out any lighted torch, 
 
 and kindles any toich that was not lighted .. . 278 
 Express command for the Ourang-Outang, Happy 
 
 Jerry, to attend at Windsor Castle, by his late 
 
 Majesty, George IV 291 
 
 Easy enough to diminish the size and power of 
 
 the animal you wish to breed 217 
 
 Frederic It. of Prussia, his attachment to dogs 9 
 
 Finish of Tom Moody, the crack Huntsman .... 81 
 
 Field Sports for March 104 
 
 April 187 
 
 May 253 
 
 June 314 
 
 July 383 
 
 Fancy Parody, " The Minstrel Boy to the War 
 
 is gone" 112 
 
 Finish of the Sporting Kill Bull at Cripplegate.. 137 
 
 Fox Chase of the Sea 155 
 
 Fight between a Terrier and an Opossum 173 
 
 Fisherman's Glee 275 
 
 Falconry among the Ancients 311 
 
 Female Cricketers 346 
 
 Fogo, Jack, Poet-Laureate to the Prize Ring, 
 
 sketch of 75 
 
 Fa.ncy, the, not a jot worse than their Neigh- 
 bours 77 
 
 Fallacy of Turf Knowledge, as to which Horse 
 
 is to Win 63 
 
 First articles required by a Young Angler 283 
 
 Fondness for betting ; the character of Sporting 
 
 Men 50 
 
 First start of the Swell Dragsmau, a stylish af- 
 fair altogether 3 
 
 Flash Poetry, by the late Lord ByTon 14 
 
 F'encing, a few words respecting it, as an ac- 
 complishment 122 
 
 Falderal-tit, a Song lot) 
 
 Flash Description of the Eppiiig Stag Hunt. . . . 197 
 Franipton, Mr., the celebrated Jockey, in the 
 
 reign of Queen Anne 79 
 
 Fox Hunter, the Jolly, too much for the Doc- 
 tor 15 
 
 Four greatest Pests of the Metropolis 80 
 
 Four Packs of Fox Hounds divide the County 
 
 of Leicester 214 
 
 Flock of Pigeons— immense numbers— scarcely 
 
 credible 238 
 
 Flint, Mr., who rode the Match against the 
 
 Lady of Col. Thornton 130 
 
 Forty Matches, and ten large pieces of plate, were 
 won by Snowball, having accepted every chal- 
 lenge, from whatever dogs of different Coun- 
 tries were brought against him. .? 390 
 
 Fair play is a Briton's motto 172 
 
 Fortune in men has some small difference made 2 
 Fifty brace of Greyhounds kept at one time, by 
 
 the late Lord Oi ford 388 
 
 Going to see the Fight, by Tom Hudson; a song 47 
 Great Trotting Match between Miss Turner and 
 
 Rattler 77 
 
 Great ornament to the town of Birmingham ; 
 
 Mr. Beardsworth's Repository and Carriage 
 
 Mart 118 
 
 Gallant and Spirited Race at Knavesmire, in 
 
 Yorkshire, for 500 gs. and 1000 gs., bye, four 
 
 miles, between the late Col. Thornton's Lady^ 
 
 and Mr. Flint ' 129 
 
 Great Black Fight between Manuel Victorine 
 
 and Lalla Soortee 157 
 
 Golden Eagle 207 
 
 Gambler, the 239 
 
 Grand Cricket Match for 1000 gs., between the 
 
 Bury and Mary-le bonne Clubs .349 
 
 Gravesend Regatta aas 
 
 Gratitude in a Bull 3IS 
 
 Great Wrestling Match between Polkinghorne 
 
 and Abraham Canii 346 
 
 Getting the Johnny Raws in a string 3 
 
 Goodman, Sam, one of the Brighton Dragsmen, 
 
 a sketch of 
 
 Gregsou, Bob, the celebrated Pugilist, a s-ketch 
 
 of m 
 
 General Meeting of the Archers in England. . . . 2-J4 
 
410 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 
 George Cruikshank, Esq 104 
 
 Gully, John, Esq., a sketch of his movements iu 
 
 the Sporting VVorld 67 
 
 Game of Une, Deux, and Ciuque, explained .. . 01 
 Gibbons, BiU, late ; the Prize Ring maker— his 
 
 importance in the Fancy 74 
 
 Gentlemanly Dra^smau, the late Harry Steven- 
 son ; a regular swell with the Ribbons— a 
 
 sketch of him 4 
 
 Gibbon's, Jem, the singer— a sketch of 101 
 
 Great Shooting 376 
 
 Great Success of Mr. Osbaldeston 379 
 
 Greyhound, bitch, suckling a litter of six rabbits 143 
 
 Good Cocks of all colours 148 
 
 (ireat change taken place, and iiupror«mients 
 
 made in Melton Mowbray 213 
 
 Goodricke, Sir Harry, Bart., celebrated for his 
 fine kennel of hounds, and numerous excel- 
 lent hunters in his stables 217 
 
 Game of Rackets, explanation of 226 
 
 Good Hounds are not easily replaced 218 
 
 Going back to the good old practices of our fore- 
 fathers 341 
 
 Greece, the birth-place of the Arts, encouraged 
 
 Pugilism 171 
 
 Great creature in the Sporting world 66 
 
 Game, not so plentiful as it is now 215 
 
 Game Cock, colour of, immaterial 148 
 
 Hanoverian Boar Hunt 126 
 
 Hippopotami, the, or Water Elephant 127 
 
 How to catch, cook, and eat a laon 143 
 
 Hunting the Bear 207 
 
 Hark ! tlie horn gives the signal to rise — song. 
 
 Original 224 
 
 Have ilunt, extraordinary 23fi 
 
 Hoise Racing in Aft ira.., ";.,,,.►,.►...,. 354 
 
 Humming Bird 271 
 
 Hunting by Steam 272 
 
 Happy Jerry, late of the Zoological Gardens. . . . 290 
 
 Hunting Frolic of Henry IV 303 
 
 Hawking 305 
 
 Hawking Banquet at Knole 307 
 
 , a Ballad • 313 
 
 Horse Chase upon the Frozen Sea 317 
 
 1 lints for Anglers 320 
 
 Heme Bay Pier Regatta .. 364 
 
 Hunting the Hare ; a song • .... 86 
 
 Home, is home! sweet home ! •. . 64 
 
 He-ivy Whet, a parody 37 
 
 Hudibras's description of a Newsmonger 183 
 
 Humourous letter from the late Col. Thornton 
 
 to a Friend, respecting the report of his death 131 
 
 Habits of the late John Howell, Esq 100 
 
 J low to win a game of Cribbage without holding 
 
 a single Point 107 
 
 Hunting is a game for Princes and noble persons 140 
 
 How to choose a Game Cock ... 148 
 
 Horse, called the Hunter, great change taken 
 
 place 212 
 
 Hooper, the Fighting Tinman, dressed up as a 
 
 Parson at Vauxhall 261 
 
 Herculean Match of Mr. Osbaldeston, riding 200 
 
 miles in 8 hours and 39 minutes 402 
 
 How often have I blest the coming day 259 
 
 His house is known to all the Milling train 05 
 
 He from the world had cutoff a great man 14 
 
 Hare-finders, persons employed for Coursing. , . . 386 
 
 John Day— a pathetic Ballad 8 
 
 John Howell, Esq., the Sporting Tailor! 97 
 
 Inventions of Man to save his Life 235 
 
 I ngenuity of a Beaver at Paris 236 
 
 Izaak Walton, a sketch of 276 
 
 Interesting description of a Cricket Match, ia a 
 
 Country Village, by Miss Mitford 341 
 
 Introduction to the Book of Sports I 
 
 Inimitable Talents ; Harlequm Phillips jump- 
 ing down his own throat 23 
 
 Impromptu— the Lion now has got a stall 38 
 
 Immense strength posse.ssed by the Ourang- 
 
 Outang 293 
 
 It is a pleasant place that Margate Still n!» 
 
 I never says nothing to Nobodv i03 
 
 Pag*. 
 Interesting Anecdotes of poor Hoskins, the 
 Racket Master in the King's Bench Prison, 
 
 during his confinement of Thirty-eight years ! I iVT 
 Importance attached to the Hat of a Meltonian, 
 
 according to Mr. Perring, of the Strand 323 
 
 Jerry Hawthorn's description of Tattersall's.. . . 178 
 
 Jumping in Sacks 265 
 
 James I., fond of Field Sports and Horse-racing. 96 
 
 Jack Bunting's Cat conld fetch and carry 105 
 
 Imperial model of Female beauty 144 
 
 Increased pace of hounds and horses in bunting. 212 
 
 Jockey ia Petticoats : 130 
 
 Inferiority of the Ancients, compared with the 
 
 Modems in a Milling point of view 171 
 
 Isle of Dogs, the, derived its name from being the 
 depot of the Spaniels and Greyhounds of Ed- 
 ward III 380 
 
 King George IV.'s attachment to horses 172 
 
 Coronation Fleet 356 
 
 attached to the manly game of 
 
 Cricket 344 
 
 Kent, George, the late. Reporter of Fights, &c., 
 well known to the Sporting World, as an ex- 
 traordinary character ; a sketch of 68 
 
 Kennel and Stables at Qiiordon Hall, the once 
 
 celebrated residence of the great Mr. Meynell 214 
 
 Killing clean, a Sporting phrase 3SI 
 
 Killed with kindness 168 
 
 Love of Bears 16 
 
 Last words and Testament of Robert Logic, Esq. 47 
 
 Ludlow Fight— Poetry 200 
 
 Love-sick Sporting Willy 235 
 
 Laws of the Turf 239 
 
 lload 304 
 
 Cricket, as approved by the Mary-le- 
 
 bonne Club ■ 350 
 
 Laws respecting Hawking . . 310 
 
 Ludicrous Angling Anecdotes 283 
 
 Little Tommy, an Anecdote 101 
 
 Let Philosophers prate about Reason and Rules. 132 
 
 Lord Kennedy and Mr. Arrowsmith 373 
 
 Life in the Country 85 
 
 Leaping over six five-barred gates, in six mi- 
 nutes, by the late Col. Thornton 133 
 
 Londoners, their pursuits as to Sporting affairs, 
 
 and character 354 
 
 Lai ks claws 1 59 
 
 Leicester, rendered famous as a Hunting country 
 
 by Mr. Meynel 215 
 
 Lend me a horse, my friend Bob, for to morrow 320 
 
 Lo ! Spring's gay herald, fluttering with delight 268 
 Long-haired, curl-tailed Greyhounds, were bred 
 
 originally from the wolf-dog 387 
 
 Lord Rivers and Mr. Gully, an anecdote re- 
 
 spectingHare Park 3S0 
 
 Lord Rivers's stock of Greyhounds, at one time, 
 
 allowed to be one of the finest in England 300 
 
 Monody on the Rat Killer, Dog Billy 21 
 
 Miseries attached to Hunting, a blank day 237 
 
 Melodious Rice Bird 206 
 
 Mersey Regatta 360 
 
 Margate Regatta 363 
 
 Mr. Teazer, leader of a Band, a second Orpheus, 
 
 amongst the Provincials S3 
 
 Mr. Lushington, a dangerous acquaintance to 
 
 Boxers 27 
 
 Members of the Four-in-hand Club, with their 
 
 leader, Mr. Charles Buxton 50 
 
 My friend is the man I would copy through life 119 
 
 Moonraker and Grimaldi, two favourite horses.. 165 
 Mr. Justice Heath's opinion, delivered from the 
 Bench, that persons assembling to amuse them- 
 selves with donkey-racing, women running for 
 
 shifts, &c. are no breaches of the peace 259 
 
 Major Campbell, a first-rate Racket player 228 
 
 Mortality in the Prize Ring 74 
 
 Mutton Chops, a Parody ' .^8 
 
 Miss Scream-out ! a professional singer 22 
 
 Mendoza, Dan, father of the Prize Ring ; a 
 
 sketch of 75 
 
 Mori is, a celebrated Kackot player , €26 
 
INDEX 
 
 411 
 
 Page. 
 
 Match of Wrestling, James Cann and Olrer 331 
 
 Gaffney and George Saunders ib. 
 
 Olver and Finney SSS 
 
 Olver and Saunders 334 
 
 Olver and Copp ib. 
 
 Pyle and Arclier 335 
 
 Match for Two Thousand Sovereigns between 
 
 Lord Kennedy and Mr. Osbaldeston .378 
 
 Modern system of Hunting contrasted with the 
 
 Ancient, as to the time of starting in the 
 
 morning 211 
 
 Mellon Mowbray, during the Sporting Season — 
 
 contains from two to three hundred hunters.. . 213 
 Meynell, Mr., ■• the great, ' and most successful 
 
 Sportsman of his day — a description of 215 
 
 Merry River, called Elusina, that dances at the 
 
 noise of music 278 
 
 Mr. Mellish beat all Newmarket in Coursing, 
 
 with a son of Snowball 390 
 
 Newmarket in the reign of Queen Aune 79 
 
 Nightingale, the 352 
 
 Numerous Cricket Clubs 341 
 
 New mode of Fishing -. 284 
 
 Not lucky enough to hare been bom a Swell. . . 210 
 
 Nothing else but a good shot 373 
 
 Nature and Health defy the Doctor's Pill 376 
 
 Nouvelle Pigeon Shooting 378 
 
 Never punish a man for what he cannot help... . 77 
 
 Ned Neal, his battle with Young Sam 198 
 
 No Ladies at Newmarket (comparatively) 80 
 
 Note, singular one, frcm the Duke of Nivernois 
 to a country Clergyman, respecting the game 
 
 of Chess 288 
 
 Names of the Horses in the brilliant Steeple 
 
 Chase at St. Albans 162 
 
 Now while above that range of hills 375 
 
 Now Fighting's in itself an action 121 
 
 No sooner were the doubtful people set 150 
 
 Now night has resigned the soft mantle of sleep 284 
 
 On the Usefulness of Pugilism 11 
 
 O tter, the account of 110 
 
 On fighting, by a Young Gentleman of the Fancy 120 
 
 Origin and Antiquity of Cocking 148 
 
 Ode to Boxing ; by the West Country Cove 188 
 
 Old English Rustic Sports 257 
 
 Owen, Tom, a sketch of 260 
 
 Oh ! for a glass of Max 268 
 
 Oh f the Jolly Angler's Life, &c 27.1 
 
 Old Shepherd's Dog 288 
 
 Ourang-Outang 292 
 
 Opinions of the late Prince Lee Boo, respecting 
 
 the British Sports 294 
 
 One of the Press, its advantages 181 
 
 Oid CunweH, the pilot, for many a year 101 
 
 Old Melton Mowbray Club 213 
 
 Osbaldeston, George, Esq 224 
 
 Old Father Thames— its delight to the Cockneys 354 
 Ou the " Free List" of good things in this 
 
 world 223 
 
 Ox Fence ; a description of 214 
 
 Oldest Fox.hound blood in England 210 
 
 Open Racket Courts 226 
 
 Oid real Sportsmen, considered finished gentle- 
 men 135 
 
 Oft the Bards of Old Times, and the minstrel's 
 
 gay strains Ifil 
 
 Of all the Fighting men 75 
 
 O nothing in Life can sadden us , 224 
 
 O Love has robbed my heart of ease 126 
 
 Of ail the Sports and Pastimes 274 
 
 On the high Toby spree flush the muzzle 14 
 
 One negro say one ting, you take no offence. ... 2 
 
 On the Qualities of the Gre> hound 390 
 
 Oh : Betty Bell, a milk-maid was 400 
 
 Old Jupiter, a perfect picture of a Greyhound, 
 eitlier to the eye of the Sportsman or the 
 
 Painter 388 
 
 Off-hand Pedestrian Match for 100 sovereigns.. . 401 
 
 Paul Pry, taking a Synopsis of the Sporting 
 
 World 49 
 
 Pugilism defended, by the late Tom Reynolds 
 
 of the London Ring 170 
 
 Pet Goat 239 
 
 Page, 
 Presence of Mind ; or an Alligator deprived of 
 
 his prey 267 
 
 Pilch, a crack bowler at Cricket 350 
 
 Pactolus, a celebrated River 353 
 
 Peter Boat Sailing Match 357 
 
 Portsmouth Regatta 359 
 
 Plymouth Regatta 360 
 
 Pegwell Bay Regatta ib. 
 
 Pedigree of an Arabian Horse 368 
 
 Pat Pry's Description of the Race Horse, Bir- 
 mingham 118 
 
 Parkes, Joseph, Esq., a sketch of 113 
 
 Pugilism ought to be encouraged on the score of 
 
 humanity 171 
 
 Pedigree of a Meltonian 222 
 
 and performances of the celebrated 
 
 Mare, Fleur de-Lis 232 
 
 Poetic description of a Meltonian 210 
 
 Particulars respecting the Duel between the late 
 Lord Camelford and Captain Best— rather in- 
 teresting 228 
 
 Pedigrees of Paul Pry and also Paulina Pry ; a 
 
 rich bit of intelligence 36 
 
 Picture of an Inn on the Road ; a heavy shower 
 
 of Rain — " God Almighty's customers '" 63 
 
 Public Breakfast at Northfleet 264 
 
 Picking up 200 stones, one yard apart from each 
 
 other, with the mouth 320 
 
 Pigeon Shooting 300 
 
 Partridge Shooting, sung by the late .Mr. Incle- 
 
 don 375 
 
 Profession, doubts as to the real meaning of it.. 370 
 
 Prince Rupert's great skill in firing at a mark . . 374 
 Protecting mud boot, and second horse in the 
 
 field, luxuries unknown to the ancient hunters 212 
 
 Power and fine Symmetry of the Fox-hound. . . . 217 
 
 Pitman, John, the first Racket player in England 226 
 
 Pedigree of the Female Jockey 130 
 
 Press, the, favourable to the cause of Pugilism, 
 
 in a national view 170 
 
 Prejudice, long existed, against thorough-bred 
 
 horses for the field 212 
 
 ' Pretty well-bred, or each side of the head '. . . . ib. 
 Prop, the, to stop the efforts of your antagonist 
 
 in Fighting 204 
 
 Peculiar circumstances respecting Snowball, in 
 
 the history of Coursing 390 
 
 Queen's Arms Tavern, Margate ; a picture of 
 
 real life out of Town 100 
 
 Quick riding to hounds, first brought into vogue 
 by the late Mr. Childe, of Kinlet Hall, Shrop- 
 shire : 216 
 
 Queen Elizabeth attached to Coursing 386 
 
 Random Rhymes, from W. L. R. to his friend 
 
 Pierce Egan .32 
 
 Royal Anecdote „ 77 
 
 Races at St. Helena 122 
 
 Rejected Vaterman, a favourite chant ' by the 
 
 Fancy,' on the Thames 106 
 
 Race list, singular one, respecting the Lady of 
 
 the late Col. Thornton 130 
 
 Rounding, Tom, the ever-green Sportsman of 
 
 Woodford Wells , 193 
 
 Rackets, the game of 226 
 
 Royal Plates and 100 gs., run for in Great 
 Britain in 1831, with the names of the win- 
 ners, weight, &c., ditto in Ireland 250 
 
 Rural Sports at Northfleet 259 
 
 Rum Old Mog, a flash chant 263 
 
 Return of the Swallow 268 
 
 Rival Cricketers— Bob Bowler and Dick Driver. 348 
 
 Regatta on the Humber 362 
 
 Rouse, Tom, sketch of, landlord of the Eagle 
 
 Tavern, Cityroad 326 
 
 Reminiscences of Happy Jerry 292 
 
 Running for a shift, at Northfleet 265 
 
 Right-handed against left-handed men at Cricket 345 
 Remarks on the milling talents possessed by 
 
 Young Sam 300 
 
 Randall, Jack, and Ned Turner, a poetical epi- 
 taph 262 
 
 Rifle Shooting 378 
 
 Red House Rifle and Pistol Club ib. 
 
412 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 Requiaites essentially necessary to constitute a 
 
 good Huntsman ' 5S 
 
 Races established by Charles I., in Hyde Park 
 
 and at Newmarket 06 
 
 Royal Cockpit demolished 150 
 
 Rose, Tom, a celebrated Huntsman, belonging 
 
 to the Duke of Grafton 217 
 
 Remarks on the great Wrestling Match between 
 
 Polkinghome and Abraham Caun 328 
 
 Remarks on a Mill in India between two of the 
 
 Natives 150 
 
 Riding a Chase may be said to have arrived at 
 
 a state of perfection 216 
 
 Rough Rider, at Melton Mowbray, the celebrated 
 
 Dick Christian 221 
 
 Robin Hood, the most celebrated of our Archers 122 
 Remarks on the battle between Harry Jones and 
 
 Frank Redman 397 
 
 Shaving a horse ! Miriahle dictu ! 17 
 
 Sagacity and feeling of a dog 32 
 
 Shooting in America 40 
 
 Singular battle at Tattersall's between a Cock 
 
 Sparrow and a Mouse 79 
 
 Sagacity of the Shepherd's Dog 91 
 
 Song T. Y. C, written for the Thames Yacht 
 
 Club, by Ben Backstay, one of its members. . 105 
 
 Sporting Anecdote of the late Lord Nelson Ill 
 
 Shark Fight ; by an eye witness, a native of 
 
 Calcutta : ib. 
 
 Song on the celebrated Horse, Birmingham. ... 118 
 Sports, Pastimes, and Habits of our Forefathers, 
 
 contrasted with modem manners 1 24 
 
 Sketch of Newmarket Races, by a German 
 
 Prince 128 
 
 Singular Affection displayed by a Greyhoimd. . 143 
 
 Steeple Chase for 1000 sovereigns 164 
 
 Shamrock Challenge, Steeple Chase 167 
 
 Settling day at Tattersall's 184 
 
 Sporting with Young Kill Lull's heart 198 
 
 Strange Sagacity of a Rat 239 
 
 Singular Deer Chase 266 
 
 Sketch of the Swallow 268 
 
 Speed and strength of Irish Horses 272 
 
 Shooting Wild Deer 286 
 
 Smolensko : or, a second Eclipse 287 
 
 Sporting Duke and the Curate. 288 
 
 Silver Horse-shoes ib. 
 
 Sporting at Sea ; or, the Pet Monkey giving 
 
 chase to the ship's crew 20u 
 
 SponiuK Monkey 2.93 
 
 Slaughterijig of game, by great folks 295 
 
 Sports in the East 315 
 
 Sporting Epitaph (J. Pratt, Esq.) 316 
 
 Sporting in India 319 
 
 Singular Sporting feat 320 
 
 Small, John, a sketch of— celebrated Cricket 
 
 player 339 
 
 Sussex against England 347 
 
 Singular Cricket match ib. 
 
 Southampton Regatta 363 
 
 Sir John Lade, as a charioteer 3 
 
 Squire Mellish, the late ; always a first-rate 
 
 character in the Sporting world ib. 
 
 Snow, Mr., one of the ' push-along, keep-moving 
 
 sort of folks,' on the box 4 
 
 Sketch of an Artist in the Nob line 18 
 
 the Four-in-hand Club ; an outline of 
 
 the Great Whips at that time 50 
 
 Snuggery at the Castle Tavern ; a description of 66 
 
 Shillalah— description of 123 
 
 Synonomy of the Flash language— a rich de- 
 scription for the Lushington family 70 
 
 Spring, Tom, his godfather 72 
 
 Singular anecdote ; a coffin turned into a useful 
 
 bit of furuitiu-e 104 
 
 Sporting Chant : sung at the Turf Hotel, St. 
 
 Albans 162 
 
 Selling a Horse— Mr. Tattersall's to wit — his 
 
 description of Cleopatra 177 
 
 .Sketch of the late Alderman Skinner 181 
 
 Sports on the River Thames 354 
 
 Sir Godfrey Webster, Bart., his attachment to 
 
 Sailing 355 
 
 Sheltou, Tom, his death 233 
 
 Piige 
 Shaw, (the Life - Guardsman and Pugilistic 
 Champion) slight notice of his character at that 
 memorable epoch in the history of Naiions — 
 
 the Battle of Waterloo 12 
 
 Sketch of Miss Made-up, an actress of all work.. 22 
 Speech made by ihe late Jack Kmery on pre- 
 senting the Silver Cup to Tom Cribb, the 
 
 Champion of England 67 
 
 Sporting Anecdotes of the late Hon. Tom 
 
 Coventry 227 
 
 Simcock, George, the comical Dragsman of the 
 
 Lewes coach 3 
 
 Sporting sketch of the late Jack Cavaunagh, the 
 
 celebrated Fives player 228 
 
 Style of Melton Mowbray Fox-hunters 215 
 
 Shooting to a nicety 374 
 
 Singular great Shooting and Walking match, for 
 
 1000 guineas ib. 
 
 Shooting for a Prize Gun 37(5 
 
 at Penny Pieces ib. 
 
 Superior Shooting, unparallelled ib. 
 
 Shooting match for 1000 sovs 377 
 
 for a Gold Cup ib. 
 
 Sweepstakes for 500 sovs ib. 
 
 150 sovs 378 
 
 Shooting Gallery, Haymarket 379 
 
 Snipe Shooting 382 
 
 Shooting Water Fowl in Sicily 383 
 
 Shooting in Pumps and Silk-stockings— a russe 
 
 de guerre 110 
 
 Snob, a cant phrase amongst the Meltonians, to 
 denote that a stranger is amongst them in the 
 
 hunt 219 
 
 Sketch of a prime Chaff-cutter . ^ 54 
 
 Sporting Anecdote of King William IV. at 
 
 Ascot Races 36 
 
 Sir Henry Wotton's opinion of Angling, " a rest 
 
 to his mind," &c 282 
 
 Sagacity of a poodle dog 160 
 
 Spending an evening at the Castle Tavern, Hol- 
 
 bom ; a description of the company, &c 76 
 
 Super-excellent Sportsman, Mr. Musters 217 
 
 Sir Richard Puleston, celebrated as a judicious 
 
 breeder of hounds ib. 
 
 " She kicks !" necessity of a label pinned to a 
 
 horse's back when hunting in a crowd 219 
 
 Sagacity of the Hawk 310 
 
 Shooting a Duck through the neck at 175 yards 
 
 distance, with an air detonating gun 374 
 
 Singular mode adopted by the Horse Dealers in 
 the olden Times in Smithfield, to make their 
 
 Horses appear lively and frisky 124 
 
 Six hundred pounds to ten, won three times over, 
 
 by Sir Charles Bunbury, on Smolensko 287 
 
 Success to thee, Egan, though I am afar 32 
 
 Snowball, considered the best Greyhound in 
 
 England 389 
 
 Singular, that after the lapse of so many centu- 
 ries, the mode of benti/in for a hare in Coursing 
 
 should be fioic exactly what it then ifas 380 
 
 Sketch of the late Right Honourable George Pitt, 
 Baron Rivers ; a first-rate Sportsman, a great 
 breeder of Greyhounds, a patron of the Arts, 
 
 and a valuable member of Society 386 
 
 Snowball, Major, and Sylvia ; the most perfect 
 Greyhounds ever produced at one litter, and 
 
 were never beaten 390 
 
 Swaffham Coursing Society, account of. 391 
 
 The Swell Dragsman of the Age 2 
 
 The Horse Dealer 20 
 
 Tricks of Horse Dealers 21 
 
 The Dog Billy jb- 
 
 The Country Manager >b. 
 
 The ' Great Comic Lion' at the Adelphi Theatre, 
 
 Mr. John Reeve, and his Jackall 33 
 
 To all Sporting Coves, North, East, and South, 
 
 by one from the West 39 
 
 Tom Thumb, the celebrated American Horse... ib. 
 
 Tablet to the Memory of Robert Logic, Esq 48 
 
 The Huntsman and Whipper-in 57 
 
 Tom Spring's Parlour , 6* 
 
 The Angler's Progress ; a song 91 
 
 The English Horse b, 
 
 The Corporal and his C^t 105 
 
INDEX; 
 
 413 
 
 Page. 
 
 The Falconer and (soi disant) Chaplain 107 
 
 The Frenchman and the Cleiical Horse-dealer.. 109 
 
 The AJiser Sportsman ' served out' ib. 
 
 Tiger and Elephant Fight 1 35 
 
 Tom Spring's Farewell to Ireland 176 
 
 TattersaU's ; or, a glance at the Settling day 
 
 aftei the Derby Race 184 
 
 The Petticoat and the Breeches, a song 183 
 
 The Hunter 197 
 
 The Sailor Boy ; pugilistic song 240 
 
 The Sportsman's Mistress 256 
 
 The Queen of the Bow 848 
 
 The Bank Martin 271 
 
 To a Water Fowl 272 
 
 The Jolly Anglers 273 
 
 To Angle we will go 274 
 
 The Auld Fisher's Farewell to Coquet 276 
 
 The Fisher's Gai land ; or, Tyne Side 284 
 
 The manner of Hunting Elephants into a Ked- 
 
 dah in India 286 
 
 The Trotting Horse ; a crack chant 303 
 
 The Elephant 304 
 
 The Jolly Falconer 309 
 
 The King and the Danish Chieftain 313 
 
 The Honey Guide Bird 319 
 
 To the Eagle ib. 
 
 The Crack Eleven of England 345 
 
 The Belt which once the Champion brac'd 352 
 
 The Sailing Match ; a song 355 
 
 Thames Yacht Club 357 
 
 llie Severn and the Vestris 362 
 
 Second Match ditto ib. 
 
 The Stag out of his Element 368 
 
 The ' Cads,' lament over Stephenson, the Swell 
 
 Drac.sman— a feeling sort of an affair, in a 
 
 peculiar line of sorrow C 
 
 The Manager's Gag 34 
 
 Talents of Mr. John Reeve, as a Comic Actor . ib. 
 The Chaff-cutter's invitation to the Public to 
 
 join in the game of Une, Deux, Cinque 54 
 
 The Twankey Family ; Portraits in the City. ... 59 
 
 Turnpike Conversation — a rich dialogue 60 
 
 ITie Pea and Thimble Rig, worth reading 61 
 
 Troubles on a Race Course : 62 
 
 The Sailor's Will and his Power 67 
 
 The Giant out for an airing — an original laugh- 
 able Anecdote 68 
 
 The Castle Tavern, as a Sporting House 69 
 
 The Lads of the Fancy— a song 70 
 
 The Ostler and the Swell 72 
 
 The Fancy Preacher 73 
 
 True-bottom'd Boxer; or, the Champion of 
 
 Fame 74 
 
 The Fancy not a jot worse than their Neighbours 77 
 
 '1 he Pleasures of the Chase 82 
 
 Tom Moody was my Father, and Tom Moody's 
 
 Sou am I ; an original song 84 
 
 The Advantages resulting from Industry, an 
 
 Anecdote of the late Luke Hansard, Esq., 
 
 Printer to the House of Commons 03 
 
 This World for Odd Fellows was ever renown'd 103 
 ■The Course is well thronged ere the Sports are 
 
 begun 118 
 
 The Pistol is a dangerous Weapon I'iS 
 
 The Petticoat shall win the Day 130 
 
 Thoniville, Royal, an account of 133 
 
 The Petticoatand the Breeches 183 
 
 Tommy Hood, the Punster, honourable mention 
 
 due to a Man of Talent 194 
 
 The town of Melton on a Hunting morning .... 215 
 
 Ilie Meltonian, a Swell from his cradle 223 
 
 'Twas one day at a Fete given at Jove's San 
 
 Souci 241 
 
 The Bowman's Prize 243 
 
 The Cross Bow 244 
 
 The Whistling Arrow 253 
 
 The John Bull Fighter's dislike to the word, 
 
 "NO!" 262 
 
 Tom Owen's character of King William IV ib. 
 
 The name of a Sporting Man attached to the 
 
 sign of a Tavern— an attraction 263 
 
 The Patient Angler , 284 
 
 The method of teaching Hawks 308 
 
 The Hawker ; an Asiatic Tale 311 
 
 Page. 
 
 Two Hundred Cricketers, all playing at one 
 time 350 
 
 The late Right Hon. W. Wyndham's sentiments 
 in favour of the Sports and Amusements of the 
 people of England H 
 
 The Old English Sports do good to all classes of 
 Life ••■ 49 
 
 Tattersall, Mr., the founder of the extensive 
 Establishment at Hyde Park Comer, so cele- 
 brated in the Sporting World ; a sketch of his 
 character 178 
 
 becoming a Newspaper Pro- 
 prietor, and found guilty of publishing a libel 
 on a young Lady of Quality 184 
 
 Tlie Pigeon Shooter's Glee 309 
 
 The delightful Old Chorus to Sportsmen of 
 "Haik, Hark, Away !" 372 
 
 There's nothing gives health like the Sports of 
 the Field 375 
 
 The Pigeon Shooting Match 378 
 
 Themistocles' Address to his Countrymen, on 
 viewing two Game Cocks engaged in furious 
 combat 53 
 
 Ten or Twelve Hunters deemed an indispensable 
 stud for a regular Leicestershire Sportsman. ... 213 
 
 Tawney, Sam, a capital Racket player 226 
 
 Tom Spring, one of the finest made men of his 
 time 74 
 
 The Duke and his Himtsman, an Anecdote, re- 
 specting " field money " 59 
 
 Tom Moody's mode of life to make ' all right' as 
 to constitution 82 
 
 The Game of Cricket, not likely to be adopted 
 as a Sporting Feature by the French 340 
 
 The Elephant unknown to the early Jews 304 
 
 There's nothing goes wrong when the grog's 
 mixed right 290 
 
 The boxing gloves give the true polish of civili- 
 zation to the world 171 
 
 Tell me a Nation who would meet our brave 
 Sons on equal terms, in the field or on the 
 wave 172 
 
 Thirty-two Pigeons went 180 miles in six hours 174 
 
 The advantages of being able to stand up in one's 
 own defence 67 
 
 The public mode adopted by the Chinese to dis- 
 tinguish the different ranks in Society 169 
 
 Trencher hound, description of 211 
 
 The cream of every thing in the shape of Fox- 
 hunting 221 
 
 The life of Birmingham, the celebrated Race 
 Horse, preserved by his Mistress I14 
 
 The head of a Game Cock ought to be small, 
 with a quick large eye 149 
 
 The Canary Bird not known in England, till 
 the fifteenth century 108 
 
 Two bunftred pounds offered by a Showman to 
 S2/ Charles Bunbury for the loan of Smolensko 283 
 
 The Buflaio. killed by the Natives of South Africa 
 with Javelins 398 
 
 The protecting mud-boot, the cantering hack, the 
 second horse in the field, were luxuries un- 
 known to the Sportsmen of finer times 212 
 
 The peculiar trait of genius, to be enthusiasti- 
 callv bold, and daringly courageous .388 
 
 The Sweet pleasures that Coursing does yield... . 386 
 
 The Laws of Leash, or Coursing 391 
 
 The Rational Apes, called " Pongos" 392 
 
 The Beagle (from a Correspondent) 39« 
 
 The Indian Falcon 401 
 
 The Man who challeiiges the whole world, in a 
 Sporting point of view, should recollect, the 
 world is a wide place 3S9 
 
 The warm months the most favourable season for 
 the production of young Greyhounds 391 
 
 Tremendous Ourang-Outang carrying off a child 
 from the Cape of Good Hope 39.< 
 
 The Greyhound, or Gaie-hound, one of the 
 earliest dogs of the chase ; and the original ac- 
 companiment of Royalty in the Sports of the 
 • field '• 387 
 
 The best Hares found in open and exposed places 
 for coursing ^85 
 
414 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Page. 
 The memory of the Earl of Orford,the first toast 
 
 after Coursing dinners 388 
 
 Tom Owen was a boxer brave 261 
 
 Unfeeling state of the Cock towards his chiclcens S80 
 Umpire's decision respecting Mr. SeflFert's charge 
 against Mr. Osbaldeston, in the Steeple Chase 
 
 at St. Albans 186 
 
 Virginian Horned Owl 286 
 
 Verses in Praise of Cricket 338 
 
 Vincent Dowling, Esq., Editor of Bell's Life in 
 
 London ; a sketch of 76 
 
 Visitors at the Horse and Groom, kept by Tom 
 
 Rounding 195 
 
 Various Meetings ofthe Archers in different parts 
 
 of England 244 
 
 Vid de Grace Extraordinaire ... 33 
 
 Various Wrestling Matches 320 
 
 Various Matches of Pigeon Shooting, at the Red 
 
 House, Battersea 372 
 
 Wedgebury Cockiog, a humourous slang song. . 154 
 
 Wolf Hunting in Russia 203 
 
 Whisker, a celebrated Stallion 234 
 
 Wild Pigeons 238 
 
 White Elephant of Java 267 
 
 Wrestlers, the 321 
 
 Wand-sworth Vulcan Cricket Match 350 
 
 Will-o-the-Wisp and Success 357 
 
 Walking Chronology — a sort of Know-every- 
 
 hody, Mr. Smithers 61 
 
 Washington Irving's opinion on Angling 277 
 
 Wrestling Match between Abraham Cann and 
 
 Gaffney 328 
 
 Win Gold and wear it 97 
 
 "Whistle, and I'll come to thee my Lad 101 
 
 Water is the eldest Daughter of the Creation.. , 141 
 
 Who cries the Ring uncivilizes Youth 1 75 
 
 Pag« 
 
 Whale, the, three times as big as the mighty 
 Elephant i4| 
 
 Wolves Hunted in England as lately as the 
 Fourteenth Century ai I 
 
 Walking Match, great feat performed by the late 
 Col. Thornton 133 
 
 Windsor Forest ; its beauties and great Attrac • 
 tions during Ascot Races 59 
 
 When the British Horse first received its cross in 
 the breed jl3 
 
 Wynford, Lord, his opinion respecting the pre- 
 servation of our National Habits, Manners, 
 and Customs ; well worthy of the attention of 
 Clergymen and Magistrates presiding over 
 Villages in the Country 257- 
 
 Wakes, and other Amusements, are the fruits of 
 our Liberty 258 
 
 When you have got hold of a good fish, think 
 of your wife 320 
 
 What a shocking world this is for Scand.il 103 
 
 When duty on a Sailor calls, he scorns to tarry 
 long 103 
 
 With spirits gay we mount the box, the tits up 
 to the traces 1 
 
 Whither, midst falling dew 272 
 
 Walking, Riding, and Driving Match, performed 
 by Captain Polhill 399 
 
 Yarborough's, Lord, Kennel, celebrated for 
 
 blood for 150 years past 210 
 
 Young Ruffian, the, so denominated in the 
 
 Fancy — a sketch of 75 
 
 Ye mortals whose boast is the Sports of the field 280 
 You Gentlemen of fortune attend unto my ditty eg 
 Young Snowball, a Greyhound, sold for 100 
 guineas 300 
 
 Zoology 236 
 
 THE ENt»- 
 
 A 
 

 
 
 . > 
 
 ^•'■%,<»'^f 
 
 •.*r*^^*-# *•* 
 
 
 
A Clevei- Colley. 
 
 I«u<l,on Town Topics. 
 Baroness EurdiMt-C'ouits is usually ac3om- 
 paiiied In the streets by a beautiful colley clog, 
 wliich is tlie gift ot Henry Irving, and which 
 iKis a little history. The actor was one clay 
 drivlnjiover the Bracniar moors, when ho lost 
 hisSljye-terrier, whicli had bet^n trotting along 
 boliind his trap. He uot down to look for it, 
 dirt'ctins tlie driver to iio on with the trap. On 
 the moor he met a shepherd with a colley, and 
 the luan when tojd of tlie actor's loss offered to 
 find the terrier. At a word from him the colley 
 drated off, and after an absence of ten minutos 
 ri!iurned. "Where is lie?" aslced the sheplierd, 
 and the dog, liftliie one p:i w, ixiinted in the di- 
 rection of the road. "He has fjone after the 
 ' trMp," the shepherd said, and Irving, marveling 
 and in truth incredulous, returned to the road, 
 and coiiiini: up with the trap, found his little 
 favorite awaiting his arrival. He bouglit the 
 coliey for $75 and presented it to the Baroness. 
 
 The Knowins Colly. 
 London Field, 
 The sheep-dog trials at LlauRollen tliis year 
 were held at Plas-yn-Vivod. The trials took 
 place on Thursday, AuRust 6, and were patron- 
 ized by a large number of the local gentry. 
 The dogs ran simultaneously, the even num- 
 bers running in one field and the odd numbers 
 running in another, but a fair view could bj 
 obtained of both courses. There were a large 
 number of entries in the Cambrian stakes, 
 "which were open to all, the committee offering 
 prizes of £12 for the fiist, £7 for the second, £4 
 for the third and £2 i'or the fourtli, for which 
 there were twenty entries. In the Local stakes 
 there were only six entries, the whole of which 
 did not compete. 
 
 The conditions were as follows: In the first 
 round each dog had to manage three sheep, 
 which were turned out on the top of the hill ; 
 the dog had to take thotm round a-flag, through 
 a gap in an iron fence, then through a gap In a 
 fence of temporary hurdles, and get them In 
 the pen, tho work to bo done In ten minutes. 
 Tyne did his work well and penned within 
 the specified time. Handy got his sheep 
 through all the dilBcuU points and penned 
 within the time. Janny, a clever-iooking bitch, 
 got her sheep through all the fences, and 
 penned them within ten minutes. Bandy was 
 rather too hurried over his work, and failed to 
 pen In the allotted time. Bob brought his 
 sheep well through the obstructions, and 
 penned all inside "time." Tango took his sheep 
 to the pen In seven minutes, but his shep- 
 herd spoiled the dog's work, and time was 
 called before the slieep were penned. King 
 brought his sheep down In about six minutes, 
 but failed to pen, his sheep going astray. Jet 
 broucht her sheep Uirough the iron hurdles in 
 five minutes, but missed the gap twice in suc- 
 cession, but succeeded, after some nice work 
 ;in penning her slreep in the allotted time, her 
 performance being greeted with loud cheers. 
 Pan failed altogether in her attempt, tho sheep 
 being sent back to the fold. Maddy got her 
 sheep astray, and spoiled her chance. Toss 
 brought his sheep well through the fences, and 
 succeeded In penning them in live minutes. 
 Meg got her sheep hopelessly astray, and so lost 
 her ciiance. Ned brought his sheep well down 
 1 to the pen, doing the work in seven minutes, 
 I but, hurrying his flock too much, he failed to pen 
 ,ln the allotted time. Handy worked his sheep 
 admirably, bringing them through all the obsta- 
 cles to the pen in live minutes, and succeeded 
 ;iii penning them without making a single niis- 
 tafice, his performance evoking loud cheers. 
 Fly could not get away with her sheep, and 
 :never had a chance. Florry began well, and 
 
 list as she had settled d»wn to her work h 
 stray sheep joined tlie pack ; she parted the in- 
 truder, and as she Wi'js working \vell anoiiier 
 dog joined In the hunt. It was then decided 
 that she should have another trial. In her sec- 
 ond attempt she did even better, bringing her 
 sheep down to the pen In excellent time: but 
 they were very wild, and, although showlnt;- 
 creat patience, the whistle was sounded for 
 "time" before she succeeded in penning them. 
 Eora brought her sheep down to the pen In four 
 minutes, and, after some good and patient 
 work, succeeded in pei;nlng within the allotte<l 
 lime. Yarrow sent his sheep astray at first, 
 and failed to get tliem together again. Smart 
 showed some good form, bringing his sheep 
 down to the pen in good time, and penned 
 tliem wilhin the time allowed. Lassie, aitliough 
 only 14 months old, worked well, and her shep- 
 herd had her under perfect control, and she 
 succeeded in performing her task in about 
 three minutes under the time allowed. 
 
 Twelve dogs were then selected by the judges 
 for another trial. Each dog in his "trial had to 
 manage nine sheep ; three which wore marked 
 red, having to be separated from the remainder 
 and penned. Tyne, the first dog tried, failed 
 to get his sheep out of the first field. 
 Handy worked cleverly, bringing down 
 his slicep in good time, but altluuiph he 
 was allowed eighteen minuteshe failed topen 
 them. King brought four sheep to the pen, 
 and succeeded in penning the marked ones, 
 but used the side of the pen to separate them, 
 wliich was not allowed. Jet brought slicep 
 through the iron fence in about three minutes, 
 separated then in seven minutes more, and 
 lienned the three in another m'lnit?, the per- 
 fornianco being greeted wiili loud cheers by 
 tlio spectators. Toss brought his shceu 
 through the iron fence in about three minute-", 
 separated them in about seven minutes 
 more, but broke tlie rules in getting 
 his sheep away. He, however, penned liie 
 tiiree in eleven and a half minutes. Handy 
 broup:ht his slieep through the fence in three 
 and a half minutes; divided them easily on 
 the first attempt in tv.o more minutes, and 
 penned the three In eight minutes from the 
 start. Eora got through the gap lu three 
 mluutes, sei^arated ker sUeep la si-aad style la 
 seven minutes mora, and penned the three 
 marked In fourteen and a half minutes. Smart 
 succeeded 1b separating four sheep, but failed 
 ^0 get tho one away, and In a quarter ©f an 
 hour the sheep went astray. Lassie got her 
 sheep through the first fence In two minutes, 
 aad, after showing some capital work, penned 
 in sixteen minutes and a half. 
 
 The Judges then awarded tho prizes: Mr. 
 Williams' Handy, 6 years, l\ Mr. James 
 Frerae's Jet, 4years, 2; Mr. Moses Jones' Las- 
 sie, 14 months, ^; Mr. John Jones' Eora, 5 
 years, 4. Toss was highly commended, and 
 Handy, Janny, Tango and Smart commended. 
 
 In the Local stakes the judges withheld the 
 first prize. The second prize was awarded to 
 Don, the property of Mi^ William Roberts; 
 Prince, 18 months old, belonging to Mr. E. 
 Roberts, Llandyn, taking the third prize. Mr. 
 R.J. Lloyd-Price, of Rhiwias, who acted as 
 judge of the best-looking dog or bitch compet- 
 iii the trials, awarded the first prize to Mr. 
 James Ewart's Malady, and the second and 
 third to Mr. David Jones' Tango and to Mr. R. 
 S. Edwards' Toss. Sir Watkin Williams- Wynn 
 afterward distributed the prizes to the suc- 
 cessful competitors. 
 
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