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pocket to purchase a breakfast the next morning. Such are some of the advantages of mixing with society.

But then it has often been "flung in my teeth," that the fancy has very bad members belonging to it: too many bad members, I must admit, it has attached to its pursuits; but, by comparison to the 'MOUNTAIN Or GOOD ONES,' who still remain in the sporting world, they must be viewed as a mere speck. But might I not retort 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 abominable 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 conclusionthere are BAD and GOOD of all grades; and that the members of the sporting world are not worse than their neighbours.

In conclusion, I have only to observe that the Castle Tavern is open at all times to the visitor, either 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 above 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" I was sorry that I was 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 majesty, for which purpose the prickers are appointed 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 to govern his horse, rode past 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 exclaimed, in the most good-natured manner, Stop, stop!- -never punish a man for what he cannot help.”

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AN EPITAPH ON A SPORTSMAN. Beneath this turf, pent in a narrow grave, Lies a true sportsman, generous, great, and brave; It was his principal, and greatest pride, To have a fowling-bag slung by his side; Thro' woods and fields to labour, toil, and run, In quest of game, with pointer, scrip, and gun. His random shot was seldom known to spare, The woodcock, pheasant, or the tim'rous hare: Till death (that sable lurcher) lay conceal'd, Surpris'd, and shot our hero in the field; Then in this covert may he safely rest, Till rous'd to join with covies of the blest!

GREAT TROTTING MATCH BETWEEN MISS TURNER AND RATTLER.

The above match, which excited so much interest in the Sporting World, between Rattler, (the American horse,) and Miss Turner, (the Welsh mare,) for 200 sovereigns, was decided on Saturday, April 25th, 1829, over ten miles of ground, between Cambridge aud Godmanchester, 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. Miss Turner had been in training at Smitham-bottom, Surrey, for two months, and was completely up to the mark. Both were in Cambridge on FridayRattler 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, place of trotting, and some other necessary preliminaries were adjusted; 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 William 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 round with list, to prevent his feet from slipping; he rode with a common snaffle bit and martingale. 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 mare a chesnut; both were about the same size, fifteen hands two inches, and in age we believe they were 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 American was trotted up and down several times and at last the groom, whose appearance was any thing but of the dandy-cut,exclaimed to his master, that he was full ready for his jump; and, indeed, the fire and vigour which the animal 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 Mr. Angles for the proprietor of the mare. The former, of course, rode with the mare, and the latter with the horse, with the understanding,

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 spanking 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 unwisely, 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 vigour, while Rattler continued to stretch farther a-head. Shortly before she reached the fifth mile the mare again broke twice, and was turned, 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 produced such a degree of irritation, that it required all the 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 continuance of this unfair conduct: but the effect 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 difficulty 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, having 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 thirty-one minutes, fortytwo 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 saying, 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 pronouned 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 master intends her, must be highly valuable. On being pulled up, both were somewhat distressed; and we need not say, that the horses of umpires and followers, which were kept at the top of their galloping speed the whole distance, were not a little blown at the conclusion 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 10st. 5lbs. With this the umpire of the mare expressed himself perfectly satisfied, 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 2001. to 5000l.

THE DECAPITATED FIGHTING COCK!
The Cock 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 question was scarcely asked, when the applicant drew forth from under her silk cloak the headless body of a cock, 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, your worship, you see my cock without a head.'

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The display of the dead cock, and the emotion 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. 'Well madam,' inquired Mr. Chambers, how came your cock in that condition, with its head cut off.' Applicant, still weeping, Your worship, the poor thing's head was struck off by Mr. Glasscock, my next door neighbour, with a sabre, while his cock and my coch 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. Chambers inquired how the cocks came to engage with one another; whether they had been matched to fight by the applicant? The applicant said that her cock got over the wall into Mr. Glasscock'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 applicant 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 redress. You can summon Mr. Glasscock 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.'

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Singular Battle at Tattersall's between

A COCK SPARROW AND A MOUSE. At the above highly famed Sporting Establishment, the visitors, some time since, were interested upon the following accidental turnup, 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 attacked the SPARROW, seized upon the crumb of bread, and endeavoured to run off with his prize. The SPARROW immediately showed fight; and nobbed the MOUSE So successfully with his beak, that MOUSEY 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 and fast, 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 remarks in that of George I., speaking of Newmarket, 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

land; one day he lost 1000 guineas, the next he won 2000; and so alternately. He made 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 unconcerned, 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 could 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 the 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 management 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 rubbed after the first heat.

"Here I fancied myself in the Circus Maximus 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 coffeehouses 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."

CURIOUS BOND.

The following Bond, given for breaking of a setter, shows the price of such labour upwards of a century ago, and the nature of the contract to perform it.

Ribbesford, 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 shillings of lawful English money, this day received of Henry Hurbert, of Ribbesford, in the said county, Esq., and of thirty shillings more 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 the day of the date hereof, until the first day of March next, well and sufficiently maintain and keep a Spanish bitch, named

Quand, this day delivered into my custody by the said Henry Hurbert, and will, before the first day of March next,fully and effectually 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 taught, 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, 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 mentioned.

"Witness my hand and seal, the day and year first above written.

"JOHN HARRIS. his mark "Sealed and delivered in the presence of "H. PAYNE. 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 receiving insults from those whom he had protected, and being denied a meal by those whom he had once fed, fortune, in one of her vagaries, presented him with another 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 your late misfortunes ?” enquired the doctor. "Lawyers, quacks, gamesters, and footmen," replied the applicant. "The four greatest pests of your metropolis," rejoined Franklin. "But poisons (continued the doctor) in the political, as well as medical world, may, when judiciously applied, become antidotes to each other; my advice, therefore, is, that you remember the past conduct of the lawyers; this remembrance will teach you not 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 adventurers;' and by this your vigilance will be excited to take care of your ready money: as to the idleness and insolence 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."

Printed for Thomas Tegg, Cheapside, by John Haddon, Castle Street, Finsbury.

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The "FINISH" of TOM MOODY-the crack Huntsman !

"GONE TO EARTH!"

One favor bestow-'tis the last I shall crave,
Give a rattling view halloo, thrice over my 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 huntsmen, in general, independant of their feats in the chase, might almost be contained in the space of a few nut shells. From the best information that we could obtain from a very old Shropshire huntsman, respecting the late TOM MOODY, we understand that for upwards 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.

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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 nothing to rifle his thoughts; to plague his mind; or to put him on the fret respecting his finances. Day light opened

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