EMBELLISHMENTS.

THE PASSIONS OF THE Horse;

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY J. F. HERRING, SEN.

AND

66 A SECOND FOX;"

ENGRAVED BY S. ALLEN, FROM A PAINTING BY THE LATE J. BATEMAN.

CONTENTS.

Page.

DIARY FOR MARCH.

CLUBS AS ACCESSORIES OF THE NATIONAL SPORTS-BY CRA-
VEN

157

THE PASSIONS OF THE HORSE: PLATE I., AFFECTION-BY

OXONIAN

LETTERS FROM MY UNCLE SCRIBBLE

170

. 171

EXTRACTS FROM MY SPORTING JOURNAL-BY THE AUTHOR OF

"SCENES AND SPORTS IN FOREIGN LANDS,' EXCUR-

"" 66

FOX HUNTING IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE-BY CELEBS

LITERATURE :-"THREE YEARS WITH THE DUKE"

FINE ARTS:--" MAY AND DECEMBER"-THE ROAD AND THE

222

. 227

1T St. Dabid's Day. Waterloo C. M.r 6 4721 2 W Liverpool Grand National S. C.

15 T Warwick Spring Meeting.
16 W Belfast and Michelstown S. C:
17 T Grd. Military S. C. at Leamingtonr 6 11 8 1 23
18 F Warwick Annual Steeple Chases. s 6
19 S Oxford and Cambridge Term ends r 6
20 Palm Sunday.

s 6 11 11 4 8 9 30 10 15 [S.C.r 6 212 4 4711 011 40 5 18 No tide 0 15

22 T Biggar C. M. Chipping Norton's 6 1413 23 W Newcastle Spring M. Derby S. C. r 5 58 14 24 T

25 F Good Friday. Lady-day. 26 S

27 Easter Sunday.

[S. C. 5 4918 9 38

28 M Birmingham & Irish Metropolitan's 6 241911 5
29 T Catterick Bridge R. St. Alb. S. C. r 5 4420
30 W Northampton Races.
31 T Abergavenny Races.

CLUBS AS ACCESSORIES OF THE NATIONAL SPORTS.

BY CRAVEN.

"How sour sweet music is

When time is broke, and no proportion kept!

So is it in the music of men's lives."
King Richard the Second.

Past all parallel, the most "discomfortable" winter in the annals of woodcraft, within memory, was that which commenced its career early in September, 1852, and at this present writing is still waging elemental warfare against the followers, or rather, the would-be followers, of the Queen of the Silver Crescent. True it is that when land had long ceased to be visible from the city of Oxford, and after Punch had suggested as a costume appropriate to the chase the armour worn by those amphibious domestics of the Polytechnic Institution, who pass their lives in descents by the diving-bell, that "men" assisted at the launches of the Fresh-water Foxhounds from Six-Feet-No-Bottom. Perhaps it might be that they wished to be entered for otter-hunting. Perhaps it was-but sooth is the antique saw which declares there is no accounting for taste. I once encountered accidentally an under-graduate of the University of Cambridge upon Newmarket Heath, who told me, with the look which artists have assigned to Quintus Curtius in his last leap, that he smoked cigars because it made him sick!

and

About" the morn of Valentine," when, as records run,

“The birds began to prate,"

"Dame Durden's servants, maids and men,
They all began to mate,"

(no doubt it was a more open season than that of 1853), the universal slough froze, and composed itself into thick ice, thereby aggravating its despond. We don't sleigh now in merrie England. The rare occurrence of satisfactory ice is certainly "a heavy blow" to that most exhilarating sport; and ungracious as such effect appears in company of so gracious cause, I solemnly believe the reception given to its visits" few and far between"-by the Royal Humane Society, acts as a "great discouragement." One cannot help feeling poignantly the baseness of that ingratitude which withdraws the skate from the foot of him who becomes conscious of the philanthropic forethought that has made provision whereby he shall, en cas de besoin, be “unsuffocated gratis." It is all over with the leash, as a matter of course; and with game-shooting, by due process of law. You are

not disposed to "peel" for a match at cricket? and with the present average of underwriting at Lloyd's before your eyes, you will eschew a yacht-flit to the Mediterranean. Ducks and widgeons and teals prevail on the coasts of Hants, and thence westward; and rheumatism everywhere. Suppose, then, we make a snug day or so of it. "Sublime tobacco" agrees with me-I trust you take no inconvenience when you inhale? With a cup of café noir and a weed" according with your flavour, reposing on your favour we will do a bit of theory apropos, seeing practical sporting there may not be.

Pope tells us-Alexander of that ilk, not Pius the Ninth! (what a family that prelate must have come of, in an age when just people are so scarce!)-Pope, the poet of Twickenham, tells us, "the proper study of mankind is man." He has, however, forborne to divulge the name of the science, being a well-bred person, and versed in the vocabulary pleasant to cars polite. Following so illustrious a fugleman of good taste, we will deal illustratively with this anonymous art. In the year 1851 a temple, especially dedicated to that contemplation, was opened in Hyde Park, conventionally called "The Crystal Palace." It was presented to public patronage under the highest auspices in the land, as "The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations." As "a tree is known by its fruit," within this gorgeous palace of glass mankind were invited to study productive man; to note the good things "the industry of all nations' had provided for them; and exceedingly to rejoice at their happy fortune in being cared for with such prodigality of providence, albeit the Royal Commissioners, and eke the Executive Committee, were not only sane, but unusually subtle representatives of the political economy of this most practical of civilized communities, and knew, as well as their domestic rubric, that the show boots and shoes, teas and sugars, tables and chairs, jewels of gold and silver, tobaccos and spices-in short, that all the necessaries and unnecessaries of life then and there submitted to them, and by them to a discerning public, bore as much resemblance to the ordinary quality of wares of their classes retailed in bazaars and shops, as the luscious fatness of the turtle, flavoured with ice-punch, and dispensed in Guildhall by my Lord Mayor, for the comfort and consolation of his own proper stomach, the palates of his guests, and the honour of the good City of London, to the water-bewitched issued by the Leicester Square Soup-Kitchen for the soft sweet sake of charity. Thus was it written in the gorgeous quarto with gilt edges, for the learning of the million. Anon the temple sparkling submits another version-a second edition of the original work-for universal "study," with one purpose or so it is said-but certainly on a different principle. It is about to become a speculative investment; but none the less for that-oh! no-"pro bono publico;" but, on the contrary, so far more earnest and constant of effect than in its antecedents, that it is designed to turn it to profitable account during the seven days of the week. Thus shall Great Britain be rescued from the reproach of filching from the poor the sole twenty-four hours they can call their own, and inhumanly ordaining that the people shall "keep holy the Sabbathday." So shall it be for the glory of Sydenham that there was published the Magna Charta which, by the canon of the country

"fair play "for ever sets free and throws open every place of public amusement in the three kingdoms, from and after the hour of one P.M., on every Sunday throughout the year. The new mission of the Crystal Palace is to rescue from the clutches of a base and brutal bigotry fifty-two days of the three hundred and sixty-five; to weau hard labour from pipes and ale, and inoculate it for the Fine Arts.

When Cervantes philosophized-or, to speak by the book, played the philosopher, the battle of life was skirmished with pop-guns; now it is fought with Warner's long-range, Minie rifles, Colt's revolvers, and no quarter participated. Folly was grotesque in the days of Don Quixote; now it is grim. The Spanish knight was folly in cap and bells, or rather, cap-à-pie; modern humbug is a serious arrant; you "bear it" because you can't help yourself, but you don't "grin." Sydney Smith-an especial authority on such subjects-tells us that the autocrats of letters-the absolute quarterlies, which "hushed academy hears," and shakes in its slippers, were neither more nor less, when first he made their acquaintance, than booksellers' puffs prepense-so much solid pudding for so much empty praise. This has he put on record; and no doubt his record is true. Nevertheless the same scheme enabled the Balm of Gilead to discount its gulls at ten thousand per cent. premium, and Mordecai and Co. are, by similar machinery, selling mouldy rags for "fashionable garments." You've seen Punch's Pantomime, as conventionally enacted al fresco? The rascal laughs at you-not in his sleeve, but in your own face; he makes a fool of you-he knows he does-you know he does; you give him sixpence, and are ready to do so again when next he repeats his performance. Now Punch's Show is a passage of world-wide popular philosophy: we recognize and receive it as the double of our own identities. Punch bamboozles the Prince of Darkness; Bull calls members of the House of Commons the representatives of the people. Judy suffers herself to be knocked over the mazzard, as though she were to the matter made; Britannia owes more money than there exists on the face of the earth, and has everlasting tick for the asking. Who is the last person in the world you would consult upon a case of glanders? probably the gentleman in Smithfield who is manoeuvring to stick the patient into you. Do you ask the opinion of those associated with your worldly pursuits— whose interests you are conscious it is to lead you astray-to throw dust in your eyes? It is not likely. Do you tell him from whom you look to inherit a fat legacy, that his last hour has come-that the hand of death has got him by the collar? Do you tread where it is obvious you must tumble? Do you seek bread, and provide yourself with a stone?

And yet it is not only on the assumption, but on the proof, that such perversity of instinct pervades the practice of mankind, that worldly wisdom sets about its dirty work. Give ear to the Horatian axiom......

"Segnius irritant animos demissa per aurem,
Quam quæ sunt oculis subjecta fidelibus."

Upon this proposition class journalism founds its claim to lead the reader by the nose, if he wear spectacles; or to juggle the more clear