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Sporting Portraits. No. VII.

No. VII.

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now engaged in the fervice of his | from what caufe, (whether a want country, fighting thofe battles of perfonal enjoyment), it is uncerthat every humane mind is in-tain, his R. H. hunted but little terested in, and every, good heart himfelf; when at length, entering anxiously wishes fuccefs to. The into that fcene of connubial comentre of his H. upon the TURF, fort, that contracts the rays of was made under the wing of an pleasure to a domestic focus, orders elder brother, to whofe wifhes, were immediately given for a dif (more from fraternal affection, pofal of bounds, borjes, and reduc than perfonal gratification) he tion of retinue, that has enabled became obedient, and entered his his R. H. to give a brilliancy to name to a variety of fweepstakes his former establishment, even in and fubfcriptions, at the de- the moment of its annihilation, cifions of which he was feldom by moft honourably difcharging eprefent, or more engaged than to very demand upon his PURSE as a depofit his stakes, the taking up MAN, and his LIBERALITY as a or return of which, was a matter PRINCE. that is well known to (feldom or ever) have given him the leaft perfonal trouble or concern. Seem- THE portrait before us, is ing to be but little delighted with certainly one of the oldeft and the perpetual famenefs of hunt- leaft fluctuating members of a ing with the ftag hounds of his fa- certain club at Newmarket; he ther, he adopted the more noble has had the most numerous and purfuit of the rox, and purchafed fuccefsful ftud in training for a pack of hounds, that, had they upwards of thirty years, of any continued under the fame patron- fubject in the kingdom; and has age and fuperintendance, would fulfilled every engagement to an have ranked with the firft in the immenfe annual amount, with a kingdom. His diftrict, though punctuality unaccufed, and a large, (extended from Chertley confiftency of character the most and Guildford, in Surrey, to Far- unfullied. And it muft conley Hill, and the banks of the ftitute no trifling gratification of Thames, in Berks), was not the perfonal ambition, that a line of best calculated for the fport; but between forty and fifty of his that no one thing might be wanting horfes in training at one time, with to constitute a certainty, thirty-five the uniformity of the CLOATHS, brace of foreign foxes were turned LADS and LIVERIES, has difout in one week, upon every part played one of the richest scenes of the diftrict; the good effects of in SPLENDOR and OPULENCE this which will be evident for years to kingdom has ever been known to fuch of the neighbouring pack as produce. Report, and those idle hunt fox when they find them. chroniclers-the party-coloured proHis hunters and retinue were like-itituted prints of diurnal produc wife in the higheft ftile of magni- tion, have, from temporary events, ficence, the FARMERS to the a- and momentary effects, ranked mount of HUNDREDS, were ele-him a confiderable lofer by his gantly entertained ANNUALLY in engagements upon the Turf; their different neighbourhoods, and while thofe, who have more acthe fport continued for two feafons curately analized "The RACING in a fingular state of celebrity; but CALENDAR" for the last twenty

years,

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Sporting Portraits. No. VIII.

years, will obferve his winnings to readily ascertained; that having have been no lefs, upon a standing been compleated, it must fuffice to average, than four, five, or fix add, that in the very zenith of thoufand per annum; eftimating equeftrian competition, when the the emolument as they arofe only TURF teemed with a fuperflux of from the STAKES, without advert- adventurers, he was the MAINing to what in general (the bet- SPRING that gave action to the ting) becomes much more confi- whole: in the lefs fertile and less derable. glorious meetings of the last few When we contemplate the vi- years, his endeavours have not ciffitudes fo frequently arifing been lefs ftrenuous, and to him from a conftant attendance upon alone may be fairly and juftly the Turf; when we take even a attributed the emerging profpect tranfient furvey of the variegated of renovation in the weepstakes, adventures of its numerous vo- fubfcriptions, and matches of the taries; but particularly when we prefent year, without whofe perform the contrast between a life fonal exertions every fporting deof difinterested liberality on one partment, except in the North, a fide, and the most abandoned vil- very few months fince, held forth a lainy, the most invincible pro- moft unpromising fterility. fligacy and diffipation on the other, we can but admire the lights, fhades and reliefs of this piece, as

No. VIII.

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IS a moft correct and beautiful a model for imitation. representation of one of the greatamidft all the fplendid fcenes eft, moft glorious, diftinguifhed and of fublunary brilliancies to which independent characters this kingdom the original was born, his career has ever had to boast. Whether of domeftic comfort was totally we advert to his abilities as a deftroyed, by the interpofition of SENATOR, his perfeverance as a ROYAL PREROGATIVE, and fo re- PATRIOT, his punctuality as cent is the fublimity of the cor- SPORTSMAN, or his fupport of refpondence and the infamy fo dignity in the SCALE of SOCIETY, that feduction in every memory, we fhall find him equally entitled that there is hardly a FATHER or to our refpect and admiration. a HUSBAND exifting, who cannot Like his predeceffors in the powith the most impreffive fenfa- litical hemifphere of former tions of fympathy, readily con- æras, he has been fubject to ceive the almoft annihilated state the viciffitudes of popular fluche ftood in, when (invoking tuations; but amidft fuch chanHeaven to grant him patience), ges (fo vifibly dependent upon with uplifted hands he exclaimed, times, feafons, fashion, and in the most agonizing defpon- price), he has ever been condency "Behold me here a man fidered the ftaunch friend of more finned against than finning." the people, and an invariable To enlarge upon tranfactions, fupporter of the conftitution. that can only ferve to renew a However POLITICAL OPINIONS fcene of difquietude, is not the may vary, refpecting the purity purport of this retrospection; it of his principles, no man living is introduced only as an enliven- will prefume to declare he has ing ray of light, to relieve a ever attempted pecuniary deprefeature from the canvass, by dations upon the REVENUE of which the likeness may be more his COUNTRY on one part, or the

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purse

Sporting Portraits. No. VIII.

ཞིགས། །

103

purfe of the public on the other. mined villainy; in habitual sub. An ORATOR from his infancy, fervience to which, a very conand a SPORTSMAN by the effect of fiderable property became tointuition, or the prevalence of tally appropriate. His engagefashion, it can create no furprize ments upon the TURF were not that we find him a blazing comet the most numerous, but, of the 'moit of the SENATE, and a member of HONOURABLE kind; his conthe JOCKEY CLUB, immediately federacy was with his moft inafter his emancipation from the timate friend the late Lord F-y, dreary dictates of the more dreary and fo ftrictly JUST and EQUITAdrudgery of collegiate tyranny, BLE were they in the most miand fcholaftic fubordination. In nute and trifling part of their his initiation to the 66 mufic of concerns, that neither envy, prethe bones," or the pleafures of the judice, or the fpirit of oppofition turf, eternal loffes paved his way, has ever prefumed to arraign their as is the custom with all noviciates conduct in either point of view. at their introduction. To de- Upon the TURF he has been alpredations of the first magnitude, ways accuftomed to animadvert he oppofed the moft unfullied with jocularity upon his own philofophy, and fuftained the in- loffes, and repeatedly obferved juries that were fo lavishly heap-" his horfes had as much bottom ed upon him with the greateft pa- as other peoples, but they were tience, as they unfolded a variety fuch flow good ones, that they never of the myfteries contained in the went faft enough to tire themimmenfe volume of human de- felves." He had, however, the pravity. So great and diverfified inexpreffible gratification to exwere the infinite refources of perience fome few exceptions to genius and intellect, that in the this imaginary rule, for in the very zenith of his popular at-year 1790, his horfe Seagul won traction, when furprizing the the OATLAND STAKES, at Afcot, SENATE with the utmost force of 100 guineas each, (nineteen and power of rhetorical fafcina-fubfcribers) beating the P. tion, and his PATRIOTIC ex-WALES'S ESCAPE, SERPENT, and ertions refounded through the feveral of the firft horfes of that remoteft corners of the kingdom; year, to the very great mortificawe have feen him an invariable tion and vociferous difappointnocturnal devotee at the court of ment of his R. H. who immediateCOмUS, and know him take in ly matched Magpie against him, alternate fucceffion the SENATE to run four days after, 8ft. 7lb. and the fubfcription boufe without each, two miles for 500 guineas, the intervening affiftance of the upon which immenfe fums were pillow, for the renovation, or re-depending, and won by Seagull itoration of either body or mind. with ease. That year, he and Thus poffeffed of fuch an immenfe his confederate had thirty horfes store of mental energy and per- in training, upon the majority of fonal experience, it is natural to which, FAME has not much to fuppofe he became proof againft introduce; fuffice it to fay, that every attack of the family; on the the winning of Seagull alone in contrary, the liberality of his takes only, amounted to no lefs mind, the opennefs of his heart, than fifteen hundred and twenty rendered him the unfufpecting guineas; and, as fportimen, it is and eternal dupe of their deter-natural to conclude, the common

OF

field

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Natural History of the Wolf.

we

field-betting muft exceed the prin- ftronger than that of almost any cipal. The lofs of his friend, whofe dog, its jaws and teeth larger, judgment he most confided in, and its hair thicker and coarfer. confiderably relaxed his ardour in The internal structure of these ania purfuit, that feems, in more re-mals is perfectly fimilar. The wolf fpects than one, to be deprived of couples in the fame manner as the the former fervency of fashion. dog, and its immediate feparation To fum up his perfonal excellen- is prevented by the fame caufe: cies would be to go over a great the time of geftation is alfo nearly deal of ground, and expofe us per- the fame; and, from a variety of haps to the cavil and critique of fuccefsful experiments related by more cynical biographers; Dr. Hunter, there is no longer any fhall, therefore, only prefume to reafon to doubt that the wolf and obferve, that his time at prefent the dog will copulate together, and is equally divided between PAR- produce an intermediate fpecies LIAMENTARY DUTY and domeftic capable of subsequent propagation. comfort; when he relaxes from the For every kind of animal food, feverity of the former, it is only the appetite of the wolf is exto enjoy the fweets of fociety ceffively voracious; and though with his female friend, at St. nature has furnished it with every Anne's Hill, in the neighbourhood requifite for purfuing and fubof Chertley, where they may be duing its prey, it is often refrequently feen indulging in fcenes duced to the last extremity, and of ruftication and tranquillity, that fometimes even perishes for want many more diftinguished (and perof food. So great is the general of this deftructive haps more bonourable) pairs would deteftation feel themselves happy to equalize or imitate.

NATURAL HISTORYof the WOLF; including an account of the various

Methods which have been taken

to rid the World of fo rapacious

an Invader.

creature, that all the wild animals endeavour to avoid it, and generally escape by their fuperior fwiftnefs.

When pressed with hunger from the repeated disappointments, wolf becomes courageous from every neceffity: it than braves danger, and even attacks those animals which are under the proATURALISTS feem per-tection of man. Whole droves fectly to agree in placing of them fometimes join in the the wolf and the dog in the fame cruel work of general devaftation, clafs; and, from the flightest in-roam through the villages, and fpection of only its external form, attack the theep-folds: they dig it is apparent that a wolf is in the earth under the doors, enter every refpect a dog in its state of with dreadful ferocity, and denatural freedom. The fhape of ftroy every living creature before its head, indeed, is different; and they depart. its eyes, being fixed in a more oblique pofition, give it a look of more lavage ferocity: its ears are fharp and erect; its tail long, bufhy, and bending inwards between its hind legs; its body is

The horfe is the only tame animal that can defend itself a gainst their fury and voracity; all thofe of a weaker kind become their prey; even man himself, upon thefe occafions, often falls a

vićtim

1

Natural History of the Wolf.

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The wolf is particularly ftrong in the mufcles of his neck and jaws, and can easily carry off a fheep in his mouth. His bite is

keen and cruel when he meets with little refiftance; but, when oppofed, he is cautious and circumfpect, and feldom fights but from neceffity: he is lefs fenfible than the dog, but more hardy and robuft. He almost inceffantly prowls about for prey, and, of all animals, is the moft difficult to conquer in the chafe. His fense of smelling is fo perfect, that he fcents the track of animals, and follows it with aftonishing perfeverance:

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the odour of carrion ftrikes him at the distance of almost a league.

Thefe animals can endure VOL. IV. No. XX.

105

hunger for a long time; and, to allay it, will fometimes fill their ftomachs with mud. They have. been known to follow armies, and affemble in troops upon the field of battle; tearing up fuch bodies as have been carelessly interred, and devouring them with insatiable avidity.

The wolf has, in all ages, been confidered as the moft favage enemy of mankind, and rewards. have always been offered for his head. Various methods have been adopted to rid the the world of this rapacious invader; pitfalls, traps and poifon, have all been employed against him; and, happily for thefe islands, the whole race has here been long extirpated. To effect this purpose in England, king Edgar remitted the punishment of certain crimes, on producing a certain number of wolves' tongues; and, in Wales, the tax of gold and filver was commuted for an annual tribute of wolves' heads.

Some centuries after, they increafed to fuch an alarming degree, as to become a particular object of royal attention and, confiderable rewards were given Camden for deftroying them.

relates, that certain perfons held their lands on condition of hunt

ing and deftroying the wolves which infefted the country; whence they were called the wolf-hunt. In the reign of Athelftan, wolves abounded fo much in Yorkshire, that a retreat was

As

built at Flixton, to defend paffengers from their attacks. the ravages of these animals were greatest during winter, particularly in January, when the cold was fevereft, our Saxon anceftors diftinguished that month by the title of wolf-moneth.

(To be concluded in our next.) RANE

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