Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB
[graphic]

Extraordinary FOX CHACE, by the Duke of Beauforts Hounds, at CASTLE COOMBE

1

Remarkable Infiance of Longevity in a Hen.

elegant ENGRAVING annexed, that we conceived the fubject in the hands of our ingenious artift might be made extremely interefting and picturefque; and if our judgment does not fail us very materially, it will alfo be the opinion of our friends that we have not been mistaken,

To the EDITORS of the SPORTING MAGAZINE.

I

GENTLEMEN,

READ in one part of your Magazine, that you are not certain how long cocks and hens will live; 1 can affure you, that Mr. Ellington, of Peterbro', had a hen that lived till fhe was 27 years and 4 months old, fhe was a partridge colour, and always bred black breafted reds.-The following I communicate as facts, and shall be glad if you can account for them: I am famed for greyhounds, I had a favourite bitch named Minx, fhe was clofe warded, and when he had gone fix weeks, the received a kick from a colt, fhe was ill for two days, when the caft five puppies; I lamented my lofs, but to my agreeable difappointment, the went her regular time, and produced one whelp.-Mr. George Gafkel, of Thornhaugh, near Wansford, last year, was breed ing from a favourite fpaniel bitch, and when he had gone more than half her time, fhe was taken with a vomiting, and threw up, through her mouth, 9 puppies, 7 of which were alive. If any of the faculty will be good enough to account for this, they will oblige the world, and particularly Yours, &c.

HENRY THORNTON.

Stilton, May 14th, 1794,

LAW INTELLIGENCE.

Singular TRIAL for a BREACH of PROMISE of MARRIAGE.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS.

HILTON V. ARNOLD.

[ocr errors]

HIS was an action to recover from the defendant a fatisfaction in damages for a breach of promife of marriage.

It appeared in evidence that the plaintiff was a maiden lady, aged 56. The defendant, a young man of the age of twenty-three. He paid his addreffes to the lady for about fix weeks, and promised her marriage, both verbally and by letters under his hand.

The counfel for the defendant reprobated this action, on account of the difparity of the age of the parties. He faid it was impoffible for a jury to conceive that the defendant could be ferious when he made the promife of marriage to the plaintiff, who had neither youth, beauty, nor fortune, to attract his notice, for fhe was deformed in body, had loft an eye, and had fcarcely a tooth in her head.

The learned judge obferved, that to maintain an action for damages, it was neceffary that the promife of marriage fhould be made in a folemn manner, and the difparity of the age of the parties, was alfo a circumstance. to be taken into confideration. It was, however, extremely improper, for young men to fport, with the feelings of old women, and there were cafes, in which juries had made them pay for their jokes.

The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff.-Damages 40s.

ROYAL

112

TH

ROYAL CHASE.

Royal Chafe.

feems fo highly entertained, is to be contested between

Ld Egremont's gelding, by Tren

tham:

Mr. Micklethwaite's ditto by

Criterion.

Ld Belfaft's grey mare.
Mr. Lopez's ditto

The betting at prefent is 4 to 1 Lord Egremont's against any one; 2 to 1 Lord Egremont against the field; Criterion against either or both the two laft; and even bet

Pay. This is at prefent the exaft ftate of the betting; but we have it, fresh in our memories, that more than once, Lord EGREMONT has been the favourite before Starting, but ultimately without the leaft chance of winning.

HE ROYAL CHASE terminated on Tuesday the 29th ult. with a very contracted field, but an excellent run. The deer was turned out at Tower Hill, between Swinley and Bagfhot, upon a fignal being given that his MAJESTY was in fight at AscOT. Immediately upon his coming up, the hounds were laid on, and continued to run in the highest ftile, for more than an hour, through the parishes of Easthampting the laft is diftanced. Play or ftead, Warfield, Winkfield, and Binfield, nearly to NEW LODGE, before a view was obtained; when preffing him closely over the open commons of Waltham, and the adjoining inclofures, close to his haunches; they run up to him in the ftream near Brickbridge, after an admirable chafe of an hour and forty minutes; to which his exertions had doomed him a VICTIM, as he fell dead in the face of his purfuers, fo foon as the belt was fixed round his leg, and he was confidered in a ftate of prefervation. The melodious echo of horns, furrounded by woods; the fonorous concert of hounds, and the fight of the lifeless game extended on the verdant glade, in the PRESENCE of MAJESTY, taking the moft AMIABLE and FRIENDLY leave of the field; wifhing every individual the "happinefs of meeting again on Holyrood Day (the 25th of September)" conftituted a fcene of rapturous gratification that is much more within the power of our numerous read. ers to conceive, than our literary efforts to defcribe.

The King's Plate of 100gs. to be run for by hunters, that have hunted the laft feafon with the ftag hounds, and in the termination of which his Majefty |

We are told in the public advertisements, that " Afcot Races will be on Tuesday the 24th of June, and five following days," this can prove no unpleasant information to our SPORTING friends in the METROPOLIS, whofe eafe and convenience it will fo directly correfpond with, to have fo delightful and contiguous a fport, as RACING on a SUNDAY.

FEMALE CAPRICE a bad HABIT.

A

T the laft affizes at Lancafter, a caufe came on to be tried, wherein Mr. Walter Moore, of Manchefter, was the plaintiff, and a clergyman of Yorkshire the defendant. This action was brought for the recovery of a fmail fum for a habit, which the plaintiff, who is a tailor, had made for the defendant's wife. The habit was directed to be made in a fashionable manner; and, when first tried, received the lady's approbation. In a day or

two

British Synonymy.

two afterwards the altered, her opinion, alledging that it did not fit, and therefore returned it. The plaintiff, though confcious that the orders given had been fully complied with, yet requested that the habit might be again put on, and if any fault appeared in the making of it, that any other orders fhould be immediately attended to. Some trifling alteration was in confequence made, but ftill it did not meet the good opinion of the lady; fhe perfifted in returning it; and from its being forced on the hands of the plaintiff, he at length inftituted this action. The jury, being perfectly fatisfied with his conduct, had no hesitation in giving a verdict in his favour, for the full amount of his bill, which entitles him to costs.

[blocks in formation]

OREIGNERS, efpecially Germans, are apt to call every dog they fee a hoond, which is the tranfcendental word for that animal in High Dutch, as I have been told. In our language, however, it only means that fpecies of the canine race which hunts by Scent, and gives the tongue either upon trail or drag; fo fportfmen diftinguish that peculiar taint left by the foot of hare or fox, when purfued by the opening pack in a bright but dewy morning over hill and dale fweetly diverfified, till

Echo, huntress once of Cynthia's train,
Repeats the pleafing harmony again;
VOL. IV. No. XX,

113

and the fweet animating founds excite cheerfulnefs even in the fluggard's vein's. Of this admirable creature, and his various denominations, much lefs his virtues, my little book does not mean to make the defcription:" fuffice it that I tell foreigners what no English gentleman is ignorant of-namely, how the greyhound has acquired the name; not by his nofe, for he makes no ufe of it in courfing; while tall, swift, and quick-fighted, he depends wholly upon his eye to obferve, on his long, nervous legs to overtake the flying prey: but being the only dog which, without training to it, will kill a badger, formerly in old English called a GRAY, and perfecute him even in his retirement, he was called the GRAY HOUND; while HARRIER and TERRIER explain their office of themfelves, even by the deri

vation of their names alone. The

firft follows the HARE through all her doublings and deceits: the other, refolving to kill that fox which his more beautiful companions have purfued, but loft, goes after him even into his fub-TERRANEAN retreat his earth, as sportsmen call it; and fighting him thus under ground, obtains the appellation, TERRIER, for that defperate bravery which remains unintimidated and undiminifhed, even by the confcioufnefs that he is combating in an enemy's country:

HUNTING, COURSING, SHOOTING, SETTING.

THESE fynonymes, like the laft, are intended chiefly for those ftrangers who call every fport of the field-aller à la chaffe. Alla caccia too, the Italians call taking birds even by decoy; an amufement of the meaneft kind I ever P wit.

« ZurückWeiter »