witneffed. But whatever we learn from foreign nations, 'tis never to play-unlefs at cards indeed (for getting money is alike pleafing to the natives of every country) but the innocent and rural paftimes of one's youth can be enjoyed no where except at home. Of thefe, in our Gothic language, continental vifitants will find diftinctions almoft innumerable; but I will point out only the very obvious ones, becaufe, if they refide at all in diftant provinces, much of the evening converfation turns upon the excellency of our dogs, and the fuccefs of the chafe. Hunting, then, means the pur. fuit of hare, fox, or ftag, by hounds bred for the purpose, and trained to the employ; while courfing is chiefly a trial of fwiftnefs and kill between three greyhounds held in a leaf, for the purpose of flipping them feparately at the hare, which their quick eye easily difcerns and finds, though among the fallows, where her brown colour and clofe-clapt ears conceal her, till fpeed feems ftill likelier to pro vide for her defence. Such too is her power, and fuch her fkill, that, in a country full of uplands and rifing grounds, fewer than a leafh of greyhounds can feldom catch her, fo lightly does fhe fkim the hedge-rows, fo fwift defcend the hill,, before the difappointed dog, whom, turning fhort, the eludes; fcales the steep afcent again before he is able to ftop his own fpeed, and dipping on the other fide, leaves him (for want of fcent) perplexed and loft, the moment the is out of his view. Shooting with pointers is a different diverfion, and confifts chiefly in your own ingenuity to take the aim; while the fagacity of your quadruped affociates when they try a field, the grace and elegance with which they hunt it over, and the variety of attitudes in which they ftand, and point the game, are wonderfully pleafing, and feduce a man to continue the sport sometimes even to ferious fatigue. Setting, meantime, is of a far lefs active genius, and fit enough for the most delicate lady to participate: as here is no blood to fright, no cruelty to fhock her feelings; the purfuit in this cafe ending only remotely, not immediately, in the death of those partridge that fall at every ftroke of the gunner. A fine fummer evening is the true season for this amusement when the ftill air, and fading glow of the horizon encourage a train of reflections, not disturbed; but directed by your beautiful, your obedient spaniel towards the contemplation of man's native fuperiority; while that lovely, that intelligent creature trufts not himself; but yielding his opinion to that of his mafter, although often well apprifed by nature where the covey lies, contentedly quarters all the ftubble over at the command of his fo. vereign, appearing deeply interefted too in that very fearch he could at pleasure put an immediate end to, by preferring his own often tried experience. When, however, he has permiffion to declare the truth, how gently, and with what flattering manners does he avow it! how meekly manifeft his modeft tranfports! while couching clofe for the net to pafs over, and close-in both himself and the game, he kindly referves all the fatigues of the evening for himself; all the pleasure and profit for his mas. ter! But enough on this delightful theme, defpifed by many 'without knowing why; for after all, Curious Epitaph.-Sporting Intelligence. all, it is man's Magna Charta, REFLECTIONS on the incestuous and 115 in fuch eftimation, as to leap at Curious EPITAPH at BAKEWELL 66 UNDER [NDER this tomb lie the two wives of John Dale, of Bakewell, Barber - Surgeon, born at Sheldon. His first wife, IT has long been an established Elizabeth; was the daughter fer maxim, that, to improve the breed of bulls and cows, it is neceffary to crofs it with others of an alien ftock, under an opinion, that continuing to breed. from the fame line weakens the ftock. This idea, however rooted it may have been in the minds of former practitioners, is now entirely fet afide by the modern practice of breeding, not from the fame line only, but from the fame family: the incestuous fire and the daughter, the fon and the mother, the brother and the fifter, are now permitted to improve their own kind. This practice is well known, under the term of breeding in-and-in; of Godfrey Foljambe, of Bakewell; . his fecond wife, Sarah, was the daughter of Bloodworth "Know, pofterity, that on the 8th of April, in the year of grace 1757, the rambling remains of the abovefaid John Dale were, in the 86th year of his pilgrimage, laid upon his two wives. This thing in life might raife fome jealoufy, Here all three lie together lovingly; But from embraces here no pleasure flows, Alike are here all human joys and woes: Here Sarah's chiding, John no longer hears, And old John's rambling Sarah no more A period's come to all their toilfome lives, The good man's quiet, ftill are both his fears: wives. and, in this way, it is faid, the SPORTING INTELLIGENce. improvement of the feveral breeds has advanced rapidly to a A BATTLE IN ESSEX. height unknown before in any ON Saturday, April the 19th, age or nation. The practice of letting out bulls by the feafon has alfo contributed much towards the improvement of a valuable breed; for one bull, thus employed, inftead of being useful to his proprietor only, may, in a few years, extend the benefits of his ftock through a whole diftrict; and fo fully are the ftock masters convinced of its advantages, that eighty guineas have been given for the ufe of a bull for one feafon. Some of these animals are about five o'clock in the afternoon, Blyth and Mofs, two noted fighters, met on the com. mon near Battle-bridge, Effex, where it had been agreed they fhould fight for five guineas; a ring was roped in, and a large concourfe of people attended; they fought near twenty minutes, when a difpute arifing refpecting Blyth's falling, which by many was afferted to be accidental; it was therefore agreed by the umpires that the money fhould be. withdrawn. During P 2 116 Sporting Intelligence. During the races at Chefter, last month, a main of cocks was fought, between the gentlemen of Chefhire, (Sunley, feeder) and the gentlemen of Leicestershire, (Lifter, feeder) for 20gs a battle, and 500gs the main, which was won by the latter, 21 to 14, who also got 5 to 4 in the byes. 3 to 1 agft Ld Grosvenor's Doxy f. for the Oaks. 5 to 2 agft the D. of Bedford's 6 to 4 Ld Egremont's Grey Horse - CHESS CLUB. On Saturday May 3, Mr. Phillidor played three games against three good chefs-players at the fame time. Two of the games Mr. Donner's Drone colt, who won at 5 heats, at Malton, laft October, run 14 heats for 3 plates, viz. 4 at Stockton, 5 at Boroughbridge, and 5 at Malton. And what is further remarkable, John Sheperd, who rode Drowfey, the winner at 5 heats, at Borough-he performed blindfold, and the bridge, rode the above colt at Malton: two circumftances not to be paralleled in racing. On Monday, April 24, Mr. Holt's peal of 5040 grandfire tripples (with the fixth bell the obfervation) was rung at St. Peter's in Nottingham, in three hours and thirty minutes, by the Junior Society in that town, who alfo rang it (with the feventh bell the obfervation) on Shrove Tuesday morning last. BETTING ROOM, third he looked over the boards. On the morning of the 6th of May, as Mr. Robertfon, of Caf. tle-Hall, near Milford, was going out for the diverfion of otter hunting (an amufement common in that country) he was fuddenly faluted with the cry of fome of his hounds on finding a fox. His fondness for the fport induced him to encourage his little 6 to 4 Lurcher againft Ld Grof-pack, confifting only of feven venor for the Main of the Oat-dogs, which, however, compelled lands. BETTED the On Tuesday, May 13, and the following day, a grand match of cricket was played in Lord's Grounds, Mary-le-bone, between eight gentlemen of the Mary-le-bone Club, and four men given, against eleven gentlemen of London, for five hundred guineas a-fide. J. Beefton, Efq. c Bedster 5c R. Walpole, Efq. Rice, Efq. c. Hon. Mr. Tufton,jun. o c Sylvefter |