Obfervations upon Hunting. heavenly the minds of many men; but I with it to be understood that it never deranged my intellects; for, as every man has his hobby, I have mine, and fhall not hesitate to pronounce the sports of the chace as my favourite amufement: the pleasure and delight which hunting affords is, in my opinion, not only an useful exercife to the mind, but phyfically wholefome to the body. How ridiculously abfurd then, is the idea which a Pruffian K-g muft have entertained of this pleasurable paftime, who fays, that the chace is one of the most fenfual pleasures, by which the powers of the body are ftrongly exerted, but those of the mind remain unemployed! What fhall we fay to an affertion like this? it is hardly credible that a man of fuch talents as he is reported to have poffeffed; a man whofe general knowledge of men and things fhould have taught him otherwise, could have confidered this health-giving paftime, in fuch an unreafonable point of view. bodies has occupied It is poffible for men to differ in many refpects from each other in their conception of things; but every rational being must confefs, that the body and mind, particularly with refpect to exercife, are fo intimately connected, that the one cannot participate in any manner or thing whatever, without the accompaniament of the other. 185 and humane practice of facrificing the lives of thousands of his fellow creatures to his unbounded ambition-DETESTED RECOLEC TION! However, to proceed from this fanguinary digreffion, to fomething more congenial to the feelings of humanity, I will, with your permiffion, as an illuftration of my argument, reverse the fcene to the relation of a fox-chace, in the pleafures of which I have fhared, not only to the fatisfaction of my mind, but alfo to the wholefome exercife of my body. At the commencement of the feafon, in company with a refpectable number of the fons of Diana, after leaving home about a mile or two behind us, a large heath broke to our view, and our brother sportsmen began to beat they had done fo for fome time, when, as I was at a little distance from the rest a of the company, I faw a hare 186 Obfervations upon Hunting. fulness of every thing around fons and affairs that may hinder us, the chiding of the hounds, which was returned upon us in a double echo from two neighbouring hills, with the halloing of the sportsmen, and the founding of the horn, lifted up my fpirits into a moft lively pleafure, which I moft freely indulged, because I was fure it was innocent. If I was under any concern, i: was on account of the poor hare, that was now quite fpent, and almoft within the reach of her enemies; when the huntíman getting forward, threw down his pole before the dogs. They were now within eight yards of that game which they had been purfuing for almost as many hours; yet on the fignal before-mentioned, they all made a fudden ftand, and though they continued opening as much as before, durft not once attempt to go beyond the pole. Ι was highly pleafed, and could not have found it in my heart to have murdered a creature who had afforded fo much diverfion. I was at the fame time delighted in obferving that deference which the reft of the pack paid to each particular hound, according to the character he had acquired amongst them If they were at fault, and an old bound of reputation opened but once, he was immediately fol lowed by the whole cry: while a raw dog, or one who was a noted liar, might have yelped his heart out, without being taken notice of. As we were returning home, I remembered what Monfieur Pafchal, in his most excellent difcourfe on the Mifery of Man, tells us, that all our endeavours after greatnefs, proceed from nothing but a defire of being furrounded by a multitude of per us from looking into ourfelves, which is a view we cannot bear." He afterwards goes on to shew that our love of fports comes from the fame reafon, and is particularly ticularly fevere upon hunting. "What," fays he, "unlefs it be to drown thought, can make them throw away fo much time and pains upon a filly animal, which they might buy cheaper in the market ?" The foregoing reflection is certainly just, when a man fuffers his whole mind to be drawn into his fports, and altogether lofes himfelf in the woods: but it does not affect thofe who prefer a far more laudable end for this exercife; I mean the prefervation of health, and keeping all the organs of the foul in a condition to execute her orders. Had that incomparable perfon whom I laft quoted, been a little more indulgent to himself in this point, the world might probably have enjoyed him much longer; whereas, through too great an application · to his ftudies in his youth, he contracted that ill habit of body, which after a tedious ficknefs, carried him off in the fortieth year of his age; and the whole history we have of his life until that time, is but one continued account of a noble foul ftruggling under innumerable pains and diftempers. A moderate ufe of this exercife, I confider as the best kind of phyfic for repairing a bad conftitution, and preferving a good one, and fhall clofe this effay with the following lines from an excel. lent writer, whofe fentiments in this refpect, are perfectly conge nial with my own: In UBLIC juftice is adminiftered, I believe, in the provinces, with a very impartial, but, in fome cafes, a very myfterious hand. common affairs, the accufed is tried, and, if not immediately acquitted, he is reconducted to his prifon, without knowing when his fentence will be paffed, or of what nature it is to be. At the pleasure of the magiftrate, he is fummoned to make his fecond appearance, and then receives fentence. After hearing which, he is carried again to his confinement, from whence he is brought out only on the day it is to be executed: of this he has only a few hours notice, whether the punishment be capital, or otherwife. He is then delivered over as a public fpectacle, and his offence made known, in a fummary way, to the people. The ftate trials are conducted with great fecrecy. A marked perfon is picked up, in a manner, almoft imperceptibly. He is tried, condemned, and executed, without the public fufpecting any thing of the matter. If the offender be a perfon of defcent, whofe family would be difgraced by an ignominious death, he is brought into a certain apartment in the feats of juftice, where he perceives a goblet ftanding on a table; and on one fide of it, the figure of a woman, called the MAIDEN, larger than life, but of exquifite beauty and proportion the perfon, whofe office it is to attend, gives the criminal the choice of thefe, either of which is an inevitable fate. If to drink the contents of the goblet be his election, he has no fooner taken the potion, than the officer makes him a bow, and informs him he is at full liberty to go where he pleafes. Of courfe, he makes the best of his way home; but the poifon he has fwallowed is of fo active a nature, that he takes his death along with him, and has no other confolation than that of yielding up his life amidft his friends. -If the other be his choice, he advances to the figure, whofe arms are, by fecret fpings, extended to receive him; and, just as he has reached the lips of this treacherous MAIDEN, he finds deftruction in her embrace: he is locked faft in her grip, and finds innumerable lancets friking at his heart and vitals. An involuntary horror feized me at the relation of this figure; ́not_ because I deem, on thefe occafions, a fudden death fo terrible as the' apparatus and fhame of a public execution, but as it is abundantly more awful. I likewife regretted that this formidable inftrument of juftice fhould be reprefented under the form of a beautiful female: although it ftruck me, afterwards, as a pretty clofe fymbol of the unfufpected mifchiefs which are infidiously stored up by that faithlefs part of the fex, who convey, even with their endearments, a daggerinto the heart-more pernicious in its effects, though more flow, than A a 2 the 188 New Equeftrian Eftablishment. the lancet of the Maiden, or the months, and what permanent advenom of the Goblet. NEW EQUESTRIAN ESTABLISH MENT. vantages may be diffufed, by the unremitting perfeverance of an individual. Venturing to pronounce the plan, with its appendages, one of the most honourable to the feelings and profeffional abilities of the proprietor, we proceed to explain" the intent and meaning of the establishment, which we have been matter of applicable information to our friends, more particularly as coming within the promifed purport of our publication: T muft afford fingular fatisfaction to our sporting readers, that the ART OF FARRIERY, which has been fo many centuries neg-induced accurately to ascertain, as lected, fhould now be making fuch rapid ftrides to improvement. With the greatest pleasure we obferve a kind of enthufiaftic emulation feems to pervade the prefent fyftem; and the general ftruggle between the most eminent practitioners, feems only to be, which fhall render the moft diftin ex guished services to the public. The names of LAYTON, MOORCROFT, COLEMAN, JONES, and others, are too well and too defervedly known to render any eulogium neceffary on our parts (through the medium of the prefs) either to applaud their indefatigable exertions, or to tend their popularity. In addition to thefe gentlemen, it muft be admitted, Mr. TAPLIN has, with an unprecedented perfeverance, followed up by example, the improvement originally inculcated and ftrenuously enforced in his publications, from which has been derived fo much credit to himself, and fo much advantage to the public. Having, in the early part of this work, given a defcription of the VETERINARY COLLEGE, as an establishment promiling much NATIONAL UTILITY, originating in private, and carried on by public fubfcription, affified alfo by PARLIAMENTARY AID, we feel ourfelves happy in the opportunity of reporting, to the most diftant parts of the kingdom, what a structure has been raifed within a few TAPLIN'S Equestrian Receptacle, Subfcription Repofitory, Medical Difpenfary, and Operative Farriery, Is a new and elegant building, in Edgeware Road, London, for horfes at livery, fále upon commiffion by private contract, courfe of phyfic for the promotion of condition, cure of difeafe, fhoeing in a fuperior ftyle of excellence, eafe and fafety, as well as for every defcription of OPERATIVE FARRIERY, under a flattering patronage of the most diftinguished characters, at a fubfcription of ONE GUINEA only, for perpetual admiffion to all its advantages, by which exclufion of the lower claffes, noblemen and gentlemen only can poffibly meet upon the premifes. The entrance is at a fpacious gateway, terminating a lofty ride of one hundred and forty feet in length, fupported by columns that form a grand and ftriking appearance. On the left hand is the dwelling houfe, in a direct line behind which is the DISPENSARY FOR MEDICAL PREPARATIONS, with a window and door into the ride, for a more fpeedy and convenient communication with the different departments. Farther New Equeftrian Eftablishment. Farther down the ride, the ftabling begins, and is continued with a great degree of tafte and general convenience that has been rarely feen in the most expenfive arrangements of this kind. On the right hand, in a corner which could not have been appropriated to a better ufe, is a pump, of the fineft water in or near the metropolis, and over that a leaden refervoir, holding four hundred gallons of foft water, always given to the horses in preference to the former, more particularly to thofe who are invalids. The entrance to each diftinct ftable is by a door with fun fan-light embellishments, as we obferve to dwelling-houfes in the most fashionable fquares of our metropolis. The firft ftable on the left, contains four ftalls, which terminates with a door to pafs into the next, which, being a fix-ftall ftable, poffeffes the fame advantage of paffing into a fiveftall; thefe including all on that fide, though each of the three has its principal and centrical door for entrance from the ride alfo. On the oppofite fide of the yard, the range of ftabling, coJumns, doors, and windows, exactly correfpond. At one end of the fquare, (facing you at your entrance,) is the operative farriery and fhoeing fhop, one of the handfomeft and most comfortable, and convenient for the accommodation and cafe of the animal in fevere weather, that has perhaps ever been feen in the kingdom. Having fafhed windows, and folding doors with fan lights, the horfe, in froft or fnow, is fhod as warm as in his own ftable. Over this part of the establishment, are the rooms for the fervants, with the fame correfponding uniformity, of fitting room in the middle, with bed-chambers 189 on each fide, fo conftructed for the convenience of readily hearing in the night, fhould any difquietude, noife, or or misfortune, happen in the ftables on either fide. At the oppofite extremity of the yard, facing the farriery, are boxes, or loofe ftables, neatly lined, for the reception of fubjects labouring under blifters, lameness, or any disease that may require room or fequeftration. REYNARD, (one of the firft defcription) his moving habitation, and a profufion of TERRIERS, as part of the SPORTING tout en femble, follow of course. Introducing thus much by way of conveying fome idea of fo laudable an establishment to our remote and diftant friends, we conclude the defcription by inferting a lift of the prefent SUBSCRIBERS, which we have folicited from the proprietor, for the purpose of holding forth, as a criterion, how far it is thought entitled to the confidence and patronage of the public. SUBSCRIBERS. The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Sandwich. The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Caryf fort. The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Scarborough. The Rt. Hon. Lord Stawell. The Rt. Hon. Lord Walfingham.` Jy Mit |