Sporting Magazine

For FEBRUARY, 1796.

MR. WILLIAM TAPLIN, engaged in a theatrical excurfion

to Scotland and Ireland-poffeffed With a beautiful engraved Portrait, by Scott, from an original

à taste for literatüre,-wrote for

the Dublin Evening Post,--- always Painting, by MARSHALL.

a {porting man,-kept the best R. Taplin's literary produc horses run one or two racers

tions to immediately apper hunted frequently with great men's tain to the purport of our Miscel hounds both in England and Irelany, that we feel ourselves justified land a great proficient in field in presenting our readers with the sports, &c. &c.in fhort, he portrait of that writer, which is seems

to have followed every from the original, painted by Mr. thing but his profession, until he Marshall.

had Town his wild oats: At length As but little, with modefty or he is found domesticated as an apo. propriety, can be said of a living thecary and surgeons at Wokingcharacter, we fhall confine ourselves ham; 'in Berkshire,

at which to a few circumftances of this

gen place, in the year 1788, he protleman's life. He comes before us duced the first volume of the Stable as the author of a work on Farriery, Directory, a work, it must be con. in two volumes octavo, entitled, fessed, that has given an entire new " THE GENTLEMAN'S STABLE complexion to the practice of farDIRECTORY," and which has run riery. A new Compendium of Farthrough twelve editions. The book riery is now announced from being in the hands of almost every the press under his name, which sportsman in the kingdom, we fhail will, bo doubt; meet with the offer.no opinion here on its merit, same success as his former publica. it having already stood the test of tion. criticism, and of professional investi With talents such as Mr. Taplin gation,

poffeffes, aided by well-grounded Mr. Taplin, the author, was profeflional knowledge, it is not to the only fon of one of the body be wondered that he has been per. corporate of Old Windfor, and, fuaded to make an effort in the at a proper age, put apprentice metropolis, where encouragement to an apothecary and surgeon, in is sure to follow abilities and exerLondon ; he afterwards became a tions like his. The progress he has buck-a daihing young fellow on made will be found in an article in the town;-kept company with our last Magazine, which see in players, an adept at billiards;

Life

page 188.

228

Life of Mr. Tattersall. Life of Mr. TATTERSALL. moving in his sphere were rich or (Contined from page 61.)

poor, or whether he was nobly or

ignobly born. When a great geMR. Tattersall had also an

nius bursts suddenly on the world, estate in Littleport Fen, con or by flow and progressive degrees fisting of one thousand acres, which becomes an eminent member of the he occupied, and which is now in republic of Letters, we become inthe occupation of his son; but as terested in every period of his life, he was totally deftitute of all know in his works, in his education, in ledge in farming, he lost a consi his family, and progenitors. We derable sum of money by it every are anxious to know what were the year. But his favourite toast, advantages and disadvantages unTHEHAMMER AND HIGHFLYER, der which he laboured, and what which he always gave after dinner, were the means of his improvepaid for all. About ten years ment, whether natural or acquired. back, he purchased another small But in speaking of Mr. Tattersall, estate in Lancashire, which had for it is enough to say, that he began merly been the property of one of his career without education or his ancestors : he took much plea capital, and died leaving a handfure for some time in improving it, fome fortune to his family. The and declared his intention to leave biography of the Jews might, in it to his eldest natural son, as the many respects, be applied to him. patrimony of the Tatterfalls. At

In giving an account of the life intervals he seemed to have some of their great mer, they only say respect for the memory of his an who the father was, how long cestors, and wished to be confi the person lived, and how many dered a man of family. When children he had : thus they speak the painter had finished the last of one of their most diftinguished portrait of Highflyer, he requested personages, MethuseLAH, Mr. Tattersall to furnish him with lived nine hundred fixty and nine his coat of arms, in order to insert

years, and he begat fors and daughit in the back-ground of the

ters. painting : Mr. Tattersall referred But Mr. Tattersall had him to a gentleman of his name, acquired confiderable property, who was then Rector of St. Paul's, without talents or fortune, it be. Covent-Garden, and had a very came necessary to low, as large estate in the county of Sur have done in some measure, how rey:

The Rector dismissed him, it was amassed, and we shall prowith faying that Mr. Tattersall, ceed to show how it was inof Hyde-park-corner, was not of creased. his family, and that he only knew He had procured a large ftud him as a seller of horses: some

of mares, and the celebrity of were of opinion, that this cir. Highflyer was such, that he found cumstance gave him a disgust to a ready sale for the produce. But his Lancashire estate ; be that as the circumstance that contributed it may, he soon after fold it, and above all others to his almost ennever troubled himself again about grofling the market, was, that he his pedigree. We have followed never trained or tried a colt or the same rule, as it is of very filly, There were many other little consequence to the public gentlemen, and noblemen, who whether the ancestors of a person fometimes fold a part of their

young

as

we

Duel between Major Sweetman and Captain Watfon. 229 young stock, but they were al dinner to all the riders at Newmarways suspected to have been tried, ket.. His house at Ely was aland therefore inferior to those ways open to those who were purthat were retained. Mr. Tatter chasers. Gentlemen's servants parfall's was an open unqualified ticularly, who were sent by their sale, where persons might pur

master's to view the stock, never chase all or any part, without re

failed to make a favourable report servation, and where every per

of their superiority, as well as his son had an equal chance of pro

hospitality curing the best. The produce of

To be continued.) several mares was often engaged for years to come, at the price of 150 guineas the colt, and 70 guineas the filly, to be delivered in

To the EDITORS of the SPORTING

MAGAZINE. October next after the time of foaling. They were generally in GENTLEMEN, very good order, as his paddocks PERMIT me to correctthe

erroneous account given in nient for the purpose. If any your last Magazine respecting the remained unsold the first year, fatal rencontre between Major they were always brought to Sweetman and Captain Watson. Newmarket the next, and fold by They were entirely strangers to auction, without reserve. At each other, and had never met those fales it frequently happened before the dispute at the Operathat some were sold for fourteen house. From that time they had

fifteen guineas, which no conversation whatever. They equal to those that had been sold reached Cobbam on Sunday night, the year before by private con about one o'clock, in separate tract, at five or fix times the va. chaise, each attended by his felue. He often declared, when he cond and surgeon. Major Sweetput them up to auction, that if man's second, Col. Toole ; surthere were no bidders, he would

geon Mr. Ford. Captain Watson's order them to be unhaltered, and second, Captain Seymour; surturned loose on the spot, and that geon, Mr. Dunlop. Major S. they should become the property was of an Independent Company of those who should first become lately raised in Ireland, and Cappossessed of them. He thus wise tain Watson of the goth. The ly prevented his farm being over seconds had conferences at the stocked, and kept up a constant inn, but could not accomplish an fucceffion for the turf. He was accommodation. They went from so well connected with the keeper the inn about nine o'clock, of the match-book, that he pro and proceeded on the road to cured to be inserted after the Guildford, till they came

to the name of the winner, " bought of end of Pain's-Hill

Park:

the Mr. Tatterfall,” which gave pub-chaises were left in the road, and licity to the excellence of his they, with the seconds and surstock. . He was a master of the

geons, proceeded some distance to smaller arts.

If he did not al the fatal spot. An altercation sociate, he was perfectly familiar then took place between the sewith grooms and stable-boys; he conds 'respecting distance; Capgave annually a very splendid very fplendid tain Watson's second propofing

ten

were

or

230

Tbeatrical Register. ten or twelve paces, which was was performed for the first time, opposed by the Major and his at this theatre. fecond, wilhing it to be nearer on account of his being near

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ. fighted.

Cheerly, Mr. Incledon. Captain Watson then begged

Brummagem,

Mr. Munden. that the business might not be pro Ralph,

Mr. Fawcett.
Vain,

Mr. Knight. tracted, but that they might be

Fanny,

Mrs. Martyr. suffered to go on ;-upon which

Dolly,

Mrs. Norton. the seconds withdrew, and immedi And Laura, Mrs. Serres. ately (without any previous agree. ment) both pistols were discharged The plot is as follows: at the same moment, and at a di. Atance of about fix paces;

both

Brummagem, an old country gentlemen fell ; Major S. having

virtuoso, ridiculously attached te received a lot in his right breaft,

titles and pedigrees, having conand Captain W. through the right

fined his niece Laura, under Lock thigh, · which fractured the bone.

and Key, in order to prevent her The Major did not speak after re

marrying Cheerly, to whom she is

attached, and oblige her to marry ceiving the shot, and died on the

Sir Andrew M'Gorget, a Spanish way to Cobham. A coroner's in

Grandee, whom she has never seen; quest was held the next day, when the only evidence was Captain W’s

the cruelty of his behaviour to her,

excites the compassion of Ralph, a furgeon, Mr. Dunlop, who, with Mr. Ford, the other surgeon, was

confidential servant, who undertakes, at some distance when the pistols

by a stratagem, to deliver her were fired, and did not see the ac

from her imprisonment. To this tion, their faces being tarned from purpose, he beguiles the old man, the parties. Verdict of the Jury, which the girl is released by her

with a ludicrous story, during manslaughter. Major S. was buried at Cobham the next day.

lover. Captain W. is an Irish gentleman,

Vain, a conceited coxcomb, has

likewise formed a scheme to attain but not the son of the. Bishop of Llandaff, as has been stated in most

the same end, but from presumpof the public prints. He is yet at

tion on his own cleverness, fails of the White Lion, Cobham, and in

fuccess. The young couple ask and

obtain forgiveness. a fair way, as the bone has begun to callous, and every appear

The itory is well managed,

and the business is enlivened ance of a perfect cure in a short time.

throughout with a series of comiONE OF THE JURY.

cal and laughable incidents. Moft. Cobham, Feb. 25.

of the scenes are highly ludicrous, but they are pleasant, and fully aoswer the purpose, for which all

productions of this nature are inTHEATRICAL REGISTER.

tended.

The dialogue is very sprightly, LOCK AND KEY.

and the equivoque neat and ftriCovent-Garden, Feb. 3. king. LAST nighea a new musical

The music of the songs by Mr. farce, called Lock and Key, Shields, and the overture by the from the pen of Mr. Hoare, Junior Parke.-The piece was re

ceived