upon a Frenchman's head, I know not, but he begged me to walk into his snug parlour, where I found the table laid out ready for his dinner, and upon the sideboard was a huge loaf of bread and large piece of cheese, with a brown jug of frothing October. I drank success to the hounds, then to the huntsman, and taking my leave of him, walked across the park; for I was too good a horsemaster to have kept my hunter out, as I have too often seen done in your country after a long day's run. One of the greatest modern luxuries in England is a warm bath, which is kept ready at all hours during the day and night. At Park this was the case; both in the ladies' and gentlemen's galleries were three baths, cold, warm, or shower; and at any moment you could indulge iu this eastern fashion. It would be tedious to recapitulate my evenings, I shall therefore pass over them, and proceed to give a sketch of the next day's battue. At eleven o'clock we met at the keeper's lodge, about two miles from the house; we mustered six guns. Nothing could exceed the perfection of the arrangement. A party of fine stalwart youths, amounting to nearly five-and-twenty, with large sticks in their hands, were drawn up as beaters; while to every "gunner" three men were allotted, one to carry his loading rod and ammunition, and the other two to pick up and carry his game to the cart. Each of these three men had a number from 1 to 6 printed on card and placed in their hats; and we each had a number allotted to us. No sooner had the keeper read the list of the sportsmen than he said, "Count No. 1," and the three men marked No. 1 joined me; and so on to the rest of the party. Independent of which, we each had our own man with a second gun, which he loaded throughout the day, as also a "pocket pistol," as it is called, well charged with Glenlivet or sherry. The beaters were then put into the wood, half the guns accompanying them, and the others going forward to the spot they were to beat up to. At the end of every cover the game was collected, marked down to the respective killers of it, and placed in the cart; and it was curious often to see how much more was claimed than was actually bagged; and this always reminds me of an anecdote told me by a noble lord, who is a leading contributor to the sporting literature of the day. His lordship was once shooting at a princely domain not very far from the town of Liverpool, and, although not a first-rate shot, had in one furze-field killed five pheasants; his companion was the noble owner of the property, and, upon counting up the game, the keeper "claimed nine pheasants for his master, leaving two birds only for his guest. Although rather startled at this, his lordship said nothing; but, finding the same system carried on throughout the day, he was bent upon exposing the grasping propensities of the keeper, and with which he was aware his noble master was not conversant. At an early hour the next day my friend proceeded to Liverpool market, where he purchased a couple of woodcocks; and returning to breakfast, his absence had passed unnoticed. During the day the same system as the previous one was carried on, the lion's share being still given to the proprietor of the domain. Towards dusk, as they were shooting out a small but thickly-wooded plantation, my friend cried, Cock,' and fired his gun; in less than two minutes the same was repeated. Now let us have the whole amount of the day,' said the SPORTING REMINISCENCES IN ENGLAND AND FRANCE. 6 404 keeper: my lord, fifty pheasants, thirty hares, twelve rabbits, and,' casting his eye upon the long bills, which had been picked up by one of the beaters, two woodcocks. Yes, that's what I claim for my lord.' 'Two woodcocks?' asked my friend in an inquiring tone. Yes, my lord killed them in the last plantation.' It was too dusk for me to see,' replied the noble owner; I heard a cry of Cock,' and fired twice at random. I really cannot claim the birds.' Jem and I seed you kill 'em, my lord; did we not, Jem?' Before the respectable Jeames' could give additional evidence upon the subject, my friend stepped forward, and said he could throw some little light upon the subject; he then recapitulated all that had happened, and that the birds that morning had been bagged by a silver shot in Liverpool market; and that if there was any doubt upon the subject, it could speedily be removed by looking under their wings, where a small piece of paper would be discovered attached to a thread, and upon which was written the number of the stall at which they had been purchased. A hearty laugh followed this announcement, and the keeper received a delicate hint to be in future more straightforward and circumspect in his conduct towards his master's sporting guests." But to return to our battue. At two o'clock we suspended our warfare against the feathered race for half an hour, during which period bread and cheese and ale were distributed to all the party, gentle and simple; and those who are apt to talk of the proud aristocracy of England would have seen dukes, lords, and peasants enjoying the frugal meal, and each partaking of the same quality both of eatables and drinkables. The shepherd's boys, who were placed to mark the game over the walls of the preserve, fared as well as the proprietor of many thousands of acres. It is thus that the aristocracy of your country win the hearts of the rural population. They mix in their sports, they patronize the recreations of the people, they get familiarly acquainted with them and their wants, and they cherish and support them in their hour of distress, sympathizing with their griefs, and alleviating, as far as lies in their power, the miseries and ills that human nature is heir to. After luncheon we again renewed our sport, and upon our return to the park the game was laid out upon the lawn; it consisted of 480 pheasants, 50 hares, 6 partridges, 30 rabbits, 4 woodcocks-total, 570. The next day was a regular "cat and dog" raining affair; but the pelting, pitiless storm did not in the slightest degree damp our spirits, for both billiard-tables were in requisition: the one, a first-rate slate table-which when unused was locked up was occupied by some firstrate professors of this interesting game; while the other, which was always open to the public, attracted a party to play a half-crown pool. In the house were three rather good tennis players, and joining this trio we all, incased in Parama cloaks and waterproof boots, walked to the tennis-court, which was situated within half a mile of the house. Here we passed our day until the dusk set in; then returning to the house, we found the hall well tenanted; battledore and shuttlecock, bagatelle, trou madame, and other games, being the order of the after noon. (To be continued.) THE HIGH-METTLED RACER. PLATE V.THE RACE. ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY J. F. HERRING, SENR. "Oh! noblest vehicle of gain and loss! Misused, mismanaged, much enduring horse; Not those fam'd mares which erst the prophet bore- LORD MAIDStone. "From early times," says Professor Low, in the preface to his last edition of Domesticated Animals, "Great Britain has been distinguished for the numbers and excellence of the animals reared for the uses of the inhabitants. The cultivation of the horse began in the earlier periods of our history, for the purposes of war and the tournament, and has subsequently been carried to great perfection, for the racecourse, the chase, the saddle, and for draught." So stands the fact, as given by the Professor; and so shall we beg leave to take it as a text to prove the policy of encouraging the amusements of a people, if it be only in order to facilitate and improve their uses. That the English horse, of every variety, has now arrived at great perfection, every class that has a use for him will readily admit: that, however, any one of these "use" or working classes has in any great degree tended to such an advancement, is more, we think, than should be put to their credit. On the contrary, rather, none have tried so hard to impede this improvement than many of those who have been the first and the greatest gainers by it; none that have shown less appreciation for the unequalled breed of English horses than some of the English themselves. Short-sighted, penny-wise-and-pound-foolish politicians, have, and may again, grumble at the grant of royal plates for the encouragement of so frivolous a pursuit; while double-proof saints may howl and hoot at the notion of Church and State suffering H H |