FEAST OF WIT; OR, SPORTSMAN's HALL. A LETTER "I stand in great need of an able Counsel to move my suit while I am From an Attorney on the Circuit to his absent; that sly slut, Dolly, your Mistress in Town. "MY DEAR CHARMER! HE Circuit is now at an end, Tnd the JUDGES and LAWYERS on their return home; but no Felon, sentenced at the assizes to transportation, could have been in a more wretched plight than your humble servant; for I can safely make affidavit, that each day that I behold not your lovely face, is to me a dies non. CUPID, the Tipstaff, has served me with an attach ment from your bright eyes, more dreadful than a green wax process; he has taken my heart into custody, and will not accept of bail. Unless you allow of my plea, I must be nonsuited in a cause I have set my heart on. Why will you, while I pine in hopes of a speedy rejoinder, hang me up term after term, by frivolous delays, which tend only to gain time. "I filed my bill as of last Michaelmas Term on the Morrow of All Souls, in hopes ere this to have joined issue with you. It is now fifteen days from Easter-day, and, by your demurring, I am as far from bringing my cause to a hearing, as before I commenced my suit. You still de lay giving in your answer, which is absolutely against the practice of all the courts. I would willingly quit the fattest client there, to attend your business, would you but submit to a reference; and should prefer an attendance at your chambers, to those of a Master in Chancery. VOL. XXI. No. 122. chamber-maid, has taken my fee, yet I fear betrays my cause: she is which protracts matters, and yet I ever preferring some cross-bill, do not sue in forma pauperis, being ready and willing to infeoff you in a good jointure; and to this I will bind myself, my heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns, by a DEED in which you shall nominate trus-· tees. "To save expences, my clerk shall engross it, and it shall be perused by your own lawyer, it being left as a quere, how vastly preferable the title of a femme couvert is to that of a spinster; but you shall answer short to all my interlocutory interrogatories. If I could but once obtain a leading order to try my title, by even a jury of your own friends, I am certain I should obtain a verdict in my favour, and recover costs against you; for I have a good action for attendance and loss of time, though, upon the postea, I do not think I could find in my heart to issue a ca: sa: against you, or put you into any court but that of Hy CITY OF BATH, To-wit. To the worthy Inhabitants of Bath, the humble Petition of OLIVER 1 to his credit, that though not rich himself, he was the means of enabling others to make good fortunes, as many of the inhabitants of Bath can testify: Such was his condition until the unhappy war with France commenced, when, upon some trivial pretence, those who had been his guardians since the death of his father, entered into a confederacy against him, in which they unhappily succeeded, by reducing his substance to such a degree, that those friends who knew him in his better days, when he appeared lately at an entertainment, could hardly believe he was the same person.But the final blow given to him was in the year 1800, when his guardians, upon a pretence of scarcity, refused to make him his usual allowance; in consequence of which, your petitioner has been gradually declining and reduced to half his original size, nay even to starvation. and sordid motives. As Peace and He therefore humbly hopes, that those good friends who knew how to estimate his value, will stand BISCUIT, Esq. sheweth, forth as his protectors, and not sufTHAT your petitioner is of a very fer his guardians to carry on their ilrespectable family, being the off-licit practices any longer, from base spring of an eminent physician of this city, who, at his death, left him an orphan to the care of Messrs. Baker and Co. who have ever since acted as his guardians; and as many guardians do, not for his interest, but their own. Your petitioner, during the lifetime of his father, and for many years after, made a very respectable appearance; being, as to his exterior, of good size and proportion, and being well drest, was admitted as an agreeable companion into all parties; and not only so, but there was hardly an entertainment to which he did not contribute his share. It may also be mentioned OL. BISCUIT. Ridiculum acri Fortius ac melius parvas plerumque se cat * res. A Mother said one day to her daughter," when you are of my age you will be dreaming of a husband." "Yes, Mamma," replied the young lady, "for the second time!” SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. HE late Bob Winter of the THE Pipe-office, was a gentleman distinguished on the Turf, and in the convivial circles of the most dashing sportsmen, who might "have better spared a better man!" DURING the present month, the nephew of Admiral Peyton accidentally shattered one of his arms on a shooting party at Wakehurst Park, in Sussex. The limb has been since amputated. THE Duke of Marlborough does not come to town until the shooting season is over. His grace is a remarkable good shot, and very fond of the amusement; and spares no expence in the preservation of his game. So very strict is his grace in this matter, that he will not grant a lease to any one, without this stipulation, that if he shoots over the manor, he forfeits it. with all great men. Lucullus fed his own fish; Mr. Pitt rears his own poultry, and Lord Clive, in the East Indies, like Parson Trulliber, attends to his own hogs: Porcus ex grege CLIVI may be a good dish! though the Indians may not like it. THE late Lord Orford, like the present Lord C—, was remarkable for having a fine breed of pigs; and, as other gentlemen take their friends to their stables to shew their horses, so Lord Orford used frequently to take his visitors to his piggery. It happened on one of these occasions, that they found the pigs very furiously fighting, and his Lordship at the same time observed one of his silver spoons int the hog-trough; " It is no wonder," said he, "that there should be such a battle, when there is only one silver spoon among them all!" THE horses of the late John NOTWITHSTANDING the scarHeathcote, Esq. sold at Tattercity of partridges this season in sall's, fetched L.2,571 : 9s. including Norfolk, Mr. Coke's party at Holka curricle and a chariot, which sold ham killed, in the course of the first for 90gs. Anniseed was purchasweek in September, 965 birds!ed by Sir John Shelly for 500gs; The party consisted only of six guns the principle part of the week, but on the two last days it was reinforced by Lord Paget and Mr. Wilbraham. It is become a moot point, which is the best shot, Lord Paget or Mr. Coke. The former is thought by many to excel in shooting birds, the latter in hares and rabbits. THE pursuits of agriculture and husbandry seem to be congenial a yearling colt, by Sir Peter, sold for 400gs; Popinjay, 175gs; and one of the horses which was in the curricle at the time the accident occured, 70 guineas. THE beginning of this month, the Rev. Rich. Warwick Bampfylde, of Poltimore-house, Devon, brother to Sir Charles Warwick Bampfylde, M. P. sold his wellbred pack of harriers, fifteen couples, for six hundred guineus; and N 2 his his four 16-stone hunters for nine hundred guineas: Total, for thirtydogs and four horses, fifteen hundred guineas. THE Sporting Amateurs assembled en masse, on Monday the 15th, at Tattersall's—the attraction Major Warrington's stud. The ten horses fetched, together, upwards of sixteen hundred guineas Velvet Horn, late the property of the Prince, sold as a hunter, for the enormous sum of four hundred and fifty guineas— whilst the famous bay geiding, warranted to trot sixteen miles an hour in harness, produced only eighty. Velvet Horn was bred by Captain Batson, in Windsor Forest, whence he derives his name. His colour is a glossy black, and exactly resembles that of a particular horn, which, at a certain age, branches from the antlers of a stag, and is called by sportsmen the velvet horn. LEICESTER HUNT.-The annual meeting of the gentlemen of this hunt took place this month. The cup on Monday, Nov. 1, was won by Mr. Reid's horse Abercrombie, beating two others. A match for 75gs. between Mr Burton and Mr. Pearson, was won by the forOn Wednesday, a match, 20gs. to 10, between the winning horses, was also decided in favour of Burton at starting 6 and 3 to 1 in favour of Abercrombie.-Won with great ease. mer. FIFE HUNT.-A letter from Cupar, November 13, says, there were four horses booked for the Friday's race yesterday, but only two started, viz. Captain Maitland's grey stallion, and Mr. Carnegie the horse-dealer's grey horse. The first heat was good, and gained by Mr. Carnegie's horse. The second heat Captain Maitland's horse gave up. The sport ended with a hack race of four horses, which gave tolerable sport. To Lord THE Caledonian Hunt has been well attended this season. Dundas was president, the Marquis and Lord Douglas, stewards. BLICKLING PARK was thronged with visitors of all ranks and con There was a match the beginning of this month for 50gs for two ponies, which was won by Mr. The Woolsey's of Thwaite. sweepstakes of six subscribers, was won by Mr. Lee Doughty's f. beating Col. Wodehouse's f. and two others. A silver cup, given by the Hon. Mr Harboard, was run for by horses that had not been started or trained. There were foot-races, and many other rural sports, which afforded great diversion. Mr. Harbord entertained a large party of his friends in a very hospitable manner; and Lady Caroline afterwards gave an elegant ball and supper to about 100 ladies and gen ditions to witness the races there tlemen tlemen of Aylsham and the neighbourhood. A SHORT time since, Mr. Wild, proprietor of an exhibition, had the misfortune to lose a horse at the Blue Bell inn, at Worksop, of twenty-five guineas value, by giving him a ball which had been prepared by some empiric at Doncaster, pretending to a knowledge of farmery, as a diuretic ball. A second horse had nearly shared the same fate, but a skilful farrier being called in, it was saved. The horse that died having been removed into a field near the town for the purpose of skinning it, the entrails were incautiously left above ground, and three pigs which eat thereof also died immediately after. It appeared that these animals had been poisoned by the quantity of mercury contained in the balls. IN the maw of a large dray horse, belonging to Messrs. Hunt, brewers, at Southampton, were found two stones, one weighing twelve pounds and a half, the other six pounds, which occasioned his death. The large one had a cavity, which is supposed to have occasioned friction in the stomach. LAST month a boy, not more than 12 years of age, of the name of Matthewson, belonging to Berwick upon Tweed, but having of late resided chiefly in or about Newcastle, applied for employment to Mr. Hogg, miller, of Edenton, in Berwickshire; who, moved by a very plausible and melancholy tale of his distresses, offered him lodgings, and what further consideration his services might merit. On Monday morning Mr. H's servants, on visiting the stables as usual, missed their master's favourite mare, which it appears young Turpin had decamped with at an early hour. On the 21st ult. two gentlemen went a shooting from Moffat, and, after having killed a number of muirfowl, hares, partridges, snipes, &c. when one of the gentlemen was descending a deep glen, within two miles of Moffat, a large. beautiful young eagle, sprung from one of the rocks. He happened to have a ball in one of his barrels, for the purpose of shooting deer, and with this he fired at the eagle and killed him. The eagle measured upwards of five feet from tip to tip of his wings. A few days before, a gentleman saw an eagle chased by two Roman ravens, near the same spot. THE latter end of October, as a man was walking through a piece of ground in the neighbourhood of Piercefield, Monmouthshire, he got entangled in a net which had been spread by poachers, for the purpose he was endeavouring to extricate of destroying the gaine; and willst behind an adjoining hedge, and at himself, three fellows sprung from tacked him in the most inhuman manner. After assaulting and wounding him, with the greatest ferocity, they dragged him to the precipice, and threw him from a cliff projecting over the river, where, from the immense height, his destruction was only prevented by his failing into a piece of water, in which he remained immersed during the whole of the night, and part of next day, being totally unable to extricate himself. He was at last discovered in this helpless situation, with his thigh dislocated, and otherwise dreadfully bruised; but, by the humane attention of the proprietor of Piercefield, who instantly ordered him medical assistance, the poor man is in a fair way of recovery. We are sorry to add, that the inhuman assailants have not yet been discovered. POETRY. |