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found him to be quite the reverse. The last time I saw that gentleman was at Birmingham, when he said, "I fear you have not got another Driver horse for me."

About this time, likewise, I dropped across a very clever mare, in a strangely accidental manner. Visiting a coaching friend in Cheshire, he put his team together, one fine morning in October, and drove myself and others to Newcastle-under-Lyne; and, in a stroll round the town, I stumbled on a veterinary surgeon, whom I saw come out of his door, on which where his name and profession. Now, a friend of mine says, "I care not what subject he begins with, but I'll take small odds that Nimrod ends it with a horse;" and such was the case here. After the usual salutation-apologies for the intrusion, &c. &c; "Pray sir," said I, "can you tell me of a hunter for sale?" He replied, he did not know of one; but, recollecting himself, informed me he had a mare of his own, that he thought would suit me. "How is she bred?" was my first question. "Got by Castrel, out of a thorough-bred mare," was the reply. Pricking up my ears at Castrel, to say nothing of the thorough-bred mare, I inquired farther into her history, which was this:Castrel covered a season or two, as many of your readers will remember, in Cheshire, when the property of Mr. William Cotton, brother to Lord Combermere, but he got very few foals. It happened, however, a very well-bred mare, the property of Mr. Shackerley, father to the present Sir Charles, of Somerford Park, near Congleton, stood to him, and this mare was the produce; but so desperately restiff was she in the breaking, that, being deemed unfit for the service of man, and dangerous, she was turned up in the park, and sold, as incurable, to this veterinary surgeon-whose name is Mayer,* and he is still living at Newcastle-for the sum of ten pounds!

When I had this mare led out for my inspection, I perceived she was lame in one hind leg; but the Vet. explaining to me most scientifically, and, at the same time, satisfactorily, that it was a mere temporary affair, the result of a severe day's work on the road, I was inclined to have a shy at her, although no warranty was given; so, putting his man-servant on the drag, I rode her two or three miles over the country, by the side of it, and found I had stumbled on a trump. To make the story short-for brevity is the soul of some things, as longitude is of others-I bought her for sixty pounds, and, after a little taste of her, over Shropshire, during Shrewsbury-hunt week, in November, dropped into a fine run upon her, over Warwickshire, in December; and being, towards the end of it, one of very few who, without a fall, got over a boggy brook, under Witchford Wood (which I remember we christened the double-bodied brook, having a backcut to it, which occasioned so many disasters), she was put, the next day, into the stable of Mr. Smythe Owen, one of the late masters of one of the Shropshire packs of foxhounds, and 150 guineas into my pocket. This was one of the few hunters I ever possessed that went best in a plain snaffle-bridle, but she would not face any other, and came under the denomination, of " the horse that a child might ride." She was a dark chestnut, with a blaze down her face, and, for the weight she could carry, very good, though not so first-rate as she ought to have been from her blood.

(To be continued.)

Mr. Mayer is one of the principal contributors to the Veterinary Journal, edited by Mr. Youatt.

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CHARLES HOLMES,

THE DRIVER OF THE BLENHEIM COACH.

IN presenting to our readers, this month, the portrait of Charles Holmes, the well-known and deservedly popular driver of "The Blenheim Coach," from Oxford to London, and back again, for a period of upwards of twenty years, we offer no apology; because we are persuaded the patrons of THE SPORTING REVIEW, will, at all times, be gratified to find that merit, however humble, receives, in its pages, the consideration and approval to which it is fairly entitled; and, perhaps, at no season is such consideration and approval more becoming than at a period when that useful and zealous class of men, ycleped "British Dragsmen," are gradually resigning their "seats and their "ribbons" to the new-fashioned substitute of "steam and engineers." "Comparisons are odious ;" and we shall not, therefore, here attempt to draw distinctions between the good old-fashioned "coach-and-four," with all its brilliant and lively appointments, and the dull and monotonous spectacle of the railroad-train. "Chacun a son gout" is our motto; and we must leave the public to choose for themselves; all we have to do is to record the good conduct of a public servant, who has devoted the greatest portion of his days to "the road;" and who has not only secured for himself, in "his journey through life," verbal expressions of approbation from his customers, but who, we have pleasure in stating-as the accompanying portrait will shew-has had that approbation confirmed with "sterling" sincerity, by the presentation of a Silver Cup, of chaste and elegant design; as well as a Silver Salver, not less appropriate and beautiful in its workmanship; in a manner not less flattering than deserved.

Mr. Holmes, the original of our portrait, has been the architect, if not of his own "fame," at least of his own excellent character; and, during five and twenty years, has driven the Blenheim coach for the same proprietors (Messrs. Costar and Waddell); during which period, he has not only justified their confidence, by his invariable integrity and attention to business, but has, by his urbanity and excellent conduct, elicited the unqualified approbation of every passenger, male or female, who has favoured his coach with their patronage. And it is not a little to his credit to state, that, during the whole of that period, he never met with accident or mischance. These concurring circumstances it was which led those high and distinguished persons, who for so many years had witnessed his career, to determine to offer him a solid and lasting proof of the estimation in which he was held; and, at the suggestion of Sir Henry Peyton, Bart., a subscription was commenced to present him with the pieces of plate which stand exhibited by the side of his portrait. The more widely to extend the means of affording this demonstration-it was resolved, that no subscriber should contribute more than ten shillings; and it must have been a source of infinite gratification to Mr. Holmes to find that no less than 250 individuals, of the highest rank in the country, including

the Duke of Wellington, were enrolled in this flattering list. The requisite funds having been raised, the execution of a vase, suitable to the occasion, was entrusted to Messrs. Green and Ward, of Cockspurstreet, who well sustained their reputation by the taste and elegant design of the work, which we cannot do better than here describe.

It consists of a beautiful "CUP and COVER," of the Grecian form, ornamented with richly-chased leaf-handles, and with water-leaves on the body. On one side of the Cup is a bass-relief, exquisitely modelled and chased, representing a coach-and-four, executed in bright and dead silver; and on the opposite side is the following inscription :

"Presented to CHARLES HOLMES, by Sir HENRY PEYTON, Bart., on behalf of himself, and two hundred and fifty subscribers, in testimony of their approbation of his good conduct as driver of the Blenheim coach, for a period of upwards of twenty years.-1835."

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The top of the cover is surmounted with a beautifully modelled horse, fully harnessed as a near leader;" and what we are sure gives additional value to this magnificent token in the eyes of Mr. Holmes, is the fact that the actual half sovereign subscribed by the Duke of Wellington, is let into the bottom of the vase. This Cup, on its completion, was presented to Mr. Holmes, at the Thatched-house Tavern, by Sir Henry Peyton, (after a dinner, of which forty or fifty of the subscribers had partaken,) in a speech highly complimentary; to which Mr. Holmes made a characteristic and grateful reply; and, as the value of the Cup did not equal the amount of the subscriptions received, it was determined that the balance should be applied to the purchase of a "SALVER," upon which the Cup is represented as standing and here, again, the taste and discrimination of Messrs. Green and Ward were admirably displayed. It is of a very elegant form, and upon it are engraved, radiating from the centre, the names of the subscribers, alphabetically arranged; while, in the compartments formed by the ornaments of the border, are inscribed the names, busts, and coronets of the noblemen who are included in the list. In the centre of the Salver, are the arms of the city of Oxford; and the whole forms as chaste and as elegant an ornament as it has ever been our good fortune to witness: the tout ensemble is in every way consonant with the object of the donors.

This Salver afforded a second opportunity for a personal testimony to Mr. Holmes's good qualities; and it was presented to him in a short, but eloquent, speech, by Vernon Dolphin, Esq., at the White Horse, in Piccadilly, in the presence of an admiring circle of his friends. Were we to say more on this subject, we fear we should diminish the real value of the compliment paid to Mr. Holmes; and we shall simply conclude by stating, that "the Blenheim coach”—of which he is still, and we trust will long continue to be, the driver-leaves London, or Oxford, at ten o'clock every morning; performing its journey, with admirable precision, in six hours, stopping to an excellent luncheon at the house of our old friend, the host of the Red Lion, at High Wycombe. We ought to add, that William Stacey, who successfully endeavours to imitate the good qualities of Charles Holmes, takes the reins, alternately, from Oxford and London, and well supports the high character which the coach and its general appointments have obtained.

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