THE DEATH OF THE STAG. An Engraving. fess that I again enter the lists with him with some degree of apprehension as to the result of the contest; for what opponent can read his description of the preparation for the start" the reins thrown across the off-wheel horses' loins, with the ends of them hanging upon the middle terret of the pad, and the whip also thrown So across the backs of the wheelers"without feeling, in anticipation, the whip across his own. sublime, indeed, is his picture of the coachman, that I have sought the volumes of "The Great Unin vain for any thing equal to it in known." Having paid this proper tribute to taste and genius, I proceed seriatim with my remarks. THE subject before us is by the powerful pencil of Rubens, and is a good specimen of those kind of subjects for which he was so justly celebrated. In it we see the energetic and desperate attack of the dogs opposed to the dying convulsive struggle of the stag, who seems to have given a coup de grace to the dog behind. We think the game displayed by the white dog admirable. Rubens must have been a close observer of nature, or he would not have been able to have depicted the stern of this dog. His forte seems to have been action and energy, and the subject before us fully bears out this assertion; and though his detail is Ge-ho-logicals, I must confess I With regard to the long list of not at all times correct, he gave have mixed so little with the beau such a vigour to his designs, ac- monde of late years, that Mr. Jobcompanied by such bold and pow-son, of Shrewsbury, is the only one erful execution-added to which in the catalogue of whom I have the unrivalled splendour of his colouring that he has left all compe-lities, even from the time when he any knowledge. To his good quatitors at considerable distance. Indeed, from a contemplation of the many works left by this great genius, we must exclaim with the Immortal Bard, "Take him for all in all we shall not look upon his like again." Birmingham, I am ready to bear was post-boy at the Royal Hotel, testimony, as he was as celebrated for his civility as he was for his flaxen curls and general neat appearance. I am quite willing to take NIMROD's word in behalf of the characters and qualifications of the rest; and also to admit that the modern stage coachmen are much superior to their predecessors in point of personal appearance and language. It is to their superciliousness to passengers who happen not, miserabile dictu! to know how to handle the ribands, that I object. That they should be civil to amateur whips of gentle and noble blood, is by no means surprising, when we know that the fee from these gents for being allowed an opportunity to break the necks of their fellow passengers is never under a crown, and seldom less than gold. Now what chance has an humble eighteen-pence, given by a plebeian hand, against such powerful claimants to coachee's civility? None whatever, as every day's experience amply proves. Now, as I am not very ambitious, I trust I have philosophy enough to bear with the "coachman's contumely," without wishing to make my quietas with a bare bodkin." I shall therefore make no farther remarks on this point, but shall proceed to what NIMROD calls "working a coach," in which I know, from my own experience, there is much to reprehend on the score of flash and foolhardiness. Of the accidents that daily, or rather nightly, occur, the public never hears of one fourth, except from trials in Courts of Law for damages. These accidents generally happen at some distance from London, and the editors of the provincial newspapers, in which the coach proprietors regularly advertise, dare not insert any account of them under pain of losing their custom. It is fortunate for the generality of passengers, that they know not the danger of galloping a coach with three tons weight in and out, down hill, with no wheel locked, at the rate of twelve or fifteen miles an hour; the whole resistance of the wheel horses depending on the security of a small leather strap and buckle at the top of the hames, these modern coachmen deeming it infra dignitate to drive with breechings. From NIMROD's knowledge and experience he cannot but be aware of the truth of this statement; yet, in his essay of last month he says (speaking of a man who worked the Worcester day coach), "I have often been pleased to look at him taking a full load down Broadway Hill without a wheel tied, sitting as much at his ease as if he were blowing a cloud." Now as I happen to know the state of Broadway Hill at the time to which NIMROD alludes, I am inclined to think that the pleasure (if he felt any) arose from the comfortable reflection that he himself was not one of the party. In defence of this custom of galloping down hill with the wheel untied, it is urged that it is a great saving of time, inasmuch as the momentum carries the coach some part of the way up the opposite rise. The improved state of the roads is also brought into the scale; but this latter circumstance rather increases the danger, because the surface being hard and smooth, the wheels meet with none of that resistance they would do in a heavy road. Now, however well pleased the young and thoughtless may be at going at the present rate of stage coaches, it is certainly a hard case that passengers of a more moderate turn and advanced age have now no choice, but are obliged to hazard their existence at the sovereign will and pleasure of the driver, who, in answer to any remonstrance that may be made to him, coolly tells you he is obliged to 86 keep his time." With regard to gentlemen drivers, although I confess I have in my younger days occasionally handled the ribands, I most assuredly would not submit to any such risk; and if my objections were disregarded, I would, notwithstanding the popular odium of such a measure, lodge an information against the coachman, although I am well aware the fine would be paid by the pupil. At the same time, I must allow, that as far as personal appearance on the box goes, it would be sometimes so difficult to determine which was the coachman and which the gentleman, that the informer might run a risk of fixing on the wrong man. How this happy equality is produced, whether by the descent of the Corinthian, or the ascent of the coachman, I shall leave to NIMROD to determine. I have no objection to driving amusement; but I never could see the necessity for a Nobleman appearing in the garb of a coachman, or for his vehicle (I beg NIMROD's pardon, drag) being constructed in exact imitation of a stage coach, I have some recollection of the patrician coachmen of former days, and I certainly, however I may be pitied for want of taste, considered their appearance and costume as much better adapted to an aristocratical state of society than that of the present day. These remarks may be unpalatable, but I confess I am a great stickler for the maintenance of the respective grades of rank and dignity. Woe to this country when all classes shall concentre in one spot! That various sorts of machinery are at work to produce this fearful crisis, cannot escape the observation of any man of serious reflection. I shall now conclude, by assuring NIMROD that I entertain the highest respect for his attainments and talents; that I have even been highly diverted with the essay upon which I have ventured to criticize; but that I know, that what appears very pleasant and harmless upon paper, is not always so in experiment and practice. NEW PATENT SADDLE. SIR, IT is now some time since I sent you a prospectus of a patent saddle, which is now come out in a perfect state; so much so, that I have been induced to purchase a second, as have several of my friends. I am inclined to think it will be generally adopted by sportsmen, and all other men of good taste, having (on minute inspection) obtained the patronage of his Majesty, Prince Esterhazy, the Marquis of Anglesea, Dukes of Dorset, Grafton, &c. Lords Rivers and Westmoreland, Sir George Quinton, Sir H. Torrens, and numberless other military and sporting gentlemen. I therefore conclude you will have pleasure in informing the readers of your very useful Magazine, that all which was anticipated of the utility of its principle is most fully borne out upon trial. I do not pretend to say it is more (nor less) elegant in appearance than other saddles; but I feel most confident of the comfort it affords to the horse, both from the equal pressure of the smooth steel pannels on his back, and their non-interference with the action of his shoulder, particularly going down hill; the safe and happy aćtion in that respect very few horses having attained, and in this consists its unerring merit, in my opinion. The patentee is a professional gentleman, and not a sportsman, and has therefore great credit for contriving to make his saddle sit easy. He must have consulted M'Adam's principle of road making, as, like them, by preserving a smooth surface on the steel pannel, they can never gall; and I am convinced that the patent saddle and M'Adam's roads will be a mutual comfort to every horse and horseman. I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant, JOHN LOCKLEY. Pershore, Sept. 25, 1826. LAUDATOR PRÆSENTIS ÆVI, IN REPLY TO NIMROD. I BIR, Am much obliged to NIMROD for his remarks on my observations concerning the Southampton Union. Far from being offended, I am gratified by the notice he has taken of my sentiments, particularly since he has commented on them in such a delicate and gentlemanlike strain. That individual who cannot endure reproof, or who disdains to receive instruction from those endowed with better reason or abilities than himself, should not drag on his existence in a civilized country. One of the advantages of society arises from the power it affords us of gaining instruction the one from the other, and, therefore, as I before stated, I am thankful to NIMROD for his attempt to instruct me. Paper war I consider to be a bad practice; never theless, without any malevolence or spite towards NIMROD, I now sit down to answer his remarks on my letter, which you was so kind as to insert in your last Number. First, then, NIMROD says, "that if he cannot praise he does not condemn." Surely it is incumbent on every one to give praise where it (which by the bye is a lenient method of punishment,) the prevention of crime, Such being the case, I consider myself justified in my expressions concerning the Southampton Union; for I deny wishing to create prejudice against this coach: I merely stated the fact of the Union being less steady than other coaches. I never said it was unsafe, or warned from persons travelling by this said coach. If I had so acted, my language might certainly have created prejudice against the parties. The only argument I made use of was this"That if the coachman was half as steady as his teams, the thing would be better." Now NIMROD, in his answer to me, appears to have deviated from the subject, and to have rested his sole argument on the civility of the coachmen, and the good appointment of the teams. The truth of this was never disputed; on the contrary, I maintain that the horsing of the Southampton Union is excellent, and many of its teams would doubtless do honour to Sir Henry Peyton's establishment, or any other gentleman's. It was the method of driving only which called forth my censure. The cantering system, I again repeat, I detest to see; no coach, let it be ever so well built, can preserve its equilibrium so well when the horses are in the canter or in the gallop, as when they are in the trot. The Telegraph, I believe, performs the same distance in the same space of time as the Union ; but this coach never presumes to gallop, excepting on any great emergency, or when the impetuosity of the steeds will scarcely allow force of hands to restrain them. Fowler, indeed, is blameless in every other respect but in driving. He is entirely the cut of a modern stage coachman-neat, active, civil, obliging. He is a pattern to all others in his line of life. Let him keep his horses better together, and he will then be as perfect in his station of life as human nature will allow. Messrs. Wignell and Steers I am not so well acquainted with, but since NIMROD gives them a good character, I readily believe him, and wish them well. Great indeed would be my sorrow if my sentiments should prove in the slightest degree detrimental to the welfare of any individual, especially of any one who may chance to move in a sphere more humble than mine own. We are all human; all sprung from the same parents, Adam and Eve; all subject to err both in word, thought, and deed: in my opinion, therefore, it is the duty of every one to advise and reprove any individual, be he friend or foe, whenever he is found to deviate from the rules of decency and decorum. In this way have I acted with regard to the Southampton Union,, and I will adhere to this same principle as long as it lies in my power to subscribe myself, Mr. Editor, your obedient servant. LAUDATOR PRÆSENTIS ÆVI. Canterbury, October 5, 1826. what I can collect from the pages of the Sporting Magazine, the prevalent opinion seems to be in fa vour of what is called the summering the hunter in the house. But because a particular system happens to gain considerable popularity, it does not necessarily follow that it must be absolutely right. I have given the subject the consideration that the humble, powers of my mind are masters of, and I cannot yet bring myself to coincide with this novel doctrine. I have now kept horses for ten years, and the system I adopt is this-viz. I turn four horses into a space of about three acres, with a yard and shed adjoining, to which they may retire as nature dictates. This shed the animals invariably occupy during the heat of the day, and at night and early in the morning I have constantly seen them take that exercise in feeding which is necessary to health, and which a simple stall and confined yard cannot afford. A gallon of carn per day to each, and some good old hay, keeps up that solid firm flesh which is so apparent at the close of the hunting season, and the little grass that horses devour is a fine substitute for the constant laxatives which a groom must administer in the house to keep the bodies cool and prevent inflammatory complaints. The benefit that accrues to the feet of horses from SUMMERING THE HUNTER. adopting this plan must be incal SIR, IF the following observations appear worthy of your notice, you will much oblige me by committing them to print: Much has been said during the last year or two respecting the proper management of hunters during the summer months. From culable, as Mr. JOHN LAWRENCE, whom NIMROD in the plenitude of his popularity so sharply criticizes, has so amply testified. One argument used against turning a horse to grass is, that he hardly ever escapes some accident; upon my plan I never experienced an accident in my life. Another complaint is made-viz. that he |