upper breeches at the scalesstockings were not in his vocabulary. He was followed at long hailing distance by one Sir Harry, who had found it to be all dicky from the starting-post, and was therefore in no hurry. Drawn the second heat, and Caloshee showed his naked toes through the rings, and drove round at a walk.

The next race showed the pigeons that Mr. Snooks had not waited for nothing (Anglice, had waited for something); the English mare Jockabed (so called as being dam to Moses and Aaron, both of whom broke down in their stalls) walking off with the Jungle Sweepstakes from a huge fifteen hand stud mare yclept Bess, and a bay garron named in honour of the great man. Bess was tooled by George Barwick in his best breeches, and his best style, and barring a little tailing at the

come away" played a good second fiddle, the bay keeping his place in rear-undisputed both heats.

Wednesday, the 22nd, brought out Jockabed, Napoleon, and Nidgetty for the Cock and Bull Cup, mile heats, 8st. 7lbs. Who the Cock and Bull Club may be who so liberally thumbed out the blunt, I am not quite aware, but the race did not correspond badly to the name. First heat, all off at a slapping pace, Bony running away from his friends as he did before at Moscow, winning with a pull on him, notwithstanding the mare drank deeply of the cutting system. Second heat, ditto, ditto, until the turn in, when all three came to the whip, and the mare won with difficulty in 2m. 6s. ; but she had the third heat all her own way in 2m. 11s. My eye and Betty Martin won so lazily that it was not worth looking at.

The Galloway Plate was carried

VOL. II.

hollow by an Arab Tramp, showing his tail to five baggage tattoes, Mr. Snook's Bustard running 6m. 6s. without an inch to spare. A clear take in. How should country rips keep foot with Arabs? The winner to be sold for 300 if demanded-but we have Tramps enough without paying for them. On the third day, Scamp, an excellent bit of blood with a queer temper, rode all the way by Jack Robinson, had the honour of serving out Sir Harry, Jockabed, and Turk, for the Malligaum Plate, 10st. 6lbs., two miles, open to all horses bonâ fide untrained up to the first day of running. Scamp didn't like his company-a winner all the way-and caused the dibs to change pockets rather briskly, the betting gentlemen who go by hearsay having been purposely kept in the dark until they were handsomely in for it.

Raffles, a big, ugly, cross-grained chestnut, with a white face, hobbled away with the Tallyho in three tedious heats, two miles, with 10st. 7lbs. on his back. Napoleon was 3 to 1 the favourite at starting against the field, and George Barwick contrived to cut out the work through the first heat; second and third won in 3m. 35s. and 3m. 39s. by Raffles, rode in good form by Master Charles. Bony had a wheel up, and the bay Arab Snooks drove all before him, and landed last as usual. This was a sad business to the friends to the revolution, who had been hooked into a "sure thing" or two, and began to look forward to the settling day with considerable uneasiness.

The Pony Plate for a mile and a distance closed this day's proceedings, and was taken by Mr. Hay's G. C. P. Bantam, running a good stick, in spite of Sam's efforts to the contrary, against Mr. Douglas's Thistle, and Raw

D

son's My Aunt. 7 to 1 on Thistle against the field, but the jockey, John Day, was remiss in calling on his horse; and, by sparing the prickles, helped to ease Thistle's Scotch friends of their spare cash. My Aunt lost her maiden-, and was too fat even to waddle.

On the fourth day, April 26th, Mr. Snooks had the felicity of cantering Ameer round the course for the Welters without the trouble of a competitor. A-meer job, not Ameer beg.

A Sweepstakes for all winners of races during the meeting, heats one mile, handicap. Here the owners of winning horses, not conceiving that the stewards had dealt fairly by them, shut up shop, and took advantage of the half forfeit act, very ungallantly permitting the mother of Moses and Aaron to walk round by herself.

The Beaten Plate, worth the hundred and fifty, for such horses as had saved their distance during the meeting, 1 mile handicap, was a clipping thing, and did the judgment of the stewards infinite credit. It was carried by Nidgetty, who, though in the decline of life, ran an uncommon good horse to the end, with 10st. 7lbs. Sir Harry (also 10st. 7lbs.) came

REMINISCENCES OF

If there are any of your readers, Mr. Editor, whose wont it has ever been to diversify the amusements abounding in that sweet village commonly known by the name of London, by patronizing Fancy, and who, fearless of utterly deranging their olfactory organs by inhaling other perfumes than those of the drawing-room and boudoir, have occasionally indulged their nostrils with the pungent essences which pervade

away in great force, and ran only a nose behind, both heats. Napoleon was to have made a fool of himself for the third time during the meeting, but his owner, Mr. Sninkets, thought better of it.

The flats had grown a little sharper upon their experience, and in spite of the birdlime, which was smeared about pretty lavish, were less easily caught than heretofore. The settling of yesterday, too, had stumped up more than one of the open-mouthed gentry, who had contrived, by the advice of their friends, to lay out their little capital without any return or even interest-a nice little harvest for the rooks.

The meeting concluded with a prize bullock race, where there was a deal more swearing than running, but everybody came in first. The fat Cotwal (a wellknown Dhoolia worthy) elected referee, driven over and sent to his crib on a shutter; after which we all adjourned to a "prime feed" at George's, who fancied he heard all those who could keep their heads aboveboard toddle to roost about three the next mornSeeing was out of the

ing. question.

SCARLET.

THE FANCY, No. 1. the neighbourhood of Duck Lane, or boldly waded, spite of mud, lime, and brickbats, into the scarcely less celebrated and savoury purlieus of "Harper's field "; if such there are, in them the name of "Ben White" must awaken recollections of peculiar gratification. Honest old Ben, the "old mother," and little swivel-eyed Annie, must ever live freshly in the remembrance. He was a man of about fifty years of

age, short and robust, had been a soldier in his youth, and shared the fortunes of the Regt. of Hussars throughout the war as a full private. Ben was a sober and active dragoon, but had his soul fixed on other things than promotion; and though, when occasion offered, he did not fail "to show the mettle of his breed," the ruling passion would still break out, and in the moment of triumph and pursuit "Tally ho!" was ever on his lips. A "Whoo'oop" of peculiar melody accompanied every successful sweep of his sabre. During the Peninsular campaigns, a pack of foxhounds was established in the Light Cavalry Brigade, and, luckily for our friend Ben, his "battle cry" having attracted the attention, and frequently been the occasion of much mirth to his officers, he was forthwith exalted to the high post and dignity of whipper-in. He was now in his glory; born in a kennel, he felt himself attached to his high-bred charges by more than ordinary ties. He willingly gave up all hope of promotion, and exchanged his helmet for a hunting cap. I have often heard him talk of those days with all the delight which ever marks the retrospective sketches of a veteran sportsman. To repeat his stories is impossible; they were rich, full of interest, and he never concluded without adding "Ay, sir, them was the times," and taking a hearty pull at the heavy wet to the health of his "brave officers." But there is no continuance in our joys below. Peace came, and with it poor old Ben's occupation went; being an under-sized man, he received his discharge at the first reduction, and retired to a cottage in Harper's fields, a short distance from the Tyburn turnpike. The munificence of his officers towards the honest and

zealous aider of their sports enabled him here to establish a kennel and pit, with such a supply of bull dogs, terriers, badgers, &c., &c., as rendered his humble abode a favourite resort to all who had known him, and, by their introduction, to those who delighted in beholding exhibitions of canine pugnacity, badger baiting, and all other sports of this description. Ben was his own carpenter, architect, and glazier; but alas, in the last capacity, while endeavouring to form a skylight over his pit, "for the better commodation of them gemmen what comes here," he unfortunately lost his equilibrium, and tumbling through his handiwork into the middle of his pit broke his thigh bone. The misfortune was no sooner known than his old supporters came to his relief; surgeon was summoned, and the limb set as well as circumstances would admit. He bore his protracted sufferings nobly, and after a long confinement, the poor veteran returned to his duties

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with as much alacrity as ever, with a leg so very considerably bent from its original form, that in the rolling and pitching which accompanied his transit from place to place, few could recognize any indication of his military education. But I am running ahead of my history. It must be known that Ben's heart had been wax to receive and marble to retain the impressions of the sex, and he had soon after retiring from the army yielded up his liberty, and was experiencing in the faithful love of the sweetheart of his youth ample remuneration for the sacrifice. The "old mother," as he (and in fact everybody) called the kind-hearted partner of his fate, was a damsel of some 45 or 50 years of age, of a comfortable amplitude and circum

ference in proportion, and, whatever she might have been in her youth, had, at that period, but few charms to boast of, but her merit in still loving him after "all the dangers he had passed" made her appear in his eyes as gay and as buxom as when he first whispered the soft tale of love in her ear, ere he had girded on the sword and become a bold

Dragoon. The only fruit of this union was a maiden, single eyed, and that eye possessing somewhat of obliquity. "Little Annie," however, was well instructed in her duty, and was never known either to upset or "breathe" a pot of heavy, when her father's visitors required, as was frequently the case, the exertion of her talents in bringing a canister of the same, from the Painters' Arms public-house, Whitbread and Co.'s Entire, which "stood convanient to the premises.'

Ben's parlour, which answered for as many purposes as the cobbler's stall, was a snug little room, with a good fire always blazing, a cuckoo clock, sundry pictures of his favourite bull-dogs,

Turk," "Miller," &c., with a few on sporting and other subjects, in which the object of the artist could only be ascertained by the eye of a connoisseur deeply experienced in the mysteries of engraving on wood. A small court in front of the house, enclosed by a wall sufficiently high to keep off troublesome visitors, was filled with kennels containing the firstrate bull dogs, who greeted each stranger with a full concert, and seldom failed to make a few dashes at him, in which they were only foiled by the strength of their chains, while the passage between them being but little broader than "Al Sirac's arch" gave the gemmen an opportunity for display of nerve.

Passing from this through Ben's sanctum, where the "old mother" was usually waiting with her sweetest smile and lowest curtsey, another court presented itself, containing an immense variety of dogs, badgers, cocks, &c., and in this court was the pit. Having now, Mr. Editor, fairly introduced you and your readers to my honest old friend, his family, and domicile, I should have felt inclined to conclude this paper, but I have just laid my hand upon a note of Ben's to myself, which compels me to inflict more of my tediousness upon you.

I was sitting one evening with a few friends over a bottle of claret, when a servant entered with a piece of paper of the most suspicious aspect, twisted and crumpled into marvellous irregularity, and placed it in my hands, saying it had just been brought by a little girl that squinted very much. Not having been before honoured with the correspondence of Ben, I was rather at a loss to guess who could have done me the favour, when, looking at the seal which covered nearly the whole of one side, and bore an impression exceedingly resembling the brass plate on a dog's collar, I began to smell a rat, and found on further inspection that it was the old boy himself, and thus he wrote:

meens to bate his bull. We expecs mani gemmen of the fancy wil be thair so no mor at presint from yur oners

66

"Umbl sarvent to cumand "Bengamen White."

66

This was not a summons to be neglected. The following morning I went to his house to make further inquiries, the result of which was that I determined to give Ben and some half dozen out and outers' a cast to Moulsey. 'Miller, "Ball, "young Turk," "the Coach dog," "Blucher," and "the Captain were selected, and under the old lad's personal care were conveyed in a spring cart to Hampton on Thursday evening. The "Toy" was all alive next mornning, the party being principally composed of Militaires belonging to the regiments in and about London. At 12 o'clock, all being ready, we moved down to the Hurst, and found a right gamelooking bull fixed to the ring. The company was not by any means so select here as in the coffee-room of the "Toy," but there was a passable collection of knowing-looking coves, and the usual sprinkling of youkels; whilst the yelping and barking of about 150 dogs of all sorts and sizes created a delightful din and confusion. The prize collar was exhibited, and clamation made that one dog only should be slipped at a time, and umpires appointed. No pencil but a Hogarth's could here do justice to Ben's countenance and general appearance; the expression of delight at being in a place so congenial to his feelings, the evident anxiety yet cool determination 66 not by no means to go for to do nothing in a hurry," as he stood with his assistants close to his swell friends, and the

1

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knowing leer he gave as dog after dog was slipped by his competitors, tossed, and (after the performance of sundry evolutions in the air), limped out of the ring, was incomparable. At last he began to prepare for mischief; upwards of 50 dogs had been slipped, but none had succeeded in securing the bull, which was now perfectly furious. "Young Turk” was chosen for his first slip; he went in gallantly, but was tossed to an immense height, caught on the horns in falling, tossed again, and picked up motionless. Ben looked as if he was going to cry, and, as he picked him up, exclaimed, "Pretty little dear, your father never said nothing, and I knowed you would not say even Oh ! " In another moment in dashed "Miller," and seized his antagonist by the lip, but from the tremendous violence with which the bull threw up his head, one of his tushes broke short off, and being thrown out of the ring, was caught and secured. Ben was a little better pleased this time, and consoled himself by simply saying, "Vell, that wasn't "The your fault, anyhow." Coach dog" and "Blucher" were both severely injured, but behaved well. "Ball," a little brindled dog, light, but of a "terrible, terrible high breed," was started with a few words of encouragement, being, as he said, "the old mother's pet; vy, sir, he always sleeps with she; but it would not do; poor Ball, after being well tossed, was limping in again on three legs, but was caught just in time to save his life, one of his hind legs being broken. The longitude of Ben's face very considerably increased as he let go the last hope of his kennel in breathless silence. "Captain" was a strong, well-bred, brown dog, of about 40lbs., and