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nance was open and benign, and although not more than twenty summers had passed over his head, a slight baldness gave him a more staid appearance. I was eager with curiosity to ascertain the rank and station of the stranger, when one of the gayest of the staff approached me. "We dine at six to-day," said he, "and the Beau is as regular as clockwork; don't be late." I promised to be punctual, and after a time screwed up sufficient courage to ask the names of the new comers. "The one with the dark, curly, negro-looking head is Francis Russell; the other, with the back hair well-combed and brought over the bald pericranium, is his master, the heir-apparent to the throne of Holland. You see, as the sailors say, his Royal Highness makes the after-guard do the main-top duty. With this witticism upon the prince's coiffeur the merry-hearted aide-de-camp left me for an instant, and then returned to say the Prince of Orange wished to be introduced There was something peculiarly affable and good-humoured in his Royal Highness's manner, and the strict attention he paid to his military duties endeared him to his chief and his brother-officers. The Prince acted as aide-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief, and had himself two attachées to his suite-the late Colonel Francis Russell, and the present Colonel Johnson.*

to me.

Upon the following morning I received orders to join the General, to whose staff I had been appointed as an extra aide-de-camp, and taking leave of my friend Colonel Marsland and those to whom I had lately been introduced, I proceeded with my bâtman, led horse, and baggage mule, to the head quarters of the division. No sooner had I reported myself than I found that an order had been issued for the forces under Hill, Clinton, and Alten to force the bridge of Orthes, and in less than half-an-hour the troops were under arms. Finding the approach strongly defended, and having no artillery at command the attempt was abandoned; we then were ordered to cross the river at two fords which had been discovered during the day. Before this movement could be accomplished, intelligence reached us which changed our operations, and it was not until early on the morning of the 27th of February that we crossed the river by a bridge of boats placed at the same spot where Picton had forded it the previous evening. It was now evident, from all that I could gather from those around me, that a battle was shortly to be fought. The

* Since writing the above the Princely Orange, the late King of Holland, has been gathered to his ancestors. Many a page might be filled, shewing the muta. bility of human affairs in the person of his majesty, and the vicissitudes which attended his destiny would furnish a practical illustration of the fallacy of the brightest prospects in the dawn of life; his premature death in the prime of manhood closing a career chequered with disappointment-firstly, in finding himself supplanted in the affections of his ladye love," the fair-hair'd daughter of the Isles;" and secondly, by the loss of a portion of his dominions by the same successful rival, the present King of the Netherlands. But we will not dwell more upon the history of the illustrious dead; suffice it to say, the late king was a brave and gallant soldier, as his war services in the Peninsular and Waterloo campaign gave ample witness. His Majesty was also a liberal and honourable supporter of the turf; in his successor we shall not find the taste for manly sports degenerated. There are few men more devoted to English pastimes and English habits than the present King of Holland; and not to speak it disrespectfully, we think in his majesty's person the proverbial heaviness of his Burgher countrymen will not be realized, and that in him we may find a cross of the true blood of the brave Van Tromp and the Flying Dutchman.

French had taken up a strong position, their left being supported by the town of Orthes and the river, and their right terminating on a height, covered by the village of St. Boes in its front, But the battle of Orthes has been described by abler pens than mine; suffice it to say that after a severe-fought action victory crowned our arms. The loss of the French was immense; that of the allies amounted to more than two thousand killed, wounded, and missing. Byron writes

"It has a strange, quick jar upon the ear,

That cocking of a pistol."

And if the sound of one produces such an effect upon the nerves, what must be that of thousands of leaden messengers whizzing through the air, with an obligato accompaniment of round, grape, chain, and canister shot? For my own part I am free to confess the phrase is parliamentary— that there is something peculiarly awful in the battle field, especially to those not actively employed, and as a staff officer I had little occasion to exert my energies. To remain passive when the ranks about you are being swept down by the destructive fire of the enemy; to witness the havoc made by sundry pieces of hostile artillery, playing, as it is fancifully termed, upon your columns and lines; to see some battalion charged and driven back by an overwhelming body of cavalry; to hear the shouts of the assailant forces, the agonizing moans and convulsions of the wounded, the groans of the dying sufferers, the wild neighing of some suffering animal goaded almost to madness, are all well calculated to appal the stoutest heart. But perhaps the most severe trial is when the contest is over, when the excitement has subdued, when the survivor contemplates war's deadly havoc, to miss the companion of your tent; to search among the mangled corpses for that of a tried friend; to bury the inanimate remains of those who, a few hours before, had been full of youth, life, and hope; to purchase some relic of the departed-these produce an effect which almost tempts the living impiously to wish he had fallen amidst the dreadful carnage. The night after the battle, and the hour that succeeds the funeral at sea, are two of the most impressive scenes that can be imagined; and many a time have I witnessed the effect they have produced upon the minds of the brave soldier and daring sailor, who, with the suppressed tear upon their sun-burnt and weather-beaten cheeks, have inwardly breathed their aspirations to heaven, and poured forth an offering of gratitude to the Disposer of all events for his mercies vouchsafed in the hour of danger, whether in the field of carnage or on the mighty deep. It was with feelings similar to those which I have so faintly described, that I sought the solitude of my chamber after the din of the cannon and the fire of the musketry had ceased; and when I contemplated the fury of the contest, the steady bravery of the troops, the deadly havoc of the conflicting forces, and the loss both armies had sustained-that of the allies amounting to more than two thousand killed, wounded, and missing-I could not fail to offer up my heartfelt thanks that I had been so mercifully protected in this hard-fought battle.

A DAY WITH THE HUNGERFORD.

BY HARRY HIEOVER.

It was one of those mornings in winter when the first feeling that actuates the foxhunter is a wish for his hunter at the cover's side. How different are those feelings in the same man, if he knows he has his stud of half a dozen, and one of those gone on to a favourite fixture! Or if, from some untoward circumstance, fate compels him to take his wearisome course towards or to the city, the ward or heir may certainly, with great satisfaction, take his course to Lincoln's Inn Fields, if it is a visit that puts him in possession of the means of enjoying life; but nine out of ten who have visited the last mentioned seat of learning and big wigs, will, I believe, agree with me that the incentives and results of such visits have been anything but agreeable. That most careful guardian of our property, the Lord High Chancellor, is a most scrupulous guardian of it-so scrupulous that he certainly will not allow any one to get possession of it that is not entitled to it, and is somewhat tenacious of disgorging it to those who are; and when he does, so many nibblings have been made at it by different individuals, that we cannot, at all events, complain of any want of attention having been paid to it.

It was on such a morning as I allude to that having sent on a couple of hunters and a hack to Hungerford the preceding day, I got the box seat on the White Lion coach, where I was so well known and my habits so well understood, that on changing horses at Hounslow the reins were put into my hands, and with them the charge of four bokickers, over a galloping stage, where the pace scarce afforded me time to give a glance at the barracks on the Heath, where I had so often joined the recherché mess, and passed so many joyous evenings and nights. How many of the choice spirits I have joined there are now gone!—where, all but clerical theory; for it is but theory after all, pretend what it may that where is an awful inquiry no man can or ought to pretend to answer. A proper confidence induces me to believe that the departed brave and good are happy: if so, it matters little where.

Before reaching Thatcham I gave up the reins, for reasons well known to coachmen at that time. On nearing Hungerford I overtook my horses, and prior to their arrival I had engaged a comfortable threestalled stable, and an occasional helper, corn, hay, bran, and beans.

After discussing what I had chosen for dinner, with a couple of glasses of sherry, I need scarcely say my first act was to send for Nevitt, the huntsman, who shortly arrived; and having ordered a bottle of port, and sent a message to the two whips, desiring them to come to the inn and order what they pleased, I and the huntsman set to for a chat of hounds, foxes, country, scent, horses, and the general men composing the field; my horses having been for a fortnight somewhat short of work, I knew

that their two days of long gentle exercise would not hurt them; so learning the fixture was only four miles off, I determined to go next day. Nevitt seemed to relish the Port uncommonly, so I ordered another, about the middle of which he volunteered a hunting song, which he gave so enthusiastically that waiter, landlord, and landlady be-turns, just looked in, but said nothing, having satisfied themselves the ceiling of the room was not coming down. At the end of the second bottle I was quite disposed to retire for the night, but somewhat to my astonishment our huntsman, though in a general way a particularly unassuming man, found me or the wine too much to his taste in his then mood, that he rang the bell and ordered another. The scene shortly became rich in the extreme. He offered me the pick of his own and his master's horses to the end of the season; tried several hunting songs; gave a tally-ho at each sip of the wine; vowed no man could hunt hounds but himself; and finished by rolling off his chair. I gave him in charge to boots and went to bed.

The next morning I met the hounds; never shall I forget Nevitt's look so long as I can remember anything; he looked as if he had been up for a week; was as hoarse as a raven, and indeed so ill that he could scarcely sit on his horse. He rode up to me, touched his cap, begged my pardon, and very unnecessarily requested me never to mention the affair to his master. I jokingly asked if he would like a bottle of wine to refresh him after he got home; he shook his head, which was about as much as he could do.

I remained about a fortnight at Hungerford, and had some good runs, among which was one from Donnington, the subject of this paper, and during the time I stayed there I sold, or rather I exchanged one of my horses with that excellent rider, sportsman, and fellow, Mr. John Pearman, drawing £70 and his horse The General, which he rode during the run in question; and this horse I sold to an officer at Brighton for a hundred pounds; so having given only a hundred for my own horse a month before I went to Hungerford, my hunting expedition was not an expensive one.

During my stay I invited a few friends to dine with me on a particular day; in the course of the evening, one of them, knowing I could perpetrate a few doggrel lines, begged me to say something of some of those whom I had seen out. This was carried nem. con. When should they have it? The next day at dinner. And I kept my word, though they did not leave me till four in the morning, and the hounds were out the next day, added to which I do not say we parted quite as sober as we met.

I made my friends pledge themselves the paper should be confined to those in the scent, not wishing as a stranger to offend any one; but at this distance of time some of those mentioned are dead, others have left the country, and those remaining will only laugh if it meets their eye.

The run itself was certainly a brilliant one; and part of it being hilly, I saw more horses beaten than I think I ever did in the most clipping country.

The Hungerford had a large range of country. What I should call the best part of it they seldom hunted, owing, I believe, to the master, with his enormous weight, not being able to get along in it; for when

we think of twenty stone walking-weight, it only shows what judgment will do in saving a horse, and truly the one Ward rode that day was as fresh at the finish as any horse there, and had left dozens of those with light weights on them completely knocked up.

Ward was a true sportsman of the old school of masters of foxhounds. His manners were certainly not elegant or refined; but many of those possessing such advantages want that courtesy in the field that Ward ever evinced towards every man who conducted himself properly in it.

The hounds were, in shape, make, and breeding, as perfect as hounds. could be-not, perhaps, as fast or as much dash in them as some others; but where the master rides twenty-one stone, a huntsman may be excused if he does not do his work as quickly as when speed and a fast thing are the great desiderata. No man disliked seeing hounds slack in drawing a cover more than Ward did: a pottering hound was his detestation. He liked to see hounds hunt; and provided they kept on, he would rather see them put their noses to the ground than run into their fox breast-high. It was only, therefore, going in chase at the rate of twelve or fourteen miles an hour, instead of eighteen. Ward rode because riding enabled him to see his hounds hunt: others hunt because it enables them to ride. Each man has his pleasure, and each has a right to enjoy it; and long may they do so!

A BEAR HUNT.

BY FLIBBERTIGIBBET.

On the 17th of October last, the inhabitants of a little commune called Saint Julien-en-Quint were dreadfully alarmed by a report that a huge bear, supposed to have come from the Forêt de Vaissieux, was wandering in their immediate neighbourhood. The report turned out to be true, for on going to their vineyards immense damage was found to have been done, and it was also discovered that several sheep had been destroyed. Thereupon a solemn conclave was held by the principal inhabitants of the commune, at which, after no little anxious debate, it was resolved that a party of twenty men, well armed, should hunt out Bruin, and then by forming a circle round him-pretty wide at first, but lessening by degrees, like they do on grand occasions in the Highlands-get sufficiently near him to give him his quietus for ever and

ever.

At an early hour in the morning, off they set; but before they could carry their plan of forming a circle into execution, they came, to their great horror, pounce upon Mr. Bruin. He was snugly ensconced at the time in a sort of cave at the foot of the Mountain de Vaissieux, but on

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