shudder to think of. Segundo and the load were down in au instant; the baker, or whatever he was, behaved like a trump; but the smash was irremediable, and we returned ignominiously to town with a humble pair.

I

may remark that the grey mare, an animal of an inimitable disposition, kicked herself clear of everything, and the chesnut horse's game leg was from that day "gamer than ever.

(To be continued).

ENGRAVED BY J. SCOTT, FROM A PAINTING BY A. COOPER, R.A.

I'll tell you, scholar, when I sat last on this primrose-bank, and looked down these meadows, I thought of them as Charles the Emperor did of the city of Florence: "That they were too pleasant to be look ed on, but only on holy-days." As I, then sat on this very grass, I turned my present thoughts into verse; 'twas a wish, which I'll

repeat to you.

THE ANGLER'S WISHI.

I in these flow'ry meads would be;
These crystal streams should solace me;
To whose harmonious bubbling noise,
I with my angle would rejoice:

Sit here, and see the turtle-dove
Court his chaste mate to acts of love:

Or on that bank feel the west wind
Breathe health and plenty; please my mind
To see sweet dew-drops kiss these flowers,
And then, wash'd off by April showers :
Here, hear my Kenna sing a song ;
There, see a blackbird feed her young,

Or a leverock build her nest;
Here, give my weary spirits rest,
And raise my low-pitch'd thoughts above
Earth, or what poor mortals love:

Thus free from law-suits, and the noise
Of princes' courts, I would rejoice :

Or, with my Bryan, and a book,
Loiter long days near Shawford-brook ;
There sit by him, and eat my meat;
There see the sun both rise and set,
There bid good morning to next day,
There meditate my time away,
And angle on, and beg to have
A quiet passage to a welcome grave.

*Like Hermit poor.

132

PASSING EVENTS.

BY CECIL.

Nothing affords more conclusive testimony of the prosperity which reigns over any pursuit, whether it be of pleasure or profit, than the value attached to the respective objects immediately connected therewith. It is a circumstance particularly gratifying to be enabled to introduce this reasoning with reference to the chase. Seldom, if ever, has the demand for hounds been greater than it has been during the past spring. His Majesty the King of Naples has sent over for a large draft, and through the agency of Cox, the Vine huntsman, a very working-like pack has been sent out. I had an opportunity of looking them over a few days before they left Hampshire, and I must do Cox the justice to observe they do him great credit. A re-action is evidently taking place in the taste for sporting affairs on the continent, which appears likely to increase. It is an unmistakeable token of peaceful associations, for we never find such vocations encouraged when grim-visaged war presides. As a proof of the demand existing for hounds, a certain pack that shall be nameless was sent lately to Tattersall's: a price was put upon them to a friend of mine on the Saturday, which he refused to give, and they were sold under the hammer on the Monday following for more than double the sum. It was a pack that had only been got together and worked two seasons. They were not level as to size, one or two couples being very large, with about the same number very small: thus, when seen together, they looked uneven; but, by drafting the large and small, the body would have appeared more suity.

The competition for Mr. Drake's hounds, which took place at the Buckland kennels on the 28th of May, under the persuasive influence of Mr. Tattersall's hammer, was, as might be anticipated, very great. They realized upwards of £1,800. Lord Henry Bentinck was the principal opponent to many others who were desirous of obtaining this valuable blood. Sir W. W. Wynne also made a selection, and Mr. T. Drake, jun., likewise obtained one lot, to remain in their own country. Something akin to regret must be expressed that such a very superior pack should have been separated.

To supply their place, Mr. T. Drake has purchased the New Forest hounds from Captain Shedden. They have been hunting in a very different country to the one into which they are removed; and, without in the slightest degree invidiously reflecting on their merits in the country which they were accustomed to, I fear it will take a scason or more ere they signalize themselves in their new one. Sportsmen will readily make allowance; but, unfortunately for masters of hounds, they are not all sportsmen who attend at the covert side, and too many are prone to criticize more from vanity than judgment.

The Exhibition-containing the inventions, the suggestions, the perfections, the attentions, the combinations, the manipulations, the anticipations, of all nations-has in its due time been opened to the British public and the enterprising world, with what amount of satisfaction or disappointment to individuals or the million, it is needless to expatiate

upon. In these pages it is only convenient to notice such specimens of handicraft as appertain to sporting or equestrian purposes. Contemplating the vast structure, and the magnitude of the collection which it contains, it was but a natural conclusion that much would be found worthy of the sportsman's notice. In that particular branch, however, it is singularly deficient, scarcely affording a new idea or improvement in any apparatus which the devotees of Diana require. The chaos which presides over the disposition of the numerous articles presented to public view is perfectly unaccountable, and in an undertaking of this kind, to which John Bull and his visitors are daily subscribing such immense sources of wealth, for the ostensible purpose of examining its contents, their convenience and facility of inspection ought to have been more punctiliously studied. Entering the building with the official catalogue in hand, a stranger naturally expects to find that which in the voluminous pages of the aforesaid book appears Class I., No. 1, "Fossil Fishes," the first object to attract his notice, and furthermore that the consecutive numbers in the catalogue will guide him in his search for any particular article he may wish to inspect; but how great his disappointment when he discovers a most heterogeneous confusion of numbers, which completely baffles his intentions! A systematic inspection, with the aid of the catalogue, is totally impracticable. Persons who visit the Glass Palace merely to gaze upon the astounding collection, care not whether any specific subjects are readily found or not; but those who attend for the purposes of research and information have a tax imposed upon their perseverence which never could have been contemplated. A convenient order or classification of articles would have afforded some assistance; but even that has not been studied beyond the classification of kingdoms or states, and appertaining to Great Britain the division of products, manufactured articles, machinery, and so forth; which being so voluminous, a person has but little chance of finding any particular specimen without considerable search. But, upon the principle that "variety is charming," you may find pianos, teeth, air-pumps, house-clocks, rifleguns, instruments for accoucheurs, weights, fleeces of wool, electromagnets, levelling instruments, with hosts of incongruities, jumbled together without the slightest regard to order. From these causes, it is very probable I may have overlooked several articles which I would otherwise have mentioned. Fowling-pieces and rifles attract the affections of the lovers of the trigger. A profusion of fishing tackle and apparatus engrosses the attention of Izaak Walton's disciples; but not being one of that number, I cannot attempt to offer opinions on their merits. Appertaining to the chase may be found a deer and deerhound, the former represented as just killed. The hound has more the appearance of a black pointer; but as he is understood to be of German origin, it is to be presumed the variety is such as are used in that country. A handsome specimen of the foxhound is well preserved by Beevor, of Newark the attitude is spirited and good; it is the skin of Forester, a hound from the Rufford pack, and he is represented in the act of flinging to recover a lost scent.

Amongst the vehicles, which comprise various designs for town carriages, and a well-arranged omnibus by Gower, of Stratford, are several highly-finished dog-carts, one of which is constructed to carry six; it may some day attract the attention of the Society for Cruelty to Animals,

A very unique dog-cart, built by Holmes, of Derby, is exhibited. The natural beauty of the wood is not concealed with paint; a simple coat of varnish, only, protects it from the wet; the springs and all the iron works are polished. If they were made black the carriage would be practically useful.

In the way of harness there are many sets exhibited, displaying elaborate and superior workmanship, but not presenting much novelty of design, either for appearance or utility. The most worthy of notice in the latter respect are the tugs invented by White, of 185, Regent-street. They are very superior to the old arrangement. The same manufacturer has a plan for tandem harness, with bars instead of the long traces; but it is not a new invention, having been used by myself and others many years ago. This plan consists of a short bar, which White has made of wood, but which should be of iron, somewhat curved, and only sufficiently long to clear the straps (by which each end is attached to the tug) from the points of the shaft-horse's shoulders. This bar has a hook in the centre, which must be turned down, to prevent the shaft-horse catching the bar of his bit upon it-an accident which once occurred to me before I adopted that precaution. A bar, precisely similar to a four-horse bar, but lighter, is attached to the hook on the small bar already described, and to this the ordinary traces. The apparatus requires to be suspended to the collar by means of a strap, in order to keep it in its place when the leader's traces are slack. The advantages of this plan. are obvious; one is, that the shaft-horse cannot possibly get his leg over the leader's traces; and should he turn round, he does not take the shaft-horse so abruptly with him as with the long traces, because the bar by which the draft is effected works upon its own centre.

The saddlery exhibitions present numerous inventions for elastic seats, spring cantles, and such like devices, in which I am at a loss to discover any advantages; there is also a curious mechanical arrangement, or lever, for tightening the girths, which a rider may more readily perform by passing his hand under the flap of the saddle, without the aid of complicated mechanism. As to spring-girths, or such like appendages, they are quite unnecessary; for every horseman, who regards the case and comfort of the animal he bestrides, will never think of having him girthed up so tight as to bring the elasticity into effect.

In ladies' side-saddles there are many improvements introduced; one of which is the abolition of the crutch or pummel on the offside it is of no use as regards security of seat, and is much in the way, preventing the lady from getting her hands down to the proper place, one of the greatest defects in female equestrianism. The most important desideratum in the appointments of riding paraphernalia for ladies would be a considerable reduction in the length of the habit-skirt. Why the fair sex should emulate the office of the scavenger, by taking up the mud from the roads with their riding-dresses, or sweeping the pavements with their walking-dresses, is an anomaly not easily to be explained.

The gathering on Epsom Downs, with respect to numbers, certainly exceeded that of any former years. Foreigners from all quarters of the globe helped to increase the melée of usual attendants; nor could they be disappointed with the display for the Derby, whatever the backers of horses might have been with the performance of their respective pets. Teddington, the winner, is a nice racing-looking animal, but does not