well-informed man. " Well-informed ! I be-
lieve you," replied mine host, rather animat-
edly, " the gentleman you allude to is Mr.
Vincent Dowling, well known in the Sporting
"World, and Vho is likewise the Editor of
Bell's Life Ifl London. In him the Fancy
have found a most sincere friend, and who are
much indebted to his exertions, his independ-
ence, and his fair and manly support towards
the men of the Ring; and I wish I could say
as much for many other persons connected
with the press !" " Well done, Tom," said
an old Ring-goer, who was * blowing a cloud'
in one corner of the room. I am ghid you
have done justice to that gentleman ; and it is
really no more than he deserves from the
Sporting World. I have known him for se-
veral years, and no man, in his literary capa-
city, has afforded greater amusement to the
public, than Mr. Dowling. I believe it was
through the exertions of Mr. D., in the Ob-
server, who first gave the public a taste for
Police Reports ; and I have been told that
Mr. Dowling first appeared in the P. R. as a
reporter of fights, on Jack Randall's contest
with the late Ned Turner. I am also anxious
to observe that his experience as a public
writer has taught him to ' temper justice with
,' and, in acting up to the admirable
advice of our immortal bard, ' nothing exten-
uate, or set down aught in malice,' he has
generally reflected credit on himself by the
independent manner with which he has treated
those subjects which called forth remarks from
his pen. The Editor of a Sporting News-
paper is no * bed of roses' for the mind of any
man ; and he has only one course to direct
him through his very arduous undertaking
namely, the straight forward one." He is
a most excellent companion ; cheerful, witty,
and satirical at all times ; but, in the latter
display of his talents, the feather appears more
than the razor he tickles his adversaries,
rather than wounds their feelings. In his
recital of an ' Irish tale' he is quite at home ;
and the late Andrew Cherry, with all his
peculiar excellence in that line of humour,
could not produce more fun, or create louder
roars of laughter than the Editor of Bell's Life
in London. Mr. Dowiing possesses immense
tact as a caterer for the public, backed by
industry which never tires ; and if information
can be procured by looking after it from one
end of the kingdom to the other, why then he
may be compared to the wary general at his
post, who sleeps with one eye open, in order
to give the other rest. In a word Mr. D.
must be viewed as a * great card' towards the
support of the Fancy.
For myself, I must acknowledge that I
have spent many evenings in my life, during
my connexion with the sporting world, with
great delight and satisfaction at the Castle
Tavern ; and the succeeding days I have re-
viewed them with equal pleasure, and felt
perfectly satisfied that I had derived consi-
derable information from the various classes
of society I had mixed with, teaching me that
The proper study of mankind is man.
In truth, for many years since the recollection
of them has not caused me the slightest regret >
but, on the contrary, they have told with in-
creased pleasure ou my feelings, that other-
wise I might have remained in my garret
Hail, towering spot ! sublime retreat !
Full six good stories from the street,
From whence I view luxuriant crops,
Of lead, and tile, and chimney tops,
Where 1 the immortal Is INK invoke,
Midst amorous sparrows, cats, and smoke !
poking the ashes out of my scanty grate, find-
ing fault with the follies of society, and brood-
ing over the anticipated miseries of mankind.
But, no ! I ha* e seen the tear of sorrow steal
down the cheeks of some of the roughest
sous of Nature ; I have felt the strong grasp
of friendship from the most uncouth looking
beings a forbidden outside, with a melting
heart within : * Such things as passeth show i'
and I have witnessed again and again,
CHARITY bestowed, where the bestovver of the
mite Lad scarcely blunt enough left in bit
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
77
pocket to purchase a breakfast the next morn-
ing. Such are some of the advantages of
mixing with society.
But then it has often been "flung in my
;eeth," that the fancy has very bad members
Belonging to it: too many bad members, I
Hust admit, it has attached to its pursuits ;
but, by comparison to the * MOUNTAIN OK
GOOD ONES,' who still remain in the sporting
world, they must be viewed as a mere specie.
But might I not retort with severity, if it
suited my purpose, upon some of the best
educated parts of society, to observe that a
Bishop has been compelled to quit his country
for an abominable crime ; a Reverend Divine
been executed for murder ; and a Banker
hung for forgery ; and so on to the end of the
chapter? But, after all the arguments that
might be produced for and against the sports
of society it comes to the old conclusion
there are BAD and GOOD of all grades ; and
that the members of the sporting world are
aot worse than their neighbours.
In conclusion, I have only to observe that
the Castle Tavern is open at all times to the
visitor, either to confute my representation of
it, or to verify the truth of my assertion but
of this circumstance I feel strongly assured
that an evening spent at the ahove sporting
house will never prove a source of regret to
the stranger who is anxious to witness some
of the peculiarities of Life, or cause him to
assert " / was sorry that 1 was last night at
TOM SPRING'S!"
ROYAL ANECDOTE.
It is a point of etiquette in the Royal hunts,
that no one be permitted to ride before his ma-
jesty, for which purpose the prickers are ap-
pointed to prevent a too near approach to the
person of the king. It happened, however,
during one of the chases in the New Forest,
that a young sportsman, unable to govern his
horse, rode past the late king, George III.,
and the heels of his horse threw some dirt into
that monarch's face ; the prickers were on the
alert to resent this affront, but his majesty ex-
claimed, in the most good-natured manner,
" Stop, sfop ! never punish a man for what
he cannot help."
AN EPITAPH ON A SPORTSMAN.
Beneath this turf, pent in a narrow grave.
Lies a true sportsman, generous, great, and brave ;
It was his principal, and greatest pride,
To have a rowling-bag sluug by his side ;
Thro' woods and fields to labour, toil, and run,
In quest of game, with pointer, scrip, and gun.
His random shot was seldom known to spare,
The woodcock, pheasant, or the tim'rous hare ;
Till death (that sable lurcher) lay conceal'd,
Surpris'd, and shot our hero in the field ;
TLcn in this co-vert may he safely rest,
Till rous'd to join with co vies of the blest !
GREAT TROTTING MATCH BETWEEN Miss
TURNER AND RATTLEP.
The above match, which excited so much in-
terest in the Sporting World, between Rattler,
(the American horse,) and Miss Turner, (the
Welsh mare,) for 200 sovereigns, was decided
on Saturday, April 25th, 1829, over ten miles
of ground, between Cambridge aud Godman-
chester, commencing at the second mile-stone
from Cambridge, and terminating at the
twelfth. This was the first occasion on
which the merits of Rattler were brought into
action in this country, although he had won
all his matches in America. Miss Turner had
been in training at Smitham-bottom, Surrey, for
two months, and was completely up to the
mark. Both were in Cambridge on Friday
Rattler at the Greyhound, and Miss Turner
.at the Eagle and Child; and, the Newmarket
Meeting having closed, several of the turfites
came over to witness the match. A meeting
between the proprietors of each horse took
place at the Hoop, in Cambridge, on Friday
evening, when the time, place of trotting, and
some other necessary preliminaries were ad-
justed ; but betting was still shy, and two to
one on Rattler would be accepted only to a very
trilling amount. Some small bets were mado
on time, the American being backed to do the
ten miles in thirty-two minutes.
Shortly before twelve, both the animals and
their proprietors were at the starting stone.
Rattler was ridden by William Haggerty, the
American groom, dressed in a light flannel
jacket, blue silk cap, olive-green velveteen
trowsers, and boots without spurs, and a small
whip in his hand ; his stirrups were wrapped
round with list, to prevent his feet from slipping;
he rode with a common snaflle bit and mar-
tingale. The mare was ridden by little Davy,
in a jockey silk cap and jacket, boots and
spurs. According to the terms, of the match,
the American groom was to weigh ten stone,
while the mare was not confined to weight,
and Davy, saddle and all, did not weigh more
than seven stone. The colour of the horse
was dark bay, and the mare a chesnut ; both
were about the same size, fifteen hands two
inches, and in age we believe they were pretty
much on a par between eight and nine years.
The coat of the American was rough, while
that of the mare was sleek, and indicative of
fine training. Previous to the start, the Ame-
rican was trotted up and down several times ;
and at last the groom, whose appearance wag
any thing but of the dandy-cut,exclaimedtohis
master, that he was full ready for his jump ;
and, indeed, the fire and vigour which the an-
imal displayed confirmed this assertion. The
mare was also full of spirit and activity, and
excited general admiration. The umpires were
now chosen Mr. Morton, jun., of Epsom, for
the proprietor of the American, aud Mr. An-
gles for the proprietor of the mare. The for-
mer, of course, rode with the mare, and the
latter with the horse, with the understanding
78
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
according to the terms of the articles, that
should either break from the trot into a gallop,
he or she should be turned round, according
to the usual laws of trotting.
Shortly after twelve o'clock, all being in
readiness, the road was cleared, and at a
given signal the mare was started at a spank-
ing pace of at least twenty miles an hour.
A clear minute having elapsed, Rattler was
let go, and almost instantaneously laid himself
down to his work, with extraordinary speed.
It was soon seen that he was gaining on the
mare, and he was urged, we think rather un-
wisely, to increase his pace, and improve his
advantage. Both soon broke out in a profuse
perspiration, and by the conclusion of the
third mile Rattler was fast closing on the
mare, and in about half a mile futher he was
alongside of her. The mare was now urged
to increased swiftness, and in consequence
broke, and was turned twice. This accident
gave Rattler, who kept on steadily to his
work, an additional advantage, and by the
fourth mile he headed her in grand style.
Still the mare proceeded with unabated vi-
gour, while Rattler continued to stretch far-
ther a-head. Shortly before she reached the
fifth mile the mare again broke twice, and was
turned, while Rattler, in passing the fifth
mile-stone, was full sixty yards in advance,
and his proprietor, as well as Harry England,
called to the groom to keep steady an order
which he obeyed, and kept pulling his horse
with all his strength. Both horse and man
were in a complete bath of sweat ; and in the
course of the sixth mile, in which there was a
slight descent, the mare broke, and was turned
no less than four times a circumstance, in
our opinion, attributable to one of her friends
riding too close to her quarters, and urging
her to increased exertion. In passing through
the village of Fenny Stanton, the horse was
full two hundred yards in front, when a sharp
trotter was laid alongside of him, and pro-
duced such a degree of irritation, that it re-
quired all the physical strength of the groom
to hold him in so as to prevent his breaking.
The interference of and remonstrance of
Harry England at last prevented the con-
tinuance of this unfair conduct : but the ef-
fect of it was, that the mare, who had been
going in admirable style, although she broke
four times afterwards, was fast gaining on
the horse, and had approached within ninety
yards of him at the commencement of the
ninth mile. From the short distance which
was yet to be completed, and from the dif-
ficulty of checking the progress of the horse,
itwas now clear that the mare had not a chance:
and in fact, at the close of the tenth mile,
the horse was full sixty yards in front, hav-
ing completed the distance in thirty minutes
and forty seconds ; a feat unparalleled in the
history of horse-flesh in this country. The
time of the mare was thirty-one minutes, forty-
two seconds, and, making allowances for
breaking and turning, the credit due to her
was scarcely inferior to that given to the horse.
In speed, the latter, however, had a decided
advantage ; and we have no hesitation in say-
ing, that had he been in better trim, or had he
been urged, certainly without occasion, to
greater exertion, that he would have done his
work in shorter time. Giving to Rattler all
due praise, and he certainly must be pro-
nouned a phenomenon, we must still say, that
the mare has proved herself the fastest trotter
which has yet been bred in this country; and,
as a brood mare, for which her master intends
her, must be highly valuable. On being-
pulled up, both were somewhat distressed ;
and we need not say, that the horses of um-
pires and followers, which were kept at the
top of their galloping speed the whole dis-
tance, were not a little blown at the conclu-
sion of their labours. The horse and mare
were then walked gently back to Fenny
Stanton, a distance of two miles and a half r
where the American groom dismounted, and
went to scale ; his weight being then found,
including the saddle, and without the bridle,
upwards of lOst. 5lbs With this the umpire
of the mare expressed imself perfectly satis-
fied, and thus ended this extraordinary match,
in a manner highly honorable to all parties,
and without the most distant approach to
wrangle on either side. There was some talk
of a fresh match for a longer distance, but
this was met by the owner of Rattler offering
to back him against any thing living, for any
distance, in or out of harness, from any sum
from 200/. to 5000/.
THE DECAPITATED FIGHTING COCK I
The Cotik that fights and runs away
ISIay live to fight another day ;
But he that is in battle slain
Will never rise to fight again.
The following pathetic and heart-rending
account of an old lady and her cock occurred
a short time since at Union Hall : an elderly
female, in widow's weeds, approached the
magistrates' table with tears trickling fast
down her cheeks. She stood for some time,
and appeared so absorbed in grief as to be
unable to give utterance to her feelings. The
magistrates, perceiving she was in great
trouble and anxiety of mind, desired her not
to agitate herself, and a chair was placed for
her to sit down upon until she became more
composed. In the interim a trivial case of
assault was disposed of, upon which Mr.
Chambers, observing that she had recovered
in some measure from her agitation, inquired
the nature of her application. The ques-
tion was. scarcely asked, when the appli-
cant drew forth from under her silk cloak the
headless body of a cock, and holding it up in
her hands by the legs, while the blood fell in
drops from the lacerated neck, < There,' said
she, uttering a convulsive sob, ' there, yout
worship, you see my cock without a head '
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
The display of the dead cock, and the emo-
tion exhibited by the poor widow for the loss
of her darling bantam, caused great laughter,
instead of the sympathy it was evident she
expected from all who heard her complaint.
* Well madam/ inquired Mr. Chambers, ' how
came your cock in that condition, irith its head
cut ojfV Applicant, still weeping, ' Your
worship, the poor thing's head was struck off
by Mr. Glasscock, my next door neighbour,
with a sabre, whi'le his cock and my cock were
fighting together ; and I want to know if I
cannot obtain redress for so diabolical an act,
for I can call it nothing else/ Mr. Chambers
inquired how the cocks came to engage with
one another ; whether they had been matched
to fight by the applicant ? The applicant said
that her cock got over the wall into Mr. Glass-
cock's yard, and then tha two cocks began at
one another, when, in the midst of the fight,
Mr. Glasscock ran out with a drawn sword in
his hand, and with one blow severed the head
off her cock. A voice here from amongst the
crowd listening to the case called out, ' Well,
old lady, you can have cock broth now as soon
as you please/ The applicant, hearing the
words, said, * Me eat this poor cock no, not
for a thousand pounds. My poor mother, who
died at ninety-six years of age, reared the
poor bird, and out of respect for her memory
for I know she was fond of it I was anxious
to keep it as long as I lived, had it not been
for my cruel neighbour, Mr. Glasscock, who
deserved to have his head cut off for serving
out the poor bird in this manner. (The appli-
cant here gazed at the dead cock, and, smoothing
down the feathers on its back, said, ' Well, it
had as pretty a plumage as any cock in the
kingdom, and could fight well, too, but I did
all in my power to prevent any thing of the
kind/) Mr. Chambers, < Well, madam, I
have listened very patiently to all you have
had to say relative to the dead cock, and now
must inform you that I can afford you no re-
dress. You can summon Mr. Glasscock to
the Court of Requests for the value you set
upon your cock, and that is all the advice I can
give you/ The applicant here dropped a low
curtsey, and while engaged in tying up the
body of her cock in a pocket handkerchief, she
shook her head over it, and exclaimed aloud,
on leaving the office, I shall never, never
more, see its like again/ "
Singular Battle at TattersalCs between
A COCK SPARROW AND A MOUSE.
At the above highly famed Sporting Esta-
blishment, the visitors, some time since, were
interested upon the following accidental turn-
up, which occurred near the Subscription
Room :
A SPARROW, who was in the daily habit of
picking up the crumbs of bread which were
thrown out from one of the rooms (and which,
it appears, he viewed as his exclusive right),
was suddenly interrupted in his pursuit by a
little hungry MOUSE, who, with tears in his
eyes, had been some time without food ; he at-
tacked the SPARROW, seized upon the crumb
of bread, and endeavoured to run off with his
prize. The SPARROW immediately showed
fight ; and nobbed the MOUSE so successfully
with his beak, that MOUSEY bolted, and made
for a hole in the wall, to escape from the fury
of his antagonist ; but the hole heing too small,
POOR MOUSEY stuck fast for a little time, when
the SPARROW punished him severely. Five
and six to four on the Feathers. The MOUSE,
in his own defence, was compelled to return
to the charge ; and was again so milled that he
ran a little way up the wall, but falling down,
from weakness, the SPARROW once more had
the best of him. Two to one was offered by
the surrounding spectators (who were now so
much interested upon the event, that Randall
and Martin could not, for the instant, have
proved more attractive to their feelings) that
the gay bird won it. MOUSEY, who was not
destitute of pluck, determined to have another
shy for the crumb, and made a desperate effort
to bear it off; but the little cock bird served
him out so hard and/W, that MOUSEY left the
ground with the speed of a Priam, and got
out of the clutches of his opponent by falling
do\vn an area. The SPARROW now followed
the MOUSE till he lost sight of him, cocking his
little ogles down the area after his antagonist,
and strutting with all the pride of a first-rate
miller, as if chaffing to himself, M I have given
it you, my MOUSEY, for 1 your temerity ;" then,
returning to the spot, he finished the crumbs
at his ease and leisure, amidst the laughter of
the surrounding spectators. The cock sparrow
is well known to be a very game bird ; indeed
both of these little creatures seemed as if they
were inspired by the sporting ardour which
breathes throughout every department of this
splendid establishment.
NEWMARKET IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE*
A gentleman who made a very extensive
tour in the eastern parts of this island, in the
reign of queen Anne, and published his re-
marks in that of George I., speaking of New-
market, says" Being there in October, I
had the opportunity to see the horse-races,
and a great concourse of the nobility and
gentry, as well from London as from all
parts of England; but they were all so
intent, so eager, so busy upon the sharping
part of the sport, their wagers and bets, that
to me they seemed just so many horse-coursers
in Smithfield, descending, the greatest of
them, from their high dignity and quality, to
the picking one another's pockets, and biting,
one another as much as possible ; and that
with so much eagerness, as it might be said
they acted without respect to faith, honor, or
good manners.
" There was Mr. Frampton, the oldest, and,
as some say, the cunningest jockey in Eng-
80
PIERCE EGAN'S BOOK OF SPORTS.
land ; one day he lost 1000 guineas, the next
he won 2000 ; and so alternately. He made
as light of throwing away 500 or 1000 at
a time, as other men do of their pocket money,
and was as perfectly calm, cheerful, and un-
concerned, when he had lost 1000 as when
he had won it. On the other side there was
sir R. Fagg, of Sussex, of whom fame says
he has the most in him, and the least to show
for it, relating to jockeyship, of any man
there ; yet he often carried the prize. His
horses, they said, were all cheats, how honest
soever their master was ; for he scarcely ever
produced a horse but he looked like what he
was not, and was what nobody could expect
him to be. If he was as light as the wind,
and could fly like a meteor, he was sure to
look as clumsy as a cart-horse, as all the
cunning of his master and grooms could make
him ; and just in this manner he bit some of
the greatest gamesters in the field.
" I was so sick of the jockeying part, that
I left the crowd about the posts, and pleased
myself with observing the horses; how the
creatures yielded to all the arts and manage-
ment of their masters ; how they took their
airings in sport, and played with the daily
heats which they ran over the course before
the grand day ; but how, as not knowing the
difference equally with their riders, they
would then exert their utmost strength, as
much as at the time of the race itself, and that
to such an extremity, that one or two of them
died in the stable, when they came to be rub-
bed after the first heat.
" Here I fancied myself in the Circus Max-
imus at Rome, seeing the ancient games, and,
under this deception, was more pleased than
I possibly could have been among the crowds
of gentlemen at the weighing and starting
posts ; or at their meetings at the coffee-
houses and gaming-tables, after the races were
over. Pray take it with you as you go, that
you see no ladies at Newmarket, excepting a
few of the neighbouring gentlemen's families,
who come in their carriages to see a race, and
then go home again."
CURIOUS BOND.
The followicg Bond, given for breaking of a setter, show*
the price of such labour upwards of a century ago
and the nature of the contract to perform it.
Ribbe*ford, Oct. 7, 1685.
" I JOHN HARRIS, of Wildore, in the parish
of Hartlebury, in the county of Worcester,
yeoman, for and in consideration of ten shil-
lings of lawful English money, this day re-
ceived of Henry Hurbert, of Kibbesford, in
the said county, Esq., and of thirty shillings
more of the like money by him promised to be
hereafter paid me, do hereby covenant and
promise to and with the said Henry Hurbert,
his executors and administrators, that I will
from this day of the date hereof, until the
first day of March next, well and sufficiently
maintain and keep a Spanish bitch, named
Quand, this day delivered into my custody
by the said Henry Hurbert, and will, before
the first day of March next fully and effectually
train up and teach the said bitch to set
partridges, pheasants, and other game, as well
and exactly as the best setting dogs usually
set the same. And the said bitch, so trained
and taught, I shall and will deliver to the said
Henry Hurbert, or to whom he shall appoint
to receive her, at his house in Ribbesford,
aforesaid, and on the first day of March next.
And if at any time after the said bitch shall,