remedied my first error, or rather his, and again became one of the party. We proceeded, at a slow walking pace, from the Palace-gate to the entrance of the Stable-yard; and though I would not be considered as prone to boasting, I will say, that for the whole of that distance, I did not meet with the slightest hindrance or accident. By the bye, the police ought to interfere to prevent milkwomen with their pails crossing a street when they see a horse advancing. A person of this class came directly under my horse's nose, and but for who rode up and caught hold of the strap which was fastened about his head, the careless woman must have been knocked down. She was, however, sufficient ly punished by the boys in the street, for I heard them shout after her, "Well done, stupid;" "That's right, Johnny Raw." On reaching the Stable-yard, my horse, instead of following the others, as I imagined he would have done of his own accord, walked slowly towards the mansion of the Marquis of Stafford; but a tug to the left instantly brought him into the proper direction. I did not regret this accident, for it served to convince me that I possessed a certain degree of power over the animal; moreover, that I performed the manœuvre with some dexterity, for I observed that the centinels looked at each other, and smiled. Indeed, I may say that the people on both sides of the way stopt to gaze at me as I passed along: a compliment they did not bestow on any other of the party. In St. James's-park-may I mention it without incurring the charge of vanity?-a cavalry officer actually stopped his horse, and remained for some time looking after me! At Pimlico-gate there was a general whispering among my friends, and all, except poor R (now no more!) galloped off. He and I continued our route for some time, very leisurely; and, for my part, I was as much at my ease as if seated in an arm-chair. R, every now and then, cast a glance at me, and seemed anxious to speak, yet hem'd and ha'd, and appeared confused in a way I could not then account for. At length he said, "P.* my good fel

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low, we have twenty miles to ride to dinner, and we shall never get there at this rate."-" Well," said I, put spurs to your horse.". "Aye, but-" (with great hesitation)"but you? ""Tis all one to me." "My dear fellow, I'm-in short I-I'm d-d sorry to see you on horseback." To this I replied nothing; but, applying a hearty lash to my courser's flanks, he set of at full speed, adopting that peculiar one-two-three pace which, I have since been informed, is denominated a canter. Why he chose that in preference to what is called a trot, or a gallop, I have never been able satisfactorily to learn; but I was considerably obliged to him for the selection; for though the motion was inconceivably rapid, it was, at the same time, pleasant and easy. I take it that flying must be very like it. He seemed scarcely to touch the ground. The hot-houses that decorate the King's-road, the "Gardeners' grounds," the" Prospectplaces," and "Pleasant-rows," and "Paradise-terraces," were no sooner seen than passed-they appeared and vanished! The rapidity of my progress is not to be described: and had I been allowed to proceed, I am persuaded I should have been at Weybridge-at least, somewhere or other twenty miles off-within the hour. But soon I heard R shouting after me: "Stop, stop, for the love of heaven, or you'll break your neck!" He overtook me, and entreated me to return, assuring me, it was fearful even to behold me. Convinced, as I was, that I should have gone on very well in my own, or rather, my horse's way, he appeared so seriously uneasy on my account, that I consented to return. "Shall I lead you—that is, show you the way back to the stable?" I desired only to know where it was, and, thanking him for his super-abundant caution, took the road towards May-fair; or, rather, the horse took it, for, literally, he walked gently back without any effort of mine to guide him; standing still, as if by instinct, when he came to the toll-gate at Hyde-parkcorner, then turning up one street, down another, now right, now left, till he reached his stable. There he stood quietly while I dismounted,

and when I was fairly off his back he slowly turned his head, and cast a look at me. It was a look of quiet, good-natured reproach, for having caused him to be dragged from his comfortable warm stable to no purpose. As he walked towards his stall he looked towards where the grooms were assembled, and, by one glance, acquainted them with the whole of my adventures. Their nods and winks assured me that he did so. I ordered a chaise (a means of loco motion I strongly recommend to all such as are not accustomed to horse exercise) and arrived at Weybridge in good time for dinner :-a disinclination to much walking, for two or three days afterwards, being the only distinct effect resulting from my little expedition.

My next essay was on Brighton Downs. My late defeat (for in a certain degree it was so) had taught me caution. Instead, therefore, of taking a full-grown horse, I selected a pony for this experiment, determining to choose one an inch higher every day, till I should gradually have acquired the power of managing an animal of the hugest dimen sions. But I fear it is not in my destiny to excel in equestrian exercises: this second attempt was even less successful than the first. In or der to give fair play to the principle I intended to adopt, I chose a pony so small, that when I was across him my feet nearly touched the ground, and it was a moot point whether I was riding, or walking with a pony between my legs. Scarcely had he tasted the sharp fresh air of the Downs when he became frisky: he ran, and I ran; but as he was the swifter of the two, he soon (not threw me, but) ran from under me, leaving me for a few seconds standing a-straddle, as if I had been seated on an invisible horse. An attempt to overtake him would have been useless: so I gently walked back to town, calculating what it was likely I should have to pay for the lost pony. But what was my surprise, when on arriving at his

owner's door I perceived my frisky and unfaithful bearer standing close at my elbow! Now, though we sometimes speak of horse-laughs, yet horses do not laugh; that is to say, they do not express their sense of the ridiculous by that vulgar convulsion peculiar to man: no, they evince it by a subtle and delicate variation of countenance; and I shall never believe otherwise than that at the moment I caught my pony's eye he was enjoying a sly, Shandean, internal chuckle at the awkward situation his flight had left me in, and my evident confusion at his unexpected return. Since that time I have never been able to look a horse in the face without blushing, from an inexplicable persuasion that the history of my misadventures in their company has got abroad among them, and serves as a standing jest to the whole race.

The reader may now form some idea of the state of my feelings as I approached the court-yard at Vilette. The ladies were specially invited to see me “turn and wind” this untameable courser, à la mode Anglaise. In great extremities slight consolations are eagerly caught at. I had never yet tried to ride in France! This was not much to be sure; yet it was sufficient to inspire me with the assurance that I should come out from the ordeal at something less than the cost of a broken neck. The very appearance of the animal added to my confidence. It was an immense horse, finely proportioned, nearly seven feet tall from the ground to the crown of his head, of a dark snuff-colour, with a long bushy waving tail, and a beautiful head of hair floating loosely in the morning breeze.* I had just put one foot into the stirrup, and was preparing to swing myself into the saddle, when the intelligent creature slowly turned its head and darted at me a look! There was in it more than whole hours of human language; it was eloquence refined into an essence which rendered words unnecessary; its single glance spoke plainly of Weybridge and of Brighton Downs! It combined all the

forms of oratory, but persuasion and entreaty were its great characteris tics. There was besides an appeal from the animal's consciousness of his own strength to my conscious 'ness of my weakness; and his mute oration concluded with an exhortation, that I would spare him the pain of dislodging me from his en cumbered loins; an event which, considering my usual and involuntary deference to the will or caprice of my quadrupede companion, it would be beyond all horse-ean power to avoid. To me, experienced in these matters, all this was distinctly utter ed. I found it would be useless to proceed; so, submitting to the necessity of the case, I made a start, bent myself double, complained of a violent spasm, and hastily returned to my chamber. "C'est pour un au¬ tre jour," said Monsieur De V--as he motioned for Hector to be led back to the stable; and the equestrian honour of England survived another day.

An hour or two after the departure of the cavalry, I found myself suffici ently recovered to quit my room, and sallied forth to enjoy the country after my own fashion. I sat down first under one clump, then another, strolled about the meadow, the farmyard (taking a long turn to avoid the stable), loitered by the side of a little winding rivulet, betook myself to its rustic bridge, and indulged freely in the pontial luxuries I have before alluded to; next I went to the kitchen ground, watched the operations of the gardener, and from him learnt the names of various flowers; also to distinguish roots and plants while growing, such as potatoes, asparagus, turnips, carrots, and others; which I was astonished to find so different from what they appear to be when served up to table. Several fruit-trees, too, he taught me to tell one from another, almost as readily by their forms and leaves as by the inspection of the fruit they bear; the latter mode being so easy and obvious as to satisfy none but the veriest cockney. These are the true uses and pleasures of a visit to the country, at least they are all I am, or desire to be, acquainted with; and in the enjoyment of them did I pass the hours till dinner time.

At dinner, many were the expres

sions of regret at the accident which had prevented my showing the party the English mode of taming the spi rit of a high-blooded horse; and im patiently did they look forward to the morrow, when the exhibition might take place. So did not I. In what was called the cool of the evening-the thermometer, which for part of the day had been standing at 94, being then about 88-a walk was proposed. I thanked my stars that it was not a ride. After this, the evening was spent in the real French fashion. Every body, old and young, set to playing at Colin Maillard (blind-man's-buff); then Madame Saint V went to the piano-forte, and accompanied her daughter, Mademoiselle Alphonsine, in some pretty French romances; then every body jumped up to play at puss-in-the-corner; then a game at ecarté was proposed, and while some were betting and others playing, a duet on the harp and piano-forte was performed by Mademoiselle Adéle de G and her sister Virginie; then every body got up and danced (my spasms came on with greater violence than ever); then every body called for sugar and water; and then every body retired.

I did not sleep well. I suffered an attack of night-mare. In my dreams I saw Hector-I was on Brighton Downs-at Weybridge. Nags'-heads passed in rapid succession before me

centaurs-grotesque exaggerations of the horse form-even wooden hobby-horses, as if in mockery of me, joined the terrific procession. As soon as day-light broke I arose, and scarcely was I dressed, when Monsieur de V- came into my

room: I expected to see Hector walk in after him; but it happened that Hector was not the subject of his errand. He and the other gentlemen were all going out a shooting, and were only waiting for me. For me! Under different circumstances this would have been a dreadful visitation upon me; as it was, I cons sidered it as rather a relief. I had never pulled a trigger in my life, except occasionally that of a pistol or an old musket, for the mere pleasure of firing them off. "What then," thought I, "it is as easy to shoot at an object as to fire in the air; you have but to point your piece at a

certain mark and pull the trigger, and, that done, the deuce is in it if the shot can't take care of them selves." A flask of improved double proof gunpowder and (spite of my most earnest entreaties to the contrary) a double-barrelled Manton, with all his latest patent improvements, were delivered over to me. Ordinary powder, or an indifferent gun, would have furnished me with somewhat of an excuse in the very possible case of my failure; now, no chance was left me of concealing or disguising my want of skill; for, notwithstanding my confidence in the facility of the operation I was about to perform, I still thought that the dexterity acquired by long practice might be of some little advantage. I requested; I entreated; I could not think of appropriating to myself the best gun in the collection. It was all in vain: I was the only Englishman of the party; the gun had never yet had a fair trial: I was to show what could be done with it, "and," added Monsieur de V in a whisper, "I wish to convince some of my incredulous friends here, that the stories I have related to them of what I have seen performed by English sportsmen, are not altogether apocryphal."

Finding my situation to be without remedy, I loaded my improved, patent, double-barrelled Manton; and, determined to keep certain odds in my favour, took care to put in plenty of shot. "It will be hard," thought I, "if among so many one does not tell." We sallied forth, and presently turned up a whole drove of partridges.* I hastily presented my piece, and fired in among them at random, pulling both triggers at once. I killed nothing, but, to my great surprise and satisfaction, lamed three poor devils. This piece of cruelty, however, was unintentional, for so far from aiming at such delicate marks as their legs or wings, I had no intention of striking, in particular, any one of their bodies. The effect of this, my first sporting effort, seemed to excite some astonishment among my brother sportsmen; and well it might, for it astonished me. One

person asked me, whether in England it was usual to fire among the birds, as I had done, scarcely allowing them time to rise; and another inquired whether English sportsmen usually fired off both barrels at once. To this I care lessly replied, that "some did, and some did not ;" and proceeded to reload my patent, improved, doublebarrelled Manton. Scarcely had I done this, when a hare was perceived sitting at a very short distance: as a matter of politeness it was instantly pointed out to me. I levelled my piece and pulled the triggers: it missed fire. This was, as they all said, a malheur; for the hare escaped. But even a patent improved Manton will not go off, unless certain preparations are made to that end-the truth is, I had forgotten to prime it; add to which another little irregularity, I had thrust my wadding into the barrels before I put in the powder.-My sight is weak, and of very limited span; this, as I am informed, is a disadvantage in the field. It is not surprising, therefore, that my third shot was directed against what I mistook for a living creature of some kind or other, but which turned out to be a hat a labourer had suspended on the branch of a tree. Luckily I did it no injury, and Monsieur de V— , supposing I fired at it merely to create a laugh, and fired wide of it to avoid spoiling the poor man's property, laughed most heartily, at the same time applauding me for my consideration. I willingly left him in his error, and was proceeding to reload, when a servant came running up to me with a letter. The letter was from Paris, and três pressée being written on the outside, the man thought it might be of sufficient importance to warrant his interruption of my sports. It was of no sort of importance whatever, but, keeping that to myself, I made it my excuse to return to the house in order that I might answer it by that day's post. So delivering my improved, patent, double-barrelled Manton into what I knew to be more competent hands, I left the field amidst expressions of the deep regret of my companions, at finding my specimens of

English shooting, like my exhibition of English horsemanship, deferred till to-morrow. Happy was I when I found myself once more tranquilly leaning over the railing of my dear little bridge, and consoling was the reflection that, as yet, the sporting honour of my country had suffered no impeachment at my hands; since, for any thing my friends knew to the contrary, I might, had I but chosen to do so, have knocked down all the game in the arrondissement..

The next day promised to be to me one of pure and unmixed delight. What was my joy when, on waking, I heard the rain pouring down in torrents, with every appearance of its being what is called a thorough set-in rainy day. "Well," thought I, "I shall see nothing of the cursed horses and guns to-day." We all met at breakfast, and I, by an unusual flow of spirits, revived those of the rest of the party, rather depressed by what they unjustly stigmatized as the unlucky fall of rain. It deranged all their projects. But their But their regrets were chiefly on my account: "How disappointing, how vexatious it must be to Monsieur that he can neither ride nor shoot to-day!" By repeated assurances that I could for once forego those delights, I succeeded in tranquillizing them. No sooner was breakfast ended, than Madame Saint V challenged me to a game at billiards. "Ah ça, prenez garde, Madame," said Monsieur de V- "the English are excellent players." "My torments," said I to myself," are to know no end! Confound billiards! I never played a game in my life. Wellone is not obliged to be an Admirable Crichton: up to this time they take me for an able horseman and an expert shot-surely that is enough, and I may venture to confess that I know nothing of billiards."-I did so: I was praised for my modesty. I protested my ignorance: Madame assured me that she was not de la premiere force, and consented to take six points at the onset. I persisted that I knew nothing of the game: Madame perceived that my objection to play against her arose from my conscious superiority, and said that to make it agreeable to me, she would take eight points-nay ten. We proVOL. VI.

"Did

ceeded to the billiard-room. I prefer the Russian or the French game?" Not knowing one from the other, I left it entirely to the choice of Madame, who chose-I really can't say which. In the course of about ten minutes' play, Madame counted seven, and I-as may be supposed-had not made a hit. My complaisance was the theme of general approbation. Presently, striking my ball with force, it happened to strike another, and by its rebound happened to strike a third, and one of the three happened to roll into a sack at the corner of the table. Here I was overwhelmed with applause, and halfstunned with shouts of "C'est admirable! Oh! que c'est bien joué!" My fair adversary remarked, that hitherto I had been complaisant, but that now I was growing méchant. My complaisance, however, soon returned, and in a few minutes she won the game, without my having again made one ball strike another. Nothing now was heard of but my complaisance. Madame Saint Vcharmed at my politesse: I had allowed her to win the game, playing only one coup just to prove what I was capable of doing; but she begged that next time I would not treat her so much like a child, but put forth my strength against her, as she was anxious to improve. The result of this was the proposal of a match for the next day between me and Monsieur L- (a: celebrated player), but with a particular stipu lation, that I should give him two points at starting. The day now went very rainily and pleasantly on, and I was tolerably at my ease, except when, every now and then, I was appealed to to decide some sporting question, or settle some dispute concerning the breed and management of horses. However, I contrived to get through tolerably well considering by saying little and shaking my head significantly-a method I have seen adopted with success in much graver matters.

was

For three or four days after this, it rained charmingly. Those showers were to me more than figuratively the "pitying dews of heaven;" for though each morning I was threatened with the infliction of some new party of pleasure on me, either à 20