so; for among them I could mention many men of the kindest and most benevolent feelings, and many acts of pugilists that would do honour to the highest in our realms: in fact, I am quito certain that in the ordinary occurrences of life, more true courage, more good temper, and more forbearance, will be found among pugilists than among the generality of men in this grade of society.

The man who fights for his own money, or who is insured fifty or a hundred pounds if he wins his fight, would, if left to himself, win if he could. He loses: the outcry is against him or his trainer. Perhaps both deserve all the censure bestowed on them; but in all such cases, ten times more execration should be heaped on those who more deserve it; and those are the sporting men. Samson of old could not keep his pet lock from the meddling hands of his lady; and a pretty rumpus he made about it. It is not, therefore, to be wondered at, if Sampson of more recent days lost the lock of his integrity by the interference of the sporting man and a pretty rumpus was made on that occasion. We will not mention occurrences of later date; but the same gentry have not been idle since that time.

Matches against time-particularly if the principal is one of a sort ready to sell himself and the match-are strongly patronized by the sporting man, as much as they are detested by the true sportsman. They are, as carried on here, the most useless, cruel, and despicable prostitutions of the energies of a noble animal that ever were permitted to take place. The American matches of two, three, or even four miles, have some beneficial effect: they encourage a breed of trotters. But matches against time-such as seventeen miles within the hour-rather tend to diminish the speed of the really fast one, than otherwise, as a racing trotter; and training him to do occasionally seventeen miles in fifty-six minutes will not make him an animal that can at all times do it for us in his ordinary work: in fact, not one word can be said in justification of such trials of endurance on the part of the animal, or such means of perpetrating cruelty and robbery. If the horse matched to do seventeen miles could-if put to the extent of his powers-do twenty-five, I would go to see such a wonderful animal perform, with much pleasure. But if such an animal did exist, though the extent of his powers would be husbanded for a time to gull the public, he would be matched on and on till the strain of every fibre of his body would be called forth, and every energy got out of him by some seemingly impossible performance; and the projectors of this, most assuredly, would be sporting men. Would such a sportsman as Lord Lonsdale join in such a thing? I should be sorry to be the man to ask him the question. Cock fighting I regret to say I must, in candour, acknowledge was formerly patronized and supported by some really good sportsmen, and, as a matter of course, by nearly every blackguard, black-leg, and sporting man in the kingdom. To the credit of the former and chagrin of the latter class, this has got out of vogue; so we need say no more than that the public may congratulate themselves there is one mode of robbery the less, and a cruel and totally useless sport "in the deep bosom of" oblivion " buried."

We now come to pedestrianism. This is not, in a general way, so much patronized by the sportsman as by the sporting man, for this simple reason: the former only patronizes such things as are sport, and

interesting to him in their pursuit; the latter, those that afford the opportunity of betting, and, if possible, robbing, as a matter of course. I have not, nor ever had, the distinguished honour of meeting one professed leg riding constantly to hounds; I never knew one a practised shot, except at a pigeon, or at some man who had sense and nerve enough to refuse to pay when he knew he had been plundered. Coursing does not suit them; for the bets are not often heavy, and greyhounds do not carry jockeys. If bets on coursing were heavy, greyhounds would, to a certainty, be hocussed, as well as men and horses. Fishing does not suit them, except a little dipping for gudgeons; and then, catching one good one satisfies them: in fact, it is to them generally a pretty fair day's sport." Mais à nos moutons."

Pedestrianism is a sport-or rather a pursuit-perfectly unobjectionable in its intent, and produces emulation in a healthy, manly, and useful exertion. Among the various clubs in vogue, I have not heard of a regularly organized pedestrian club; yet a number of such, I feel certain, would prove highly beneficial. I would patronise (that is, if my patronage were worth having) pedestrianism in all its forms, and performance, from the flyer of a hundred yards in ten seconds to the tenmile-an-hour man of steel. So would thousands; but here that pest, the sporting man, steps in again: and who will back a man when, with or without his consent, the chances are he gets hocussed, and could scarce follow a funeral?

Objecting as I do to matches against time with horses, some might sayWhy not object to such killing exertion on the part of man?" Such a remark, if made, is easily answered :--Men can stop when they like. True, their wish for gain and their game does sometimes lead them to make exertion most painful and distressing: but the unfortunate horse cannot tell how far he suffers; and the whip and spur will stimulate to much more lengthened exertion than emulation, or even avarice; for, without fear of contradiction, I assert that (supposing so unnatural a thing would be allowed) when the gamest man gives in, if a cat-o'-ninetails was applied to him, he would still make exertion that, without the stimulant of such torture, would be impossible to him, however willing or desirous he might be to make it. Such unnatural exertion, from such unnatural barbarity, is often got out of the horse; and for this reason, as a general practice, I execrate matches against time with horses; though, with men, I cordially uphold them. Nor do I do so without knowing all the exertions required in their performance, having, in my own person, been engaged in many, both at short and long distances.

Billiards is certainly not a sport; but we shall rarely find a sporting man who cannot handle his cue; and, i' faith, he is quick enough in taking it if a "green one enters the room. Should such a man be induced to play, and bet with a sporting man and two or three gentlemen who happen to be there, if he had ten pounds in his pocket, and gave the marker nine to show him the way out, he would, at all events, be a pound richer than if he staid. What universal knowledge, then, sporting men do possess! Their ubiquity is equally admirable.

Bull baiting, badger and bear baiting and dog fighting, are most favourite pursuits of all the lower grades of sporting men. I believe, no man who borders on the respectable will be hardy enough to defend any

of these. Bull-dogs, of all animals of the dog kind, are the most useless. They are dangerous among cattle at all times; bad watch-dogs; and as to fighting, though their game will allow them to stay to be torn to pieces, a savage greyhound, pointer, or fox-hound, will punish more in ten minutes than a bull-dog can in an hour. It ought to be a fine to keep one. I would not own a dog that was not a game one of his sort. We all hate cowards in anything that could be expected to fight. If I had a terrier that refused to face rat, cat, fox, badger, or dog, I would get rid of him the next minute. I hate anything bad of its kind. If a man gets a turn up anywhere, let him take his part, and set to work like a trump. So would I have my dog do; but I should not derive any pleasure in seeing him torn about for an hour in a pit, and should be very much ashamed to pocket five pounds of his earning there.

It is not many years since a white bull-dog was considered as necessary an appendage to a sporting tandem as the leader's harness. This was all vitiated and very bad taste. A man with a bull-dog by his side may very fairly be set down as having a bit of the ruffian about him, or as a man whose weak head induces him to think that he derives éclât from being thought a sporting man. No uncommon error this.

As I shall enumerate what I consider fair sporting, there are two things I must make an observation about, viz.-steeple racing and matches against time. I make no objection to a steeple chase if it was one among the members of different hunts riding their own horses, or putting professional riders on them, over a fair line of their hunting country. Here the sporting man would have little influence. But I do most certainly object to them, as I would to anything else, if, or when made and carried on-as has occasionally been the fact-merely to make money, rob the public, benefit the betting fraternity, and butcher the best of horses.

I have no objection to offer to a match against time, trotting or galloping, when speed is the thing required. This is no more cruel than a race, and is an interesting and exciting affair. I only object to them when goodness and game are taxed to all but, or perhaps to death, to fill the pockets of a set of miscreants, which the projectors and bettors on them often are.

I think I can contrive to fill up the time of the sportsman pretty fairly, and still to let all his pursuits be gentlemanly and justifiable, viz. -hunting in all its different ways, and all animals fit for the chase, racing, coursing, shooting, and fishing. As addenda, a steeple-chase, yachting, pedestrianism; and if a good and game man wants a backer, I shall always consider such a man deserves encouragement. Surely here is sport enough for any one.

If, in addition to this, he uses his own energies, and enlists those of others to baffle the interference-and indeed, of late, the influenceof the sporting man, he will well deserve the thanks and good wishes of all lovers of British sports, to which the sporting man is the bane, and, unless checked, will be their ultimate ruin.

I have heard people sophists enough to say that legs and sporting men support the turf. On the contrary, they have brought its credit to the lowest ebb. There is one mode by which they could be made to support it, and heartily would I join in bringing it about:-Put them all under it.

A FEW WORDS ON THE SPRING RACES GENERALLY: THE HANDICAPS ESPECIALLY.

BY CRAVEN.

During a liberal moiety of the past month there was hardly a spot in this island where a race-horse might safely be put beyond a walk-above high-water mark, The sands at Worthing or Scarboro', or such like, indeed, were the only training grounds to be had, except a few halfdiscovered nooks, here and there, whence, on occasion, the spring champions have sallied forth, to the discomfiture of those high-mettled racers on whom the popular eye had been hopefully fixed. The steeple chasers got their work on the snow-by the grace of good nerves, leather soles, and greased hoofs-but such liberties are not to be taken with young ones; consequently the two and three years old could only be nursed on their straw beds. The result of this has been to hedge speculation within very narrow limits: the result will be to give us, for the early races of account, fields quite characteristically green enough for the season. Still the stagnation in the betting circles must not be altogether attributed to the "skiey influences." The ring has of late had many great discouragements. People cannot forget the Ratan, Old England, Running Rein, and similar episodes: and the vast supply of good money brought for circulation on the turf by means of sweeps and lotteries, instead of promoting indiscriminate investments, has had the effect of inducing those doing business bond fide to "look before they book." The fashion of racing too--system would be too mechanical a term--the fashion of training at public stables, which is in the ascendant still, must cripple the sources of the ring greatly. You hear on every hand that layers against horses are as plenty as blackberries, but there are no backers. Books cannot be opened without the prospect of finding the names of customers to fill them-with some probability of profit. Up to the period at which I am writing-and so it will be no doubt when this observation is published-the Derby has been one of the worst for gentlemen of enterprise and spirit on record: a good winter favourite, which furnishes such surpassing "sport" for the stable, is "death" to your betting public. No man with nerves under the Thermopyla standard; without pluck enough to lead a forlorn hope, would back an animal for such an event as the Derby of 1847 is certain to be, at 7 to 1, in the antecedent year. By Jove! (Olympic) it seems an insult against common (racing) sense to suppose it possible. I am not here going into a recitative of the "infancy, its hopes and fears," of Van Trompany one, that will take the trouble, may ascertain, without guide, philosopher, or friend, how many great winter "pots" and crack two-year-old performers have flourished and faded before and since the days of the memorable British Yeoman. I hope we shall all live to see whether the

van which distinguished the position of the Dutchman in his youth will also be characteristic of his more mature achievements; or whether time, which adds a year to his annals, shall also add a syllable to his patronymic, and for Van Tromp his backers will read Van Tromper. I say, when he shall come forth or Epsom Downs-should such fortune await him and his friends-may we be there to see; and may the right prevail. But should he salute the eyes of the judge in a right line with the point of victory sight, before his adversaries have rounded Tattenham Corner, it would have no relation to the principle of placing him where he has so long been in the odds. It's a positive temptation of the veterinary pharmacopoeia. Is it clean forgotten how it was stated in evidence a little while ago before the Jockey Club, that, should it be necessary to make a horse safe, a gentleman by the name of - observed, he could easily get a powder, which being mixed with his corn would stop him." The nature of the prescription, to be sure, is not given; but that matters little, as the party in possession of the specific is known to every tout in existence, and there is reason to suppose would not refuse to stop any animal-for a consideration. Seriously, with the quotations from Tattersall's as they have been hitherto, is it a matter of surprise that the Derby book-maker in vain essays his trade?..... The Two Thousand Guineas Stakes has been a far more sporting issue: but the public don't touch its early samples. For this stake, with its 28 nominations, they have taken in high places low odds against three or four, and profitable prices on double events. Last year one of the unknown won it—at his pleasure. The field certainly is not of much positive pretension, but it's no desperate speculation to have it a winner on such terms as are to be had. The Oaks, where backers are to be met with, must answer the layer round: some of the cracks have been quoted at figures that cannot but remuncrate the industrious. It is a race in which very rarely indeed is there an animal at the post that one would feel comfortable to stand on at 8 to 1. And how many points are to be taken off that quotation against the chances of a filly coming out at all-not to say in form-" in the merry, merry month of May."

These discursive lucubrations now turn to a slight dealing with the more particular purpose of their institution. The acceptances for the most popular of the spring handicaps were declared on the first of last month they were in some of the cases greatly beyond all former precedent. The nominations for the Chester Cup were 176, the acceptances are 106, or about 100 more than might conveniently run for it. Half-adozen is quite as many as the Roodee can accommodate, for a fair race from first to finish. This is always a spirited affair in the ring, generally begetting a sensation of some sort, mostly an untoward one. People were content with the weights because so many had accepted-scarce a criterion of their excellence, however; for with so little to pay for waiting, few would throw away the possibility of turning a penny by a nomination. Still there certainly are those who have a better right to be satisfied than their neighbours. For example: there's the Old Councillor, with 6st. 13lbs. on him, some three-and-twenty pounds less than they have ordained him to carry for the Spring Handicap at Epsom-not that I think even that will much promote his hope; and one of the Irish division training at Mitchell-grove-the Horn of Chase-under 6st.-a nag that has shown there is some .unning in him. But with such appliances and means