SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. OME infernal villain villains, but happening to kill a brother he been long, Son the toth inftant, broke into when, being reduced to want, he was the ftables of Sir Henry Tempeft hired himfelf as a book-keeper to an eminent woollen-draper; in this fituation he remained five years, when his employer dying, he fat up a chandler's fhop, in which he failed; and after encountering many changes and chances, being reduced to the greateft diftrefs, he turned cobler, which trade he fol-' lowed till his death. THEATRICAL ARTICLES. DRURY LANE THEATRE. Mr. Powell, who has been long the hero of the Norwich theatre, made his entré on the London boards at Drury-lane on Saturday' evening, October 22, in the characters of Don Felix in the Wonder, and Young Wilding in the Liar; in the firft of which he was refpectable, in the latter eminently fuccefsful. His performance of the natural and pleafing character of Felix had the feature of ease, but was deficient in fpirit. The quick fucceffion of doubts and tenderness A few days fince, Sir Jeremy-the ready fenfibility and fiery Fitzpatrick, infpector of health, qualities of the young Spaniard going on board the hulks at Lang-wanted throughout the force of fton harbour, to infpect the healths execution to fet them off to advanof thofe convicts who were about tage. The novelty, however, of to be fent to Botany Bay, fome of his fituation, the extent of the thethe gentlemen found means to take atre, and the idea of confronting from him his gold watch, chain a London audience, might for a and feals. while have restrained his powers. That this was the cafe is most probable; for in the entertainment they were happily exerted. To fucceed in the character of Young Wilding, a part in which the late Mr. Palmer's abilities fhone fo confpicuoufly, the impreffion of which is ftill fo fresh in the memory of the audience, argues no fmall portion of talent. Mr. Powell has thus excited fanguine expectation A few days ago died fuddenly, in his ftall in the Borough, Leeds, a cobler, aged 89, a melancholy example of the viciffitudes of human life. He was formerly an officer of rank in the army, but fold his commiffion, and became tea dealer. He afterwards quitted this bufinefs, and accepted a commiffion in the Ruflian fervice; that that he will prove an able fucceffor to that lamented and meritorious performer. His voice is pleafant and of fufficient ftrength, his ac tion unembarraffed, and his figure admirably adapted to the walk of genteel comedy. His performance of Young Wilding was fpirited and gay, and difplayed great knowledge of the art throughout. The ftory of the pretended encounter at the Sybthorpes was admirably given, and obtained loud and repeated peels of approbation. COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. There is now living at Durfley, in Gloucestershire, one William Hopkins, a miller, who, though fcarcely taught to read and write, a few years fince fancied he could make a violin; which, after he had performed, he learned to play upon without any affiftance. He afterwards conftructed a barrel organ in his master's mill, and, by a long procefs, brought it to perfection: it was fo contrived, that the great water-wheel of the mill gave a motion not only to the bellows, but to the jack in the kitchen, that, as the fabricator faid, they might have roaft meat and mufic both at one time. To crown the whole, he has completed an organ for a new chapel in Durfley, which, for the fulness and melody of its tones, is much admired by good judges, and feems to be inferior to few of the kind, except from want of elegance in its exter nal structure. After the play of Lovers Vows, on Thursday night, October 25, a new entertainment of fong, dance, and dialogue, called, The Mouth of the Nile, was performed for the first time. From the title of this piece, it is hardly neceffary to obferve, that it has been got up in compliment to the late glorious atchievemeat of the British fleet of Egypt. -The intention was laudable, and the effort has proved not unfuccefsful. The fcene opens with a picturéfque view of the Egyptian fhore, and, in the courfe of the reprefentation, many gratifying objects prefent themfelves to our view. There is, as ufual, a domeftic love plot, in dumb fhew, followed by the landing of the French; and the whole concludes with a good representation of the battle of the Nile, the blowing up of the L'Orient, and the capture and de- At the late Winchefter feflions, ftruction of the French fleet. The a farmer, by the name of Pudney, fongs, which are executed by In- of Exton, and his fon, were in. cledon, Fawcett, Townshend, Eme-dicted for obftructing a conftable ry, Dibdin, jun. and Mifs Sims, in the execution of his duty, who are appropriate, and the mufic exwent by virtue of a warrant, under cellent. The machinery was rather the hands and feals of two magifimperfect, but, on the whole, the trates, to levy the penalty of ten effect was pleafing. The piece pounds, for not making a return of got up under the fuperintendance his taxed cart, as required by law of Mr. Dibdin, jun. and the muficto do; when the court, after a full is by Attwood. The audience were hearing, on his being found guilty, numerous and respectable. ordered the farmer to be impri foned foned in the bridewell for the fpace of fix months, and pay a fine of twenty pounds, and his fon three months, and pay a fine of ten pounds, and to remain imprifoned until the fame were paid. Capel as a good hot, we think the Honourable Captain Capel, lately from the mouth of the Nile, a Sportfman of no mean capacity. He left there a gentleman of the name of Nelfon, who, with fome choice markjmen, and well-trained One day last month, in a public-pointers, had experienced an unhoufe at Brighton, a man undertook, for a trifling wager, to eat a large quantity of oyfters, which were in a basket before him, regardless of the number, and actually fwallowed them all, as fast as they could be opened, declaring that he had not half fatisfied himfelf, though the number he had gorged amounted to four hundred and a quarter! heard of days Sport, in which they had either killed or taken in their nefts, nearly the whole race of French fea gulls hovering in that quarter! WHITEHAVEN, OCT. 22. A woodcock (the first we have heard of this feafon) was fhot on the 13th inftant, in Weftward Parks, near Wigton, in this county, by Mr. Robert Wood, of Brackenthwaite, a gentleman in the 60th year of his age. A few days fince, a fnipe, which weighed eight ounces, was fhot by a gentleman of Liverpool. Mr. Castleman, of Camberwell, lately fhot a partridge in the neighbourhood of Sydenham, whofe wings were miik white, exactly anfwering the oriental defcription: "She was covered with filver "wings, and her feathers like gold." The Honourable William Capel has proved the best fhot this feafon in Hertfordshire, and Sir Robert Harland in Suffolk: the former killed eighteen brace of partridges, and the latter fixteen brace and an half, the first day. Without detracting from the merits of the Honourable William The beginning of the prefent month, the public papers gave the following article: he "Mr. Fox is now on a fhooting party in Norfolk, where he propofes paffing a month; he went first to Eufton, the feat of the Duke of Grafton; then to Elden-hall, that of the Earl of Albermarle : next proceeds to Buckenham-house, Lord Petre's; to Mr. Colhoun's, at Wretham; to Mr. Coke's, at Holkham; and lastly, to Mr. Dudley North's, at Glemham, in Suffolk. Two of Lady Effex's fons are excellent Sportsmen. One on the 14th ult: killed twenty brace of partridges in one day; another thot twelve brace of pheafants; all in Hertfordshire. BOXING, SEPT. 25. A battle of confiderable expectation was fought near Winchelsea, between Richard Hodfon, a brassfounder, and the noted Bill Bramble; after a contest of near an hour, the former obtained the victory, after clofing both the eyes, and diflocating the jaw of his antagonift. The bets were ten to one in favour of Bramble. The feconds were the famous Tom Timblin, and a Matthias Fleming, who fought a fecond battle for five guineas, which the former won. One One day laft month, a hawk got | into an open window of a house in St. John's-ftreet, Edinburgh, and tore two canary birds out of their cages, and immediately killed them; but being difcovered by the fervant girl of the house, who obferved the feathers coming from the window, fhe ran up ftairs to the room, feized the voracious bird when tearing his prey, and inftantly killed him. On Tuesday, O&. 25, a match was run over Leicester course one two-mile heat, for One Hundred Guineas, p. p. between Mr. Whitehead's bay mare and Mr. Fenton's Polly Peachum, which was won with eafe by the former. On the fame day a Whip, by members of the Leicester Hunt, was run for and won by Mr. Fox's bay horfe Pofitive, beating two others. The most diftinguished character upon the courfe was the celebrated Mendoza, who attracted general attention. The annual dinner given by the H. H. Monday, Oct. 22, at Alresford, Hants, was fully attended by the Members, and a number of refpectable farmers in its circle. The On Thursday, as a farmer of the Cup given to be run for on Tich-parish of Norton St. Phillips, Soborne-down, by farmers' horfes, merfetthire, was driving cattle furiwas won by Mr. Bradley's (of oufly down Rad ftock hill, to BuckBrighton) bay horfe, Prince Moo-land Fair, a bull took fright, and dy, beating Mr. Rivers's black leaped from an eminence upon the horfe, Young Marquis, and Farmer roof of a houfe belonging to Mr. Houghton's black mare. The day Young, fhopkeeper, and fell into a paffed in the greatest harmony, and room where Mr. Hill, a taylor, of the Gazete, containing the news of Midfummer Norton, was at work, Sir J. B. Warren's victory arriving who was fo much frightened, that at the fame time, gave great pleahe abfolutely took a flying leap fure to all the company, and caufed from an attic window into the road, many loyal and patriotic toafts to be drank, and the evening to be animal was afterwards taken out,, but happily received no hurt. The fpent with the greatest hilarity. through the roof, by means of pullies, uninjured. SPEED AGAINST TIME. The last Friday in September, one Spence, a chairman in Paifley, undertook to decide a bet of twen A SPORTSMAN OF THE SIX (An Engraving to front this Page.) WE ty guineas, between fome gentlemen of Glafgow and Paifley, by running from the Crofs of Pailley to the Crofs of Glasgow, and thence back again to the Crofs of Paifley, E have been favoured with a a distance of fifteen miles and a half, curious Sketch from which in one hour and thirty-five mi- this Print is taken, and to which nutes, being at the rate of ten miles there belongs an Account to be an hour, which he loft only by five found in the work of fome modern minutes. This extraordinary under- Author; not, however, being able taking he could have accomplished to fearch for it in time for the prewithin the time, but for the very fent Month, our readers will excufe high wind, and the badness of the us until the next, when we make no road, which, at prefent, is under- doubt of having it in our power going feveral alterations and repairs. to lay the particulars before them. POETRY. |