tion of crowded audiences, and likewise assured the public that there were Two ways of telling a story, and both of them might be well told, and received with general satisfaction such was the fact. It however appeared to us, but perhaps we might have grounded our opinion in error, that Jack Reeve did not exactly appear at Home' at the Haymarket; and likewise that he was not much nearer to it, during his engagement at Covent Garden Theatre, which he relinquished after the first season. His reception at the latter house, in Acres, was truly flattering to him; and also the applause he met with in Jerry Hawthorn, in Life in London. Yet the above spot-the classic spot -the legitimate spot for actors (which all in public or in private sigh to obtain a sure footing upon), did not appear to be the identical spot for the display of his peculiar comic exertions. Whether Mr. Reeve felt his situation at the Haymarket and Covent Garden Theatres, as we describe, we have not been able to ascertain; but, since the periods alluded to, he has returned to the Old Spotthat merry little spot, for the production of novelty, fun, and laughter, which affords him such ample room to treat the town with in succession-Abrahamides, the Comic Lion, and Marmaduke Magog. In the latter portrait, it is not only our opinion, concerning the superiority of the comic powers possessed by John Reeve, but it is strongly backed by a rival actor, a man of first-rate talent, and often opposed to Jack in the cunning of the scene,' that the late Mr. Munden with all his richness of humour, splendid abilities, and allowed to be the greatest comedian of the time he 'strutted and fretted his hour upon the stage' -in no one character did that justly eminent actor produce such general and continued peals of laughter, or ever display such indescribable comicality as Jack Reeve, in the Beadle of the Parish. JOHN REEVE, it is generally admitted, has no pretensions to the character of a sentimental actor on the stage; indeed, he is quite aware of that feeling towards him by his patrons, although once, in his early theatrical career, he did attempt to personify OTHELLO; but he has since allowed the criticism of his friends to be perfectly just-and in the words of the character he has very sensibly exclaimed Farewell! Othello's occupation 's gone. But, as a 'Man of Feeling' off the boards, with his heart in the right place,' he is one of the best and most feeling performers connected with the Sock and Buskin: he understands the right way of conferring a favour,— "to do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame;" something after the manner of Why what's that to you, if my eyes I am wiping? There is no palaver about Jack Reeve; and no person detests flattery more than the great comic lion' does;-although as an Actor before the public he is anxious to merit the esteem of the world; and he is also fond of the meed of approbation due to the performer who exerts himself to deserve it-general applause. Reeve is a Man of the World; and it is true that he has not lived in it for nothing; but like most travellers he has seen 'strange things.' That he has viewed many characters in his walks through society, that may have been afterwards turned to a good account by him, there can be little doubt-and, in 'shooting folly as it flies,' Jack has likewise proved himself a good marksman. REEVE is a sociable, friendly companion; neither has he any objection to a glass of generous wine; and by no means of a reserved character amongst his acquaintances-yet he has an immense aversion to be viewed as the 'plaything of the hour' in private parties-or, in other words, the Tyger of the company. He does not relish "Mine Host" inviting his friends to dine with him, under the proposition that the visitors will have a rare treat, as the celebrated John Reeve takes his food at such an hour, in his house, and in the course of the evening he will be shown up by Mr. Merryman,if not stirred up with a 'long pole' by some of the guests. This sort of thing-Jack detests altogether; therefore a word to the wise' may prove sufficient; and likewise the bint not altogether thrown away upon those gentlefolks who invite Theatrical Persons to their tables, not only as a source of attraction, but as a make-weight to their parties, As a burlesque actor, Mr. Reeve is unrivalled; he enters into the scene with so much spirit, that he positively identifies himself with the character he represents. There is nothing like him on the stage, since the decease of the late Mr. Oxberry. The imitations of Mr. Reeve are not so numerous as those of Mr. Mathews or Mr. Yates; but they are generally considered on a par with these celebrated Comedians.. His parodies are remarkably well executed; and his astonishing falsetto, which possesses great sweetness, affords him considerable assistance in the execution of his songs. The following parody was nightly encored with the most tumultuous approbation : Heavy whet! heavy whet! whet, I cry; They are sold? I answers there! Where the jovial flints are met, Instead of repeating the above parody, in answer to the encore, to the great surprise and pleasure of the audience, he introduced the following new versions of it : Mutton chops! mutton chops! chops, I cry; Mutton chops! mutton chops! chops, I cry; Let me have them nice and hot, Cherry bounce! cherry bounce! bounce, I cry; If so be you ask me where, To the Blue Posts we'll repair That's the time for cherry bounce! Cherry bounce! Cherry bounce! bounce, I cry ; Although John Reeve can manage the audience, as it is termed, and do almost what he pleases with them, so high does he stand in their good opinion, yet he displays great FEVERISHNESS of mind in the representation of any new character. There is a kind of' stage fright' hangs over his exertions, which he cannot shake off, and some nights must elapse before he feels himself quite at his ease to add those finishing touches of humour and character to the part for which he is so justly celebrated. The following song, written for him by the late Thomas Rodwell, Esq., in Bachelor's Torments, affords him considerable scope for the display of his peculiar traits of excellence.* VID DE GRACE EXTRAORDINAIRE. First vid de grace extraordinaire, I use de foil, and I hit you dere; If vid de gentilhomme I parry quarte-O! Ca, Ca, I tip him on the right-hand-heart-0)! But if vid de demoiselles I parry tierce-O Vy den de little left-hand-heart I pierce-O! Frappez deux fois, ue bouges pas à la garde, I say; Avancez, retirez-vous, un, deux, trois, developez. Den on de theatre I play so free, You never shall see one act well like me. You tink poor Talma but a stupid lout-a. Some few years since, being at the Brighton 'Theatre, and chauce having placed me in the same box with Mrs. Mountain and Mr. Tom Cooke, I overheard the following remarks made by Mrs. M., during the time Reeve was singing the above song. "Who is that young man, Mr. Cooke," said Mrs. Mountain, "I really am very much pleased with his performance: I have not seen so much real talent for a long time; and I have no doubt but he will arrive at the very top of his profession." The prediction of Mrs. Mountain, whose reputation as a first rate songster, and whose experience enabled her to form a correct judgmen on theatrical affairs, and the merits of performers have long since been verified to the utmost extent. Den at de Opera so much I shine, Dey cry bravo bis, bis, 'tis quite divine. I cut so neat, and so long up remain-O! You ask your ami if I never stop i: Chassez croissez, chaine entière, demoiselles, balencez Dos-à-dos promenade, cavaliers avancez. Den ven in love, such dolce tings I tell her, And on my knees I stay three hours or more-O Dat she may feel how frème is my ardore. Den for de song,-ah, ah! I quickly soon A short time since Jack Reeve very narrowly escaped an accident which might have proved of a most serious nature to him; the above Son of Momus, always upon the alert to produce novelty and fun, identified himself so much with the passing scene in "Robert le Diable," in order to give greater effect to the character, that in his rush down the stage, he lost his balance, and unexpectedly fell into the orchestra. Mr. Reeve sprained his back so severely, that the Lyons of Mysore' was changed to Freaks and Follies.' Upon which curious coincidence, almost an allusion to the above accident, a wag present composed the following impromptu : The Lion now has got a stall, Tho' bad the fall, and fast the run, Then Fare thee well, JACK REEVE, may health prove thy best friend; may he stick to thee like glue; but be sure thou dost not abuse him. Remember the public have a life interest in thy career; also may that merry trio, fun, frolic, and harmony, be always thy attendants, and never be found out of place or out of tune; and may wit, talent, laughter, bustle, incident, pun, whim, drollery, joke, all that sort of thing, and every thing in the world, never refuse thee their potent aid to the end of the chapter; but, above all,may 'Abrahamides the First, the Last, the only Abrahamides,' always prove a Flint at his post; may the Great Comic Lion' never want a 'head' at all times to set the table in a roar; and may Marmaduke Magog, the renowned Beadle of the Parish, always have his work to do, i. e. to take himself up' as a model for all other beadles, to please and gratify the public, is the sincere wish of the Editor of the BooK OF SPORTS. To all SPORTING COVES, NORTH, EAST, and PIERCE EGAN, on the course again, And, mounted well, with spur and rein, The race he runs is not alone For profit, but for fame; Since, if each rider had his own, Some say he rides a slender nag, Whose points and pace bespeak, 'Tis true his mettle will be tried, With prads high bred and bold, Devonshire. TоM THUMB. The Celebrated American Trotting Horse. The unparalleled feat of trotting 100 miles in harness, in ten successive hours and a half, £200 to £100, was accomplished on Monday, February 2, 1829. When this match was first made, Mr. Melville contemplated making the attempt with the celebrated Paddington mare, which had exhibited extraordinary powers both as to speed and lasting qualities, and she was put into regular training, but ultimately relinquished, and the preference given to a horse recently arrived in this country from America. To this horse, which is an American by birth, standing about fourteen hands high, and twelve years of age, he turned his attention; and the horse was put into training (having but about ten days to prepare for his extraordinary task), and the whole of the stake-money was made good; but, owing to some dispute, the bargain for the American was relinquished. However, at a late hour on Saturday night, the negociation was renewed, and his request generously complied with. Little time was now left to prepare for action. The horse was fortunately in excellent condition, and on the Sunday afternoon was walked from the neighbourhood of New Cross, on the Deptford-road, to the Red Lion at Hampton, a distance little short of twenty miles, while the match cart, in which he was to perform his feat, was sent, under cover, to the same place. The proprietor of the horse, being himself somewhat indisposed, placed him under the care of his own groom, and of Mr. Harry England, of the Kent-road, who undertook the superintendence of the match, and, by his admirable arrangements, 66 succeeded in effecting it in the most triumphant manner. The betting was very limited, time being backed to a small amount only at two to one. The articles having stipulated that the match should be performed on Sunbury Common, it was agreed that it should be done over a fivemile piece, from mile-stone to mile-stone; and it was at first arranged that the start should take place from the Staines end, which would have been the case had the mare started. The American, however, having been elected, which was at Hampton, an alteration took place, and it was determined that the arduous task should be commenced at the fifth milestone from Staines, close to the George public-house, and from thence to Staines and back. Two umpires and a referee were chosen on the same night, and every preliminary arranged. Relays of horses and gigs being on the spot to carry the umpires and referee, as well as those persons who were appointed to watch the progress of the match. At four o'clock on Monday morning, the American groom, who seemed to regard his horse with the affection of a relative, was on the alert. He slept in the same stable, and roused him from his slumbers to give him a substantial feed. At six, accompanied by Mr. Henry England and Mr. Frederick Smith, who rode as umpires for the horse-all set out for the five-mile stone, where the other parties had assembled. The distance from the Red Lion was about a mile and a half, and although not yet light, it was evident that the little horse was all life and spirit. He was driven by the groom, who weighs about 140lbs., or ten stone. The match-cart, which was made in America, was one of the lightest we have ever seen, not more than 108lbs., and decidedly the most compact, although not the most elegant, that has met our notice. The shafts ran level with the body of the horse, and the seat, which was lined with leather, was as near the axle-tree as possible, so as to give room for the driver to stretch his legs. The principle seemed to be, to place the weight close to the draught; and, in fact, the slightest exertion set the machine in motion. The horse was unseemly in his aspect rough in his coat, and, at first sight, slouching in his gait; in truth, any thing but what an English eye would select for such a performance. He had four good legs, however, and a brightness in his eye which led the connoisseurs to "calculate" there was something more than common in his qualities, and many began to "guess" that he would vindicate the fame of the Yankee breed of trotters, which are acknowledged to be the best in the world. Two watches, having been regularly timed by the umpires, were now produced, and having been stopped at the same moment, half-past six, were, at a given signal, started at the same instant, and with them the horse-and we must here pay a compliment to the excel lent plans of Mr. England, who, having been appointed referee, rode the whole of the match before the American, in a gig, having been supplied with excellent relays of horses for the purpose. Mr. E. foresaw that, to perform so long a journey, the wisest plan would be to prevent over-exertion at first; and, although he knew the speed of the horse was equal to fifteen miles an hour, he resolved to keep him to a steady pace of about ten miles an hour, thus husbanding his strength for the last, if it should be necessary; and in order to effect this, he further resolved to drive before him himself, with his watch in his hand, so as to regulate his time. This plan had the additional advantage of encouraging the animal, and checking that desire to increase his speed, which, if the road had been clear before him, and horses were travelling on each side of him, he would have evinced, and which to check, would only have produced fretfulness. It is needless to say that, to effect this, Mr. E. was provided with some good tits, who throughout were not permitted to let the grass grow under their feet. To Mr. Frederick Smith also great praise is due for his activity, zeal, and attention throughout the match. He rode the whole hundred miles on five horses, and was indefatigable in giving notice for the necessary refreshments for the horse, and spared no pains to secure success. A stable was prepared for the reception of the American, close to the Five-mile-stone, into which he was taken at the end of every twenty miles. Gruel was his only food, but he occasionally took a snap of hay, and never once showed a disinclination to grub. The distances were thus performed : Thus performing the hundred miles in ten hours and seven minutes, and having twentythree minutes to spare of the time allotted him for the task; and, we must add, he came in as fresh and as lively the last ten miles, and at as brisk a pace and with as free a will, to all appearance, as when he first started. In fact, Mr. England stated, that he had no hesitation in saying he could have done fourteen miles in the last hour, if necessary; and his owner declared that, if humanity would permit it, he should have no hesitation in oacking him to do thirteen miles in the succeeding hour with perfect safety. The conclusion of this most extraordinary feat was hailed with loud cheers, and the little l'henomenon, as he may be well called, was walked back to the Red Lion at a pace of four miles an hour. On being groomed, and furnished with a fresh supply of gruel, he was as playful, and seemed to go to work on the hay with as good an appetite, as if he had been merely performing an ordinary task. The road throughout was immensely crowded during the day with gigs and trotters of every description, but especially at the Staines end, where a most fashionable assemblage was collected, including a brilliant display of the fair sex, who seemed to take a deep interest in the match, and every time the horse approached received him with loud cheers. His last return was marked by more than ordinary exultation, and many rushed forward to touch him, a desire which the groom gratified by letting him stand for nearly two minutes. The day was uncommonly favourable, and, although the road was hard in the morning, still it ran light, and, as the warmth of the sun increased, got better. The groom had but ten miles' relief during the whole journey, when a light boy was substituted; but this youngster was incapable of holding him in, and poor Bill was obliged to resume his seat, and finish his labours with a steadiness and regularity highly to be commended. Through, out the journey, although a small whip was provided, it was never once used, nor did the little animal on any occasion show the slightest vice or want of temper. A more extraordinary horse has, perhaps, never before graced the annals of horse-flesh in this country. SHOOTING IN AMERICA The Landlord proposing a route by which we might connect a little sporting with it, and his son, a fine intelligent youth, to accompany me (says Mr. John Fowler, in his Journal of a Tour in America), I began to feel my chagrin rapidly abating; and slipping on a shooting dress, we were shortly in the woods with our guns, attended by a pretty good pointer dog. We found a few woodcocks and squirrels, but, upon the whole, had indifferent success. As to what we denominate gume, it is by no means abundant in the country, except quail, which are generally plentiful. Hares and pheasants there are none; and partridges (in some places called pheasants) are scarce. Woodcock and snipe are uncertain, both as to season and situation. 'Tis true that great quantities of other birds may sometimes be killed; for instance, wild ducks and pigeons, which are occasionally seen in flocks of many miles in extent; but, after all, and much as I have heard of American shooting, in my opinion it is a poor, insipid diversion, compared with the English, pursued without any kind of system cr science, and reminding me more of the onsets of our mechanics and shopmen, let loose at Christmas, and on holidays, to range the fields, no matter where, and pounce upon all, no matter what, than of any thing worthy the name of shooting. Let no English sports man think to better himself by emigration in this respect; I'll answer, upon trial, for his total disappointment. There is not, there cannot be, an individual living, who holds our game-laus in greater abnorrence than I do, considering them as barbarous and absurd as they are wantonly tyrannical and unjust,-the very fag-end of the old feudal system, when barons could lord it over their debased vassals at their pleasure, and when in the humane diction of the day, if one of them "did course or hunt, either casually or wilfully, a beast of the forest, so that by the swiftness of the course the beast did pant, or was put out of breath," he was authorized to flay him alive. These days, thank Heaven, have passed away, and the doctrine of equal rights and equal privileges is becoming rather more fashionable, somewhat better understood, -and I hope yet to live to see this blood. thirsty code altogether expunged from a statute book it has so long disgraced; but if I must sport, I confess I should prefer meeting évery unpleasantness still attendant upon these odious enactments, and shooting at English game in English style, to going a gunning with the most unbridled license, after the American fashion. On several other days, or parts of days, one of our party and myself were occupied in perambulating the neighbouring country, with our guns. We met with little other game than woodcock, which, had we been provided with a brace of good English pointers or setters, would have afforded us excellent diversion : as it was we killed a considerable number. My friend was more successful than myself; ewing in part, perhaps, to the situations in which we found the birds,-chiefly amongst Indian corn, and to which he had learned better to accommodate himself. It frequently grew so high, and so far out-topped me, that I often heard the rise of a bird within ten yards of me, without seeing any thing of it, and could only get snap-shots at best. The few quail which we saw were uncommonly wild; in fact, between buck-wheat, which is a very favorite resort, and Indian corn, it was almost impossible to get them on the wing. The best month for shooting here is November it is usually very fine: the corn is all gathered, and the game has nearly attained its tuli growth, so as to be strong enough, whether on wing or foot, to give it a chance for its life, and the latter system has no attractions for me. All the diversion which I could ever discover attaching to shooting consists in anticipation, in pursuit, in the excitement of seeking and finding the game: there can be none in the mere killing, except as undeniable evidence of a good shot,-an attainment few ambitious of such distinction, with moderate self-possession and practice, need despair of; but the exercise, which persons in general would never take without the accompanying stimulus of dog and gun, is worth all the rest put together. Whoever designs to sport here, though, as I have said, it will bear no com parison with English shooting, should take care to provide himself with good dogs; they are scarce, and frequently sell for extravagant prices. * ARCHERY. Archery was so much approved of as a bodily exercise by Bishop Latimer, that he even preached a sermon in favor of it before Edward VI. After the Restoration, ARCHERY became the general amusement; CHARLES II. himself took such delight in it, that he even knighted a man for excelling an excellent shot, whose portrait is in the possession of the Toxopholite Society. After the death of Charles, it again began to decline, and was confined in practice to a few counties only, till about thirty years ago, when it was revived with increased splendor throughout every part of England, as will appear by the number of societies that were instituted; many of which exist and continue their yearly and monthly meetings to this day. It is seldom in this stern and strifeful world that an instrument of destruction becomes altogether converted into an instrument of harmless gratification, and yet such is the case with the arrow, if we except its use by a few hordes of savages that are still without the pale of civilization. From the earliest period to which the pages of history lead us, to the time when a restless monk, instead of counting his beads, amused himself in compounding saltpetre, sulphur, and charcoal, it has been the principal missile weapon in war, and through it hath many a momentous day been lost and won. Had some benevolent philosopher of old been told, that such a change would happen in the employment of the mortal shaft, he might have supposed that it would come when Bellona had been driven from the earth. But, alas! he would have given too much credit to future ages; the arrow and the javelin have been abandoned by the soldier, merely that deadlier weapons might supply their place. This is especially an interesting subject to us, as never was the arrow in more able hards than when in the grasp of the English archer. They who have attentively perused the accounts of our carlier battles must be well aware of this historical fact. Talking about English archery also brings to our recollection the well-known tale, so fascinating to our boyhood, of the unequalled outlaw, Robin Hood, and his merry men; but those days are gone, and live only in ancient lays Sir William Wood. |