kind. The last steeple chase he rode was at Ledbury, in 1849, which he won on his horse Vengeance. It is not impossible that he may yet show in the saddle, though few men have enough of the vigour or the animation of youth left to attempt such things on the verge of seventy. Little Tommy, the picked one upon which Mr. Vevers is taken, now covers at Dormington: he is an exceedingly clever though small horse, by Tom Brown, and we believe quite thorough-bred.

In early life Mr. Vevers was a courser of some note, and the breeder of some excellent dogs; but he has discontinued that sport for some years. He was also at one time an enthusiastic brother of the angle; while few men have been less ready to enter into, or better able to defend themselves in, a quarrel. Indeed, the character all through is one particularly John Bull's own, uniting and preserving the pluck, vigour, and good fellowship of the British sportsman up to the latest moment. Far distant be that period! say we.

We cannot better close or point this brief sketch than by mentioning that a service of plate was presented to Mr. Vevers in 1845, which wil show more forcibly than anything we can say the estimation in which he is held by his neighbours and friends. The inscription is as follows: "Presented to William Vevers, Esq., of Dormington Court, Herefordshire, by his friends and neighbours, in testimony of his generous and social qualities, superior talent, and determined zeal and activity which have distinguished him as a sportsman for more than half a century; and in grateful acknowledgment of the spirited manner in which he upheld the pre-eminence of his native county in the contest between the members of the Herefordshire and Monmouthshire Hunts at their Steeple-chase on the 27th of Feb., 1845." In 1838 a silver tankard was presented to him, with the following inscription: "The gift of the Rev. J. Leyson Penoyre to William Vevers, Esq., of Dormington Court, for the best thorough-bred stallion used in the county of Hereford, and also for his spirited exertions in the improvement of the breed of horses in that county."

"THE HUNTED HARE."

ENGRAVED BY J. SCOTT, FROM A PAINTING BY E. CORBET.

"See! there she goes:

She reels along, and by her gait betrays

Her inward weakn' ss. See how black she looks!

The sweat that clogs th' obstructed pores scarce leaves

A languid scent. And now in open view

See, sce she flies. Each cager hound exerts

Ilis utmost speed, and stretches every nerve."

So says friend Somerville: while shepherd elevating his hat and his voice roars out his ideas of "a view" in a tone that might lead one to suppose he was seriously hurt, if circumstances did not go to show he was only excited.

It has been asserted that not one man in fifty who meets hounds knows when or how to holloa; that is to say, when to assist instead of bother a huntsman by his "cheering cry." If this be the case with foxhounds, where so much at times depends on one properly given and attended to, a careful study of it is still more necessary in playing out so intricate a game as the hunting of the hare. How often just at the last move or so have hounds' heads been got up by the never-to-bestifled signal of some cross-eyed clod-pole, who, ten to one, has put up a fresh hare, and wont be satisfied till the pack have been brought to his side, or some ainbassador commisssioned to d-n him to silence. The scene at such a moment is amusing enough.

"Hoicks! holloa! tally-ho! Here-here she goes! Hie, there! Here she goes! Tally-ho!" His energy increasing as he finds he is not attended to, and bursting out beyond all bounds as the irate envoy rides up to know what the devil's the matter with him. "The hare! the hare!" answers Johnny; "she's gone down here! I see her myself, and a' been hollering at you this half hour." And out he breaks again in another tremendous attempt at a tally-ho.

To be told that everybody will feel extremely obliged to him if he will only keep quiet, and that if the hunted hare is gone that way, no doubt the hounds will come after her; to find he gets more kicks than halfpence for his valuable aid, and that the field, when they do come up, anything but sympathize with his feelings on the occasion-to live to experience all this astonishes poor smock frock most amazingly, and he secretly registers a vow to never say another word if he sees all the hares in the country-to be broken, of course, on the next occasion one happens to come across him.

As by the almanacs and other such high authorities this sport is "just a going to begin," we instance this bit of indiscretion by way of a warning to such of our young friends as may be about to enter at hare. To sing out, then, at this pastime is ticklish work at all times; but to holloa" the hunted hare," without hounds are quite at fault, is a piece of amusement that is almost sure to get the sight-seer into trouble. In any case, the great point is to know a hunted hare when you see her; and to attain this, we can recommend nothing better than studying our illustration and getting off by heart the few lines with which we set out. "See how she reels along: how black she looks: how her gait betrays her inward weakness," and so on. And even then it is very questionable whether the better plan would not be to follow the Spectator's, with Sir Roger De Coverley, whose only signal was extending his arm in the direction she took.

But "yoicks! holloa! tally-ho!" roars out shepherd again, the best friend the hunted hare ever had, though Mr. Gay, perhaps, was not aware of it.

THE FINE ART S.

"THE FIRST INTRODUCTION TO HOUNDS," " and "A RENEWAL OF ACQUAINTANCE WITH HOUNDS." Messrs. Fores: Piccadilly.

We have here a couple of capitally told stories from the pencil of Mr. Alken, very much in the style of his "Sporting Anecdotes,' that went so well a few years since. For subject, as far as a field for the artist is allowed, those now before us are even of a still better class; there is more material to work upon; and, as is always the case with a man of taste and talent, the opportunities that invite him tell proportionately with his audience. In the first of the pair we have a road-scene, showing a dealer's man with three or four clever machiners hung on in due form to his pony's side, suddenly crossed by hounds in full cry. The effect of so unexpected an introduction is famously conceived-the ungovernable excitement of the string, the half angry, half frightened look of the cad, with a most terrible oath just in the utterance, and the nonchalant air of "the Field" at the confusion they are creating, are all in excellent keeping with the time chosen for illustration. Though, perhaps, not now so common, the incident once was frequent enough, and Mr. Alken has so the credit for not only giving us a most spirited sketch, but also for the display of much taste and sportsmanlike feeling in the selection of it. No man but a practical sportsman could either have hit on or treated "The Introduction to Hounds," as he has here. "The Renewal gives us the same four horses, now duly harnessed and brought out for the next "change," breaking right away this time, despite coupling-reins, long_traces, and other impedimenta, on again hearing hounds at work. They are all well in front, and charging a very awkward place at a most fearful sacrifice of pads and ribbons. Then, in attendance, we have a horse-keeper nearly blown, but making strong running still for this point; "The Tantivy," rattling along at the side with no one from the box to the gammon-board exactly able to make out "what's up ;" and the gentlemen sportsmen, as usual, cramming along, every man for himself, with the most perfect indifference as to whether Mr. Coachman keeps his time or recovers his team.

In giving the outline subject of these two prints we believe we are offering the best recommendation we can to their merits; for when we add that they have been brought out under the superintendence of, and coloured up to that point of excellence in which none so far can "collar" Mr. Fores, we have the confirmation strong of full justice having been done to them "in every degree." Few Houses carry out so resolutely the "what is worth doing at all is worth doing well," as the Sackville-street Repository.

THE CUTTER YACHT "CYNTHIA," OF 50 TONS.

This fine craft-a first-rate of the Royal Thames Yacht Club clippers-has been most artistically and characteristically put upon the

scene by the pencil of Mr. N. M. Condy, one of the best marine painters, in his line, of the day. His portraits of pleasure-galleys, and sketches of amateur navigation, are evidently the productions of one full of enthusiasm for such subjects, and "to the matter bred." The plate to which this notice refers is an engraving-lithograph-by T. G. Dutton. Nothing can be more natural and graceful than the design; nothing more buoyant and faithful than its "counterfeit presentiment." As with all the productions of the publishers-the Messrs. Forcs, of Piccadilly the "bringing out" is faultless.

-

PARISIAN PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.

"Where shall I begin with the endless delights
Of this Eden of milliners, monkeys, and sights-
This dear busy place, where there's nothing transacting
But dressing and dinnering, dancing and acting?"

The Fudge Family in Paris.

The past month being proverbially the dullest part of the year in London, we eschewed it for Paris - a city at all times prolific of entertainment in the shape of public amusements, but at this season particularly so. The English visitor in the French capital cannot help being struck with the wide difference between the two nations in the manner of the frequenters of places of public resort. In our own country all is sober, still, serious, and proper to a degree; in Paris every one is vivacious, sparkling, and abounding in bonhommie. This striking contrast is in a measure to be attributed to dissimilarity of climate, that of France being in every respect more genial than that of this country. With the Parisians the chief business of life appears to be pleasure, and their determination to throw their whole energies into the spirit of the scene can admit of no question.

66

At the ACADEMIE NATIONALE DE MUSIQUE, Alboni is heard with considerable delight in La Favorite;" the cast includes Roger, Barroilhet, and Levasseur. The voice of Roger is too weak for a large house like the Académie. The general performance of the opera is satisfactory, but on the whole there is nothing to call forth any extraordinary ealogium. The ballet boasts of Cerito, her husband St. Leon, Flora Fabbri, and Taglioni, all of whom are well remembered and appreciated by the frequenters of the metropolitan houses. Some time having elapsed since we had seen Flora Fabbri, it was with considerable delight we beheld this favourite danseuse bound on the stage in the second act of the opera.

in Flora-dear creature!-you'd swear,
When her delicate feet in the dance twinkle round,
That her steps are of light, that her home is the air,
And she only par complaisance touches the ground."

The appearance of Ugalde is of itself sufficient to draw a good house at the OPERA COMIQUE. This general favourite has not moulted a feather in attraction, her personation of Elisabethi in "Le Songe d'une Nuit d'Eté" having, if possible, contributed to increase the high favour already accorded to her.

The VAUDEVILLE presents an absurdity intended as a lampoon on the English; but as the piece of nonsense is filled with allusions of the most reprehensible nature, and that which is intended for wit being ribaldry of the coarsest kind, it will suffice to dismiss such a low and vulgar production, by merely observing that its counterpart would never be tolerated on the boards of the lowest of London theatres.

The COMEDIE FRANCAISE, THEATRE HISTORIQ, and the VARIetes, offer abundance of entertainment for the delectation of their admirers, who, by the way, muster in good numbers.

The HIPPODROME, and the CIRQUE deserve our especial attention, both from the nature of the performances, and from the manner in which they are conducted. It may be naturally supposed that from the very fact of this periodical being looked upon as the peculiar organ of all that appertains to horsemanship, we should evince an anxiety that our places of amusement devoted to equestrianism should be unsurpassed in the nature of their performances. But we are constrained to declare after witnessing the class of entertainment provided at the Hippodrome and the Cirque, that the contrast to similar performances at our one theatre is palpably and unmistakably in favour of the former. This is not as it should be, for surely England as a nation is far superior to France in the breed and management of the horse. Yet it must be honestly averred in respect of equestrian entertainment our continental neighbour beats us beyond al! conception. When Franconi's troupe was over here, we could not help drawing a comparison between the elegant performances at DRURY LANE, and the slovenly attempts at ASTLEY'S. The same distinction occurs to us now, when witnessing the saw-dust evolutions of Mr. Batty's company, after having so lately viewed the Parisian performances. There is no denying that the Astleyan standard is that of the commonest of suburban fairs: your eye wanders in vain for the taste apparent in the exhibitions of the Champs Elysées, where you are gratified by the exceeding elegance, polish, ease, finish, and general completeness of the whole arrangements. With the many glaring instances of the general incompetency of Mr. Batty to preside over any public place of amusement where horsemanship forms the staple entertainment, the commissioners of the Exhibition of 1851 cannot surely be induced to allow one, whose inefficiency is so palpable, to construct a building in Hyde Park for equestrian purposes.