I might imagine, and that it required time, patience, judgment, good temper, a fine hand, eye to pace, to raise a man from the rank of a common Jarvey," to that of a Buxton or a Peyton, among amateurs, or a Holmes or a Pears among professionals. I thanked my Mentor for his advice, and followed it implicitly, devoting many a spare hour to the road, during the period of my stay at my new private tutor's. To resume. It was about one o'clock that we drove up to the Pelican, at Newbury, then kept by a most popular landlord, Botham. "The gentleman alights here," said the coachman, “giving" what has since been called "the office" to the ostler and waiter, who were in active attendance. "A portmanteau and black trunk in the hind boot, I believe," said the guard, as he descended from what was then termed the "gammon box. "How far is it to Donnington Grove?" I enquired of a most respectable-looking middle-aged lady, who came out of her glass sanctum near the bar, on hearing that a passenger had arrived in her well conducted hostellerie. "Are you going to Mr. I replied in the affirmative. -'s?" she continued. "The young gentlemen dine at half past five; I rather think there is a chaise going for young Lord H- -'s uncle, at two o'clock, to take him to Caversham Park." In the mean time the coachman had expressed his thanks to me; the guard, a regular land shark, had been satisfied; and I had taken leave of my new acquaintance and driving pastor, when old Joe the waiter, who always had an eye to business, suggested that there was a nice fire in number two, and a most beautiful piece of roast pork at the kitchen fire, just ready to be served, To those who have started after a meagre breakfast, and an hour before daylight, on a cold winter's morning, and have travelled nearly fifty miles in the frosty air, and whose appetites have not been impaired by age or debility, it is unnecessary to say with what avidity I accepted the proposition; and before I had time to unbutton my gloves, take off my upper Benjamin,” and unpillorize (there's an addition to surly old Johnson's dictionary) my neck from the huge folds of my shawl, the cloth had been laid, and a dish of hot pork, roasted to a turn, the gristle crisp and brown, smoked on the board. While helping myself to a rib, the waiter uncovered two more dishes- -one a wooden bowl of mealy potatoes; the other, two silver butterboats, containing faultless-looking apple sauce, and a preparation of onions, sage, and garlick, most delightful to the olfactory senses. "Please to take any malt liquor?" inquired the attentive waiter, "We have some very fine mild ale, which I can strongly recommend." "Some ale by all means," I replied. In a few seconds my somewhat elderly and gouty Ganymede was frothing me up a glass of nectar that even Jupiter might have smacked his lips at. "There will be a grand drawing next month, Sir," continued my loquacious attendant. "Grand drawing!" I repeated, not understanding the point. "Oh yes, Sir. Lucky Bish advertises some wonderful prizes." Then taking from his pocket-book a dozen printed lottery bills, headed with very well executed graphic designs, illustrative of the way of becoming instantaneously rich, and containing sundry poetical local effusions, worthy of the pen of the inspired metrical composers of Messieurs Catnach, Warren, Rowland, Mechi, or Moses, of our day. Upon the opposite side of these attractive notices were the list of the prizes. "I am usually fortunate, Sir;" continued the waiter, I won an eighth last July, dreamt of the number 15732. Have taken another half ticket for the next drawing, and have reversed the numbers for luck 23751. Perhaps you would like a sixteenth, only two pounds ten shillings?" "I shall be delighted," I rejoined. While this son of fortune was handing me my ticket and change for a five-pound note, the worthy landlord entered the room, and having explained the cause of his absence at Hungerford market, proceeded to say that as a chaise was going to take up at Donnington Grove, it could convey my luggage there. To this proposition I gladly assented; and in the course of conversation with my worthy host, ascertained that the Pelican was greatly patronized by my future young companions, that occasionally they dropped into it of an evening for half an hour to enjoy a bowl of Bishop; that their hunters, hacks, gigs, tandems, were all furnished from its stables. I had now paid for my luncheon, had been most liberal to the waiter and ostler, and was about to encase myself in my coaching attire, when the latter wide-awake individual, in the most respectful manner, after unlocking a large cupboard in his snug office, addressed me as follows"I hope, Mr. Hamilton, you will excuse the liberty I am about to take, but although the Reverend Mr. (mentioning my tutor's name) is quite a trump, and highly approves of his young gentlemen following all field sports, he rayther objects to stage coach driving, and I fear your box coat would perhaps prejudice him against you. All the young gentlemen leave their toggs and whips here, and I should be happy to take charge of yours." Upon opening the cupboard a goodly collection of drab coating appeared, from the single breasted light coloured one with velvet collar and silk skirts, to the regular dark double-milled tencaped box-wood buttoned overcoat; independent of the above, which were all neatly ticketed with the initials of the respective owners, were to be seen guns, single horse and four-in-hand cherry-stick whips, a "shooter's" horn, and some warm coach rugs, covered with tarpauling. From this specimen of prohibited articles, I soon found (to adopt the ostler's phraseology) that the young gentlemen at the Grove "were not troubled with the slows." "You'll have clipping work, Mr. Hamilton, with Mr. Craven's hounds, oudacious sport with master's greyhounds, capital fun spearing or sniggling for eels, and if you can only throw a fly to old Mr. A I have no doubt he will give you a day or two with the trout, continued the man of oats, for I will not adopt the usual soubriquet "oatstealer," Sam Stevens being as honest a man as it was ever my good fortune to have any dealings with. I thanked my new sporting ally, and unpacking my portmanteau, took out a sober quiet-looking great coat, for pea jackets, paletots, and other modern specimens of loose attire, had not been introduced in the days I write of. "You can't miss your way, Sir: first turn to the right after you pass the theatre, about a mile along the road you'll see the Grove."" "Theatre!" I exclaimed with the greatest delight, "is it open ?" "Oh yes, Sir," proceeded the ostler, "a first rate company from London, and horses from Hashley's: I saw Timour last night, and they give Blue Beard to-morrow; real horses and a stupendous elephant." I took leave of the brood of Pelicans, and started at a brisk walk for my new temporary residence; stopping, however, to read what in these days would be called a very modest and moderate sized poster, in which Mr. Barnet, the manager, announced the engagement of a most talented company both of bipeds and quadrupeds, the former of whom were to appear the following evening in an attractive comedy, and the latter. in the popular drama of Blue Beard. As I approached the Grove, which was a small neat unpretendinglooking house, surrounded by a garden and paddock, I began to reflect upon my new position, and was speculating upon the kind of "fellows" I should meet, when my reverie was put an end to by the exclamation of a voice familiar to my ears, and which was that of my old friend and correspondent who had written, as has been recorded in a former chapter, to recommend me strongly to give up all ideas of Marlow, Oxford, or Cambridge, and at once to join the coterie at Donnington. "Why, Percy, you are passing the house, and will inevitably walk into or on the pond, for it is half frozen, if you continue wool-gathering," exclaimed my former crony. I turned round, and after a hearty shake of the hand, proceeded to make inquiries as to the inmates of Mr. -'s establishment. "Oh, we have a capital lot: first and foremost, Lord H- just come from Eton, one of the neatest horsemen and best riders to hounds of his day; he is shortly to get a commission in the Guards. I name him first, not on account of his rank, for as Burns says— "The rank is but the guinea stamp, The man's the gold for a' that," 6 but because you will scarcely find his ditto in England. The next is Spencer H, Esq., also a candidate for the Guards; a downright good fellow, not quite so 'fast' as the young peer, but up to every manly sport, from a rat hunt to a fox chase. He is rather in the gallant gay Lothario line, and fancies half the young milliners in Newbury in love with him. Then we have Henry M- -, Esq., who is shortly to be gazetted into a regiment of the line; his passion is coaching; he, to adopt his own phraseology, is right as a trivet;' he received a gentle hint to quit Winchester for getting out of college to drive the mail. Paddy O'Hea is a broth of a boy' from the Emerald isle, full of spirit and fun, but always committing some awful blunder; his stories will make you die of laughing. D— D-T Esq., also from sweet Erin, a warm hearted generous creature. And last, not least in my estimation, your old and trusty ally, Horace Beaufort, who now shakes you by the hand, welcomes you to the Grove, and who will speedily introduce you to the originals, of whom he has given you but a slight and faint outline. But I had forgotten: one word for the Dominie; he is a thorough gentleman, conscientious in seeing that we do our work, but after that is over, trusts implicitly to us; he promotes all field sports, sets his face against stage-coach driving as being low, and openly tells us that as his confidence in his pupils is unbounded, immediate expulsion would follow any breach of faith or blackguard conduct.” I thanked my cicisbeo for his graphic account of his master and comrades, when he proceeded-"Three times a week we have Monsieur Camille Adolphe Genouillac, a most worthy Gaul, the kindest-hearted creature in the world; he teaches our young ideas to draw landscape and military designs, and after lessons can sing as good a song as ever you heard, or fence in a way that would put Angelo on his guard and metal. Then among the humbler classes we have Jerry Curtis, man of all work, an undeniable hand at cleaning top-boots and buckskins, and the most willing fellow in the world; Mrs. Ray, an elderly housekeeper of the old school, who has Buchan's Medicine by heart, and is most learned in pharmacy and domestic surgery; a professed cook, of the female gender, whose practices really come up to her professions; a couple of housemaids; and the out-door man, who looks after master's one-horse chay, digs in the garden, milks the cows, runs errands, and to us fellows makes himself generally and particularly useful." 66 extend Having taken a slight detour under the ruins of Donnington Castle, the picturesque beauty of which I was too much engrossed with my comrade's conversation to admire, we again found ourselves at the entrance of the Grove, where, upon ringing the bell, the Cerberus of the establishment, Mr. Jeremiah Curtis, dressed in his Sunday attire, made his appearance; after being introduced in due form to this tutor's assistant, I was conducted into the presence of the master himself. "I am afraid you have had a cold journey," said Mr.ing his hand in the most friendly manner; perhaps you will take a glass of wine?" There was something in the manner and tone of voice so unlike that of the pedagogues I had been accustomed to meet, that I at once felt at my ease. After a few inquiries after my family, the bell was rung, and I was shown to my dormitory, which although not very spacious, was neat and clean in the extreme; here Mrs. Ray made her appearance, and after assuring me that the bed and bedding were thoroughly aired, recommended me, if I felt chilled after my journey, to take a little hot sal-volatile and water: this I politely declined; and being joined by my cicisbeo, to whom I have assigned the fictitious name of Horace Beaufort, was by him conducted into the study, to be introduced to my new comrades. Nothing could be more gratifying to my feelings than the kind manner in which one and all greeted me, and as studies were over for the day, a walk into Newbury was suggested. Lord H———————, who was devoted to hunting, excused himself, having an appointment with a farmer in the neighbourhood to look at a promising young colt; his coaching ally, young Harry M- a first-rate judge H of horse-flesh, was to accompany him; the two Emeralders had promised to pay a visit to Squire Andrews, respecting some fishing; so our party was reduced to Spencer H, Horace Beaufort, and myself. I have already hinted that the former looked upon himself as a perfect lady-killer. His first object was to take us to a milliner's shop in Highstreet, which through the assistance of Spencer and the French master, had a brass plate over the door, inscribed "Magasin des Modes." Miss B- -, and her sisters Emma and Mary, were indisputably the belles of Newbury, and had I not still cherished a passion for my lovely Celine, I might have fallen a victim to the charms of the lovely Charlotte B, for so the elder was named. "Allow me to introduce the Honourable Percy Hamilton," said Horace, as we entered the establishment. The young ladies smiled and curtseyed. As, in the days we write of, guard-chains were almost unknown, and a fine riband was attached to every gentleman's watch, I was compelled, out of gallantry, to purchase one; and after a long dissertation upon colours, a light blue watered riband was selected by Miss Charlotte, who was obliging enough to convert it into a true-lover's knot, upon which in a very tasty manner were displayed my seals and key, and for which act of condescension I was called upon to pay the sum of five shillings. "What a lovely smile that dear creature Charlotte has!" exclaimed Spencer, as we left the domicile of the Graces. "Rather dear at the money," thought I, as I placed the change of a guinea in my purse, knowing by fatal experience that "a guinea changed is a guinea gone." We then proceeded to the usual lounges of a country town-the circulating library and reading room, where I entered my name as a subscriber; the saddler's, where we saw a list of the hunting appointments; the pastry-cook's, where we drank a few glasses of cherry brandy; and the box-office of the theatre, where we secured the stagebox for the following evening, our worthy dominie having previously sanctioned this step. But as I have already exceeded my usual limits, I must reserve the studies and sports at Donnington Grove for a future chapter. A FOUR DAYS' VISIT TO NEWMARKET, WITH A PEEF AT THE THOROUGH-BREDS. So wrote Thomson, the poet of the Seasons, whose works, in listless idleness, we were perusing some few days since. Truthful indeed in his description of the genial influence of spring upon all nature, men and horses included. The book fell from our hands, and our cosy arm-chair was incontinently pushed away from the fire-side; for our thoughts had wandered far away over heath and moor. In fancy we snuffed the fresh breeze of early spring, as it swept in wanton wildness o'er those well-known spots which for many dreary months had worn |