keeping the mouth alive. To prove this, if a horse had been boring on the bit in harness till his mouth was as dead as a stone, take a bit of string, andpassing that through the throat latch, bring it to the curb-chain and raise that an inch, the horse will immediately go comparatively light in hand, because it brings the curb-chain to cut on a fresh part of the jaw, and in a trifling degree also alters the position of the bit in the mouth. By many such little contrivances, which all practised coachman know, the same bit is made to do for, if not quite suit, all sorts of horses and all sorts of mouths. H. H. (To be continued.) SPORTING INCIDENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD. (From the MS. Life of the Hon. Percy Hamilton.) COMMUNICATED TO AND EDITED BY LORD WILLIAM LENNOX. * CHAPTER XXIV. "The papers have told you, no doubt, of the fusses, The Czar's look, I own, was much brighter and brisker, And wore but a starless blue coat, and in kersey- June, 1814. "Home, sweet home"-A dinner with the Secretary of State for the Foreign Department-The naval review at Portsmouth-Wellington's movements and arrival-The national Jubilee-Rejoicings for peace. my friend H and Our last chapter terminated with the arrival of myself in London, and having deposited our despatches in Downingstreet, we proceeded to my "Governor's" house, as the young Englanders of the present day denominate their respected parents. My father still held his appointment in Ireland, and was there with my mother, brothers, and sisters. Being unprepared for my arrival, the old family mansion looked dull and dreary; as the chaise drove up to the door, and a thundering knock rattled against and shook the ancient portal, the old bloated-face porter started up from his slumber to do the honours to the new comer "What! asleep Peter," I exclaimed, “at this early hour?" 66 Oh, Master Percy, is it you?-who'd have thought it? I am so glad to see you," responded the venerable Cerberus, who having been superannuated as coachman, had descended from the exalted hammer-cloth to the more humble, but not less comfortable, seat in the well-stuffed leathern chair, which, in the days we write of, was a necessary appendage to every well-appointed establishment. The noise and bustle of our arrival in the hall had attracted the attention of "Mary, House," who lost no time in communicating the intelligence to "Fanny, Still," who rushing into the housekeeper's room, announced to that worthy evergreen, Mrs. that Mr. Hamilton had returned alive and well. That kind-hearted and excellent lady was busily employed in preparing her brandy cherries; and her sanctum, which was usually the tidiest apartment in the house, was now in what is ordinarily termed a "mess." The table was covered with pummets of Morillas, empty bottles, corks, sugar, and a few gallons of the real eau-de-vie, as superior to the modern British French spirit, as Cunningham's champagne is to home-made gooseberry. No sooner had the information been conveyed to Mrs., than tears of joy filled her eyes, and the disjointed manner in which she delivered herself of the thoughts then uppermost in her mind will be gleaned from the following conversation: Only to think! Master Percy arrived safe and sound, and I such a figure! Here, cork that bottle down, Fanny; and just fetch me my cap-what a dreadful carnage, and the darling boy not hurt. Lock up the spirits, and help me to take off my apron-more than four thousand killed and wounded, and Percy-" "All alive and merry," I exclaimed, rushing into the good old creature's arms, and upsetting the table in the excitement of the moment. "Let me introduce my friend, Lord H-; you have heard me talk of him," continued I, when able to get in a word edgeways; for the garrulous housekeeper would carry on her rambling remarks, at one moment expressing her delight at my return, then apologizing for her untidy dress, then urging me to take a glass of orange wine-all mingled with lamentations for the loss of her fine Morellas, which, "thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks in Vallambrosa," now covered the floor. The cuckoo-clock soon reminded us that it was time to dress ourselves for the full-dress dinner at Lord Bathurst's; and having been shown to our rooms, we speedily adorned our persons in somewhat tarnished and faded uniforms, but which, like the tattered and torn colours of those regiments which had been employed on active service, we deemed would reflect some little degree of glory upon the wearers. "Not a glass coach to be had," said Peter Sawyer, the porter: "I've been to every yard in the neighbourhood, and so I've brought the best hackney one I could find on the stand; it's at the garden entrance, for I could not bear to see you two young gentlemen get into such a conveyance, dressed out so fine." We thanked the ex-knight of the ribands for his attention, who proceeded to descant upon the pride of past days; "I remember the time-though I say it as should not-when there was no turn-out in London to be compared to your father's; such horses! six long-tail dark chestnuts, almost the colour of mahogany; the harness ornamented with arms and crests, rings, buckles, hooks, all richly chased; the carriage stately and roomy, the panels emblazoned with the heraldic honours of the family" (Peter was quite eloquent when once upon the subject of his former calling), "the postilion, outriders, and footmen in gorgeous liveries, with silver-mounted whips and canes; and your humble servant seated upon the highly embroidered hammer-cloth, decked out in his three-cornered laced hat, well curled wig, state dress with bouquets, silk stockings, sparkling shoe and knee buckles, and white reins and gloves, might well feel proud of his noble master's equipage. All these things are sadly degenerate of late," continued Mr. Sawyer, with a groan; "there's no pomp, no state, no distinction, no pride, no nothing at all." If these remarks were true five-and-thirty years ago, what would the respected Peter say if he could witness a drawing-room at St. James's, or the park, during the season of 1849. Instead of the aristocratic family coach, the well turned out chariot, the elegant curricle, the neat tilbury, he would find "phaeton chays," heavy lumbering "cabs," rattling ricketty barouches, one-horse "flys," slang-looking dog-carts, Irisn jaunting cars, Pilentums, and sundry other vehicles, formerly known by the appellation of pill-boxes and demi-fortunes, but which now are designated Broughams and Clarences, or as some wicked wag has named them, after their usual occupants-" loose boxes." As the time had now arrived for our leaving- House for Mansfieldstreet, where our host then resided, we entered the hackney coach, and H-, having ordered the driver to stop whenever he pulled the string, we proceeded at a snail's pace through the narrow streets that then led from Charing-cross to Oxford-street; no sooner had we entered the latter than a sudden jerk of my comrade's hand brought the lumbering vehicle in which we were to a stand still, and thrusting his head out of the window, he hailed a servant who was seated on the box of a wellappointed chariot, that evidently (to adopt a fashionable dragsman's phrase) "had shot its rubbish " at a neighbouring house. "Come here, my fine fellow,” said H——, with one of his most winning smiles, "make it all right with your fellow-servant, and get him to set us down in Mansfieldstreet; we have been disappointed of a carriage, and cannot drive up in this creaking crazy vehicle." Suiting the action to the word, he placed a seven-shilling piece in "John's " hands, who, after a few brief remarks to the coachman, responded that it was "all right, and assisted us to transfer our persons from the moth-eaten and mildewed seats of the straw-floored" hackney," to the silk and morocco leather-lined cushion town chariot. Proud as the hero in the fable of our borrowed plumage, we trotted through Cavendish-square towards Mansfield-street, where we found a gaping crowd waiting to catch a view of a living emperor, foreign potentate, or some other lion of that day. "The Prince doth join with all the world in praise of Percy; By my hopes, I do not think a braver gentleman, More active valiant, or more valiant young, more daring, or more bold, cried a voice in the crowd, which I immediately recognized as my old acquaintance Frank Alderson's, who, with his friend Billy Sanders, had mixed with the throng, partly with the object of seeing the "sight," and hoaxing the multitude with fictitious appellations of the distinguished guests. "Count Rayomouskie," was now announced. "Count who?" inquired a fat citizen, who, with his wife, had come all the way from Monument-yard, to have a look at the "Roosian" emperor, who, they believed, lived upon train oil; and "Blewcher," as they called the celebrated Prussian warrior. "Razy what, my love?" again asked the sposa" perhaps you heard the name, Sir," she continued, addressing herself to Sanders. "I certainly did hear it," responded the practical jester; "but I could not undertake to spell or pronounce any Russian name; but if you could take Tchernigofsieverskow and Pskoftvervoronety, mix them up with Solekamskhofirkulsh, read the whole backwards, end it with a 'ski' or 'chaff,' you will get within a very short distance of these titles." After a good deal of whipping, swearing, and cutting in, during which the pole of our unknown friend's chariot was in considerable jeopardy, we reached the door, and our names being announced, we were ushered into a large and handsome drawing-room, in which were assembled a numerous party. The Czar, the King of Prussia, the Cossack Hetman Platoff, Blucher, and other grandees, shortly made their appearance; and feeding time having arrived, the foreign lions soon did justice to their hosts. I pass over the dinner, which went off admirably. During the evening Hand myself were presented to the foreign potentates and distinguished officers, and answered the thousand questions put to us in a most satisfactory manner; the organ of inquisitiveness seems to be very strong in all regal and imperial heads, and never was it more manifest than upon the above occasion. A ball at Lady Castlereagh's wound up the entertainment, where my young comrade and myself would have shown forth as brilliant stars, had we not been placed in a state of occultation by constellations of the first magnitude; the Corona Borealis and Ursa Major, which we may translate, the northern crown and Russian bear, entirely reversing all astronomical principles, by rendering us sons of Mars dim and obscure. Upon the following day the Prince Regent and his august visitors were to leave London for Portsmouth, to attend the grand naval review, and H- being anxious to see his father, who was then staying in the neighbourhood of Southampton, and I, for reasons which will shortly be explained, being equally desirous to be near that ancient town, we availed ourselves of an offer made to us by a young guardsman to take the places of two of his brother officers, who were prevented leaving town by their military duty. After an agreeable journey we reached Portsmouth, where lodgings had been provided for our travelling friend. The rising sun," that gentleman of gentlemen, had arrived, escorted by a squadron of his Royal Highness's own pet regiment, the 10th, and detachments of cavalry had trotted in by the sides of the Royal and Imperial guests, guards of honour receiving the illustrious personages with due honours. Great then was our surprise, upon walking down High-street, to hear the shouts of the populace as they gathered round a plain travelling carriage which had just drawn up at the George, and which was unattended by any one, save a domestic on the roof; but our wonder speedily vanished when the occupier of it, enveloped in a military cloak, put his head out of the window, and addressing a serjeant of the old 95th who had saluted his chief, desired him to ask for the Duke of Wellington's quarters; at this honoured and glorious name the acclamations of all classes rent the skies. As the carriage drove up to the dock-yard, the multitude pressed, clung, and struggled round it. In the good language of Southey, "the people would not be debarred from gazing till the last moment upon the hero-the darling hero of England!" H- and myself came in for a friendly recognition from our late chief, and were not a little elated with the honour as we wended our way to the Battery. To return to the Duke's movements. Wellington had not allowed "the grass to grow under his feet," for from the day upon which the convention of Toulouse was agreed upon, he had been actively employed in diplomatic treaties; on the 21st of April he gave out the following "GENERAL ORDER. "1.-The Commander of the Forces has the pleasure to inform the army that he has agreed upon the following Convention for the suspension of hostilities between the allied armies under his command, and the French armies opposed to them, and hostilities are forthwith to be suspended accordingly. "2.-Upon congratulating the army upon this prospect of an honourable termination to their labours, the Commander of the Forces avails himself of the opportunity of returning the general officers, officers, and troops, his best thanks for their uniform discipline and gallantry in the field, and for their conciliating conduct towards the inhabitants of the country; which, almost in an equal degree with their discipline and gallantry in the field, have produced the fortunate circumstances that now hold forth to the world the prospect of genuine and perfect peace. "3.-The Commander of the Forces trusts that they will continue the same good conduct while it may be necessary to detain them in this country, and that they will leave it with a lasting reputation, not less creditable to their gallantry in the field than to their regularity and good conduct in quarters and in camp. "WELLINGTON." On the 3rd of May, Wellington received his well-earned dukedom, and upon the following day arrived at Paris; on the 24th he proceeded to Madrid, with a view "of prevailing upon all parties there to be more moderate, and to adopt a constitution more likely to be practicable, and to contribute to the peace and happiness of the nation." On the 10th of June Wellington again joined the army at Bordeaux, and upon quitting it for England took leave of his old comrades in arms in the following official document : 66 Adjutant-General's Office, 14th June, 1814. "The Commander of the Forces being upon the point of returning to England, takes this opportunity of congratulating the army upon the recent events, which have restored peace to their country and to the world. "The share which the British army has had in producing those events, and the high character with which the army will quit this country, must be equally satisfactory to every individual belonging to it, as they are to the Commander of the Forces. "The Commander of the Forces once more requests the army to accept his thanks. "Although circumstances may alter the relations in which he has stood towards them for years, so much to his satisfaction, he assures them he will never cease to feel the warmest interest in their welfare and honour, and that he will be at all times happy to be of any service to those to whose conduct, discipline, and gallantry their country is so much indebted." Shortly afterwards the British infantry embarked at Bordeaux for America and England, and the cavalry marched through France to Boulogne, where they were shipped off to Dover. As Napier writes, |