"HAVE A CARE FOR THE VIXEN!"

ENGRAVED BY J. SCOTT, FROM A PAINTING BY R. B. DAVIS.

The strength of natural affection is proverbially great, even in the most perilous trials of time and place. Pius Eneas, with some hazard in the handicap, ran away with his own father; his brother Paris, at almost equally heavy a risk, went off with his friend's wife; "The Noble Marquis," as they style him in the print-shops, jumped into a high sea after his boating-cap; and his Bavarian Majesty dived almost as deep into hot water, by his Donna Lola's directions. In beasts, morever, the passion is as true as in men: dogs have travelled hundreds of miles, by land or by water, for the smiles of masters; cats ditto, ditto, for the small voices of kittens: and here we have that excellent mother, the vixen, braving the beard of a whipper-in and the cry of a whole army of hounds, to rescue the poor, small, petted cub of the litter. It is an act, though, that a sportsman knows well how to appreciate; and so behold our whip secundus, all hands, heels, and holloas, making great sail to "get round 'em," and "have a care for the vixen !

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The fate of the lady mother, in most walks of life, is generally a cruel one to watch, to feed, to nurse, to save the rising generation, while the brute of a husband" contents himself with the sure-to-beadmitted assertion that 'all such matters are no business of his." Look at this picture, for instance: here, on one fine morning in April, the United General Subscription Pack are thrown quite unexpectedly into Kempton Gorse-" quite unawares," we say, for, not profiting by poor Power's friend of Bally-Botherem, our happy family of foxes have not looked into the County Herald of late, to learn where the hounds meet. "Hoik in, there! hoik in!" orders our commander-in-chief, and the enemy are straightway searching every hole and corner of the cover for plunder. "Have at him, old Mountebank!" and the young ones crowd on to get a share of the cheer and the find. "Have at him again, there!" and there's a challenge and a bustling that seems very like "gospel." And all this while Mr. and Mrs. Reynard and family are enjoying a lounge al-fresco at the south-eastern side of the cover, the venerable parent curling his whiskers and putting himself in form, after "a night" of it. "Hist! hark! what noise can that be, my dear? Hist! The hounds, by Jupiter! Good bye, my dearest wife; good bye. Take care of the dear children; I leave them to you and meet me to-night, if you can, at Brandon House Wood."

And so away rattles Mr. Fox out of the cover in an instant, and, striding along, to the mortal fright of a bird-boy-who is the only human being who has had the fortune to see him-Mrs. F. and family, of course, becoming the objects of interest. Have at him again, and

again! The peal becomes general, and Bill bustles away on the brown horse to get a view at the other end of the gorse. Steady, steady! and now for it; here he must come, for they are close upon him. Now, then-No; hold hard! "Get away, get away! get back with you! and crack crack goes his whip in the very teeth of the eager throng of hounds. It is not a he, but a she, and cub, after all; and Bill obeys but the impulse of his own heart as he stays the run, and has a care for the vixen.

Humanity like this is sure to have its reward, sooner or later, and here it becomes payable at sight. The small boy on the t'other and better side of the cover finds his wits and his voice again, just in the nick of time, and is hullabalooing away like mad. The disappointed pack are harked on to his halloo in a moment. Old Mountebank confirms the fact once more, and at him they go, heads up and sterns down, in the bright glory of an April day

And a fine scurry, old gentleman, they'll have, too, for Brandon House, if ever you get there at all.

TESTIMONIAL TO R. M. JAQUES, ESQ.

On Thursday evening last the friends of R. M. Jaques, Esq., of Easby-abbey, near Richmond, dined together at the Black Swan Inn, York, on the occasion of the presentation of a splendid candelabra to that gentleman, for the great exertions he had rendered in the promotion of the restoration of York races. The Lord Mayor occupied the chair, and W. North, Esq., was in the vice-chair. There were also present several gentlemen residing in the neighbourhood, who take an interest in the prosperity of York races, as well as many of the principal merchants and tradesmen of the city. The testimonial consists of a silver candelabrum, which comprises a large centre piece, with a tripod foot with three large shields of elaborate workmanship. The principal consists of rich chased fluting, entwined with acanthus leaves, from which rise three branches to hold two candles each, with a higher branch with three candles, and a centre with one, making altogether ten candles. Its weight is upwards of 250 ounces, at a cost of £150. On one shield is the inscription :-" Presented to R. M. Jaques, Esq., by the Citizens of York and the gentlemen of the neighbourhood, as a mark of respect for his invaluable services in support of York races. Feb., 1847." On the second shield are the arms, crest, and motto of Mr. Jaques; and on the third, the arms of the city of York, with the name of George Hudson, Esq., M.P., Lord Mayor, 1847.

We quote the above from a local paper. By some of the wits this is termed "the testimonial age,' but if ever a man yet really deserved a compliment of the kind it is Mr. Jacques. As a private friend and a public man, a sportsman, a country gentleman-aye! and as an active man of business-he has fully earned his reward.

METROPOLITAN HORSES.

BY HARRY HIEOVER.

The "march" of intellect has for some time been a favourite word in every mouth; and, if we are to believe those whose lucky stars have cast such person's nativity since the age of precocity and improvement began, this said march does not progress to the measure of the old but once-famed one called, par excellence, the Duke of York's, but rattles us along at regular jig-time. It is true, this double-quick sometimes brings us into a dilemma that our good ancestors would have avoided, but still it saves a wonderful deal of abstruse consideration; and supposing the want of this consideration and calculation leads to a demonstration that does not redound greatly to our credit, the march of intellect must not be checked, for, like a ticklishcollared horse, if we do not gallop up the hill of improvement, intellect will not work at all, and we shall get back to the old John-trot system of not attempting things until we were pretty sure of succeeding, and then but little would be done; but now, by trying various things, among the many failures we are sure to hit upon something that will succeed; and there is nothing like experience to set one right. How should we have known how the far-famed statue at Hyde-park Corner does look, if we had not placed it there by way of experiment? What would have become of the fun of bringing it to its supposed destination, if all the pros and cons had been conned over as they formerly would have been? What would have become of the fun for the populace of seeing it got up, or what would become of all the anticipated fun of the little boys on seeing it got down again? What is the use of all the present hesitation, observation, and dissertation as to how it will look in other situations? It could not be told how it would look in its present one, though doubtless many wise heads had given opinions on the thing: how, then, can they trust to anything but sundry trials to ascertain where it will show to most advantage? Get bright Phoebus down again, I say; let it begin its march "to and fro, and round about the city." Why not try the top of the pagoda at the Chinese Exhibition? It might be said, the tout ensemble would not be in character. What matters? it would look very funny, at all events. It looks funny where it is, and by no means pleased either: now, on the pagoda, it might smile at its situation, and, certes, all the liege subjects would smile also, and they have not had much occasion to do that lately. Why, posterity would venerate the statue as the one that made all the people smile during the scarcity of potatoes; and to ensure veneration for anything is not so easy as may be supposed-it does not follow as a matter of course. It may be said it was difficult to get so monstrous a thing up, and would be so to get it down. In the first place, it had not been used

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to it--perhaps it will in time. But they did not hit on the right plan. Why not make a monster-balloon, that would pop him up and down in ten places in a day? and all the different regimental bands might attend, playing

"Here we go up, up, up;

And here we go down, a-downey!"

In taking up my pen, I certainly had no idea of saying one word about this said statue; but my anxiety to offer some hint to facilitate the finding it a final resting-place led me into the digression; and truly, among metropolitan horses, no one has ever attracted so much attention. This being the case, he is not, at all events, more out of place here than he is where they have placed him. Having given my hint as to a new power to assist his future flittings, I here take my leave of him; and, returning to the consideration of animated metropolitan horses-a species of animal some say the monster was never intended to represent-I place myself in statu quo.

Any person who has looked at old pictures or prints, or who has heard his father speak of many sorts of horses that were used in this metropolis (say) eighty years since, must be struck by the difference between them and those now in use; and in no class o fhorse is this difference more manifest than in the

CARRIAGE-HORSE.

If I had written on this subject at the period I have mentioned, I should have used the term coach instead of carriage-horse; but that has become a term almost obsolete, and as little now in use as the animal himself. Whether the carriage-horse of these days is (as an animal) the more or less noble one, is, I conceive, a matter dependent on the taste of the times. So is his being more or less useful dependent on the purpose to which he is applied; for, though we may very much alter the breed and form of the same kind of animal, we must not, as a matter of course, jump to the conclusion that we have improved him; but if, without having improved him as an animal, we have so altered him as to make him more fitted for our present purpose, it certainly shows that the alteration has been a judicious one. I do not consider it by any means certain that the chargers now ridden by cavalry officers are more noble or more handsome animals than those we see represented with coats of mail, carrying the knights of old; doubtless they were as particular in the selection of their war-horses as any officer of a light or heavy brigade of the present day; and it is equally fair to give the ancestors of our present nobility credit for having been quite as emulous of having fine animals attached to their vehicles, be they what they might, as our nobility of 1847. In fact, I think it by no means improbable that if we could find a man who had never seen a carriage-and-four in his life, though he might be a man of good taste in most things, and a man of education to boot-if we were to show him one of our statecarriages going to a levée or drawing-room, and then show him the state-carriage of 1600, he might think the gilded coach, with its heavy horses and their harness, made the most imposing appearance of the two. It is the present taste to attach the idea of elegance to light

ness; but, after all is said and done, we must allow that a nobleman going to court in a coach with plate-glass where is now black japan, with highly and elaborately-painted panels, gilded body and carriage, and red morocco braces, looked like somebody, and of rather more consequence than if he went in the description of carriage that many go in now-a-days. I saw one going to a drawing-room lately in a brougham, and could not but smile at seeing his lordship's equipage stopped by the rival brougham of-whom? Why, of the good man who supplies me with butter, eggs, and bacon. They were not both going to the same place, it is true; but had I not recognized both the noble and the man of lard, I might have supposed they were. This is a very convenient system, no doubt; but it would not have happened formerly. Fancy my unctuous friend in a gilded coach! So the coach-horse of former days was only fit for the coach, looked astray without his partner, and was not fit to ride when not wanted for his legitimate purpose; but the sharp trotter does for the brougham and Rotten-row too, so Mr. and Mrs. Lard both get a turn out of him, and jostle their customers in the park. So lard, lord, and lady go lovingly side by side, with this only difference, in the opinion of the first gentleman in his estimation of himself—that my lord eats butter, and he sells it; and as they both eat it, he brings his estimation of their importance into the very minutest difference possible.

The great alteration in the form and breeding of the carriage-horse has partly arisen from the alteration of the vehicle he draws, but still more from the improvement in the paving of the streets and the state of the roads round the metropolis. The heavy, old-fashioned machine that was built to suit the pavement over which the royal Hal and his fat friend were jolted to Eastcheap, became no longer necessary when, if a hole was found in a street, the paviours were set instantly to work; and when the two miles and a-half from St. Paul's to Hyde-park Corner, barring stoppages, became a work of fifteen minutes, instead of a long mortal hour, the heavy old coach-horse found the pace so unpleasant-indeed, impossible to him-that it be came necessary to infuse some quicker-flowing blood into his veins; yet perhaps this necessary change, though it improved speed, would have made the more high-bred animal refuse to fetch a heavy load out of a slough or hole that let the vehicle in axle-deep. Each was fitted for a different purpose, and each had its distinct merit.

The only pair of horses I see about London that can convey any idea of the form of the ancient coach-horse are a pair driven by the Earl of Harrington. These, in a modified form, are something bor dering on the stamp formerly used, and their harness, I should say, precisely the pattern of 1700. What a preposterous, heavy incum brance to a horse we should now think such! and so it would be; but a light phaeton-trace would cut a poor figure getting a ton weight out of a hole; so the sort of harness, as well as the sort of horse, bears its relative merit coeval with the destined purpose; therefore, it very frequently happens that, in designating a thing as ridiculous, whatever of just ridicule there may be in the case ought in justice to be attached to the observation, not the subject of it.

Doubtless the old coach-horse was little better bred than the light