PETITION TO HER MAJESTY.

To the Queen's most excellent Majesty. The humble Petition of the Horses, Mares, and Geldings, congregated at the Curragh of Kildare. The Grey Mare in the chair.

Sheweth,

That your Petitioners, suffering long under heavy burdens, grievious privations, and the tyranny of cruel humanity, look to your Majesty alone for relief.

That having in their respective ranks, as draft-horses, roadsters, troopers, hunters, and racers, endeavoured in vain to obtain redress of grievances—some when oppressed by heavy burdens falling down on their bare knees to implore pity, but in vain; others seeking sympathy from hunters of quality, when worn out as old hacks in serving the great; some when taken in, attempting in vain to back out; and not a few like their two legged owners running off at full speed to try to please them, while a puff remained, or they could raise the wind, but in vain ; whilst more, with the spirit of our ancient sires, using the natural means they possess by biting, kicking, starting, and plunging, to dismount human despotism, and shake off their masters, but in vain-have no other resource but to petition your gracious Majesty, the Hippona of our race-our gentle and kind-hearted Victoria Philippa.

We acknowledge with gratitude that the practice here has been long discontinued of plowing from our tails; a practice originating, as our sires have made known to us, from a notion of long standing in Ireland, of the great powers in the joints of the tail in our holy isle but we complain that still in defiance of our natural rights, we are too frequently subjected to a harrowing course of treatment by our taskmasters. Though galled, curbed, and broken down, we are yet Priestridden in the south, Lord-and-Squire-driven in the north, and in all parts forced to work double tides. Even on that day assigned to rest for all our fellow creatures (except turnspits and waiters), we are made to carry double on our backs, or to drag after us lazy families, to what they call places of devotion; in violation, as we hear, of the divine law. The free horse is spurred; the jaded mare horse-whipped;—even the young colt is first broken, and then curried by way of kindness.

At this season more especially, when they who insolently assume the titles of lords of the creation, are like other lords, inclined to cushion our galling grievances by covering them with a pack-saddle, or at least putting off their redress to "the day after the fair;" when all casts and cast-offs, both lords, lordlings, squires, horse-jockies, and puppies of all qualities, with hounds (the superiors of the same genus) are actively

engaged in the old game of fox and geese-plowing up other mens' pastures with hoof husbandry, hunting foxes, which they pay to preserve, and, with hard riding, killing horses, which we humbly consider more useful subjects of your Majesty than themselves-we feel that not an hour should be lost in forwarding our humble petition to our sovereign. Correct then, mighty Queen, those abuses; restrain the tantalizing practice of muzzling before full-mangers; denying us green food in summer; clothing us in stable when dry and warm; and stripping off our cloths when out exposed to wet and cold; physicking us in health; starving us in the midst of plenty; killing us with pretended kindness when young; and neglecting and abusing us with unaffected cruelty when old. These wrongs claim your benign interference; to redress them we solicit your powerful aid; and petitioners as in duty bound will ever neigh.

To be presented by the Lady Maress, accompanied by the Master of the Horse.

LETTER FROM SEDGEFIELD DICK TO MR. JORROCKS.

MR. Jorrocks called at our office the other day and left the following letter, with a request that we would publish it forthwith, in the hope of procuring for his friend Dick one of the numerous situations for which he considers himself qualified. Without professing to keep a registeroffice for servants, we are always happy to assist any lover of the chase, more particularly when backed by so respectable a recommender as our friend in Great Coram Street. Our readers will doubtless recollect that a season or two back Mr. Jorrocks paid a visit to Sedgefield, and published a graphic description of the doings there, in the fifty-seventh number, page 163, of this Magazine: hence his acquaintance with Dick.

SUR,

MISTER JORROCKS, ESQUIRE.

I'm Dick-that's to say Dick of Sedgefield -some calls me sarcy Dick -others huntin Dick-but howsomever I'm Dick-Dick that used to do for your hunter wen you was here—not as some lasey, scoundrelly grums does, by givin him a bucket of water and a kick in the ribs-but Dick as used to dress him as he should be, curry-come, brush, whisp, come out his tail and main, and covver your saddel with a duster-but you ken me-Dick of the Hope-hopeful Dick as they used to call me—and I's sartin you'll be sorry to hear I'm in trouble. The Sedgefield gemmen ar'nt half such gemmen as they used to be—there's no one says to me “Dick, are you dry?"—or "Dick, there's a dram for you;"-but it's "Dick, you dog, you deserve to be d-d,” or “ Dick, you roag, I'll yark

66

66

"Will

Up I

Then all

you into fits." T'other night I goes to the Upper Hardwicke Arms, as we calls the Club house, with my car and old grey Cross-beck, as jenteel as a Lord Mare, to bring down the drunken Bucks after dinner, and having got them all in, both the drunken and half-and-half ones, I just looks round, havin heard nothin said about nothin, and said to them, gemmen, I'm Dick!" "Dick be d-d!" cried they, "what do we know about Dick ?-drive on, or we'll pitch you into the Lake." you?" said I; "it'll take a better man than ever I've got in the car to do that;" so I just pulled short up, under the tree, by the turn before the door, and said if they didn't know what it was to be driv by a man that was as fond of huntin as any of them, I'd take out old Cross-beck and leave them by the Lake. So I lowses the belly-band, intendin to unyoke, when out jumped a customer, in a blue M'Intosh, and hit me a wop over the eye, and the night being dark I fell on my back. got and fought a round or two, but the night was frosty, and my foot slipped, and I went down again with my man a-top of me. the fine Upper Hardwicke Arms fellows came rushin out-one fine chap with a pipe in his mouth, another fine fellow with a glass in his cockeye, another fine fellow with a lantern in his hand, and they were followed by all the flunkies, Mr. Packer among the number, and Mr. Roads, and Mr. Oliver the butler, and Mr. Rowland the futman, and they were followed by all the lazy grums, and helpers,—that's to say chaps that helps the grums to do nothin,-and then came the maids, or the gals as they call maids, because they bant married, and fat Mrs. Sparks the cook, the big-headed nife boy, and old John Dove's black and wite dog-all for to see Dick-Devil Dick as some call me. "Pitch him into the Lake! Duck him! Hide him! Baste him!" and when they were considering what would be best for me, some of the flunkies, Mr. Packer for one, seised me by the arms and legs and held me, while the fine Upper Hardwicke Arms swells driv off with the car-but as they went I expressly swore I'd pay 'em off preciously whenever I catched them. Well, the time soon came.

Cummin back from Stockton one afternoon-it might be any day but a Sunday, for the hounds don't hunt on Sundays-when I had driv postboy with old Crossbeck and Clarke's brown mare, tacked to a green rattle-trap, full of live lumber, and got sixpence over for drivin well, as I always does, just as I reached the hill above Thorp-bridge, what shud I see but a fox stealin along the meadows by the side of the beck, with his tongue out, and seeminly rather in a hurry-" Dick's alive!" cried I, -for I'm special fond of huntin, and once walked 30 miles to meet the Hambledon hounds,-so pullin short up, I cocked my lug, and presently came three of Lambton's dogs towlin along, with their heads reglarly buried in the scent, for it was a misty day and lay like oatmeal-I

66

cocked my lug again, and farther to the west I heard the whole pack towlin along in full cry, with Mister Bob Hunnum holloain "get forrid hounds, get forrid!" just in his usual screech. It bein a misty day, as I said, and evenin comin on, I thought the least I could do for ard Ralph, was to keep with the leadin hounds; so givin old Crossbeck to a forineerin organ-grinder, as was travellin a-foot, to take to Sedgefield, I put Clarke's mare at the fence and was soon cappin the hounds forrid on the line I'd seen the fox go. Presently up rode Mr. Bob Hunnum with the pack, followed by all the Upper Hardwicke Arms swells, and the Sedgefield swells, and the Sunderland swells, and the Durham swells, and the Tees-water swells, all thinkin themselves uncommon fine fellows, and as soon as ever they seed me they began roarin "d-m ye, Dick, stand still!"" bl-t ye, Dick, what are you after?" "hold hard, Dick, or I'll kill ye!" just as if I wasn't as much of a Christin as any of them, and quite as fond of huntin. So seeing it was all a trick to cut afore me in the run, I crackt my whip over my head, rammed the spurs into the ard mare, and crammed over the fence into the next field. Blob, came one of the fine Upper Hardwicke Arms swells,—the one that driv away with the car-after me right into my very footsteps, hollowing "d-n ye, Dick, get out of my way!" Catch me who can," cried I, and thereupon we raced over the field. I got to the fence first, but the ard mare swerved, and the Upper Hardwicke Arms swell jumped on; I pulled the mare round in a crack, and afore he took off, I made a charge in his rear and sent him horse and all flyin neck over croup into the next field. He didn't dodge none, so I jumped clean over both; his horse got up first and came tearin past me in a crack, while the floored swell came runnin over the field, first beggin and then dammin me for not stoppin the nag. The hounds then turned short to the left, over another grass field, and crossed the beck. It was deep, and the banks both soft and wide, but Dick never flinched in his life, so I gathered the ard mare together, gave her both whip and spur, and shoved her at it, but the newly thrown up mud and sedges on the takin-off side made her leap clumsey, and down we soused over head in the middle. Just as I got my head above water again, one of the fine Cumberland cocks that comes to hunt with ard Ralph, came stridin over me on a ginger-tailed chesnut, and instead of helpin a brother sportsman out, cried, 66 D-n ye, Dick, that's what I call Poetical Justice!" We rolled about for a long time, at last I scrambled out with a cart load of water-cress at my back, and went and borrowed some ropes and a horse of old Tommy Giles to pull the ard mare out again, and when I got back to Sedgefield, instead of gettin a glass of hot stoppin, Mr. Smith—that used to keep the Hope when you was here, but who now keeps the Lower Hardwicke Arms-gave me my discharge from stoppin with him any longer, because

as how he said, the Upper Hardwicke Arms swells would not stand bein rid over by a Lower Hardwicke Arms post-boy.

Now, Mr. Jorrocks, I tak the liberty of writin all this account to you, knowin that you are what they call a benevolint man, in hopes that you'll remember Dick that used to look after your horse so well, and take me into your sarvice, either as grum, or walley de sham, or butler, or game-keeper, or futman, or coachman, or huntsman, or whipper-in, or any thing you like, or all together, so long as you do but take me; for I always tell the nasty idle grums and sarvants that come to Sedgefield, that you are the very best gemman Esquire that ever was among us; so pray do somethin for Dick, who's uncommon fond of huntin.

Since Smith and I fell out, I've hunted a foot with an ash plant in my hand, and some uncommon fine runs there have been,-though there hasn't been many swells here to see them. The Cumberland Cocks, they reckon very good men in the saddel room, but for real extravagant leapin one of the new Upper Hardwicke Arms swells, bangs them all. T'other day in a very hard skurry, from Brockey-moor, down to Seaton, and up to Stranton, he cleared a fence on a bank with a big braying jack-ass a-top, and a wide ditch on the far side. There's been a chap here they call Viator, and another they call Dun-elm, who have been writin about the hounds, and they want very much to know who they are; but they have had much finer runs than any they tell about. One day at Whin-houses, a swell came all the way out of Cleveland, and they soon found a fox at Murton-whin, who lead them a bonny dance for forty minutes, best pace-by jingo, "elbows and legs," as Dickey Wood, who rid his roarin black, said; but at the third fence the swell got floored, lost his nag, and after a very long run of three hours and a half, in top boots, upon foot, returned to Sedgefield without his horse, or hearin any thing about him. But some of the runs have been uncommon fine, but it's bad for the heart to think that one has not a dinner to go to after the day's done.

All the lazy grums and helpers, agree that Sedgefield is not what it used to be, and I believe the butlers and walley de shams think so too. The swells neither get mortal themselves, or give away drink as they did, and the Upper Hardwicke Arms ghost has never been heard of during the meeting. There was a time when a man's grandmother was hardly safe in the place. But indeed, Mr. Jorrocks, sur, Sedgefield is not a place for a cristian, and one that has learned the Church Katekism to live in, and I do hope you'll take me into your srvice, if its only to keep a respectable young man that's fond of huntin out of mischief and bad company. Old fat Mark, the ostler, still goes on with Smith, at the Lower Hardwicke Arms. Mr. Winter is quite well, so is Mr. Hunnum, and Mr. Tom, and Mr. Robert, and Mr. Fenwick Hunnum, and ard