THE SPORTING LOOKER-ON AND REFLECTOR.— Continued. WILL gullibility never cease?--The Morning Advertiser within the last week inserted the following remote advertisement; not, perhaps, itself misled; but certainly tending to mislead aged readers, who frequent glasses of old ale, at the homes of Licensed Victuallers. Many a retired gentleman, on Stamp Office half-pay, will toddle after a walking stick to see this wonderful pedestrian performance. But, first, it is proper I should give the landlord-puff-an extremely strong case of Sheffield-ware sincerity. HARRIS THE PEDESTRIAN.-When this young man commenced his task of walking 1,500 miles in 1,000 successive hours, which he did on the 29th of April, we shared in the general belief that it would be a failure. After a lapse of several days our reporter found him at work, when he had accomplished upwards of 400 miles. He exhibited such signs of vigour then as made us doubt if he had performed so much of his task-the result, however, of our inquiries satisfied us that he had. Our reporter has visited the ground again, and finds that up to yesterday at two o'clock he had performed 907 miles. The opinion of all who have seen him, and who have had the means of ascertaining, that he has really performed this already herculean exploit (and they are many), is that he can accomplish this great undertaking; indeed several respectable persons, residents in the neighbourhood, have taken it in turns to sit up during the night, to see that he starts at his proper time, and that he walks over the ground, to secure which, Harris is made to carry in his hand a small lantern. There is in this last arrangement such an evident desire to secure fair play for ull, that, coupled with all we have observed, and the offer of Mr. Parsons, the landlord of the Stag Tavern, in the Fulham-road, on whose grounds Harris is walking, to make oath that hitherto both time and distance have been kept by Harris, we have no hesitation in declaring this to be one of the most interesting matches ever attempted. "this Sheridan should really have read this enormous puff, before he wrote "the Critic;" for I know not when I have seen such circumstantial stuff to make out a case. "This young man" opens well; the pedestrian would seem to have youth on his side, a great charm; but if any of our readers have ever seen young man," they will smile at the florid description of a ricketty, thin, aged mechanic, who could have no more chance of doing even a week of the Barclaymatch, than we should have of swarming the monument on Fish-street Hill after a crow's nest, or jumping clean over one of the iron steamers, without a fair run up the Thames for a start!-Now, Liston, Sir Astley Cooper, or his nephew Bransby, or Key, or Calloway, would give their heads to anatomise an extraordinary subject; so I, an eminent surgeon at paragraphs, am eager to open this monster of a puff, and shew the curiosity of its formation. I am vexed about the Licensed Victuallers, because they have a sort of congregated pewterpot heap of belief; all signs of their times; but I really must give up "Goats' Heads," "Seven Stars," and "Stag Taverns," out of pure love to pure anatomy! The construction of this paragraph is wonderful! George Robins, who paints estates, ought to secure this eminent Artist at any price. There is something common place in putting the declaration in the form of the Editor's confident announcement; but oh! how sweetly the statement branches out into the beautiful persuasions of truth! Can any one doubt that this young man, old Harris, walks perpetually; when" several respectable persons resident in the neighbourhood have taken it in turns to sit up during the night?" This is, what we call, being watched. No one would suppose that Mr. Alderson, who has to be at the Bank at nine in the morning, would take his night at "the Stag on the Fulham-road," to watch this indefatigable youth, old Harris, if he had not the inward support (put aside the Stag comforts) of satisfying the public mind, through the Morning Advertiser! Then, too, it should be remembered, that he takes his turn, with his fellowparishioners! Further, however, to secure this going over the ground at night, and this is as good as freehold security, old Harris, the young gentleman, is said to carry "a little lanthorn," which, of course, does not in the leastdeviate from all little lanthorns on record; for it throws no light upon the subject! The performances of this Mr. Harris, very much remind me of the professional Trance-ist, in the Spectator; except that the feat was reversed as to the points of time; the lady advertized to sleep at the Cock and Bottle for three weeks, and of course, slept by day during the expedition; the Young Gentleman (Harris) does his expedition by day, and perchance sleeps by night. It is said, that, it is necessary to ride him with pins and needles, by the landlord, to keep his pace; but this wants confirmation! But, come I to dear Mr. Parsons, "the landlord," who, blending the Bishop with the Boniface,-comes to confirm ! If any reader of this my journal, should, after the proffered voluntary oath of Mr. Parsons, be sceptical, I should rather he would not further be a reader of mine! because Mr. Parsons's oath comes at the conclusion of the paragraph, like the point at the end of an epigram,-with incalculable effect! Mr. Parsons, the landlord of the "Stag Tavern, in the Fulham Road," on whose grounds Harris is walking, "offers his oath," and the Morning Advertiser, is satisfied! Truth, therefore, is licensed to sell small measures of lies,-" to be drunk on the premises." I do not like to disturb the serenity of this puffing paragraph. I shall keep it, as children, in the winter months, keep crumbs of bread to serve as food for the robins." 66 The prophecy of Vates was extremely near being true, but a prophecy, that fails, is like the next number to that of a prize in the lottery, a dead failure! Vates, however, ought to have been right; for the mare was the better horse. I, who look on,-unimpassioned,at these sporting occurrences, see but the madness of hope, the nonsense of confidence, and the folly in men! I see that a writer in the New Sporting Magazine guessed really at a likely winner in an outsider! and yet is not "puffed up!" In the No. for March last Bloomsbury, out of six, is declared to be one of the most likely ones! Vates appears to be a middle aged gentleman,-not much accustomed to rhyme,—who has the good common sense to look at men,—not forgetting the public performances of horses,-and he, like Mrs. Brulgrudery, foretells, from foregone conclusions, a thing "after it has happened!" I think Bloomsbury one of the plainest looking animals,—and Deception one of the finest, "that ever my two eyes did see!" THE EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY. THE sporting subjects in this exhibition are not so numerous as we have seen on former occasions, but some of them are treated with great spirit and fidelity. When we say that Landseer and Cooper have been liberal in their contributions, there can be no doubt but that the lovers of the Horse and Dog,-not to mention animals of a fiercer nature, will be amply gratified. We will, with perhaps an irresistible exception, confine ourselves to pictures having claims, from their subjects, upon our pages. No. 69. Princess Mary of Cambridge, and a favourite Newfoundland Dog, the property of Prince George of Cambridge.-E. Landseer, R. A. This, as far as the dog is concerned, is a charming picture. And, but that the child is dressed too much up to the Princess, there could be no objection to the picture as a whole. The Newfoundland, in a sitting posture, is as high as the little girl: and he holds, with that wise look, which dogs only possess,- —a bit of biscuit on his nose, waiting for the command to snap at it. The arrangement has been well conceived, but, as Sir Giles Overreach, says, "the offence is rank!" 3 G NO. XCVIII.-VOL. XVI. No. 110. Comus, one of Her Majesty's favourite Riding Horses. -A. Cooper, R. A. We should be surprised, indeed, if this were not a favourite! He is a finely bred, well shaped, light dun; carefully painted, and all the back ground well toned in. No. 130. Roxton; a hunter, the property of the Earl Grosvenor.A. Cooper, R. A. An admirable picture of one of the good old brown sort; shewing the best of blood. So blood-like indeed, is he, that he has all the marks and character of one of the best brood mares from Prunella! No. 235. Portrait of Miss Eliza Peel, with Fido.-E. Landseer, R.A. A sweet little yellow-haired lassie, standing on the marble edge of a bath, with her favourite spaniel in her arms, prepared for immersion. This picture has the formality of high life about it, but is admirably conceived, and beautifully coloured! Our friend Cooper has a capital picture of Lady Flower's two Scotch terriers, "Crab and Pickle." They ought to be allowed to remain in the National Gallery, to insure the building against rats. No. 289. Favourite Pony and Dogs, the property of C. W. Packe, Esq. M.P.-E. Landseer, R.A. This is exquisite as a painting. The shifting gloss on the dappled mealy hide of the pony, seems rather to have been produced by a groom, than a painter. It is perfect to a hair! The touch, the mere point of light in the eye, shews what the human hand can achieve. The dogs are well painted formalities. No. 293. Robin Hood -D. Maclise, A. This, though a straggling rambling picture, as perhaps it ought to be, is rich as Croesus, in invention, in character, wealth of colour, and boldness of grouping! Had the picture been cut into three pieces, there would have been two admirable pictures at least! but it is the generous ambitious fault of genius, to think it cannot grasp too much! The following is the description of the painting, as given in the catalogue : “Robin Hood and his merry men entertain Richard Cœur de Lion in Sherwood forest. Robin is represented according to the old ballad,"Yclad in Scarlett Redd, His men in Lyncolne Grene," drinking a "Health unto the Kynge," whom as yet he does not know— "The Kynge himself drank to the Kynge, And round about it went." On the left is Little John, who was seven foot high, bringing in two pryme fallowe bucke;" Will Scarlett is next to him, and Fryar Tuck. The minstrel Allan-a-Dale accompanies him, while George-a-Greene, Much, the miller's son, and others of the "merrye men," are reclining around. Maid Marian sits in her bower close to the trysting tree. Behind the King are two of his Eastern attendants, as he is new from the Holy War." In the forest, under the shade, but not of melancholy boughs, the festivity is 'rife.' Richard Coeur de Lion, with his white teeth exposed under his swarthy smile, is receiving, in a silver cup, claret, poured out by one with a countenance marked by its swarthier skin and whiter teeth! Robin Hood is standing up in all the bravery of manliness, and the devil-may-care look of outlawry! Maid Marian is not the Maid Marian which Poetry hath made her, and, perhaps, rightly so;-she is a fair-haired sun-burnt country wench ;-handsome, rural, and gaudy, with an air of beauty about her, that makes her Maid Marian! The Bacchanal profusion of figures,—the short stunted trodden wood grass, the enormous trunks of oak, stretching their arms like silvan protectors, over the group,—are grandly effective! Indeed, this is a great picture in performance, but it is a greuter in promise! In the left hand corner, from its close approximation to Mr. Packe's pony, by Landseer, Mr. Maclise would appear to be placed at a post of danger; for there is a brawny fellow, bearing a dead deer on his shoulders, with a hound licking the drops of blood from its nose,-which might have been hurt by its great neighbourhood. Nothing, however, can be finer than the painting of this dead deer; and Maclise might, if he had not higher games to fly at, make Mr. Landseer tremble on his throne. No. 351, Van Amburgh and his Animals.—Landseer. A theatrical picture, of theatrical animals (admirably painted though), under the subjection of a theatrical man;-for we grieve to say,- —a bad theatrical taste! No. 445, The Melton Hunt-F. Grant. A very full attendance of Portraits! -Here, want of room compels us to stop for the present:--we probably may return to the subject. VARIETIES. HINTS ON HORSEMANSHIP, to a Nephew and Niece, or common sense and common errors in common riding, by an Officer of the Household Brigade of Cavalry. Moxon. These brief hints, from an Officer (Colonel Greenwood, second Life Guards) accustomed to observe, and to think upon what he observes, and passing a considerable part of his life in the saddle, will not be without their usefulness in the present day; because gentlemen now perforce must ride, if they wish for the society of the other sex. Her Majesty having set the fashion of equestrian exercise for ladies; it is a matter of course, that side saddles and beaver hats are the common necessaries of life, to those adventurous ladies, who would be in the mode; and |