Jorrocks' Jaunts and Jollities

ounds they individually hunt with are the b

introduce to our readers as a substantial grocer in St. Botolph's Lane, with an elegant residence in Great Coram Street, Russell Square-has his full, if not rather mor

, speaking to strangers, always

we may introduce as a loosish sort of hand, up to anything in the way of a lark, but rather

or style of turn-out; and in truth, looking at it calmly and dispassionately, in our easy-chair drawn to a window which overlooks the cream of the grazing grounds in the Vale of White Horse, it does strike us with astonishment, that such a thing as a fox should be found within a day's ride of the suburbs. The very idea seems pre

f the Hippodrome, near Bayswater-a

capacious, long, full-tailed, red frock coat reaching nearly to his spurs, with mother-of-pearl buttons, with sporting devices-which afterwards proved to be foxes, done in black-brown shag breeches, that would have been spurned by the late worthy master of the Hurworth,7 and boots, that looked for all the world as if they were made to tear up the very land and soil, tied round the knees with pieces of white tape, the flowing ends of which dangled over the mahogany-coloured tops. Mr. Jorrocks-whose dark collar, green to his coat, and tout ensemble, might have caused him to be mistaken for a mounted general postman-was on a most becoming steed-a great raking, raw-boned chestnut, with a twisted sn

d "Matty Wilkinson," master of the Hurworth foxhounds, was

's on fire and eager for the chase! By heavens, I declare I've dreamt of nothing else all night, and the worst of it is, that in a par-ox-ism of delight, when I thought I saw the darlings running into the warmint, I brought Mrs. J-- such a dig in the side as knocked

ed from their view, and presently an urchin in a drab coat and blue collar came towing a wretched, ewe-necked, hungry-looking, roan rosi

l enough, where I'll put you on a most undeniable bit of 'orse-flesh-a reg'lar clipper. That's a hack-what they calls three-and-sixpence a side, but I only pays ha

om a neighbouring gin-palace on seeing the dainty viands rolling in the street. "Cut away!" cried Jorrocks to his friend, running his horse between one of George Stapleton's dust-carts and a hackney-coach, "or the Philistines will be upon us." The fog and crowd concealed them, but "Holloa! mind where you're going, you great haw-buck!" from a buy-a-hearth-stone boy, whose stock-in-trade Jorrocks nearly demolished, as he crossed the corner of Catherine Street before him, again roused his vigilance. "The deuce be in the fog," said he, "I declare I can't see across the Strand. It's as dark as a wolf's mouth.-Now where are you going to with that meazly-looking cab of yours?-you've nearly run your shafts into my 'oss's ribs!" cried he to a cabman who nearly upset him. The Strand was kept alive by a few slip-shod housemaids, on their marrow-bones, washing the doorsteps, or ogling the neighbouring pot-boy on his morning errand for the pewters. Now and then a crazy jarvey passed slowly by, while a hurrying mail, with a drowsy driver and sleeping

for you! Vot a beauty! Vere do you turn out to-day? Vere's the stag? Don't tumble off, old boy! 'Ave you got ever a rope in your pocket? Take Bell's Life in London, vot contains all

a shocking bad hat!"-a sla

'oss," said he to the Yorkshireman, "while I run into the 'Angel,' and borrow an argand burner, or we shall be endorsed9 to a dead certainty." Off he got, and ran to the inn. Presently he emerged from the yard-followed by horse-keepers, coach-washers, porters, cads, waiters and others, amid loud cri

City-for having a pol

denseness even on the "Surrey side," and before they reached the "Elephant and Castle," Jorrocks had run against two trucks, three watercress women, one pies-all-ot!-all-ot! man, dispersed a whole covey of Welsh milkmaids, and rode slap over one end of a buy 'at (hat) box

s fog to extend beyond Kennington Common-'twill ewaporate, you'll see, as we approach the open. Indeed, if I mistake not, I begin to sniff the morning air already, and hark! there's a lark a-carrolling before us!" "Now, spooney! wh

, 'ow beautiful the moon is," said the latter, after the usual salutations. "Moon!" said Mr. Jorrocks, "that's not never no moon-I reckon it's Mrs. Graham's balloon." "Come, that's a good 'un," said Crane, "perha

eeded they overtook a gentleman perusing a long bill of the meets for the next week, of at least half a dozen packs, the top of the list being decorated with a cut of a stag-hunt, and the bottom containing a notification that hunters were "carefully attended to by Charles Morton,10 at the 'Derby Arms,' Croydon," a snug rural auberge near

e "Surrey staggers," Charley brushed off to the west, to valet the gentlemen's hunters that

d hack, with one eye, a rat-tail, and a head as large as a fiddle-case.-"Who's for the blue mottles?" said he, casting a glance at their respective coats, and at length fixing it on the Yorkshireman. "Why, Dickens, you're not going thistle-whipping with that nice 'orse of yours," said the gentleman in the velvets; "come and see the stag turned out-sure of a gallop-no hedges-soft country-plenty of publics-far better sport, man, than pottering about looking for your foxes and hares, and wasting your time; take my advice, and come with me." "But," says Dickens, "my 'orse won't stand it; I had him in the shay till eleven last night, and he came forty-three mile with our traveller the day before, else he's a 'good 'un to go,' as you know. Do you remember the owdacious leap he took over the tinker's tent, at Epping 'Unt, last Easter? How he aston

with red coats, green coats, blue coats, black coats, brown coats, in short, coats of all the colours of the rainbow. Horsemen were mounting, horsemen were dismounting, one-horse "shays" and two-horse chaises were dis

or the "venison"; and having mounted his "deer-stalker," was speedily joined by divers perfect "swells," in beautiful leathers, beautiful coats, beautif

ve shown him some good nags.-What sort of a devil's this?" "Oh, sir, he's a good 'un, and nothing but a good 'un!-Leap! Lord love ye, he'll leap anything. A railway cut, a windmill with the sails going, a navigable river with ships-anything in short. This is the 'orse wot took the line of houses down at Beddington the day they had the tremendious run from Reigate Hill." "And wot's the grey in the far stall?" "Oh, that's Mr. Pepper's old nag-Pepper-Caster as we call him, since he threw the old gemman, the morning they met at the 'Leg-of-Mutton' at Ashtead. But he's good for nothing. Bless ye! his tail shakes for all the world like a pepper-box afore he's gone half a mile. Those be yours in the far stalls, and since they were turned round I've won a bob of a gemman who I bet I'd show him two 'osses with their heads vere their tails should be.11 I always says," ad

te joke among grooms when a hor

las of all sorts, shapes, and sizes, which extend for several miles along the road, exhibiting all sorts of architecture, Gothic, Corinthian, Doric, Ionic, Dutch, and Chinese. These gradually diminished in number, and at length they found themselves on an open heath, within a few miles of the meet

ll of importance, and nearly rode over a hound in his hurry. "Now, Tom," said he, with the greatest energy, "do, my good fellow, strain every nerve to show sport to-day.-A gentleman has come all the way from the north-east side of the town of Boroughbridge, in the county of York, to see our excellent 'ounds, and I would fain have him galvanised.-Do show us a run, and let it end with blood, so that he

rode leisurely among the horsemen, many of whom were in eager council

.-Fine upland meadow and rye grass hay, seventy to eighty.-The last pocket of hops I sold brought seven pounds fifteen shillings. Sussex bags six pounds ten shillings.-There were only twenty-eight and a quarter ships at market, "and coals are coals." "Glad to hear it, sir, for half the last you sent me were slates."-"Best qualities of beef four shillings and eightpence a stone-mutton three shillings and eightpence, to four shillings and sixpence.-He was exceedingly ill when I paid my last visit-I gave him nearly a stone of Epsom-sal

course. "Come to my side," said Mr.--, to the whipper-in, "and meet that gentleman as he arrives at yonder gate; and keep by him while I scold you."-"Now, sir, most particularly d-n you, for riding slap-dash over the young wheat, you most confounded insensible ignorant tinker, isn't the headland wide enough both for you and your horse, even if your spurs were as long again as they are?" Shouts of "Yooi over, over, over hounds-try for him-yoicks-wind him! good dogs-yoicks! stir him up-have at him there!"-here interrupted the jawbation, and the whip rode off shaking his sides with laughter. "Your horse has got a stone in each forefoot, and a thorn in his near hock," observed a dentist to a wholesale haberdasher from Ludgate Hill, "allo

p there will be no second turn." "Ay," added a fourth, "and he may go the other way, and then where-shall we all be?" "Poh!" said Jorrocks, "did you ever know a Surrey fox not take to the hills?-If he does not, I'll eat him without mint sauce," again harping on the quarter of lamb. Facilis descensus Averni-two-thirds of the field went down, leaving Jorrocks, two horse-dealers in scarlet, three chicken-butchers, half a dozen swells in leathers, a whip, and the Yorkshireman on the summit. "Why don't you

k.-Now they all follow.-One-two-three-four-five-all together, my beauties! Oh, vot a sight! Peckham's cap's in the air, and it's a find, by heavens!" Mr. Jorrocks is right.-The southerly wind wafts up the fading notes of the "Huntsman's Chorus" in Der Frieschutz and confirms the fact.-Jorrocks is in ecstasies.-"Now," said he, clawing up his breeches (for he dispenses with the article of braces when out hunting), "that's what I calls fine. Oh, beautiful! beautiful!-Now, follow me if you please, and if yon gentleman in drab does not shoot the fox, he will be on the hills before long." Away they scampered along the top of the ridge, with a complete view of the operations below. At length Jorrocks stopped, and pulling the telescope out, began making an observation. "There he is, at last," cried he, "just crossed the corner of yon green field-now he creeps through the hedge by the fir-tree, and is in the fallow one. Yet, stay-that's no fox-it's a hare: and yet Tom Hills ma

ugh very fear, as soon as ever he heard us go into the wood; if you go back, you'll find it somewhere, Mr. Jorrocks; haw, haw, haw! No fox indeed!" said he.-"Forrard, hounds, forrard!" And away he went-caught the old whipper-in, dismounted him in a twinkling, and was on a fresh horse with his hounds in full cry. The line of flight was still along the hill-tops, and all eagerly pressed on, making a goodly rattle over the beds of flints. A check ensued. "The guard on yonder nasty Brighton coach has frightened him

in coming up this time". "I think I will do the same", said two or three more. "Let's be doing", said Jorrocks, ramming his spurs into his nag to seduce him into a gallop, who after sending his heels in the air a few times in token of his disapp

ry now and then a "willa" appears, from which emerge footmen in jackets, and in yellow, red and green p

up with his hounds, makes a quick cast round the house, and hits off the scent like a workman. A private road and a line of gates through fields now greet the eyes of our M'Adamisers. A young gentleman on a hired hunter very nattily attired, here singles himself out and takes place next to Tom, throwing the pebbles and dirt back in the eyes of the field. Tom crams away, throwing the gates open as he goes, and our young gentleman very coolly passes thr

n, who dismounts in a twinkling, lending his friend a hand out of the unsavoury cesspool.-"That's what comes of hunting in a new12 saddle, you see," added he, holding his nose. Jorrocks scrambles upon "terra firma" and exhibits such a spectacle as provokes the shouts of the field. He has lost his wig, his hat hangs to his back, and one side of his person and face is completely japanned with black odoriferous mixture. "My vig!" exclaims he, spitting and spluttering, "but that's the nastiest hole I ever was in-Fleet Ditch is lavender-water compared to it! Hooi yonder!" hailing a lad, "Catch my 'oss, boouy!" Tom Hills has him; and Jorrocks, pocketing his wig, remounts, rams his spurs into the nag, and again tackles with the pack, which had come to a momentary check on the Eden Bridge road.

among sportsmen that they are sure to get a

oon as ever those that are going below hill are out of sight and they have given him two or three wipes, they advise him to le

"Is there any gentleman here going to Halifax, who would like to make a third in a new yellow barouche, with lavender-coloured wheels, and pink lining?" inquired Mr.--, the coach-maker. "Look at the hounds, gentlemen sportsmen, my noble sportsmen!" bellowed out an Epsom Dorling's correct-cardseller-and turning their eyes in the direction in which he was looking, our sportsmen saw them again making for the hills. Pepper-and-salt first, and oh, what a goodly tail was there!-three quarters of a mile in length, at the least. Now up they come-the "corps de reserve" again join, and again a party halt upon the hills. Again Tom Hills exchanges horses; and again the hounds go on in full cry. "I must be off," said a gentleman in balloon-like leathers to a

be Lord Hill-oh, had he but a brush that we might present it to this gentleman from the north-east side of the town of Boroughbridge, in

with Jolliffe?" "No, with the staghounds; three beautiful runs; took him once in a millpond, once in a barn, and once in a brickfield-altogether the finest day's sport I ever saw in my life." "What have you done, Mr. J--?" "Oh, we have had a most gallant thing; a brilliant run indeed-three hours and twenty minutes without a check-over the finest country imaginable." "And who got the brush?" inquired the stag-man. "Oh, it was a gallant run," said Jorrocks, "by far the finest I ever remember." "But did you kill?" demanded his friend. "Kill! to be sure we did. When don't the Surrey kill, I should like to know?" "And who got his brush, did you say?" "I can't tell," said he-"didn't hear the gentleman's name." "What sport has Mr. Meager had to-day?" inquired he o