The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-28 00:00:00

EPPING 11 UNT.

Some difference of opinion prevails as to the period of
the year when the good and worthy citizens of London en-

. •
Joy the greatest Cationic of amusement. Many arc of
opinion that Christmas is the genuine season of fun and

frolic, but we confess that to us Easter always appeared to
present the greatest temptation to indulge in hilarity. It
is true that a considerable degree of satisfaction and gra-
tification is experienced during the Christmas suits, ',villa,
on which occasion the good folks of the metropolis ►hanage
to r►create themselves with every luxury that may be
supposed to attach to the necessity of their condition.

There is a proverb that
" Christmas comes but once a-year,
And when it comes it brings good cheer."
No doubt exists as to the second part of the proverb, and
the first at one period was equally true; but some persona
cavil on account of the little Christmas which divides the

honour, notwithstanding the change of style. The enter-
tainn ems of Christmas, big and little, ate, however, con-
fined to the domestic circle, and, do not present any na-
tional aspect by which foreigners could judge of the cht-
recta of the country. There is, indeed, at Christmas, a
hunt on St. Stephen's day, but on account of the many
accidents likely to result from it, it is not attended in the
•same manner as the Epping Itum.4.vkich signalizes.Esster
an:oog the citizens of London. The ground is generally

too hard to allow the Nimrods of the city to venture on
their hunters with impunity. But when Easter approaches,
how different is the picture presented. Then comes the
season for sporting in town and its vicinity, in despite of
the feudal laws which monopolize the forests of the king-
dom to royalty and nobility. Last year a great deal of the
interest which belongs to the solemnity of the Epping
Hunt, was in consequence of the uncertainty which
prevailed as to the critical period of Easter. The Literati
differed with the Almanacs about the dominical letter, and

though the public were greatly edified, they were not much
instructed by the discussion whietti ensued. The difference,
however, served to destroy us some degree the interest
which appertained to the .Epping Hunt, which must al-
ways be held on Easter Monday,. according to the usage of
our ancestors. The demolition of various fairs during the
past year, also contributed to fix a greater degree of interest
on the Easter Hunt. The festivals of Greenwich had been
curtailed of their due dimensions, and thus Epping was left
without competition for popular favour. In truth, the ex-
hibition which the Hunt yesterday presented, was of a
' description extremely creditable to the gymnastics of Lon-
don. We never witnessed so few riders unhorsed out of
such a multitudinous muster as generally attends. During
the preceding weeks we observed numerous pupils practising
in the riding school of Mr. Humphrey, in the Waterloo-
road, and they proved themselves no mean proficients
among the followers of the stag. Others, who bad only the
advantage of training according to the Voelker system on
hobby horses, were not so successful in escaping from
the casualties of the forest. At the crow of the cock,
their civic bird, the citizens of London yesterday began
the bustle of preparation. Every animal which hatl
any pretension to be called a horse, cocked his ears,
and directed his head towards Epping, with a kind
of instinctive propensity for sport. The road was crowded
with all sorts of vehicles and horsemen, among whom we
could distinguish several of the Senators of St. Stephen's
Chapel, desirous to spend one of their Easter Holidays at
Epping. The weather was delightful for the occasion, and
the way was enlivened by many of the fashionables of
Whitechapel. It was reported that Monsieur Louis, the
French giant, intended to enjoy the chace, but such, we
regret to state, was not the case, for, on inquiry, we ascer-
tained that his Highness was disabled by a severe fall
which he swittained from—his favourite thirty-inch pony.
In compensation, however, for his absence, we were
much gratified to behold several hunters equipped in
the City Light Horse costume and habiliments. They
knew that ' the stag at bay is a dangerous foe," and wished
to guard against the contingencies of his desperation, by
providing the holsters of their saddles with pistols primed
and loaded. The farewells between those cavaliers and their

spouses were more affecting than the parting between (lector
and Andromache, or that of Black-eyed Susan and her
Sweet William. Many were the admonitions given by the
cautious matrons to their husbands to take care of their
safety and to preserve their dear persons, but when the stag
burst on the view the advice was forgotten, amidst the enli-
veningsounds of the Hunting Chorus in Dee Freischutz. The
weather was extremely propitious, for the sun shone plea-
santly, and the ground in the Forest had been softened by
the preceding rains, so as to afford a comfortable seat for
those who were tired of the saddle, and desirous of repo-
sing on the green sod. The actual hunt was not very in-
teresting to the majority of those who attended, as the
stag, which was a stranger to the country, when emanci-
pated from the cart, immediately diverged into the copses,
and was soon lost to the greater number of the pursuers.
After a run of half an hour, however, he was taken in a
pond, and several, who were unable to follow his slot, were
gratified by a view of his capture. Among those who
witnessed the event was a celebrated citizen, who grievously
deplored the calamity, even to tears. A disciple .of Dr.
Spurzheim immediately took out his memorandum book,
and inserted a anery, whether horns were not a branch of
the organ of sympathy? The hint may prove useful
to the science of Phrenology, and it luckily happens
that much difficulty v:ill not be experienced an finding
skulls whereon to try the experiment. When the racing
and chacing terminated, the hunters of the day recollected
that Epping was famous for its ham, and sausages, and
accordingly regaled themselves, as good Christians at Easter
ought to do, at Mr. Runmding's refectory. More falls oc-
curred during the return home than at any period of the
day. Several signalized themselves, whether designedly
or accidentally, by somersets that were much superior to
the exhibitions which we subsequently witnessed at
Astley's Amphitheatre. Surgeona, as usual, were
in attendance, but we were glad to learn that their
services were dispensed with, as the losses of the
day consisted more of leather than of limbs. The
tanners may expect a brisk trade during the week.
"'fake it for all and all," the Epping Hunt of yesterday
did not evince any symptoms of degeneracy in the eques-
trian aspirants of London, although some indiviluals com-
plained that they had been disappointed in not getting the
brush. Such accidents, however, will happen occasionally
in stag hunts, but it should he considered that no fault is
imputable to the warmth of March, which, instead of the
fierceness of the lion, yesterday assumed the mildness of the
lamb. The advocates of Christmas may boast of their pro-
verbial distich, but we defy any poet to comprise in a
couplet the various amusements of Easter in London, and
particularly the Epping Hunt. We here beg leave to
state, that we do not mean any invidious comparison be-
tween it and Mr. Orator Hunt, who also contributes to the
gratification of the polished society of the metropolis.
Nevertheless, we mast insist that there is no proverb nor
(as a facetious friend remarked) adverb, sufficiently ener-
getic to expresss the delights of the Epping Hunt.
---
A most destructive fire broke out at the farm of Mr,
Kirkby, at Stansted Rye, on Friday last, between three
and four o'clock in the afternoon, in consequence of some
embers blowing to the side of a barn, then being done over
with gas tar, which took fire, and ran up to the thateh
with such rapidity, that in a few minutes the whole of the
buildings were in flames, and in about two hours reduced
to ashes. Some threshed and unthreshed corn, a quantity
of hay and straw, besides agricultural implements, chaise
and harness, and most of the poultry, were consumed ;
there being only time to save the horses, and very few
other things. The wind keeping in one point, nearly to
the east, and there being a plentiful supply of water, aided
by the prompt assistance of the inhabitants in the neigh-
bourhood, and engines, the house, which was to the north,
and four ricks of ha%, about 2bo loads, on the south, were
preserved frown the ;it:souring element. The property was
iessred.