The Sun.
London, England, 1838-08-05 00:00:00

FOOT-BA.LL-BP'

- .
(From the A4VktiCYA. Wesildatsifer kidef b.)
" The soule," WI, lt. gOtevestre, "Ts Al le'iliOiminrs ball of leather, '
filled with bra*, %Nth Ts thriiivir 'in the air, and fought for by the
players, who are .tlivitirbd Int 3 ttvo parties. The Victory rests *with the
patty thtt'can carry 'ilft the souk into a different township ttoiii that
Wire the g4irie has cornmericed. This exerrisefs Rid last vestige of the
tret'ship WhiCh the 'Celts paid to ........e very word is of
Celtic origin, derived froth Peiict (solo?), in which the initial his
changed into at in All the foreign words adopted by the Romans.
" The garde of the souk is almost entirely abandoned in Basso Bre.
tab:o. It is only in the district of Vannes, among that Warlike race,
that that savage custom is to be found in all its primitive brutality. A
soule in Morbihan is not a common atiiiisement ; it is a fiery and dra-
matic game, where people fght and strangle each other, and break
necks ; a game which permits a man to kill any enemy, without losing
benefit of ele*y, provided one takes care to strike him as if by mistake,
arte wlth an unlucky blow. Hence God knows what a fete a souk is for
the country! It is a day of plenary indulgence granted to assassination.
And who is there that has not some one to kill ?' as one of the most
famous societies said to me one day. Besides in the absence of ?Ante en-
males, the hostility between parishes is of itself sufficient ; for it is always
two neighbouring and rival townthips who take sides in the soule. Fre-
quently, too, a town miter; the lists against a rural population, and then
the sport is enVetonied with all the height of the of the peasant against
thecititen : It is then no longer a strife of rival parties ; it is a tourna-
ment of opinions decided by fists and nails.

" For the rest, nothing can prove more clearly that we arc mak-
ing progress than the spectacle of a smile in Morbihan. It is really a
strife between town and country, in which men of every condition
take part. On that day are seen young men of the most refined
habits, the most peaceable fathers of families rain thenßelves with ar-
tizans to win the souk against the peasants, and to fight with their
fists like the English MllOrds. Whoever feels his arm strong enough,
his flesh suff►ciently tough under blows, will cast himself into the
melee When the day and the place of a soule have been
fixed, you see old men, women, and children flocking to the spot from
every side, greedy of the spectacle. These are the vanguard, par
courtesy, of the combatants. The latter next arrive in numerous
bands, the greater part dressed in clothes bound with care round their
bodies, so as to offer nothing to the grasp of their antagonist, and hav-
ing round their loins a strap tightly buckled, to make them run the
quicker. The gait of the peasants is generally wary and slow; that of
the towns-folk lively, fiery, and bold. The solderers once assembled, the
conditions of the game are proclaimed with a loud voice; the prize
which shall be awarded to the winner is pointed out; then the MT° par-
ties retire to an equal distance from the certain point where the soule
is thrown, and the game immediately begins.
" It is at first carried on only by the weakest players ; the strong keep
aloof. They look on, with crossed arms, throwing out to the comba.
tants encouragements or hisses, but they take no part in the melee
save ty from time to time bearing with the strength of their hands
upon some knot of players, so as :to drive them ten paces off, to roll
in the dust, one over the other. But little by little, these preludes
excite them, and whip their blood up. The soule, taken and re.taken,
is already far from the place where it was launched. The outskirts of
the township are near; all feel the time is come to interfere. The
most impatient lets himself go : the first blow is given ; and then a cry
is raised : all join the fight, and push and strike : nothing more is
heard but complaints, curses, threats—the rude and dull sound of fists
punishing flesh ! Blood soon flows, and at its sight a sort of frenzied in.
toxication possesses the soulers. The spirit of a herd of wild deer
seems to awaken in the hearts of these men ; the thirst for mur.
der seizes them by the throat—drives them on—blinds them.
They are mingled confusedly—they press on each other; they writhe
one above the other; in an instant the players form only one single body
above which may be seen arms rising and falling incessantly, like the
hammers of a paper.mill. At a great distance faces, pale or bronzed,
show themselves—disappear—then rise again, bloody, marbled with
blows. In proportion as this strange mass struggles and heaves, it is
seen to melt and to diminish, because the weaker get struck down, and the
contest continues over their bodies ; generally the last combatants on
the two sides meet face to face, half dead with fatigue and pain. It is
then that he who has yet some strength escapes with the soule. Feebly
pursued by his exhausted rivals, he has soon reached the neighbouring
commune, and thus obtained the prize so fiercely disputed. This last
flight, however, is not always without danger. The obstinate hatred of
an enemy sometimes renders it fatal, as was proved by Francis de Pontivy,
commonly called the Souleur.

" Francois had gained the utmost reputation in the game, and had
rendered himself famous among the peasants of all the neighbouring
townships. In his house, hung and arranged against his chimney,
were all the souks which he had gained ; and he would shew them
with the same pride as a Mohican when displaying the scalps of
his enemies hung round his wigwam. Even when age had dimi-
nished the strength of Francois, he adorned his house every year with
some new trophy.
" One man alone had for a long time disputed the superiority of
this great souleur. This was one Ivon Marker, a peasant of Kergrist.
But Francois had broken his ribs at a snub• held at Neuliac in
1810, and Ivon died in consequence. His son, Pierre Marker, had
succeeded to the pretensions of his father without being more fortunate.
Francois had left him minus an eye at the soule of Clegueric, and
broken two teeth for him at that of Seglien. Since that time Pierre
had swam to avenge himself.

" A souk was held at Stival, and the two antagonists repaired
thither. Everything went on at first just as usual. Francois, how.
ever, noticed with surprise that Pierre avoided approaching him during
the melee. He had called to him with a mock courtesy—' Come
hither, chouan, that I may have thy other eye !' The peasant had
made no answer, and had still held himself aloof. But once, to-
wards the close of the day, Francois, who had been thrown
down, was aware at the same instant of two iron shod sabots tramp.
ling upon his stomach, and had caught a glimpse of Pierre's eyeless
socket bending over him frightfully. Thanks, however, to his own
good strength, and that of his friends, he was presently set on his
feet again.
"Ere long nightfall came. The larger number of souteurs, worn
out with fatigue, withdrew from the game; some of thekeenost still
disputing the prize, man with man. Francois availed himself of
this instant to seize the sonic, and make ;his escape across the
country. They pursued him for a while, but he gained the
opened fields, and soon was out of sight of the peasants. For a
few minutes more their shouts reached him through the dusk of
the evening—then they changed their direction, grew more distant, and
were lost. Every one considered the souk as won, and gave up. The
man of Pontivy stopped for a moment to take breath, for his whole body
was bruised and in pain. Never had sonic been so obstinately disputed.
After having tried to quiet the throbbings of his chest by stretching
himself on the cold ground, Francois got up, and began once more to
run towards a brook which divided the townships of Stival and Pontivy.
Already he saw the willows which fringed it—his heart began to beat
with joy—when he heard behind him that peculiar, soft noise, which is
made by a man running barefoot ;—he looked back and saw, in the ob-
scurity of the hollow path, a shadow advancing rapidly towards him.
The old souieur then began to be afraid, for he knew that he was
now too feeble to defend himself, and he was too far otf to hope for the
assistance of his own people. He resolved to fly, and mustering what.
ever strength was left in his stiffening limbs, bent his course towards
the brook—but the sound of his pursuer came nearer and nearer, and
in another instant he heard the short quick breath of his antagonist
close at his heels. One last effort—he has reached the willow trees—
his foot is already in the water. At this moment there is a cry in his
ear—a cry which he knows well. Francois would have crossed with a
single bound the short space yet remaining to be crossed, but incapaci-
tated by fatigue, he fell heavily upon the sharp pebbles which form the
bed of the rivulet. Coming to himself he feels a knee on his chest, and
the face of Pierre close to his own, with that solitary eye, and that
mouth, smiling grimly—toothless! With an instinctive struggle Fran-
cois stretched forth his hand towards the left bank, for this bank is in
thetottaiship of Pontivy. Can he but touch it he is safe, but the pea.
sant has seized that band in his iron grasp. _

" Thou art in Stival, bourgeois! -I
have the right over thee
" Let me go, chouan!" cried the artisan.

" Give me the sonic."

" Take it, and now let me go."

" There is yet something thou owest me, bourgeois !"

" I owe thee ?"

" Thine eve," screamed Pierre; " thine eye!" and as he spoke he
clutched the left'eye of Francois till it leaped from its socket.

" Leave me, leave me, assassin!" cried the Pontivian.
" Thou shalt first pay me thy teeth, bourgeois !" and the teeth of
Francois were crushed down his throat.

A furious madness seemed then to possess the peasant. Holding
beneath his left arm the head of Francois, he began to beat it, as with a
hammer, with his sabot, which he held in his right hand. This must
have gone on for some time, for in the morning Francois was found at
the brook-side, without sign of life or consciousness.
Such, however, was the strength of the old sordeur, that he was par.
tially restored, but it was necessary to trepan him, and from that day
forth lie was a one-eyed idiot.
Pierre, brought before a Court of Justice, defended himself, in answer
to the questions of the Judge, by simply saying, that Francois was in
Stival when he had overtaken him, and that it was thus they played at
the sou le.

He was acquitted, but the sonles were prohibited for some years
afterwards.

SCOTCH AND IRISH SERVANTS.

In Scotland, where the served and the servers are not of conquering
and conquered races, but even of the same family or clan in some cases,
the relation is of a totally opposite character to what it is south of the
Tweed. Feudalism in Scotland was modified by clanship, tempered by
it, stripped of its worst adjuncts, rescued from its most fatal liabilities.
Whatever may be the faults of Scotch servants (except where foreign
habits are partially introduced), want of attachment to their employers
is not one. They serve those of their own name where they can, and
their service has a mixture of worship in it. There is an identity in-
stead of an opposition of interests between the two parties ; and where
there is a sympathy so close, much will be done and borne before mis-
chief will be made. In Ireland, all is mischief in this relation. The
case is worse than in England—it is desperate. The same causes operate
as in England, but with more force. The invasion is more recent, the
imposition Isla conquering aristocracy, and the humiliation of the con.
quered are more fresh in' the minds of the native race. It is still a
misfortune to be in domestic service there; and the vices consequent on
this state of affairs are in full blow. The hypocrisy, thievery, slovenli-
ness, and utter untrustworthiness of Irish servants in Ireland are noto-
rious. In Ireland, we say, for their character changes for the better in
countries to which they emigrate. They improve the more, the further
they get from home. In America, where they find themselves in the
• midst of a new state of things, they begin better than they left off here,
and rise in respectability in proportion as they gain an insight into their
new position. Some of the most faithful, affectionate, high-spirited
domestics in the world are Irish footmen and housemaids in America.
A man who in Dublin would not be trusted to buy a joint of meat, has
in Boston (Mass.) the charge of his master's plate and wines, while,
the family travel a thousand miles south or west. Strangers who visit
Dublin find, in all the better order of houses, that the dining and
drawing.rooms are as superb as the scale of the premises can be made
to allow, while the servants are not only kept under ground during
the day, but lodged there, and too frequently in dark and utterly
comfortless closets. The difficulty of choosing a dwelling in Dublin
is great to an Englishman, though empty houses abound. The ac-
commodation for servants is so bad that a considerate English master
cannot reconcile himself to his splendid receiving.rooms, so accompa.
nied. The Dublin lady often appears at the breakfast.table with a loaf
under her arm, a bunch of keys hanging from one hand, and a plate of
butter in the other. She cuts off the proper number of slices of bread,
and sends them down to be toasted ; and, when breakfast is done, dis-
appears to unlock her stores and give out the meat, sugar, spices, &c.,
whichh. are wanted for dinner. On the arrival of a guest, she puts into
menta
asking whet
th (key of the wardrobe in his room, and is surprised at his
wrliheit herhe must lock his drawers every time he quits his apart_
land, is ou which is much worse than the state of things in Eng.
ter and servant here to the same causes as injure the relation of ma,
imposition
of rne,r;eitghne
aristocracy difference
been
nw
ohraev ens,aei ,t that
the
wretched feelings occasioned by its oppressions more fresh.
i

Lord Claude Hamilton, brother to the Marquis of
Abercorn, visited Naples last month, and is now on his way
to be present at the coronation of the Emperor Ferdinand of
A ustria.

ARRIVALS AT THE MOUNT EPIIRAINI HOTri
TUNBRIDGE- WELLs.—Lady Barrington With Miss Barringt;
the Earl of Ashburnham, Harry Chester, Esq., and Lady
Crawley, Esq., and family ; Mr. and Mrs. H. Franklin ' •
Mrs. and M;ss Birch, &c. The Hon. Percy Ashburnham
still continues at the hotel. Apartments are taken for the
Right Hon. Lady Rendlesham and daughters ; also Mr.
and Miss Holland:

THY "-

SHAL SOULT TO SHEERNESS.

VISIT OF HIS EXCELLENCY MAR-

FROM MTh O'l7N REPORTER..
It having been intimated to the
.authoiities at Sheerness
that Marshal Solilt and his suite would pay a passing visit
to that port, on their way to the Continent, preparations
were made in the course of Saturday afternoon, to give his
Excellency the molt tbrdial and honourable reception the
time and circumstances would admit of. We under-
stand that Admiral Sir Robert Otway, Bart., Com-
mander-in-Chief at Sheerness, met Marshal Soult
at her Majesty's State Dinner on Wednesday last,
when the Marshal intimated to Sir Robert that his Ma-
jesty Louis Philippe had requested him, if possible, ta, visit
his old friend Sir Robert Otway before leaving Lngland.
An invitation was immediately given, and as cordially ac-
cepted by We Marshal, who regretted that his arrange-
ments would not permit him to devote more than a few
hours to the inspection of the Docks, Arsenal, &C.
His Excellency and suite left London on Sunday mor-
ning at four o'clock, having previously visited the Tower,
which had been thrown open at that early hour by order
of his Grace the Duke of Wellington. At a quarter past
four the two French steamers La Meteor and La Phaeton;
commanded by Captains Ba.'rbOtin and Goubin of the
French navy, got under weigh, many of the vessels in the
Pool having hoisted their flags as a parting compliment to
the distinguished strangers.
From an early hour look-out men were stationed on the
different heights and forts of Sheerness, and at a few mi-
nutes before nine, the French steamers hove in sight, when
they were greeted with a Royal salute from the Howe,
which the French steamers returned. The scene at this
moment was extremely beautiful and interesting. All the
vessels in the port were decorated with a variety of flags and
streamers ; the fort in front of the Admiral's house was also
similarly decorated—yachts, steamers; and boats of every
description, were in motion in the harbour, and every
point and eminence from whence a view of the steamers
could be obtained was crowded with the inhabitants of the
town and the surrounding districts. The Admiral's
splendid ship the Howe, 120 guns, had the French tri-
color flag flying from her main top-mast, in honour of the
illustrious visitors. By the Admiral's directions Mr. Brown,
the Second Master-Attendant, boarded the leading
French steamer on entering the port, for the purpose
of conducting the vessels safely to their moorings
and in about half an hour they came to an anchor
within a few hundred yards of the Hoive. Adatiral Sir
Robert Otway, accompanied by Admiral Sir Philip Dur-
ham, Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, immediately
left the pier in his barge, and went on board the Meteor,
where they were received with due honours by the officers
and crew. The most cordial greetings having been ex-
changed between the Marshal and Sir Robert, his Excel-
lency and suite entered the Admiral's barge, and proceeded
to the pier, where they were received by a guard of honour
of the 56th Regiment with presented arms, the band strik-
ing up " God save the Qacen." The immense crowds as-
sembled on the pier took oft their hats and greeted the
Gallant Veteran with loud and hearty cheers, which his
Excellency acknowledged with his -usual condescension.
The party then proceeded on foot to the Admiral's house,
where his Excellency and suite were presented to Lady
Otway, and the young ladies, with whom the Marshal, his
son the Marquis De Dalmatia, and the Marquis De
Mornay, conversed for some time. From thence the dis-
tinguished visitors were escorted by Sir Robert Otway
through the arsenal and dock-yards, Sir Robert, who
speaks the French language with great fluency, explaining
to the Marshal every object of interest, in their progress.
The model of the docks, which is a very curious and beau-
tiful work of art, attracted considerable attention, the
whole of the vast area being built on piles, and his Excel-
lency asked several questions as to the expense of the
works, the time taken in their construction, &c. The
sixty-eight pound shot fired into the town in 1658 by
the Dutch Admiral, De Ruyter, when Sheerness was
burned, was also shown to his Excellency. From thence
the party proceeded to the dry docks, where the Cam-
bridge, 74, the Vernon, arid some other large vessels,
Were under repair. The Gorgon war steamer was
the next object of interest visited, and the distin-
guished strangers expressed themselves highly pleased with
the exquisite workmanship of her engines, and the strength
and elegancl of her construction. A very curious and in-
teresting relic was here presented to the Marshal by Mr.
Bankes, a snuff-box composed of a piece of timber taken
from one of the piles of old London Bridge, which had
been under water for 760 years. The box was beautifully
polished, and mounted in fine gold, and the Marshal ex-
pressed himself much pleased with the gift. On leaving
the yards his Excellency expressed himself much gratified
by the polite attention of Mr. Fincham, the builder, Capt.
Claville, superintendent of the Chatham Dock-yards, and
the other gentlemen by whom he had been accompanied.
The barges of the Admiral's ship and the French steamers
were then brought alongside the pier, and the party pro-
ceeded on board the Howe, where they were received with
a salute of guns, the Marines and guard of honour of
the 56th presenting arms. Captain Paget, and the offi-
cers of the Howe having been presented to his Excellency,
the company went over that splendid vessel, the high order
and neatness of every part, calling forth the warm cowmen.
dations of the distinguished strangers. Every part of
the ship, from the quarter deck to the cockpit, was visited,
all the decks, the store room, carpenter's room, armoury,
&c., &c., were minutely examined, and a glass of
English seamen's grog was tasted by several gentlemen
of his Excellency's suite, in the store-room. The party
then proceeded to the state cabin, where a very sumptuous
ddeutzer a la
.fitrehette was provided. In the centre table,
and immediately opposite the Admiral was the magnificent
vase presented by the King of the French to Sir Robert,
with the inscription, " From Louis Philippe, premier Roi
de France, to Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Otway, Bart.,
1832." The side-board was loaded with plate, and on the
table were various naval and military emblematic devices of
the union between France and. England. Here the
Marshal was shown. four brass thirty-two pounders,
which had been sunk in the Royal George off Spit-
head, and which had been " actively engaged" in the
action with Conflans, under Lord Hawke, in 1759. This
point was delicately alluded to by Sir Robert Otway, and
the Marshal appeared to appreciate in this as well as in
other instances, the generous feelings of his host, who,
throughout the day, did the honours to his numerous and
distinguished guests with all that urbanity and cordiality for
which the gallant Admiral is so pre-eminently distin-
guished.

At twelve o'clock the party, consisting of about sixty,
sat down to table, the Admiral being supported on his right
by his Excellency Marshal Soult and the Marquis de
Mornay, and on his left by the Marquis de Dalmatia and
the Duke de Vicenza. Among the distinguished persons
present were Admiral Sir P. C. H. Durham, Commander-
in-chief at Portsmouth ; Major Layton, and the officers of
the 56th Regiment ; Colonel Warre, Commander of the
Forces at Chatham, Colonel Pasley, , Royal Engineers,
Lord Oranmore, and the Hon. Miss Brown, Lord Ilehes-
ter, Lord Staffordale, Colonel Hay, East India Com-
pany's service, Lord Wharncliffe and Lady Caroline Strang-
ways, Sir John Hill, Superintendent of Sheerness Dock-
yards, Captains Barbotin and Goubin, of the French navy,
Col. Naudet, Lieut. Otway, Count Praslin, the officers of
the Howe, and the various men-otwar itationcd at Sheer-
ness, &c. &c. The repast comprised every delicacy of the
season, with a profusion of Champagne, Burgundy, Bor-
deaux, and other wines ; -the dessert included pines,
peaches, nectarines, melons, grapes, and other fruits. In
short, everything connected with the entertainment was got
up in a style of costliness and magnificence worthy of the
rank and character of the Gallant Admiral and of the il-
lustrious strangers for whom it was provided.
Sir ROBERT OTWAY7 in propoiing the first toast, said—
My Lords and Gentlemen, I am sure that in an assembly
like the present it is unnecessary to preface the toast I am
about to give you by any introductory remarks.
Englishmen have been always proverbial for their
loyalty and attachment to the Throne, and the
illustrious strangers who have honoured us with their
presence, will, I am satisfied, join with us heartily
in drinking the health and long life of her Majesty the
Queen.

The toast was drank with loud cheers, and a Royal
salute of 21 guns from the Howe.

Sir ROBERT OTwAY again rose, and said that be did not
require to look at the splendid vase which stood before him
to remind him of the honour he claimed of having been the;
intimate friend of his Majesty Louis Philippe.—(Cheers.)
He had known that great Monarch in the days of his ad-
versity. He had seen him again at the Tuileries, when he
stood among the greatest of the Monarchs of Europe ; and
he had found him the same good and dignified individual, and
had witnessed the same cordial and gentlemanlike demeanour
by which his Majesty had acquired the esteem of all parties
in private life. His reception at the Court of Louis
Philippe had been most flattering—(Cheers)—and he
would only say that such a man was worthy of being the
King of the French, and the French nation was worthy of
such a Monarch.—(Great applause.) He would not de-
tain them further, but give them, with all the honours, the
health of " Louis Philippe, premier Roi de France."
The toast was received with great cheering, and a salute
of guns.
Sir ROBERT OTWAY said—Gentlemen, I will now
give you the health of an amiable and illustrious
lady to whom the British nation is deeply indebted
upon many grounds. Among these, I need hardly re-
mind you that her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent
crossed the seas at an inclement and perilous season, in
order that the future heiress of the British Crown might
be, in every sense of the word, an English Princess.—
(Much cheering.) The pains she has since taken, and the
time she has devoted to the education and instruction of
her Majesty, deserve the eternal gratitude of the English

----/ tmtiV, t'olloi\r-, 'grxrp-AY, AUGUST 5; 1§38.,