The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-09 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Bye _Lanes and Downs of England, with Turf
Scenes and Characters. By Sylvanus. Bentley,
New Burlington-street.

Racing will always constitute a most fascinating
sport, we believe, for an Englishman ; for whether
it be got up" by the "tag rag and bobtail owners
of halt-starved " Jerusalem ponies" at a country
fair ; or by the noble and wealthy possessors of
matchless "Eclipses" and earth-spurning " Cother-
stones" on the downs of Doncaster or Epsom, the
excitement and interest betrayed by the surround-
ing multitude afford ample testimony of
our national enthusiasm touching a "dead
heat," or " winning by a head." Our well-
beloved Queen honours Ascot with her im-
posing presence, and Jack Brown the pot-boy at
the Blue Lion, would be wretched for the whole
Mar without seeing the "Derby" run. Our Prime
inisters keep their racing studs, and our lawyers'
clerks and butcher boys "bet " and " hedge " with
a sort of national aptitude. It is no wonder, there-
fore, that a well written volume, on the engrossing
pursuit, should always be welcome, and Sylvanus
presents us with a very pleasant, light, and read-
able book in the one now berore us. He gives anec-
dotes of numerous and well-known " turfites," and
initiates the tyro into the vice and folly of the sys-
tematic swindling co-existent w:th the race-
course, without descending to offensive slang,
or indulging in moral preaching. He dis-
cusses George the Fourth or Sam Chiffney
with equal justice and sincerity, and preserves
throughout his pages the tone of a gentleman.
We are induced to cull an extract or two. The first
presents a very strong example of decision and
coolness in making a bargain :

The first personage who commanded notice was a tall
high-bred man, about middle-age, of the true Anglo-Saxon
tint and countenance, dressed in a loose maroon double-
breasted coat, with ciub buttons ; a large cream-coloured
muslin cravat, and leather (buckskin) trousers, who seemed
to still the ring when the quiet, rather womanish tones of
his voice were heard, offering some mighty sum against a
horse in the Derby. He had the genuine cut of an English
gentleman—so countrified, yet refined—so quiet, yet deter-
mined in his air.
" I see whom you arc looking at," said O'Fay, before I
had well inquired the name of the person I was regarding,
"That is Lord George Bentinck—a lion of the turf, and a
very dangerous customer 1 He is a profound calculator;
an excellent judge of a horse, —spares no expense in train-
ing, yenning, and in keeping up his stud from the beat
blood, and will some fine morning give the ring such a
shaking as will make it tremble, or fly in pieces.
" Ile goes for the great coups ; and with an innate love
of sporting, and proficiency in wood or turf-craft, brings
the acuteness of a superior mind, and consummate coolness,
to his aid in carrying out his racing schemes."
" If looks are an index to these qualifications," replied I,
" his lordship seems all you say."
" Yes; and though he does not despise any man's infor-
mation—reserving to himself the option of making use of it,
together with the other rough-handled tools he finds at
times essential to enable him to get at what is doing,'
Lord George has never been known to suffer any familiarity
at the hands of any of the low squad. He would stand
himself in his own apartment for half a day, sooner than
permit a fellow like Hill to be seated in his presence, which
is more than some of the order' can boast."
" We some of us think he only races till an opportunity
occurs of flying at higher game," continued O'Fay, "and
that he will retire as hastily as he suddenly burst on
the turf."—A prophecy fulfilled to the letter, his lordship
having disposed of his stud at a word 1
" The lot, Payne," said he, at Goodwood, "from old Bay
Middleton to Little Kitchener" (his feather-weight') "for
ten thousand ? Yes, or no ?"

"I will give £306 till brcakfast-time to-morrow to con-
sider the matter, Bentinck," replied Mr. George Payne,—
a fine, manly, elegant fellow, of the patrician corner of the
ring. " Give me till then, and I will say yes or no.
" With pleasure, my good fellow," acquiesced his lord-
ship, not giving it a second thought, till reminded of the
circumstance by Payne handing him £3OO over his muffin,
refusing the offer as nonchalantly as it was made, and re•
turning to his Standard without further comment. Then
Mostyn, seeing the negotiation concluded, said very
quietly, from the lower end of the table, taking an eye for
an instant from his letters—

" I'll take the lot, iientinck, at ten thousand ; and will
give you a cheque before you go to the course."
" If you please," replied Lord George, and the bargain
was completed !
How long it would have taken a brace of Frenchmen, or
any other foreigners, to settle such an affair, I refrain to
guess.

The next introduces us to a striking character of
considerable notoriety in his day :
Colonel Mellish was little less than a meteor in the
sportinc, world and dazzling hemisphere of fashion, being
probably the most finished example of a high-bred turfite
who ever trod the race-course in ancient or modern times.

He would have taken the " whip-hand" from Philip of
Macedon ! and all but out-Brummelled Brummel in his
dress and fastidious habits. With a princely fortune, ex-
quisite taste, many varied accomplishments, and the con-
summate pluck of a British yeoman at heart, with all his
thew and sinews, it is little wonder that Mellish had a relish
for life, and indulged himself in all the sports of the field,
as became a stalwart gentleman.
lie was an artist—paintinc' far beyond the performance
of the mere amateur—a fine horseman, a scientific farmer,
a brave soldier, and a skilful coachman, having been, as it
is asserted of him, the cleverest man of his day on the turf,
especially in handicapping and making matches, in which
few could excel him.

His establishment was terrific! Ho had at one period of
his life thirty-eight race-horses in training, seventeen car-
riage-horses, a dozen hunters in Leicestershire, four
chargers at Brighton, and hacks innumerable • and of
course a whole brigade of retainers in his pay. The Colonel
made his appearance on the race-ground, when in the
meridian of his career, in ti way never yet imitated or ap-
proached.

Driving four white horses "in hand," with "outriders"
on matches, ridden with harness bridles, and holsters at the
saddle bow ; his barouche painted in exquisite taste, the
handsome Colonel was truly the observed of all observers,
as whirling up to the Grand Stand, tossing his reins on
either hand, and descending as if unseen or the quietest
man in life, he mounted one of the thorough-bred hacks
led by the saddle-horse groom in the rear of his retinue,
habited like the rest of his people in crimson livery, and
followed by two other grooms, cantered over the course
towards the rubbing-house or warren.
Had he contented himself with only this, and refrained
from "flirting with the elephant's tooth," all would have
been. cemparatively
.well ; but vile, insinuating hazard,
effecting that which betting in the ring had only partially
accomAished, filched his fair domains, and drove the ac-
complished Colonel to a premature grave I
It is reported of him that he played for £40,000 at a
sitting, nay, that he once staked that sum upon a single
throw, believing, lost man I that the greatest pleasure in
life was to play and to win, and the next best enjoyment to
play and to lose. This true madman's code it is said the late
Charles James Fox—the possessor of the most brilliant in-
tellect of any age was the founder of, he being at one time of
his life deep in the mysteries of the Turf, and a very heavy
bettor.

We cannot close the volume without giving a pain-
ful and griiphic picture of the evil effects of the
uncontrolled spirit of gambling. We see an old
and valued friend of Sylvanus, reduced from health,
happiness, and plenty, to this sad and painful con-
dition—a serious text for the reflective brain and
sensitive heart to gather a sermon from :
I found poor Dallas seated before his " snuggery" fire, a
shadow of his former self, consumed by alternate fits of me-
lancholy and excitement.
His depression at times, was too painful to witness un-
moved, and had made woeful ravages upon his features and
person. He was in little cue to play a half-pound trout,
poor fellow 1 far less a "bounding two-year-old," having
scarcely left the house for weeks, or smiled, as his sister
said, for months.
He was, nevertheless, deeply intent on a racing calendar !
and had a sheet of paper before him covered with imaginary
or worthless bets, and examples of " book-making" whoa I

entered.
The fatal disease had entered into his very heart's core
and common sense, and could only now end with his life,
that I plainly saw hung on a tenure in which no tinge of
hope remained.
It seems in the short year and a half's incessant attend-
ance upon every race meeting between the First Spring
and the Houghton, Dallas had contrived, through the
agency of ill-luck and worse handling, to mortgage every
blade of grass he was possessed of, in addition to the former
encumbrance effected on the " Cotherstone Derby ;" and
steeped in utter recklessness, had finally borrowed of his
sister the moiety of her funded fortune, every shilling of
which had been sacrificed to the popular passion of betting
upon a few horses galloping a mile and three-quarters in
their longest race, and very frequently over a course of half
the distace
This great outlay of money, and injustice to his confid-
ing, affectionate sister, had, after all the sacrifice, totally
-failed to save-the name of the madman from disgrace, and
the brand of a defaulter; for, at the last October meeting at
Newmarket, he omitted to liquidate debts in the ring to the
amount of several thousand pounds, and returned home to
die of self-hatred and remorse.
To the last he hoped and tried to dispose of a distant, but
happily not very saleable reversion ; intending, as he said,
to lodge a couple of thousands in credit at Tattersall's, and
make a book to that amount 1 never ceasing to plume him-
self upon his ability to bet and retrieve his name and for-
tune, spite his all but invariable losses reproving him for
his vanity and folly.
To relate the progress of the corroding, deadly malady of
poor Dallas, or describe the grief which reigned in the
yeoman'a orphan home, we shall not attempt.
Suffice it to say, for Avery hoped-for purpose of good or
warning, that after a few weeks' painful lingering on the
threshold of that life he had ruthlessly rifled of every leaf
and flower, I saw my friend, at the early age of forty-three,
laid below that green grass turf whereon he had been the
self-immolated martyr and the victim

PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris
is about I dis. and the short exchange on London is 25.10
per £1 sterling. On comparing these rates with the Eng-
lish Mint price of £3 17s. 10td. per ounce for standard
gold, it appears that gold is at about 3-10ths per cent. dearer
in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg the
price of gold is 423 per mark, and the short exchange on
London is 13.3 f per £1 sterling. Standard gold at the
English Mint price is therefore at about 1 10th per cent.
dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for bills at 60 days' sight
is about 110 I per cent., which, when compared with the
Mint par between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is in favour of England ; and, after making
allowance for charges of transport and difference of inte-
rest, the present rate leaves a small profit on the importa-
tion of gold from the United States.
SIIARKS.—A very lamentable occurrence took
place in town yesterday. A little after noon, some native
lads took to bathing in the suit as is usual and is seen daily
by those who pass on the Beech-road. They were not long
sporting and enjoying themselves, when one was seized by
a shark. He was botween 12 and 14 y
ears of age. A boat-
man saw the poor boy struggling, and brayely made off to
vp ee
d t:1 c'a
t e al n
hanodwebvreorugthhte lefthim ashore. Assistance
tAhsigsihsthanadeebeheadn
satrrii
p d
the bone,; and the ill-fated youth hopped only a few paces
on shore, when. he sank and expired.—Madras Examiner,
Sept. 20,