The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-09-10 00:00:00

SEPT. 8..

The Crecien games, mme especially those cele-
brated at Olympia, have occupied the attention of
tnankittd for more than 3-2(io years, and the latter
formed epochs in the history of human events for
centutic3. Succv,s exalted the fortunate candidate
to a level with the Gods, and defeat was sufficieet to
induce the wretched being to think ilife no longer
worth possession, Since it could no longer afford en-
joyment. Kings and Princes hastened from elf parts
of the known world, pot only to witness but to at.
tempt them.—Deluded, mistaken creatures! had
'hey lived in our days, they would hate despised
suCtipaltry sports, unfit for the dignite of man ; but
they were barbarians, whose rude mbids were mould.
ed iu a different form, and would be unlit for the
polish and refinemeut of modern times. The Olym-
pic games have now fallen into deserved contempt :
the casing has given place to the slotee stick, Anti tb4
shariot race has yielded to the superior attraotlift of
the pig race.
Perhaps it would he difficult to 'find any thing
snore unequivocally displaying the high breeding and
elegant taste of the visitors of 'Margate, than the
delight with Which they view exhibitions of the kind
.last mentioned. kis certainly a noble amusement ;
it is one of those employments which give vigour and
strength to the b.kly and mind, and;as a great States-
man (M r. iaelitest) Once strenuously defended
bull-baiting, let our politicians of the present day
seriously take into their consideration, whether pig-
racing is not widen'', *deserving the protection and
encouragement of the Legislature. • Unnecessary
cruelty it certainly is not and the only question in
such an enquiry should bc; on the balance of the ac-
count, whether the pig-receives a greater degree of
pain from being hunted than the people receive plea-
Sure from hunting.
Perhaps, however, in the race which took place
yesterday near St. Peter's, the former, from an un-
fortunate accident, predominated. The detail is as ;
follows :—The pig's tail having been duly soaped, in
order to render it more slippery, and consequently
less tenable, the, noble animal was turned out of a
wheelbarrow into a large field. The shouts of an I
admiring populace immediately induced it to start at
full speed, curveting round and round, and grunt-
ing triumphantly. Soon afterwards, six gallant I
youths in white (who doubtless had undergone much'
previous training, and ehose limbs had been anointed i
to enable them to sustain the fatiguing trial) rushed
forward in pursuit. The sight was truly grand !
the noble pig, with high contempt, ran before his'
swift-footed pursuers, while his slippery tail dis-
dained their grasping fingers. For some minutes vie-
tery was doubtful, the pig defeating his opponents in
a!: attempts. At length the heat of the sun began
to dry his tail,and his hunters renewed their efforts-I
A fine young fellow, rivalling a Hercules in strength, I
at last succeeded in lifting the animal from the
ground, and with a look of triumph appealed to the
spectators. Lord Herbert, of Cherbury, says, that
" a fine man on a fine horse is the noblest work of
Goo." He had never seen Jemmy Hill with the
captive pig. That human beings are subject to re-
verses
of forPuno, is a sad sentence, of an ancient I
date. It was proved once more in the case of Jemmy
Hill, for the pig being rather above the common size,
it was too heavy for the tail, and the skin unfortn-
nately slipped off; the body fell to the ground, and I
the pig again set off, wagging the stump of his dis-
membered extremity, and most vociferously exciting,
by his squeaking, the compassion of the pitying by- I
standers. The, lovers of fan, who have often
amused themselves for hours with captive mice, can
explain what is meant by the skin of the pig's tail
Jemmy Hill claimed his prize-pig, but ,
his competitors disputed his right, and we understand
that the point is reserved for the decision of the
Jockey Club.
This engaging sport occupied the eyes, and subse-
quently the tongues, of the visitors of Margate for
pearly the whole day. All other amusements were
swallowed up and lest in it. At night, however, the
Theatre was tolerably well 'filled 'to witness the per- I
formance of Hoolita, in She would and Sheicoaid
not, by Miss Duncan ; but the pig was certainly the
hero, and lie and Jemmy Hill received by far the
greater Share of.applause. Miss Duncan, in Lou.
don, has so often acted this character of ifypolita
to admiring thousands, that her fame does not depend'
upon a Margate audience, who came cloyed with the I
delectable enjoyment of a pig race. To night Wei- ;
part gives a musical promenade in honour of the cap-
ture of Madrid.

FORGERY.—A salesman of hay and straw at the
east end of the town, was on Tuesday examined be-
fore Mr. N %nes, at Bow-street, on suspicion of be-
ing concerned in forging and uttering drafts 'for the
payment of bitty considerable same of moneY4: open
three bankers in the city, and was committed for
farther examination. •

A Court-Martial was held en Saturday, at Portil.!
mouth, on J. Smith, boats Wain of his Majesty's ship
ilfttros, for absenting himself from that ship without
leave, and returning in a state of intoxication ; which i
charges being proved, he was sentenced to be dis.
missed from his office as boatswain, and to serve in j
such capacity on board any of his -Majesty's ships as
the Commander in Chief may think fit.
A very active impress has taken place within these
few days in the river, and at the several out-ports. !
So great is the demand for seamen, that the itidul-
vice hitherto granted by the Board of Admiralty,
it allowing the release of individuals under certain
restrictions, is, it is said, suspended during the pre-
Dent exigency.
An ancient Dowager of distinction, wishing to put
time Rubella gloss of sixteen on half that had passed
as many years above sixty, lately made use of an
" infallible composition" for that p'urpose.--Vrhen,
in two or three trials, her woolly ringlets underwent'
a wonderful change—they became a beautiful scar-
let,
having the appearance of a knot of died cotton—
and
she was 'untlifebe necessity of applying the cruel
razor to her glowing pate, and exthanging a natural
•
for an artificial wig !
On Wednesday se'nnieht, a men who had been'
drinking with a recruiting party during the whole
forenoon, at the Mermaid public-house, in Lewin's
Mead, iu attempting to take French leave of his ho-
nourable company, jumped into the rifer Froome,
at the back of the house, and was *owned.