Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1827-08-23
THURSDAY, AUGUST %, 1927.
Extract from Sir oaoh B1ragton's Personal Sketches
ofiis0rs Timss
THE BOUNCE Or TIE SOFT WALL
AND THE HARD HEADS.

AND THE HARD HEADS.
/, must be promised, that Sir Jonah's broth>
er : al built hunting lodge; Of the description
Of the life he led, and OF the entertainment he
afTI,t.ed his guests, we must give some prelim-
inIry infosmalion.
ga hogsheo,, Of superior claret was therefore
sen, 10 the coitaee Of old Quin the huntsman;
and Fat COW, killed and p!andercd OF her skin,
was hung up by the heels. All the windows
: were closed to keep ouI the light One room
filled with straw and Numerous blankets, was
destined, for bed-chamher in common; and am
o,her was prepared as kitchen for the use ct
the servants. Claret, cold mulied, or buttered,
was to be the beverage for the whole company;
and IN addition to the cow above mentioned,
chickens, bacon and bread were the only adm
ted vians Wallace AMI H0sey, my fathers *
my brothers pipes, aud DuNie, d blind but
famous fiddler, ere emniGycd "a eniis"n the
banquet, which ii was determined should cen
tinue ill The COW heCamt skeleton, and the
clarel shorld be on us ,,oop.
"My two elder BROKERS; Two gentlemen OF
the name of Taylor Tore OF them afterwards a
writer IN India;) Mr.. Darlington Lodge,
rough songster; Frank Shelton, l"s!e: and
butt; Jenny Moffar, the most kacwing sports
man ofthe ucighborhood, and two other sport
ING gentlemen Of the county; composed the
permanent bacchanaiiaus. few visitors were
occasionally admitted
GAS for myself was too unsessonod TO 90
through ,aore than The frs, ordeal, which was
on a frosty ST Stephens day, when the hard
goers' psrjook &c their opening banquet, and
several ncigi.5ors WC4e iuNIt,a, 10 hoG"r the
commencement OF what they called their 'ShW
up pilgrimage
The old huntsman was the only male =,
tendanl; ant his ancient spouse, once kltehr"
maid IN The family, now somewhat resembling
the amiable Leonardo Ill Gil Bias, was the
cook; whilst the drudgery fell 10 the lot oil the
whipper-n. A long knife was prepared to SUI
oollops from the COW; a large turF fire SCENE
10 court the gridiron; the pot dubbed No as II
proud ur its contents, whist plump white chick
ems foated in crowds upon the surface oil The
water: the ,immerng potatoes, just bursting
theirdrab surtouts, exposed the delicate white
ness Of their mealy bosons; the ciaret was tap
ped and the long ear.hen wide-mouthed pitch
ers stood ga ing under the impatient cock, to
receive their portions. The pipers piled their
chaunts; the fodder tuned his cremona; * never
did any feast commence with more asSpicious
appearances Of hilarity and dissipation, appear
ances which were not doomed TO be faisihcd.
81 shall never forget the attraction this nov
city had for nv youthful mind. All thoughts
but those of good cheer were for the time to-
tally obiiterated. few curses were, it's true.
requisite TO spar on old Leopafda's skill, but at
length the banquet entered; the luscious smok
ed bacon, bedded on its cabbage mattrass, and
partly obsoured by its own savourv steam,
might have tempted the most fastldio"s Ut ep-
icures whilst The round russed chickens,
ranged by the half dozen on hot pewter dishes,
turned up their white plump merry thoughts,
exciting equally the eye and the appetite: ia'
collops of the hanging COW, sliced lndiscrlmi-
nately from her tenderest points, gr'i'ed over
the clear embers upon shining grid'ron, ha!f
drowned in heir own luscious juices, and gar
nished with little pyramids OF congenial shalois
smoked at the BOTTOM of the well,furnished
board. A prologue Of cberry-boun1e (hrshdy)
preceded the entertainment, which was eoi''-
ened by hob nobs and JOYOUS toasts.
"Numerous toasts, In fact, as was customary
in those days, interviewed to prolons and give
zesI 10 the repas,-e,ery man sheHied forth
his fair favoritc; or val pledge; and each
voluntarily surrendered a portion Of his own
reason, in bumpers 10 the auty oil his neigh
boris toasts. The ripers jerked from their
bags appropriate planx,ies to every jolly sen'l-
men,; the iokers cracked the usual Jests and
ribaluryj one songster chaunted the Joys oil " Inc
and women, another gave ia i"li giee, the plea
sures of the fox chase; the iddier sawed his
merriest jigs; the old hun,swan sounded bis
horn, and, thrusting his fore-hnger into his ear,
(to aid the Quaver,l gave the U'etc hoI'at oil
nearly ten minutes duration--to which melody
taNy no! was responded by .vety sientorian
voice. A fex's brush stuck into candIes,ick,
in the centre Of the table, was worshpPcd as a
divinitvi Claret howe,i--hnmpers were moltI-
plied-S chickens, in the garb OF spicy spitoh-
cocks, assumed the name OF dsriIs, TO whet me
appe,i,es which it was impossible to conquer"
Vol l. PIP. SIS
Now for the Bounce, the scene OF which lies
in the new built cottage which Mr.. Henry
French Darlington had lately built, as conye-
nient spot for the celebration Of orgies similar
to those already described. Sir Jonah ana n''
lady, one morning travelling in the district