This is no mean imitation of Cunningham; but as we have not the works of that poet immediately at hand, we cannot say how far our author has extended his imitation, by copying his thoughts and expreffions, as well as his manner. The Mafque is taken from Fenelon's Telemachus, with fome fmall variations. For example, at the con lufion, when Mentor and Telemachus are fitting on the rock, and perceive their ship in flames, the goddefs of wifdom affumes her proper form, gives her inftructions to the young hero, and leaves him to swim alone to the Phoenician fhip, The author has not made all the advantage he might have done of Calypfo's foliloquy, in the feventh book, in which the various and contending paffions of love, jealoufy, rage, and defpair, are admirably defcribed by Fenelon. There is a paffage in Minerva's laft fpeech, which is inconfiftent with her fupernatural wisdom and penetration. She fays & -In Time's deep womb An hour is rip'ning, when this earthly globe, Shall to the centre shake.' That fage goddess should have recollected that gaffer Time, an old bald-headed fellow, has no WOMB! The Sportsman's Dictionary; or the Gentleman's Companion: for Town and Country, 4to. 18s. boards. Fielding and Walker. THOUGH this Dictionary cannot claim the merit of being entirely new, it is at least a much improved edition of an entertaining and useful miscellany, which has been fome years out of print. In many articles we meet with confiderable enlargements, and among them an abstract of the game laws. But the nature and usefulness of the work will best appear from the Preface, which we fhall therefore infert. The mind of man is incapable of a conftant application, either to study or bufinefs; it is therefore highly necessary to relieve it, at convenient feafons, by fuch relaxations as may re fresh its faculties, and recruit the animal fpirits that have been diffipated by laborious pursuits, or a length of strict attention. And when the amusements to which we have recourse, on such occafions, are friendly to health, delightful to the fenfes, and perfectly confiftent with innocence, they have all the recommendations we can poffibly defire. The diverfions that are the fubject of these sheets, are entirely of this nature, and are fo peculiarly adapted to scenes of rural life, that a just knowledge of them is confidered as a neceffary accomplishment in gentlemen, who devote their vacant hours to the country, P 2 • It It would be needlefs to enlarge on the fatisfactions and advantages they are capable of affording us. No profpect of nature can awake more pleafing ideas in the imagination, than a landskip, diftributed into verdant woods, and opening lawns, with the diverfity of extended plains, flowery meadows, and clear ftreams: the heart of a contemplative beholder melts into fecret raptures at the inchanting view, and he is immediately prompted to hail the Great Benefactor who fheds fuch a profufion of beauties around him. But when he likewife regards them as fo many rich magazines, intended for the accommodation of his table, as well as for the improvement of his health, and the folace of his mind, he begins to think it a reproach to him to be unacquainted with the manner of acquiring thefe enjoyments that were created for his ufe with fo much liberality; and he is then convinced that hunting, fowling, fishing, and riding, are more neceffary to his welfare than at first he might imagine. In order therefore to render thefe, and other rural recreations, as intelligible and familiar as poffible, we have carefully collected the beft obfervations that have been made on each article; we have confulted all authors on this occafion, and have selected every particular from them, that we thought would contribute to pleasure and improvement; and, as we were defirous to render this work as complete as poffible, we have prevailed upon feveral gentlemen of distinguished abilities and experience, to favour us with a great number of interefting paffages, that we are perfuaded will be very acceptable and inftructive to those who have an inclination to gain a competent knowledge of these agreeable fubjects. As our intention was to make this performance equally per fpicuous and regular, we have digested it into the form of a dictionary, in which we have been careful to range under each head every particular peculiar to it, fo as to illuftrate the articles in the most effectual manner; by which means we have rendered the whole fo methodical and familiar, even to a common comprehenfion, that we flatter ourselves we fhall not be taxed with obfcurity in any material circumftance neceffary to be underflood. We may likewife venture to add, that the plan we have pursued, through the whole courfe of these fheets, will eafe the curious of the expence and trouble of confulting a num ber of books written on thefe fubjects, fince, as we have already intimated, all imaginable care has been taken to extract from the most approved authors, whatever obfervations may be. neceffary to give our readers a clear and expeditious knowledge of all the different branches of thefe pleafing recreations; as well as receipts from the different authors of established repu tation for the cure of moft complaints incident to horfes, dogs, &c. with proper inftructions for the most ignorant to prevent their being impofed on in purchafing horfes, by defigning dealers in those valuable animals.? Angling Angling, and the various other modes of fresh-water fishing, form a variety of articles; all of which are clear and explicit, and fome of them even new. The hunting the wild boar, and feveral other ferine animals, is defcribed in a manner at leaft entertaining, though ufelefs in this country. Dogs form a variety of copious articles, of which we shall present our readers with that on pointers. • POINTERS. Their great utility and excellence in fhooting partridges, moor, or heath-game, which make them worthy our regard, are well known. There is fo great a variety of pointers of different make and fize, and some good of each kind; that it is no wonder men fhould differ in their opinions concerning them. The pointers beft approved are not fmall, nor very Jarge; but fuch as are well made, light and ftrong, and will naturally ftand. A fmall pointer, though ever fo good in his kind, can be but of little fervice in hunting, particularly through a ftrong piece of turnips, broom or heath; and the feet of a large heavy dog, will foon be tired by his own weight. 'Tis proper for a young sportsman to procure a dog that is well broken, and to enquire the method and words he has been used to by his former mafter in breaking and hunting with him: otherwise the dog will have a new leffon to learn. But if a young sportsman is defirous of breaking his own dogs, the following is the method advised. Having made choice of a whelp of a known good breed, begin when about three or four months old to teach him to couch at a piece of bread, caufing him to lie, whilst you walk round him at fome diftance, and come nearer to him by degrees : when he has lain as long as you think proper, reward him with the piece of bread and fpeak kindly to him. Teach him to fetch and carry, to bring a glove or a bird of any fort after you; always obferving to cheer him with kind expreffions. when he does well, and check or fpeak roughly to him when he does not obey. Ufe him to obey by whistle and figns with your hand as much as poffible; for it is a bad way to make more hallooing in the field than is neceffary. When you chastise him, it should be with a whip, fo as to make him remember it, ufing a rough voice at the fame time; but the chastisement should not be too fevere, and the words you use to him as few as poffible. When he is about five months old, ufe him frequently to be tied up, let him have off his chain for half an hour or an hour morning and evening. It is beft to give him his leffons in a morning before you feed him, with your own hand, that it may feem as a reward, the more to endear you to him; but do not overfeed him. Take him out whenever you walk, fometimes leading him in a string; fuffer him to go a little before you, and fometimes behind; but when loofe never fuffer him to go far from you, unless you hunt with him; and oblige him to come to you at the word back, or here; train him thus by continual leffons, till his attention is always on you to know what P 3 he he is to do. It will not be amifs frequently to fire off a little powder, and to make him lie down whilft you load again, whh will not only teach him to ftand fire, but will also make him acquainted with his bufinefs in the field; from the neglect of which he would frequently fpring birds whilst you are loading. At fix, feven, or eight months old (for all dogs will not begin to hunt alike early) take him into the field the latter end of August: and if you have an old ftaunch pointer, take him with you at first to teach the other to hunt off. When your old deg makes a point, if the young one be not near, bring him up by degrees 'till he fpring the birds, and let him enjoy the fcent; which will encourage him to hunt. When you find he knows bi ds, and will hunt, it is beft to take him out alone: observe wich way the wind lies, and if you can conveniently, enter on that fide of the piece you intend to hunt in, which is oppofite the wind, and do not fuffer your dog to go in before you, caft him off to the right or left, crofs before the wind, walking lowly the fame way 'till he be got to the fide of the piece, then whifle or give the word back, at the fame time walking the Contrary way, pointing with your hand the way you would have hin go; bring him back till he comes to the other hedge or fide of the field; advancing forward ten or twelve yards, every time he croffes you; repeat this till you have regularly hunted through the whole field; by which means you will certainly find birds if there be any. When he points, walk up to him, and go forward flowly towards the birds: when you think you are within a few yards of them, if they lie and your dog be fteady, walk in a circle round them, coming nearer by degrees 'till you Spring the birds. If your dog runs after them (as most young dogs will do) check him with rough words; but if he continues doing fo you must chaftife him fmartly with your whip 'till you break him of that fault. It is very common with young dogs that will ftand at firft, afterwards, to break in and spring the birds; which you must never indulge him in. Put a few fmall ftones in your pocket, and when he ftands, endeavour to head him, that is, to get before him, holding up your hand with a ftone ready to throw at him, to deter him from fpringing the birds, whilft you can walk round him; or if it be convenient, take a perfon with you on horfeback, and when your dog commits a fault, or does not obey your call or whistle; let him ride after and whip him: and at the fame time, if you whiftle or call, he will naturally come to you for protection, Thus he will learn to come to you, as he always fhould do, when he has committed a fault; for if he was punished severely by yourself, you would find he would not come near you when he knew he had done wrong: which would render it difficult to break him; but if this method be observed; by harsh words and moderate correction he will foon get the better of the foible and become ftaunch. When he commits a fault, command your temper in correcting him, and let it be without paffion, and let no fault provoke you to kick or ftrike fo as to hurt him. • The The breed of pointers which has been mixed with English Spaniels, fuch as are for fetting-dogs, (in order to have fuch as will run faft and hunt brifkly) are according to the degrees of Spaniel in them, difficult to be made ftaunch, and many of them never will ftand well in company. The method already given is the most likely to fucceed with thefe, but I would by no means advise a young sportsman to meddle with fuch. If you find your dog refractory, and cannot easily make him ftand, yet find fome qualities that induce you to take a good deal of trouble with him (fuch as a very extraordinary fagacity in fcent and that of a strong bold hunter) when he knows birds well, you may hunt him with a leather ftrap three or four yards long, fastened to his collar, which by his treading on it frequently will shorten his fpeed, and render him the easier to be stopped. Some will hunt him with a collar lined with another, through. which feveral clout-headed nails are put, the points inward, and a line faftened thereto: which will not only check his running too faft, but when he ftops, if the line be long enough for you to get fo near as to fet your foot on or take hold of it, if he bolts forward he will be pricked fo as to make him remember it, and will endeavour to avoid the repetition of that punishment. You must be very ftrict with him, and not hunt him in company with any other dog, 'till he be quite ftaunch : it often cofts a great deal of trouble to make him fo; but fuch dogs when broken, do often turn out the best. Some are of opinion that the way to make pointers and well in company is, when they are young, to take them out conftantly with your old ftaunch dogs, and they will learn by degrees to stand both with or without company. But unlefs he is of a breed known to stand naturally, you will find more difficulty in breaking a vicious dog in company than by himfelf. It is also common, not to begin to enter pointers 'till near a year old; because using them very young fhortens their speed. Suppose there is truth in this maxim, and your dog fhould not hunt altogether so fast, a fufficient amends will be made for his want of fwiftnefs, by hunting more carefully, nor will he run upon birds or pafs them unnoticed as dogs which run very faft are apt to do.' The articles relative to horfes, horfemanship, and farriery, are alfo numerous, and many of them valuable; particularly thofe refpecting the age of a horfe, and rules for buying horses. Under the word Journey, we find directions for the management of a horse in travelling, which, on account of the information it contains, we fhall admit to a place in our Review. See that his fhoes be not too ftreight, or prefs his feet, but be exactly shaped: and let him be fhod fome days before you begin a journey, that they may be settled to his feet. P 4 • Ob. |