66 them that I was not a bagsman. Of course they were "mum" about business transactions, and began to talk of things in general. Amongst other topics they discoursed about fishing, one or two proving an ap prenticeship to the gentle art ;" others betraying their utter ignorance of the matter, while some asked me if I considered University learning, entering holy orders, or going to the bar good speculations? Argument with such men was impossible, so I merely said it was a matter of taste, and soon after left these tasteless "gents" to exult in their skill, to calculate their price in tea or broadcloth, and retired to rest, thanking my stars that I was not doomed to be "a bagsman." Speculation," I muttered to myself in bed, till I wished the word struck out of the English tongue, and began to think my troublesome terrier was not a good "speculation." Past captures of trout and imaginary future success amused me for some time, and I gradually gave way to dreams, in which the English lakes, and anticipated Charley, sick dogs, and "commercials" were strangely jumbled together, till the announcement, "Eight o'clock, sir!" by the Boots once more brought me to the common sense of daylight. Within an hour I had the pleasure of beholding one of my friends of the previous evening devouring ham-andeggs for breakfast, as substantial realities, and not as mere matters of "speculation." I longed to meet my old college friend, and after two disappointments I recognised him at a distance on the platform, as he landed safely from an afternoon train. Physiognomy was out of the question; but as we had both equipped ourselves at Cambridge in an entire suit of shepherd-tartan, cap, plaid, and short gaiters, all corresponding, we knew each other in an instant. A hearty shake of the hand, and an order about my friend's luggage being concluded, we wended our way to the inn, to astonish more commercials" with another pack of samples. Next morning Rodney was taken fasting from his quarters, and once more hoisted on a coach. The weather was lovely and cheerful, and in accordance with our then exuberant spirits; our route in itself was beautiful, and the sun shone brightly, and made the most miserable object put on its best attire. In a short time we reached the clean comfortable inn of Newby Bridge, at the head of Windermere, where we and our luggage were deposited "all serene." Ere long, after ordering our dinner, we were in the landlord's boat, and pulling like Cantabs down the lake. The day was hot, and our friend, a good swimmer, began to divest himself of his garments, giving me his watch, while in puris naturalibus he plunged into the "vasty deep,' and was lost to view; while I pulled the boat ashore, where, after sunning himself like a seal upon a sand-bank, he made his toilet, and then assisted me to pull home to dinner. I shall not attempt to describe the furtive glances which he cast at a very pretty Cumberland girl who waited upon us. Suffice it to say, that fearing a second edition of "Mary of Buttermere" might be enacted, I sent for the landlord to take a glass and a pipe with us, and give us information regarding our pedestrian journey. A kind, civil, and intelligent man obeyed the summons; and amid the fumes of tobacco and the landlord's excellent anecdotes, my friend's dangerous admiration subsided into places, distances, and fishing. Next day we sent our portmanteaus by coach to Carlisle, and putting on our knapsacks we started for the Ferry Inn. We postponed our departure till the noontide heat was over, and then leisurely pursued our walk, which continued along the bank of the lake, with its numerous villas and gardens, while over-hanging wood frequently afforded refreshing shade, and the fine majestic forms of the northern mountains rendered the locality a land of enchantment. By-and-bye we heard the enlivening horn, and the coach with a galloping team of horses swung past us, and we saw our luggage rapidly making its way to Carlisle. We came in for a fine cloud of dust, and part of an opera on an Italian organ, as we halted for a few minutes at the road-side. Just before we crossed the lake to go to the Ferry Inn, we came to what was in fact a very comfortable summer-house on a large scale, built in an octangular form, with windows, and tolerably furnished. This was used by the proprietor of a nice house and estate as his law office, and it certainly offered a most striking contrast to the gloomy chambers of Lincoln's Inn, and, although certainly not a very central situation one would say, yet I could imagine the practice of a solicitor very agreeable in such a situation. Charley was slightly acquainted with this gentleman, who appeared inclined to show us every hospitality, took us about his grounds, showed us over his yet unfinished house, and gave us full permission to fish to our heart's content in a small lake or "tarn" on the hill, a little above his residence. Here we tickled the fancy of the trout, which were small, but very numerous, and set them jumping and hooking at almost every cast. Two at a time would frequently come ashore, while three times that number would leap at the same fly at once. After satisfying our piscatory appetite, we started, accompanied by the solicitor, in his boat, which lay moored under "the office" window. We pulled merrily over; while the lawyer, having taken two strong rods from his "place of business," put them out at the stern, and lengthening line as we went, two small trout were soon spinning in our wake, both of which ere long attracted the appetite of the hungry pike. I took one rod, and the solicitor grasped the other, and it was now "pull, devil; pull, baker." Whirr went the reels like lightning, the rods being doubly strained, until the boat became nearly stationary, when, after some indignant flourishes, we gaffed two good-sized pike, and placed them at the bottom of the boat-rather to the disgust of Rodney, who had the good sense to look upon them as dangerous customers; and, when after some time we caught another, he would have no more of it, and, jumping out of the boat, followed us at a respectful distance, and swam ashore. Our three pike and one good trout completed our captures in crossing the lake. The solicitor accepted our invitation, and we spent a merry evening together; indeed it was verging towards "the small hours" ere our conclave broke up, and we wished Mr. good night. After we were gone to bed it poured a torrent, and the night, or rather morning, was very dark, but the "man of law" would not accept the landlord's offer of a bed, but, lantern in hand, went down to his boat, and pulled home, singing as if he had not been supping with Father Mathew. We remained at the Ferry Inn the following day, killing more fish, trolling, and called to wish Mr. adieu, as we determined to start the next morning. Next day, after skirting the lake to its final extent, we lost sight T of that beautiful sheet of water which lay calm as a mirror, reflecting every object around, and shortly afterwards we reached the pretty village of Ambleside, where we halted for the night. On the following day, at eleven o'clock, we commenced the long and steep ascent on our road to Patterdale, which we reached in the afternoon, when the beautiful Ullswater burst upon our view. We secured our quarters in the sequestered little inn, and then taking the landlord's boat, were soon at the angler's trade again. We used hackles and spider flies, which are here preferred to winged ones. In the course of two hours our creels were well lined with average-sized lively trout, which rose as fast as we could wish them. A fair allowance of our fish were soon in the frying-pan, and an addition of ham and eggs, excellent milk and butter, enabled us to combine the two meals of tea and dinner. Next day being Sunday, we went to the primitive little church, where the plain, homely discourse of a true Cumberland clergyman was well adapted to his hearers. Midway between Amble. side and Keswick, near a small inn, stands the little unpretending chapel of Wythburn, where a grey horse was tethered in the grass within the gate when I passed that way. This beast was the property of the minister, who came from a distance to officiate, and who left the Rosinante that conveyed him to the chapel to graze till his return, riding home upon the other which he had left behind at his last visit. The morning of a race-meeting is an amusing and important crisis, at a place of fashionable resort like Aberystwith, where the visitors and inhabitants all appear on the stage in their respective characters, to perform their parts with enthusiastic zeal and ability. It is a great relief to the monotony which usually prevails. Ladies'-maids and valets are actively engaged in the getting-up of their mistresses and masters in the most becoming and approved style. The selection of costume and coiffure most attractive that which is best suited to the varieties of feature incident to the human form-is an art-peradventure it may be called a science-in which all are not equally adepts; yet it is a talent of serious importance to young ladies and gentlemen who kneel at the shrine of admiration. Many a belle is materially indebted to her maid for the judicious selection of colours suitable to the complexion. Noon-time had passed; and the preparations for going to the course were in a state of imposing activity. Not a vehicle or horse was there in the town that had not been enlisted for the purpose. A stylish park phaeton, drawn by a pair of handsome quick-stepping Welsh Galloways, was brought round to the door of one of the principal houses on the Parade. "Whose turn-out is that?" was the pass-word of inquiry through the ranks of assembled spectators. "Is it Lady C's, or Lady W's, or the Honourable Mrs. V's?"-names well known on Newmarket Heath-were interrogatories quickly put; but there was no one to solve the problem. It was a carriage that had arrived late the preceding night, and the name of its owner had not transpired; so, under the mask of incognition, the reader must be content to subdue his curiosity. While the wondering crowd were puzzling with conjectures, a lady, gaily attired in the most fashionable costume of the day, was ceremoniously handed to the vehicle by her attentive lord. The stranger was evidently one of those who study effect; and not to have taken a cursory survey of his horses and their appointments, previous to ascending the carriage, would have betrayed want of circumspection and ceremony incompatible in an aspirant to the distinction of a knight of the ribbons. Just as he was ordering his servant to take up a link in the well-polished steel pole-chain, his lady's attention was attracted by the appearance of a small portion of pale-blue satin peeping out from the driving-box. Her curiosity being excited, she was prompted to examine its contents, when she discovered a cap and jacket, together with boots, leather, and spurs-the necessary equipments for riding a race. With the determination of a heroine, which on a more gracious occasion would have deserved the distinction of a dignified air, she hurled the offending emblems of the jockey in divers directions, at the same time exclaiming, in a voice not quite significant of feminine softness "How dare you attempt to take these things! I told you, you should not ride. I'm determined to expose you. I should never have dreamt of your treatment." The irate lady had evidently forgotten that, by her violent mode of exposing her husband, she had unfortunately attracted notice which reflected exposure on herself, and that she had exhibited an ebullition of feeling quite the reverse of that which elicits admiration. With a composure which did him great credit, the stranger collected the scattered garments, and, having carried them into the house, returned, and, having taken his seat by his better half, drove off to the races. Few of those who witnessed the scene envied him his day's pleasure; and the expression was unanimous that, had he handed his lady back into the house, and left her solus, to meditate over her rashness, it would have afforded her an opportunity of studying those graces which are most endearing in the fair sex. Under the impression of getting a chance-mount at the eleventh hour, in the expectation that one of the gentlemen-riders, whose maiden-race it was, might find this species of amusement more difficult than he had anticipated, and tire with the first heat, when he might be glad to enlist the services of any gentleman who would be so kind as to officiate for him, and win with a horse, after having had all the steel taken out of him, our amiable friend had ordered his servant to consign the racing-toggery to the driving-box. As Epsom, with its Derby attractions, draws crowds from all quarters; as Ascot by the prestige of royal favour, and glorious Goodwood by the influence of rank and fashion, stand prominent on the scroll of fame, adding lustre to the racing annals of Europe-so did Aberystwith Races take the lead in the Principality of Wales, the means of transit forming the chief impediment to a still greater share of patronage. Distant turfites were then tempted to send their horses in consequence of the liberal and attractive conditions of the stakes-an evident improvement upon olden times, when they were somewhat injuriously exclusive. Upon this occasion, the principal interest was centred in two events -the Principality Stakes, for which Ap Shenkin's horse Maescwm was entered; and the Aristocratic Stakes. Most race-meetings have their great events set apart for certain days; why should Aberystwith be an exception? and after these great events have been brought to an issue, few care about the "little goes" put in to augment the lists. They are like the side-dishes at a banquet, of which there are not many who partake, having satisfied their appetites with more substantial fare. Ap Shenkin's horse Maescwm was supposed to have been by far the best three-year-old ever bred in Wales; and many were the lamentations at his not having been entered for the Derby, that his popular owner might have had the chance of waving the "blue ribbon of the Turf" in Cambria's fair land-an event upon which many a sanguine Welshman would have invested his capital, and as surely have lost it. The Aristocratic Stakes were in those days confined to gentlemen-riders, without the very objectionable clause (which has gained too great an ascendancy) of permitting professiouals to ride by carrying the penalty of some few pounds' extra weight, than which nothing can be more inconsistent. There are several gentlemen who, from their extensive practice, can ride quite as well as second-rate professionals; and it very seldom happens that jockeys of high repute are engaged on such occasions. Moreover, there is something like insult implied. If a gentleman who is sufficiently light thinks fit to ride in a race for which there is no restriction, well and good. Stakes confined to gentlemen-riders create great interest and excitement at provincial meetings-where they ought to be encouraged-where amusement is the order of the day. At the business-meetings, if the term may be permitted, gentlemen-riders are out of their element. The custom of admitting professionals was introduced at a period when some difficulty was experienced in procuring gentlemen duly qualified by position and ability; and the innovation has tended very materially to thin their ranks. No previous meeting had ever attracted so great an assemblage of all classes. The mansions of the surrounding gentry were full of visitors, and the presiding genius of hospitality reigned supreme. There are many pleasing reminiscences connected with olden times forcibly impressed on the hearts of those who have experienced the cordial welcomes invariably offered to them on visiting Wales, and how well these lines apply: "When Time, who steals our cares away, Shall steal our pleasures too, The memory of the Past shall stay, |