Account of the New Comedy of How to be Happy: 307 with his wife, whom he paffes for a foreign lady of quality. He mars this fcheme by returning intoxicated to her home, where Sedgegrove overhears him from The latter is his concealment. in confequence determined to do juftice to Mifs Harcourt, and by his repentance, the uncles are conciliated, and the lovers made happy. come From this fketch, our readers will fee how little there is in this drama that is new, and how much lefs that is probable. It is faid in the prologue, to from " an untried pair," and is of course entitled to all the lenity of criticifm.-There is a good attempt at contraft of characters in the portraits of the two uncles, the one of whom views mankind on the dark, and the other on the bright fide of the picture: there is much humour alfo in the homely character of Mumps, catching not only the paffions, but the diforders of his The remarks on men and manners are fuch as may be fuppofed to iffue from a juvenile obfervation. The dialogue has not the combination of a strong, or the refearches of an informed mind. If the author be young, his work is not without promife; if he has feen many years, we should advife him to quit the purfuit of fo capricious a miftrefs as the Dramatic Mufe. The fcene of this comedy is laid at Brighthelmftone. Young Harlowe and Young Manley are nephews half-difcarded, and totally unknown to their refpective uncles. The latter arriving firft, and finding that Sir Charles is about to give his ward Lady Ju-mafter. lia to Mr. Harlowe, takes that gentleman's name, and makes his approaches to his uncle, and his addreffes to the lady. The latter, being enamoured of Julia Harcourt, lends his countenance to the deception, until, from a change of circumftances, he shall be enabled to develope the impoftor. Sedgegrove is the guardian of Julia Harcourt, who is driven by the embarreffment of hie affairs, and the advice of Scamper, a gambling fwindler, to name to her a husband, of whom he is aware, her attachment to Harlowe will lead her to difapprove, for the purpofe of obtaining her fortune, which by that refufal devolves to himself. The infamy of Scamper is foon detected. He endeavours to enfnare Sedgegrove into an intrigue VOL. IV. No. XXIV. The moral throughout is un exceptionable; the cataftrophe inculcates in the inftance of Sedgegrove, that every departure from virtue is a deviation from the way 66 to be happy." The comedy was given out with a mixture of applaufe and difapprobation, for a fecond per formance. 308 Anecdotes of Mr. Philidor. ANECDOTES of Mr. PHILIDOR. Communicated by himself. A to the game, that he neglected bis fcholars, and they confequently took another master. This induced him rather to purfue the ftudy of chefs than of mufic. Mr. de Kermui, Sire de Legalle, who is ftill living, and was then near forty years of age, 'was esteemed the beft chefs-player in France, and young Philidor fought every opportunity of re NDRE Danican Philidor, was born at Dreux, near Paris, in 1726. His grandfather was a hautbuoy player at the court of Louis XIII. An Italian musician named Philidor, was admired at that court for his performance on the fame inftrument; and after his departure,ceiving his inftructions, by which the king gave Mr. Danican the fobriquet, or nick-name of Philidor, which has ftill remained in the family. His father and feveral of his brothers, belonged to the band of Lewis XIV. and XV. At fix years of age he was admitted among the children of the Chapel-Royal, at Verfailles, where, being obliged to attend daily, he had an opportunity of learning chefs from the musicians in waiting, of whom there were about eighty. Cards not being allowed fo near the Chapel, they had a long table, with fix chefsboards inlaid. At the age of eleven, a motet, or pfalm with choruffes, of his compofition, was performed, which pleafed Louis XV. fo much, that he gave the compofer five louis: this encouraged the lad to compofe four more. When he had attained his four. teenth year, he left the Chapel, and was then reputed the moft fkilful chefs-player of the band. This was in 1740, when feveral motets of his compofition were performed at Paris, at the Concert Spirituel, which were favourably received by the public as the production of a child, who was already a mafter and teacher .of mufic. At this time chefs was played at, in almost every coffee-houfe in Paris, and he applied fo clofely he improved fo effentially, that three years after, Mr. de Legalle, though ftill his mafter, was not able to allow him any advantage. Mr. de Legalle once afked him whether he had never tried to play by memory, without feeing the board? Philidor replied, that as he had calculated moves, and even whole games at night in bed, he thought he could do it, and immediately played a game with the Abbé Chenard, which he won without feeing the board, and without hefitating upon any of the moves; this was a circumfiance much spoken of in Paris, and, in confequence, he often repeated this method of playing. Philidor then finding he could readily play a fingle game, offered to play two games at the fame time, which he did at a coffee: houfe; and of this party the following account is given in the French Encyclopedic : "We had at Paris, a young man of eighteen, who played at the fame time, two games at chefs, without feeing the boards, beating two antagonists, to either of whom he, though a first-rate player, could only give the advantage of a knight, when feeing the board. We hall add to this account, a circumftance of which we were eye-witneffes. In the middle of one of his games, a falfe move was defignedly made, which, after a great number of moves, Pedigree and Performances of Windlestone. moves, he discovered, and placed the piece where it ought to have been at first. This young man is named Mr. Phillidor, the fon of a musician of repute; he himself is a great musician, and perhaps the best player of Polish draughts there ever was, or ever will be. This is among the most extraor dinary examples of strength of memory, and of imagination." Forty years after this, he played two different times in London, three games at once. Of one of thefe exertions, the following account appeared in the London new fpapers in May, 1783: 66 Yefterday, at the chefs-club in St. James's-ftreet, Mr. Phillidor performed one of those wonderful exhibitions for which he is fo much celebrated. He played at the fame time three different games, without feeing either of the tables. His opponents were, Count Bruhl, Mr. Bowdler (the two beft players in London) and Mr. Maferes. He defeated Count Bruhl in an hour and twenty minutes, and Mr. Maferes in two hours. Mr. Bowdler reduced his game to a drawn battle in an hour and three quarters. To thofe who understand chefs, this exertion of Mr. Phillidor's abilities muft appear one of the greatest of which the human memory is fufceptible. He goes through it with aftonishing accuracy, and often corrects miftakes in thofe who have the board before them. Mr. Phillidor fets with his back to the tables, and fome gentleman prefent who takes his part, informs him of the move of his antagonist, and then, by his direction, plays his pieces as he dictates.' The other match was with Count Bruhl, Mr. Jennings, and Mr. Erskine, to the laft of whom 309 he gave a pawn and the move : the Count made a drawn game, and both the other gentlemen loft their games." But to return in 1745, he became acquainted with an Italian named Lanza, whofe daughter was looked on as a prodigy for her talents on the harpsichord, though but thirteen years of age. This man engaged Phillidor to go. with him to Holland, to meet Geminiani, Geminiani, who had promifed his affiftance in giving twelve fubfcription concerts, in which the girl was to perform. She being indifpofed, was left with her mother at Paris: and at Rotterdam her father received the newsof her death. Thus Phillidor found himself in a foreign country, pennylefs, and bereft of all his hopes of advantage from the propofed concerts. His kill at draughts was now a great refource to him at Rotterdam and Amfterdam: he remained a twelvemonth in Holland, refiding chiefly at the Hague, where he became acquainted with Colonel la Deves, a relation of the late Lord Ligonier, and with the Prince of Waldeck, who then commanded the Dutch army, both chefsplayers; the former was fo fkillful, that Phillidor could only give him a knight: the Prince rewarded him nobly for his inftructions. (To be concluded in our next.) 310 Pedigree and Performances of Windlestone. ftone won. Same week he won 50l. for all ages, heats-two miles and three quarters each, beating at two heats (rode by W. Arnett) Tamerlane and an Alfred colt of Mr. Hutchinfon's; 3 to 1 he won. At York Auguft Meeting, he won the King's Plate for 6 yr olds, beating Falstaff; 4 to 1 on Windleftone. At Edinburgh, October Meeting, he won the King's Plate at three 4-mile heats, beating Newbyth. At Ayr he walked over for a Plate of 50l. In 1790, Windlestone won 50l. for al ages, at Wakefield, al two 4-mile heats, beating Abbe Thulle, Symmetry, Spangle, and Seedling. At Morpeth, he won 50l. for all ages, at two 4-mile heats, beating Ostrich and Rattler. At Northallerton, Mr. Bell's Windleftone won gol. at two 4-mile heats, beating Citizen; 5 to 2 and 3 to 1 he won. He was then fold to Mr. Fowler; and in 1791, he won 50l. at Chefter, two 4-mile heats, beating Brown, Charlotte, and Bywell. Next day he won the gold cup, at two 4-mile heats, beating Sulky, Citizen, Evergreen, Florizel, and Labourer, At Newcastle, he won gol. 4-mile heats, beating Scorpion, who was drawn after firft heat. At Edinburgh he won gol. 4-mile heats, beating Country Lafs, who was alfo drawn after first heat. Same meeting he won 50gs at two 4-mile heats, beating Mars and Oftrich. At Hamilton, he won 5ol. 4 mile heats beating Louifa, who was drawn after firft heat. He never started but once after, which was at Stockton, against Tamerlane ftone's dam is the dam of Heirefs, that bred Mr Wetherell's famous Delpini colt. &c. &c-The first time of his starting, was on Monday, April 17th, 1780, at Catterick Bridge, where he won a fweepstakes, 70gs for 3 yr olds, beating Maria, Sylvia, and four others. At Stockton, he won a Sweepstakes of 70gs for 3 yr olds, two miles, beating Penelope and Omen. At Morpeth, he won gol. for all ages, beating Dubfkelper, and a filly of Mr. Morris's. In 1787, Windleftone won 50l. for 4 yr olds, at Durham, beating Omen and Mifs Betfey, at two heats. At York, Auguft meeting, he won the great fubfcription for 4 yr olds, 4 miles, beating Maria, Highlander, Trojan, and Shipton, 7 to 1 he won, in running the laft diftance. In 1788, Mr. Baker's grey horfe Windleftone, won a Tweepstakes of 50gs, two miles, at York Spring Meeting, beating Blemish, Bonitas, and Abbefs, 6 to 4 on Windlestone. Same week he won gol. two miles and three quarters heat, beating Bramble, Grafton, and Changeling, 5 to 4 against him at ftarting, after the first heat 2 to 1 he won. At York, Auguft Meeting, he won the great fubfcription of 241gs and 14gs for 5 yr olds, 8ft. lb. four miles, beating Young Tuberofe, Poor Soldier, Skylark, and Mufti. At Carlile, he won the King's Plate, for 5 yr olds, at two 4-mile heats, beating Falstaff, 2 to 1 on Windleftone. In 1789, Windlestone, at York Spring Meeting, received 150gs forfeit from the Duke of Hamil ton's bay horfe Paragon, Sft. 7lb.and Cavendish; he was lame; but each, four miles. Same meeting he won a fweepstakes of 6ogs for all ages, two miles, beating Sir W. Vavafour's colt, by VertumBus, (afterwards Baronet) and Young Tuberofe, 5 to 4 Windie-mifing to make racers, from however, beat Tamerlane for the first heat, next he was drawn. He is now a ftallion, at 3gs and 58 blood mares: half price country mares. His flock are very pro On Hunting. Palmflower, Columba, Snowdrop, &c. &c. He is remrrkably ftrong, well made, and good, tempered, &c. &c. ON HUNTING. LETTER XIV. Fox HUNTING. To the Editors of the Sporting Magazine. YOUR, GENTLEMEN, new YOUR polite attention to my laft, has given me courage, and I now fet down to comply with the promife I made you at the conclufion of it. A fingularity of voice is the moft effential part of a huntfman's halloo, but as fuch a one is feldom to be met with, a preference hould be given to the horn, to which hounds fly more readily than to the huntfman's voice. When a fox is hallood, those who understand this bufinefs may get forward and halloo him again, yet they fhould be told if the hounds go a contrary way, or do not feem to come upon the line of him, to halloo no more, fuch halloos as ferve to keep the hounds together, and get on the tail hounds, are always of use : halloos of encouragement are too often injudiciously given, and generally fpoil your fport; how ever pleafing to the fportfman, halloos in view may be, they are exceedingly prejudicia! to the hounds hence arifes that indif ference which fometimes is to be perceived in fox-hounds, while purfuing their game; I would recommend it to fportfmen, not to take off the hounds to a halloo, unless when the fox is a great way before them, or perfifts in 311 If hourds be out of blood, and a fox run his foil, you need not fcruple to stop the tail hounds, and throw them in at head; or if the cover have any ridings cut in it, and the fox be often feen, the huntfman, by keeping fome hounds at his horfe's heels, at the first halloo that he hears, may throw them in close at himthis will put him out of his pace, and, perhaps, put him off his this is done) must be given to the foil; particular directions (when whipper-in to stop the pack, and get forward with them to the' hunfman. The obfervation I have before made, that hounds may be hallood too much, is verified in their frequent trufting more to their ears and eyes, than to their nofes. Mr. Beckford fays, "I have heard of a sportsman who never fuffers his hounds to be lifted;" he lets them pick along the coldeft fcent, through flocks of fheep. This 1S a particular ftyle of fox-hunting, which, perhaps may fuit the country in which that gentleman hunts, but I do not think it would fucceed in a bad fcenting country, where foxes are wild-whilft hounds can get on with the fcent, it cannot be right to take them off from it, but when they are ftopped for want of it, it cannot be wrong to give them every advantage in your power." There is a great impropriety in fuffering your hounds to hunt after others that are gone on with the fcent, particularly in cover; for the impracticability of their getting up to them with a worfe fcent must be obvious: befides, it makes them tie on the |