from him to the proprietors-including the insurance money which he promised but neglected to pay-was forwarded to him, with a request that he would say how and when it would be convenient to discharge the same. After considerable delay, an arrangement was made that he was to continue his "Letters on the Condition of Hunters," the proprietors deducting two-thirds of the amount he was entitled to in liquidation of his debt: but when these were completed, he declined all farther intercourse with the Magazine, leaving a debt, which, with farther insurance paid to last July, now amounts to upwards of Twelve Hundred Pounds!

The proprietors had no other alternative for the recovery or liquidation of their claim than to take legal proceedings against him: and when he found that they were in earnest, he solicited Mr. Tattersall to interfere to prevent the consequences. This Gentleman, with that kindness which has ever distinguished him, appointed an interview in the hope of reconciling both parties; and the proposal, which had previously been acted upon-viz. of his apportioning twothirds of whatever sum he might be entitled to receive monthly for his writings-was again agreed to; and Nimrod promised to pay the insurance in future, Mr. Tattersall very justly remarking, "that it was quite enough for the executrix of the late Mr. Pittman to lose the interest of the 20001. without having to pay 931. 10s. per annum (the amount of the insurance) to secure the principal at his death.”

Nimrod's immediate purpose was answered-the proceedings were stopped, and he agreed to pay the costs incurred; but when the draft of the deed was forwarded for his inspection, he objected to the sum actually paid for insurance, as well as to the costs, and refused to acknowledge the agreement, though drawn up in his presence by Mr. Tattersall himself.

Again the proceedings against him were renewed, and again did he manœuvre to defeat them. When the writ was sent down to arrest him, he got intimation of it, and left his home in time to evade the officer: but as his absence from his farm was not convenient to him, he induced Colonel Standen and Captain Ross-whose honour stands unimpeached, and who can vouch for the truth of this statement to endeavour to effect a compromise; and these Gentlemen accordingly called in Warwick-square, stating that a mistake had arisen, owing to the sum claimed on the unliquidated amount on the books previously to Mr. Pittman's death, Nimrod asserting that the executor had cancelled that debt. This was not true; neither had he any authority for so doing: but to shew the feeling of the execu

trix towards him-that no animosity subsisted on her part-she agreed to forego that claim, on condition that he would resume his pen, those Gentlemen pledging themselves that "Nimrod should conform to the former agreement, allowing two-thirds of the proceeds of his writings towards her claim, and pay the insurance :" adding, “that if a deed were again drawn up to this effect, Nimrod would sign and conform to it." Both Gentlemen expressed their high satisfaction at the liberality of the executrix, and departed.

That this was only another device of Nimrod to obtain time for his own purposes, is evident by the result; but, be it remembered, we entirely exonerate Colonel Standen and Captain Ross from even a suspicion of his baseness. The deed was sent to him, deducting the amount of the old debt so liberally conceded to him, but with the addition (as agreed to by his friends) of one year's insurance then paid, and the additional expenses incurred. To these he demurred, and again procrastinated a final settlement according with his own terms, till he got in his harvest, sold the stock, pocketed the cash, and then crossed the water-where he now is-to avoid the penalty of his dishonesty.

In December 1830, a letter was received from Mr. Tattersall, saying that he understood from Nimrod that the debt had been increased from the balance agreed to by Captain Ross and Colonel Standen, which was the cause of his refusing to execute the deed. To this we subjoin the executrix's reply, as the best elucidation of her opinion of his character, and shewing that she was no longer to be made a dupe to his pretended offers of negociation.

December 20, 1830.

"DEAR SIR, "In acknowledging the kindness with which you have interfered to bring about an arrangement with Mr. Apperley, I only wish now to justify myself to you from the appearance of vacillating from the proposal which I was induced, though I confess reluctantly, to accede to, and to shew that my statement to Mr. Boland was justified. Mr. Apperley is indebted to me in the amount stated, as fully appears from the books, in which every item is entered. When Captain Ross and Colonel Standen called in Warwick-square I satisfied them of my claim, but at the same time said, if Mr. Apperley would keep up his future deductions, and pay the insurance, I would not press the balance due previously to the new account. But this I wished to be understood as coming from myself, and not from any arrangement made by the executor. If I was to give up

so large a sum, I of course expected that I should have the credit of making the sacrifice. You know how that arrangement has been complied with on his part. He tried every experiment to procrastinate the business-at one moment acceding to everything, and the next making objections, only for the purpose of delay, and to enable him to dispose of his stock, and then flee the country, setting every principle of justice at defiance. I would have said honour, but he has so polluted the word that I should be sorry to use it in application to his conduct.

"He knew that a writ was out against him: he induced you to use your influence with me to hold it back, and he would come to terms. I did so: he returned to his home, disposed of his property, and ran away. He then sent an insulting letter to my Attorney, setting him at defiance.

"Previously to this he had circulated through the Sporting World a begging letter, soliciting subscriptions to indemnify him for losses sustained in his Tours! You know how liberally I paid him for his German excursion; and a clear statement, shewing that he drew from the Magazine to the tune of 15001. per year, will best evince the losses he suffered! This, however irrelevant to the point at issue, must convince every rational mind of the honour of the man! Could I then, when his friend (Mr. Boland) called to know if I was willing to enter into an arrangement-could I refrain from speaking to facts? Could I say he was only indebted to me in 6501. when he refused to conform to his own proposal, and I only conditionally admitted that I would not press an old-standing debt? Could I trust to the word of an individual whose only object was to aggrandise himself at my expense? I referred Mr. Boland to my Attorney. I could not even speak of future arrangements, when I felt confident he would not keep them, and that he only tried to induce me to withhold proceedings to enable him to return to England, and settle some of his own private business, when he would again have broken faith by some similar paltry excuse to that he had previously adopted. I spoke the truth; and Mr. Boland admitted that he could not stand forward as the advocate of conduct so disgraceful.

"I only wish to add, that if I had followed my own judgment, he would not have been able to talk so high. I was persuaded to show him lenity: you see how he has requited me, and falsified the opinion of those who thought they could rely on his promises.

"Having detailed the leading facts, I will not take up more of

your valuable time; but in again returning you my best thanks for your endeavours to reconcile the differences existing between an injured woman and that bad man,

"I subscribe myself, Sir, yours faithfully,

"To R. Tattersall, Esq."

M. A. PITTMAN,"

Since this period, Nimrod visited London in secret, and again made a proposal both through Mr. Tattersall and the executor of the late Mr. Pittman; to the effect that he had no objection to conform to the former arrangement, provided an annual sum (double the amount of the insurance) was given him, over and above what he was to receive for his writings! So that we were to deduct to the amount of something less than 601. per annum, and advance him nearly 2001. to pay it!!

We have been ever ready to perform our part of the contract to the very letter-to pay him to the full extent of the agreement, merely reserving a portion in liquidation of his debt: and at this ratio it would take at least twelve years to cancel the whole demand against him!

Having thus explained, as concisely as we could, the principal reasons of Nimrod's " disgust," we leave the case between us to the candour of a liberal and impartial public-merely observing that as we have been deprived of his services, we have supplied his desertion by Gentlemen of education and professed Sportsmen.

One word more to shew the animus of the man, and we have done with this part of our subject.-A short time previously to the death of Mr. Pittman, that Gentleman, at the solicitation of several eminent sportsmen, made arrangements for publishing in a separate volume "Nimrod's Letters on the Condition of Hunters," which had appeared in various Numbers of the SPORTING MAGAZINE, and actually paid him One Hundred Pounds for arranging them for the Press, the receipt for which we have in his (Nimrod's) own handwriting. Though repeatedly solicited to perform his contract, he as constantly refused, without assigning the least reason; and when, finding that there was no chance of his redeeming his pledge, and the book was announced for publication, he advertised in the Racing Calendar, that "the Letters not having been arranged, revised, or corrected by him, they would form a mass of indigestible matter, of little use to any one."-Ab uno disce omnes.

To this honorable conduct the New Sporting Magazine lent its best aid, not only by inserting the same Notice, but announcing it

as "A Letter from Nimrod" in their advertisement!! for no other purpose than to give a presumed but fictitious importance to the Contents of the Number!! This, however, is not the only instance in which they have adopted a similar honorable conduct-but they are all honorable men! In citing "a few of the opinions of their excellent but inferior cotemporaries" on their " already-extensivelycirculated-and-daily-increasing-in-sale Numbers"--and among these inferior publications are enumerated the Literary Gazette! the Morning Herald!! the Court Journal!!! Blackwood!!!! &c.— they honorably quoted "A GENEROUS COMPETITOR," to which they, with unblushing effrontery, added Sp. Mag., to convey that we had so designated them!--The Spiritual Magazine, we are led to understand, did pay such a compliment to a rival periodical, and hence the surreptitious affiche.

We are quite aware that in thus noticing this New Sporting Magazine we are giving it an importance to which it is not entitled; for certainly, as to" real sporting subjects" in its pages, it hath a most "plentiful scarcity." Indeed taking away DASH WOOD, we are at a loss to know why the Conductor ever presumed to affix such a title to the work, as any other would suit it equally well. But there is much virtue in a name! It professes, it is true, that its articles are "far different from the arrant nonsense, the painful straining, and hum-drum twaddle now found in the pages of their poor deluded cotemporary:"-adding, "that what they designate sporting matter, is manly, plain, straight-forward writing, divested of flowery metaphor, flowing naturally from the pen like words from the mouth, carrying the reader along with the subject!"-Precious samples of this description of writing are to be found in its pages, as we shall see anon!!

We care not how they appreciate the talents of our Contributors their censure is our best praise-" the grapes are sour." Hinc ille lachrymæ! But, if they have any regard for their own reputation, they will do well to stick to truth, and not put articles in our Magazine, and comment upon them as twaddle, when no such ever appeared. We have no "weekly bulletin of a Brighton Paper," nor do we make up an article from the Sporting Newspapers, and boast of our extensive Correspondence.

One passage in our delectable cotemporary we must quote: "Unwilling as we are to intrude our private affairs upon the notice of the public, we may nevertheless be permitted to state that this Magazine was not commenced without giving the proprietors of the