Cricket 1898

Nov. 24, 1898. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 469 actor, and during the latter part of his life used to act at Drury Lane. He died in 1774, aged 52. The poem which follows has been copied from the edition dedicated to the Earl of Sandwich. The title is “ Cricket: AnHeroic Poem. Illustratedwith the CriticalObserva­ tions of ScriblerusMaximus. ’9 It wasprinted in London by W. Bickerton, at the Gazette, in the Temple Exchange, near the Inner Temple Gate, Fleet Street, and published at one shilling. No date appears on the publi­ cation. The dedication is as follows :— T o the R igh t H onourable JO H N Earl o f SANDW ICH , Viscount H itchinbroke, and Baron M ontague o f St. Neots. M y L o rd , W IT H the greatest Diffidence I presum e to lay this im perfect Poem at your L ord­ ship’s Feet. 1 could not, however, om it the present favourable O pportunity, o f testifying the V E N E R A T IO N I Lave for your L O R D S H IP : F or as you have so pub­ licly approv’d the Game of CBICK ET. every thing that, in the least, appertains to that Diversion, c innot help looking up to its ILL U STR IO U S P A T R O N . Far be it from m e, (tho’ Custom has taught the M ethod, to alm ost every Dedication) to attem pt a D escription of your L O R D S H IP ’S exalted Quali­ fications : Those Excellencies -which every Englishman id sensible of, but no one can express. I am perfectly aware of m y own w ant o f Merit, and even trem ble while I am prt Bumptiously addressing the CICERO o f the A ge. But I again recover m y­ self, when I consider that your L O R D S H IP ’ ri am ple Good-nature, is both able and willing to excuse, My L O R D , Your L O R D S H IP ’S Most Devoted, Most Obedient , and Most Humble Servant. And nowwe come to thepoemitself:— The ARGUMENT of the F IR S T BO O K . rV 'HE Subject. Address to the Patron of -*■ CRICKET. A description o f the Pleasures felt at the Approach o f the proper Season fo r CRICKET, and Preparations for it. A Comparison between this Game and others , particularly Billiards, Bowls and Tennis. Exhortation to Britain, to leave all meaner Sports, and cultivate CR ICKET only , as most adapted to the Freedom and Hardiness o f its Constitution. The Counties most famous fo r CR ICKET are described , as vying with one another fo r Excellency. CRICKET. BO O K I. P IL E others, scaring ou a lofty W ing, O f oire BeUona's cruel Trium phs sing; bound the thrill Clarion, m >unt the rapid C^r, A nd rush dt-lighted thru’ the Ranks o f W a r; 5 M y tender M use, in humbler, m ilder stiains, Presents a bloodless Conquest on the Plains ; W h^re vig’rous Youth, iu L ife’s fre--h bloom resoit, F or pleasing Exercise and beilth fu l Sport. The Title, CBICKET .] There is no D cubt, but that (without a great deal of fctudy; this Title m ight have been dulcified ; and by the ingenious H elp o f an AD tag*d to it, rendered extrem ely polite and unin- tellieible. B ut I think it is a high Compliment to C RIC K E T itself, that our Poet tbiuks proper to set it before it’s W ork , in its own plain unadulterated Signification. V . 1. While Others .] Our Author, truly sensible how great a D *ference ought to be paid to W ar, which is, to be sure, the very Soul o f H eroic Poetry, esteems it quite necessary to apologize, and begin w ith crying Quarter, in order to take off that Pie- possession. w hich (especially at this critical Juncture) w ill ceriainly be exerted in favour o f that delicate Science. H e know s how profoundly the whole Nation »m ploys itself in m ilitary Cares, and remembers that as we have tw o pow erful K ingdom s on our Backs, it is but reasonable we shou’d avoid all tiifiing Am use­ ments. How ever, as he hopes CR IC K E T cannot be deem ’ d such, w ith all due l>eferenee, he proceeds.— Scriblerus Maximus. W here Em ulation fires, where G lory draws, 10 And active Sportsm en struggle fo r Applause ; Expert to Bowl , to Bun, to Stop, to Throw , Each Nerve collected at each m ighty B:ow. H ail C R IC K E T ! glorious, m anly. British G am e! First of all Sports! be first a'ike in F am e! 15 T o m y fir’d Soul thy busy Transports briDg, That I m ay feel thy Raptures, w hile I sing ! A nd thou, kind Patron of the m irthful Fray, SANDW ICH , thy Country’s Friend, accept tbe Lay ! T h o’ mean m y Verse, my Sul ject je t approve. 20 A nd look propitious on the Game you love ! W hen the retiring Sun begins to smile. And sheds its Glories round ihis sea-girt Is le ; W hen new -born Nature deck’d in vivid Green, Chaces dull W inter from the Scene : 25 H igh panting with Delight, the jovial Swain Trips its exulting o’er the F low ’r-strew’d P la in ; Thy Pleasures, C R IC K E T ! all his Heart controul; Thy eager Transports dwell upon his S o u l: He weighs the w ell-turn’d Bat's expei ienc’d Force, 30 And guides the rapid Ball's im petuous Course, B is supple Lim bs with nimble Labour plies, N or bends the Grass beneath him as he fl es. The joyous Conquests of the late flown Y ear, \ In Fancy’s Paint, with all their Charms appear. ( 35 A nd now again he views the long wish’d fceason i near. * 0 thou, sublim e Inspirer o f m y Song ! W hat m atchless Trophies to thy W orth belt n g ! L ook round the Globe, inclin’d to M irth, and see V hat daring Sport can claim the Prize from th ee! 40 N ot puny Billiards, where, w ith slaggish Pace, 1 he dull Ball trails before the feeble Mace. W here no trium phant Shouts, no Clamours dare Peirce thro’ the vaulted R oof and w ound the A ii ; But stiff Spectators quite inactive stand, 45 Speechless, attending to the Striker's H and : W here nothing can your languid Spirits m ove, Save when the Marker bellows out Six love / Or when the Ball, close cushion'd , slides askew', A n d to the op’ning Pocket runs, a Cou. 50 N or yet that happier Game, where the smooth Bow l, In circling M azes, wanders to the G oal; W here, m uch divided between Fear and Glee, The Y outh cries Rub ; O Flee, you Ling'rer, Flee ! N ot Tennis self, thy sister Sport, can charm , 55 Or w ith thy fierce Delights our Bosoms warm. T ho’ full o f L ife, at Ease alone dism ay’d, She calls each swelling Sinew to her A id ; H er ecchoing Courts confess the sprightly Sound, WTiile from the Racket the brisk Balls rt bound. 60 Y et, to sm all Space confin’d, ev’n she m ust yield T o nobler C R IC K E T, the disputed Field. O Parent, Britain I M inion o f Renown ! W hose far-extended Fame all N ations own ; O f Sloth-prom oting Sports, forewarn’d beware ! 65 N or think thy Pleasures are thy meanest Care ; Shun with Disdain the squeaking M asquerade, W here fainting V ice calls F olly to her A id. Leave the dissolving Song, the baby Dance, T o sooth the Slaves of Italy and France : 70 W hile the firm Lim b, and strong brac’d N e n e are thine, Scorn Eunuch Sports ; to manlier Games incline; V . 13. Hail CRICKET.] I have taken a prodigious deal o f Pains to find out the Tim e when CRIC K E T first appeared, and w ho was the A uthor o f it. But it is to be lam ented, that B istory is extrem ely deficient upon this H ead. There is great Reason, however, to think, that it is an European Invention, and perhaps, as our A uthor ventures to affirm, a Sprout of Britain : For the Chinese, w ho claim Printing, Gunpowder, &c.. so long before we had any N otion o f them , to our great Satisfaction, lay not the least Claim to it. V . 32. Nor Bends.] Nec teneras cursu Icesisstt Aristas. —V ir. iE n. vii., 1. 809. V . 40. Not puny Billiards.] W ith what Taste and Judgm ent, cries the enraptur’d Comm entator, is the Frenchifi'd D iversion o f Billiards here, at the same Tim e, pathetically describ’d, and critically expos’d ! It is, no doubt, obvious to every Reader, h ow beauti­ fully this ridiculous Am usem ent serves as a F oil to CRICK ET. The Company at the form er, are gener­ ally Beaus of the first M agnitude, dressed in the Quintessence o f the Fashion. The robust Cricketer, plays in his Shirt. The Rev. M r. W ------d, particu­ larly, appears alm ost naked. V . 54. Not Tennis self .1 It m ust be confess’d, that Tennis is very nearly ally’d to C R IC K E T, both as to ihe Activity, Strength and Skill that are necessary t<> be exerted on each important Occasion. B ut as the latter happens to be the present Subject, our A uthor with great Propriety and adm irable Taste, makes all other Games knock under. W hen he gratifies the W orld with a Poem upon Tennis, no doubt, he w ill do the same, in favour of that also. V . 67. Where fainting Vice.] Our Author is a little doubtful, from the Excellence o f this Line, whether he has not (om m itled Plagiarism : tu t as the Feed on the Joys that Health and V igour give ; W here Freedom reigns, ’tis w orth the while to live. Nurs’ d on thy Plains, first C R IC K E T learnt to please, 75 And taught thy Sons to flight inglorious Ease : A nd see where busy Counties strive for Fam e, Each greatly potent at this mighty Game ! Fierce Kent, am bitious o f the first Applause, Against the W orld com bin’d, asserts her Cause; 80 Gay Sussex sometimes trium phs o’er the Field, And fruitful Surry cannot brook to yeild. W hile London, Queen o f Cities ! proudly vies And often grasps the well-disputed Prize. Thus, while Greece trium ph’d o’er the barb'rous Earth, 85 Seven Cities struggl’d which gave Homer Birth. The ARGUMENT O f the SECOND BOOK. K ENT challenges all the other COUNTIES. The Match determined. A Description of the Place o f Contest. The particular Quali­ fications and Excellencies o f each Player. The COUNTIES go in. BOOK n . A N D now the Sons o f Kent , imm ortal grown, By a long Series of acquir’d Renown. Smile at each weak A ttem pt to shake their Fam e ; A nd thus with vaulting Pride, their M ight proclaim . 5 Long have we bore the Palm , trium phant 8*ill, N o County fit to m atch our wond’rous S k ill: But that all tam ely m ay confess our Sway, And ow n us Masters o f the glorious Day ; Pick the best Sportsm en from *ach scv’ral Shire, 10 A nd let them , if they dare, ’gainst Us appear: Soon w ill we prove the M ightiness w e Voast. And m ake them feel their error, to their Cost. Fame quickly gave the Lold Defiance vf nt, A nd m agnify’d tli’ undaunted Sons of Kent. 15 Tbe boastful Challenge founded far and near ; A nd spreading, reach’ d at length Great N -------- ’s Ear: W here, w ith his Friend, all negligent he laugh'd, And threatened future G1 ries, as they quafi’d. Struck with the daring Phrase a piercipg L cok 20 On B ------n first he cast, and thus he spoke A n d dare the Slaves this paltry Message own ! W hat then is N ------ 's Arm no better known 1 Proof o f it does not imm e liately occur to his M em ory : he hopes it m ay be o f gr* at Service to his Readers ty giving them an Opportunity to shew their Learning in finding it out. A N O TE upon theforegoing NO TE. The Creature, whoever he is, that wrote the pre­ ceding Rem ark, is certainly out o f his 8en»es. L oes he im agine the Gentlemen w ho have CRICK ET in their Heads, can afford to throw away their Tim e so idly, as to pore over a parcrl o f m usty A uthois to convince the mselves, whether a nonsensical Line is his or not 1—Britanicus Severus. V . 85. The barb'rous Earth.] The ancient Greeks were m odest enough to call the rest of the W orld Ilarbarians. Our A uthor has noth irg to plead in favour o f this Simile, but poetick Practice. H e confesses, it is very little to the P urpose; but then the absolute Necessity o f introducing Sim ilies somewhere, the Flavour tLey give to a Poem , and the prodigious Esteem they are in at present, were Argum ents w hich his M odesty was oblig’d to give w ay to. V . 1. And Now.] It has been determin« d l.m g ago. by a great m any g ie*t Critick?, that the D ignity of Expression should re suited to the Magnificence « f the Subject Our Author, I ihink, has preserved this Decorum to a T ittle: For w ho can help being firM with the Pomposity of Ibis Challenge, which he sets out with in the second Book. It is to t e o\ serv’d likewise, that he has carefully (thio’ the whole Poem ) avoided every thing that m ight lessen bin Heroes. A nd whereas tom e unadvised People, frequently make use of the m tan Appellations of Vol,Jack, &c., when ihey speak of the m ost Illustrious at this G am e; he has rejecetd such Crimes w ith the utm ost Indignation — Scrib. Max. V . 16. N ------ ’s Ear.] A m ong his many penetrat­ ing Observations, our P cet has particularly rem aik’d the great Efficacy of a Dash: Therefore, unw illing that his Poem should lose any material Beauty, »nd qually desirous his Re».der should receive all the ■'atiefaction that is possible, he has clear’ d up all the Difficulties, in Lis Annotations, which that dedicate Invention unavoidably creates. Newfand, of Slendon in Sussex, Farmer ; a fam ous Batsman. V . 20. At B ------n first] Bryan , o f London , Brick­ layer. N E X T ISSUE, T HURSDA Y , DECEMBER 22.