Cricket 1900

THB FINEST BAT THB WORLD PRODUCES. 2 0 CRICKET : A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. F eb . 22, 1900, BUSSEY’S C O L U o fa & 09 H &co S ►J w S < o « S o a “ I ►- £ U o = E C O XI W W 0 _ CO C O •“ M O ' <*3 CO CO W CO _ s ' p e r s « o w M fa 0 9 I CO £ CO I 3 j i 0 cd as 0 9 BUSSEY’S AT TH E SIGN OF TH E W IC K E T . B y F . S . A sh lby -C oopbb . CRICKET, 1742-1751. ( Continuedfrom page 6 .) 1 7 4 3 . On April 4th, 1743, was published an en­ graving by Benoist from a picture by Francis Hayman, originally in Yauxhall Gardens, and now in the possession of the Marylebone Cricket Club. A reproduction of this picture can be seen in the Cricket volume of the Badminton Library, facing page twelve. The engraving was “ Printed and Sold by Tho. Bowles in St. Pauls Church Yard & Jno. Bowles at Ye Black Horse, Comhill.” Underneath the centre of the picture appeared its title— CRICKET —with the following lines, the first four being below the left-hand portion of the picture and the remaining four below the right-hand portion :— “ To exercise their Limbs, and try their Art Forth to the verdant Fields the Swains depart: The buxom Air and chearfull Sport unite To make *Hulse useless by their rough Delight. Britons, whom Nature has for W ar design’ d In the soft Charms of Ease no Joy can find : Averse to wast in Rest th’ inviting Day Toil forms their Game, and Labour is their Play.” *A noted Physician. FRANCIS HAYMAN, two of whose paint­ ings are in the pavilion at Lord’s, was born at Exeter in 1708 and died in Dean Street, Soho, February 2nd, 1776. In his early days he was for some time a scene-painter at l)rury Lane, where, in later years, James Love, the author of “ Cricket: an Heroic loem,” was also engaged. After leaving Drury Lane Hayman, in conjunction with Hogarth, painted a series of pictures for Jonathan Tyers to ornament the alcovis at Yauxhall. Hayman was fond of athletic exerc'ses, and once when the Marquis of Granby came to sit for his portrait he and Hayman had a set-to in the true pugilistic style before the painting began. Hayman’s best-known pic­ tures in Vauxhall Gardens were entitled “ Cricket,” “ Battledore and Shuttlecock,” “ Leap Frog,” “ Blind Man’s luff,” and “ Sliding on the Ice.” His most celebrated pupil was the famous Gainsborough, whose picture, “ A Young Cricketer,” belongs to the M.C.C. Hayman was one of the founders of the Royal Academy, and was librarian from 1771 until his death. The following diatribe against the public pitying of cricket matches appeared in The British Champion of September 8 th, 1743 :— OF PUBLICK CRICKET MATCHES. “ In Diversions, as well as Business, Cir­ cumstances alter Things mightily, and what in one Man may be decent, may in another be ridiculous ; what is innocent in one Light may be quite the contrary in another; neither is it at all impossible that Exercise may be strained too far. A Journeyman Shoemaker may play from five o’clock on Saturday in the Afternoon till it is daik at Skittles , pro­ vided he has work’d all the rest of the Week. Yet I can’t say but it would shock me a little, if I saw honest Crispin tipping against a Member of either House of P------------1. “ All Diversions, all Exercises, have certain bounds as to Expence, and when they exceed this, it is an Evil in itself, and justly liable to Censure. Upon what Reasons are all the Laws against Gaming founded? Are not these the chief, that the break in upon Business, expose People to great Dangers, and^ cherish a Spirit of Covetousness, in a Way directly opposite to Industry ? The most wholsome Exercise, and the most inno­ cent Diversion may change its Nature entirely, if People, for the Sake of gratifying their Humour, keep unfit Company. ‘ ‘ I have been led into these Reflections, which are certainly just in themselves, by some odd Stories I have heard of Cricket Matches, which I own, however, to be so strange and so incredible, that if I had not received them from Eye-Witnesses, I could never have yielded to them any Belief. Is it not a very wild Thing to be as serious in making such a Match as in the most material Occurrences in Life ? Would it not be ex­ tremely odd to see Lords and Gentlemen, Clergymen and Lawyers, associating them­ selves with Butchers and Coblers in Persuit of these Diversions ? or can there be anything more absurd, than making such Matches for the sake of Profit, which is to be shared amongst People so remote in their Quality and Circumstances ? ‘ ‘ Cricket is certainly a very innocent, and wholsome Exercise ; yet, it may be abused, if either great or little People make it their Business. It is grossly abused, when it is made the Subject of publick Advertisements, to draw togethei great Crowds of People, who ought all of them to be somewhere else. Noblemen, Gentlemen and Clergymen, have certainly a Right to divert themselves in what Manner they think fit; nor do I dispute their Privilege of making Butchers, Coblers, or Tinkers their Companions, provided these are qualified to keep them Company. But I very much doubt whether they have any Right to invite Thousands of People to be Spectators of their Agility, at the Expence of their Duty and Honesty. The Time of People and Fashion may be indeed of very little Value, but, in a trading Country, the Time of the meanest Man ought to be of some worth to himself, and to the Community. “ The Diversion of Cricket may be proper in Holiday-Time, and in the Country; but upon Days when Men ought to be busy, and in the Neighbourhood of a great City, it is not only improper but mischevous in a high Degree. It draws Numbers of People from their Employments, to the Ruin of their Families. It brings together Crowds of Apprentices and Servants, whose Time is not their own. It propagates a Spirit of Idleness at a Juncture, wh»n, with the utmost Industry, our Debt*, Taxes, and Decay of Trade, will scarce allow us to get Bread. Jt is a most notorious Breach of the Laws, as it gives the most open Encouragement to Gaming; the Advertisements most impu­ dently reciting that great Sums are laid ; so that some People are so little ashamed of breaking the Laws they had a Hand in making, that they give publick Notice ot‘ it. t + T\e Advertisements are publish'd , it is supposed, by the Alehouse—or Ground-Keepers, for thti •. ton Profit ” Mr. Andrew Lang voiced the general opinion when lie referred to the author of the above as “ an Ass.” Mr. Maurice, jun., in a letter to Mr. Roger Gale, dated May 13th, 1743, stated that cricket was “ a very favourite game with our young gentlemen.” * * 8 -e Bibliuth. Topog. Britan . No. II., Part III., d isre i93. In connection with this statement it may be remarked that Robert Southey n.tes, C.P. Book, iv . 201 , that cricket was not deemed a game for gentlemen in the middle of the eighteenth century The above contradie ory expressions of ..pinion remind one of the argument* of Be dh^m and John Nyren as to whether Tom Walker (“ Old Everlasting” ) was a “ bloodless animal ” or not.