The Merry Past 



Call the Betseys, Kates and Jennies 



All the names that banish care, 

 Lavish of your grandsire's guineas. 



Show the spirit of an heir. 



Sir John Lade in the course of years became totally 

 ruined, and would not improbably have ended his life 

 in the most abject poverty had it not been for 

 George IV, who granted him a pension when the 

 gentleman jockey, the pearl of coachmen and the 

 companion of the Prince's festive hours, was driven 

 to ground. This pension Queen Victoria, to her 

 eternal honour, insisted on continuing, and poor old 

 Sir Jockey John, owing to her bounty, ended his 

 days in peace. 



George IV was at one time in the habit of con- 

 stantly passing part of the evening with Sir John, on 

 whom he bestowed many a kindness, as the following 

 will show. Finding the sporting Baronet one night 

 unusually low-spirited, he kindly enquired the cause, 

 which, after some reluctance and hesitation, was 

 explained, and which was on account of Lady Lade's 

 nephew (a great favourite of her husband and self) 

 being embarked and about to sail immediately for 

 India, in which service His Majesty had procured him 

 a cadetship. The ship was already at Gravesend, and 

 there were many probabilities of its being then in the 

 Downs. George IV nevertheless said, "Johnny, 

 there is still a chance left ; send down immediately, 

 and if he is not beyond our reach, I will provide for 

 him otherwise." A friend of Sir John's undertook 

 the task : one of his fleetest horses was saddled, and 



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