ioo MEN OF PAST DA YS 



himself Offers 90,000 against Gaper Temper and ill-health 

 Bequeaths his stud. 



Lord Exeter's personal peculiarities His racing Insistence on 

 trying and running his horses Blue Rock proves not unbroken 

 Sale of his Newmarket property Sir Gilbert Heathcote ; Amato's 

 Derby; a racehorse as 'a heriof Baron J. de Tessier Lord Jersey's 

 successes His view of breeding. 



I CLOSED my last chapter with an account of the lament- 

 able death of Lord George Bentinck. I cannot do better 

 in this one, than set down some of my recollections of 

 other members of his family. I may commence with 

 some account of the personal appearance and character- 

 istics of the Duke, his father. His Grace, who was 

 diminutive in stature, used, in my time, to be seen 

 riding over the Newmarket heath in a peculiar and dis- 

 tinctive dress. He wore top-boots, buckskin breeches, 

 a chocolate-coloured coat, and tall black hat ; and his 

 servant, who rode at a respectful distance behind him, 

 was similarly attired, except that round his waist he 

 wore a broad leathern belt, in which to secure his 

 Grace's overcoat, in case of wet weather. The Duke 

 always rode beautiful hacks, steady and good steppers, 

 about fifteen hands high, rather under than over, all 

 bays with black legs. Like his son, Lord George, he 

 was reputed to be one of the worst-tempered men then 

 living. He was as distant and reserved to his equals as 

 to those he employed. But he must have possessed 

 many cardinal virtues which more than counterbalanced 

 these blemishes of character ; for he was generally liked 

 by all classes, and was an honest and thorough sports- 

 man in all matters with which he had to do in connec- 

 tion with the turf. His wealth, I should add, if possible, 

 exceeded his pride. 



He was as fond of racing as his son Lord Henry was 

 of fishing and shooting, and kept a stud which in those 



