THE MASTERS OF BADMINTON 



blood, which is the Duke's charger when with his 

 yeomanry. His Grace made an offer of this mare 

 to the Queen, as a gift, of course; but her Majesty 

 was dissuaded from accepting her by Sir Richard 

 Quentin, who considered her somewhat too spicy 

 to be entrusted with so precious a burthen as our 

 young and promising Queen." 



The coach horses naturally are not overlooked, 

 and the " four road horses, ridden and driven by 

 postilions, and looking much like going the pace, 

 which no doubt they do," are duly noted. Next to 

 them are " four phaeton horses, as the Duke calls 

 them, having no driving coach of his own at 

 present," but " making use of Lord Chesterfield's, 

 when in London." These phaeton horses are " two 

 greys and two chestnut pies, neat and elegant in 

 their form. . . . They are small — hardly reaching 

 Sir Bellingham Graham's standard for gentlemen s 

 road work, which he thinks should not exceed 

 fifteen hands — but exceedingly blood-like and well- 

 proportioned. " By the way," goes on Nimrod, 

 ever ready to break into anecdote, — 



" By the way, the Duke told me an anecdote of 

 this pretty little team, which speaks to their credit, 

 and also to their owner's coachmanship. His Grace 

 was bringing no less than eighteen of his friends 

 from off the Brighton racecourse in his coach ; and 

 all who have been there know the nature of the 

 road that leads from it to the town — a steep hill, 

 with a grass surface, very slippery at that time of 



117 H 



