TURF. 401 



some weight to the opinions I have submitted 

 to piibHc cQnsideration. 



In the summer of 1775, I ran a match of 

 four miles, carrying twelve stone, with a 

 gelding got by broomstick, against a 

 mare, the property of a gentleman of con- 

 siderable fortune in the county of Essex, for 

 fifty guineas. His extensive property was 

 conspicuous in an elegant mansion, a pad- 

 dock of deer, a pack of harriers, and a libe- 

 ral subscription to a neighbouring pack of 

 fox-hounds. That we might be equally 

 free from even a chance of the deception in 

 riding I have just described, we trusted to 

 our own abilities in jockeyship, for a deci- 

 sion in which I conceived our honour and 

 property were equally concerned. The 

 match however was decided against him 

 with perfect ease, upon which *he lost some 

 considerable bets ; but in the mortification 

 of his disappointment, affecting to believe it 

 was won with much difficulty, he proposed 

 to run the same match on that day fortnight 

 upon my consenting to give him five pounds, 

 or, in other words, to reduce his weiglit to 

 ehven stone nine. This was instantly acceded 



VOL. II. 2 D 



