74 Keivmarket. 



for a long time, and that was a raging appetite. More 

 power to the elbow of the people who cut sandwiches at 

 Jarvis's booth ; they are real bread and good meat, none of 

 the ci'ummy abomination, smeared with bad butter and 

 lined with tough ham, which one too often gets at a rail- 

 way station, but the sandwiches were a fair " fist-full of good 

 victuals," and the beer was good too. 



I am very fond of a grand sweep of country, with God's 

 pure air blowing across it. Possibly I appreciate it the 

 more through having been born and having lived on the 

 Wiltshire Downs during my childhood, and my lungs are 

 made for it. Though living now within eight or nine miles 

 of the Grand Stand on Epsom Downs, I have only been to 

 the races four times in thirteen years, and then I have 

 made my pilgrimage for the benefit of some country 

 cousins. But many times in the year, when seedy, I walk 

 up to Epsom Downs and back for the sake of the magnifi- 

 cent jDure air, and walk the Derby course whilst they are 

 getting me something to eat at the Rubbing House, and 

 when I come back don't I fall on to the grub ? Many a 

 time in the winter, as far as I could see, I was the only 

 person on the Downs. Ay ! and don't I bring back many 

 ghosts of the past, in the days of the old gambling-booths 

 and the immortal Jerry, the king of the beggars, and of 

 Lord Chesterfield, Prince Louis Napoleon, afterwards 

 Emperor, Count D'Orsay, Crockford, Gully, and hundreds 

 of others who were pointed out to me when I saw Atilla 

 win the first Derby I ever saw, in 1842. 



But I must cut Epsom and get back to Newmarket, as I 

 am going to jot down a few notes for the benefit of those 

 who have never been, and with a view to induce them to 

 enjoy as much pleasure as I did. To show how unnecessary 

 it is to have a thorough knowledge of racing to appreciate 

 Newmarket, I may remark at this minute that I can call to 



