OF FARRIERY 



357 



CHAPTER VI. 



MEMOIR OF THE OWNER OF ECLIPSE— OBSERVATIONS ON THE 



TURF, ETC. 



MEMOIR OF DENNIS O KELLY, ESQ. 



In ffivins: an account of this extraordinary 

 gentleman, the owner of Eclipse, as well of 

 many other noted racers, we are indebted to 

 Mr. John Lawrence, who says: — 



" Dennrs O'Kelly, Esq., died either a cap- 

 lain or colonel of the Surrey Militia. He was 

 a true Milesian, and of that naturally-privi- 

 leged class, born for gentlemen, although not 

 gentlemen-born. He possessed that kind of 

 talent, industry, patience, and assurance, which 

 are generally sure to promote a man's views 

 of rising in life — it was Whittington and his 

 Cat, O'Kelly and his Horse. Of liis gene- 

 alogy we profess to know nothing, or the pre- 

 cise period at which he left Ireland, and found 

 his way to this country to seek his fortune. 

 Nor is it important to determine, in what cha- 

 racter he made his appearance in London, 

 whether as a chairman or a waiter ; but we 

 knevv the man personally in his prosperity ; 

 and, in our mind's eye, we now behold him as 

 he stood, the oracle of the betting-ring, on 

 Epsom Downs, in the year 1779 — a short, 

 thickset, dark, harsh-visaged, and ruffian- 

 looking fellow, wearing an old round hat and 

 .*.hort, striped Orleans coat. Through this un- 

 favourable exterior shone the ease, the man- 



ners of a gentleman, and the attractive quaint 

 ness of a humourist. We saw him converse 

 with the gentle and the noble of this and other 

 countries, with the lournure and decorous 

 confidence of gentility, and could not help 

 admiring the man, who from the lowest be- 

 ginnings, had, by mere dint of talent and dili- 

 gence, elevated himself to such a height of 

 fortune, in the meanwhile, having qualified 

 himself to enjoy his property with so good a 

 grace. He v\'as a good and kind master to 

 both men and horses ; a hearty and social 

 friend, keeping a plentiful table at Clayhill, 

 and giving the choicest wines. His usual 

 summons for the desert was — ' John, bring us 

 the apples,' (pines). His servants used to 

 retail with much relish his Iricisms and quaint 

 sayings. 



" It has been said that he was a liberal 

 and punctual paymaster ; but in all probability, 

 there may be something to detract from this 

 account, and such is the uncertainty of the 

 human character, from the favourable part of 

 our statement likewise. We have heard that 

 O'Kelly, as well as his betters, who mortified 

 him with a persevering refusal of admission 

 into their clubs, was occasionally long and 

 largely in arrear with his jockies. This might 

 happen in consequence of runs of ill luck, and 

 4 X 



