THE TURF 6 1 



his master; by his spelling a word of six 

 syllables, to the surprise of his drunken 

 schoolmaster ; by his being detected in study- 

 ing Arnold's Psalmody, under the guidance 

 of the journeyman leather-breeches maker ; 

 and, lastly, in casting up figures on the 

 stable-doors with a nail, from which the 

 other boys, and the old housekeeper to 

 boot, augured his very soon running 

 mad. 



Although, to use his own words, Hoi- 

 croft scarcely saw a biped at Newmarket 

 in whom he could find anything to admire, 

 and despised his companions for the gross- 

 ness of all their ideas, he had no reason to 

 complain of his treatment by the several 

 masters whom he served, and especially by 

 Mr. Woodcock. 



He discovered a little too late that the 

 dark-grey filly and I could not be trusted 

 safely together. But though he turned me 

 away, he did not desert me. He recom- 

 mended me to the service of a little de- 

 formed groom, remarkably long in the fork, 

 I think by the name of Johnstone, who 

 was esteemed an excellent rider, and had 

 a string of no less than thirteen famous 



