62 THE TURF 



horses, the property of the Duke of Grafton, 

 under his care. This was acknowledged 

 to be a service of great repute; but the 

 shrewd little groom soon discovered that I 

 had all my trade to learn, and I was again 

 dismissed.' 



After bewailing his misfortune of being 

 out of place and so far from home in forma 

 pauperis^ he thus proceeds : 



4 1 know not where I got the information, 

 nor how, but in the very height of my dis- 

 tress I heard that Mr. John Watson, train- 

 ing and riding-groom to Captain Vernon, 

 a gentleman of acute notoriety on the turf, 

 and in partnership with Lord March, now 

 Duke of Queensberry, was in want of, but 

 just then found it difficult to procure, a 

 stable-boy. To make this pleasing intel- 

 ligence more welcome, the general character 

 of John Watson was, that though he was 

 one of the first grooms in Newmarket, he 

 was remarkable for being good-tempered ; 

 yet the manner in which he disciplined his 

 boys, though mild, was effectual, and few 

 were in better repute. One consequence 

 of this, however, was, that if any lad was 

 dismissed by John Watson, it was not easy 



