THE TURF 167 



out of the usual course with them in their 

 work, which must be done to bring them well 

 to the post. Finally, these stakes are also 

 the very hot-bed of wrangles ; and the system 

 lately adopted of produce-stakes for half- 

 bred horses opens a still wider door for 

 villany and fraud. We wish we could see 

 the turf confined to pure blood. 



But we must not conclude this article 

 without a word or two to the young gentlemen 

 just starting into the world who may have 

 imbibed the ambition of shining on ihe 

 English turf. Let every such person re- 

 member that he presents a broad mark 

 that there are hundreds on the watch for 

 him and that he stakes what is certain 

 against not only all other chances, but the 

 rife chance of fraud ! Let him, before he 

 plunges into the stream, consider a little 

 how it runs, and whither it may lead him ! 

 In these days, indeed, gambling is not con- 

 fined to the turf, the hazard -room, the 

 boxing-ring, or the cock-pit but is, un- 

 fortunately, mixed up with too many of the 

 ordinary occupations of life. { Commerce 

 itself,' said Mr. Coke of Norfolk, in one of 

 his public harangues, 'is become spe'cula- 



