46 FAMOUS RACING MEN. 



" Stop Dick ! this is a nice handy nag to ride ; I'll get up myself, 

 just for the fun of the thing," which he did, and won in a canter, 

 to the dismay, consternation and dire loss of the " legs." The 

 year 1789 was "old Q's " luckiest year, and witnessed his greatest 

 triumphs on the turf. He matched his horse, Dash, by Florizel, 

 against Ijord Derby's celebrated Sir Peter Teazle for 1,000 guineas 

 over the Six-mile Course at the First Newmarket Spring jNIeeting 

 of that year, Loixl Derby tried to back out of the match and 

 otfered half forfeit, but the offer was refused and the race came off, 

 Dash, who carried 6st. 71b. against Sir Peter's 9st., winning easily. 

 At the Second Newmarket Spring Bleeting of the same year, with 

 the same liorse. Dash, he beat Mr. Hallam's brown horse, High- 

 flyer, over the Beacon Course for 1,000 guineas, each cari'ying 8st. 

 71b. In the Second October IMeeting of 1789, Dash won his tldrd 

 match against the Prince of Wales's Don Quixote, 8st. 71bs. each, 

 over the Six-mile Course, for 900 guineas ; and on the following 

 Tuesday week this good horse won for his grace a fourth match 

 against liOrd Barrymore's Highlander, at the same weight, 8st. 71bs., 

 three times round the " Kound Course," or very nearly twelve 

 miles — thus winning for his noble owner 3,700 guineas in matches 

 alone within five months. 



After this annus onirabilis in his turf fortunes the Duke of 

 Queensbeny slackened somewhat in his devotion to racing, tliough 

 he continued to run and breed horses till the year 1806, when he 

 sold off his stud, being then in liis 82nd year. In his later daj^s 

 he became more and more of a xoluptuary, and lost his taste for 

 mnnlier i)leasures. His country pastimes were mainly confined to 

 his villa at Richmond, which was a marvel of sumptuous splendour. 

 Being a bachelor and a cynic he conceived that he was not bound 

 to trouble himself about decorum, and therefore resolved to live 

 just as he pleased, without caring what the world thought oi- said 

 of him. Poi)ular divines preached at him ; satirists launched their 

 keenest shafts of ridiciile at him : caricaturists portrayed him as 

 the hero of a thousand ludicrous and disreputable scenes. But 

 " Old Q " never troubled his head about them ; he lived solely for 

 enjoyment, and so long as he had his amusement, like Master 

 Christopher Sly, he " let the world slide." But for all that he was 

 not an uncharitable or selfish man. He gave one of his estates 

 to a number of sui)erannuated Roman Catholic devotees, who had 

 sought refuge in England from the horrors of the French Revo- 

 lution ; he made a present of a very large sum of money to Lloyd's 

 for the relief of disabled seamen ; and his conduct to all who had 

 in any way ministered to his pleasures was singularly generous. 

 Dick (foodison, at any rate, who had won his wa}-^ into " Old Q's " 

 good graces by his flash-of-lightning style at the i^ost, never had 

 any cause to complain of his master's liberality. They were only 

 l)arted once, for three weeks, and then his grace was the fiist to 

 make it up, by asking him to go and see a horse sweat. And in 



