8 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



they stealthily move down Baxter Gate. We simply 

 like to think of those grave old card-parties, which 

 " The Doctor" loved one hundred years ago ; of the 

 joyous old bells, which seemed to ring in his ear, 

 " Daniel Dove, bring Deborah home/' when he drew 

 on his small-clothes on his wedding morning ; and of 

 the grand organ, " whosh pipes" as its foreign maker 

 observed, "were made for to speak" by one of our 

 greatest English composers, and which was apostro- 

 phised by the excited curate in his sermon on its 

 opening Sunday, as " thou divine box of sounds" 

 Nor would we forget the right jolly Corporation 

 going down to Potterie Carr (where Flying Childers 

 was nearly drowned in his foalhood) to see four-mile 

 races between galloways from 12 to 2, and then 

 returning to the platters and tankards of the Man- 

 sion House, for a misty ten hours' discussion on 

 the winners and the Pretender. This worshipful 

 body had begun to take its pleasure with its friends 

 and faithful burgesses on the Town Moor, towards 

 the close of the sixteenth century; and had even 

 built a stand there ; but disputes ran so high, and 

 were so often settled by an appeal to the rapier, 

 that it was finally agreed, "for the preventynge of 

 sutes, quarrells, murders, and bloodshed, that may 

 ensue by the continyinninge of the same race, the 

 standes and stoopes shall be pulled upp, and imploid 

 to some better purpose." This fell decree continued 

 in force until 1703, when the racing spirit of the 

 corporation once more rose within them. They for- 

 got how their great-grandfathers "did swear that 

 oath at Doncaster," and began to subscribe four 

 guineas annually to a Revival Plate. No return- 

 lists are extant, which tell the results of this daring 

 experiment before 1728. Even in 1751 the meeting 

 only consisted of three days, with a solitary race on 

 each. A new Grand Stand arose some seven-and 

 twenty years later, under the auspices of the Marquis 



