TURF HISTORY. 21 



Boz's query, whether horses are really " made more 

 lively by being scratched " ; John Bright may op- 

 pose the Queen's Plates in supply, and express his 

 supreme pain and disgust when the House adjourns 

 in honour of the Derby; and even Stewards in high 

 places may not give the most carefully weighed deci- 

 sions in the world ; but, despite of all its imperfec- 

 tions, racing is the only sport which acts like a load- 

 stone on the masses, and furnishes the never-failing 

 nucleus of an English holiday. 



NOTE The following is the Newmarket song, or rather recitative, 

 of Tom Durfey's, alluded to above : 



" To Horse, brave boys of Newmarket ! to Horse ! 



You'll lose the Match by long delaying ; 

 The Gelding just now was led over the Course ; 



I think the Devil's in you for staying. 

 Run, and endeavour all to bubble the Sporters ; 

 Bets may recover all lost at the Groom Porters ; 

 Follow, follow, follow, follow, come down to the Ditch, 

 Take the odds, and then you'll be rich. 



" For I'll have the brown Bay, if the blew Bonnet ride, 

 And hold a thousand pounds of his side, Sir ; 

 Dragon would scower it, but Dragon grows old ; 

 He cannot endure it, he cannot, he wonnot now run it, 

 As lately he could : 

 Age, Age, does injure the Speed, Sir. 



" Now, now, now, they come on, and see, 

 See the Horse lead the way still ; 

 Three lengths before at the turning of the Lands, 

 Five hundred pounds upon the Brown Bay still ; 

 Plague on the Devil ! I fear I have lost, 

 For the Dog, the Blew Sonnet has run it, 

 Plague light upon it ! 

 The wrong side of the Post ; 

 Odzounds ! was ever such Fortune ? " 



Pitts for Purging Melancholy, 1699. 



It was with reference to this production, that a 

 critic of the period remarked, "You don't half know 

 our friend Tom ; he'll write a deal worse than thnf: 

 yet." 



