120 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



the van, and sitting his horse as few men at his age 

 could do, while Mr. Jenner received the cortege at 

 the Stand. The Bow-street officers, Townsend and 

 Sayres, who were especially attached to royalty, kept 

 their Argus-eyes open, and the former sported a hat 

 exactly similar to the celebrated one which his royal 

 master invariably wore. Its brim was not very broad, 

 but the rim of it was very large, and the band in 

 proportion. Townsend pushed the resemblance to 

 the farthest point, and therefore wore it a little on 

 one side ; but his worth was so great, that this curious 

 bit of affectation was overlooked. He died very rich, 

 at the age of 73, during the fatal cholera season of 

 1832, leaving the Court Circular, which was esta- 

 blished at his suggestion (( to prevent the public in- 

 venting falsehoods, by giving them something real to 

 talk about," as a monument for all time to his 

 memory. The wags would have it that he bought 

 his hats at a high price, and second-hand, from Jack 

 Ratford, under the same idea of inspiration which 

 incited Captain Barclay to secure the fighting-leathers 

 of the lion-hearted Jackson. This modern Eryx also 

 stood very high in the favour of the King, who was 

 an ardent believer in English beef, bottom, and box- 

 ing, and he confided to him the selection of the twelve 

 pugilists who kept the Abbey doors at his coronation. 

 " Prince Lascelles" had also in earlier times carried 

 his imitation to such a height, that Fox, Sheridan, 

 and Wyndham, all members of Brookes^s (the club 

 which the Prince especially delighted in), prevailed 

 on the latter to hide his queue in the collar of his 

 coat, when he met him ; and the result was, that he 

 immediately rushed home and had his own cut off. 



Once fairly on the turf again, the King entered 

 into it with as great interest as ever. Sam Chifney 

 rode for him at intervals, but had not a regular 

 engagement, as Robinson, Dockeray, Nelson, and 

 Pavis enj oyed during the time. Robinson, on his beau- 

 tiful mare Maria, was, in his eyes, a perfect picture ; 



