178 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



borough gently eulogises himself, and "although 

 hating self-praise and idle puff, so prevalent in the 

 present day, boldly defies the world to find his 

 equal ." There is also a breadth and point about the 

 writings of another seer, to wit "Joe of Kensington," 

 which quite takes one by storm. At times he assures 

 us that he " has been travelling about to have a peep 

 at the Derby favourites, a privilege no other gentle- 

 man possibly could have" ; and we next hear that 

 " out of pure envy at my position, the attacks made 

 on me have become so slanderous, that I prefer insti- 

 tuting legal proceedings, rather than condescend to 

 mix myself up in any way with those making them." 

 The minstrel poets of the race-course sometimes 

 write those ballads, which they sing with such unrest- 

 ing diligence, and such screw-face contortions ; and 

 generally begin them with " You sportsmen all, both 

 great and small, one moment now attend, and listen 

 with attention to these verses I have penned" ; or 

 get on to terms with their listeners at once, by ex- 

 horting them to " Come all you jolly sporting coves, 

 and listen unto me, whilst a song I do relate, that 

 s^hall be sung with glee." Rhyme and reason never 

 stand in the way of these bards. We find it on re- 

 cord of a horse, who " did the Derby win; like light- 

 ning he flew round the course, upon his nimble pin" : 

 and again, ' f The crack took up the running ground, 

 and bent his well-formed legs, till he reached the 

 winning post, then shook his splendid pegs" ; on the 

 very day when 



" He went to Epsom Down, 

 And won the Derby Stake, i6320." 



Of the general literature of the turf it boots us not 

 to speak in detail. We would merely observe, en 

 passanl, that we have ARGUS, that Jules Janin of 

 racing feuilletonists, at the very head of it, in the 

 Post (whose sporting fame was first laid by JUDEX, 



