George IV. 101 



packs ; and if the " ugliest woman in Europe" had 

 fully understood what it meant, it is probable that, 

 like the Glasgow Baillie, she would not have admitted 

 a rocking-horse into her nursery, "just for fear o' the 

 tendency." The Duke of York's devotion to it was 

 scarcely less marked than his brother's ; but the Duke 

 of Clarence, on the contrary, although he retained the 

 royal stud for a short time, and (" starting the whole 

 fleet," as he expressed it), ran first, second, and third 

 for the Goodwood Cup, with Fleur-de-lis, Zinganee, 

 and the Colonel, in the very year of his accession, 

 cared so little about it, that he was often seen to turn 

 his back on the horses while they were running at 

 Ascot. In fact, he liked George Nelson for his jockey 

 more for the sake of his nautical name than anything 

 else ; and he was much more in his element when he 

 went behind the scenes of Old Drury, and tied Jack 

 Bannister's black handkerchief for him before he rol- 

 licked on to the stage in his sailor part. This little 

 act is exactly illustrative of the graceful and yet dig- 

 nified bonhomie which the three royal brothers 

 always displayed towards those about them ; and 

 there is very little doubt that nothing but rank 

 jealousy of the popularity which the eldest acquired 

 by it, caused a few turf rivals to join in that dead set 

 which drove him in disgust from Newmarket. His 

 maiden turf career lasted for some seven seasons, 

 during which time he had several fair horses, Tot, Sir 

 Thomas, Anvil, Hardwicke, &c., and opened some- 

 what inauspiciously on May 8th, 1784, when he was 

 in his 22nd year. Hermit, lost. I lib., with 6 to 4 and 

 Mr. Panton on him, had to strike the royal colours in 

 a 50 sovereigns a side match over the last mile of the 

 beacon, with Surprise, lost. lib. (Sir H. Feather- 

 stone) ; but jockeys were substituted for gentlemen 

 riders in a second edition of the match, at the same 

 weights and distance, that afternoon, and although 

 the betting veered round to 2 to I on Surprise, the 



