THE TURF. 
purpose. After sitting a while by the fire and drinking 
some diluted liquid, he walks back to Newmarket, 
swinging his arms as he proceeds, which increases the 
muscular action. Sufficiently cool to strip, his body is 
rubbed dry and fresh clothed, when, besides the reduc- 
tion of his weight, the effect is visible on his skin, which 
has a remarkably transparent hue. In fact, he may be 
said to show condition after every sweat, till he looks as 
sleek as the horse he is going to ride. But the most 
mortifying attendant upon wasting is the rapid accumu- 
lation of flesh immediately on a relaxation of the system, 
it having often happened that jockeys, weighing not more 
than seven stone, have gained as many pounds in one 
day from merely obeying the common dictates of nature, 
committing no excess. Non miser e vivit qui parce 
vivit*, is an acknowledged truism; but during the 
racing season, a jockey in high practice, who as is the 
case with Chifney, Robinson, Dockery, and Scott is 
naturally above our light racing weights, is subject to 
no trifling mortification. Like the good Catholic, how- 
ever, when Lent expires, he feels himself at liberty 
when the racing season is at an end; and on the last 
day of the Houghton Meeting, Frank Buckle had 
always a goose for supper! his labours for the season 
being then concluded. But it will naturally be asked 
how these persons employ or amuse themselves during 
the dead months, of which there are five ? At New- 
* He does not live unhappily, who lives sparingly. 
172 
