ENGLISH EACEE.] 



THE HOESE, AND 



[ENGLISH EACEB. 



In the meantime, Heseltine took the oppor- 

 tunity of communicating, bj a letter sent into 

 Yorkshire, the proposed offer to Sir William 

 Strickland, Bart., who was principally con- 

 cerned in making the match. The baronet 

 returned for answer that he might accept it, 

 taking care to deceive Mr. Erampton's 

 groom by letting Merlin carry seven pounds 

 more weight than what was agreed upon. 

 Heseltine shortly afterwards consented to the 

 proposal of Mr, Erampton's groom, who had 

 secretly received instructions precisely similar 

 to those given to Heseltine. 



These lionest grooms now prepared the 

 horses accordingly, and ran the course agreed 

 to in the articles ; when, after an excellent run. 

 Merlin won by something more than his own 

 length. This being communicated to each 

 party by his secret and faithful groom, each 

 flattered himself with certain success. Sir "\V. 

 Strickland, very naturally, concluded that, as 

 Merlin had proved himself superior with even 

 wseven pounds extra on his back, he would very 

 easily win the race ; while Mr. Erampton was 

 decidedly of opinion that, as his horse had run 

 Merlin so hard, carrying seven pounds more, 

 he could not fail ultimately to win. In con- 

 sequence, proposals were made and accepted 

 to an enormous amount, even to an extent 

 greater than was ever known ; some gentlemen 

 — in the secret — staking not only all their 

 cash, but other property besides. 



At length the hour arrived when this im- 

 portant business was to be decided. The 

 horses started ; and the race was won by 

 Merlin by about the same distance as in the 

 private trial. In a short time the secret be- 

 came known; and, though it had originated 

 with Mr. Erampton, it is certainly not a little 

 singular that Sir AY. Strickland should adopt 

 the very same expedients. 



Several gentlemen were completely ruined 

 by this race; and it excited so much attention 

 throughout the country, that the circumstance 

 was at length noticed in parliament, and a 

 bill passed in consequence, to restrain the rage 

 for betting. 



By this bill it was enacted, " that no sum of 

 money, exceeding ten nounds, betted, laid, or 

 agreed to between any party or parties, in 

 future, shall be recoverable by law," 



Eor a number of years Erampton was styled 

 68 



the father of the turf, and died on the 12th of 

 March, 1727, aged eighty-six. 



Let it alwaj's be remembered that the grand 

 and important division of race-horses, in re- 

 spect to their qualifications, is into the stout 

 and the speedy. 



By the first term is meant such as are stout 

 of heart, cool in temper, and firm in constitu- 

 tion ; generally not remarkable for readiness 

 and speed, but calculated to succeed in a long 

 race. By the second, such as are usually said 

 that speed is their best, it is meant that they 

 are best qualified for a short race, possessing a 

 promptitude in the higher degrees of velocity, 

 which must necessarily be of a relatively short 

 duration. These are generally free, and of a 

 warm temperament ; and sometimes, but not 

 invariably, of a weak and washy constitution. 



It may be easily conceived, that the degrees 

 of variation or approximation, in both of these 

 respects, must be infinite, rendering it fre- 

 quently no easy matter to determine positively 

 to which class a horse belongs. As to the 

 extremes, there are horses which have barely 

 racing speed, their sole virtue consisting in 

 their great powers of continuance, by which, 

 in a four-mile race, they were wont to wear out 

 their more speedy antagonists. On the other 

 hand, there are such as no measures of art can 

 enable them to get through a long course in the 

 company of reputed running- horses. These 

 have their distance, beyond which Nature has 

 put it out of their power to go. Of this 

 description were Eireaway, Masquerade, and 

 Eocket of former days. The two first were 

 most successful at the distance of a single 

 mile ; the last, at that of one quarter, or half 

 a mile at most. It is not in the course of 

 nature, that phenomena like Childers and 

 Eclipse — to be spoken of immediately — should 

 be often produced, uniting the extremes of 

 both speed and stoutness, giving the go-by and 

 the distance to all possibility of competition. 

 The most useful racer, perhaps, is the animal 

 that partakes in a nearly equal and consider- 

 able degree of both qualities, but with a supe- 

 rior turn towards speed. Such was the 

 famous Shark, and such was the opinion of 

 Chifney, the jockey of the Prince of Wales, 

 afterwards Greorge IV. 



The expression, to make the play, or to go 

 along, will be easily understood, as leading 



