196 LORD GEORGE AS A LETTER- WRITER. 



Bramble, to whom, considering Gaper's leg, I must 

 now look to carry me through all those engage- 

 ments in which the two horses are engaged 

 together : besides, having run two races here on 

 two following days, he would be in no plight to 

 try Cornopean on Saturday. I am, yr. obed. 

 servt., G. BENTINCK." 



In the next letter, as well as in one of its 

 predecessors, it will be noticed that " 8 A.M., 

 Tuesday morning," is prefixed to both. My father 

 and I received scores of letters from his Lordship 

 written at the same early hour, which always 

 found him at work during the whole of his racing 

 career. 



" BATH, Tuesday Morning ', 8 A.M., 

 April 27, 1843. 



" KENT, The horses are all here perfectly well, 

 and the course yesterday was in capital order 

 quite soft to add to which it began to rain about 

 half an hour since, and has all the appearance of 

 a wet day. Gaper cantered yesterday, and went 

 quite sound, and John thinks his leg a great deal 

 better. I don't think, however, that I shall ven- 

 ture to run him. John is not much alarmed about 

 his leg for the future, if I save him here ; but I 

 confess I have no great hopes of it. The ailment 

 is about two inches and a half above the fetlock- 

 joint, on the middle tendon of the near fore-leg on 

 the outside ; there is a knot upon the tendon, and 



