1773 THE LORDS 49 



the breeder's death to Mr. Martindale, the saddler, of 

 St. James's Street) won a Jockey Club Plate in 1757, 

 and was owner and breeder of many good horses, in- 

 cluding Moses (foaled 1746, sire of Otho) and Aaron 

 (foaled 1747, the famous rival of the equally famous 

 Little Driver), a little horse, ' generally measuring 

 under 14 hands,' and the (never trained) Godolphin 

 Arabian mare that was dam of the celebrated Co- 

 quette (by Mr. Compton's Barb), and was the only 

 sister to the famous Eegulus. This Lord Chedworth, 

 therefore, certainly did a member of the Jockey Club's 

 duty to the Turf and to horse-breeding. 



Lord Clermont (first and last Earl, though his 

 barony and viscounty were continued in another 

 branch) was William Henry Forte scue, who was born 

 in 1722, and died s.p. in October 1806, at the Steyne, 

 Brighton, on which occasion it was announced in the 

 newspapers that ' the deceased Lord was the Father 

 of the Turf, and ranked among the most intimate 

 friends of the Prince ' (of Wales, of course). He was 

 described, not altogether untruthfully, it is to be feared, 

 some years before his death (by an enemy, it is true, 

 but 'fas est et ab hoste cloceri '), as a ' hoary profli- 

 gate ' ; and it is not impossible that he was the 

 original of Thackeray's ' Marquis of Steyne,' though 

 a certain Marquess of Hertford runs him close, and is 

 preferred by some authorities or conjecturers. The 

 Earl was very intimate with the French Eoyal Family 

 in the days of Marie Antoinette and old ' Egalite ' ; 



