1773 THE MISTERS 103 



in a mile, to some 30 seconds or 40 seconds? It 

 certainly seems impossible ; for 30 seconds (to suppose 

 that Diophantus could have gone at the rate of 

 15 seconds faster at a pinch) would be equivalent to a 

 third of a mile, and 25 seconds to nearly 500 yards. 

 Altogether, then, the time attributed to Pumpkin and 

 Firetail for a mile seems to be utterly incredible. 



Sir Patrick Blake was evidently a fine old typical 

 member of the Jockey Club, for he married (in 1760) 

 Annabella Bunbury (sister of the celebrated Sir 

 Charles, himself, as we have seen, divorced), from 

 whom he was divorced (at her suit) in 1778, and died 

 in 1784, having served his country as M.P. for Sud- 

 bury. The divorced lady married George Boscawen, 

 Esq., of St. Peter's, Isle of Thanet ; and that is a 

 name redolent of the Turf, and of the late Viscount 

 Falmouth, a conspicuous member of the Jockey Club. 

 As regards Mr. Christopher Blake, there is not so 

 much that is interesting to be recorded ; at least 

 research has not revealed it. There is every reason 

 to believe, however, that even he was mortal, though 

 he did win his match by means of the redoubtable 

 Firetail, though he won a Jockey Club Plate with 

 Quill in 1771, and though he was a very notable 

 member of the Jockey Club as a staunch patron of 

 the Turf and promoter of horse-racing and horse- 

 breeding. E.I.P. 



Mr. Boothby, who naturally (as will appear farther 

 on) signed the Jockey Club ordinance of 1767 touching 



