272 KINGSCLERE 



Bishop sustained no injury, but that he was by that 

 time very near at hand. 



Porter loves these Downs, which he considers 

 afford under the conditions commanded by a private 

 trainer the most perfect of all training grounds for 

 the thoroughbred ; and his daily experience upon 

 them familiarises him with the changes of vegetable 

 colour and animal life which the seasons bring, and 

 which he observes with keenly abiding pleasure. 

 The intelligently enthusiastic gardener does not 

 limit his appreciation of flowers and plants and trees 

 to those whose cultivation he delights in at Park 

 House. He sees the works and ways of Nature as 

 Charles Waterton (it is strict ' sanctuary ' to all the 

 birds in the gardens at Park House, let the gardener 

 protest never so loudly against the feathered pilferers 

 of his fruit trees), White of Selborne, and Jefferies 

 (one of his favourite authors) saw them, with a quaint 

 method of finding out things which is quite his own. 

 An anecdote is told of a regular backer of horses 

 who, when asked why he never attended a race- 

 meeting, replied that he loved betting, but racing 

 was a bore. It is related of George Borrow, the 

 author of ' Lavengro,' that of the three personages 

 he always had a desire to see, the second was Lamp- 

 lighter, the sire of Phosphorus, Lord Berners's 

 winner of the Derby. To those who best know 

 him it is conceivable that John Porter might become 

 surfeited with racing. It is his delight, of course, 

 to bring his charges fit and well to the post, and to 

 see them win, but his heart's in the downlands of 



