120 MEMORIES OF MEN AND HORSES 



for the goodly feeling words you used in so doing. I 

 am simply wasting away ; I'm only skin and bone now. 



I have an old book dated 1708, which I have had 

 many years and prize very much. If you have not got 

 it, may I offer it to you ? It will give me much pleasure 

 if you should find any interest in it. 



Sincerest regards to Mrs Allison and yourself. Yours 

 sincerely, 



SAM DARLING. 



P.S. When do you start for " B.A. " ? 



The book referred to above is certainly very quaint 

 and full of interest. It is entitled "The Sportsman's 

 Pocket Companion : being a striking likeness or por- 

 traiture of the most eminent Race-horses and Stallions 

 that ever were in this kingdom, represented in a variety 

 of attitudes ; to which is added the genuine, complete 

 but concise pedigrees and performances, interspersed 

 with a variety of Tail Pieces and embellishments allud- 

 ing to the sport. The whole calculated for the utility 

 and entertainment of the nobility and gentry as well as 

 breeders and lovers of that Noble and Useful Animal." 



That is something like a title, but the book itself 

 is far less prolix. The artist was James Roberts, and 

 the engraver Henry Roberts, and the publishers were 

 R. & R. Baldwin, No. 47 Paternoster Row. 



The "portraitures" are of the familiar eighteenth- 

 century sort, but some of them are new to me, notably 

 those of Flying Childers and the Godolphin Arabian. 



The book is no doubt of unique value, and it is 

 autographed by Sam Darling to me, I7th January 1921. 



I was away between seven and eight weeks going to 

 Buenos Aires and back, and thought I should never 



