2l6 A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TURF. 



was so brilliant a figure in his youth in almost every form of sport in England. 

 Pope, who had gone seven years before, was followed by Swift in 1 745. Before 

 that, Basto, Bay Bollon, Fox, the Belgrade Ttirk, and Flying Childers, had passed 

 away as well. 



Fortunately such losses had their compensation. In 1750 were born two horses 

 whose performances and offspring are among the best things of the two next genera- 

 tions. They were Snap and Marske. Snap was bred by Mr. Cuthbert Ruth, by Snip, 

 his dam by Lord Portmore's Fox out of the Duke of Bolton's Gipsy, and was sold to 

 Mr. Jenison Shafto. His best performances were a double victory over Marske at 

 Newmarket in 1756, and the beating of Lord Gower's Sweepstakes for 1,000 guineas, 

 B.C., in 1757. He was the sire of 261 winners who cleared .92,537 in twenty-one 

 years. Marske was another brown horse bred by Mr. John Hutton, the famous 

 Yorkshireman, who sold him to the Duke of Cumberland. He was by Sir Harry 

 Harpur's Squirt (a chestnut son of Bartletfs Childers], out of the Ruby Mare, who 

 was from a daughter of Bay Bolion and Mr. Hutton's Blacklegs. Though he won 

 the Jockey Club Plate at Newmarket in 1754, he was not so famous for his running 

 as for his remarkable get as a stallion, of which more will be said later. For the 

 present it is enough to state that he was the sire of Eclipse, and it would be 

 difficult to choose a more appropriate epitaph for early breeding than the lines which 

 were written on his death. 



" Ye sportsmen, for awhile refrain your mirth ; 

 Old Marsk is dead ! consigned to peaceful earth. 

 The King of horses now, alas ! is gone, 

 Sire of Eclipse who ne'er was beat by one. 

 Yet though your cheeks you may bedew, 'tis vain, 

 Since Marsk must cease to trip it o'er the plain. 

 His brilliant feats the noblemen record, 

 For high in favour was he with each lord. 

 His well-descended blood the sportsmen trace, 

 And sound his fame in each contested race. 

 The stock of Marsk we circumspectly view, 

 Announce that they were runners swift and true. 

 Say, shall I mention Shark and Masquerade 

 Whose great preeminence was oft displayed ? 

 Or shall Hephestion crown my humble lays ? 

 Or shall I tell of Sphynx or Pontafs praise ? 

 Salopian and Pretender shall I name ? 

 Or speak of Honest Kitt and Transit's fame ? 

 Shall brave Leviathan adorn my theme 

 For he was justly held in high esteem ? 



