350 



A HISTORY OF THK XXGLISH TURF. 



of the nineteenth century, than from any arbitrarily determined point in the modern 

 history which we shall reach later on. 



The suggestion was once made by an enthusiastic Turfite, who was also a fine 

 writer, that a book entitled " From Buckle to Archer" would, in capable hands, be 

 one of the most interesting' ever written. I am not aware that it has yet been clone, 

 and I commend the idea warmly to any budding author with sufficient time on his 

 hands and experience in his head. Though Archer's history must be dealt with 

 in later pages, I have given in this volume a photogravure from Mr. Brodrick 

 Cloete's painting of him on Paradox, which will enable my readers to 



compare him with his 

 earlier rivals. Of this "old 

 school," " The Druid's 

 opinion was that no more 

 brilliant quartette were 

 ever seen at Newmarket 

 t h a n Buckle, Chi f n e y, 

 Robinson, and Harry 

 Edwards, of whom Tommy 

 Lye once confided to a 

 friend that he " would as 

 lieve ride against Sattan"; 

 and an ardent admirer 

 quoted Shakespeare to 

 the effect that- 



" Miss Coiner." 



" I saw young Harry, with his beaver on 



Rise from the ground like feathered Mercury 



And vaulted with such ease into his seat 

 . As if an angel dropped down from the clouds 



To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus 



And witch the world with noble horsemanship." 



But it is my own belief that even those four might be matched among their 

 successors ; for though such art as was the best of theirs is not a question of time, 

 or even of experience, but a joy for ever, unfettered by the flight of years, yet it 

 cannot be denied that far greater calls are made upon a jockey now than ever was 

 the case a hundred years ago. He has far more mounts in a season. His 

 judgment of pace must be far keener. The old idea of starting at a canter 



