THE AMATEURS 245 



must vie with the richer and the more experienced, 

 though he ruin himself in the doing of it, and 

 hrino; his ancestral acres to the hammer, in the 

 manner of a Mytton or a Mellish. The only 

 satisfaction these reckless sportsmen obtained, 

 beyond the immediate gratification of their tastes, 

 Avas the eulogy of the sporting scribes, wlio 

 discussed their style upon the box-seat Avitli as 

 much gravity as would befit some question of 

 empire. Excepting " Nimrod " and " Viator 

 Junior," whose essays on sport in general, and 

 coaching in particular, were sound and honest 

 criticism, these writers were venal and beneatli 

 contempt. 



A "real gentleman," according to the ideas 

 of these parasites, was one who flung away his 

 money broadcast in tips. Many foolish fellows, 

 foolish in thinking the good opinions of these 

 gentry worth having, spent their substance in 

 this way. Of this kind was the amateur whip 

 described by a writer in the Sporting Ifagazme 

 in 1831. This aspirant for the goodwill of the 

 stable-helpers and their sort sat beside the pro- 

 fessional coachman on the Poole Mail starting 

 from Piccadilly, and when the reins Avere handed 

 to him proclaimed his gentility by the distribution 

 of shillings among the horsekeepers. Pirst "Nasty 

 Bob," the ostler, got a shilling for talking about 

 the leaders' "haction"; then "Greedy Dick," 

 the boots, had one also for handing him the 

 " vip " ; and then came " Sneaking Will," the 

 cad and coach-caller, to say something civil to 



