MODERN FAERIER. 261 



old Morocco mare. Spanker's own dam. Old Care- 

 less, sire of the dam of Ctiilders, was got by Spanker 

 out of a Barb mare. Spanker was almost all Barb. 

 Thus we see the pedigree of Childers runs very 

 much in and in, that is, his progenitors were bred 

 from the nearest affinities. Never was there a more 

 complete racing pedigree, all the progenitors, to the 

 last, having proved their blood by successful racing 

 or breeding racers, and all of the best blood, Arabian 

 or Barb. In October, 1722, Childers beat lord 

 Drogheda's Chaunter, previously the best horse of 

 the day, six miles, ten stone each, for one thousand 

 guineas. He had already, at six years old, ran a 

 trial against Almanzor, and the duke of Rutland's 

 Brown Betty, nine stone two pounds each, over the 

 round course at Newmarket, three miles, six fur- 

 longs, and ninety-three yards, which distance he ran 

 in six minutes and forty seconds ; to perform which 

 he must have moved eighty-two feet and a half in 

 one second of time, or nearly after the rate of one 

 mile in a minute; the greatest degree of velocity 

 which any horse has ever shewn, or probably ever 

 will. He likewise ran over the Beacon course, four 

 miles, one furlong, one hundred and thirty-eight 

 3^ards, in seven minutes and thirty seconds, covering 

 at each bound a space of twenty-five feet. He leap- 

 ed ten yards on the level ground, with the rider on 

 his back. 



The Godolphin Arabian was about fifteen hands 

 in height, with good bone and substance ; in colour 

 a brown bay, mottled on the buttocks and crest, but 

 with no white, excepting a small streak upon the 

 hinder heels. All the old engravings give him the 

 high and swelling crest which has been so much 

 noticed in Stubbs's picture ; there is also the sam.e 

 sinking behind his withers, and assinine elevation of 

 the spine towards the loins. His muzzle was so re- 

 markably fine, that he might well (a favourite idea 

 of the old iockevs^ have drank out of a tumbler. He 



