Gentlemen Riders 



Talk about the favourite for the Derby ! If rumour was to 

 be believed, never was such a promising youngster seen as 

 Viscount Maidstone. 



" Only wait until he opens his mouth in the House of 

 Commons," declared his trumpeters, " and — well, let the 

 Opposition look out for themselves, that's all ! " 



Well, people did wait, and, we regret to say, waited in vain. 

 The coming man, in short, turned out what Mrs. Gamp of im- 

 mortal memory would have termed an " impogicion," and being 

 quite aware himself of his inability to set the Thames on fire 

 in the capacity of a politician, like a wise man in his generation, 

 promptly threw up the sponge and left the ring, metaphorically 

 speaking, before incurring further damage. And having a 

 pretty talent for versifying — an accomplishment he had learnt 

 at Eton — together with a strong belief in his ability to " witch 

 the world with noble horsemanship," Viscount Maidstone 

 started afresh with the idea of wooing fame and fortune in a 

 happy combination of Poet and Gentleman rider. In the 

 former capacity he published several books of verse, under 

 the nom de plume of " John Davis," which had, we believe, 

 a ready sale at the time : and he was the reputed author of 

 the oft-repeated lines quoted by Whyte- Melville in his novel 

 entitled " Good for Nothing " — 



" The Damsels' delight, and the Chaperone's fear, 

 He is voted a trump amongst men ; 

 His father allows him three hundred a year. 

 And he'll lay you a thousand to ten." 



As a gentleman rider on the flat, in a dilettante fashion, 

 he was, we believe, fairly proficient ; Goodwood, Stockbridge, 

 and Heaton Park, being his favourite battle-grounds — the 

 first named, where he was seen to advantage on more than 

 one occasion, especially so. 



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