ii2 THE LIFE OF A SPORTSMAN 



racing, and used to say that, from his great talent for 

 calculation, he expected to make a fortune by the turf." 



Sir John." He lost 100,000, at least, by talking of 

 post-obiting his aunt. He called out, publicly, in the 

 ring at Newmarket, ' IVTiat odds will anyone bet me, that I 

 don't win the Derby, in four years after my old aunt dies ? ' 

 This was mentioned, in his own neighbourhood, as a mere 

 joke ; but on its being conveyed to the ears of the old 

 lady, by the parson of the parish in which she lived, and, 

 of course, commented upon for its enormity, he was left 

 100 to purchase a mourning suit and a ring. Now, for 

 what I know of Mr. Beaumont Raby, he would be very 

 likely indeed to pursue the same plan by a nephew who 

 might post-obit him." 



Webber. " And did the parson get the 100,000 ? " 



Sir John. "No, thank God! it was left chiefly to 

 hospitals and Sunday schools ; but poor Newland has 

 never held up his head in the world since. It is a good 

 lesson to all young gentlemen who attempt to post-obit 

 their relations. If, however, my young friend here wants 

 the means of keeping an extra hunter or two, during his 

 uncle's lifetime for I am quite sure he will not need 

 assistance afterwards I will take care he shall be supplied 

 with them, without having recourse to a usurious money- 

 lender. But, Frank, my good fellow, don't get much into 

 debt, if you can help it. Some of my acquaintance have 

 never recovered the effects of debt contracted early." 



Webber. " True ; but I think the fault there often lies 

 with the old ones. Every father ought to ask his son, 

 when he quits the University, what debts he has left 

 unpaid ? when, by a speedy arrangement of them, future 

 expenses and extortion, and, in no few cases, ruin to the 

 contractor of them, would be avoided. They hang like 

 an incubus upon a man, who is not able to discharge them 

 at the time, and often cause him to be reckless in his 

 future proceedings. By-the-bye, I can tell you a good 

 anecdote on this subject, and it relates to an intimate 

 friend of mine, a fellow-commoner, of Trinity College, 

 Cambridge. Two years after he quitted the University, 

 he accompanied his father to one of the Newmarket 

 Meetings all of which he attended and was thus 

 addressed by him at its close : ' I have lately seen, in 

 my letter-bag, a considerable number of letters, addressed 

 to you, bearing the Cambridge post-mark, which leads me 



