282 THE HORSE. 



appeared ; and in a late advertisement of the book, 

 I observe, the said portrait is not mentioned. Having 

 seen a number of Sampson's immediate get, those in 

 the Lord Marquis of Rockingham's stud and others, 

 and all of them, Malton perhaps less than any other, 

 in their heads, size and form, having the appearance 

 of being a degree or two deficient in racing blood, I 

 was convinced, that the then universal opinion on that 

 point was well grounded. I was (in 1778) an enthu- 

 siast, collecting materials for a book on the horse ; 

 it happened, that I wanted a trusty and steady man 

 for a particular service, and opportunely for the mat- 

 ter now under discussion, a Yorkshireman about 

 threescore years of age, was recommended to me, 

 who had been recently employed in certain stables. 

 I soon found that his early life had been spent in the 

 running stables of the north, and that he had known 

 Sampson, whence he was always afterwards named by 

 us, ' Old Sampson ;' he was very intelligent on the 

 subject of racing stock, and his report was as follows. 

 He took the mare to Blaze, for the cover which pro- 

 duced Sampson ; helped to bit and break the colt, 

 rode him exercise, and afterwards took him to Malton 

 for his first start, where, before the race, he was ridi- 

 culed for bringing a great coachhorse to contend 

 against racers. On the sale of Sampson, this man 

 left the service of James Preston, Esq. and went with 

 the colt, into that of Mr. Robinson. His account of 

 Sampson's dam, was, that she appeared about three 

 parts bred, a hunting figure, and by report, a daughter 

 of Hip, which, however, could not be authenticated ; 

 and that such fact was then notorious and not dis- 



