288 THE HORSE. 



interest on the Turf ; all was apathy about the matter 

 there. It never made the difference between five to 

 four, and six to four, — i who got who, so many years 

 ago.' In the Duke of Cumberland's sale at Tatter- 

 salPs, Marske was sold for about ten pounds, and 

 covered on the New Forest, at half a guinea. He af- 

 terwards passed into the hands of a farmer of Dorset- 

 shire or that vicinity ; and so soon as Eclipse's worth 

 became known, Wild man, whose native talent never 

 lagged, galloped away to this farmer, who thought 

 himself well quit, at the price of twenty pounds, of 

 such a burden as the inferior and low priced stallion, 

 Marske ; which, however, in due time, and being the 

 property of Lord Abingdon, was put up to cover at 

 two hundred guineas a mare. 



Neither Eclipse, nor any of his stock so far as I 

 have seen or heard, at all resembled the Marskes, 

 either in colour or indeed in any other respect. 

 Marskes stock were generally like their sire, brown, 

 or of a chesnut, distinct from that colour in those of 

 Eclipse and his get. Marske, so called from the 

 place where bred, in Yorkshire, was a deep brown, 

 with no white but a strip around the coronary ring of 

 his near hinder hoof; short backed, and legged, large 

 and high crested, and of great power ; his head, coun- 

 tenance, and muzzle were remarkably coarse, resem- 

 bling the Sampsons, and his ears short like those of 

 a carthorse. Eclipse was long backed like his dam 

 (Spilletta by Regulus), with a remarkable fine head 

 and muzzle ; and the only point in which he resem- 

 bled Marske was being high behind. I frequently 

 saw his dam, bay, about fifteen hands high, bony, 



