RACE HORSES. 37 



ECLIPSE AND SHAKESPEAR. 



IT is necessary to apprize the reader, that the two celebrated Racers exhibited 

 in the present Plate, were contrasted on account of the dispute respecting- the 

 pedigree of the former, and to afford an opportunity of determining, whether or 

 not, any parental likeness really existed between Eclipse and one of his reputed 

 sires, Shakespear. The particulars of the case we shall by and by detail. 



The name of Sartorius, as a horse painter of distinguished merit, has been long 

 known in this country, and the son has diligently and ably followed his father's steps. 

 The portraits are both copies ; that of Eclipse by the younger Sartorius, from a draw- 

 ing from the life by his father, for the truth, both in form and character of which, 

 we can vouch ; that of Shakespear by the same, from an original, we believe, by 

 Seymour. The jockey upon Eclipse was John Oakley, celebrated as a rider, both 

 in England and France. The head, ears, and roguish countenance of Eclipse are 

 vividly and admirably delineated. Although in high training, and stripped of his 

 flesh, it may be observed that the croup of Eclipse is higher than his withers, and 

 the latter remarkably wide at the summit, in which respect, his shoulder resembled 

 that of a hare. When in full flesh as a stallion, this in course appeared still more 

 prominent, and in viewing him, it seemed to us that he had ample space for a load 

 upon his shoulders, had fortune 'condemned him to so ignominious a fate. The 

 ascendency of his croup above his forehand, and the ample capacity of his buttocks, 

 in that condition, also made the fullest exhibition ; and adding a certain roughness 

 of coat to his chesnut or sorrel colour, he might, so far, very well have passed for a 

 cousin german at least, of his cotemporaries, the old breed of Suffolk cart horses. 

 Never, however, to the eye of a Sportsman, was there a truer-formed gallopper in 

 every part ; and his countenance and figure as he stood in his box, notwithstanding his 

 great size, excited the idea of a wild horse of the desert. His resolute and choleric 

 temper was well known ; and although he held a very familiar and dumb converse 

 with us over the bar, we did not deem it prudent to trust ourselves alone with him 

 in his apartment ; he was nevertheless very kind and friendly with his groom. 



Eclipse, fully master of sixteen stone, was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, of 

 Culloden memory, and foaled during the great eclipse in 1764, whence the name given 

 him by the Royal Duke. He was got by Marsk, a grandson, through Squirt, of 

 Bartlet's Childers, out of Spilletta ; she was got by Regulus, son of the Godolphin 

 Arabian, out of Mother Western, which mare was got by a son of Snake, full 

 brother to Williams s Squirrel, her dam by Old Montague, grandam by Hautboy, 

 out of a daughter of Brimmer, her pedigree not preserved. Eclipse had several 



