434 COMING TO THE POINT. 



When I have mentioned the term yeoman, I have 

 done so because I know of no other one word that could 

 so effectively describe a person as being neither of the 

 lowest class, a professional jock, or a gentleman; but 

 I trust I will put it in the power of any man of com- 

 mon sense to decide for himself whether he is entitled 

 to ride in a gentleman's race or not. We will suppose 

 a race to be ridden by gentlemen in Lord Wilton's 

 park. Let a man wishing to ride in that ask himself 

 this simple question : " Am I a man that the noble 

 patron of the races could, without any dereliction of 

 etiquette, invite to his table to meet his lady and 

 friends?" If conscience and common sense say yes, 

 he is fit to ride in such a race ; if conscience says no, 

 he has no greater right to feel either hurt or offended 

 in not being allowed to ride as a gentleman, than 

 if refused a seat at the dinner table. It may be 

 said he might fancy himself fit for both situations : if 

 a man is a fool, nobody can make him otherwise, and 

 he must abide the consequences : if he is a sensible 

 man, the criterion I have given whereby to estimate 

 his pretensions will suffice. If, from too much or too 

 little modesty, he is in doubt, let him consult a gentle- 

 man, and he will set him right. If he never rode for 

 hire, he is certainly not professional ; if he is not fit to 

 dine at a nobleman's table, he is not (in every sense} a 

 gentleman. What then is he ? a man in the middle 

 ranks of society a yeoman till we find a better 

 term to designate him by ; and, consequently, if fond 

 of riding races, may ride wherever he pleases, but not 

 in races to be ridden by gentlemen only. 



In noblemen or gentlemen's parks, races to be ridden 

 by Corinthians are all very well, quite in character, 

 and very appropriate amusements. They may also, of 

 course, add races for farmers, and tenants, yeomanry 



