"NATURE'S JOURNEYMEN." 439 



have no right to advise any other persons) not to ride 

 on a public race-course unless they are good enough 

 to ride with public jockeys ; otherwise they are only 

 about as welcome an interruption as it would be to 

 have introduced between the acts of Hamlet, where 

 Kemble and Mrs. Siddons were playing, an interlude 

 for amateur actors. I never saw those great actors ; 

 but I conceive they would have been good enough for 

 one evening's gratification without the other interest- 

 ing addition. An amateur performance in a noble- 

 man's house is an intellectual and sometimes a grati- 

 fying exhibition ; but do not treat us with it at Drury 

 Lane, where we expect to see Macready, Kean, and 

 such performers. A gentleman's race is a very pretty 

 thing in its place : it teaches men to ride ; and when 

 they can ride, as some men can do, they would gratify 

 the public by showing themselves; but do Aot, pray, 

 inflict on us an exhibition of those who cannot, and 

 whose riding would be a laughing matter to every 

 one but their horses. 



If, therefore, in any public race the only distinction 

 between the jocks was professional or non-professional, 

 none of the wrangles as to gentlemen-jocks would 

 arise, and this is all the distinction the public wants 

 or sporting requires : at least, submitting with defer- 

 ence to the opinions of others, I conceive it to be so. 

 I am sure of one thing ; it would prevent a great deal 

 of ill-feeling among the sporting world, and to promote 

 so desirable a result (or, I should rather say, to induce 

 some more influential person to do so), has been my 

 chief aim in writing the foregoing pages. I in no 

 shape presume so far as to consider myself of import- 

 ance enough to effect this. If I ever get so much 

 credit as to be considered one of the wheels that set 



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