SECOND PERIOD: GEORGE III. 91 



at Boroiighbridge in October, i 778, but died the 

 Sunday before the appointed race - day, was 

 opened, and was found to have ' in her stomach 

 about two pounds of duck-shot, made up with 

 putty into balls ' ; and in the same year, still in 

 Yorkshire, Sir Thomas Gascoigne's and Mr. Staple- 

 ton's fine horse Magog (also by Match'em) was ren- 

 dered unfit to run for the Gold Cup at Doncaster 

 by some diabolically cruel villains, who, not con- 

 tent with giving him a dose, cut the poor creature's 

 tongue nearly out, but, nevertheless, did not pre- 

 vent him from winning one or two races after- 

 wards and from becoming a sire of some note. 



But the climax was to be reached at Newmarket, 

 when a scoundrel named Daniel Dawson, and 

 deservedly denominated ' king of the nobblers,' 

 with the assistance of an unspeakable blackguard. 

 Bishop by name, who had been a dispenser at 

 Guy's Hospital, and, as was only to be expected 

 of such a miscreant, turned King's evidence for a 

 * consideration ' (which it would be pleasant to be 

 able to think, as is reported, that he did not get, 

 though the report may seem to reflect upon the 

 Jockey Club, the reputed offerers of the reward), 

 took to wholesale poisoning of race-horses, and 



