FOURTH PERIOD : VICTORIA 261 



of the betting plague, have brought things to 

 this pretty pass. 



The pubHc, out of whose pockets all the 

 money necessarily comes in the end for keeping 

 up the speculative meetings, the monster prizes 

 given thereat, the studs of such owners as 

 depend upon bets for the maintenance thereof, 

 and a very considerable portion of the huge 

 donations won by those princely patrons of the 

 turf who, whether they bet or not, do not depend 

 upon bets in the least for the defrayment of their 

 expenses, but take up horse-racing in the spirit 

 of old times, when it was truly ' the sport of 

 kings,' have now to be reckoned with. The 

 public, as payers of the piper, claim to call the 

 tune. It is, of course, convenient to the public 

 (and particularly to the writers who cater for the 

 public) that any colt or filly in which any member 

 of the public may be pleased to take an interest, 

 and even to make an investment, though it be 

 to the amount of but half a crown, whether 

 honestly come by or quocumque inodo, should cease 

 forthwith to be at its owner's discretion, and 

 should be distinguished as soon as possible in 

 some way that will render its career as easy as 

 possible to be followed by the public. 



