SOME MEMORABLE MATCHES .323 



when Bay Malton, or even Eclipse, put in an ap- 

 pearance on Knavesmire. The lady was under 

 great disadvantages, and was beaten (ungallantly) 

 by Mr. Flint in 9 minutes 59 seconds. Two 

 hundred thousand pounds, it is said, at the very 

 least, depended on the result ; and only the pre- 

 sence of the 6th Light Dragoons, it is supposed, 

 kept anything like decent order on the course, 

 where more than 100,000 people are stated to 

 have assembled, and prevented loss of life. The 

 lady's horse was about twenty years old, and had 

 a much shorter stride than the gentleman's (after- 

 wards called Black Strap) which was ' rising 

 eight.' The lady was dressed in * a leopard- 

 coloured and buff body, with blue sleeves and 

 cap ' (and, presumably, in the ' nankeen skirts,' 

 which she wore upon a subsequent similar occa- 

 sion) ; the gentleman was clad in virgin white. 

 (It has been thought well to repeat the hackneyed 

 story in some detail, as not very long ago a scene 

 at a theatre elicited the fact that ' Mrs. Thornton ' 

 and her prowess had become clean forgotten.) 



A.D. 1805 • On Thursday, August i, at Lewes 

 (then under the distinguished patronage of the 

 Prince of Wales), the celebrated Colonel Mellish's 



