LA TOUCQUES, VEKMOUT, FILLE DE L'AIE, GLADIATEUR 147 



poet recounting the birth of winged Pegasus, of divine 

 origin. 



' The birth of Gladiateur,' we are tokl, ' has this peculiarity 

 about it, that Monarque (his sire) had always displayed a sort 

 of abhorrence for Miss Gladiator and, on the other hand, had 

 exhibited a sort of passion (strange as it may seem to em- 

 ploy such a term in speaking of a horse, but there is really 

 none other applicable) for Liouba, dam of Le Mandarin (by 

 Monarque). To bring Monarque, therefore, to consent to the 

 union from which Gladiateur was to spring he had to be 

 left to feast his eyes — in an ecstasy — for a while upon his 

 favourite ; he was then blindfolded and Miss Gladiator was 

 substituted for the Liouba of his choice.' 



In fact, Monarque was treated as shamefully as Jacob 

 when Leah was substituted for Eachel, and without any 

 explanation or apology. 'This circumstance,' the 'com- 

 patriot' continues, ' though of little consequence in itself 

 (as if it were nothing to tritle with the affections and 

 predilections of the ' Grand Monarque ' !) ' must not be 

 lost sight of by those who enquire into the secrets of 

 Nature. Who knows whether this protracted longing, 

 this defrauded expectation, had not something to do 

 with the qualities transmitted a hundredfold by the 

 sire to the son ? ' ' Gladiateur,' the ' compatriot ' goes 

 on to say, was ' like ' his sire, only ' different ;' he re- 

 minded you of Monarqiie, but ' only as a hundred 

 reminds you of twenty :' he was, in fact, a considerable 

 multiple of his sire. 



That something out of the common was expected 

 of Gladiateur from the first by his friends may be 

 inferred from the significant fact that he was entered 

 for all the great English races for three-year-olds, and 

 some of those for two-year-olds. 



He first came out, at two years of age, for the 

 Clearwell Stakes, which he won (like his ' compatriot ' 



