528 THE HORSE. 



and the fleetest horse that had ever been upon the English 

 turf. He was at first trained as a hunter ; but his surpass- 

 ing speed being observed, he was translated to the turf. 

 About the year 1721, he ran a trial race with two of the 

 finest horses of the day. Carrying 9 st. 2 lb., he ran over 

 the Round Course of Newmarket, 3 miles 4 furlongs and 

 93 yards, in 6 minutes and 40 seconds ; and over the Beacon 

 Course, 4 m. 1 fur. 138 yards, in 7 minutes and 30 seconds. 



Eclipse was got by Marske, a grandson of Bartlett's Chil- 

 ders, out of Spiletta. He was foaled in the year 1764, dur- 

 ing the eclipse of that year ; from which circumstance he 

 took his name. He was bred by the Duke of Cumberland, 

 and, on the death of that Prince, sold to Mr Wildman, a 

 salesman at Smithfield ; and afterwards he became the pro- 

 perty of Mr O'Kelly. Eclipse had not the grandeur of form 

 of the Flying Childers, and might have escaped notice, but 

 for the accidental trial of his stupendous powers. He was 

 about fifteen hands and one inch high. His shoulders were 

 very low, oblique, and so thick above, that, according to the 

 observation of the time, a firkin of butter might have rested 

 upon them. He stood very high behind, a conformation 

 suited to his great power of progression. He was so thick- 

 winded as to be heard blowing at a considerable distance. 

 In the language of honest John Lawrence, " he puffed and 

 bio wed like an otter, and galloped as wide as a barn-door." 

 No sooner were his powers exhibited on the turf, than every 

 eye was set to scrutinize his form, and he was then admitted 

 to possess in perfection the external characters indicative 

 of great speed. A volume was written on his proportions 

 by M. Saintbel, a veterinary surgeon, whose investigation 

 shewed that his figure differed greatly from the conventional 

 form which speculative writers had assigned as the standard 

 of perfection. He was of an indomitable temper, and his 

 jockeys found it in vain to attempt to hold him, but con- 

 tented themselves with remaining still on the saddle, while 

 he swept along, his nose almost touching the ground. His 



