530 THE HORSE. 



was long regarded as an Arabian, although his characters 

 approached to those of the Barb. He was found dragging a 

 water-cart in France, and was probably one of those neglected 

 presents of horses, frequent at that time, from the Barbary 

 Powers to the French Court. He was brought to England, 

 and finally presented to Lord Godolphin, in whose stud he 

 remained a considerable time before his value was suspected ; 

 and then* only it was discovered in consequence of the ex- 

 cellence of one of his sons, Lath, out of Roxana, who proved 

 to be the fleetest horse, Childers excepted, that had, till then, 

 appeared on the English turf. His grandson Matchem, was 

 in a peculiar degree noted for the excellence of his stock. 

 This latter horse is supposed to have yielded his owner, Mr 

 Fenwick, upwards of L.17,000 as a stallion alone. He died 

 in 1781, having had 354 sons and daughters, all winners at 

 our numerous race-courses, and computed to have gained to 

 their owners L.151,097- From the importance of the progeny 

 of Matchem, it has been proposed to term the line to which 

 he belongs the Matchem line. 



As the greater part of the horses of the modern turf are 

 more or less allied in blood to Herod, Eclipse, and Matchem, 

 it has been proposed to classify them by their lineal descent 

 frjDm these celebrated horses. This classification cannot be 

 deemed satisfactory, from the mixture of blood that has taken 

 place ; but yet it is convenient, and may be found useful.* 



* The following Table will suffice to give some idea of the mixture of blood 

 that prevails in the modern Race-Horse. Thus, it will be observed, that though 

 the sire and dam of Bay Middleton are both in the Herod line, they yet partake 

 more or less of the blood of both the Matchem and Eclipse lines. In the same 

 way, Charles the Twelfth, though lineally descended from Eclipse, partakes of 

 three successive infusions of the Herod blood ; and Dr Syntax, though belong- 

 ing to the Matchem line, inherits also the blood of both Herod and Eclipse. 

 The same remark, indeed, applies even to Herod, Matchem, and Eclipse them- 

 selves ; for, on referring to the Table, it will be seien that they all possessed 

 more or less of the blood of one another. The Table will be readily understood 

 when read thus : The Byerly Turk, and a mare descended through her sire 

 from the D'Arcy Yellow Turk, produced Jigg : Jigg, and a mare descended 

 through her sire from Curwen's Bay Barb, produced Partner ; and so on : 



BAY 



