18 'OLD Q' 



that his lordship does not win the chaise match. 

 N.B. — Lord Anson goes Colonel Waldegrave halves — 

 Paid.' The last clause appears to indicate that the 

 gallant Colonel had at first underrated his shrewd 

 lordship's ability in mundane affairs of the fleeting 

 order, and showed some astuteness in displaying a 

 knowledge of ' gardening pursuits — hedging.' 



A match of so novel a character could not be 

 decided off-hand; long and tedious were the pre- 

 parations, both in the selecting and training of 

 the horses, and in the designing and building of the 

 vehicle. The latter, in these days of pneumatic 

 tyres and steel ' spider-web ' wheels, would have gone 

 for nought, but it was very different then, when 

 persons had to ' educate ' coach-builders themselves 

 for anything outside a massive chariot. We of the 

 present day can but little ajjpreciate the difficulties 

 with which these noble lords had to contend in pro- 

 ducing, with the mechanical skill then at disposal, a 

 vehicle that complied with the transporting condi- 

 tions of the wager, but of so slight a construction as 

 not to tire either the ' wheelers ' or ' leaders.' It may 

 then be anticipated that perfection in so unique a 

 machine was not attained without several failures. 

 Two or three were constructed by the most eminent 

 carriage-builders of the day, and found wanting on 



