SELLS A STUD 51 



novelist. Whether all his lordship's ' loves ' catalogued 

 by Thackeray will be found proven, I shall leave to 

 my reader on the termination of my task 



The year 1756 does not appear to have been of 

 much significance in his lordship's career. True, he 

 resumed his position in the racing world ; in fact, 

 entered upon the largest number of engagements as 

 yet recorded — sixteen. By reference to the Racing 

 Analysis ^ it will be found that he won four events. 



During this year the Earl of March and Ruglen's 

 entire stud of brood mares ^ was offered for sale. 

 These numbered eleven, and a cursory glance at the 

 Appendix will show not only what their pedigrees 

 were, but the prices they were offered at. Some of 

 those prices were tolerably good, if the difference in 

 the purchasing power of gold, then and now, be borne 

 in mind. Why his lordship should have disposed 

 of what, on the face of it, was a likely lot of animals 

 for racing purposes, can only be guessed; either its 

 monetary results did not answer Lord March's expec- 

 tations, or his dislike to any pursuit of a farming or 

 agricultural nature, which stock-raising of any de- 

 scription certainly is, influenced him. 



One of the throe lads who rode in his Carriage 

 Match afterwards became a notability of the prize- 



1 Appendix. 2 ggg p^gg 45. 



