82 'OLD q' 



that his lordship made up his book against the 

 Duke, who appears to have been caught in the 

 racing-net of the shrewd jockey-lord. Good a 

 'horse as H.R.H.'s old servant Cato appears to have 

 been, it was asking too much of him to carry lOst. 

 over the Beacon Course four miles against his lord- 

 ship's bay filly by Skim, late Lord Portmore's, three 

 years old, carrying a feather. By this, Lord March's 

 loss of 800 guineas in the spring to the Duke was 

 turned into a profit of 700 guineas in his matches 

 with H.R.H. alone, not counting bets which, it is 

 very certain, his lordship indulged in. 



The reader by this time has gained a clear in- 

 sight into Lord March's gambling ways, together 

 with his shrewdness in those pursuits. Indeed, 

 chance seems to have entered but little into his 

 schemes or original wagers, as he invariably thought 

 a bet, other than a turf one, well out before com- 

 mitting himself. But even if at fault in his cal- 

 culation, he invariably found some means that had 

 not entered his opponent's mind, whereby possible 

 or assured defeat was turned into victory. In 

 support of my assertion, I will now relate a wager 

 made by his lordship which fully substantiates 

 his acuteness and resource, but is not generally 

 known. 



