CHAPTER XXIV 



A noteworthy omission from Iiis grace's list of peccadilloes — A gluttonous 

 wager — Racing in 1786 — Goodison and Cliifney — Turf results for 

 1787-88 — A. faux pas — His racing record, 1789-90 — The Duke and 

 Madame du Barry — King George in., Queensberry, and Madame du 

 Barry — His grace's opinion of Chifney — ' Old Q ' : why so called — 

 Anecdote related of his grace by Lord Brougham. 



Of the various forms of gaming and wagering the 

 fourth Duke of Queensberry indulged in, it is to his 

 credit that I have not found that he accorded any 

 support to the ' noble ' or ' ignoble ' art of self-defence 

 — alias pugihsm. To assert positively that he never 

 interested himself in the ' fancy ' would be a difficult 

 statement to corroborate. But I have not come 

 across a reference which points to even a predilection 

 for this 'sport.' Nor do I find his grace a patron 

 of cocking, bull-baiting, ratting, dog-fighting, or any 

 pursuit of a similar gentle nature (?), in which many 

 of our hereditary legislators then sought recreation. 



Perhaps the most bestial wager his grace made 

 was that of a thousand guineas with Sir John Lade, 

 as to which of the two could produce a man to eat 



