Sir John Astley. i 5 



the evil effects of oppressive legislation, the traditions of 

 which continue to be handed down from father to son for 

 several generations ; we may be confident that the national 

 sentiment which rebelled against injustice, will become de- 

 voted to laws, the working of which is found to ensure to the 

 people justice and order. With all their faults, the Corkonians 

 of those days had one strong claim to be considered sports- 

 men, namely, they paid their debts of honour. Although I 

 have already told in The Pink ' Un a story about Sir John 

 Astley in this connection ; I trust I may be pardoned for 

 repeating it here. ' The Mate,' who had proved himself the 

 champion sprinter of the British Army in the Crimea, made, 

 in the spring of 1858, a match, which he won, with a Mr 

 Taylor, who had beaten Captain Machell, and who, as a 

 pedestrian, was the pride of the County of Cork. The race 

 came off in the Barrack Square, and the course, 100 yards, 

 was roped in. Before the men toed the line, Captain Astley, 

 with an overcoat covering his tights, walked up and down the 

 enclosure, round the sides of which were thronged hundreds 

 of Cork sportsmen, taking all the bets he could get on ; and he 

 would not ' peel ' as long as there was anyone left to answer 

 his challenge: 'Who'll back the Irishman?' In his usual 

 impetuous way, he omitted to book any of his bets ; but his 

 trust in the honour of his opponents was not misplaced ; 

 for everyone of them came up after the event had been de- 

 cided and ' weighed in.' Little Jimmy Paterson, 'the Flying 

 Tailor,' used to train The Mate and give him his gallops. 

 Eight years later, I helped to avenge the honour of Cork 

 by training a young farmer, whom I matched to run no 

 yards against Captain Marryatt of the 65th Regiment, who 

 at that time was one of the fastest amateur sprinters in 

 England. With a novice who was a yard better than ' even 

 time' for 100 yards, I had a good thing against a \o\ second 

 man. Our side won over this match more money from the 

 Sassenach, than The Mate and his friends had carried away. 

 Captain Machell, who was in the 14th Regiment, and who 



