SPORT AT THE VARSITIES 151 



had left upon Lord March's Smart, who lost, you know ; 

 but, between you and me, I have a great notion that Tom 

 Marshall rode booty. However, I had a mind to push my 

 luck as far as I could, so I sold my poor little mare for 

 twelve pieces, went to the coffee-house, and left them all 

 behind me at the gaming-table, and I should not have been 

 able to get back to Cambridge that night if Bob Whip, of 

 Trinity, had not taken me up into his phaeton. We have 

 had a round of dinners at our rooms ever since, and I have 

 been drunk every day to drive away care. However, I 

 hope to recruit again soon. Frank Classic, of Pembroke, 

 has promised to make me out a long list of Greek books ; 

 so I will write directly to old Square Toes and enclose the 

 list, tell him I have taken them up, and draw on him for 

 money to pay the bookseller's bill. Then I shall be rich 

 again, Jack ; and perhaps you may see me at the Shake- 

 speare by the middle of next week. Till then I am, 

 dear Jack, yours, T. Flareit." 



And that reminds me, by the way, that an undergraduate 

 put rather a poser a few years back to his tutor. " Why," 

 asked this ingenuous youth, " may I not visit Newmarket 

 Heath when the highest dignitary of the Universit)' — the 

 Chancellor himself (the Duke of Devonshire^) — will not 

 only be present but will be running horses in many of the 

 races ? " Now in my day, and I suppose from time im- 

 memorial, Newmarket at race time was tabooed to the 

 undergraduates. Every man had to show in Hall each 

 evening during the meeting, and this was supposed to be 

 proof positive that he had not been to the races. To 

 " show in Hall " did not mean necessarily to dine there — 

 all you had to do was to appear at the door of the college 

 dining-hall in academicals before 6 o'clock, and hold up 

 your cap in order that the marker might prick your name 

 down. Now 1 need hardly point out that nothing could 

 be easier than to see the last race on the Heath and reach 

 the college, fourteen miles away, before 6 P.M. It is true 

 there was often some reckless driving in order to get to 

 college in time, and I have witnessed and shared in scenes 

 * This was written before the death of the late Duke. 



