LORD GEORGE AND MR DISRAELI. 427 



party, of which he had long been a silent member, 

 was being misguided and wrecked by the " man at 

 the helm," — the great statesman who had until 

 then been its most trusted pilot. To this conviction 

 he was mainly brought by the influence and argu- 

 ments of Mr Disraeli, who well knew Lord George's 

 character, and appraised his abilities more accurately 

 than any other member of Parliament did. I shall 

 always think that Mr Disraeli allowed himself, as 

 early as the year 1842, to appear to be drawn 

 by Lord George into the vortex of racing, with 

 a view to drawing Lord George, when the right 

 moment came, into the vortex of politics. 



Li 1842 Lord George owned a very highly bred 

 filly called Kitten, who was the daughter of Bay 

 Middleton, winner of the Derby, and of Pussy, 

 winner of the Oaks. Lord George insisted that in 

 this filly Mr Disraeli should take an interest, by 

 accepting a half share in her, of which I have no 

 doubt that his Lordship made him a present. 

 Kitten was engaged in several two-year-old and 

 three-year-old stakes, but unfortunately she was, 

 like many of the Bay Middletons, very light in the 

 fore-legs, and was therefore unable to stand training- 

 even to the extent of being prepared for a two- 

 year-old stake over a half-mile course. Worthless 

 as she was, she afibrded Mr Disraeli an opportunity 

 to call more frequently upon Lord George, although 

 I do not believe that the former ever took any 

 genuine interest in horses or in racing". About 



