452 DEATH OF LORD GEORGE BENTINCK. 



I remember that, when the St Leger was over, 

 Lord George's eye and countenance were radiant 

 with some of the old fire which I had seen re- 

 flected by them on many previous occasions. 

 That he must have inwardly regretted to have 

 allowed such a horse as Surplice to pass out of 

 his hands it is impossible to doubt. I have lately 

 seen a letter addressed to a friend of his by the late 

 Sir William Gregory, who, as my readers are al- 

 ready aware, was intimately acquainted with, and a 

 great admirer of. Lord George Bentinck. I should 

 premise that, in 1838, Lord Chesterfield's Don John 

 won the St Leger in a canter against a small but 

 good field. As Lord George was walking off the 

 course he fell in with Sir William Gregory, and 

 addressed him as follows : — 



" I am now on my way home to discharge the 

 weary task of making out my betting -book, in 

 which I have not one winning bet. But I de- 

 clare I would rather be in this position than in 

 that occupied by my Lord Chesterfield, who has 

 won a paltry £1500 on such a horse! If Don 

 John had been mine I would not have left a card- 

 seller in Doncaster with a shirt to his back." 



It is probable that some such thoughts as these 

 must have passed through Lord George's mind 

 when he saw SurjDlice wear Lord Stanley's Canezou 

 down in the Doncaster St Leger of 1848, and win 

 by indomitable pluck and stoutness. There can 



