24 THE HORSE 



he was sold to a water-carrier, and descended to the 

 meanest servitude. Through all his misfortunes, however, he 

 was attended by the faithful Moor, who scrupulously carried 

 out the orders he had received. One fine morning it befell 

 that the wife of a well-to-do Quaker living in Paris pre- 

 sented her husband with a little son. In gratitude the 

 happy father registered a resolve to do some kind action 

 that day, and taking his hat sallied forth into the streets. 

 There had been a sharp frost, and the roads were slippery, 

 and presently Mr. Coke was witness to a horse falling with 

 a water-cart to which he was harnessed. The man in 

 charge commenced to beat the horse without mercy, 

 whereupon Mr. Coke, mindful of the purpose for which 

 he had come out, remonstrated with the driver for his 

 cruelty, and eventually purchased the animal for £8. 

 Mr. Coke then found himself in a dilemma as to the dis- 

 posal of his newly-acquired property ; but the Moor, who 

 was as usual watching his charge, came up to him, and 

 unfolding the whole history of the horse offered his services 

 in looking after the animal, which Mr. Coke was only too 

 glad to accept ; and thus he learned the undoubted value 

 of the animal he had so strangely acquired. 



The horse was imported to England, was resold to Earl 

 Godolphin, the heir to the Dukedom of Leeds, and was 

 then sent to Gog and Magog, an estate of the Duke's 

 about four miles from Cambridge, where the Duke main- 

 tained a breeding stud ; and there the horse remained for 

 three years in the humble and unsatisfying position of 

 " teasing " the lord of the harem, Hobgoblin, into carrying 

 out his duties. Each year a mare, Roxana by name, had 

 been brought into the presence of the two, but in 1731 the 

 Godolphin's passions overcame him ; he broke loose from 

 the groom, and fought Hobgoblin with such fury he 

 killed him before they could be separated. Fortunately for 

 the Godolphin, and still more fortunately for the Turf, 

 it was decided to promote him to be sultan in the place 

 of the vanquished Hobgoblin, no doubt on the principle 

 that " the brave deserve the fair." Directly his first produce 

 made their appearance on the race-course they justified the 



