3 2o A TRIAL FOR MR. MERRY. 



Queen Mary of a criminal love for Rizzio. At all 

 events, he had a fondness for accusing other people 

 without the shadow of a suspicion, that might well 

 indicate such a descent. He was a wine and spirit 

 merchant at Glasgow, a position he entirely owed to 

 his friend Mr. Merry, who supplied him with the 

 needful for stocking his well-stored cellars. He was 

 fond of racing, but followed Mr. Merry's fortune* 

 more for the sake of benefiting himself than for real 

 love of either the sport or his friend. He accompanied 

 Mr, Merry to all the principal meetings in the South 

 where he ran horses; and often, in his absence, took 

 the management of them altogether. He instructed 

 his commissioners what horses to back, and for what 

 races, and the amount he wished to have put on for 

 Mr. Merry as well as for himself. He also gave direc- 

 tions to the trainer as to which races he wished the 

 horses to run in, and, moreover, told the jockeys how 

 they were to be ridden. Tass Parker, who was another, 

 and deservedly, of Mr. Merry's especial favourites", 

 was usually sent on a day or two before to secure 

 rooms at an hotel, or to take a house for the race- 

 week; and to have dinner or whatever was wanted 

 comfortably ready for the others on their arrival. But 

 Tass had more taste for the horses, and was more at 

 home with them. He was generally to be found in 

 the stable with the trainer, to the great discomfiture 

 of the ' touts ;' for he always mercilessly thrashed 

 them when caught spying on the horses at Russley 



