332 THE DUKE OF CLEVELAND. 



two miles and a distance, beating Poles tar very easily 

 by ten lengths, seven others tailed off. Polestar, I 

 should add, ran second to Vengeance in the Cesare- 

 witch in 1856, and at one time was the property of 

 the unfortunate Mr. Cook ; whilst Vengeance belonged 

 to his partner, the man who poisoned him — the 

 notorious Palmer of Shrewsbury, who was hung for 

 the crime. Now Lord William liked a horse that 

 could stay, and seeing Cedric win two miles, was 

 anxious to have him for his own, and asked the 

 price. This I said was £1,500. He replied that it 

 was too much, and declined him. However, I after- 

 wards persuaded his lordship to come down and look 

 at him in the stable in the evening, which he did ; 

 and after examining his legs with great ability and 

 minuteness, he said he thought the near one was a 

 little tilled, which he attributed to the race more than 

 to anything else, and thought ' a little rest would set 

 him right.' I was thankful for this expression of 

 opinion, for it saved me offering one of my own on a 

 very delicate subject. However, his lordship again 

 declined to purchase on account of the price, which 

 he said was too much. I had my own reasons for 

 not wishing to let slip my customer, so, after a bit, I 

 said : 



' Well, your lordship, even at the risk of displeas- 

 ing Mr. Parker, I will, to oblige you, lower it, and 

 take a little less.' 



