TO AVOID OTHER LEGS, TAKE TO YOUR OWN. 17 



mile round than witness, instead of becoming an un- 

 called-for actor in its execution. 



If a man on the turf stoops to tamper with the 

 honesty of his trainer, jockey, or stable-boy, he of 

 course brings himself to their level, or below it. If 

 he also chooses, for the sake of making up his book, 

 to associate (we will allow only j9ro tempore)^ consult, 

 and bet with MacMegs and sharpers, he must necessa- 

 rily lose that distinction his original position in 

 society entitled him to hold. In short, it is not 

 racing that levels distinction, but, like every thing 

 else, the way in which it is sometimes done. 



There are certainly some pursuits so degrading in 

 themselves (bull-baiting, dog-iighting, &c.) that, 

 carry them on as you will, being the pursuits of the 

 ruffian and blackguard, must degrade the gentleman. 

 Here no adventitious circumstance is wanted to level 

 distinction — to encourage, patronise, or even witness 

 such barbarities, is enough to produce such eifect. 

 But racing ever has been the pursuit of the higher 

 classes of society ; and the only way by which noble- 

 men or gentlemen can lose caste, or bring themselves 

 on a level with the Leg, is by countenancing him and 

 descending to his habits and practices. 



I have said that these sharpers might easily be 

 driven from the turf, or at all events their influence 

 be destroyed. If we could prevent fools playing at 

 thimble- rig, we should require no rural police to keep 

 the table-keepers from the race-course. If people 

 would neither carry watches nor sufficient money 

 into crowds to be worth the attention of pickpockets, 

 they would disappear from such places also. So, if 

 noblemen, gentlemen, and aU respectable men would 

 determine neither to countenance, bet with, nor speak 



VOL. I. c 



