'KOMEO, ROMEO, WHEREFORE ART THOU ROMEO ?" 437 



ever having seen seven or eight gentlemen ride to- 

 gether where on the whole the race was even tolerably 

 ridden. It is something like a provincial theatrical 

 company, where two or three are equal to better things, 

 the others not equal to anything. Where I knew 

 every gentleman going to ride, and every horse, I 

 should certainly feel great interest in the race ; and, 

 though I should not tell them so, perhaps a great part 

 of that interest would be the seeing how some of them 

 would ride. I think I can give my reader a little hint 

 if he ever contemplates a bet where gentlemen ride — 

 " never mind the horse; back the man'' — unless the 

 race was between Alice Hawthorn and The Duenna 

 at equal weights : even then, I think, put Lord Howth 

 on The Duenna, I could mention some gentlemen who 

 would get Alice Hawthorn beat ; and yet I have seen 

 such men ride their oAvn horses, and when they could, 

 those of their neighbours. As to any gratification in 

 seeing such a man as the latter ride, it must only be 

 similar to that of seeing Romeo Coates perform for 

 the amusement of the public. By having races for 

 gentlemen on public courses, we only substitute a bad 

 race for a good one, without producing the end in- 

 tended, if anything good was intended by them, 

 namely, affording amusement to those who could not 

 get it elsewhere. I must, therefore, consider that at 

 such places the only different classification of riders 

 required is professional and non-professional. We 

 have no fox-hounds for gentlemen only : why then 

 races ? The nobleman and gentleman ride when 

 with hounds with horse-dealers, tradesmen, farmers, 

 butchers, and even a chimney-sweep, and no harm 

 arises from it : if, therefore, they wish to ride on pub- 

 lic courses, no more harm or familiarity could arise 



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