" nature's journeymen." 439 



have no right to advise any other persons) not to ride 

 on a pubHc race-course unless they are good enough 

 to ride with public jockeys ; otherwise they are only 

 about as welcome an interruption as it would be to 

 have introduced between the acts of Hamlet^ where 

 Kemble and Mrs. Siddons were playing, an interlude 

 for amateur actors. I never saw those great actors ; 

 but 1 conceive they would have been good enough for 

 one evening's gratification without the other interest- 

 ing addition. An amateur performance in a noble- 

 man's house is an intellectual and sometimes a grati- 

 fjdng exhibition ; but do not treat us with it at Drury 

 Lane, where we expect to see Macready, Kean, and 

 such performers. A gentleman's race is a very pretty 

 thing in its place : it teaches men to ride ; and when 

 they can ride, as some men can do, they would gratify 

 the public by showing themselves ; but do not, pray, 

 inflict on us an exhibition of those who cannot, and 

 Avhose riding would be a laughing matter to every 

 one hut their horses. 



If, therefore, in any public race the only distinction 

 between the jocks was professional or non-professional, 

 none of the wrangles as to gentlemen-jocks would 

 arise, and this is all the distinction the public wants 

 or sporting requires : at least, submitting with defer- 

 ence to the opinions of others, I conceive it to be so. 

 I am sure of one thing ; it would prevent a great deal 

 of ill-feeling among the sporting world, and to promote 

 so desirable a result (or, I should rather say, to induce 

 some more influential person to do so), has been my 

 chief aim in writing the foregoing pages. I in no 

 shape presume so far as to consider myself of import- 

 ance enough to efl'ect this. If I ever get so much 

 credit as to be considered one of the wheels that set 



F F 4 



