yS THE USE OF HORSE-RACING 



of our time for debasing amusements, London will prove 

 to Englishmen what Capua did to Hannibal and his 

 once hardy and victorious soldiers. 



I have yet another answer, and in turn I must be 

 querist. " What is the use of horse-racing ? To fill 

 some people's pockets, and empty others ! " No, that 

 is the abuse, not the legitimate use of the thing. The 

 primary object of horse-racing is a national and rational 

 one, to keep up a breed of animals superior in speed, 

 stoutness, and symmetry to those of every other country ; 

 and one use of fox-hunting, although not the only one, 

 is to keep up the stock of hardy, fearless riders, who, 

 when leading a charge of cavalry against their enemies, 

 have ever proved themselves superior to every other 

 race of people in the world. These, then, are the uses 

 of fox-hunting, to prevent our nobility, gentry, and 

 yeomanry from degenerating into milksops ; to keep 

 alive the spirit of chivalry, the knowledge of horseman- 

 ship, and the contempt of danger. Another use of fox- 

 hunting is that the place of fixture in the hunting field 

 becomes a focus of attraction from all sides of the country 

 — a grand reunion of the neighbouring gentry — where, 

 if not all, the great majority do congregate to discuss 

 other topics as well as that of the chase. The bold 

 yeomanry are there also, and men of every class, who 

 can participate in this national sport without being 

 considered intruders. The hunting field, like the race- 

 course, is open equally to all Her Majesty's liege subjects ; 

 and the covert's side is to the country what Epsom 

 Downs are to the metropolitans — a place for recreation 

 and amusement ; for it would be as absurd to say that 

 the whole field is composed of sportsmen, as that the 

 whole concourse of spectators on the race-course consists 



