88 Life and Times of " The Druid." 



taken a few lessons in painting before leaving 

 London, and as he passed along the High 

 Street at Doncaster in search of work, he 

 saw a rough country practitioner attempting 

 to paint an equestrian portrait of the Duke 

 of Wellington on the panel of a new coach, 

 called " The Commander-in-Chief." Her- 

 ring offered to take the brush from his 

 predecessor's bungling hand, and was so 

 successful that the coach-builder immediately 

 engaged him at three pounds a week to paint 

 panels and signs. Before long his fame be- 

 gan to be talked about in the neighbourhood, 

 and some hunting squires and yeomen gave 

 the young artist commissions to paint their 

 favourite horses; but it was as a portrayer of 

 thoroughbreds that his great renown was 

 ultimately gained. For nearly forty years 

 he continued to paint every successive St. 

 Leger winner, and ended by being appointed 

 Horse Painter to the Prince Consort about 

 the time when " The Druid" first made his 

 acquaintance. 



I should mention that before embarking 

 upon the career of a professional painter, 

 Mr. Herring tried his hand on the box of 



