The "Old Mortality" of the Turf. 311 



fuller and more sympathetic view of North 

 country than of South country racing stables 

 and stud farms ; but, in his time, the influence 

 of Langton Wold and Middleham, of Rich- 

 mond-on-the-Swale and Black Hambleton, 

 had not been superseded by Newmarket, 

 Danebury, Manton, Kingsclere, Lambourne 

 and Stanton. That his title of " The Old 

 Mortality of the Turf" was well deserved, 

 the following passage, selected from many 

 others of a like nature, will sufficiently 

 show : — 



" The Coverdale valley, down which so 

 many jocks have ' wasted ' in their day, lies in 

 front, with the river Cover winding through 

 its deep dingle of ash and sycamore. In the 

 distance is the ridge of the Low Moor at 

 Middleham, with occasional sheeted strings 

 of racers glancing along its skyline, like 

 scenes in a magic-lantern, and stretching 

 away to the High Moor, which has the 

 frowning Penhill to back it. The old church 

 at Coverham is hard by the Cover stream, 

 and many a racing celebrity lies under its 

 shadow. There sleep old Bob Johnson, the 

 steersman of Beeswing and Dr. Syntax ; Ben 



