Silk. 95 



the Chester Roodee far behind. The Doge of Venice 

 and four other Cup winners had alone passed the post, 

 when the keen eye of its county handicapper was 

 glazed and dim ; and the poor of Audlem and miles 

 round knew him no more, to their sorrow. But Jack 

 Mytton was still great and glorious there with his 

 Halston, in the same year, too, that the Blacklocks 

 carried all before them at Doncaster ; and that 

 Voltaire, after defeating Sir Hercules in the St. Leger, 

 sent down — under Tommy Lye's guidance — his half 

 brother Laurel, and Fleur-de-Lis in the Cup. Now 

 Velocipede's erring sinew can be patched up no more ; 

 and even three St. Legers in succession cannot avail 

 to keep Mr. Petre in the Racing Calendar. Anon we 

 have the brothers Chifney era ; and visions of 

 sanguine Will in the yard at Tattersall's, on Priam's 

 settling-day, with a table before him and a pyramid 

 of bank-notes thereon. Their fortune has proved as 

 fragile as that paper pile ; and then comes Lord 

 Exeter triumphant with his white-legged Sultans, and 

 Lord Jersey nicking the blood best with his Cobweb 

 at last. Mr. Bowes and his " all black" appears on 

 the scene when Plenipo goes off; and although the 

 Sledmere-bred Grey Momus may fail him, a lanky 

 cast-off Priam foal from Bretby, who trotted up with 

 her dam to Tattersall's, gives Lord George the weapon 

 which he has pined for years to wield. Then sets in 

 the Westminster dynasty, which Touchstone had 

 begun ; and his lordship twice over draws nigh his 

 dearly beloved Doncaster, a full week before the races, 

 right confident that his yellow jacket and black cap 

 will there achieve what Epsom has denied it. Now 

 Lanercost and Beeswing end their long Cumberland 

 and Northumberland rivalry, and Alice Hawthorn is 

 on every lip. She, too, at last, subsides into a worn- 

 out mare, out of whom even Bob Heseltine cannot 

 raise a gallop ; and then Sir Tatton goes forth fram 

 his accustomed wicket, and ere he leads back his 



