Jockeys. 1 1 7 



have been created I ord Danebury in his " all scarlet," 

 on the spot. His early life was one of no common toil, 

 and he had often to ride from race-course to race- 

 course, on his ponies, with his saddle-bags in front, 

 nearly lOO miles in the day. He has one boast, a 

 very proud one for a man who has reached his double 

 eminence, that he was married in a stable-jacket, and 

 that for two years after he did not treat himself to a 

 bottle of wine or a surtout. With the early end of his 

 bachelorhood came the crisis of his fortunes. It was 

 then he went to Newmarket, where he was but little 

 known, and to use his own expressive words, they 

 " looked cold on me," Still the Duke of Grafton 

 knew sufficiently what stuff he was made of to put 

 him up, both in the One and Two Thousand. Buckle 

 was a great man then, and the young country jockey 

 thought that it was only hoping against hope to beat 

 him on a favourite, " / saw Buckle^' we have heard 

 him say, " preparing to go, and it seemed as if some- 

 thing told me that ii I went first, I should beat him. 

 And I did. I got the first run, and I beat him. Then 

 I won both races for his Grace. He sent for me, and 

 I came to the door, with my hat in my hand. * Come 

 in, John Day' So I did, and I stood on the mat. 

 * John Day, Fin going to make you a present for the 

 mamier in which you have ridden my horses this week; 



I am about to give you 20/. /;/ bank notes of Messrs. 



bank at Bury St, Edmund's — most highly-respectable 

 hankers^ ' Thank you, my lord, for your great kind- 

 ness.* It was a great present in those times. After 

 that I got 500/. for winning one race." 



The connexion between him and the john Davs Visit 

 old Duke was never weakened on the to the House of 

 Duke's side, and but for one instant on Commons. 

 John's ; and well it might, when his Grace thus broke 

 on his astonished ears, after a race, with " You re a 

 thief, John Day ; you're a thief .'" " Your Grace, what 

 have I done to displease you f ^^You stole that race!" 



