The Byerly Turk. 183 



he was at all distances, Still there was a certain 

 softness lingering somewhere in the tribe , and it came 

 out in the Sultans and Langars, although the cross 

 with WilHamson's Ditto and Walton in each instance 

 was as orthodox as it could be. Langar was a flash 

 Arab-style of horse about his forehand ; and both his 

 sons, Epirus and Elis, were out of mares by Sir Oliver, 

 who had a long run and a high reputation for speed 

 in Cheshire. The flying white-legged Vulture, by 

 Langar, lives in the Orlandoes ; and the roach-backed 

 Virago, his great-granddaughter, is the flower, so far, 

 of the Epirus and Pyrrhus the First line. 



The Sultan branch of Selim is a much g , 

 more famous one ; but it is fast wearing 

 out on the male side. His forehand, which breeders 

 used as a simile, was just the thing to catch foreigners ; 

 and hence a story went the round of the clubs that a 

 noble Russ wanted to barter two thousand acres and 

 seventy-eight peasants for him ! Half a neck was the 

 fiat against him in the Derby, where Soothsayer's best 

 son, Tiresias, never let himself be headed. There 

 would have been no Sandbeck rejoicings in honour of 

 Tarrare, if " Crocky's white nose" had not broken 

 down on the Saturday before the St. Leger. He 

 could hardly be got into Mr. Mawe's stables at Belle 

 Vue ; and some few, who stood heaviest on him, raced 

 off in chaises with bribed drivers to beat the news to 

 Sheffield and Nottingham, and try to save a little of 

 their money. He was sold after that to Mr. Bouverie 

 and then to Lord Exeter, and had a tremendous 

 first season. A Stamford and two Phantom mares 

 bore him, in course of time, Beiram, Ishmael, and Bay 

 Middleton. The former, along with Galata, that 

 tucked up but speediest of Burghley mares, and Green- 

 mantle, made " the narrow blue stripes" a spectre to 

 trainers for four or five seasons ; and if Lord Exeter 

 had stuck to Beiram instead of Sultan after that, and 

 not used two crosses of the blood, there seems a strong 



