The Life of Fred Archer 213 
in the Derby on the Town Moor, on Wednesday next, with 
some degree of certainty, looking upon Ossian at the same 
time as the best place investment, coupled with Elzevir. If 
not claimed by Lord Falmouth for Grandmaster, Archer will 
have the mount on Royal Angus ; but as his experience of 
that animal is confined to the occasion on which his own mount, 
Beau Brummel, was defeated by him at Stockbridge last year, 
it was scarcely to be expected that he could form any reliable 
opinion as to his prowess, nor did we care to solicit it. 
" Fred Archer has unquestionably achieved a position in 
life of which he may justly be proud, and which is mainly 
due to his own untarnished integrity and indefatigable interest 
in his profession. He has now a home of which any nobleman 
might well be proud. The time may not be far distant when 
he will retire from the racket and fatigue incident to his present 
life, and devote himself, in conjunction with his old master 
and present partner, Mathew Dawson, to the less arduous 
duties of a training establishment. He may well be held up 
to his brethren as an example of what steadiness, thrift, and 
straightforwardness may attain even in a calling so surrounded 
by temptations as that of a jockey. Constant intercourse with 
the highest and bluest blood in the land has inculcated in 
him a modesty of demeanour and quiet manner which in 
themselves constitute an ineffable charm, and we can truly 
say that in the course of many and varied experiences we never 
recollect spending a more pleasant afternoon than that with 
'Fred Archer at Falmouth House.'" 
The late Mr. Cecil Raleigh wrote of Archer and Lindsay 
Gordon, for the latter of whom, or at least for his poetry, he 
had a supreme scorn : 
" No, I don't think there is any truth whatever in the Archer 
story. He was a very jealous horseman, and I do not think 
that the temptation existed that would have induced him 
to give up riding a Derby winner if it were possible. Even 
if he had offered to take a miUion before the race, I think he 
