SIR, No. LXII. THURSDAY, APRIL 10. Et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis. VIRO From a long line of Grandams draws his blood, To Mr. Town. Cambridge, April 4. IF you are a true sportsman, and have the honour of the turf at heart, you must have observed with the utmost concern, a late account in the news-paper, that "White-Nose died at Doncaster of a mortification in his foot." An article of this nature, and at such a time, must strike a damp on all gentlemen breeders; and for my part I cannot help looking on the present races at New-market, as funeral games in honour of the memory of White-Nose. The death of a stallion of such consequence is a public calamity to all knowing ones in the kingdom; nor does such an accident bring with it the least consolation; especially since it is not the fashion to pit the lives of horses, as well as men, against each other. Italian grey-hounds, Dutch lap-dogs, monkeys, and maccaws, have been honoured with monuments and epitaphs. But a race-horse as much surpasses these insignificant animals, as White-Nose was superior to a pack-horse: and I cannot but think, that an obelisk (with a proper inscription drawn up by Messieurs Heber and Pond) should be erected near Devil's-Ditch or Choak-Jade on New-market Heath, in honour to his memory. With what astonishment might we then read of his powerful deep rate, by which all the horses that ran against him were no-where? With what rapture should we then recount his rapid victo ries in the field, (more surprising than those of the duke of Marlborough) by which he won Tewkesbury, won Chipping-Norton, won Lincoln, won York, &c.? But, above all, we should admire the noble Blood which flowed in his veins, and with reverence contemplate the illustrious names of his great, great, great, great grandsires and grandams. There is not the least flaw in the Blood of White-Nose's family: and his epitaph might conclude, in imitation of that famous one on the Duke of Newcastle's monument, "that all the sons were remarkable stallions, and all "the daughters excellent breeders." The pedigree of our race-horses have been always preserved with as much care and exactness, as the tree of descent among the family of a Spanish grandee or Polish nobleman; nor does the Welchman derive greater honour from proving himself the fiftieth cousin to Cadwallader or Caractacus through a long line of David Ap Shenkins, Ap Morgans, Ap Powells, Ap Prices, than the horse by being half brother to the Godolphin Barb, or full cousin by the dam's side to the Bloody Shouldered Arabian. The Romans were no less curious in the breed of their horses, and paid the greatest honours to those, that beat the whole Circus hollow. They even erected monuments to their memory; of which Lypsius gives us the following remarkable instance. Clarissime lapis vetus, quem Roma olim vidi et exscripsi. In medio vir est, qui dextra baculum, sinistra pabulum tenet: extrinsecus duo sunt assilientes equi cum gemina inscriptione; Aquilo, Nepos Aquilonis vicit cxxx. secundas tulit lxxxviii. tertias tulit xxxvii...Altera... Hirpinus, Nepos Aquilonis vicit cxiv. secundas tulit Ivi. tertias tulit xxxvi. Habes itaque ipsnm hic Hirpinum, atque adeo ejus Avum Aquilonem. I could wish that the same honours were paid to our horses: 1 would at least propose, that the names, pedigrees, and a list of the plates won by vic torious horses, should be inscribed on the posts of all courses, where they have made themselves famous. These memorials might serve to perpetuate the renown of our racers, and would furnish posterity with a more complete history of the turf than the Sportsman's Calendar. You will undoubtedly observe, Mr. Town, that in the extract concerning horses, with which I have just presented you from Lypsius, a man is also mentioned; the account of whom would, if modernized, run in the following terms: "In the middle of the monu"ment stood a man with a whip in his right hand, "and a feed of corn in his left." Hence it appears, that the Romans intended to do honour to the charioteer as well as the horses; and it is a pity, that we do not also imitate them in this particular, and pay equal respect to our jockeys. The chariot-race was not more celebrated among the ancients, than the hose-race is at present; and the Circus at Rome never drew together so noble an assembly as the modern course. Nor do I see any reason, why Theron should be more applauded for carrying off the prize at Elis or Pisa, than Tom Marshal for winning the plate at York or New-market. The charioteers of old were, indeed, composed of the greatest princes and persons of the first rank, who prided themselves on their dexterity in managing the reins, and driving their own chariots. In this they have been imitated by several of our modern gentry, who value themselves on being excellent coachmen: and it is with infinite pleasure, that I have lately observed persons of fashion at all races affect the dress and manners of grooms. And as gentlemen, like the ancient charioteers, begin to enter the race themselves, and ride their own horses, it is probable, that we shall soon see the best jockeys among the first of our nobility. That the encomiums of the horse should so fres quently be enlarged on, without entering into the praises of the jockey, is indeed something wonderful; when we consider how much the beast is under his direction, and that the strength and fleetness of Victorious or Driver would be of no use without the skill and honesty of the rider. Large sums have been lost by an horse running, accidentally without doubt, on the wrong side of the post; and we knowing-ones, Mr. Town, have frequently seen great dexterity and management exerted, in contriving that one of the best horses in the field should be distanced. The jockey has, indeed, so great a share in the success of the race, that every man, who has ever betted five pounds, is acquainted with his consequence; and does not want to be told, that the victory depends at least as often on the rider as the horse. I cannot help agreeing with lady Pentweazle in the farce, that" if there was as much care taken in the "breed of the human species, as there is in that of dogs "and of horses, we should not have so many puny half"formed animals as we daily see among us ;" and every thorough sportsman very well knows, that as much art is required in bringing up a jockey, as the beast he is to ride. In every respect the same care must be had to keep him in wind; and he must be in like manner dieted, put in sweats, and exercised, to bring him down to a proper weight. Much depends upon the size of the man as well as horse: for a rider of the same dimensions with a grenadier would no more be fit to come upon the turf as a jockey, than an awkward thing taken out of the shafts of a dray could ever appear at the starting post as a race-horse. This is obvious to every one; and I could not help smiling at what my landlord at the White Bear said the other day to a little fellow-commoner of St. John's (who would fain be thought a knowing one) by way of compliment: "My worthy master, said the land"lord, it is a thousand pities you should be a gownsman, when you would have made such a special "post-boy or jockey." 66 My chief inducement to write to you at present, Mr. Town, was to desire you to use your endeavours to bring the jockey into equal esteem with the animal he bestrides; and to beg that you would promote the settling an established scheme for the preservation of his breed. In order to this I would humbly propose, that a stud for the jockey should be immediately built near the stables at New-market; that their genealogies should be duly registered; that the breed should be crossed as occasion might require, and that the best horsemen, and of the lightest weight, should intermarry with the full sisters of those who had won most plates; and, in a word, the same methods used for the improvement of the jockeys as their horses. I have here sent you the exact pedigree of a famous jockey, taken with all that care just now prescribed: and I doubt not, if my scheme was universally put in execution, but we should excel all other nations in our horsemen, as we already do in our horses. TO RIDE THIS SEASON, AN able Jockey, fit to start for match, sweep-stakes, or king's plate; well sized; can mount twelve stone, or strip to a feather; is sound wind and limb, and free from blemishes. He was got by Yorkshire Tom, out of a full sister to Deptford Nan; his dam was got by the noted Matchim Tims; his grandam was the German Princess; and his great grandam was daughter to Flanders Moll. His sire won the king's plate at York and Hambleton, the lady's subscription purse at Nottingham, the give-and-take at Lincoln, and the sweep-stakes at New-market. His grandsire beat |