BIR, N° LXIII. THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1755. ZT NATI NATORUM, ET QUI NASCENTUR AB ILLIS. VIRG. FROM A LONG LINE OF GRANDAMS DRAWS HIS BLOOD, TO MR. TOWN. CÁMERIDGE, APRIL 4. IF you are a true fportfman, and have the honour of the Turf at heart, you must have obferved with the utmost concern a late account in the news-papers, that WHITE NOSE died at Doncafter of a mortification in his foot. An article of this nature, and at such a time, muft ftrike a damp on all gentlemen breeders; and for my part I cannot help looking on the prefent races at New market as funeral games in honour of the memory of White Nofe. The death of a stallion of fuch confequence is a public calamity to all Knowing Ones in the kingdom; nor does fuch an accident bring with it the least confolation ; efpecially fince it is not the fashion to PIT the lives of horfes, 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-horfe as much furpaffes thefe infignificant animals, as White Nofe was fuperior to a pack horfe: and I cannot but think, that an obelisk (with a proper infcription drawn by Messieurs Heber and Pond) fhould be erected near Devil's Ditch or Choak Jade on Newmarket Heath, in honour to his memory. With what aftonishment might we then read of his powerful deep rate, by which all the horfes that ran against him were no bere? With what rapture fhould we then recount his rapid victories in the field, (more furprifing than thofe of the Duke of Marlborough) by which he woN Tewkesbury, wON Chipping-Norton, won Lincoln, WON York, &c? But, above all, we fhould admire the noble Blood which flowed in his veins, and with reverence contemplate the illustrious names of his great, great, great, great grandfires and grandums. There is not the leaft flaw in the Blood of White Nofe's tamily: 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 horfes have been always preferved with as much care and exactness as the Tree of Defcent among the family of a Spanish grandee or Polish nobleman; nor does the Welchman derive greater honour from proving himself the fiftieth coufin to Cadwallader or Cara&tacus 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 coulin by the dam's fide to the Bloody boulder'd Arabian. The Romans were no less curi ous in the breed of their horfes, and paid the greatest honours to those that beat the whole Circus hollow. They even erected monuments to their memory; of which Lypfius gives us the following remarkable instance. • Clarif fimè lapis vetus, quem Romæ olim vidi et exfcripfi. In medio vir eft, qui dextrâ baculum, finiftrá pabulum tenet extrinfecus duo funt affilientes equi cum gemina infcriptione ; AquiLO, Nepos AQUILONIS vicit exxx. fecundas tulit xxxviii. tertias tulit xxxvii.-Altera,-HIRPINUS, Nepos AQUILONIS vicit cxiv. fecundas tulitvi. tertias tulit xxxvi. Habeş itaque ipfum hic HIRPINUM, atque adeò ejus Avum AQUILONEM. I could with that the fame honours were paid to our horfes: I would at least propofe, that the names, pedigrees, and a lift of the plates won by victorious horfes, fhould be infcribed on the pofts of all courfes where they have made themselves famous. Thefe memorials might ferve to perpetuate the renown of our racers, and would' furnish posterity with a more compleat history of the Turf than the Sportiman's Calendar. You will undoubtedly obferve, Mr. Town, that in the extract concerning horfes, horfes, with which I have just presented you from Lypfius, a man is alfo mentioned; the account of whom would, if modernized, run in the following terms: In the middle of the monument 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 horfes; and it is a pity that we do not alfo imitate them in this particular, and pay equal respect to our Jockeys. The chariot-race was not more celebrated among the ancients, than the horfe-race is at prefent; and the Circus at Rome never drew together fo noble an aflembly as the modern Course. Nor do I fee any reason why Theron fhould be more applauded for carrying off the prize at Elis or Pifa, than Tom Marthal for winning the plate at York or Newmarket. The charioteers of old were, indeed, composed of the greatest princes and perfons of the first rank, who prided themselves on their dexterity on managing the reins, and driving their own chariots. In this they have been imitated by feveral of our modern gentry, who value themselves on being excellent coachmen :, and it is with infinite pleafure that I have lately obferved perfons of fathion at all races affect the drefs 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 foon fee the beft Jockeys among the firit of our nobility. That the encomiums of the horfe fhould fo frequently, be enlarged on, without entering into the praises of the Jockey, is indeed fomething wonderful; when we confider how much the beat is under his direction, and that the strength and fleetness of Victorious or Driver would be of no ufe without the skill and honesty of the rider. Large fums have been loft by an horfe running, accidentally without doubt, on the wrong fide of the polt; and we Knowing Ones, Mr. Town, have frequently feen great dexterity and management exerted, in contriving that one of the best horfes in The the field fhould be distanced. Jockey has, indeed, fo great a fhare in the fuccess of the race, that every man who has ever betted five pounds is acquainted with his confequence; and does not want to be told, that the victory de pends at least as often on the rider as I cannot help agreeing with Lady ¢ My chief inducement to write to you at present, Mr. Town, was to defire you to use your endeavours to bring the Jockey into equal esteem with the animal you would he beftrides; and to beg, that promote the fettling an established scheme for the prefervation of his breed. In order to this I would humbly propofe, that a ftud for the Jockey fhould be immediately built near the stables at Newmarket; that their genealogies fhould be duly registered; that the breed should be croffed as occafion might require, and that the belt horsemen, and of the lighteft weights, fhould intermarry with the full fitters of those who had won most plates; and, in a word, the fame methods used for the improvement of the Jockeys as their horfes. I have here fent you the exact pedigree of a famous Jockey, taken with all that care just now prefcribed: and I doubt not, if my scheme was univerfally put in execution, but we fhould excel all other nations in our horsemen, as we already do in our horfes. TO TO RIDE THIS SEASON. AN able JOCKEY, fit to start for Match, Sweep-ftakes, or King's Plate; well fized; can mount twelve Stone, or ftrip to a feather; is found Wind and Limb, and free from Bleithes. He was got by Yorkshire Tom, out of a full fitter to Deptford Nan: his Dam was got by the noted Matchim Tims; his Grandam was the German Princefs; and his Great Grandam was daughter to Flanders Moll. His Sire won the King's Plate at York and Ham bleton, the Lady's Subscription Purse at Nottingham, the Give-and-Take at Lincoln, and the Sweep-ftakes at Newmarket. His Grandfire beat Dick Rogers at Epfom, and Burford, and Patrick M'Cutt'em over the Curragh of Kildare. His Great Grande, and Great Great Grandfire, rode for King Charles the Second: and fo noble is the Blood which flows in this Jockey's Veins, that none of his Family were ever distanced, flood above Five Feet Five, or weighed more than Twelve Stone. No LXIV. THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1755 W CANES LEGATOS MISERE UT SESE ERIPERENT HOMINUM CONTUMELIIS. PHEDR HOUNDS, POINTERS, MASTIFFS, LAP-DOGS SUE FOR HELP, ETURNING the other night just been reading the Votes, I found In return, I now and then afford him a comfortable meal, by killing him a rabbit in the fquire's warren, or pick myfelf on a fudden oppreffed by a drowing up an hare, on a Sunday morn finefs, that feemed to promife me as found a repofe in my great chair, as my dog already enjoyed by the fire-fide. "I willingly indulged it; and had hardly clofed my eyes, before I fell into the "following dream. Methought the door of my room on a fudden flew open, and admitted a great variety of Dogs of all forts and fizes, from the mastiff to the lap-dog. I was furprised at this appearance; but my amazement was much encreased, when 1 faw a large Grey-hound advancing towards me, and heard him thus address me in an human voice. You cannot, Sir, be ignorant of the panic that prevails among all our fpecies, on account of a fcheme now on foot for our deftruction. That flaughter, which was formerly made among the wolves of this land, and in which our ancestors bore so large a fhare, is now going to be revived among us. I, for my own part, have no hopes of efcaping, as you will eafly judge when you hear my cafe. My ⚫ mafter owes his fubfiftence to his la bour, and with his wages can just maintain me and his three children. ing. The other fervices I render him, are of equal importance to him, and pleafure to myfelf. I am his conftant companion to the field in the morning, and back again at night: he knows that his cloaths and his wallet are fafe in my keeping; and he is fure to be rouzed on any niidnight alarm, when I am in the house. It is with horror I reflect on the numbers of my relations who will fwing their laft, and against whom this law feems, indeed, to be levelled. Is it not enough that our merits are neglected, and thought inferior to thofe of a flow-footed race, who inhabit a fpacious kennel in the fquire's yard, and who are as many hours in killing an hare as we are minutes? Yet they are kept by the great, attended by the noble, and every day treated with horfe-flesh; while I live among the poor, am threatened by the rich, and now probably hall be deftroyed by public authority. I cannot dray but that the favour of the ladies is frequently extended to a small and degenerate race; who, though they bear our name, may very * A Bill had been brought into Parliament for laying a Tax upon Dogs. properly properly be ftiled the Fribbles of our fpecies. It is true, they are of fo" reign extraction, which alone is suf'ficient merit; and feem, indeed, to be as much preferred by the beau * monde to our English Grey-hounds, as their countrymen in the Haymarket are to our English fingers. But though this breed is fo diminutive, that I myfelf have courfed one of them for an hare, yet I will venture to pronounce, that, be the tax what it will, not a Fido in the land will be facrificed to * the laws. . I very heartily fecond the request of < my friend; and I doubt not but the arguments you will ufe in our behalf will be able to divert the storm that threatens us. This you may be affured of, that if my life is fpared through your means, it fhall be devoted to your fervice; and you shall fup, as often as you pleafe, on a brace of birds." 'Our request to you is to display our 'merits to the world, and convince mankind of the innocence of our in'tentions, and the hardships that we already labour under. Though I have enlarged on my own cafe, I have 'the honour to addrefs you in the name of all my brethren; fuch of them, I mean, as think themselves endangered 'by this fcheme for our deftruction. At the fame time, we delire you to apprize the public of the hazard they " may run, by coming to an open rupture; fince, in fuch a cafe, the Maf'tiffs and the Bull-dogs are determined to join their forces, and will fell their lives at the dearest rate.' This last refolution was confirmed by a general growl. After which I was thus accosted by another of the company, of the Pointing-breed. Little did I think, that the pains I have taken, and the blows I have fuffered, to perfect me in the art I profefs, would have been thus requited. * Having loft the best of masters by an 'accident from his gun, which I can 'fcarce cver think of without an howl, I have now, like my friend Smoker, the misfortune to live with a poor man. A misfortune I must call it; fince, alas! he will not be able to fave me from the halter, by paying my ranfom. He too, I am afraid, will ⚫ be reduced to beggary; fince, at prefert, I and his gun are his chief fupport. If he is deprived of me, and thereby prevented from what the rich maliciously term poaching, his bet refource will be to difpatch himself with his gun before he furrenders it, or to hang himself with the fame rope that ties up me. When I was a puppy, 'I was every day fed in the kitchen, and careffed in the parlour; and I have now a brother that always points for the best of company. What though our race This fpeech was attended with a bark of applaufe; and I was next accosted by a Lap-dog, who, after dolefully fhaking his ears, began the following harangue. Though I am aware that many of my fpecies will remain unhurt by this fcheme devifed for our deftruction, yet I have on my own account great reafon to be alarmed. I was born, indeed, in a noble family in St. James's Square, but unfortunately was, within these three months, refigned over to my prefent miftrefs, an old maid, who has been through her whole life as frugal of her money as her favours. She is, indeed, fo very faving, that I have more than once been beat for lapping up her breakfast cream; and it was but last week that 'I was feverely corrected for devouring a fheep's heart, for which fhe had been to market herself. Such a miftrefs will undoubtedly facrifice me to this cruel tax; and though you may perhaps imagine, that the lofs of life in thefe circumftances is not much to be regretted, yet death is a terrible remedy, and a living dog is better than a dead lion. But if fome of our fpecies muft perish, furely a regard fhould be had to national merit; and the ftorm fhould firft fall on thofe fo reign intruders, who, by the flatnefs of their nofes, are fuppofed to be of Dutch extraction. If the ladies allo have any regard for the honour of their country, or any love remaining for us, it becomes them to take our cafe into consideration. And I make no doubt, fince the Female Parlia T ⚫ ment ment is now fitting, (if you, Sir, would but draw up a petition in our favour) as the other fex have taken necellary precautions for the prefervation of the Game, the ladies would in their turn bring in a bill for the prefervation of Lap dogs." Various were the arguments that many others used in their own behalf. The Maftiff infifted on the protection he afforded us, and the terror he ftruck into thieves and houfe-breakers. King Charles's black favourites came fawning upon me, and hoped that their breed might be preferved in deference to the taite of fo witty a monarch. I could not help finiling at the argument made ufe of by a Bull-dog from Norfolk; who declared, that he was fo inftrumental to the mirth of the country, that he firmly believed they would never part with him: but begged at the fame time, that, if fentence mult pafs, it might be changed into banishment, and that Spain (where Bull-feafts are held in fo much honour) might be the place of his tranfportation. The eloquence and gefture of my four-footed vifiters had fuch an influence over me, that I was just going to answer them in the manner they could with; when my own Dog on a fudden jumped into my lap, and rouzed me from my dream. N° LXV. THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1755. NEC TAMEN INDIGNUM EST, QUOD VOBIS CURA PLACENDI, BLAME NOT THE BELLES, SINCE MODERN TIMES CAN SHEW, TO MR. TOWN. A the fair fex than myfelf, I was S no one has a greater refpe&t for OVID. fair face is a proper recommendation of a man to their favour; and whether they do not look upon thofe of the other fex as a contemptible fort of rivals, who aspire to be thought charming and pretty? As many females are alfo confcious that they themfelves endeavour to conceal by art the defects of nature, highly pleafed with a letter inferted fome time ago in your paper, ridiculing the deteftable use of paint among the ladies. This practice is, indeed, too generai; and for my part, when I meet a bloom-they are apt to fufpe&t thofe of our fex, ing fresh-coloured face in town, I no more take it for the real face belonging to the lady, than I imagine Queen Anne's portrait delineated on a fign-poft to be her Majetty's fieth and blood. But this fashion is not confined to the ladies. I am afhamed to tell you, that we are indebted to Spanish Wool for many of our mafculine ruddy complexions. A pretty fellow lacquers his pale face with as many varnishes as a fine lady, and it is well known, that late hours at the card-table, amufements at Hadlock's, immoderate draughts of Champagne, and fleeping all night upon a baik, will trip the moft healthy complexion of it's rofes. Therefore, to repair the lofs, they are obliged to fubtitute the unwholefome difguife of art for the native hue of a vigorous confti tution. I must leave it to you, Mr. Town, or your ingenious correfpondent, to enlarge upon this fubject; and will only fult appeal to the ladies, whether a fmooth who are fo very folicitous to fet off their I am, Sir, your humble fervant, Many of my readers will, I dare fay, be hardly perfuaded that this cuftom could have ever prevailed as a branch of male foppery: but it is too notorious, that our fine gentlemen, in feveral other inftances befides the article of paint, affect the softness and delicacy of the fair fex. The male beauty has his washes, perfumes, and cofmetics; and takes as much pains to fet a glofs on his complexion, as the footman in japanning his fhoes. He has his dreffingroom, and (which is still more ridiculous) his Toilet too; at which he fits as many hours repairing his battered countenance, as a decayed toaft dreffing for a birth-night. I had once an op portunity |