when he asked me at Egham Races whether that was not the place where the field beat King John. You dwell rightly upon one remarkable trait in his character to wit, that all his sympathies were with the gentlemen. Nothing pleased him more than when they had a good race. His reflections on the use of the Turf to British society, as a safety-valve for the lower orders, were excellent, and full of wisdom."

The second letter to which I have alluded above has reference to the authorship of The Chaunt of Achilles,' which was published anonymously in The Sporting Magazine' in 1838, shortly after her Majesty's Coronation.

'I have in my possession," writes Sir William, "a copy of The Chaunt of Achilles,' with the inscription, By Bernal Osborne, Jun.,' written on its back. Below are the words, 'Got fifteen guineas from Editor for this.' I am convinced from internal evidence that no one but a member of West-End society could have written it. It is impossible that Surtees, a north-country attorney, could have known all the gossip to which it refers. The style, moreover, in which it is written affords another proof of its authorship, for the versification is exactly similar to that of 'The Voice from Palace Yard,' which is admittedly Bernal Osborne's composition."

With one final extract from a letter bearing the date of "3 St George's Place, Hyde Park Corner, S.W., November 25, 1889," I will conclude a chapter which is, I fear, already too long. Speaking of General Peel's boundless store of amusing anecdotes, Sir William remarks:

Well do I remember the dear old General's stories; and I ought to remember them, for I heard them often, and they were as good the twentieth time of hearing as the first, because of the undisguised enjoyment with which he brought them out. I shall never forget driving down with him and Lord Eglinton to Gorhambury Races, and to what extent the Colonel's programme (he was then Colonel Peel) was flavoured by Eglinton's facetiæ, and by the irrepressible peals of laughter with which we made the lanes of Hertfordshire echo again and again."

400

CHAPTER XVIII.

RACING CAREER OF THE LATE RIGHT HON.
SIR W. H. GREGORY-continued.

I NOW approach that portion of my task which brings Sir William Gregory into closer communication than ever with Lord George Bentinck. The two famous passages of Lord George's history which it becomes my duty to treat are, in the first place, his duel with Squire Osbaldeston; and secondly, his hurried journey to the Curragh of Kildare to ascertain from Mr Thomas Ferguson, the owner of the celebrated horse Harkaway, some details about the animal purchased in Ireland by Goodman Levy, and substituted for Running Rein. Other letters of Lord George to Sir William will find a place in this chapter, some of which go far to confirm Mr John Kent's view of his noble master's character. The light thus shed upon Lord George's life will be welcomed by all who recognise in him the strongest and most conspicuous Patron of the Turf that these islands have produced during the present century.

LORD GEORGE BENTINCK AND COLONEL ANSON. 401

I shall begin with Sir William Gregory's narrative, partly taken down from his own lips, and partly confirmed by letters now in my possession touching the famous duel between Lord George and Squire Osbaldeston in 1836. It should be premised that the account usually given of the encounter in question differs in many particulars from the more veracious record supplied by Sir William Gregory. It was well known to their contemporaries and friends that the greatest possible intimacy subsisted between Lord George Bentinck and Colonel Anson. Their friendship was doubtless increased by the fact that, in Lord George's opinion, Colonel Anson had saved his life when subjected to the fire of one of the finest pistolshots in the world. Some years later, Colonel Anson did his utmost to heal the differences which had long existed between those two masterful first cousins, Lord George and Mr Charles Greville, who, after being racing confederates in youth, became bitterly estranged when they quarrelled about Preserve, whose running has been described in a previous chapter. Colonel Anson obtained from Lord George Bentinck a promise that he would meet and shake hands with Mr Greville after a certain race at Goodwood in 1843. Mr Greville had long been eager for a reconciliation, and when the race in question was over, he lost not a moment in repairing to the tryst named by Colonel Anson, who had addressed himself to the far more difficult

task of bringing Lord George to the same spot. Unfortunately, all his well-meant efforts proved to be futile. Accompanied by Colonel Anson, Lord George drew near, when, catching sight of Mr Greville, his old antipathy to his cousin burst out with renewed vigour. He declined to advance another step, exclaiming to his companion, "After all, I would rather have nothing to do with the fellow!" Against this decision all Colonel Anson's entreaties and arguments were powerless to prevail.

The remarkable duel between Lord George and "the Squire" created the greatest sensation at the time of its occurrence. The popular account is that Lord George fired first and missed. Upon that he is represented to have called out to Mr Osbaldeston in a loud voice, "Now, Squire, the odds are ten to one upon you." No one acquainted with Lord George's aristocratic pride, of which he speaks in a letter to Sir W. Gregory, will be likely to believe it possible that under such circumstances he would use language of this kind to an adversary whom he profoundly despised. I am indebted to Sir William for the version which now follows, and its authenticity is confirmed in other quarters. It agrees substantially with an account of the duel which I contributed seven years ago to The Sporting Times,' and which was read by Sir William Gregory with much satisfaction.

1 See p. 412.