thrill the pulses with delight. Here we noticed
many animals that appeared to have undergone
a severe training in omnibuses and
other hackney vehicles; but some of the
donkeys looked fresh, though we were afraid that
the choice " spirits" who were mounted upon
them were working them a little too fast
before reaching the ground. As the day
advanced, and we neared Smithfield
Racecourse (the scene of so many glories!) the
clouds cleared off; and, encouraged, in all
probability, by the appearance of the sun,
considerable numbers of the fair sex (apples
and herrings having been removed from their
private trucks for the occasion) made their
appearance, seated upon these elegant open
vehicles, and advanced rapidly in the direction
of the exciting scene. On we went, at a splitting
pace— down the Blackfriars Road— to
the New Cut we have now come again— we
have reached the Bridge— crossed Fleet Street
—and then, at a tremendous pace, we pass
the varied beauties of Farringdon Street, and
enter the spacious and delightful Smithfield—
the sacred ground of the City.

The scene that met our enraptured sight
was one of the liveliest description. All was
gaiety— life! Near the Hospital of St.
Bartholomew, a considerable trade in choice
delicacies was briskly going forward. The
more robust were manifesting a partiality for
particularly juicy mutton-pies; and throwing
occasional glances of ill-suppressed contempt
at the dandies of the scene, who were flirting
with the effeminate periwinkle. Gentlemen,
very properly bent upon showing due attention
to the gentler portion of creation, were
observed to reserve a quantity of the drink,
of which they had made themselves proprietors,
and before handing the bright vessel,
out of which their faces had recently emerged,
to the nearest lady, to pass the cuff of their
coat vigorously round its rim. In and near
the drinking-booths, commonly called public-
houses, the shouts of happy laughter sounded
upon the enraptured ear. Knots of eager
turf-men were eagerly balancing the virtues
of various horses. As yet, however, we could
see only groups of the gay visitors— the imposing
length of the course was yet beyond
our sight. We advanced rapidly; and in a
few minutes we had a noble coup d'Å“il of the
entire course. Across the noble field of Smith
a line was formed, flanked on either side by
specimens of the " noble animal," so
handsomely commended by Mavors in his
memorable Spelling-book. From the point we had
now reached, we could observe upon the
character of every animal.

The various virtues of the noble steeds defy
particular description; but to show the liberal
spirit in which the proceedings are conducted,
it is as well to state at once that the races
were open to horses of twenty years old and
upwards. The loss of an eye did not incapacitate
an animal from appearing on the
course; broken knees were peculiarities that
did not excite close attention; and lameness
was only a subject for comment when of a
serious nature. All these ills to which horse-flesh
is heir were fully and picturesquely
developed by the animals entered for Smithfield
Races. When we first arrived upon the
ground, the gentlemen of the turf were engaged
in the examination of the mouths, knees, and
hoofs of the heroes of the day. Much money
(of a copper currency) appeared to be changing
hands, and many horses changed owners.
Blind Tom, the property of Mr. Jem Toddles,
of Fly Court, Walworth, whose exploits in
that gentleman's cart are too well known to
need recapitulation, was transferred to Mr.
Scrubb, of Cow Lane, for the extraordinary
sum of fifty shillings. We have no doubt that
we shall shortly hear of Blind Tom again—
rumour, indeed, says that he is entered at a
suburban pound for a considerable sum
already— we always predicted great things of
him. He certainly did his work at Smithfield,
trotting the entire length of the course
with ease— having only one man behind to
urge him, and one to his head to pull— in less
than a quarter of an hour. In his backing,
however, lies his great strength, particularly
when in harness. It would be impossible,
within reasonable limits, to particularise the
exploits of all the animals on this glorious day; we
must therefore content ourselves with noting
down one or two of the more wonderful feats.
Blind Tom had hardly been trotted away by
his new owner, when a discussion began
among the gentlemen of the course as to the
courage of the Camberwell Roarer. It was
said by his zealous champion that he had
trotted easily from Covent Garden to Rye
Lane, with half-a-ton of potatoes at his heels,
in less than forty minutes; whereas his
opponents obstinately persisted in an assertion
that his lame off leg would make such
an accomplishment impossible. Hereupon
his owner explained that the Roarer was
lame in three legs, and that when he first
started on a journey the off fore-leg was stiff
and made him limp, but that when he got
warm this stiffness wore off, and then the two
hinder legs began to trouble him; so that the
animal must be used to these little
inconveniences, and could probably do as much
as more showy beasts. We took an
unprejudiced view of the Roarer, and observed that
he had been well broken— especially about
the knees. His most vindictive slanderers
could not have said that he was overloaded
with flesh. The discussion as to his merits
and defects grew hot, and many emphatic
compliments were interchanged by the
parties at issue. That disagreeable
compound known as " wholesome truth " was
bandied about without the slightest reserve;
and curious legal points, as to how many
times each party had transgressed the laws
of his country, were graphically and pointedly
raised. At last it was decided that the
animal should show his quality.