INTRODUCTION.

FOR nearly a century and a half, the "Turf" has formed a favourite amusement of Kings, Lords and Commons."

But it is not as an amusement only, that the sports of the turf put in their claim to popularity. To the excellence of the British horse, originated and brought to perfection through the instrumentality of these sports, may be ascribed much of our superiority over other nations, both in commerce and in war. It may be observed, in evidence of this fact, that several foreign governments, fully alive to its importance, have for some time past endeavoured to effect a similar object, both by the formation of national studs, and the importation of the best English blood horses. The superior efficiency of our cavalry horses, is

admitted on all hands to have "done the state some service" in the well-contested battles of the Peninsula, and finally, in the glorious fight at Waterloo; it is, therefore, rather to prove the beneficial effect our improved breed of blood horses has had upon the commercial interests of the country, that we would address ourselves.

In order to do this, it is only necessary that we contrast the mode of travelling before this improvement had taken place, or extended itself, with that of the present day, Dashwood* observes: "that he is old enough to remember a certain westcoach, (and he takes it for a fair average rate of the travelling in those days), when it always took ten, and sometimes twelve hours, to accomplish its journey, fifty-seven miles, or thereabouts, from yard to yard." Its present time is something above six hours. In 1742, the single stage-coach that travelled between London and Oxford, began the journey at seven in the morning, and did not reach its destination until the evening of the following day, resting at High Wycombe during the intervening night. The same journey is now regularly performed in six hours.

Again, so late as in the summer of 1798, the Telegraph, then considered a fast coach, left the

A well-known writer on sporting subjects in the Old Sporting Magazine, in an article on coaching, written in 1824.

town of Gosport at one o'clock in the morning, and arrived at the Golden Cross, Charing Cross, at eight in the evening; thus occupying nineteen hours in travelling eighty miles; being at the rate of rather more than four miles an hour. This journey is now performed in eight hours.

We are quite ready to admit, that this immense change in the rate of travelling, viz.--from four miles to ten in the hour ought to be-in a great measure, laid to the account of the great improvement which has taken place in the state of our turnpike roads, which in those days, but too often merited the description given of that between Preston and Wigan by Arthur Young, in his "Tour in the North of England," published in 1770.*

* "I know not," writes Mr. Young, "in the whole range of language, terms sufficiently expressive to describe this infernal road. To look over a map, and perceive that it is a principal one, not only to some towns, but even whole counties, one would naturally conclude it to be, at least, decent; but let me most seriously caution all travellers who may accidentally purpose to travel this terrible county, to avoid it as they would the devil, for a thousand to one but they break their necks or their limbs by overthrows or breakings down. They will here meet with ruts, which I actually measured, four feet deep, and floating with mud, only from a wet summer; what, therefore, must it be after a winter? The only mending it receives in places, is the tumbling in loose stones, which serve no other purpose but jolting the carriage in a most intolerable manner. These are not merely opinions, but facts, for I actually passed three carts broken down in these eighteen miles of execrable memory."

While, however, we allow the present improved roads their proper influence, we must maintain, that without the corresponding improvement in our breed of coach-horses, produced by the importation of Eastern horses for racing purposes, and which improvement, was brought to its present perfection by the continuance of racing, the increase in the rate of travelling would have been trifling. It is, therefore, as having enabled us to avail ourselves of the speed and lasting qualities of a breed of horses far superior to the old, that improved roads have conduced to form our present rate of travelling, and they were accordingly increased as this important result became further developed and appreciated, in such a degree, that in 1829, we find the turnpike-roads covered an extent of 24,541 miles.

How this important branch of national prosperity will be affected by the present rage for railroads, must, at no distant day, form a most serious subject for the investigation of the legislature. It is true, that Dr. Mc. Culloch maintains, that although railroads will cause the discontinuance of horses upon the direct line, the increased general traffic will make it necessary to employ as great a number of horses as will be displaced.

Against this, however, we must oppose the fact, that the opening of the railroad between Manchester and Liverpool, a distance of little more than thirty

miles, had the effect of dismissing from employment nearly 1000 horses.

But, as our present object is rather to explain how great has been the influence of racing in promoting commerce, and in forming and preserving our national habits, customs and manners, we leave to others the defence of the vast interests involved in turnpike trusts, as well as those of our numerous and respectable coaching establishments, with their fellow-sufferers, the post-masters, tradespeople, &c.

Can we, for a moment, lose sight of the important fact, that it is to the residence of our nobility in their ancient halls, and to the races and magnificent hunting establishments they maintain or largely contribute to, we are chiefly indebted for that excellent tone which pervades the English character, the good effects of which are visible in every class, from the peer to the peasant. This union between all ranks in this country, but existing, more especially, among our rural population, has long been at once the admiration and envy of foreign powers; some of whose most eminent political writers* have attributed the preservation of our nobility and our institutions, to this cause, when other countries were dissolving under the awful crash of the first French revolu

Among others, Mr. Cooper, the celebrated American author.