62 The Life of William, Duke of Newcastle 



entreated a gentleman of the city, that was acquainted with 

 my Lord, to beg that favour of him. My Lord having not 

 been at that exercise six weeks, or two months, by reason of 

 some sickness that made him unfit for it, civilly begged his 

 excuse ; but he was so much importuned by the said gentleman 

 that at last he granted his request, and rid one or two horses 

 in presence of the said Marquis of Caracena, and the then 

 Marquis, now Duke of Ormond, who often used to honour my 

 Lord with his company. The said Marquis of Caracena seemed 

 to take much pleasure and satisfaction in it, and highly com- 

 plimented my Lord ; and certainly I have observed, that 

 noble and meritorious persons take great delight in honouring 

 each other 1 . 



But not only strangers, but his Majesty himself (our now 

 gracious Sovereign) was pleased to see my Lord ride, and one 

 time did ride himself, he being an excellent master of that art, 

 and instructed by my Lord, who had the honour to set him first 

 on a horse of manage, when he was his governor ; where his 

 Majesty's capacity was such, that being but ten years of age, 

 he would ride leaping horses, and such as would overthrow 

 others, and manage them with the greatest skill and dexterity, 

 to the admiration of all that beheld him. 2 



1 In the preface to the book before mentioned the Duke thus relates this incident : 

 ' The Marquess of Caracena was so civilly earnest to see me ride, that he was pleased 



to say, it would be a great satisfaction to him to see me on horseback, though the horse 

 should but walk. And seeing that no excuses would serve (though I did use many) 

 I was contented to satisfy his so obliging a curiosity ; and told him, I would obey his 

 commands, though I thought I should hardly be able to sit in the saddle. Two days 

 after he came to my manage, and I rid first a Spanish horse, called " Le Superbe," of 

 a light bay, a beautiful horse, and though hard to be rid, yet when he was hit right, 

 he was the readiest horse in the world. He went in corvets forward, backward, side- 

 ways, on both hands ; made the cross perfectly upon his voltoes ; and did change upon 

 his voltoes so just, without breaking time, that a musician could not keep time better ; 

 and went terra a terra perfectly. The second horse I rid, was another Spanish, called 

 Le Genty ; and was rightly named so, for he was the finest-shaped horse that ever I 

 saw, and the neatest ; a brown bay with a white star in Jiis forehead ; no horse ever 

 went terra a terra like him, so just, and so easy ; and for the piroyte in his length, so 

 just and so swift that the standers-by could hardly see the rider's face when he went 

 and truly when he had done, I was so dizzy, that I could hardly sit in the saddle. The 

 third and last horse I rid then was a Barb, that went a metz-ayre very high, both for- 

 ward and upon his voltoes, and terra a terra. And when I had done riding the Mar- 

 quess of Caracena seemed to be very well satisfied ; and some Spaniards that were 

 with him, crossed themselves, and cried Miraculo ! ' 



For an explanation of the terms of horsemanship used I must refer readers to the 

 Duke's two books on the subject. 



2 The Duke himself says, in the preface before quoted : ' Having had the honour, 

 when I was his governor, to be the first that set him on horseback, and did instruct him 

 in the art of horsemanship, it is a great satisfaction to me, to make mention here of the 

 joy I had then, to see that his Majesty made my horses go better than any Italian 

 or French riders (who had often rid them) could do.' And again at p. 7 of the Dublin 

 edition of the same book : ' Our gracious and most excellent King is not only the hand- 

 somest, and most comely horseman in the world, but as knowing and understanding 



