BRITISH TURF. 31 



don on horseback, between his brothers, the 

 Dukes of York and Gloucester, attended by a 

 splendid cavalcade. 



James I. 1602. — If we find racing languish- 

 ing in the former reign, it would seem but to 

 have laid by, to start up with increased vigour 

 in this, from which we may safely date the 

 foundation of our present system. This king 

 gave £500 to Mr. Markham for an Arabian ; — 

 probably the first Arabian introduced into this 

 country. The Duke of Newcastle, who wrote 

 in the reign of Charles II, and whose work we 

 shall presently notice, mentions the Markham 

 Arabian as a little bay horse, not well shaped, 

 and as having been beaten in every race he ran. 

 From this we learn that even at this period the 

 English had attained some progress in the swift- 

 ness of their race horses. 



A south eastern horse, called the white Turk, 

 was imported about the same period by Mr. 

 Place, afterwards stud -master to Oliver Crom- 

 well, who purchased it. 



In this reign, races were run for silver bells, 

 at Gatherly in Yorkshire, Croydon, Chester, and 

 Theobalds, on Enfield chase, and the food, 

 physic, exercise, sweats and weight (which was 

 usually ten stone) began to be rigidly attended 

 to. The following ceremony is mentioned by 



