OF FARRIERY. 



U7 



ac<'ording to the younger Randel Holme, he 

 who run the last course, or trayne, received 

 the bell, worth eight or ten pounds, and to 

 have it for ever, which moneys were collected 

 of the citizens for that purpose. By the 

 author's having added that the vv inner of this 

 race was to have the bell for ever, is implied, 

 that it had been formerly used as a temporary 

 mark of honour by the successful Horseman, 

 and afterwards returned to the corporation : 

 this alteration was made April 23, 1624. 



Sir Thomas Chaloner, who wrote in the 

 early part of Elizabeth's reign, mentions 

 Henry VIII. as a great admirer of horses, and 

 of his having imported some from Turkey, 

 Naples, Spain, and Flanders to improve the 

 breed. 



John Northbrook, a puritaniuai writer, in 

 the reign of Queen Elizabeth, wiio, though 

 very severe against cards and dice, interludes, 

 and other idle pastimes, allows of horse racing, 

 a proof that it was no uncommon amusement 

 at that time, when it was considered as a 

 liberal pastime, practised for pleasure rather 

 than profit, without the least idea of reducing 

 it to a system of gaming. It is ranked with 

 hunting and hawking, and opposed to dice and 

 card-playing, by an old Scotch poet, who 

 laments that the latter had, In a great measure, 

 superseded the former; and Commenius says, 

 at this day, 1590, tilting, or the quintain, is 

 used instead of horse-races, which, adds he, 

 are grown out of fashion. 



Antecedently to the reign of James the 

 First, trials of speed were not practised as at 

 the present day ; nor were any horses kept 

 solely for the purpose of running at stated 

 seasons. It is, however, certain that this 

 comparative mode of ascertaining the goodness 

 of Horses was not only, previously to this 



period, known but that private matches were 

 made between gentlemen, who, relying on 

 their own skill, rode themselves. 



Soon after the accession of this Monarch, 

 who was " inordinately attached to the sports 

 of the chase *," public races were established ; 

 and particular Horses becoming known for 

 their swiftness, their breed was cultivated, and 

 their pedigrees recorded with the greatest 

 exactness. Now it was that they were trained 

 expressly for the purpose, attention being paid 

 to the quantity and quality of the animal's 

 food, physic, sweats, and clothing : the weights, 

 also, which seldom exceeded ten stone, were 

 rigidly adjusted. Camden says, that most of 

 the celebrated races in the kingdom were 

 called Bell Courses : hence originated the 

 adage, " He bears the bell." In this reign, 

 the value of English Horses began to be duly 

 appreciated ; many were purchased and ex- 

 ported to France. 



Sir Simon D'Ewes, in his Journal, speaks of 

 " a Horse-race, near Linton in Cambridge- 

 shire, in the reign of James the First, at which 

 town most of the company slept on the night 

 of the race." 



Gatherly, in Yorkshire ; Croydon, in Sur- 

 rey ; Theobald's, on Enfield Chase, when the 

 King was resident, w ere the spots where races 

 were run. This King (James I.) bought an 

 Arabian Horse of Mr. Markham, and gave 

 500/. for him. He was the first of that country 

 which had ever been seen in England. The 

 Duke of Newcastle mentions him, in his 



* This sylvan Prince, wliose sporting dress was of the 

 forest-green, with a feather in his cap and a horn by his 

 side, " in the most advanced state of his age and imbecility, 

 when vuiable to sit on liorseback without assistance, con- 

 trived to pursue the chase by being laced or tied vijj in his 

 saddle." 



