WILLIAM III. AS A SPOKTSMAN, 195 



the misfortune to reign over the only realm upon which the 

 sun never sets and whose subjects never, never will be slaves." 

 Notwithstanding these obstacles, we must here briefly state 

 that William of Orange was every inch a sportsman. When 

 the cares of state and the loud alarms of war permitted, he 

 rarely missed an opportunity of participating in rural sports. 

 He was a good shot at winged game, preserved pheasants, 

 "wild Turkeys " (probably the capercailzie ?) and " such small 

 deer " at Hampton Court, Windsor, Richmond, and other 

 royal manors; he delighted in a main of cocks; was attached 

 to "setting dogs "; went in for coursing ; patronised the Turf; 

 bred his own " running horses " and backed them, occasionally, 

 to the tune of 2000 guineas a match ; founded the Royal 

 Stud at Hampton Court, and instituted royal plates to en- 

 courage and improve the breed of horses. But what most 

 concerns us here is William III. as a follower of the chase, 

 mounted on a fleet horse in pursuit of the quarry. In the 

 hunting field he must have had the appearance of a veritable 

 masher, as he was supplied with sixteen " hunting cravats " a 

 year. These consisted of 40 yards " of ground and looped 

 lace," which, at M. 10s. a yard, cost him 180L per annum. 

 (L. C. R. Bills, vol. 209, No. 11.) In all the mysteries of 

 hunting he was thoroughly proficient ; he took great delight 

 in it, both at home and abroad, and — like many a good and 

 true man, before and after him — met his death in the 

 hunting field when he was following the Royal Buck- 

 hounds near Hampton Court on Saturday, February 21, 

 1702. Upon this point all contemporary authorities are 

 unanimous. Macaulay, however, rejects this evidence, and 

 does not attribute the accident which eventuated in the King's 

 death to have been in any way connected with the hunting 

 field. As it is hardly within our province to discuss this 

 point, our object will be best accomplished by simply sub- 

 mitting the subjoined versions, from which the reader can 

 form his own conclusion : — 



" On the 20th of February William was ambHng on a favourite 

 horse, named Sorrel, through the park of Hampton Court. He 



