8 THE TURF 



Capet, in the ninth century, as a present to 

 Athelstane, when he was soliciting the hand 

 of Ethelswitha, his sister.' A more distinct 

 indication of a sport of this kind occurs in 

 a description of London, written by William 

 Fitz-Stephen, who lived in the reign of 

 Henry n. He informs us that horses were 

 usually exposed to sale in Smithfield ; and, 

 in order to prove the excellency of hackneys 

 and charging -horses, they were usually 

 matched against each other. Indeed, the 

 monk gives a very animated description of 

 the start and finish of a horse-race. In 

 John's reign, running-horses are frequently 

 mentioned in the register of royal expendi- 

 ture. John was a renowned sportsman he 

 needed a redeeming quality but it does 

 not appear that he made use of his running- 

 horses otherwise than in the sports of the 

 field. Edwards IL, in., and iv., were like- 

 wise breeders of horses, as also Henry vin., 

 who imported some from the East ; but the 

 running-horses of those days are not to be 

 too closely associated with the turf; at least 

 we have reason to believe the term generally 

 applies to light and speedy animals, used in 

 racing perhaps, occasionally, but chiefly in 



