Newmarket in the Olden Time. 81 



a subterranean passage. When the "Harbinger," 

 whose duty it was to provide lodgings in a royal pro- 

 gress, arrived at Winchester, he marked the prebendal 

 house of Dr. Ken for Nelly's residence ; but that 

 dauntless King's chaplain refused her admittance, and 

 she was forced to seek lodgings elsewhere, until the 

 more complaisant Dean Meggot built her a room at 

 the south end of the deanery. Ken's holy courage 

 met with its reward, even from the sovereign whom 

 he had defied ; and two years later, and within one 

 short week of his consecration as Bishop, he was sum- 

 moned to administer to him the last consolations of 

 the Church. On the very evening of the Sunday that 

 he was consecrated (Jan. 25th, 1685), says Evelyn, 

 " I was witness of the King, sitting and toying with 

 his concubines, Portsmouth, Cleveland, and Mazarine, 

 &c., a French boy singing love songs in that glorious 

 gallery, while about twenty of the great courtiers 

 were at Basset round a large table, a bank of at least 

 2OOO/. in gold before them. Six days after, all was in 

 the dustf and great was the wailing at Whitehall and 

 Newmarket. 



About the close of the eighteenth century the town 

 had no more earnest patron than the future Duke of 

 Dorset, whose horses were under the care of Samuel 

 Chifney. One Derby and four Oaks had already 

 fallen to the lot of the latter ; and although Pratt, the 

 two Arnulls, Hindley, Dennis Fitzpatrick, and the 

 then juvenile Frank Buckle were powerful opponents, 

 he was universally looked upon as the first horseman 

 of the time. In fact, with all his fond partiality for 

 the brother who shared his triumphs, Will Chifney 

 always considered that his father was a shade the 

 superior. He was about 5ft. 5 in. in height, walked 

 about gst. 5lb. in the winter months, and could ride, if 

 required for a great race, 7st. I2lb. to the last. With 

 the exception of Frank Buckle, perhaps no man was 

 ever so exactly built for his profession. His science 



G 



