THE TURF. 
commenced ; strict attention was paid to the food and 
exercise of the horses, but the effect of weight was not 
taken into consideration, ten stone being generally, 
we have reason to believe, both the maximum and 
minimum of what the horses caried. James patronised 
racing ; he gave five hundred pounds a vast price in 
those days for an Arabian, which, according to the 
Duke of Newcastle, was of little value, having been 
beaten easily by our native horses. Prince Henry had 
a strong attachment to racing as well as hunting, but 
he was cut off at an early age. Charles I. was well 
inclined towards such sports, and excelled in horse- 
manship, but the distractions of his reign prevented 
his following these peaceful pastimes. According to 
Boucher, however, in his " Survey of the Town of 
Stamford," the first valuable public prize was run for 
at that place in Charles the First's time, viz., a silver 
and guilt cup and cover, of the estimated value of eight 
pounds, provided by the care of the aldermen for the 
time being ; and Sir Edward Harwood laments the 
scarcity of able horses in the kingdom, " not more than 
two thousand being to be found equal to the like 
number of French horses ;" for which he blames prin- 
cipally racing.* In 1640, races were held at New- 
market ; also in Hyde Park, as appears from a comedy 
called the " Merry Beggars, or Jovial Crew," 1641 ; 
* Some time after this the Duke of Buckingham's Helmsley Turk, and 
the Morocco Barb, were brought to England, and greatly improved the 
native breed 
122 
