G4 HISTORY OF THE EXGLISII IIOESE. 



and were prepared for the race, as f;xr as the mystery of the trahimg stable 

 could then be explored, somewhat in the same way as at present. The 

 weight of the rider, however, was not always adjusted to the age or 

 performances of the horse ; but no rider could start who weighed less than 

 10 St. 



The races of that period were not disgraced by the system of gambling 

 and fraud Avhich in later times seems to have become almost inseparable 

 from the amusements of the turf. No heavy stakes were run for, and no 

 betting system had been established. The prize was usually a wooden 

 bell adorned with flowers. This was afterwards exchanged for a silver 

 bell, and ' given to him who should run the best and farthest on horseback, 

 and especially on Shrove Tuesday.' Hence the common phrase of ' bearing 

 away the bell.' 



Horse-racing became gradually more cultivated ; but it Avas not until 

 the last year of the reign of James I. that rules were promulgated and 

 generally subscribed to for their regulation. That prince was fond of 

 iield-S23orts. He had encouraged, if he did not establish, horse-racing in 

 Scotland, and he brought with him to England his predilection for it ; 

 but his races were often matches against time, or trials of speed and 

 bottom for absurdly and cruelly long distances. His favourite courses 

 were at Croydon and on Enfield-chase, 



Although the Turkish and Barbary horses had been freely used to 

 produce with the Enghsh mare the breed that was best suited to this 

 exercise, little improvement had been eff'ected. James, with great j\Tdg-nient, 

 determined to try the Arab breed. Probably he had not forgotten the 

 story of the Arabian that had been presented to one of his Scottish 

 churches, five centuries before. He purchased from a merchant, named 

 Markham, a celebrated Ai'abian horse, for which he gave the extravagant 

 sum of five hundred pounds. Kjings, however, like their subjects, are 

 often thwarted and governed by their servants, and the Duke of ISTewcastle 

 took a dislike to this foreign animal. He wrote a book, and a very good 

 one, on horsemanship ; but he described this Arabian as a little bony horse, 

 of ordinary shape ; setting him down as almost worthless, because, after 

 being regularly trained, he seemed to be deficient in speed. The opinion 

 of the duke, probably altogether erroneous, had for nearly a century great 

 weight ; and the Arabian horse lost its re2outation among the English 

 bi'eeders. 



A south-eastern horse was afterwards brought into England, and 

 purchased by James, of Mr. Place, who afterwards became stud-master or 

 groom to Oliver Cromwell. This beautiful animal was called the "Wliite 

 Turk ; and his name and that of his keeper will long be remembered. 

 Shortly after this appeared the Helmsley Turk, introduced by Villiers, 

 the first duke of Buckingham. He was followed by Fairfax's Morocco 

 barb. These horses speedily efiected a considerable change in the cha- 

 racter of our breed, so that Lord Harleigh, one of the old school, complained 

 that the great horse was fast disappearing, and that horses were now bred 

 light and fine for the sake of speed only. 



Charles I., however, ardently pursued this favourite object of English 

 gentlemen ; and, a little before his rupture with the parhament, established 

 races in Hyde Park and at JSTewmarket. 



We owe to Charles I. the introduction of the bit into universal use in 

 the cavalry service, and generally out of it. The invention of the bit has 

 been traced to as early as the time of the Roman emperors, but for some 

 inexplicable reason it had not been adopted by the English. Charles I., 

 however, in the third year of his reign, issued a proclamation stating that 

 such horses as are employed in the service, being more easily managed 



