ENGLISH KACEU.J MODERN VETElilNAEY PEACTICE. [enolish eaceb. 



and good in itself, though many gentlemen, 

 bv such means, gallop out of their fortunes. 



On the restoration of Charles .11., the great 

 patron of the turf, this sport, so congenial to 

 the habits and manners of a free people, 

 revived. The glory of Newmarket, long ob- 

 scured, first by the violent spirit of contending 

 factions, and next by the puritanical sentiments 

 which pervaded the English mind during the 

 Cromwellian era, again shone in meridian 

 splendour. The palace, erected by James I., 

 and which had fallen to decay during the civil 

 wars, was rebuilt for the better accommodation 

 of the "merry monarch," who personally 

 attended, and not only gave public rewards, 

 but kept and entered horses in his own name ; 

 thus giving an aftable patronage to the sport, 

 at which he seemed to be one of the happiest 

 of the spectators. AVe are told by the quaint 

 Evelyn that his majesty ran his own horses. 

 "On the 10th October, 1671," says he, "after 

 dinner I was on the heath, when I saw the 

 great match run between Woodcock and 

 rieetfoot, belonging to the king and Mr. Eliot 

 of the bedchamber, many thousands being 

 spectators ; a more signal race had not been 

 run for many years." 



When his mnjesty resided at AVindsor, races 

 were held on Datchet Mead : he also occa- 

 sionally visited other places where these sports 

 were instituted — Burford Downs, in particular, 

 as may be inferred from the following doggrel 

 verses, written by Matthew Thomas Baskervile, 

 about the year 1690. 



" Next, for the glory of the place, 

 Here has been rode many a race. 

 King Charles the Second I saw here, 

 But I've forgotten in what year ; 

 The Duke or Monmouth here, also, 

 Made his horse to sweat and blow ; 

 Lovelace, Pembroke, and other gallants, 

 Have been venturing here their talents ; 

 And Nicholas Bainton, on Black Sloven, 

 Got silver plate by labour and drudging." 



To Charles we are also indebted for the 

 breed of our present race of running-horses. 

 With a view to the improvement of our native 

 stock, the Master of the Horse, by some said 

 to have been ISir Christopher AVyvill, and by 

 others Sir John Fenwick, was sent into the 

 Levant to procure horses and mares for breed- 

 ing. The mares thus procured, and also many 

 of their produce, have been styled Royal 



Mares. Dodsworth, though foaled in England, 

 was a natural Barb. His dam, a Barb mare, 

 was imported at this period, and waH called a 

 royal mare. When twenty years old, and 

 with foal, after the king's death, she was sold 

 for forty guineas. 



At this period, the prizes run for became 

 more valuable. Instead of bells, pieces of 

 plate were substituted, as bowls, cups, &c., 

 usually estimated at one hundred guineas 

 each ; and upon trophies of victory, the ex- 

 ploits and pedigrees of the successful horses 

 were commonly engraved, whence, perhaps, 

 much curious information might be obtained, 

 regarding the merits of the various victors. 

 Plates, also, of different value were given ia 

 various parts of the country, and which were 

 generally advertised in the London Gazette. 



William III., notwithstanding the gravity 

 of his character, frequently visited Newmarket; 

 whilst Queen Anne kept race-horses, and 

 entered them in her own name. Her mnjesty'a 

 brown horse, Star, won a plate at York, July 

 30, 1714, at four four-mile heats, the Friday 

 preceding her death, which occurred on Sunday, 

 August 1st. George I., in 1720, discontinued 

 the Cups, as prizes to be run for, and ordered 

 one hundred guineas in specie to be paid to 

 the successful competitor. 



As an illustration of the turf manners at 

 about the period at which we have arrived, 

 it is interesting to know that there was, at 

 Newmarket, the keeper of the liorses ot no 

 fewer than four of our sovereii^Mis. Tiiis illus- 

 trious individual was Tregonwell Framptoa, 

 who kept the running animals of William III., 

 Anne, George I., and George II. 



Frampton was born in the troublesome 

 reign of Charles I., in whose time horse-racing 

 commenced at Newmarket, and was the owner 

 of several running horses. Amongst these 

 there was one matched to run against old 

 Merlin, at Newmarket. IMrrliu was placed 

 under the care of one llescitine, a groom at 

 Newmarket; upon whom Frampton's groom 

 endeavoured to prevail to run the two 

 horses a private trial at the stated weiglits 

 and distance agreed for in the match, ob- 

 serving that, by that means tliey might both 

 make their fortunes. Hesekine refused, but 

 in such a manner as to give the otiier hopes of 

 brin2;in2r him to compliance. 



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