176 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



that Elizabeth was fond of gambling and that she 

 squandered vast sums probably in connection 

 with the turf. 



It must be remembered, however, that in the 

 second half of the sixteenth century gambling 

 was a besetting vice. "In the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth," Mr Clarkson writes, "racing was 

 carried on to such an excess as to injure the 

 fortunes of many individuals, private matches 

 being then made between gentlemen, who were 

 generally their own jockeys and tryers." 



The descriptions of some of these matches are 

 almost as quaint as the account already given of 

 the race between Blanche Rose and Nicolle Dex, 

 for the majority of the riders were wont to have 

 recourse to the worst sort of trickery when they 

 believed it might enable them to win. 



Thus an instance is recorded of ground glass 

 being mixed with a mare's food, the ill-starred 

 animal being in consequence hardly able to cover 

 the course, on which she died in great agony 

 when the race was over. 



This statement is made without comment, and 

 cases somewhat similar are cited which, if they 

 occurred now, would fire our indignation and lead 

 swiftly to retribution. 



From this we may to some extent infer that 

 the morality of the Turf in Queen Elizabeth's 

 reign had sunk to a low ebb. Indeed the 

 maxim the majority of the " tryers," even of 



