SIR ROBERT CAREY'S RIDE 197 



the records of the horse in England's history, for 

 there can be no doubt that a great part of our 

 thoroughbred racing stock is descended from 

 these very early importations. 



That remarkable feats of horsemanship were 

 performed in the reign of Elizabeth is beyond 

 dispute, but unfortunately the particulars obtain- 

 able are extremely meagre. 



Of Sir Robert Carey's historic ride upon the 

 death of the queen, details worth recording are 

 given. No sooner had the queen breathed her last, 

 we are told, than Sir Robert Carey, notorious syco- 

 phant that he was, who for days and nights had 

 been loitering about the queen's bed-chamber and 

 displaying the keenest anxiety as to her condition, 

 set off on horseback to convey to the heir, King 

 James, the news of her death. 



" So great was his desire to bring the news 

 to King James before that monarch had heard it 

 from any other source," we read, "that with the 

 lamentations of the dead queen's women still 

 ringing in his ears he left the bedside of his 

 kinswoman and benefactress and started to 

 announce the important tidings to King James, 

 an act quite as indelicate as it was wholly un- 

 authorised." 



Sir Robert's indelicacy, or alleged indelicacy, 



