210 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



race meeting that was held there in Easter week 

 have in a sudden access of emotional en- 

 thusiasm created his friend, Philip Herbert, a 

 knight, a baron and a viscount in the course of 

 a few minutes. 



This he is said to have done in order to mark 

 his appreciation of Herbert's self-control when, 

 after being struck in the face by a Scotsman 

 named Ramsey, Herbert refrained from hitting 

 back. 



Though the king and all his courtiers and 

 many strangers were present upon the occasion, 

 Herbert did not betray the least sign of annoy- 

 ance, though the blow was a severe one. 



It should be borne in mind that during James's 

 reign the Scots had, as a nation, come to be 

 almost execrated, so that the affront was all the 

 greater. 



The king is said to have expressed it as his 

 opinion that under the circumstances Philip 

 Herbert's self-restraint came near to being heroic ! 



As James's fondness for racing increased, so 

 did the great majority of his nobles, his barons 

 and his courtiers profess to grow fonder of the 

 sport, while many soon took to gambling with 

 great recklessness. 



This the king apparently encouraged them to do, 

 for we learn that he was " wont to laugh heartily 

 when told that some of his sycophants had lost 

 exceptionally large sums of money," or, as was 



