198 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



however, is no concern of ours. As a feat of 

 endurance, his ride was truly an extraordinary- 

 one, for he actually galloped the whole distance 

 from London to Edinburgh, about 400 miles, in 

 less than sixty hours, though during the journey 

 he had at least one severe fall. 



How many horses he rode I have not been 

 able to ascertain, but that he had made in advance 

 full preparations for this journey is more than 

 likely, as it is beyond dispute that he had covered 

 the first 160 miles by nightfall on the day after he 

 started. The exact time at which he set out 

 we are not told. 



What made the feat more wonderful still was 

 the condition of nearly all the roads in England 

 during Elizabeth's reign, with the exception 

 of the Roman roads and a few besides, some 

 north of Doncaster being really little more than 

 tracks. 



That Sir Robert Carey was well repaid for his 

 enterprise may be gathered from the statement 

 that King James I. " rewarded him for being the 

 first to bring him the glad news, by granting him 

 signal favours." 



From about this period onward the horse may 

 be said to have entered upon the third phase of 

 its career in the history of all nations, but more 



