264 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



It was while attending a race meeting at New- 

 market that the king commanded the unjust Act 

 to be put into force which rendered it penal for a 

 Roman Catholic to own a horse worth more than 

 five pounds. Trustworthy historians tell us that 

 most likely the king would not have acted so, 

 but for the influence brought to bear upon him 

 by his queen, who apparently was anxious to 

 vent her spite upon at least one high-born 

 Catholic by whom she had been affronted. 



The ultra- bigoted among the king's subjects 

 rejoiced openly at the enforcement of the statute, 

 but, whatever reason there may have been for so 

 severe a measure, the storm of indignation aroused 

 throughout the country caused the king consider- 

 able uneasiness. 



As a natural result of the enforcement of the 

 Act many Catholics presently substituted teams 

 of oxen, and with these clumsy animals they 

 would drive many miles to attend their church 

 services on Sundays. 



How rapidly the Turf must have continued to 

 acquire popularity during this reign is proved by 

 the fact that ten years after the king and queen 

 had ascended the throne — namely, in 1699 — more 

 race meetings were held throughout the country 

 than in any previous year in England's history, 

 In this year, too, the King's Master of the Stud, 

 Robert Marshall, brought over from Arabia 

 fourteen valuable stallions at a cost of some 



