BEG/NNLVGS Of REAL RACING AND GENEALOGIES OF BLOOD STOCK. JOI 



for the Ten-stone and Fifteen-stone Subscription Plates at Winchester, which had 

 been got up by the Mayor and Corporation of that politically ambitious Turf 

 resort, and when a misunderstanding arose between these zealous authorities and 

 James II., it was Bernard Howard who had to arrange matters after their punish- 

 ment, which he did with so much skill that within a year afterwards the King was 

 adding ten guineas to his subscription to both races. He seems in fact to have well 

 deserved the title, applied to him by a distinguished author, of " the Admiral Rous " 

 of his age. 



"The London Gazette" for August 4, 1684, lets slip the little piece of 

 information, that subscriptions for this King's Plate, at Winchester, might be paid 

 to Child's Bank, if convenient. I have before alluded to this ancient City house, 

 which sprang from the canny old goldsmith's businesslike operations. Bernard 

 Howard is one of the most charming figures who comes within our ken at this time, 

 and it is a.source of continued regret to me that no authentic portrait of him appears 

 traceable ; but it was with the keenest pleasure that I found an entry, most kindly 

 shown to me, in their aged ledgers, recording a payment of^22, made by him on the 

 i6th of August, 1684, to Mr. Fuller, a name that occurs several times in the con- 

 temporary chronicles of Newmarket, for "a horse." In the values of those days this 

 may quite possibly represent a well-bred colt. But the $ paid three weeks later 

 to John Hilton cannot have been for a racer. Among names that are also known 

 upon the Turf, there are those of Henry Hylin (20), of Lord Brooke (30), and of 

 Humphrey, Lord \Vharton, a matter of seven guineas in 1688. On the second of 

 April, 1684, the payment of ^"15 IDS. for a gold spoon must have been for a prize at 

 the Winchester Races, of which Bernard Howard was steward at the time. If not, 

 I feel sure I shall be pardoned for so pleasant a supposition. I may conclude this 

 imperfect sketch of him by adding that he was also evidently as good at fencing as 

 he was on horseback the two often go together for in the famous duel in which the 

 Duke of Buckingham killed Lord Shrewsbury, I am glad to say not only that he was 

 one of Lord Shrewsbury's seconds, with Sir John Talbot, who was badly wounded, 

 but that he killed his man upon the spot. 



This duel is an appropriate scene to finish our acquaintance with that rascally 

 libertine, the second George Villiers, who certainly raced as hard as any man at Court, 

 which is all that can be said in his favour. After Lady Shrewsbury had stood ready 

 with a pair of pistols (says St. Evremonde) to finish off the business if her lover 

 failed, the Duke of Buckingham took her home, and turned out his own wife to make 



