HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 121 



Stephen, mentions the delight taken by the people of London 

 in this diversion. In 132U Edward III. purchased running 

 horses, and in the ninth year of his reign received a present of 

 two running horses from the King of Navarre. Henry VIII., 

 (118:3-1485), took great pains to improve the royal stud, and 

 imported horses from Turkey, Naples and Spain. Jn 1002 the 

 first Arabian horses were imported, and races were run for 

 silver bolls at many places. Oliver Cromwell, (1(55;M060), kept 

 a racing stud and patronized the turf. During the reign of 

 Charles, (1660-1085), he imported horses of Eastern blood, 

 which was continued by his successors, and led to the estab- 

 lishment of the thoroughbred horse. During the reign of this 

 monarch it was proclaimed that persons in His Majesty's ser- 

 vice in riding should not use any snaffles but bits. This was 

 probably because bits were more becoming and better suited to 

 the troops, as snaffles were in general more fit for "times of 

 disport," by which racing and the chase were undoubtedly 

 meant. During the reign of George II., 1727, statutes were 

 enacted : That no plates or matches were to be run for under 

 £50 in value, except at Newmarket and Black Hambleton, on 

 a penalty of £200 to be paid by the owner of each horse run- 

 ning, and £100 by the person who advertised the plate; that 

 no person should run any horse at a race but his own ; that 

 every horse race was to be begun and ended the same day. The 

 objects of these statutes were "the preventing the multiplicity 

 of horse races ; the encouragement of idleness, and the impov- 

 erishment of the meaner sort of people." An act for the sup- 

 pression of races by ponies and weak horses was passed during 

 the reign of George III., 1739. At this time races were held 

 in one hundred and twelve cities and towns in England. 

 During the latter half of the eighteenth century racing declined 

 very much and numbers of meetings were discontinued, this 

 result being due to the wars then raging. But from the 

 beginning of the nineteenth century, and especially after the 

 conclusion of the French war of 1815, racing again revived. A 

 great number of matches and stake races were established, 

 records of the latter having occurred as early as 1828. The 

 royal stud was sold on the ascension of Queen Victoria, in 1837. 

 Just when racing began in America, is not easy to determine ; 

 but it is a well attested fact that pacers were bred and paced, 

 especially in Rhode Island, during the last decades of the 

 seventeenth century. Pacing races took place between the 

 gentry of Rhode Island and Virginia, in and about Phila- 

 delphia, early in the eighteenth century. In 1665, Governor 

 Nichols established a race course at Hempstead Heath, L. I., 

 N. Y., and ordered that a plate should be run for every year. 



