Book II.] THE PROGRESS OF THE TURF. 105 



value 3J-. 6d., was bestowed on the winner, and this example 

 was soon followed in other parts of the country. By this 

 means our breed of horses, which had hitherto been re- 

 markably poor, was greatly improved. The less innocent 

 and praiseworthy amusements of bear and bull baiting con- 

 tinued to delight all classes ; and even the queen herself 

 rejoiced greatly in this cruel sport. Cock-fighting, and 

 throwing at cocks, which were regularly introduced in public 

 schools, served to increase the ferocity of the people ; to 

 which also the number of executions, the ghastly exhibition 

 of traitors' heads over the city gates, and the brutal punish- 

 ments of whipping and branding lent no small aid." — Ibid., 

 P- 314. 



In the third satire of Bishop Hall,* w^ritten towards 

 the end of the sixteenth century, the right Elizabeth, 

 reverend satirist adverts to the Turf in those ^- •^^^'^• 

 days : — - 



Tell me, thou gentle Trojan, dost thou prise 

 Thy brute beasts' worth by their dams' qualities 1 

 Say'st thou, This Colt shall prove a svvift-pac'd steed. 

 Only because a Jennet did him breed? 

 Or say'st thou, This same horse shall win the prize. 

 Because his dame was swiftest Trunchefice, 

 Or Runcevall his syre 1 himself a Gallawaye ? 

 Whiles, like a tireling jade, he lags halfe-waye ; 

 Or whiles thou seest some of thy Stallion-Race, 

 Their eyes boar'd out, masking the miller's-maze,t 

 Like to a Scythian slave sworne to the payle. 

 Or dragging froathy barrels at his tayle 1 



He also incidentally mentions that what we would now 

 call fashionable stallions, when serving, were fed with 

 eggs and oysters. 



* Born July i, 1574; died Sept. 8, 1656. Successively Bishop of 

 Exeter and Norwich. See his works, by Pratt, in ten vols. London, 

 1808, 8vo. 



t /.<?., Fallen greatness : pacing round a mill blindfolded. 



