236 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book IV. 



ceeded, via Theobalds and Royston, en route to 

 head-quarters. While tarrying at Theobalds, " where 

 there was a great court and much to be done," the 

 king pricked the sheriffs for the coming year, in 

 such haste that the business had to be almost clone 

 over again after his arrival at Newmarket. In 

 the meantime William Hawkins wrote from New- 

 market, November 12, to the authorities in London, to 

 inquire whether all the commissions for preserving the 

 game within sixteen miles of Royston had passed the 

 Seal ; poaching on the royal preserves appears to have 

 been so excessive that extraordinary measures were 

 about to be made to diminish such abuses. It seems 

 the king arrived at Newmarket about the i6th of this 

 month, as Buckingham wrote thence, under this date, 

 to Sir Edward Conway, enjoining him to promulgate 

 as widely as possible ex parte reasons for the surrender 

 of Manheim (the Khartoum of the period), and that the 

 king would be glad for Conway to be at Newmarket 

 to meet the Dutch Commissioners, "and to bring his 

 hawk with him." 



A week later a proclamation was issued, com- 

 manding noblemen, knights, and gentlemen, excepting 

 the Privy Council and officers of the king or prince, 

 to repair to their mansion houses in the country, to 

 attend their services, and keep hospitality, according 

 to the ancient and laudable custom of England, on pain 

 of being disabled from serving the king, and punished 

 for contempt. This Newmarket ukase compelled 

 many noblemen, knights, and gentlemen, " that had 

 come to town to nestle with their families, to pack off 



