1603-1601.] THE MARKHAM ARABIAN. 303 



Several thorouofhbred horses of Eastern blood were 

 acquired, from time to time, by James I. The most 

 notable, and one of the earliest mentioned in this 

 reign, was the Markham, which the king purchased 

 for ^154. The Duke of Newcastle says: "He 

 was a Bay, but a Little Horse, and no Rarity for 

 shape; for I have seen Many English Horses farr 

 Finer. Mr. Markham Sold him to King James 

 for Five Hundred Pounds {sic) ; and being Trained 

 up for a Course, when he came to Run, every Horse 

 Beat him." * 



"Item the xx"' of Decern' 1616 paid to M*" Markham for 

 the Arabian horse for his Ma** owne vse CHiij^' Item the 

 same day paid to a man that brought the same Arabian horse 

 and kept him xj"." — " Brevia De Private Sigillo," vol. iii., fo. 

 114^, MS., P.R.O. 



This extract proves the Duke of Newcastle makes a mis- 

 take in saying James I. gave ^500 for the Markham Arabian ; 

 as, including the £\\ given to the groom who brought the 

 horse to the king and " kept," i.e. fed, him while in transitu, 

 together with the ^^154 paid for the horse to Markham, the 

 whole cost only came to ^^^165. It is probable the Mr. Mark- 

 ham referred to was George Markham, the father of Jervaise 

 the author, who was a keeper of Clipston Shraggs walk, in 

 Sherwood Forest, circa 161 3. 



The following year, George Digby was sent to 



Sir Robert Brett, Knight, " Surveyor of the Kings Ma" Race called Cole 

 park race," Wiltshire, with a " drie wall of sufficient height and strength 

 for the keeping of horses and mares in the same park " (dry = without 

 lime — Halliwell). The wall was to be 7 ft. high, coped above ; 2 ft. 2 in. 

 at the bottom ; in length 464 perches or thereabouts, and to cost 

 ;^382 i6j. 8^., according to estimate. The document is attested by Lord 

 Salisbury, Sir Julius Csesar, and the auditor, R. Sutton. — L.T.R., Works 

 and Buildings, No. 441. 



* Edit. London, 1667, p. 73. 



