1619.J THE ROYAL STUD. 



307 



which, most probably, were very choice animals,* as 

 we learn from a familiar letter addressed by her 

 Majesty to Sir George Villiers, subsequently Duke of 

 Buckingham. The Earl of Salisbury presented the 

 King of Denmark with one of his Barbary horses 

 when that monarch was in England in 16 14. 



According to an indenture dated October i, 1619, it appears 

 that the king received by the hands of George, Marquis of 

 Buckingham, " five horse coults of three years old," from 

 George Alsopp, " groom to his highnes Studd & Race of 

 Tutburie." The animals were delivered by Alsopp at his 

 Highness's stables at Charing Cross.f 



" The first of August, 1621, there passed through Exon 

 [Exeter] six horses and mares which the Marquis of Buckingham 

 sent for into Barbary." — Diary of William Young, Esq., s. d. 



" I made a present," says Sully (iii., p. 143), " to the King 

 of England of six beautiful horses, richly caparisoned, and 

 the Sieur de St. Antoine as their keeper." The letter by which 

 Henry IV. introduced this equerry into the service of James 

 is still preserved in the British Museum.J St. Antoine was 

 first equerry to Prince Henry. ^^^ He was afterwards equerry 

 to Charles I., and is painted by Vandyck holding the king's 

 helmet, in the well-known picture of Charles in armour on a 

 white horse. § This celebrated expounder of equestrian art 



* " My kind dog, your letter hath bin acceptable to me, I rest alreadie 

 assured of your carefulnesse. You maye tell your Maister, that the king 

 of dennemarke hath sent me tuelf [12] faire mares, and, as the bringer 

 of them assures me, allgreate with foles, which I intend to put into 

 byfield parke, where being the other daye a hunting I could find but 

 verie few deare, but greate store of other cattle as I shall tell your 

 Maister myself when I see him, I hope to meete you all at woodstock at 

 the time appointed, till when I wish you all happiness and Contentment. 



"Anna R." 

 — Harl. MS., 9683, 108, 190. 



t MSS. Exch., 2 R. Auc. Misc. Equitium Regis, %^. 



X Harl. MS., 1760, 12. 



§ "Anecdotes of Painting," p. 219. This interesting picture has been 

 recently purchased by Government from the Duke of Marlborough, and 

 is now in the National Gallery. 



