IGClt.] Tllh: RACES. 283 



Buckingham, master of the horse ; my Lord Edward, Earl of 

 Manchester, chambcrhiin ; my Lord O'Brien, Earl of Thomond ; 

 my Lord Germain ; the Marquis of Blandford ; ^'^^ Bernard 

 Howard of Norfolk ; my Lord WilHam Croftes ; ^^"^ my Lord 

 Francis Newport, Baron Newport ; ^^^ Sir — Elhot ; * and the 

 gentlemen belonging to his highness's retinue. 



" At three o'clock, according to the English mode of 

 reckoning, the king and the Duke of York went from New- 

 market to see the horse-races, and repaired to the place 

 appointed to this sport, going to a certain spot which is 

 nearly in the middle of the course, and there his majesty 

 stopped and amused himself with seeing my Lord Blandford 

 and my Lord Germain play at bowls. 



" The race-course is a tract of ground in the neighbourhood 

 of Newmarket, which, extending to the distance of four miles 

 over a spacious and level meadow, covered with very short 

 grass, is marked out by tall wooden posts, painted white. 

 These point out the road that leads directly to the goal, to 

 which they are continued the whole way ; they are placed at 

 regular distances from one another, and the last is distin- 

 guished by a flag mounted upon it, to designate the termina- 

 tion of the course. The horses intended for this exercise, in 

 order to render them more swift, are kept always girt, that 

 their bellies may not drop, and thereby interfere with the 

 agility of their movements ; and when the time of the races 

 draws near, they feed them with the greatest care, and very 

 sparingly, giving them, for the most part, in order to keep 

 them in full vigour, beverages composed of soaked bread and 

 fresh eggs. Two horses only started on this occasion, one 

 belonging to Bernard Howard, of Norfolk, and the other to 

 Sir — Elliot. They left Newmarket saddled in a very simple 

 and light manner after the English fashion, led by the hand, 

 and at a slow pace, by the men who were to ride them, 

 dressed in taffeta of different colours, that of Howard being 

 Avhite, and that of Elliot green. When they reached the 

 place where they were to start, they mounted, and loosening 



* Probably Sir Gilbert Elliot, of Stobs, who was created a Baronet of 

 Nova Scotia, Dec. 3, 1666. 



