31 8 THE HISTORY OF NEWMARKET. [Book XII. 



and according to the " Gazette," the king prorogued 



the ParHament in the House of Lords on the 29th of 



this month ; hence it seems that this royal rdunion at 



head-quarters was apparently a short and merry affair. 



The Newmarket spring meeting in 1674 was 



patronized by the king, the Duke of York, etc., and 



Charles II. apparently came off during the Easter 



„ ■, ^ holidays. The State Papers, and indeed the 



Newmarket. ^ J- ' 



March— April, contemporary literature of the period, gives 

 no particulars of the races, nor of the incidents of 

 the meeting. This royal visit was attended with 

 heavy expenses. In March the bill amounted to 

 ^860 9^-. \od. In April it was ^521 os. 6d. So that 

 the sojourn and the expenses of the journey from 

 Whitehall to Newmarket and back cost the royal 

 exchequer nearly ^1400.* 



" Whitehall, April ii. This day His Majesty, accompanied 

 by his Royal Highness, and attended by several of the 

 Nobility, and other persons of quality, returned hither from 

 Neivmarkct in perfect health." — The " London Gazette," April 

 9-13, i674.t 



The king, with his usual retinue, attended the 

 October meeting at a cost of ^849 12^. o\d. Not a 

 single particle of information has been met with con- 



* Cofferer's Aces., series i. & ii. MS., P.R.O. 



t While at Newmarket during this meeting the king was informed 

 of Henry Cromwell's death. " Charles expressed his regard for him, 

 inquired into the particulars of his disorder, and asked whether they had 

 given him his drops ; his majesty having always taken much pleasure in 

 chymestry, and had a laboratory in Whitehall, over which Sir Thomas 

 William's presided." — "Noble's INIemoirs," vol. i. p. 213. 



