114 HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



from February 5, 181 1, to January 29, 1820, and 

 was King from the latter date up to June 26, 

 1830, when he died. During his kingship the 

 turf still had rest from legislation, and betting 

 throve apace. The doctors, as well as laymen, 

 discovered that the King had horse on the brain ; 

 he would give any price {so far as signing a 

 cheque went, but as for coin, he was like Horace's 

 ' Nasicae metuentis reddere soldum ') for hunter or 

 racer, and is said to have had at the Royal Lodge 

 — the building of which at Virginia Water had 

 roused the indignation of the people, the press, 

 and Mr. Whitbread, M.P.— a Norwegian dun pony 

 running all over the rooms, and at times lying like 

 a dog on the rug before the fire. However, from 

 1807 to the end of his life the Prince (and after- 

 wards King) ran his horses, when he did run any, in 

 the names of Mr. Warwick Lake and Mr. Charles 

 Greville up to 1827, and in Mr. Delme Radcliffe's 

 afterwards, for the most part, if not entirely. 



Ascot was his favourite ground at the end 

 of his life, as Brighton and Lewes had been 

 in the earlier days. He instituted the highly 

 appreciated 'royal procession,' headed by the 

 Master of the Buckhounds, Lord Maryborough 



