284 HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



The French verses do not make it clear whether 

 there was a match between two or a race between 

 more.) 



A.D. 1604 : John Lepton, Esq., of (?) Kenwick, 

 Yorks, groom of the chamber to James I., under- 

 took (for a wager, no doubt), as is narrated in 

 Fuller's ' Worthies,' to ride five times between 

 London and York (which are nearly 200 miles 

 apart) within a week of six days, from a given 

 Monday to the Saturday of the same week. He 

 performed his task in five days ; starting from 

 St. Martin's Le Grand, London, on a certain 

 Monday and finishing ' his appointed journey to 

 the admiration of all men ' at York on the evening 

 of the following Friday. The next Monday 'he 

 went from York, and came to the court at Green- 

 wich upon Tuesday .... to his Majestic, in as 

 fresh and cheerful a manner as when he first 

 began,' though ' many gentlemen, who were good 

 horsemen, and divers physicians did affirm it was 

 impossible for him to do (the feat) without apparent 

 danger to his life.' This account would, of course, 

 be more interesting if the conditions as to the 

 weight carried and the number of horses ridden 

 were forthcoming. 



