20 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



In the days of the second Charles, Newmarket 

 was highly favoured by King and Court. Although 

 the breezy downs of Epsom were much nearer 

 London, His Majesty, with a party of friends in 

 his train, visited Newmarket much oftener than 

 he did any other centre of racing or hunting 

 sports. 



The earliest time at which racing took place 

 at head-quarters was in the reign of James I., who 

 is said to have *' permanently established meetings, 

 and first attended in person in the third year of 

 his reign (1605)." 



During the reign of this monarch, racing made 

 considerable progress, the reputation of New- 

 market as a centre of sport being enhanced for 

 a time by the arrival of some of the horses saved 

 from the wreck of the Spanish Armada. During 

 the reign of Charles I., racing fell off as a conse- 

 quence of the Civil War, only to be revived with 

 greater eclat in the following reign ; from the 

 moment that Charles II. ascended the throne, 

 racing began again to flourish at Newmarket. 

 The " Merry Monarch," being particularly fond 

 of racing, and indeed of all kinds of pastime, 

 passed much of his time at the chief seat of 

 sport, having erected there a palace for himself 

 and a fine stable for his stud. In a work on the 

 horse, written by John Lawrence, it is stated that 

 at one time there was to be seen on Warren- 

 hill, what was termed the King's Chair, from which 

 His Majesty viewed the horses at exercise ; it was 

 customary for persons who took an interest in the 

 pursuits of the turf to visit that part of the heath 

 at Newmarket once a year — on a certain day in 

 springtime — to see the coursers gallop up to this 



