2 2 A MIRROR OF THE TURF. 



tract of ground in the neighbourhood of New- 

 market, which, extending to the distance of four 

 miles over a spacious level meadow, covered with 

 very short grass, is marked out by tall wooden 

 posts painted white. 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. When the time of the races 

 draw 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 of 

 soaked bread and fresh eggs." 



The dish of sport set before His Majesty was 

 not " up to much " when compared with the 

 Newmarket racing of to-day. Only two horses 

 started with riders in "white" and "green," the 

 latter proving victorious ; the race, of course, 

 witnessed by the King and his retinue, all 

 mounted. It appears to have been the fashion 

 of the day for the retinue to accompany the 

 running horses, and to head them, waiting at 

 the winning-post for their arrival and the coming 

 of His Majesty with his numerous train of ladies 

 and gentlemen. A blaze of trumpets and a 

 flourish of alarm drums announced the victory, 

 after which the Royal party adjourned to the 

 house. The Duke of Tuscany, in describing the 

 race, says that " the horses were not let out at 

 first, but were much reserved lest strength should 

 fail them ; but the further they advanced in the 

 course, the more their riders urged them, forcing 

 them at length to full speed." 



This primitive kind of racing probably con- 

 tinued for fifty or sixty years ; it was, however 



