-^ Institution and Early Growth 



gratulated him on his success. "Your Baronets," said he, 

 " are more productive than mine. I made fourteen last 

 week, but I get nothing by them. Your single Baronet 

 is worth all mine put together." 



Full 40,000 people were present on the Heath, and 

 with the inadequate accommodation and primitive arrange- 

 ments, the crushing of the crowd upon the ropes was so 

 great that several accidents happened. Considerable dis- 

 turbance too was caused by some one who had formed 

 expectations of winning and were disappointed, and who 

 attributed their loss to the enormous crowds retarding 

 the horses, and preventing them from getting abreast in 

 the lines. At any rate, order was so badly maintained 

 that the race was transferred to Newmarket in the following 

 year, where it was run for in April, the stakes repre- 

 senting 3,725 guineas — a very considerable sum for those 

 days. 



Towards the latter end of the eighteenth century. Ascot 

 assumed a distinction, and fashionable prestige that, in its 

 way, rivalled the splendour and Royal patronage bestowed 

 upon it to-day. 



The King invariably attended with Queen Charlotte 

 and his family, and manifested great interest in the sport, 

 especially in the race for the Plate of 100 guineas, which 

 he gave for horses that had been out with the staghounds. 

 His two sons, George, " the first gentleman in Europe," 

 afterwards George IV., and Frederick " the Bishop of 

 Osnaburgh," took active parts in promoting the interest 

 of the meetings. 



The course presented then a very different aspect from 

 what it does to-day, and the programme of entertainments 



39 



