-* Institution and Early Growth 



Bee-in-a-Bonnet, resulting in a victory for his lordship by 

 a neck only. In the race for His Majesty's Purse of lOO 

 guineas for 4-year-olds, 3 miles, an accident happened to 

 the Royal owner's ch. f. Maria, ridden by Robinson. 

 Owing to a rope which went across the course to keep out 

 horsemen not being lowered at the proper time, the mare 

 was thrown against a post, and her rider severely bruised. 

 The winner, Mr. Maberley's b. h. Monarch, was also driven 

 out of the course. 



When George IV. was King, Ascot presented a different 

 appearance from what it did in the reign of George III., 

 and again very different from what it is to-day. " The 

 Magnificent " was one of the sobriquets the King received, 

 and magnificent was Ascot in the last years of his reign, 

 when as a contemporary, bursting into verse, writes : — 



The King came on the course in a carriage and four ; 



He alighted with firmness of step from the coach. 



To the joy of the thousands who hailed his approach. 



With a dignified bow and a wave of the hand. 



He approached to the stairs and ascended the stand ; 



He appeared in good health, and in short quite the thing, 



And the multitude shouted, " Long, long live the king ! " 



He was dressed in a plain blue surtout with a star. 



And looked better, 'twas noticed, than last year by far. 



In describing the scene on the course, an eye-witness 

 gives the following graphic, if not over polite account : — 



" The crowd was intense, like the heat ; splendid, genteel, 

 grotesque ; many in masquerade, but all in good humour — 

 dandies of men, dandies of women ; lords w^ith white trousers 

 and black whiskers ; ladies with small faces, but very large 

 hats ; Oxford scholars with tandems and randoms ; some 



61 



