18 



mare, (grandam of Captain,) bred by the Duke of Leeds, out of a 

 iaughter of Lister's Snake. Vixen, mentioned above, was the dam of 

 the old Child mare, grandam of the young Child mare, and great 

 grandam of Whimsey. 



Tlie reign of " the merrie monarch" was more distinguished than any 

 of his predecessors, for the extent to which the diversions of the Turf, 

 uncier many new rules and regulations, were carried, and the exertions 

 made to establish and perpetuate them, as a national amusement. 



To the Duke of Newcastle belongs the credit of carrying out the then 

 improved system of horse racing. 



The Second James, though he lacked some other 1700c? qualities, is ad- 

 mitted to iiave been a good horseman. William and Mary, and the 

 Queen Anne, were patrons of the Turf — not only continuing the bounty 

 of their predecessors, but adding several new plates for public competi- 

 tion. Prince George of Denmark, the consort of Queen Anne, kept a 

 fine stud. The Curwen Bay Barb, and tlie celebrated Darley Arabian, 

 date from the reign of Anne. 



The First and Second George did not seem to care much about racing, 

 as a pastime to themselves ; tliey were wise enough, however, not to be 

 inditferent to the preservation of a good breed of running horses in their 

 kingdom ; therefore, encouraged the sport — the former, by instituting 

 the Kingh Plates, as they have ever since been termed ; and the other, 

 by making some regulations, he thought advisable for the su]~)pressiou of 

 Scrub Races — races for lialf-bred horses, which he thought were becom- 

 ing too common, and, if not put a stop to or discouraged, might ulti- 

 mately defeat the legitimate ends of racing. He very properly wished 

 to see the Turf confined to pure blood. 



In his reign, the Godolphin Arabian, or as it ought, in the judgment 

 of many, to be written, the Godolphin Barb, appeared, who, with the 

 Byerley Turk, and the Darley Arabian, stand prominently out from all 

 other Turks, Arabians and Barbs, as the three illustrious founders oi 

 English blood stock. 



The Byerley Turk was so called from having been Captain Byerley's 

 charger in Ireland, in King William's wars, 1689, <fec. It was not, how- 

 ever, until seventy years after he carried his owner at the battle of Boyne, 

 that his memory was redeemed from oblivion, to be held in everlasting 

 remembrance, us progenitor of the famous King Herod ! 



Byerley Turk got Jigg ; Jigg got Partner, a capital horse, bred in 

 1718. Partner was the sire of Tartar in 1743. Tartar was not only 

 an excellent racer, but became highly esteemed as a stallion, for he (Tar- 

 tar) got King Herod, foaled in 1758. 

 2* 



