58 STAG-HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS 



French Kevolution and the hurry of their departure from 

 France. 



After William IV. 's death, the Hampton Court stud, 

 which, contrary to expectation, he had kept up well, was 

 broken up in spite of a memorial from the Jockey Club and 

 remonstrances in both Houses of Parliament. The year- 

 lings made very poor prices, and looked wretched owing to 

 a visitation of influenza — the crack Wings having gone 

 blind from the illness, and only making 46 guineas. Three 

 high-caste Arabian mares covered by a thoroughbred sire 

 headed the list ; they made 50, 150, and 105 guineas respec- 

 tively. A black Arabian stallion made 580 guineas, being 

 bought by the German Government ; and a bay Arabian, 

 450 guineas, by the French. But Turks and Arabians were 

 by this time going steadily out of repute. Eastern blood 

 seemed to have done all it could for us : its direct influence, 

 indeed, was held to be against a horse, and in 1782 the 

 Jockey Club, in the conditions of the new Cumberland 

 Stakes, gave the immediate produce of an Arabian an 

 allowance of 3 lbs. 



I have now brought up the historical part of this book 

 to the accession of our present gracious Queen. As the 

 Adam Smith of stag-hunting economics, Charles Davis must 

 have a separate chapter to himself. 



I 



