THEIR HISTORY, RISE AND PROGRESS. 359 



Newmarket ; yet, although these were discontinued during 

 the Protectorate, attention was not withdrawn from breed- 

 ing, and Cromwell had his stud of race horses (ce). 



On the Restoration, a new impulse was given to gaiety Reign of 

 and amusement of every kind, and the Newmarket meet- g^^^^f ^^^ 

 ings were revived. Charles, who was a great patron of 

 horse racing, encouraged it by the gift of royal plates at 

 the principal courses. He purchased brood mares and 

 stallions in the Levant, which were principally Barbs and 

 Turks ; and the breed was also much improved by horses 

 brought over from Tangiers, as part of the dowry of his 

 queen, Catherine of Braganza («/). 



No sooner had horse racing been fully established, than 

 we find an Act was passed to endeavour to prevent the evils 

 which have unfortunately always attended it. This Act 

 was 16 Car. 2, c. 7, which came into operation a.d. 1664, 

 and in it horse racing is mentioned for the first time in the 

 statute book. It is intituled " An Act against deceitful, 

 disorderly and excessive gaming," and recites that " all 

 lawful games and exercises should not be otherwise used 

 than as innocent and moderate recreations, and not as 

 constant trades or callings to gain a living or make unlawful 

 advantage thereby; and that by the immoderate use of 

 them many mischiefs and inconveniences arise, to the 

 maintaining and encouraging of sundry idle, loose and dis- 

 orderly persons in their dishonest, lewd and dissolute course 

 of life, and to the circumventing, deceiving, couzening and 

 debauching of many of the younger sort, both of the 

 nobility and gentry, and others, to the loss of their precious 

 time and the utter ruin of their estates and fortunes, and 

 withdrawing them from noble and laudable employments 

 and exercises " (s). By this Act persons winning by fraud, 

 or cheating at cards, dice, tables, tennis, bowls, kittles, 

 shovel-board, cock-fightings, horse racings, dog-matches, 

 foot races, and all other games and pastimes, were to forfeit 

 treble the sum or value of the money so won (a). 



Every person losing above 100/. on ticket or credit at 

 these or any other games and pastimes, either by bearing 

 a part in them or betting, was discharged from paying any 

 part of the money ; all securities given for it were to be 



{x) Lawrence on "The Horse," garth v. Collet/, 10 M. &W. 728. 



vol. i. p. 218 ; and Lib. U. K. " Tlie (2) 16 Car. 2, c. 7, now repealed 



Horse," 28. by 9 Anne, c. 19, ana 5 & 6 Wm. 4, 



(y) Lib. U. K. "The Horse," u. 41. 



29 ; and Martin, arguendo, Apple- (a) Ibid. s. 2. 



