CHAPTER III. I. Horse-racing known to the Saxons.—II. Races in Smithfield, and why.--III. Races, at what Seasous practised.-IV. The Chester Races.-V. Stamford Races.VI. Value of Running-horses.-VII. Highly prized by the Poets, &c.-VIII. Horse-racing commended as a liberal Pastime.-IX. Charles II. and other Monarchs Encouragers of Horse-racing;-Races on Coleshill-heath I.-HORSE-RACING KNOWN TO THE SAXONS. Ir was requisite in former times for a man of fashion to understand the nature and properties of horses, and to ride well; or, using the words of an old romance writer, "to runne horses and to approve them." In proportion to the establishment of this maxim, swift running-horses of course rose into estimation; and we know that in the ninth century they were considered as presents well worthy the acceptance of kings and princes. When Hugh, the head of the house of the Capets, afterwards monarchs of France, solicited the hand of Edelswitha, the sister of Athelstan, he sent to that prince, among other valuable presents, several running-horses,2 with their saddles and their bridles, the latter being embellished with bits of yellow gold. It is hence concluded, and indeed with much appearance of truth, that horse-racing was known and practised by the Anglo-Saxons, but most probably confined to persons of rank and opulence, and practised only for amusement sake. II.-RACES IN SMITHFIELD. The first indication of a sport of this kind occurs in the description of London, written by Fitzstephen, who lived in the reign of Henry II. He tells us, that horses were usually exposed for sale in West Smithfield; and, in order to prove the excellency of the most valuable hackneys and charging steeds, they were matched against each other; his words are to this effect," "When a race is to be run by this sort of horses, and perhaps by others, Knight of the Swan, Garrick's Collect. K. vol. x. Equos cursores. Malmsb. de Gest. Reg. Angl. lib. ii. cap. 6. 3 I have followed the translation published by Mr. White, of Fleet-street, A. D. 1772. See Stow's Survey of London, and republished with additions by Strype. [The translation of Fitzstephen published by Mr. White, was made by the late Dr. Samuel Pegge.] which also in their kind are strong and fleet, a shout is immediately raised, and the common horses are ordered to withdraw out of the way. Three jockeys, or sometimes only two, as the match is made, prepare themselves for the contest; such as being used to ride know how to manage their horses with judgment: the grand point is, to prevent a competitor from getting before them. The horses, on their part, are not without emulation, they tremble and are impatient, and are continually in motion: at last the signal once given, they strike, devour the course, hurrying along with unremitting velocity. The jockeys, inspired with the thoughts of applause and the hopes of victory, clap spurs to their willing horses, brandish their whips, and cheer them with their cries." III.-HORSE-RACING SEASONS. In the middle ages there were certain seasons of the year when the nobility indulged themselves in running their horses and especially in the Easter and Whitsuntide holidays. In the old metrical romance of "Sir Bevis of Southampton," it is said, n somer at Whitsontyde, Whan knightes most on horsebacke ride; A cours, let they make on a daye, Steedes, and Palfraye, for to assaye; Three myles the cours was then, Have forty pounds of redy golde. Commenius in his vocabulary, entitled "Orbis Sensualium Pictus," published towards the conclusion of the sixteenth century, indeed says, "At this day, tilting, or the quintain is used, where a ring is struck with a truncheon, instead of horse-races, which," adds he, "are grown out of use." A writer of the seventeenth century 2 tells us, that horseracing, which had formerly been practised at Eastertide, "was then put down, as being contrary to the holiness of the season; " but for this prohibition I have no further authority. IV.-CHESTER RACES. It is certain, that horse-races were held upon various holidays, at different parts of the kingdom, and in preference to other 1 "Syr Bevys of Hampton," black letter, without date, printed by Wm. Copland. Garrick's Collect. K. vol. ix. Bourne Antiq. Vulgares, chap. xxiv. pastimes. "It had been customary," says a Chester antiquary,' "time out of mind, upon Shrove Tuesday, for the company of saddlers belonging to the city of Chester, to present to the drapers a wooden ball, embellished with flowers, and placed upon the point of a lance; this ceremony was performed in the presence of the mayor, at the cross in the 'Rodhee,' or Roody, an open place near the city; but this year,"2 continues he, "the ball was changed into a bell of silver, valued at three shillings and sixpence, or more, to be given to him who shall run the best, and the farthest on horseback, before them upon the same day." These bells were afterwards denominated Saint George's bells; and we are told that in the last year of James I. John Brereton, inn-keeper, mayor of Chester, first caused the horses entered for this race, then called Saint George's race, to start from the point, beyond the new tower: and appointed them to run five times round the Roody: "and he," says my author, "who won the last course or trayne, received the bell, of a good value, of eight or ten pounds, or thereabout, and to have it for which moneyes were collected of the citizens, to a sum for that purpose." By the author's having added, that the winner at this race was to have the bell, and have it for ever, is implied, that it had formerly been used as a temporary mark of honour, by the successful horseman, and afterwards returned to the corporation; this alteration was made April 23, A. D. 1624. ever; Here we see the commencement of a regular horse-race, but whether the courses were in immediate succession, or at different intervals, is not perfectly clear; we find not, however, the least indication of distance posts, weighing the riders, loading them with weights, and many other niceties that are observed in the present day. The Chester races were instituted merely for amusement, but now such prodigious sums are usually dependent upon the event of a horse-race, that these apparently trivial matters, are become indispensably necessary. Forty-six years afterwards, according to the same writer, the sheriff's of Chester "would have no calves-head feast, but put the charge of it into a piece of plate, to be run for on that day, Shrove Tuesday; and the high-sheriff borrowed a Barbary horse of sir Thomas 1 Probably the elder Randel Holme of Chester, one of the city heralds. MS Harl. 2150. fol. 235. 3 That is Shrove Tuesday MS. Harl. 2125. The thirty-first of Henry VIII. A. D. 1665. and 5 Charles II Middleton, which won him the plate; and being master of the race, he would not suffer the horses of master Massey, of Puddington, and of sir Philip Egerton, of Oulton, to run, because they came the day after the time prefixed for the horses to be brought, and kept in the city; which thing caused all the gentry to relinquish our races ever since." V. STAMFORD RACES. Races something similar to those above mentioned, are described by Butcher,' as practised in the vicinity of the town of Stamford, in Lincolnshire. "A concourse," says he, "of noblemen and gentlemen meet together, in mirth, peace, and amity, for the exercise of their swift running-horses, every Thursday in March. The prize they run for is a silver and gilt cup, with a cover, to the value of seven or eight pounds, provided by the care of the alderman for the time being; but the money is raised out of the interest of a stock formerly made up by the nobility and gentry, which are neighbours, and well-wishers to the town." VI. VALUE OF RUNNING-HORSES. Running-horses are frequently mentioned in the registers of the royal expenditures. It is notorious, that king John was so fond of swift horses and dogs for the chase, that he received many of his fines in the one or the other;2 but at the same time it does not appear that he used the horses for any purposes of pleasure, beyond the pursuits of hunting, hawking, and such like sports of the field. In the reign of Edward III. the running-horses purchased for the king's service, were generally estimated at twenty marks, or thirteen pounds, six shillings, and eight pence each; but some few of them were prized as high as twenty-five marks.3 I met with an entry, dated the ninth year of this king's reign, which states, that the king of Navarre sent him as a present two running-horses, which I presume were very valuable, because he gave the person who brought them no less than one hundred shillings for his reward.4 In his Survey of the Town of Stamford, first printed A. D. 1646. chap. 10. 2 See p. 7. sec. vii. 3 Bernado de Nictum pro uno cursorio hardo empto de eodem, xxv. mare. Compot. Garderoba. An. xi. Ed. III. MS. Cot. Nero, C. viii. fol. 219. Michali de la Were Scut. Regis Navarr. present domino Regi duos equos cur sores ex parte dono Domini sui, de dono Regis, C sol. Ibid. VII.-RUNNING-HORSES OF THE HEROES OF ROMANCE. If we appeal to the poets, we shall find, that swift runninghorses were greatly esteemed by the heroes who figure in their romances; and rated at prodigious prices; for instance, in an ancient poem, which celebrates the warlike actions of Richard I., it is said, that in the camp of the emperor, as he is called, of Cyprus, Too stedes fownde kinge Richarde, Thatt oon favell, thatt other Lyard: Stede, rabyte, ne cammele,♦ Goeth none so swyfte without fayle Ne sholde the one be solde. And though the rhymist may be thought to have claimed the poetical licence for exaggeration, respecting the value of these two famous steeds, the statement plainly indicates that in his time there were horses very highly prized on account of their swiftness. We do not find indeed, that they were kept for the purpose of racing only, as horses are in the present day; but rather, as I before observed, for hunting and other purposes of a similar nature; and also to be used by heralds and messengers in cases of urgency. Race-horses were prized on account of their breed, in the time of Elizabeth, as appears from the following observations in one of bishop Hall's Satires. -dost thou prize Thy brute beasts worth by their dams qualities? Or Runcevall his syre; himself a gallaway? VIII-HORSE-RACING A LIBERAL PASTIME. Two centuries back horse-racing was considered as a liberal pastime, practised for pleasure rather than profit, without the least idea of reducing it to a system of gambling. It is |