The Arabian, Turkish, Barb, and Persian horses imported into Great Britain. ALTHOUGH no reasonable doubt can be entertained that horses of Eastern origin were imported into this country previous to the time of James I, the most authentic account we have refers to this period. In the reign of this monarch, Mr. Markham, a merchant, imported an Arabian, which he sold to the King for £500. Not succeeding as a racer, this horse tended to bring the Arabian blood into disrepute in England. Accordingly, with the exception of Place's white Turk, and the royal mares, imported by Charles II, from Tangiers in Africa, we find few, if any Eastern horses were imported between that period and the reign of Queen Ann. The Darley Arabian was brought to England in the early part of the reign of that Queen, which event forms the great epoch from which the history of the Turf should be dated. The following is a list of the Eastern horses imported from that period; and it is to be regretted that much interesting and valuable information respecting them has been lost in the lapse of time. The performances of the most celebrated race horses, the produce of these horses, will be given in this work. The Brown Arabian, sire of Ariadne, was first called the Northumberland Arabian, and afterwards, being disposed of to Mr. Leedes, of North Melford, Yorkshire, was distinguished in his stud by the name of the Leedes Arabian. He was foaled in 1755, and was purchased in Zemine, of the Immaum or King of Sinna, in Arabia Felix, at a very great expense, and brought into England by Mr. Phillips*, a gentleman well known for his extensive skill and nice judgment in the peculiar and distinguished points and qualifications necessary in a racehorse. The following is the account given of this horse by Mr. Pick: "Mr. Phillips was sent into Arabia by the Earl of Northumberland, purposely to select and purchase for his Lordship such Arabian horses • Mr. Phillips also brought into England with the Brown Arabian another horse, which was distinguished in Lord Northumberland's stud by the name of “the Golden Arabian.” He was sire of his Lordship's Aurora, Ermine, Jew, and a few others. and mares as might appear best calculated to improve the breed of horses in this country.* The Brown Arabian was a private stallion in Lord Northumberland's stud until the year 1766, when he served mares at Mr. Leede's at 3gs. and 5s. This country is certainly greatly obliged to the late Duke of Northumberland, for his endeavours to improve the breed of the English horse; for he spared no expense whatever in sending even into the interior of Arabia, to procure horses of the true and genuine Arabian breed, of which, amongst others, the above was only one. Much credit is due to the Arabians, as we have partially observed elsewhere, for the distinct manner in which they give attestations of the genealogy of their horses, when they sell them, and which Mr. Phillips procured with those he purchased for the Duke. That gentleman bears witness to the fact of their preserving the pedigree of their horses with great care and for several ages back. They know their alliances and all their genealogy; they distinguish the races by different names, and divide them into three classes. The first is that of the nobles, the ancient breed, and unadulterated on either side; the second is that of the horses of the ancient race, but adulterated; and the third is that of the common and inferior kinds. The last they sell at a low price; but those of the first class, and even of the second, amongst which are found horses of equal value to the former, are sold extremely dear. They know, by long experience, the race of a horse by his appearance; they can tell the name, the surname, and the colour, and the marks belonging to each. When they are not themselves possessed of stallions of the noble race for their mares, they borrow from their neighbours, paying a proper price, as with us, and receive a written attestation of the whole. In this attestation is contained the name of the horse and the mare, and their respective genealogies. When the mare has produced her foal, new witnesses are called, and a new attestation signed, in which are described the marks of the foal, and the day noted when it was brought forth. These attestations increase the value of the horse; and they are given to the person who buys him. the groom;* in 1767, 1768, and several years afterward, at 5gs. and 5s. He was also sire of his Lordships's Nonsuch, Actæon, and Grizelda ; of Mr. Shafto's Mittimus; Mr. Jenning's Ultramarine; Sir John Douglas's Phillippo; Mr. Morrison's Dolly-O &c. He served very few mares, notwithstanding which there was not above two or three of his get, but what were winners. Mr. Honeywood's white Arabian, sire of the grandams of Squirrel, &c., was first the property of Sir John Williams, Bart., who sold him to Mr. Turner, of Suffolk, from whom he was purchased by Mr. Honeywood. He was also sire of the two True Blues, who were both in a very high form; the elder was the best plate horse of his day in England. It is not known whether this Arabian covered any other blood mare besides the Byerley Turk mare, the dam of the two True Blues. The Arabian, sire of Makeless, was the property of Sir Thomas Oglethorpe, of Scotland; this Arabian was also sire of Bald Frampton, and the famous Scotch galloway that beat, carrying a feather, the Duke of Devonshire's Dimple, 7st. 7lb, when Dimple had the whip at Newmarket. * It being the custom to present the grooms who have the care and management of stallions with an extra fee, when their services are particularly required, the amount to be so given is always fixed and advertised by the owner of the entire horse. The Cullen Arabian mare (by the Cullen Arabian out of an Arabian mare), dam of Principessa, was bred by his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland. She was a blood mare in Sir Charles Sedley's stud, and was also the dam of Sir C. Sedley's bay colt, Æolus, by Regulus, Sir C. Sedley's Ches. filly, Nottingham Sir C. Sedley's Ches. filly, Lovely, Wor- 1757 1759 1760 Sir C. Sedley's bay colt, Presto, by Mr. Newcomb's Arabian, 1763 Sir C. Sedley's Ches. colt, Regulator, by Careless, 1767 and several others. The Newcombe Bay Mountain Arabian was purchased at three years old, by Captain Burford, from the Thick of St. John Dirackiz in 1756; and when brought into England was sold to Mr. Newcombe. He was allowed by breeders to be one of the finest Arabians that had been imported into this kingdom, being of a fine size, with bone superior to most other foreign horses, and more like the Godolphin Barb than any other horse that had been brought into this country. He covered at Mr. John Giles's, at |