WHITE CATTLE : AN INQUIRY INTO THEIR ORIGIN, ETC. 407 



in the Province of Oude, large herds of black oxen are, or were, 

 to be found in the wild and uncultivated tracts; a fact to 

 which I can bear testimony from my own personal observation, 

 having in 1821 come in contact with a very large herd of these 

 beasts, of which we were only fortunate enough to kill one, their 

 excessive shyness and wildness preventing us from a near approach 

 at any second opportunity."^ 



Coming to our early authorities, I may note that references 

 bearing on our subject are very scanty. In this connection I 

 have a letter from Prof. Skeat, who says: — "The literature of 

 early England is largely historical and theological ; it never has 

 any references to social affairs except in the vaguest manner. Of 

 course, such words as ox, cotv, hull, frequently occur, but only 

 casually and generally. The only sort of literature that could 

 help you would be old charters, deeds, and wills, which are 

 mostly in Latin. I have seen many such, but I really cannot 

 recall any that will tell you anything definite. Allusions to 

 colou7' are in all cases, and with respect to all things, of the 

 vaguest kind." 



In the laws of King Ine, of Wessex, who succeeded in a.d. 688 

 and abdicated in a.d. 725, we find the two following clauses: — 



"40. A ' ceorl's' close ought to be fenced winter and summer. If it be 

 unfenced, and his neighbour's cattle stray in through his own gap, he shall 

 have nothing from the cattle ! Let him drive it out and bear the damage." 



" 42. But if there be a beast which breaks hedges and goes in everywhere, 

 and he who owns it will not or cannot restrain it, let him who finds it in 

 his field take it and slay it." 



This shows, I think, that cattle strayed and wandered over the 

 country, and the two following extracts bear out the same fact. 

 In the laws of King Edgar, wdio succeeded in a.d. 959 and died 

 in 975, there is the following sentence: — "An oxe's bell, and a 

 dog's collar, and a blast horn; either of these three shall be worth 

 a shilling, and each is reckoned an informer." The bell and 

 horn we find still in use on the Continent, especially in Sw^itzer- 

 land. Then in the laws of King Ethelred 11. , who succeeded in 

 a.d. 978 and died in 1016, we read: — "Let no one slay an ox 



1 Bartholomew, writing in 1360, says that "Bulls of Ind be red, and 

 swift and cruel." 



