White. — The Horse : a Study in Philology. 215 



an unexpected contact with the old days of chivalry in the 

 familiar term " In my lady's bower." 



But we have a reverse picture in Dutch boer, A.-S. bur, 

 gebur, a peasant, from A.-S. biiau, to till. Presumably the 

 cultivation of the soil necessitated the husbandman dwelling 

 or residing at that place, as seen in English neigh-bour, A.-S. 

 nSah-bur, one who dwells near to another. 



From this vantage we can, as it were, realise the time 

 when man and his oxen were housed under tbe one roof or 

 fortified enclosure, being thereby protected from the depreda- 

 tions of enemies, whether man or predatory animals. 



Before giving these names I may mention the Italian for 

 horse is cavallo, while cavalla is a mare. The Latin cqu-us 

 and equ-a, are obsolete, only showing in such terms as equ-i- 

 tazioue : French, equ-i-tation, riding ; equ-i-seto, horse-tail, or 

 " mare's-tails" (a river- weed), &c. The ordinary terms are 

 caval-cata, riding ; cavall-one, a large horse ; cavall-ino, a 

 colt : French, pouliche, poulin, bidet : Italian, cavall-ina, a 

 filly ; caval-acchio , a wasp (likely the horse bot-fly — CEstrus 

 equi). 



For names denoting nobility we have the Italian cavalier ; 

 French, chevalier, cavalier, a knight: Italian, cavall-eria ; 

 French, cheval-erie, knighthood : Italian, cavall-er-esca-mentc, 

 gallantly, gentleman-like ; French, de bonne grace. Here, to 

 remark on the word " gentleman," how few of us really 

 appreciate the original and true meaning — that such a one 

 by training is of kind actions and thoughts, and in the habit 

 of conversing in a subdued tone of voice {i.e., gentle). At the 

 close of the reign of Charles I. we read of the war between 

 the Eoyal subjects (the Cavaliers) and the Round-heads. 



For the reverse picture: Italian, cavalier d'industria ; 

 French, chevalier d'industrie, a sharper, fortune - hunter, 

 " soldier of fortune," one who sells his fighting abilities to 

 a foreign country. The old - time yeoman or farmers of 

 the Scottish border were required by the terms of their 

 lease to maintain one horse capable of carrying its owner a 

 distance of twenty-five miles on a foray over the border and 

 returning without obtaining any fodder during the time occu- 

 pied by the raid. The knight of old — say, during the time of 

 the crusades — was by his knightly oath constrained to order 

 his conduct by certain rules of knighthood. He was to take 

 no mean advantage against those contending with him in fight 

 or in combat or in the tournament, was to succour or defend 

 the oppressed (especially women), and was usually attended 

 by an esquire or squire, who was generally a youth of good 

 birth. The duty of the esquire was to see to the armour and 

 destrier (war-horse) belonging to the knight whom he at- 

 tended, &c. 



