52 The Life of William, Duke of Newcastle 



last that he was able to buy two others, and by degrees so 

 many as amounted in all to the number of eight. In which 

 he took so much delight and pleasure, that though he was 

 then in distress for money, yet he would sooner have tried all 

 other ways, than parted with any of them ; for I have heard 

 him say, that good horses are so rare, as not to be valued for 

 money, and that he who would buy him out of his pleasure 

 (meaning his horses), must pay dear for it. For instance I 

 shall mention some passages which happened when my Lord 

 was in Antwerp. 



First, a stranger coming thither, and seeing my Lord's horses, 

 had a great mind to buy one of them, which my Lord loved 

 above the rest, and called him his favourite, a fine Spanish 

 horse ; entreating my Lord's escuyer to acquaint him with 

 his desire, and ask the price of the said horse. My Lord, 

 when he heard of it, commanded his servant, that if the chap- 

 man returned, he should be brought before him ; which being 

 done accordingly, my Lord asked him, whether he was re- 

 solved to buy his Spanish horse ? Yes, answered he, my 

 Lord, and I'll give your Lordship a good price for him. I 

 make no doubt of it, replied my Lord, or else you shall not 

 have him : but you must know, said he, that the price of 

 that horse is ^iooo to-day, to-morrow it will be ^2000, next 

 day ^3000, and so forth. By which the chapman perceiving 

 that my Lord was unwilling to part with the said horse for 

 any money, took his leave, and so went his ways. 



The next was, that the Duke de Guise, who was also a 

 great lover of good horses, hearing much commendation of a 

 grey leaping horse, which my Lord then had, told the gentle- 

 man that praised and commended him, that if my Lord was 

 willing to sell the said horse, he would give 600 pistoles for 

 him. The gentleman knowing my Lord's humour, answered 

 again, that he was confident my Lord would never part with 

 him for any money, and to that purpose sent a letter to my 

 Lord from Paris ; but my Lord was so far from selling that 

 horse, that he was displeased to hear that any price should be 

 offered for him : so great a love hath my Lord for good horses ! 

 And certainly I have observed, and do verily believe, that 

 some of them had also a particular love to my Lord ; for they 

 seemed to rejoice whensoever he came into the stables, by 

 their trampling action, and the noise they made ; nay, they 



