370 



ItACING, WAGERS AND GAMING. 



Reign of 

 Richard the 

 First. 



Reign of 

 John. 



Reign of 

 Edward the 

 Second. 



Reign of 

 Edward the 

 Third. 



Reign of 

 Richard the 



Second. 



Reign of 

 Henry the 

 Fourth. 



Reign of 

 Henry the 

 Seventh. 



to their willing Horses, brandisli their whips and cheer 

 them with their cries" (A). 



An old Metrical Romance records the excellence and 

 great value of two Horses belonging to Richard Coeur 

 de Leon, which he purchased at Cyprus, and which there- 

 fore were probably of Eastern origin (/). 



John accumulated a very numerous and valuable stud 

 of Horses ; and he formed our breed of draught Horses 

 by importing one hundred chosen Flemish Stallions (,/). 



Edward the Second, one hundred years afterwards, in 

 the beginning of the fourteenth century, purchased thirty 

 Lombardy JFar Horses, and twelve heavy draught Horses. 

 Lombardy, Italy and Spain at that time suppUed the most 

 valuable Cavalry or Parade Horses {j). 



Edward the Third devoted one thousand marks to the 

 purchase of fifty Spanish Horses, and formal applications 

 were made to the Kings of France and Spain for their 

 safe conduct. The King had many Running Horses [k), 

 the precise meaning of which term is not quite clear ; and 

 he prohibited the exportation of Horses under very heavy 

 penalties (/). 



In the Reign of Richard the Second, the price of 

 Horses rapidly increased, and to such an extent, that in 

 A.D. 1386, a proclamation was issued regulating their price; 

 and it was ordered to be published in Lincolnshire, Cam- 

 bridgeshu'e, and the East and West Ridings of York- 

 shire {m). In this Reign Grames are first mentioned in the 

 Statute Book ; and we find that in a.d. 1389, Servants 

 in husbandry or Laboui-ers were prohibited wearing any 

 sword, buckler, or dagger ; or plaj'ing at Tennis, Football, 

 Uuoits, Dice, Casting of Stone kails, and such like importune 

 Games {n). 



This Statute was confirmed and extended in the Reign 

 of Henry the Fourth, a.d. 1409, and an additional penalty 

 of six days' imprisonment was imposed (o). 



In the Reign of Henry the Seventh, a.d. 1494, we find 

 the Legislature paying much attention to the breed of 

 Horses, as being of great importance to the defence of the 

 kingdom. It appears that Horses had at this time become 



(A) See Fitz StejAen, and Lib. 

 U. K. "The Horse," 24. 



(0 Lib. U. K. "The Horse," 24. 



(.;) Ibid. 25. 



(/) See Marldiam's Maister- 

 Peece, 16th edition, and Lawrence 

 on " The Horse," vol. 1, cap. 5. 



(/) Lib. U.K. "The Horse," 25. 



{m.) Ibid. 26. 



(«) 12Ric. 2, c. 6; see 26 & 27 

 Vict. 0. 125. 



{o) 11 Hen. 4, c. 4, repealed by 

 33 Hen. 8, c. 9. 



