333 THE PRICE OF LIVE STOCK. 



College. The same Warden has another horse bought at 

 Ripon in 1366 for ^3 y. 4^. A palfrey is bought at Gosseld 

 in 1376 for j^7 13*. 4^., and another at Oxford for 4. 13*. 4^. 

 Eight in 13^7 are bought for the king at 16 ly. 4^. each, 

 and two more, each of which is at the high price of ^50. Two 

 palfreys are bought by New College at 1 155-. io</. each, 

 and two hackneys at \ 4*., in 1388. Lastly, the same 

 society buys another horse at 6 ics. in 1395. I have quoted 

 these examples in order to shew the rate at which riding 

 horses, designated as ambling, hackney, or palfrey, were 

 purchased. 



It has been observed above that Merton College was in the 

 habit of buying and selling horses on one of its estates. A 

 characteristic example of this practice will be found under 1297, 

 vol. ii. p. 203. ii., where twelve horses are described as bought at 

 certain prices and sold at others. The estate makes a slight 

 profit on some of the transactions, but disposes of three at the 

 same amount as that at which they were bought. 



Our forefathers gave names to their horses. Thus we read 

 of shoes for 'BalF in 1314 (ii. 507. iv.), in 1367 a horse is 

 bought called 'Hungary/ and in 1370 tv/o others, known re- 

 spectively as c Bachiler' and c Scolar/ Nor can it I think be 

 doubtful, when we consider how great was the difference of 

 price, not only between such better kinds as those which were 

 used for riding, but also between cart horses, that there must 

 have been different breeds of the animal. It is said that the 

 most valuable were originally imported from Spain. War 

 horses must needs have been strongly built, in order that they 

 should be able to sustain not only the armed rider, but the steel 

 plates with which they were themselves protected- and when 

 once a breed available for warlike purposes had been introduced, 

 it would no doubt immediately become, from the exigencies of 

 the case, an object of peculiar care. 



Sheep are distinguished as muttons, i. e. wethers, as ewes, 

 hoggasts, hoggasters, hoggerels, or bidentes ; hurtards or rams, 

 and lambs. Of these, lambs are of course the cheapest, though 



