336 THE PRICE OF LIVE STOCK. 



Fastolfe in 1435. Were these excessive prices omitted, it 

 would be found that in the earlier period, the price of a good 

 saddle-horse ranged from 35^. to 45^., and was afterwards 

 doubled or increased by one and a half times over the original 

 rate, conformed in short to the general rise in prices which is 

 witnessed in the last forty years of the present period. 



It does not appear that in the earlier period horses were 

 castrated, nor is there any evidence of the practice till the 

 year 1436, when a gelding is bought at Heveningland, and in 

 1489, two geldings are bought at Cambridge. Subsequently 

 the entry is very common, and at last the fact that the horse 

 is entire is noticed. 



The use to which the horse is to be put is sometimes 

 designated. Thus in 1500, certain horses, bought for the 

 king's use, are described as for the king's carriage, his litter, 

 for carrying his jewels, his mails or trunks, &c. The colours 

 are given in each case, probably that they might be known as 

 well as retained for particular service. So again horses are 

 entered as purchased for abbot or prior, for warden, provost, 

 or master, for bursar or bailiff, as sumpter or catrie, or for a 

 lady, e.g. 1463. 



The pace of the horse is also often given, deambulans, which 

 probably means cantering (1449), ambling, emissarius, trotting, 

 volutans, gradarius, which seems to denote a good walker, sur- 

 rusor and tallitarius, which I presume to be also cantering. Late 

 in the period (1577 and 1578), I find horses described as nags. 



The colours are also denoted, the following being given, white, 

 grey, bay, bright bay (badius seems to be the Latin equivalent 

 of these colours), pewes, black, sorrel or soreld, iron grey, 

 griseus, i. e. I suppose also grey, black and white, lyart, lyard 

 brown and lyard capell, coloris domici (whatever that may 

 mean), and coloris greci, dapple grey, sorrel bay, bay and white, 

 roan, bay with stars in his forehead, black with bald face, and 

 coal black. 



Names are occasionally given, as in 1454, and prices of 

 brood mares, colts, and fillies are found. It appears that there 



