23 



so given show that the Royal advisers were 

 conscious of English shortcomings. Horse- 

 manship and the principles of stable manage- 

 ment perhaps stood at a higher level in Italy 

 than in any other European country at this 

 period ; whence the choice of Italians as 

 riding-masters. 



The crime of horse-theft was so rife at 

 this period that one of the first Acts of 

 Queen Mary (2 & 3 Phil. & Mary, 7), 

 passed in 1555, aimed at its suppression. 

 A place was to be appointed in every fair 

 for the sale of horses, and there the market 

 toll-gatherer was to call the seller and buyer 

 before him and register their names and 

 addresses, with a description of the horse 

 changing hands. Under this law the pro- 

 perty in a stolen horse was not diverted 

 from the lawful owner unless the horse had 

 been publicly shown in the market for one 

 hour ; if it had not been so exposed, the 

 owner might seize and retain it if he dis- 

 covered the horse in possession of another 

 afterwards. 



Queen Mary, by the Statute known as 

 4 Phil. & Mary, considerably extended the 

 obligation to keep horses which Henry 

 VIII. had laid upon persons of the upper 

 and middle class ; but the object of this 



