138 INTRODUCTION* 



land; William himself rode, in battle, a favourite 

 charger of that race ; and among the installed 

 nobles, Roger de Boulogne, * Earl of Shrewsbury, 

 established the race of Spain on his newly acquired 

 estates at Povisland. In the year 1121, during 

 the reign of Henry I., the first Arabian horse on re- 

 cord was introduced ; about the time Alexander I., 

 King of Scotland, presented another to the church of 

 St. Andrews : both of these were most likely real 

 Barbs from Morocco, and were acquired by means 

 of the Jew dealers. Our Norman princes were, 

 however, not only attentive to improve their studs 

 in England, but perhaps still more so on the conti- 

 nent ; for, it is at this period that both the bay and 

 the grey races of Norman horses were formed, which 

 continue still to be the best in France. At the 

 battle of Hastings^the. horses were not yet barbed, 

 nor the knights ^^ompletely covered in armour, 

 and their lances were still sufficiently light to be 

 cast like darts; but during the reign of Henry II., 

 we think, from the increased number of " great 

 horses," both horse and man were protected by 

 mail or other defensive armour ; the helmets closed 

 with visors, and the lance became ponderous, and 

 could only be used couched. In this reign circa 

 1170, Fitz Stephen the monk, in his description of 

 London, mentions trotting horses, brest? horses, 

 and running horses, and relates with animation the 



* I do not find whether it was Roger de Montgomerie or his 

 son Robert dc Bclcsme, or Boulogne ; the names appear to be 

 confounded. 



