Ill] AND HISTORIC TIMES 377 



means " not here to treat of all the kinds of Horses that be in 

 the worlde," but that he " will onlie talke of the most worthie, 

 and speciallie of such as have been knowne of late daies by 

 good experience, to prosper verie well in this lande, and bee not 

 unknowne to the most part of the Gentlemen of this Realme, 

 which kindes be these here followinge." These are " the Turk, 

 the Barbarian, the Sardinian, Napolitain, the Jennet of Spaine, 

 the Hungarian, the high Almaine, the Frizelande Horse, the 

 Flanders Horse, and the Irish Hobbye." With reference to the 

 Barbary horse he says that " those Horses that we commonlie 

 call Barbarians, do come out of the King of Tunnis land, out of 

 Massilie Numidia, which for the most part be but little Horses, 

 but therewith verie swift, and able to make a verie long cariere, 

 which is the cause why we esteeme them so much." 



Gervase Markham, early in his book called Cavalarice, or the 

 English Horseman, in eight books, each dedicated to a distin- 

 guished personage (including James I and Henry, Prince of 

 Wales), writes* : " Againe for swiftnesse, what Nation hath 

 brought forth that horse, which hath exceeded the English ? 

 For thereof we have this example : when the best Barbaries 

 that euer were in my remembrance were in their prime, I sawe 

 them ouer runne by a blacke Hobbie at Salisburie of Maister 

 Carltons, and yet that Hobby was more ouer runne by a horse 

 of Maister Blackstone called ' Valentine,' which ' Valentine ' 

 neither in hunting nor rimning was ever equalled, yet was 

 a plaine bredde English horse both by syre and damme : to 

 descend to our instant time, whateuer men may report or 

 imagine, yet I see no shape which can perswade me that 

 ' Puppie ' is any other than an English horse : and truly for 

 running I holde him peerlesse. Again for infinite labour, and 

 long endurance, which is easiest to be discerned in our English 

 hunting matches, I haue not seene any Horse able to compare 

 with the English Horse, so that I conclude the English horse 

 is of a tollerable shape, strong, valiant, swift, and durable." 



From this it is clear that it was for their racing capabilities 

 that the Barbary horses were valued in England, and we need 



^ For this extract I am indebted to my friend Sir Ernest Clarke. 



