30 PHEASANTS FOR COVERTS AND AVIARIES. 



reign of King Henry the First, which commenced on the 

 second of August, 1100; and Daniell, in his " Rural Sports/' 

 quotes ''Echard's History of England" to the effect that in 

 the year 1299 (the twenty-seventh of Edward I.) the price 

 of a pheasant was fourpence, a couple of woodcocks three- 

 halfpence, a mallard three-halfpence, and a plover one 

 penny. 



"To these notices," writes the Rev. James Davis in the 

 Saturday Review, " might have been added another which 

 seems to set the pheasant at a higher premium to wit, 

 that in 1170 Thomas a Becket, on the day of his martyrdom, 

 dined on a pheasant, and enjoyed it, as it would seem from 

 the remark of one of his monks, that ' he dined more heartily 

 and cheerfully that day than usual/ 3 



Those who are interested in the subject will find a most 

 interesting series of extracts respecting the mediaeval history 

 of this bird in Mr. Harting's " Ornithology of Shakespeare," 

 from which we quote the following : 



" Leland, in his account of the feast given at the inthronisa- 

 tion of George Nevell, Archbishop of York, in the reign of 

 Edward IV., tells us that, amongst other good things, two 

 hundred 'fesauntes' were provided for the guests. 



" In the ( Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York/ 

 under date ' the xiiij th day of Novembre/ the following entry 

 occurs : 



" ' Itin. The same day to Richard Mylner of 

 Byndfeld for bringing a present of fesauntes 

 cokkes to the Queen to Westminster ... vs.' 



"In the ' Household Book' of Henry Percy, fifth Earl 

 of Northumberland, which was commenced in 1512, the 

 pheasant is thus referred to : 



" ' Item, FESAUNTES to be had for my Lordes own Mees at 

 Principall Feestes and to be at xijd. a pece. 



