58 IIISTOKY OF THE ENGLISH HORSE. 



certainly had it in their power to enrich their native country with some of 

 the choicest specimens of the Eastern horse, but they were completely 

 under the influence of superstition and fanaticism, and common sense and 

 usefulness were forgotten. 



An old metrical romance, however, records the excellence of two horses 

 belonging to Richard Coeur de Lion, which he purchased at Cj^rus, and 

 were, therefore, probably of Eastern origin : — 



Yn this worlde they hadde no pure, 

 Dromedary nor destrere, 

 Stede, Kabyte, ne Cammele, 

 Goeth none so swifte, -svithout fayle: 

 For a thousand pownd of golde, 

 Ne should the one be solde. 



The head of the war-steed was ornamented with a crest, and together 

 with his chest and flanks, Avas wholly or partially protected. Sometimess 

 he was clad in complete steel, with the arms of his master engraved or 

 embossed on his harcUngs. The bridle of the horse was always as splendid 

 as . the circumstances of the knight allowed, and thus a horse was often 

 called brigliadore, from hriglia d'oro, a bridle of gold. Bells were a very 

 favourite addition to the equipment of the horse. The old troubadour, 

 Arnold of Marston, says that ' nothing is so j)roper to inspire confidence 

 in a knight and terror in an enemy.' 



The price of horses at this period was singularly uncertain. In 1185, 

 fifteen breeding mares sold for two pounds twelve shillings and sixpence, 

 They were purchased by the monarch, and distributed among his tenants ; 

 and in order to get something by the bargain, he charged them the great 

 sum of four shillings each. Twenty years afterwards, ten capital horses 

 brought no less than twenty pounds each ; and twelve years later, a pair 

 of horses were imported from Lombardy, for which the extravagant price 

 of thirty-eight pounds thirteen shillings and fourpence was given. The 

 usual price of good handsome horses was ten pounds, and the hu'e of a cai 

 or cart with two horses was tenpence a-day. 



To King John, hateful as he was in all other respects, we are much 

 indebted for the attention which he paid to agriculture generally, and 

 particularly to the improvement of the breed of horses. He imported one 

 hundred chosen stallions of the Flanders breed, and thus mainly contributed 

 to prepare our noble species of draught-horses, as unrivalled in their way 

 as the horses of the turf. 



John accumulated a very numerous and valuable stud. He was eager 

 to possess himself of every horse of more than usual power ; and at all 

 times glady received from the tenants of the cro"\vn, horses of a superior 

 quality instead of money for the renewal of grants, or the payment of for- 

 feitures belonging to the crown. It was his pride to render his cavalry, 

 and the horses for the tournament and for pleasure, as perfect as he could. 

 It was not to be expected that so haughty and overbearing a tyi^ant would 

 concern himself much with the inferior kinds ; yet while the superior kinda 

 were rapidly becoming more valuable, the others would", in an indu'ect 

 manner, partake of the improvement. 



One hundred years afterwards, Edward II. purchased thii'ty Lombardy 

 ivar-horses, and twelve heavy draught- horses. Lombardy, Italy, and Spain 

 were the countries whence the greater part of Europe was then supplied 

 with the most valuable cavalry or parade horses. Those for agricultural 

 purposes were chiefly procured from Flanders. 



Edward III. devoted one thousand marks to the purchase of fifty Spanish 

 horses ; and of such importance did he consider this addition to the English, 

 or rather, mingled blood then existing, that formal application Avas made 



