INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER; 1J 



receipt, becaufe, after all poflible enquiry among 

 the old wives of my acquaintance, I have been 

 unable to trace the fignification of a moldy- 

 warp, or whether it be fifh or flefh. Perhaps 

 fome gentle reader may be able to help me out 

 at a dead lift. 



I prefume, by this time, the reader has had 

 enough of Gervafe Markham ! 



Early in the reign of James I. came forth An 

 Hipponomie, or The Vineyard of Horfeman- 

 (hip, by Michael Baret, graced with a number 

 of dedications, one of which was to •* Charles I. 

 when prince." The fate of this writer is fome- 

 what lingular, and truly unmerited; for not 

 only has his work funk into utter oblivion with 

 the public (no uncommon cafe) but I know 

 not of any author who has vouchfafed even to 

 mention it ; neverthelefs, I will venture to pro- 

 nounce, that upon an impartial examination, it 

 will be found by far the ableft work of the 

 kind, whether we confider the learning of its 

 author, his practical knowledge of the Horfe, 

 or the utility of his rules, which our language 

 could boaft of, until the prefent century. 



Michael Baret, of Holland, in Lincolnshire, 

 like his predeceflbr Blundevill, a poor gentle- 

 man, poffeffed no common (hare of that fpecies 

 of erudition, fo highly in vogue, and efteemed 

 fo effentially necelfary to a polite education, in 

 the reign of pedantry and James. His argu- 



vol, i. c ments 



