THE HORSE. 31 



de Belesme, Earl of Shrewsbury, is 

 particularly celebrated for introducing 

 Spanish stallions into his Welch posses- 

 sions. 



The tournament on the continent had 

 become a pastime for warriors ; in Eng- 

 land the love of hunting the deer re- 

 tarded for some years the institution of 

 the tournament. The hunting field, 

 fortunately, gave an impetus to the pro- 

 pagation of large horses to carry heavy 



, .11 Flanders. 



men, and with the tournament a further 

 incentive occurred in causing the ex- 

 portation of large horses from Lom- 

 bardy and Flanders to these isles. 



The account we have of the first 

 tournament in England was during 

 Henry II.'s reign, and FitzStephen in- 

 forms us that on every Sunday in Lent 



