BOOK. I. and Expert Ferrkr. 1 7 



in May^ Jim, or any of the hotter months : and my reafon Is, 

 that albeit grafs caufeth greater plenitude of milk, (which I 

 deny not) yet is not the fame fo good and noiirifhing : for the 

 milk which the Coltfucketh at grafs, is very thin and watry ; 

 and albeit winter food begetteth not fo great a quantity of 

 milk, yet the fame will be thicker, more fubflantial and of 

 greater nutriment, (the Mare being very well fed) which will 

 iced the Colt very fat, and make him more lofty and ftrong, 

 (as I have faid) than if the Mare the whole Summer and Win- 

 ter through, and in all the extremity of hcar.s and colds had " 

 been kept abroad. Moreover, the Colt, belides the milk ha 

 draweth from the Mare, will alfofeed with her upon Hay,Oats, 

 Bran, and fuch like food, which will do him much pleafure : 

 But fome again will fay, that their teeth arc fo tenderi as that 

 they will not be able to chew and eat fuch kind of hard meats •, 

 lanfwer, they are very much miftaken, for, not only my felf 

 alone, but fundry others have with me been eye-witnefTes of 

 the contrary \ therefore this needs no further folution. And 

 whereas it hath been objeded unto me, that that Colt which 

 is folcd in May^ or Soljlke, in that leafon, the Mare will have 

 ftore of milk, thus much I do ingenuouily confefs, but then what 

 manner of milk will it be? None other than fuch as fhall be * 

 marvellous thin and watrifli (as I f lid before) which abundance 

 will alfo fail, even when the Colt hath mod need thercof,that 

 is, when the Colt beginneth to come up to fome ftrength, and 

 at what time he ihould receive moft nutriment ^ to wit, when 

 the winter com.eth on, whofe Snows, Frofts, cold rains, and 

 Flouds will not a little nip and pinch the Colt,and enfeeble the 

 Mare in fuch terrible and defperate m.anner, that flie will want 

 her former plenty of food, warm and dry lodging, and other 

 nccefTary relief and fuftentation, and fo in like manner, hera- 

 bundanceof milk,, at what tirne her poor Colt ihould depend, 

 upon the enfeebled Mare, who is not able to fupply its o.vn ' 

 need : by means whereof it muft-neceflarily fall out, that /he ^ 

 muft bring both her felf and her Colt to cxtreara poverty, ' 

 not being able to fuilain her own life, much lefs her Colis 

 and her own,- and fo become feeble before winter be haif^ 

 fpent ;, and over and above all this, the Colt will by his run- ' 

 ning abroad with the Mare become fo favage and wild, as that 



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