THE ENGLISH. 25 



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

 Brigliadore, from briglia d'oro, a bridle of gold. Bells were a very 

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

 Arnold of Marson, says, that " nothing is so proper 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 shiUings and fourpence was given. The 

 usual price of good handsome horses was ten pounds, and the hire of a 

 car or cart, with two horses, was tenpence a-day. 



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

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

 ticularly to improving the breed of horses. He imported one hundred 

 chosen stallions of the Flanders kind, and thus mainly contributed to pre- 

 pare our noble species of draught-horses, as unrivalled 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, gladly received, from the tenants of the crown, 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 possible. 

 It could not be expected that so haughty a tyrant would concern himself 

 much with the inferior kinds ; yet while the superior was becoming rapidly 

 more valuable, the others would, in an indirect manner, partake of the 

 improvement. 



One hundred years afterwards, Edward II. purchased thirty Lombardy 

 war-horses, and twelve heavy draught-horses. Lombardy, Italy, and 

 Spain were the countries whence the greater part of Europe was then sup- 

 plied with the most valuable cavalry or parade horses. Horses for agri- 

 cultural 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 conceive this addition to 

 the English, or rather mingled blood, then existing, that formal application 

 was made to the kings of France and Spain to grant safe conduct to the 

 troop. When they had safely arrived at the royal stud, it was computed 

 that they had cost the monarch no less than thirteen pounds six shilhngs 

 and eightpence per horse, equal in value to one hundred and sixty pounds 

 of our present money. 



This monarch had many running-horses. The precise meaning of the 

 term is not, however, clear. It might be light and speedy horses in oppo- 

 sition to the war-horse, or those that were literally used for the purpose of 

 racing. The average price of these running-horses was twenty marks, or 

 three pounds six shillings and eightpence. Edward was devoted to the 

 sports of the turf or the field, or he began to see the propriety of crossing 

 our stately and heavy breed with those of a lighter structure and greater 

 speed. 



There was, however, one impediment to this, which was not for a very 



