i6o HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



he was able to present the King of Persia with a number 

 of Spanish horses and mules.' 



In his expedition against the Avares of Hungary, he 

 had a very strong force of cavalry ; but at Ems the 

 horses were attacked with a contagious disorder, which 

 destroyed nearly the whole of them. So great a reliance 

 did he place upon cavalry, and so severe was this in- 

 fliction, that he preferred waiting for three years, until 

 this arm could be recruited by horses from Spain and 

 elsewhere ; notwithstanding the greatest possible provoca- 

 tions offered him by the enemy in the interval.^ 



An ordinance, or capitulary, published at Aix la Cha- 

 pelle in 807 {De villis impei'ialihus), is curiously illus- 

 trative of the manners of this time. Among other things 

 it is enacted that the ' Judex,' or steward of each villa, 

 was to provide stallions (C. 13); that care was to be 

 taken of the stud mares, and the colts were to be 

 separated at the proper season ; the stables were to be 

 thoroughly prepared ; there were to be good artificers, 

 particularly blacksmiths ; and at Christmas, in giving an 

 account of their administrations, with many other items, 

 mention was to be made of what profit was derived from 

 the labours of the blacksmith, as well as from colts and 

 fillies. In peace everything was to be prepared for war : 

 ' Our cars for war to be litters well made, covered with 

 hides so closely sewed, that if necessity occurs for swim- 

 ming rivers, they may pass through (after being lightened 

 of their contents), without water entering.' His cavalry 

 was always kept on a war footing. 



' The Monk of Saint-Gall. Hist, des Gaules. 



' Poet. Saxon, iii., apud Scrip. Rer. Franc. V. 155. 



