THE ANGLO-SAXONS. 277 



Thames, about midway between Dowgate and Blackfriars 

 Bridge.' ' 



We may be allowed to entertain some doubts as to 

 the meaning of the Anglo-Saxon term ' calc-rond,' espe- 

 cially as a}3plied to a ' rim-shoe ' for horses. The Saxon 

 for shoe is ' sceo ' or ' pcoh ; ' and the verb to shoe ' fcec- 

 zan ; ' while the smith is written as in German, fmis. 



It would appear certain that, as with the invasion of 

 Gaul by the Franks, another form of shoe gradually 

 came into use in England on the arrival of the Saxons. 

 We have but little to lead us to believe that this German 

 race cared much for the horse, or employed it to any ex- 

 tent at first. In this respect they resembled the Frank?. 

 In process of time, however, they became expert horse- 

 men, and placed much value upon the noble beast ; in 

 this they again followed the example of the Franks — a 

 change that might be attributed, in both instances, to 

 their having come into contact with another race — the 

 Celtic, — to whom the horse had for ages been an all-im- 

 portant adjunct of existence. This is rendered apparent 

 from the fact, that those of the Britons who cared to 

 remain among the invaders, were intrusted with the 

 studs of the Anglo-Saxon kings. In the laws of Ina, writ- 

 ten towards the termination of the seventh or commence- 

 ment of the eighth century, the ' hors-wealh ' stands in 

 high estimation. This functionary was a Welshman, or 

 rather an ancient Briton, who had the charge of the king's 

 stud, his knowledge of horses apparently justifying his 

 being selected to attend to them, as the British inhabitants 

 excelled in the care and management of these creatures, 



' Op. cit. vol. xiv. 



