436 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



common where there were mares. At Michaelmas tide, 

 the neighbouring magistrates were ordered to 'drive' all 

 forests and commons, and not only destroy such stallions, 

 but all the ' unlikely tits,' whether mares, geldings, or foals, 

 which they might deem not calculated to produce a valu- 

 able breed. He moreover ordained, that in every deer- 

 park, in proportion to its size, a certain number of mares, 

 at least thirteen hands high, should be kept ; and that all 

 his prelates and nobles, and ' all those whose wives wore 

 velvet bonnets,' should keep stallions for the saddle, at 

 least fifteen hands high. 



The ' delicate stratagem ' of shoeing a troop of horses 

 with felt on particular occasions, as hinted at by Shake- 

 speare, was tolerably well realized at least half a century 

 before the immortal bard had made any progress in 

 establishing his fame, and from the following incident 

 he may have derived the idea he afterwards introduced 

 into ' King Lear.' In Lord Herbert's ' Life of Henry 

 Vin.,'' it is stated that that monarch, while in France, 

 'having feasted the ladies royally for divers days, de- 

 parted from Tourney to Lisle (October 13, 15 13), 

 whither he was invited by the Lady Margaret, who 

 caused there a juste to be held in an extraordinary 

 manner ; the place being a large room raised high from 

 the ground by many steps, and paved with black square 

 stones like marble ; while the horses, to prevent sliding, 

 were shod with felt or flocks (the Latin words are feltro 

 sive tomento), after which the ladies danced all night.' 



It is supposed that in the Guildhall of London, on the 

 occasion of the marriage of Katharine of Aragon (after- 



' Kcnuet. History of England, vol. ii. p. 17. 



