458 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



toes be pared so thin almost as the edge of a knife' In 

 paring, too, he mentions that ' the French ferrers hath a 

 proverb which saith, " Dewant dariar, dariar deviant," which 

 means spare the fore foot behind, and the hinder foot be- 

 fore, as well in paring as in piercing the shoes (i. e. making 

 the nail-holes). 



' Make your shoe of spriise or Spanish iron, with a 

 broad web, fitting it to the foot, and let the sponges (heels) 

 be thicker and more substantial than any other part of the 

 shoe ; yea, and also somewhat broad, so as the quarters on 

 both sides may dishord, that is to say, appear without the 

 hoof a straw's breadth to guard the coffin, which is the 

 strength of the hoof, and only beareth the shoe. . . . 

 And as touchmg the nails, make them also of the same 

 iron, the heads whereof would be square, and not fully so 

 broad beneath as above, but answerable to the piercing- 

 holes, so as the head of the nails may enter in and fill 

 the same, appearing above the shoe no more than the 

 breadth of the back of a knife ; so shall they stand sure 

 without shogging, and endure longer, and to that end the 

 stamp that first maketh the holes, and the " preschell" that 

 pierceth them, and also the necks of the nails, would be 

 of one square fashion and bigness : that is to say, great 

 above and small beneath, which our common smiths do 

 little regard, for when they pierce a shoe, they make the 

 hole as wide on the inside as on the outside. ... A good 

 nail should have no shouldering at all, but be made with 

 a plain and square neck, so as it may justly fit and fill the 

 piercing-hole of the shoe. . . . The shanks of the nails 

 should be somewhat fiat, and the points sharp, without 

 hollowness or flaw^ and stitFer towards the head above, 



