Book II.] THE ANGLO-MANTUA HORSES. 71 



battle of Pavia, when the French were defeated by the aUies, 

 Francis I. having been taken prisoner and carried to IMadrid. 

 The valour De la Pole displayed in this engagement extorted 

 the praise even of his foes ; and the Duke of Bourbon, honour- 

 ing his remains with splendid obsequies, assisted in person as 

 one of the chief mourners. Thus terminated the male line 

 of this gallant and highly gifted race ; and the dukedom of 

 Suffolk passed without challenge by the new creation to King 

 Henry VIII.'s brother-in-law, the celebrated Charles Brandon 

 above mentioned.* 



In the spring of the year 15 14 Giovanni Ratto was 

 sent by the Marquis of Mantua with a present of 

 thoroughbred horses to Henry VIII. From these and 

 some subsequent drafts were descended, in all proba- 

 bility, many of the English race-horses of the sixteenth 

 century. Ratto wrote to the marquis, his master, from 

 London, March 20, 15 14, describing the fulfilment of 

 his mission. 



On the 20th March, " at a place called Hampton, 

 four miles from London," he presented the horses 

 to the king, who was so much pleased that, " had the 

 marquis given him a kingdom, he could not have been 

 more delighted ; and went from one nobleman to 

 another saying, ' What think you of these mares ? 

 They were sent to me by my cousin the Marquis of 

 Mantua.' The king was quite astonished at seeing 

 the mares in action, and said to the noblemen on 

 the spot that he had never beheld better animals. 

 The French Duke of Longueville, who was captured 

 at Terouenne, was present at the time, and told the 



* For some interesting details of the career of Richard de la Pole, 

 3rd Duke of Suffolk, see " Gedenkbuch des metzer Burgers Philippe von 

 Vigneulles," aus den Jahren 147 1 bis 1522. " Nach Der Handschrift Des 

 Verfassers Herausgegeben," von Dr. Heinrich IMichelant. Stuttgart, 1852. 



