Book II.] HO UNSHED ON HORSES. 117 



shew far lesse than those of the kings of other nations. 

 Geldings. Such as serue for the saddle are commonhe gelded, 

 and now growne to be verie deere among vs, especiallie if they 

 be well coloured iustlie limmed, and haue thereto an easie 

 ambling pase. For our countriemen, seeking their ease euerie 

 corner where it is to be had, delight verie much in these 

 qualities, but chieflie in their excellent pases, which beside 

 that it is in a maner peculiar vnto horsses of our soile, and 

 not hurtfull to the rider or owner sitting on their backes : it 

 is moreouer veries pleasant and delectable in his eares, in that 

 the noise of their well proportioned pase dooth yeeld comfort- 

 able sound as he trauelleth by the waie. Yet is there no 

 greater deceipt vsed anie wher than among our horsse-keepers, 

 horsse-corsers, and hostlers : for such is the subtill knauerie of 

 a great sort of them (without exception of anie of them be it 

 spoken which deale for priuat gainc) that an honest meaning 

 man shall haue verie good lucke among them, if he be not 

 deceiued by some false tricke or other. There are certaine 

 notable markets, wherein great plentie of horses and colts is 

 bought and sold and whereunto such as haue need resort 

 yearelie to buie and make their necessarie provision of them, 

 as Rippon, Newport pond, Wolfpit, Harborow, and diuers 

 other. But as most drouers are verie diligent to bring great 

 store of these vnto those places ; so manie of them are too too 

 {sic) lewd in abusing such as buie them. For they haue a 

 custome to make them looke faire to the eie, when they come 

 within two dales iourney of the market, to driue them till they 

 sweat, and for the space of eight or twelue houres, which being 

 doone they turne them all ouer the backs into some water, 

 where they stand for a season, and then go forward with 

 them to the place appointed, where they make sale of their 

 infected ware, and such as by this means doo fall into manie 

 diseases and maladies. Of such outlandish horsses as are 

 dailie brought ouer vnto us I speake not, as the genet of 

 Spaine, the courser of Naples, the hobbie of Ireland, the 

 Flemish roile, the Scotish nag, bicause that further speech of 

 them commeth not within the compasse of this treatise, and 

 for whose breed and maintenance (especiallie of the greatest 



