strength over mares ; for centuries only 

 entire horses were used by men-at-arms ; this 

 being the case the interests of discipline and 

 good order in the ranks and at the horse 

 pickets in camp practically compelled the 

 exclusion of mares. In the eleventh year 

 of his reign (1496) Henry VII. passed 

 a law forbidding the export of horses. In 

 the preamble it was set forth that whereas 

 "not only a smaller number of good horses 

 were left within the realm for the defence 

 thereof, but also that great and good plenty 

 of the same were in parts beyond the sea 

 which in times past were wont to be within 

 this land ; whereby the price of horses is 

 greatly increased here to the loss and annoy- 

 ance of all the King's subjects ; " therefore 

 it was enacted that no horse at all was to be 

 transported out of the kingdom, and no mare 

 of the value of six shilling and eightpence or 

 upwards. This law, it may be added, 

 remained on the Statute Book until the 

 reign of Charles II. when it was repealed. 

 There were sundry weak points in the word- 

 ing of this Act — in which respect legal 

 drauo^htsmen will remind us it does not stand 

 alone — and from the measures dealing with 

 exportation which were passed by his suc- 

 cessor it would seem that Henry VI I. 's 



