SIR A. FITZHERBERT' S 'BOKE OF HUSBANDRY' 113 



may prove of interest to the reader. Evidently mares 

 had been forbidden to be used for agricultural purposes, 

 as he says in his book : ' A husbande may not be 

 without horses and mares, and specially if he goe with 

 horse with a horse-ploughe he must have both, his 

 horses to draive, his mares to brynge colts to upholde 

 his stocke, and yet at many times may draive well if 

 they be well handled.' 



Tiie learned judge evidently got often bit in his 

 horse-dealing transactions as well as other people, for 

 he says : ' Thou grasyer, that mayst fortune to be of 

 myne opinion or condytion to love horses, and beguiled 

 as I have been a hundred tymes and more. And, 

 first, thou shalt knowe that a good horse has fifty-four 

 properties — that is to say, two of a man, two of a 

 badger, four of a Lion, nine of an ox, nine of a hare, 

 nine of a foxe, nine of an asse, and tea of a woman.' 

 I fear to weary the reader with the well-known similes, 

 but if there should be anyone who does not know 

 them, I will here recount them for his benefit, though 

 they do not quite tally with the learned judge's 

 assertion : Three qualities of a woman — viz., a broad 

 breast, round hips, and long mane ; three of a lion — 

 viz., countenance, courage, and fire; three of a bullock 

 — viz., the eye, the nostril, and the joints ; three of a 

 sheep — viz., the nose, gentleness, and patience ; three 

 of a mule — viz., strength, constancy, and foot ; three 

 of a deer — viz., head, legs, and short hair ; three of a 

 wolf — viz., throat, neck, and hearing ; three of a fox — 

 viz., ears, tail, and trot; three of a serpent — viz., 

 memory, sight, and power of turning; three of a hare 

 •or cat — viz., running, walking, and suppleness. 



Despite the efforts of Henrv VIII., which, by the 



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