56 WILD WHITE CATTLE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



Having traced so far the Bos primigenius, or Urus, 

 as he existed in the earliest times in this country, I 

 will now revert to the White wild forest breed of 

 cattle, and state what is known respecting their ancient 

 history and the localities they inhabited, in the hope 

 of throwing some further light upon their origin. 

 In treating this part of the subject, I propose to relate 

 first what concerns the purely wild variety, deferring 

 till afterwards the notices we have of domestic or 

 partially domesticated white herds nearly allied to the 

 wild. 



Perhaps the earliest notice we have of the existence 

 of wild cattle in Saxon times is contained in the cele- 

 brated traditionary legend of the slaughter of the wild 

 cow by Guy, Earl of Warwick, which is said to have 

 taken place (and Leland confirms this supposed date 

 in his " Itinerary," written about 340 years since) " in 

 the dayes of King Athelstan," who ascended the throne 

 a.d. 925, and died a.d. 941. The ancient ballad 

 entitled " Sir Guy of Warwick " will be found in 

 Eitson's " Ancient Songs and Ballads," and it was, he 

 informs us, " entered on the Stationers' Books " (though 

 undoubtedly much older) in 1591. I give only that part 

 of the ballad which relates to this particular event : — 



Stanza 3. 

 " Nine hundred twenty years and odd, 

 After our Saviour Christ his birth, 

 "When King Athelstan wore the crown, 

 I lived here upon the earth." 



Stanza 12. 

 "In "Windsor forest I did slay 



A boar of passing weight and strength," &c. 



