:]() PHL\\,'^Axr,s fob coverts axu aviaries. 



reign of King Ilenry tlie First, which cunimeticecl on the 

 second nf AngList, lllH); and J)iini('l], in his " Eiiral Sports/' 

 (jiKites '' i'jchard's hLisfijry oF I'lugland " to tlie effect tliat in 

 the yeai- l'2'.)'.t (the twenty-seventh of Edward I.) tlie price 

 of a, pheasant was fourpence, a, coii[4e of woodcocks tliree- 

 lialfpence, a mallard three-halfpence, and a plover one 

 penny. 



"To these n(_)tices," writes tlie Rev. James Davis in the 

 Siitnrildi/ Brrliir, " might have lieen added another which 

 seems to set the pheasant at a liigher premium — to wit, 

 that in 1 170 Thomas a J_)ecket, on the day of his martyrdom, 

 dined on a pheasant, and enjoyed it, as it would seem from 

 the remark of one of his monks, that ' he dined more heartily 

 and cheerfully that day than usiiaL' " 



Those who are interested in the suliject will find a most 

 interesting series of extracts respecting the media^'val historv 

 of this bird in Mr. Harting's " (_.'riiithol(jgy of Shakespeare," 

 from which we (piote the following: 



" Lelaud, in his account of the feast given at the iuthronisa- 

 tioii of George Xevell, Archbishop of York, in the reign of 

 Edward l\ ., tells us that, amongst other good tilings, two 

 hundred ' fesauntes ' were ]n'ovided for the guests. 



"In the 'Privy Purse Expenses of Elizabeth of York,' 

 under (late ' the xiiij'^ day of Novembre,' the followiiiL;- entry 

 (jcciirs : 



•'■Itm. The same day to Richard Mvluer of 

 Fiyndfeld for liringiiig a present of iesaniites 

 cokkes to 111,. (^)n,.pn to Wostmiiister ... vs.' 



" Tn the 'Household k!ouk ' of Henry Percy, lifth Earl 

 of .Northumberland, whicli was commenced in l.")!:!, the 

 |jlieasaiit is tlnis rol'orrrd to : 



■"Item, Fi:sAtTNTEs to 1,,. had tor my Lor.h's ,.wn M.-es at 

 Prinripall Feestes and to be at xijil. a. ]i('ce. 



