INTRODUCTION INTO BRITAIN. 31 



"'Item, Fessauntis for luy LorJes owiie Meas tn he hadJe 

 at Priiii;ipalle Fcistis aud to b(,' xijd. a pece.'* 



" In the year l-j'SCt, Henry VII f. issued a pru(daniatin)i in 

 order to preserve the partridges, pheasants, and lierous 

 ' from his pahiee at Westminster to St. Giles-in-the-Fiehls^ 

 aad from thence to Ishngton, ITampstead, Highgato, and 

 Hornsey Park.' Any person, of whatever rank, who should 

 presirnie to kdl, or in any wise molest these birds, was to be 

 thrown into prison^ and visited by su(di other punislimenls as 

 to the King should soon seem meet. 



" (Some interesting particulars in regard to pheasants are 



* " As a copy of tlie ' Nortliumberlaml H(juseliolil Book ' is not readily 

 Mceessil)le. we ffivo the following' interestiny extract, showiii"' the price, at 

 that date, of various hinls for tho table; 



'Capons at iiib a peci' leynllean). PettryS'eb at iid. a pece. 



Cliickeyns at hi. a i>i'ce. Re(h'Hhaiiks ihd. 



Heunys at iid. a pece. Byttcrs [i.e. Bitterns) xiid. 



Swaunys (no price stated). Pcsauntes xiid. 



GeyshC iiid. or iiiicb at the moste. Revs (i.e. Rutfs and Rei'ves) iiib 



Phivers id. or ii(L at nioste. a pece. 



Cranys xvid. a pece. Shohirdes (S]Joonl)ilLsl viid. a pcH'c. 



HearoDsewys [i.e. Heronshaws or Kyrlewes xiid. a pece. 



Herons) xiid. a peci'. Pacokes xii(b a pece. 



MaUardes iid. a pece. Sea Pyes (no ])rice). 



Woodcokes id. or IJd. at tlie Wipons at iA(b the p)ece. 



iHoste. _Knott.es id. a pece. 



Tevbes id. a pece. PottrcUs id. <i pece. 



Wypes u' e. La])wing's) ill. a pece. Bustardes (uo price). 



Seej^'uUes id. or ijd. at the moste. Terncvs after iiid. a id. 



Styutes after vi. a i<l. Great l)yrdes after iiii. a id. 



Quaylles iid. a pece at moste. Small liyrdes after xii. for iid. 



Snypes after iii. a id. Larkys after xii. for iiiL' 



" This extract is especially interesting- as throwing- light incidentally on 

 the condition of the country; the unreclaimed stale of the lanil is shown 

 by tlie abundance and cheapness of the wading- birds. Woodcocks at a 

 penny, and snipes at three a penny, contrast strongly with partridges at 

 twopence and pheasants and peacocks at twelvepeuce e.-icli. Nor is the 

 change in the degree of estimation in which the liirds are now held less 

 remarkabh-. Curlews, herons, and bitterns, which are now scarccdy valui'd 

 as edible, ranked equal to pheasants and peaeocks, and were three or four 

 times the value of a grouse, whilst a fishy sea-gull was worth two or three 

 chicken or one wfioib-ock. 



