EXPENSES OP EBARING IN THE REIGN OP HENRY VIII. 19 



"In the year 1536, Henry VIII. issued a proclamation in order to preserve 

 the partridges, pheasants, and herons 'from his palace at Westminster to St. Giles- 

 in-the-Eields, and from thence to Islington, Hampstead, Highgate, and Hornsey 

 Park.' Any person, of whatever rank, who should presume to kill, or in any wise 

 molest these birds, was to be thrown into prison, and visited by such other 

 punishments as to the King should seem meet. 



" Some interesting particulars in regard to pheasants are furnished by the 

 ' Privy Purse Expenses of King Henry VIII.' Por example, under date xvj"' 

 Nov. 1532, we have: 



" ' Itm the same daye paied to the fesaunt breder in rewarde ixs. iiijd. 

 " ' Itm the XXV daye paied to the preste the fesaunt breder 



at Elthm in rewarde ij corons ... ... ... ... ixs. iiijd. 



" And in December of the same year : 



" ' Itin the xxijd. daye paied to the french Preste the fesaunt 



breder for to bye him a gowne and other necesarys ... xls.' 



"Prom these entries it would appear that even at this date some trouble 

 and expense was incurred in rearing pheasants. No allusion, however, is made 

 to their being shot. They must have been taken in a net or snare, or kiUed 

 with a hawk. The last-named mode is indicated from another source : * 



" ' Item, a Pesant kylled with the Goshawke. 



" ' A notice, two Pesants and two Partridges killed with the hawks.' 



"As a rule they are only referred to as being 'brought in,' the bearer 

 receiving a gratuity for his trouble. 



" ' Jan''- 1536-7. Itm. geuen to Hunte yeoman of the pultry, 



bringing to hir gee two qwicke {i.e. live) phesants ... vijs. vjd. 

 " ' Ap'- 1537. Itm. geuen to Grene the ptrich taker bringing 



a cowple of Phesaunts to my lady's grace iijs. ixd. 



" ' Jan. 1537-8. Itm. geuen to my lady Carow's s'unt bringing 



a qwicke Phesaunt ijs. 



" ' Jan. 1543-4. Itm. geuen to Hawkyn, s'unte of Hertford 



bringing a phesant and ptrichesf iijs. iiijd.' 



at a pBimy, and snipes at three a penny, contrast strongly with partridges at twopence and pheasants and 

 peacocks at twelvepence each. Nor is the change in the degree of estimation in which the birds are now 

 held less remarkable. Curlews, herons, and bitterns, which are now scarcely valued as edible, ranked 

 equal to pheasants and peacocks, and were three or four times the value of a grouse, whilst a fishy sea-gull 

 was worth two or three chicken or one woodcock. 



* '"Extracts from the Household and Privy Purse Accounts of the L'estranges of Hunstanton, 1519— 

 1578.' (Trans. Eoy. Soc. Antiq. 1833.) 



t " • The Privy Purse Expenses of the Princess Mary, 1536—1544.' (Edited by Sir F. Madden, 1831.)" 



D 2 



