y of Europe, both for greatness of
body and sweetness of flesh or else would not the Roman writers have
preferred them before those of Liguria. In most places our graziers
are now grown to be so cunning that if they do but see an ox or
bullock, and come to the feeling of him, they will give a guess at his
weight, and how many score or stone of flesh and tallow he beareth,
how the butcher may live by the sale, and what he may have for the
skin and tallow, which is a point of skill not commonly practised
heretofore. Some such graziers also are reported to ride with velvet
coats and chains of gold about them and in their absence their wives
will not let to supply those turns with no less skill than their
husbands: which is a hard work for the poor butcher, sith he through
this means can seldom be rich or wealthy by his trade. In like sort
the flesh of our oxen and kine is sold both by hand and by weight as
the buyer will; but in young ware rather by weight especially for the
steer and heifer, sith the finer beef is the lightest, whereas the
flesh of bulls and old kine, etc., is of sadder substance, and
therefore much heavier as it lieth in the scale. Their horns also are
known to be more fair and large in England than in any other places,
except those which are to be seen among the Paeones, which quality,
albeit that it be given to our breed generally by nature, yet it is
now and then helped also by art. For, when they be very young, many
graziers will oftentimes anoint their budding horns or tender tips
with honey, which mollifieth the natural hardness of that substance,
and thereby maketh them to grow unto a notable greatness. Certes it is
not strange in England to see oxen whose horns have the length of a
yard or three feet between the tips, and they themselves thereto so
tall as the height of a man of mean and indifferent stature is scarce
equal unto them. Nevertheless it is much to be lamented that our
general breed of cattle is not better looked unto; for the greatest
occupiers wean least store, because they can buy them (as they say)
far better cheap than to raise and bring them up. In my time a cow
hath risen from four nobles to four marks by this means, which
notwithstanding were no great price if they did yearly bring forth
more than one calf a piece, as I hear they do in other countries.

Our horses, moreover, are high, and, although not commonly of such
huge greatness as in other places of the main, yet, if you