et" in Worcester, "cheapjack,"
etc. Also, the prefix in the names of market towns, such as Chipping
Campden, Chipping Norton, etc. There is a curious place-name here in
Burley, New Forest, where I am now living, spelt "Shappen," which
puzzled me until I chanced to meet with an ancient print of a village
merry-making, with dancing and a May-pole and found that the name
Shappen applied especially to the spot, and that not far away the
Forest ponies and cattle were formerly penned for sale at an annual
fair in a lane, still called Pound Lane "Pound" is from the
Anglo-Saxon _pund_, a fold or inclosure. Shappen is evidently,
therefore, derived from _ceap_ (and possibly _pund_) as a place in
which bargains were struck, and the name testifies to the extreme
antiquity of the New Forest pony and cattle fair formerly held there.

There are several notable horse fairs still held near Evesham. Besides
the one at Pershore, already mentioned, the most important fairs are
held at Stow-on-the-Wold and Shipston-on-Stour, both very
out-of-the-way places; and many stories of the wiles of horse-copers
were related in connection therewith. I remember the following told as
occurring at Stow-on-the-Wold. A man approached a simple-looking young
farmer, and getting into conversation with him, pointed out a horse
not far off, telling him that he had quarrelled with the owner who
refused in consequence to sell him the horse which he wished to buy.
He promised the farmer L2 if he would undertake the negotiation, and
could buy the horse for L10. The farmer agreed, and after some
apparent difficulty succeeded in effecting the purchase at the sum
named, paid the money and returned with the horse to the place where
he had left his acquaintance. The latter, however, had disappeared,
and after searching the fair from one end to the other, the farmer
took back the horse, to repudiate the bargain. The owner had also
vanished, and the farmer found himself with an ancient screw, which
eventually he was glad to get rid of at a pound a leg, losing L6 on
the deal.

There are small pig-dealers, in almost every village, on the lookout
for bargains, and very cute men they generally are. One of these
well-known at Aldington, though nearly blind, could tell the points
and value of any pig in a marvellous way almost by intuition; it was
said of him that, "though blind, he was a better judge of a pig than
most folks with their eyes open."

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