f 



Class!. HORSE. 



horfes o{ Wales and Cornwall the hobbies of Ireland y 

 and the fhelties of Scotland^ though admirably well 

 adapted to the ufes of thofe countries, could never 

 have been equal to the work of war •, but probably 

 we had even then a larger and ftronger breed in 

 the more fertile and luxuriant parts of the ifland. 

 Thofe we employ for that purpofe, or for the 

 draught, are an offfpring of the German or Flemijh 

 breed, meliorated by our foil, and a judicious cul- 

 ture. 



The Englijh were ever attentive to an cxad cul- 

 ture of thefe animals ; and in very early times fee 

 a high value on their breed. The eiteem that our 

 horfes were held in by foreigners fo long ago as the 

 reign of Athelftan^ may be colleded from a law 

 of that monarch prohibiting their exportation, ex- 

 cept they were defigned as prefents. Thefe muft 

 have been the native kind, or the prohibition 

 would have been needlefs, for our commerce was 

 at that time too limited to receive improvement 

 from any but the German kind, to which country 

 their ov;n breed could be of no value. 



But when our intercourfe with the other parts of 

 Europe was enlarged, we foon layed hold of the 

 advantages this gave of improving our breed. 

 Roger de Belefme^ Earl of Shrewjhury *, is the firfl 

 that is on record : he introduced the Spanijh ilal- 

 lions into his eftate in Powijland^ from which that 



* Created by William the Conqueror, 



B 3 part 



