BREEDING. 21 



never exceeded thirteen hands, though got by 

 Marjk, (who was a large horfe) out of a 

 full-fized hackney mare in the neighbour- 

 hood of Windfor ; as well as a very large, 

 bony, handfome, ufeful gelding full fifteen 

 hands, out of a pony tnare under twelve^ 

 that was bought of a troop of gipfics near 

 Bafingftoke for a fingle guinea. An in- 

 creafed lift of fuch inftances might be eafily 

 formed and equally authenticated ; but thefe 

 are fufficient to encounter the affertions of 

 thofe who feem firmly to believe the im- 

 prafticability of obtaining bo?ie, ft%e^ or 

 Jlrengih, but from horfes and mares of fuch 

 fize and bone only ; and although it is cer- 

 tainly right to admit the probability of de- 

 viation from fire and dam in fuch cafes, yet 

 the minute inveftigation of caufes muft 

 lead us into a field of phyfical reafoning, 

 and anatomical difquifition, that would prove 

 in general reading too remote and extenfive 

 for the fubjed before us. 



There are, however, very juft and fair 

 reafons to be adduced, why thefe contrafts 

 fo frequently occur in oppofition to the ef- 

 tabliflied notions of breeding, without at all 



C 3 advert- 



