148 SHOEING. 



** When time was young, when the earth 

 was in a ftate of nature, and turnpike roads 

 as yet were not, the horfe needed not the 

 affiftance of this artifl ; for the divine Artift 

 had taken care to give his feet fuch defence 

 as it pleafed him ; and who is weak enough 

 to fuppofe his wifdom was not fufficient to 

 the purpofe in fuch a ftate ?'* 



He then proceeds to juftify an opinion, 

 that horfes are adequate to their different 

 fervices in a ftate of nature without the offi- 

 cious obtrufions of art ; venturing to affirm 

 that they '* will travel even upon the turn- 

 pike roads about London, without injury to 

 their feet/' I avail myfelf of the prefent 

 opening to difclaim every idea of attacking 

 the remarks or opinions of others, from a 

 motive of intentional oppofition, or to in- 

 dulge a vein of fatire, that affertions fo 

 cynically fingular and extraordinary naturally 

 excite ; and ftiall therefore introduce upon 

 the prefent occafion no other refleftion than 

 a certain fenfation of furprife, that he did 

 not infmuate the palpable fuperfluity or lux- 

 ury oijhoes and /lockings to the natives of our 

 own country, particularly when even the 



fair 



