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displayed in an equal, perhaps superior degree of perfection, some thou- 

 sand years ago, before the walls of Troy. ' The example too of the 

 Parthians, and other uncivilized but warlike nations, may be adduced, 

 who in their attack and retreat, shewed such an admirable dexterity 

 and command OA'^er their horses, although without the assistance of a 

 saddle, and if with any, a single rein and bit: in this state, whilst re- 

 treating at full speed, such was their suppleness of body, and acquired 

 habit of the balance, that they were able to turn themselves, face the 

 enemy, and discharge their arrows with the surest aim and effect. 

 This exquisite horsemanship, with other ancient customs, has descend- 

 ed to the modern Asiatics and Africans, who are far superior in activity 

 on horseback, to any thing of Avhich we have examples or indeed ne- 

 cesssity, in European menage. Of this we are assured by the relations 

 of various travellers; and EIJi Bey, in his late visit to this country, was 

 a present and visible proof of the fact. 



But even anteriorly to the use of the bridle, we must pre-suppose a 

 knowledge of some mode of confming the Horse in his place, probably 

 by thongs or cords fastened around his neck or head. Such an idea 

 is countenanced by ancient representations of the Horse, particularly 

 upon Trajan's pillar at Rome. A view of the rope hanging down the 

 Horse's neck is supposed to have suggested the first hint of traces for 

 the draught of carriages. " Strabo says, the Africans used cords for 

 bridles ;" thus, the latter put over the nose and into the mouth, doubtless 

 preceded the leathern bridle and iron bit. 



The ancient Greeks were not only in habitual use of the bridle, but 

 of spurs, and of a peculiar covering for the legs, which in some degree 

 answered the intention of modern boots; yet neither they, nor their 

 imitators, the Romans, appear to have known the use of saddles or 

 stirrups, of which no account is to be found in any author, until 

 Zonaras the historian relates the circumstance of the Emperor Con- 

 stantine, in the year 340, being thrown out of the saddle, and unhorsed 

 in batte by his brother Cujistantius. On the discovery of this most 

 useful article of horse-furniture, history affords us nothing but conjec- 

 tures, equally worthy of repetition with those on the origin of nations. 



Nor has tradition or history been more favourable to the memory of 



those 



