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manege, and the continual obligation which his country had incurred 

 to foreign countries, for managed Horses. With the enhghtened view 

 of removing this national opprobrium, he proceeded at once to the 

 fountain head, by inviting to his court, on liberal terms, some of the 

 most distinguished riding-masters of the continent. Among these Avere 

 two scholars of the famous Pigtiatelli of Naples. They settled in En- 

 gland, and from one of them descended those celebrated riding-masters, 

 the Alexanders, who, according to the Duke of Newcastle, filled the 

 kingdom with horsemen. Henry also engaged an Italian farrier of 

 the name of Hannibale, long after quoted as a great authority, by our 

 writers in that line. Let us allow all that is justly due, to the character 

 of a king, in whose favour so little can be said. 



An act of Parliament made in the next reign, clearly shewed the 

 opinion entertained by the legislature, of the high value of Horses. 

 Horse-stealers were deprived of the bejielit of clergy, that crime 

 being classed with house-breaking, sacrilege and murder. 



The great men of Elizabeth's reign seemed fully disposed to profit 

 by the example and the injunctions of her father. The Earl of Leices- 

 ter, the queen's Master of the Horse, retained in his service, Clouclio 

 Curiio, an Italian, who wrote a treatise on the art of riding, Avhich is 

 yet extant. Sir Philip Sidney invited over and provided for the Signors 

 Prospero and Romano. The art of managing the Horse became a 

 universal accomplishment among the nobility and gentry of England, 

 but most of the possessors, both of equitation and farriery, were 

 foreigners. 



This favourable disposition of the public mind towards the subject, 

 naturally produced writers on horsemanship amongst our own country- 

 men, who soon obtained an equal share of attention Avith Curtio, or as 

 he is sometimes called Cortc, Grison, and other foreigners, whose 

 books were in high estimation, and I believe published in England. 

 Fitzherbert, the horse-doctor, and his namesake the judge, had, in the 

 reign of Henry VII, led the way, as English veterinary writers, and 

 they were followed in the succeeding reigns by a host, of v> hom Blun- 

 deville, for the times in Avhich he lived, was truly respectable. 



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