HISTORY 



OF THE 



BRITISH TURF. 



CHAPTER I. 



Introduction— Early history of the Horse. 



BuFFON observes of the horse, that it ranks 

 in the first scale of excellence of all animals 

 coming under the denomination of cattle, — pos- 

 sessing a grandeur of stature, an elegance and 

 proportion of parts, superior to other quadrupeds. 

 Endowed with a form and sagacity eminently- 

 adapted for the use of man, the domestication of 

 the horse forms one of the most valuable acqui- 

 sitions made from the animal kingdom. The 

 chisel and the pencil of the artist have, from the 

 remotest antiquity, combined with the pen of the 

 poet, to embody his beauties and attributes, to 



VOL. I. B 



