18 HISTORY OF THE 



continent, during the finest days of summer, 

 than that they should have been imported by 

 the Phoenicians, who frequented the island at a 

 very early period, for the purpose of trade. 



However this may be, we find on Csesar's in- 

 vasion of Great Britain, that the landing of the 

 Roman troops was opposed by immense bodies 

 of horsemen, besides chariots and infantry ; and 

 as the fact is well established by the testimony 

 of many Roman historians, we are bound to 

 take it in preference to what is 'advanced by 

 Bede, who assigns the year 631, in the reign of 

 Edwin the Great, as the earliest period at which 

 the English began to use saddle horses. 



That horses were introduced into Britain 

 many years before its invasion by the Romans, 

 would further appear from the immense number 

 used by the Britons against their invaders ; as 

 we find Casibelanus, King of Trinobantes, of 

 which people Canterbury was the capital, har- 

 rassing the march of the Romans with 4000 

 chariots. 



We will now endeavour to trace our subject 

 through the obscurity of the middle ages, until 

 we arrive at what may be considered the real 

 commencement of our present breed of race 

 horses ; and as we shall always give the 

 authorities from which we have derived our in- 



