BRITISH TURF. 37 



of Charles IT, when the importation of Eastern 

 blood by that monarch, which was continued 

 under his successors, together with the firm root 

 public racing took among the most popular 

 amusements and pursuits of the people, led to 

 the perfection of the British horse, by the 

 formation of the thorough -bred or racing 

 breed. 



Before we commence this eventful era, al- 

 though not immediately bearing on the object of 

 this work, it may not be altogether devoid of 

 interest to give a brief review of the works of 

 the most eminent writers on the science of 

 horses and horsemanship, previous and up to 

 this period. 



The first writer we come to, worthy of notice 

 after Zenophon, is Grisone, who published his 

 works at Naples (then the chief school of Euro- 

 pean horsemanship) , in the beginning of the six- 

 teenth century. It is entitled, '' Gli ordini di 

 Cavalcare di Federigo Grisone Gentilhuomo 

 Napolitano," and is entirely devoted to military 

 horsemanship. It is now very scarce ; the only 

 copy we remember to have seen is in the British 

 Museum. Many of the writers who followed 

 Grisone have copied largely from his work. 



Solomon de la Brone, Escuyer d'Esurie du 

 Roi (Henri IV), et de Monseigneur le Due 



