OF FARRIERY. 



34i> 



trouble to ascertain the proportions which 

 the different parts of the body should bear to 

 each other, in order to discover the relative 

 magnitude of the head, neck, trunk, and 

 limbs, which ought to be found in the best 

 constructed frame. If only one particular 

 figure, and one set of proportions, were con- 

 sistent with strength and activity, it would be 

 of some benefit to make ourselves acquainted 

 with those geometrical proportions ; but in 

 order to show that the perfections of Horses 

 cannot be determined by any general rules, 

 we hare extracted a part of Monsieur Saint 

 Bel's observations on the proportions of 

 Eclipse, compared with that of the French 

 table. 



1. In that table the Horse should measure 

 three heads in heio^ht, counting: from the fore- 

 top to the ground : Eclipse measured three 

 heads and a half. 



2. The neck should measure but one head 

 in length : that of Eclipse measured a head 

 and a half 



3. The height of the body should be equal 



to its length : the height of Eclipse exceeded 

 his length by about one-tenth. 



4. A perpendicular line falling from the 

 stifle should touch the toe : ihis line in Eclipse 

 touched the ground at the distance of half a 

 head before the toe. 



5. The distance from the elbow to the bend 

 of the knee should be the same as from the 

 bend of the knee to the ground : these two 

 distances were unequal in Eclipse, the former 

 being two parts of a head longer tlian the 

 latter. 



This summary comparison shews that the 

 beauty of a Horse cannot be absolutely deter- 

 mined by general rules, but must ever be in 

 relation to a particular species. 



Nature is herself the source of all that is 

 ingenious, amiable, and beautiful : she laughs 

 at systems manufactured by man, who views 

 objects only through his own medium ; and a 

 little attention to her laws will convince us 

 that, even in the same breed, individual varie- 

 ties are endless in number, and great in degree, 

 without any diminution of activity or strength. 



