86 ESSAY ON THE STALLION. 



For another instance of a peculiar constitution 

 derived from a parent at the time of copulation, 

 and owing to a temporary excitement of the ani- 

 mal, a respectable farmer, related to the writer of 

 this essay that he witnessed the effect of pain and 

 nervous agitation on a stallion, just before the 

 moment of covering, in the production of a wild, 

 timid, violent and worthless colt. The sire was in 

 repute as one of the best horses ever kept in the 

 district ; and his stock afterward justified the 

 opinion. The groom became angry and beat him 

 in his stall in a cruel manner, and then led him 

 out and allowed him to cover the mare, which was 

 one of a perfectly quiet and orderly temper. The 

 consequence w r as the production of an animal 

 totally valueless, as above mentioned. 



That the doctrine here held is no "now thing under 

 the sun," is evident from many venerated authors. 

 Plutarch says, " Tiie advice which I am now about 

 to give, is indeed no other than what hath been 

 given by those who have undertaken this argu- 

 ment before me. You will ask me what is that ? 

 'Tis this, that no man keep company with his 

 wife for issue sake, but when he is sober as not 

 having before either drunk any wine, or, at least, 

 not to such a quantity as to distemper him ; for 

 they usually prove wine-bibbers and drunkards, 

 whose parents begot them when they were drunk ; 

 wherefore Diogenes said to a stripling somewhat 

 crack-brained and half-witted, ' Surely, young man, 

 thy father begot the when he*was> drunk ? ' " 



Shakspeare intimates the same belief in making 

 a hero insult his enemy with the taunt, 

 " For ye were got in fear." 



On no other known principle than this condition, 

 or a peculiar state of the system at and before the 

 time of copulation, can be explained the important 



