lo THE CONDITION OF HUNTERS 



Alexander would never have pushed his conquests 

 half so far as he did, had not Bucephalus stooped to 

 take him on his back. The history of this horse is 

 elegantly blended with that of his master. It appears 

 that when brought for Philip to purchase, he was 

 extremely restive, but was soon made to submit to 

 the courage and superior horsemanship of his son. 

 This so pleased the father, that, kissing him, he ex- 

 claimed, " Oh, my son, seek some kingdom equal to 

 thy worth, for Macedonia is too little for thee." We 

 are farther told that he built a city in honour of the 

 horse, and called it after him. If history is to be 

 credited, one Roman Emperor raised his horse to the 

 Consulate, and another made him a guest at table, 

 where he was fed with gilt oats out of an ivory manger : 

 his stable was of marble, his collar set with pearls, 

 and his clothing, of rich purple, fit for a Bishop. In 

 Morocco, horses were made saints,^ and when the 

 King went abroad, he caused one of them to be led 

 before him richly accoutred, and his tail held up by a 

 Christian. Oriental Princes always sent a horse as a 

 present to their favourites. When Trajan stayed at 

 Antioch, several petty Princes sent him presents — 

 among which was a horse, that, when brought before 

 him, kneeled and bowed to him. It is told of Cyrus, 

 that, having had one of his famous grey horses drowned 

 in passing a large river in Asia, he was so vexed that 

 he stopped the course of it, and divided it into three 

 hundred and sixty channels. So attached was this 

 great Prince to horses and horsemanship, that among 



1 " The World." 



