4 THE HISTORY AND ART 



place, upon ordinary and familiar occafions, with affes, 

 mules, and camels. But however plain and evident 

 it may be, that he was firfl: ufed in war, yet the man- 

 ner in which he was taught to ferve his mailer, that 

 is to fay, whether he was rode, or put to draw carri- 

 ages and machines, has been a fubjeifl of much doubt 

 and contention among the learned ; it being afferted by 

 fome, that he was firft compelled to draw; and main- 

 tained by others, that the art of of riding was pradifed 

 before the ufe of chariots was difcovered. 



We learn from hiftory, both facred and prophane, 

 that Afia and Africa were the quarters of the world, in 

 which mankind were firft formed into focieties, lived 

 under the control of laws, and exerted their endea- 

 vours to make life fecure, convenient, and happy: 

 and although the horfe could not but have been judged 

 capable of contributing a large fhare towards ad- 

 vancing thefe great ends, yet, it is certain, that he is 

 not numbered among the articles of property which 

 were moft ufed and valued in the primitive ages of the 

 world: accordingly we find him reckoned among 

 other domeftic cattle but in one place, in the hiflory 

 of thofe early times ; viz. in the forty- feventh chapter 

 of Genefis, where Jofeph is faid to have given the 

 Egyptians " bread in exchange for horfes, for flocks, 

 and herds." In the book of Genefis, where the firft men- 

 tion is made of worldly goods, which then chiefly 

 confifted of cattle, we read only of the flieep, the he 

 and fhe-afTes, and camels belonging to Pharaoh ; al- 

 though 



