OF HORSEMANSHIP. 33 



Let 'us, however, fee what their own hiflories, or 

 traditions fay upon this fubje6t. 



They tell us then, that Neptune and Minerva having 

 a difpute which could confer the greateil benefit upon 

 man, Neptune gave the horfe, and Minerva the olive- 

 tree. This is the ancient account of the origin of the 

 horfe ; and from this very account, independant of 

 other more fober and certain relations, we may be in- 

 duced to fufpecfl, that he was not a native of Greece 

 originally, but introduced and adopted, or to talk 

 in the language of ancient mythology, the gift of a 

 God. 



It is well known, that antiquity had a peculiar fond- 

 nefs to exprefs itfelf, upon mofl occafions, in fable and 

 allegory, thinking thereby,*, perhaps, to llrike the 

 mind with greater awe and veneration, and to raife 

 and enoble the fubjeifl which they treated, by afcribr 

 ing them to a divine origin, and far removed from the 

 ufiial courfe of things. This is probably the reafon, 

 why we find all ancient Hijiory to be almolt all Table ; 

 yet if we go fpmewhat deeper, and look more clofely 

 into things, wefliall, in many inftances, difcover Fable 

 alfo to be Hi/lory. It is, therefore, incumbent upon 

 thofe who have to do with fubjeds, which, from their 

 antiquity can only be feen through the medium of fa- 

 ble, to confider the fabulous part only as a veil or co- 

 vering, which to a certain- degree conceals the objed: 

 which is under it ; but which being removed, genu- 

 ine hiftoric truth will appear in its naked purity. 



Vol. I. F AYithout 



