OF HORSEMANSHIP. 37 



exprcflive words of Shakefpear * to be " incorpfcd and 

 derainatured with the brave beail." 



Having thus finilhed this fabulous ftory, or rather 

 extradted as much truth from it as we could, we will, 

 in the next place, prefent the reader wirh a more cir- 

 cumftantial account of the particulars of Grecian horfe- 

 manlhip. 



It is known, that in the infancy of mod of the 

 Grecian dates, the number of horfes was but fmall, 

 they being too expenfive to be kept by any who were 

 not rich ; to encourage people, therefore, to increafe 

 the number, and keep them at their own coft, an or- 

 der of citizens was erected in Sparta and Athens, who 

 were deemed the fecond in rank in the commonwealth, 

 and diftinguiflied by certain honours and privileges 

 conferred upon them : in after-times Rome availed 

 herfelf of this expedient, and formed her Eguites, or 

 knights, after this model. 



The origin of horfemanfhip in this country, is 

 afcribed to various perfons, but can be fixed with cer- 

 tainty upon none ; and whoever was the firfl intro- 

 ducer of it, feems to have known but little of the art, 

 r.nd to have left it very imperfeft, though, perhaps, 

 in no worfe a flate, than other arts and fciences were 

 in ^t their beginning. It is probable to think that 

 fome time mull have elapfed before the indrument 

 called a Bitt was ufed for the governing of horfes, by 



c 



* Hamlet. 



putting 



