OF HORSEMANSHIP. 63 



weigh no more than thirty-five pounds j the cloak-bag 

 be forfeited, and the faddle broke in pieces, in cafe of 

 difobedience. The old Romans being ignorant of fad- 

 dies, were likewife unacquainted with llirrups, and 

 like the Greeks obliged to ride without the eafe and 

 conveniency which they could have afforded. What 

 Hippocrates obferved of the Scythians, Galen found to 

 be true in the Roman cavalry, who, he fays, were 

 fubjedl to pains and defluxions in their hips and legs, 

 from their dependent poflure, and the .want of a fup- 

 port when on horfeback. It is, therefore, to be con- 

 cluded, and with great appearance of truth, that this 

 contrivance for eafing and fupporting the rider's legs, 

 was not the portion of the ancient horfemen ; no men- 

 tion being made of flirrups in any ancient Greek or 

 Latin author, no figure of them to be feen in any flatue 

 or monument, nor any word expreflive of them to be 

 met with in claflical antiquity. 



The filence, therefore, of all the writers, and the 

 want of other proofs, leave us no room to form any 

 other conclufion, than that they are modern inven- 

 tion. The Romans, having no better aflillance, copied 

 the Grecian manner of getting upon their horfes ; they 

 vaulted, or employed horfeblocks, and the afliftance 

 of another perfon, after the Ferjian and Grecian me- 

 thods, 3.5 Julius Po/Iux, FolateramiuSy and F^^ef/wj teflify. 



The firft fays, that when a man is to mount, or 

 defcend from his horfe, he fhould lead him to a bank, 

 or elevated ground, that he may execute his defign 



with 



