6B THE HISTORY AND ART 



difmount, yet by the afTiftance of a fecond perfon, 

 who might hold the ftirrup on the oppofite fide, the 

 feat might have been performed; and for the purpofe 

 of fupporting and relieving the legs, they would have 

 been as effedual as they are at prefent. 



The more natural and modeft folution feems, there- 

 fore, to be this: — that in this inftance, as in many 

 others, it fhould be remembered, that the progrefs of 

 human genius and invention is uncertain and flow, 

 depending frequently upon accidental caufes. That 

 time alone ripens, and brings things to perfedion ; 

 that improvement follows improvement, and the arts 

 advance gradually ; 



__ — . .. ■ Adfummum donee venere cacumen.. 



Lucret. 



The horfe deftined to carry a man in the races of the 

 Circus, as well as upon other occafions, was called 

 Celes, from the Greek, word xiXric ; and Singularis and 

 Solitariusy fo denominated becaufe he went alone, in 

 contradiftindlion to thofe which drew chariots, or other 

 machines, and were yoked together in different num- 

 bers, as two, three, four, and fometimes more. In 

 latter times, after the difcovery of faddles, he was 

 alfo called Sellarius. 



Their chief employment was to run at the full ex- 

 ertion of their fpeed in the Circus (as our race horfes 

 do now), againft their antagoniils. Their riders fre- 

 q^uently mounted them bare-backed, and performed 



extra- 



