OF HORSEMANSHIP. 8i 



turersy was another fynonimous term with which they 

 were honoured ; whence fome etymologifts imagine 

 the Italian words Tortori or Trottoni corruptedly come, 

 and from them the French and Englifh term trot. But it 

 feems to be more lawfully defcended from the Italian 

 word Travatto, by contradlion, Tratto, which fignifies 

 crofs-uife, by which motion of the legs, the trot is per- 

 formed. To thefe we may add the epithet Criuiator, or 

 'tormejiter, a title as expreflive as either of the former, 

 for the Romans were very exadl and curious in the 

 names w^hich they affigned to the different horfes in 

 ufe among them. 



Guttonarii and CoJatorli are epithets metaphorically ap- 

 plied to thofe horfes, which dealt their fteps in time 

 and meafare, and had a certain fpring and lightnefs in 

 their motions. 



The metaphor is taken from the method of flrain- 

 ing water through a bag, in order to make it fall di- 

 ftincTily, and drop by drop : now, the action of horfes 

 which move their feet in a cadence, and juft time, be- 

 ing thought to refemble this paflage of water, or any 

 other liquid, when drained through a bag or cloth, they 

 were called Droppers, or Strainers. Thefe horfes were 

 characterized by the Greek word aa,Kyj(riKoi. After 

 all, thefe terms fecm to convey no very clear, or pre- 

 cife idea of the thing they would defcribe, and the 

 metaphor itfelf feems to be too far fetched, and 

 Jirained too finely. Vegctius fpcaks of thefe horfes ; 

 and we cannot but conclude from thefe epithets, whe- 

 ther properly applied, or not, that the Romans, at 



Vol. I. M leaft, 



