OF HORSEMANSHIP. 93 



Taught the firft fathers of the Latian name, 

 As now he folemniz'd the noble game ; 

 From their fucceflive Alban offspring come 

 Thefe ancient plays to grace imperial Rome. 

 Who owns her Trojan band, and game of Troy, 

 Deriv'd through ages from the princely boy. 



Befides this, and other equeftrian exercifes, the 

 young Romans, from gallantry and poliienefs, were 

 accuftomed to ride before the ladies, merely to difplay 

 their fkill and addrefs, and recommend themfelves to 

 the favour of their fair fpeiTtators. The paffage in 

 the infcription mentioned before, which relates the 

 death of a perfon, who was dragged by his foot, 

 entangled in the ftirrup, when he had been riding 

 before a young lady for her entertainment, alludes to 

 this cuftom, as we learn from Francifcus Modius, in 

 his Treatife de Spe(5laculis, 



Among the various colours by which horfes are 

 diftinguiflied, white was anciently the moft admired, 

 and confidered as a mark of pre-eminence and fove- 

 reignty. 



Herodotus reports, that the Cillcians paid an annual 

 tribute of three hundred and fixty "jjhite horfes to Da- 

 rius, the King of Perfia; and in Xerxes' march againft 

 Greece, the chariot of Jupiter was drawn by eight 

 white Nyfsean horfes, the colour being appropriated 

 I'eligioufly to the deity. We read likewife in the book 

 of. Kings, that the kings of Judah were ufed to dedi 



6 cate.^ 



