io6 THE HISTORY AND ART 



" horfes." Thus far our Warwick hiftorian ; and it 

 is certain, that this was not the ufual way of riding 

 till about this time ; for Nicetas, one of the Byzantine 

 hiftorians, who wrote an hiftory of i i i 8, to the year 

 1205, fays, that at this period, women did not ride 

 as they ufed to do, fitting on a Side-fadd/e, but mounted 

 their horfes with their legs indecently ajiride. Thus 

 Side-faddks appear to have been ufed many centuries 

 ago, and before the female fex took up the fafliion of 

 riding like men, for which they are reprehended by 

 the Greek hiftorian : and hard indeed is the equejlrian 

 fituation of the fex ! for if they are to be accufed of 

 indelicacy for riding after the manner of men, they cer- 

 tainly hazard their fafcty too much in riding after the 

 manner of women. 



The military fports which (not to be particular and 

 minute) may be comprehended under the name of 

 'Tournaments, were, for many centuries, the prevailing 

 entertainment of Chriftendom, and known to a certain 

 degree in Afia and Africa: but the European nations 

 cultivated them with an earneftnefs worthy of a better 

 caufe, and ambitioufly vied with one another in the 

 fplendour and expence with which they conftantly ex- 

 hibited them. The Germans, upon all occafions of joy, 

 were fond of reprefenting them ; the French were re- 

 markably addidted to them j the Spaniards devotion to 

 them, efpecially in their Bidl-feajis, which is a fpecies 

 of them, is univerfally known ; the Portuguefe enter- 

 tained the fame affedion for them ; the Italians and 



a. Poki. 



