122 THE HISTORY AND ART 



The mod ancient and nobleft breeds of this country, 

 are faid to be fprung from the wild horfes of the De- 

 fcrt, of which, many ages ago, a ftud was compofed, 

 which increafed the breed, and peopled Afia and 

 Africa with thefe noble animals. Thefe horfes are fo 

 fleet as to outrun the OJirich, and the Arabs of the De- 

 fert, as well as the people of Libya, rear a great number, 

 and devore them folely to the chace, never ufing them 

 in combat, or upon journeys, feeding them with grafs, 

 and when that fails fupporting them with dates and 

 camels milk, which contributes to make them adlive- 

 and vigorous, without inclining them to grow fat. 



From thefe accounts it is to be concluded, that the 

 Arabian horfes are, and have been, from all time, efleemed 

 to be the firll and beft of their kind ; and that it is ori- 

 ginally from them, that the noblefl. breeds of Europe, 

 Afia, and Africa proceed, being immediately or re- 

 motely defcended from Barhs^ defccnded from Arabi- 

 ans, whofe climate is, perhaps, the moft favourable 

 and beft adapted to the nature of horfes of any hitherto 

 known, iince, without going elfcwhere, in fearch of 

 horfes to crofs and mend their breed, the Arabians keep 

 it religioully pure from all foreign mixture, and truft 

 folely to their own ftock, which affords them a finer, 

 and more generous race, than they could procure by 

 any alliances with other horfes. So that if the climate 

 fliould not in itfelf be the moft friendly and congenial, 

 of all others to the nature of horfes, yet the inhabitants 

 feem to make it fo, by their nice and judicious care,. 



and, 



