OF HORSEMANSHIP. 16 1 



nion of their merit, that a law was made by this 

 King to prohibit their exportation, unlefs deligned for 

 prefents. This law feems to prove, that even in thofe 

 times they were much prized in other countries, and 

 that the demand for them mull have either been very 

 large, or the breed not numerous at that time ; fince 

 otherwife that monarch, as well as fome of his fuc- 

 ceflbrs, inftead of preventing the exportation, would 

 have done better to have encouraged the breed, fo as 

 to have kept pace with the demand, and brought con- 

 fiderable fums of money into this country ; but pride 

 and jealoufy forbad ; which, equally blind and jirong, 

 ftill operate in Spain, in "Naples, in Turkey, and other 

 places, from which it is not lawful at this day to re- 

 move an horfe into another country. Befides this, 

 trade at that time had made but little progrefs, nor 

 were its advantages duly confidered ; the commerce of 

 the time being chiefly limited to Germany. This is a 

 reafon alledged by the above-cited writer, why the 

 horfes of thofe days mull have been purely natives, 

 becaufe, as he fays, the Germans could not have been 

 in want of horfes of their own breed. 



This conclufion, however, though plaufible, is not 

 certain : for although they could not have been in 

 want of horfes with which their own territories could 

 have furniflied them, yet they might have been de- 

 firous of having horfes which were bred in England, 

 although defcended on one fide, if not on both, ori- 

 ginally, from horfes of their own country, mended 



Vol. I. Y and 



