OF HORSEMANSHIP. i 8 1 



that Markham, who wrote in the reign of James I. 

 fpeaking of ambling horfes, fays, " take away thefc 

 " horfes, and take away the old man, the rich man, 

 " and the weak man's, nay generally all men's tra- 

 " vels ; for coaches (then known) are but for llreets, 

 " and carts can hardly pafs in winter." 



Henry was undoubtedly very fond of horfes, and 

 fo thoroughly convinced of what advantage they are to 

 a kingdom, that he did every thing, both by his 

 authority and example, to introduce and fupport a ge- 

 nerous breed, of which the nation was at this time 

 fliamefully unprovided. Sir Thomas Chaloner, in a 

 Latin poem, entitled De Republicd Anghruvi injlaurandu^ 

 I S7 9i which he compofed in the early part of the 

 reign of Elizabeth, while he was embailador from the 

 queen to the court of Spain, cenfures the ignorance 

 and folly of his countrymen, in neglecfling to pro- 

 mote a race of valuable horfes in their own country, 

 which, from the many fuperior advantages it enjoys, 

 he fays, was capable of furnifliing more beautiful and 

 ufeful breeds, than thofe of foreign parts, from which 

 they were fo fond of being fupplied: he reproaches them 

 for their want of Stallions, fet apart, and kept merely as 

 fuch ; and fays, that they had no Horfes, but what were 

 vile and ordinary, which were fufFered to run proraif- 

 cuoufly in the paftures with mares, producing a worth- 

 lefs and defpicable breed : he therefore recommends a 

 reparation from the mares, which fhould be confined in 



parks 



