i8^ THE HISTORY AND ART 



"■ The exercife * I do not approve of, fays he, is run- 

 *' ning of horfes, there being much cheating in that 

 " kind : neither do I fee why a brave man fliould de- 

 " light in a creature whofe chief ufe is to help him to- 

 **- run away" as if cheating was incident to any fport, 

 or more fo to this than to others ; or that a man, be- 

 caufe he is mouatcd on a fwift horfe, muft be a pol-- 

 troon, and run away. This quaint Lord might, with 

 equal reafon, have objected to a man's legs for being 

 flrong and active. 



As hunting was the chief amufement of the nobir 

 lity and gentry, they had a method of trying the. 

 fpeed and goodnefs of the horfes deftined to that 

 fport. 



It was called the Trahi-fcent, and fo denominated, 

 becaufe the fcent which the hounds hunted, proceeded 

 from fome animal which had previoufly been trained 

 along the fields, and over hedges and ditches, accord- 

 ing to the pleafure of the perfon who trained or drag- 

 ged it after him. The rival horfes were to follow the 

 hounds which hunted this fcent, and give proofs of 

 their fpeed and merit, in competition with one another. 

 Of all chaces this was reckoned the fwifteft and moft 

 trying, becaufe the Scent lies the hotted ; fo that the 

 hounds run all the time at the utmoft ftretch, and the 

 horfes muil have been exerted to their utmoft powers 

 to keep pace with them. Befides, ia this manner of 



* Life of Lord Herbert, publifhed by Mf. Walpole, p. 51. 



hunting^ 



