ON HORSEMANSHIP. 247 



body with his left hand, and flretching out his right, 

 lift himfelf up, for by thus mounting, his figure will 

 appear graceful even behind. Let him keep his leg 

 bent, and avoid touching the back of the horfe with 

 his knee : his leg being brought clean over to the 

 Off-Jide, let him then feat himfelf upon his horfe. 



It feems an excellent cuftom to pra6tife mounting 

 on the Off-fide *, that he may be able to do it if at any 

 time he Ihould happen to have the horfe in his hft- 

 hand, and the fpear in his right. For this purpofe 

 nothing more is required, than to do with the left 

 parts of the body what was done with the right, and' 

 "vice verfa. 



This method is alfo farther ufeful, becaufe no fooner 

 is the rider mounted, than he is prepared to charge- 

 the enemy, if there fhould be occa£on. 



Whether he ufes a Cloth f, or rides upon the bare- 

 back, we would not have him fit in the attitude of one 

 who drives a chariot |, but as if he was (landing 

 eredt with his legs fomewhat aflride, for thus his 



* Another gem, in the fame collcftion, gives us the figure of a fbldier 

 ftanding by an horfe in the attitude of a man going to mount him on 

 the Right-^\dc; and there are many other ancient impreflions which 

 jhow the fame thing. 



N. B. This colledtion is now in the Britilh Mufjeum. 



•f- It is to be remembered that the Greeks, inftead of Saddles^ ufed 

 Cloths or Houfmgs^ and the lower fort often rode without any. 



X That is, not as he would fit in a chair, but uppn his twift or 

 fork. 



thighs 



