HISTORY or THE HORSE. 23 



arbitrary statutes were passed for the improvement of the 

 horse ; and it was during the same period that an annual race 

 was run at Chester. In the reign of Elizabeth, the number 

 and breed appear to have degenerated j for it is stated that 

 she could collect but three thousand horse throughout her 

 realm to resist the invasion of Don Philip. 



With the accession of James I. to the throne, a great im- 

 provement was systematically wrought in the English breed ; 

 and from this period a constant and progressive attention was 

 paid to the matter of breeding. This monarch purchased an 

 Arabian horse at the then extraordinary price of five hun- 

 dred pounds ; but he proving deficient in speed, Arabians 

 for a time fell into disrepute. Race meetings were then held 

 at various places (Newmarket, among others) throughout the 

 kingdom, the races being mostly matches against time, or trials 

 of speed or bottom for absurdly long and cruel distances. 



Although Cromwell, during his Protectorate, was obliged 

 to forbid racing, yet he was an ardent lover of the horse, an 

 earnest patron of all pertaining to horsemanship, and to his 

 strenuous exertions the present superior condition of the En- 

 glish blood-horse is in no small degree owing. 



Before proceeding to the history of- the American horse — 

 which is our main concern in the present branch of this 

 work — a concise summary of the different varieties of this use- 

 ful quadruped cannot fail to interest We commeiace with the 

 horse of Asia^ 



