INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. J 



tion, a poor gentleman ; he lived in the reign 

 of Elizabeth. His works, which were publifh- 

 ed in three treatifes, were all feparately dedi- 

 cated to the famous Earl of Leicefter. They 

 comprize the whole of the fubjecl:, that is to 

 fay, breeding, management, diet, and phytic. 

 In his time, and the preceding, his countrymen 

 (however advantageoufly the cafe has been 

 fince reverfed) were in the conftant habits of 

 obligation to foreign countries, as well for the 

 amelioration of their breed of horfes, as for 

 inftructions on every point relative to their 

 management. The military manege was the 

 prevailing tafle of the time, and the inftru&ion 

 of it in England, almoft entirely in the hands 

 of foreigners, either Italian or French; a con- 

 fiderable number of whom were conflantly 

 entertained by the court, and encouraged by 

 the nobility and gentry, either as riding-mafters, 

 orferrers. 



Blundevill appears to have had a competent 

 (hare of learning, and to have been himfelf 

 the tranflator of thofe foreign works, whence, 

 as from the fountain head of knowledge, he 

 drew the chief of his rules. He gave the firft 

 Englifh names to feveral implements of Horfe- 

 manfliip, then introduced; as well as to a 

 variety of difeafes, until his time not defcribed 

 in the Englifh language; and many fucceeding 

 writers availed themfelves not only of his 



B 4 tranflation 



