ON THE ART OF SHOEING. 34I 



laft meafure ; and it is by no means improba- 

 ble, that he had never read Fiafchi's book, or 

 that two diftinct artifts fhould chance to hit 

 upon a fimilar method. 



It is not for want of good directions, that 

 the miferable fyftem of fhoeing, otherwife crip- 

 ling the feet and legs of Jhorfes, has prevailed 

 in Europe fo long, fince an ample portion of 

 fuch may be found in the old Italian, French, 

 and Englifh veterinary writers. One would be 

 tempted to wonder how mankind could pof- 

 fibly err upon fuch a fubject, fince, in the cafe, 

 the indication mull plainly be, to follow and 

 aflift nature, not to counteract and fuperfede 

 her. Another fubject. of admiration is, how 

 men could reft fo long content, under a fyftem 

 fo conftantly productive of difagreeable confe- 

 quences, of accident and danger. It would al- 

 moft tempt one to give into the plea of legif- 

 lators and politicians, who aver, that there 

 is an everlafling variance between fimple and 

 practical truth ; and that mankind can never 

 be quietly governed by the former. Thus 

 however it is, the world has ever been con- 

 tented with make-fhifts, and governed by fo- 

 phiftries of all kinds. Faith and good morals, 

 it feems, cannot fubfift, without the meretri- 

 cious aid of lying fuperftition ; human govern- 

 ment, unlefs founded on the bafe of political 

 fiction, and arbitrary power ; nor the very feet 



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