52 77^ Compkat Horfi'Ptjf?^ CHAP. IV. 



known to be expert in their faculties ^ in which principally con- 

 . lilleth either their dired making, or marring, and final ruine. 

 For we cannot fay, that a Colt (yet unhandled) at three or 

 four years of age, is, or can be a perfedt good Horfe, whillfc 

 hereiraineth (I fay) unridden, unhandled, and unmade, until 

 fuch time as he hath been taken up into the Stable, made gentle, 

 taught to lead, content to be Ihod, to beBack'd, Broken, Rid- 

 den, Wayed, Mouthed : and to be brief, brought to his ut- 

 V moll perfedion. By this time you will come to be able to know 

 and underftand his true Worth, Vertue, Nature, Difpolition, 

 and Qiiality, his Pace, his Rain> or Bearing, his Toughnefs, 

 Strength and Affability, his true worth and good nefs, and 

 what other attributes are befitting a generous Horfe. 

 . His Rider therefore muib be an expert and able Horfeman, 



manner ^^^ ^"^^^ Keeper every way as fufficient •, otherwife what defeds 

 of man a you (hall find in your Horfe, are not to be attributed to him, 

 Rider but either to his Rider, or to the Groom. Wherefore your 

 ought to (-j^g y^-^^Q. f^g^ |-ha|- bQ|-[^ Rider and Groom be known fufficient, 



^* left for want of true Science, your Horle may eft-foons be 



brought to alTume fuch linifter conditions, from which he will 

 rot be weaned in a long time after. Wherefore if your Rider 

 be known to be an able ma;i, and your Groom fufficiently 

 skilful, you muft then exped that perfection from your Horle, 

 you ever hoped- For my part thus much 1 aver, that this 

 Noble Science (Noble, 1 call it, for that it is a Faculty well be- 

 feeming a truly Noble Gentleman ) is an art wherein I have 

 been verfed and travelled for more than forty years, as well at 

 home, as in parts abroad i in which I have moft diligently 

 confumed much time, as well to the labour of my body and 

 mind, as to my no fmall expenfe : and it doth not a little 

 trouble me that in places where I come here in England-^ I do 

 find lb few Horfe men, (conlideringit is an Ifland that doth a- 

 bound in Horfes, whereof no Kingdom under Heaven morej 

 and yet fo many Braggadochies there be, who will {o crack and 

 boalt of their skill in this Heroick Science ^ and when I fhali 

 begin to difcourfe with them of Horlemanfhip, they will talk £b 

 fillily, and lo impertinently, as makes me blufh ro hear them : 

 infomuchas! have much trouble with my patience in forbear- 

 ing to let them knov/ their ablurd folly : and if 1 but ask them 



any 



