56 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



public trial, when, to the discomfiture of its owner, 

 it showed itself to be apparently "a fierce and 

 unmanageable beast that would neither allow 

 anybody to mount him, nor obey any of Philip's 

 attendants, but reared and plunged against them 

 all, so that the king in a rage bade them take 

 him away for an utterly wild and unbroken 

 brute." 



At this juncture it was that Alexander — at the 

 time a boy of twelve, and Aristotle not yet his 

 tutor — came upon the scene. We are told that 

 he " leapt suddenly forward and in an access of 

 indignation cried out before the king and every- 

 body assembled that the men attempting to ride 

 the horse were ' clumsy clowns,' " adding, with 

 the self-assurance of precocious boyhood, that "if 

 they were not careful they would spoil the horse 

 entirely." 



Philip at first paid no attention to his son's 

 outburst, deeming it to be childish spleen, but 

 upon the lad's refusing to be quieted he turned 

 to him, suddenly nettled, and demanded in a sharp 

 tone how he dare be so insolent as to criticise his 

 elders. In no way abashed, Alexander retorted 

 that in this instance he certainly did know much 

 better than his elders, and that if his father 

 would allow him he would prove it by himself 

 mounting the horse at once and riding it round 

 the ring. 



" And what will you forfeit for your rashness if 



