i 9 4 THE HORSE IN HISTORY 



properly speaking, be called roads at all — that 

 frequent changes of horses were necessary. 



In Drayton's well-known " Polyolbion " we have 

 a horse that is very famous in romance. Arundel 

 by name — a name that is said to have been 

 originally a corruption of the French word, 

 hirondelle — it was " swifter than the swiftest 

 swallow." This horse belonged to Bevis of 

 Southampton, " the remarkable knight," and 

 apparently it had as many good points as any 

 animal can possess. In the sixteenth century 

 almost every horse of note actually living, or in 

 romance, took its name from one or other of its 

 chief characteristics. Thus in Tasso's " Jerusalem 

 Delivered " we find Raymond's steed, Aquiline, 

 that was bred on the banks of the Tagus, 

 particularly remarkable for what we should to- 

 day call a Roman nose. 



Aquiline figures largely in "Jerusalem De- 

 livered," and Raymond, who was Count of Tou- 

 louse and commander of some 4000 infantry, and 

 who, in addition, was remarkable for his wisdom 

 and coolness in debate, is shown to have owed 

 a measure of his success to Aquiline's phenomenal 

 sagacity. Indeed Aquiline probably saved him 

 from destruction upon more than one occasion. 



We come upon other horses in several por- 



