2 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



and now that we rush. along like the wind on the 

 wings of steam, we are perhaps in danger of still more 

 undervaluing his worth. But had we never known 

 his aid, how different far would have been the for- 

 tunes of mankind ! how hardly would it have fulfilled 

 its destiny, to " multiply and replenish the earth, and 

 subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, 

 and the fowl of the air, and over every living thing 

 that moveth upon the earth !" Unaided by the strength 

 and swiftness of this generous servant, men would but 

 partially and slowly have emerged from barbarism ; 

 at the most they would have congregated into tribes 

 and petty states, covering only so much ground as 

 might be traversed in a day's march or two on foot ; 

 and these would have been perpetually engaged in war 

 and rapine : but peace, order, plenty, knowledge, and 

 national power, could never have been established or 

 have made progress, so long as men, divided by wide 

 tracts of country, had no means of rapidly communi- 

 cating with each other, and of uniting together for 

 their mutual welfare. 



Neither sacred nor profane history informs us in 

 what country the horse was first domesticated, or 

 whether he was first used for draught or riding. It is 

 probable that the animal was employed for both pur- 

 poses in very early times, and in various parts of the 

 world; but though many of the ancients possessed 

 great mastery over their horses, and performed with 





