24 HORSE-SHOES AND HORSE-SHOEING. 



have irregularly-shaped stones inserted in the ground (or 

 be paved), and close to one another, similar to a horse's 

 hoofs in size ; for such stable floors give firmness to the 

 feet of horses that stand on them.' In alluding to groom- 

 ing a horse out of doors, he continues : ' The ground 

 outside the stable may be put into excellent condition, 

 and serve to strengthen the horse's feet, if a person throws 

 down in it, here and there, four or five measures full of 

 round stones, large enough to fill the two hands, and 

 each about a pound (?) in weight ; surrounding them 

 with an iron rim, so that these may not be scattered ; for 

 as the horse stands on these, he will be in much the same 

 condition as if he were to travel part of every day on a 

 stony road. 



Isaac Vossius observes on this passage, that Xenophon 

 speaks of iron shoes tn-spi l-uTzm^rig, where he directs the 

 hoofs of horses to be protected with iron z^s^i^rjOcba-ai 

 (ri^jrjfiO'j. This is the iron hoop to bind the stones. He 

 also says that in an old manuscript of the Greek Hip- 

 piatrics in his possession, which was illustrated with paint- 

 ings, the marks and traces of the nails that pierced their 

 hoofs were plainly seen. No reliance can be placed on 

 this author's statements, unfortunately, for marks on a 

 hoof in an old drawing are no great proofs of shoeing ; and 

 besides, the strange construction he puts on Xenophon's 

 words, furnishes another instance of how little he could be 

 received as an authority on such a subject. He was re- 

 markable for believing the strangest inconsistencies, and 

 almost anything but the truth ; which caused Charles II. 

 to say of him, ' This learned divine is a strange man ; he 

 believes everything but the Bible.' 



