1 THE GODOLPH1N ARABIAN. 



Lord Godolphin's horse was in reality a Barb. The public has been in constant 

 possession of the true portraiture of this famous horse, so remarkable and striking 

 in his form; which is not the case, to the regret of all true Sportsmen, with re- 

 spect to tin- Darley Arabian, of which there now exists, if it yet do exist, but 

 tin- solitary original picture, at the old mansion of Mr. Darley ; the present pos- 

 sessor having, it is reported, returned no answer to an application some years 

 since, t>r le.i\e to take an engraving- of it for the public satisfaction. 



The Portrait which accompanies the present description was taken by the late cele- 

 brated Stuhbs, from an original by a French artist, now in the possession of Lord 

 Francis (iodolphin Osborne, at his seat at Goginagog Hills. Another, and probably 

 an earlier Drawing, was made from the life, by Seymour, the most reputed horse 

 painter of his time. Stubbs's picture gave rise to some unfavourable criticisms by 

 his brother artists, in respect that the elevation of the horse's crest was excessive, 

 indeed, totally out of nature; and it was boldly asserted at Stubbs's sale, that the 

 painter must ha\e dra\\n u|xm his imagination, in order to deck out a horse with 

 such a lofty and swelling 1 forehand. A well-known writer on these subjects, how- 

 ever, has since made an effectual, because practical defence for Stubbs and the 

 original draughtsman. This writer states, that he pointed out to the late Mr. Tat- 



II and several other gentlemen, a horse, the property of the Duke of Portland, 

 with a cnM acknowledged by them, to be full as lofty and extensive as that ap- 



i in the portrait of the Godolphin Arabian. The late Rev. Mr. Chafin also, 

 who saw the Arabian frequently in 1751-2, vouches for the correctness of Stubbs's 

 picture. 



This Arabian was fifteen hands in height, of great substance, of the truest con- 

 formation for strength and action, bearing every indication of a real courser, a 

 IIOIM of the desart. His colour was entire brown bay, with mottles on the buttocks 

 and crest, excepting a small streak of white upon the hinder heels. He was 

 imported into France from some capital or royal stud in Barbary, whence it was 

 suspected he \\as stolen, and said to have been foaled in 1724. So little was he 

 valued m lYance, that, he was actually employed in the drudgery of drawing a 

 cart in the streets of Paris. Mr. Coke brought him over from France, and gave 

 him to \\ illiams, master of the St. James's Coffee House, who presented him to 

 the I', nl of Codolphin. During the years 1730 and 1731, the Arabian served in 

 that noble Sportsman's stud as teaser to his stallion Hobgoblin, which horse re- 

 fusing to cover Roxana, she was in consequence put to the Arabian, and produced 

 a colt foal, tin- famous LATH, the most elegant and beautiful, as well as the best 



r (if his linn-. The mutual attachment between the Godolphin Arabian and a 

 stable cat, is well known. He died in 1753, the most successful as a stallion of 

 any i ii.rM-, before or since imported. 



