82 HISTORY OF THE 



bitants occasionally refreshed themselves with the 

 breeze after sunset. One evening, while Stubbs 

 and his friend were viewing the delightful scenery, 

 and a thousand beautiful objects, from this eleva- 

 tion, which the brilliancy of the moon rendered 

 more interesting, a lion was observed at some dis- 

 tance, directing his way, with a slow pace, towards 

 a white Barbary horse, which was grazing not 

 more than two hundred yards distant from the 

 moat. Mr. Stubbs was reminded of the gratifi- 

 cation he had so often wished for. The orb of 

 night was perfectly clear, and the horizon serene. 

 The lion did not make towards the horse by a re- 

 gular approach, but performed many curvatures, 

 still drawing nearer towards the devoted animal, 

 till the lion, by the shelter of a rocky situation, 

 came suddenly upon his prey. The affrighted 

 barb beheld his enemy, and, as if conscious of his 

 fate, threw himself into an attitude highly inte- 

 resting to the painter. The noble creature then 

 appeared fascinated, and the lion, finding him 

 within his power, sprang in a moment, like a cat, 

 on the back of the defenceless horse, threw him 

 down, and instantly tore out his bowels." 



On his return to England, Mr. Stubbs became 

 exceedingly attentive to his profession, and met 

 with great patronage, and to him we are indebted 

 for the portraits of many of the most celebrated 

 race-horses of his day. His anatomy of the horse 

 was held in the highest estimation, both in this 



