126 The Arabian Horse. 



preserved them unchanged, which ordahicd the plan 

 of the Ark and the scheme for replenishing the earthy 

 have ordered and directed the horse into Arabia, to a 

 climate and soil peculiarly adapted to him and to the 

 retention of his primal beauty, vigour, and attributes, 

 under charge of a people who have themselves with- 

 stood the changes of the world, to be preserved from all 

 the causes tending to deterioration and degeneracy ? Is 

 it not more reasonable to believe that by these means 

 the horse has been preserved very nearly in his original 

 perfection, than that he should have been bred up from 

 a poor miserable animal such as is seen in the highlands 

 of Central Asia, and showing very little of the true 

 character of the horse. ' Facilis descensus Averni ' is 

 a very true saying, but it is indeed a difficult thing 

 to ascend and to bring back qualities that have been 

 lost. Besides, we have the most sure warranty that 

 the horse, as all other things, was created perfect ; 

 and he, as others, Avas pronounced to be ' very good.' 

 This truth seems either to be forgotten or overlooked 

 when people talk about improving upon any original 

 species. Do they think man by his skill could breed 

 a better lion or tiger } Has the skill of man during four 

 thousand years succeeded in arriving at so perfect a 

 form or model as the Arabian horse 1 A most impor- 

 tant part has the Arabian horse -already played in im- 

 proving and invigorating the various degenerate breeds 

 of horses scattered over the whole earth, but none have 

 attained unto his perfection ; and there may be yet 

 work in store for him. 



