136 The Arabian Horse 



been taken to the passage in the description of the horse 

 of Arabia, ' Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder ? ' 

 and that it should be his beautiful mane, as no meaning 

 can be attached to clothing the neck with thunder. I 

 beg to differ entirely from this ; great force is given, and, 

 I think, the exact idea intended to be conveyed is ex- 

 pressed by the word thunder, which ' the beautiful mane ' 

 would not at all express, and which would quite alter the 

 grandeur of the whole description. 



Thunder conveys the idea of great force, awe, and 

 majesty ; it is lightning, and is emitted with terror. 

 What term could more aptly express the force, strength, 

 and beauty of the Arabian horse's neck, especially when 

 under excitement, and the whole description is of him in 

 an excited state .'* A neck of a perfect arch, with im- 

 mense swelling muscles, a splendid large throat, and 

 windpipe of extraordinary capacity, and all set off by 

 his beautiful flowing but light and fine mane, darting 

 out, as the writer has sometimes seen it, like flashes of 

 electricity, and covering the horse, as it were, with a 

 glory ; his eyes glowing and emitting flashes of fire and 

 light ; his nostrils curled up and almost turned inside 

 out ; the whole head seemingly expressed by eyes and 

 nostrils, and that set on, or, as it were, darting forth 

 from his neck of thunder. The description conveys to 

 my mind and senses a true and vivid picture of that 

 which my own eyes have seen. 



The Arabian is a horse of the highest courage, in 

 stature about 14 hands 2 inches,^ a horse of length, 

 ' More oRcn a liltlc under than over. 



