532 THE HORSE. 



exclusive lineage, or at least of a lineage interrupted only by 

 the further infusion of the blood of those races of other 

 countries from which its own characters have been derived. 

 The record is of great interest and value, not only with re- 

 spect to the matters of the Course, but as it relates to the 

 physiological history of the Horse, and the principles of 

 breeding. It proves, in a manner which no similar docu- 

 ment has done, the constancy of the law by which the pro- 

 perties of conformation and character are transmitted from 

 one animal to another, even to their remoter descendants. 

 It shews, beyond dispute, that the change produced on the 

 properties and figure of the ancient horses of this country 

 has been the result of the mixture of the blood of the horses 

 of the warmer countries, and explains the meaning of the 

 terms so often used, but so ill defined, of " blood," and 

 " thoroughbred.' 1 For the most part, the horses of this 

 privileged class have, since the more regular institution of 

 the turf, been kept wonderfully free from intermixture with 

 those of inferior breeding. Frauds have doubtless been 

 committed, and horses introduced into the racing lists with 

 false pedigrees ; but, in general, an extreme vigilance has 

 been exercised in this matter by those whose attention is 

 constantly directed to the subject ; and it may be safely said 

 that, for the last century and more, the instances of this 

 kind have neither been numerous nor important in their re- 

 sults. It has rarely happened that the inferiority of the 

 spurious breed has not been rendered manifest by deficiency 

 in the speed and other properties of the individuals or their 

 descendants ; and though a few of doubtful origin may have 

 been introduced into the Course, one of two effects has gene- 

 rally resulted : either the animals have been of themselves 

 so good that no injury has resulted to the general race from 

 the supposed taint, or they have been so inferior in character 

 and value, that the blood has not been extended. In the 

 last age, a very famous horse called Sampson, the property 

 of the Marquis of Rockingham, was supposed to present such 



