Horned Cattle in Bavaria. 499 



mented soon to as many thousands, and I had even 

 flattered myself with an idea of the possibility of plac- 

 ing in this manner among the peasants, and con- 

 sequently having constantly in readiness, without any 

 expense, a sufficient number of horses for the whole 

 army, for the cavalry as well as for the artillery and 

 baggage ; and I had formed a plan for collecting 

 together and exercising, every year, such of these horses 

 as were destined for the service of the cavalry, and for 

 permitting their riders to go on furlough with their 

 horses. In short, my views went to the forming of an 

 arrangement, very economical, and in many respects 

 similar to that of the ancient feudal military system ; 

 but the obstinacy of the peasantry prevented these 

 measures being carried into execution. Very few of 

 them could be prevailed upon to accept of these horses ; 

 and, in proportion as the terms upon which they were 

 offered to them were apparently advantageous, their 

 suspicions were increased, and they never would be 

 persuaded that there was not some trick at the bottom 

 of the scheme to overreach them. 



It is possible that their suspicions were not a little 

 increased by the malicious insinuations of persons, 

 who, from motives too obvious to require any explana- 

 tion, took great pains at that time to render abortive 

 every public undertaking in which I was engaged. 

 But, be that as it may, the fact is I could never find 

 means to remove these suspicions entirely ; and I met 

 with so much difficulty in carrying the measure into 

 execution that I was induced at last to abandon it, or 

 rather to postpone its execution to a more favourable 

 moment. Some few mares (two or three hundred) 

 were placed in different parts of the country, and some 



