134 XENOPHON ON HORSEMANSHIP. 



Richard Berenger, Gentleman of the Horse to 

 His Majesty: London, 1771) has the following 

 interesting note (Vol. I, p. 239) : — 



" These observations are so true and just that one 

 could almost think it needless to dwell upon them ; 

 yet such is the cruelty and absurdity of our notions 

 and customs in ' cropping,' as it is called, the ears 

 of our horses, ' docking ' and ' nicking ' their tails, 

 that we every day fly in the face of reason, nature, and 

 humanity. Nor are the present race of men in this 

 island alone to be charged with this folly, almost unbe- 

 coming the ignorance and cruelty of savages ; but 

 their forefathers, several centuries ago, were charged 

 and reprehended by a public canon for this absurd 

 and barbarous practice ; however, we need but look 

 into the streets and roads to be convinced that 

 their descendants have not degenerated from them; 

 although his present Majesty, in his wisdom and 

 humanity, has endeavoured to reclaim them, by issu- 

 ing an order that the horses which serve in his troops 

 should remain as nature designed them : 

 * Who never made her work for man to mend.' — Dryden." 



" The title of the canon is, — 



" 19. Ut reliquias rituum paganoriun quisque 

 abjiciat. 



Eqtios vestros turpi consuetiidine detrimcatis, tiares 

 Jinditis, aures copulatis^ verum etia7n et siirdas 

 redditis, caudas amputatis; et qtiin illos illaesos 

 habere potestis, hoc nolentes cunctis odibiles redditis. 

 Eqiios etiam pleriqiie in vobis comedunt, quod nulhis 

 Christianorum in Orientalibiis facitj quod etiam 

 evitate. 



