ii2 Gleanings from the 



his breed to Epirus and warlike Mycenas, and 

 even deduce his pedigree from Neptune himfelf," 

 then the refult is unmiftakable : 



" The fiery courfer, when he hears from far 

 The fprightly trumpets and the fhouts of war, 

 Pricks up his ears and trembling with delight, 

 Shifts place, and paws, and hopes the promifed fight. 

 On his right moulder his thick mane reclined, 

 Ruffles at fpeed and dances in the wind. 

 His horny hoofs are jetty black and round, 

 His chine is double ; ftarting with a bound 

 He turns the turf and makes the folid ground. 

 Fire from his eyes, clouds from his noftrils flow, 

 He bears his rider headlong on the foe." 1 



The line in which the Latin poet imitates the 

 galloping of horfes, is well known to all lovers 

 of the "jEneid." Another ftriking picture of the 

 horfe when periming by an epidemic, merits quota- 

 tion: 



" The viftor horfe, forgetful of his food, 

 The palm renounces and abhors the flood. 

 He paws the ground and on his hanging ears 

 A doubtful fweat in clammy drops appears ; 

 Parched is his hide and rugged are his hairs. 

 Such are the fymptoms of the young difeafe, 

 But in time's procefs, when his pains increafe, 

 He rolls his mournful eyes, he deeply groans 

 With patient fobbing and with manly moans. 

 He heaves for breath, which from his lungs fupplicd 

 And fetched from far diilends his labouring fide." 



A drench of wine adminiftered through a horn 

 has fometimes proved fuccefsful in arrefting the 

 difeafe, but as often as not merely fupplied fuel 

 for the flames : 



" For the too vigorous dofe too fiercely wrought 

 And added fury to the flrength it brought ; 



1 Dryden. 



