46 



crest, silky haired fetlocks and flowing 

 mane and tail. The Duke writes of the 

 Northern Horses, using the term to dis- 

 tinouish the North German, Flanders and 

 similar breeds from the lighter Oriental and 

 Spanish horses : — " I have seen some, 

 beautiful in their kind, genteel in all sorts 

 of paces, and which have excelled all others 

 in leaping. Moreover they have a peculiar 

 excellence in the motion of their forelegs 

 which is the principal grace in the action of 

 a horse." Thomas Blundeville in his book 

 gives instructions for improving the action 

 of a horse ; he was to be taken into a 

 ploughed field or soft ground and en- 

 couraged with voice and spur to trot ; by 

 which exercise he would learn to lift his feet. 

 The engraving of a dappled grey horse 

 here given is from one of the latest works 

 of Paul Potter ; the original picture bears 

 date 1652, and was therefore painted only 

 six years before the Duke of Newcastle's 

 book appeared. Potter, who died at 

 Amsterdam in 1654, made his great reputa- 

 tion by the infinite pains he bestowed on 

 the study of cattle and sheep, and the suc- 

 cess with which he o^ave the result of his 

 observations on canvas ; and it is only 

 reasonable to suppose that he exercised equal 



