CHAPTER III. 



THE RENAISSANCE FOLLOWING THE 

 REVOLUTION. 



In a rare old book published at Mortagne in 1801, 

 the ninth year of the French Republic, we find these 

 paragraphs : 



"The breed of horses known as the Percheron is 

 destroyed; it is absolutely annihilated; the suppres- 

 sion of the haras has contributed to its dying out. 

 This breed was precious for its courage, its vigor, 

 and its longevity. It was more valuable for its wear- 

 ing qualities than even for its splendid conforma- 

 tion. It had excellent hips, fine hocks, round in rib, 

 free-moving shoulders — though a trifle heavy — a 

 neck too heavily muscled, a head a little coarse, 

 perfect legs and everlasting feet. 



"Perhaps the Percheron breed, whose qualities 

 are, without doubt, due to the climate and character 

 of the pastures, can be reestablished by distributing 

 the best stallions all over the district, and confiding 

 them to the care of rich landowners and respectable 

 farmers. ' ' 



The first paragraph is indeed valuable and inter- 

 esting for its description of the Percheron as he 

 existed prior to the great Revolution. ' ' Everlasting 

 feet" surely constituted the best of all foundations 

 upon which to reconstruct a breed of horses that 

 had suffered grievously from the effects of inter- 

 necine strife. The second paragraph of course con- 



(55) 



