6 HORSE. Clafsl. 



*' of horfes, there being much cheating in that kind ; 

 *' neither do I fee why a brave man fhould delight 

 " in a creature whofe chief ufe is to help him to run 

 '' away *." 



The increafe of our inhabitants, and the extent 

 of our manufadures, together with the former negleft 

 of internal navigation to convey thofe manufactures, 

 multiplied the number of our horfes : an excefs of 

 v/eakh, before unknown in thefe iQands, increafed 

 the luxury of carriages, and added to the neceffity 

 cf an extraordinary culture of thefe animals : their 

 high reputation abroad, has alfo made them a branch 

 of commerce, and proved another caufe of their vaft 

 increafe. 



As no kingdom can boaft of parallel circum- 

 ftances, fo none can vie with us in the number of 

 thefe noble quadrupeds ; it would be extremely dif- 

 ficult to guefs at the exadl amount of them, or to 

 form a periodical account of their increafe : the num- 

 ber feems very fluduating : William Fiiz-Stephen relates, 

 that in the reign of King Stephen, London alone poured 

 out 2o,oco horfemen in the wars of thofe times : 

 yet we find that in the beginning of Queen Eliza- 

 heth\ reign -j-, the whole kingdom could not fupply 

 2 000 horfes to form our cavalry : and even in the 

 year 1588, when the nation was in the moft immi- 



* The life of Ediuard Lord Herbert oi Cher bury, publillied by 

 Mr. Walpokt P- 51. 



Jar-iiis Markham, who wrote on the management of horfes 1599, 

 mentions running horfes ; but thofe were only defigned for matches 

 between gentleman and gentleman. 



t Vide Sir Edvjard Har'ii-ood''s memorial. Harleian Mifc. iv. 

 255. 



nent 



