42^ COMMON HORSE. 



chest. He elevates his head as if anxious to 

 exalt himself above the condition of quadrupeds, 

 and in this noble attitude he beholds man face to 

 face. " 



Of the several breeds of Horses in common or 

 general use in Europe, it is remarkable that none 

 can come in competition with those of our own 

 island, either for the strength required in labo- 

 rious services, or for the swiftness and elegance of 

 such as are bred for the course. The annals of 

 Newmarket record instances of Horses that have 

 literally outstripped the wind ; as is proved from 

 accurate calculations. The celebrated Childers is 

 commemorated, in particular, as the swiftest of 

 liis tribe ; and the instances of his speed may be 

 found in various publications. He was known to 

 liave run near a mile in a minute ; and to have 

 cleared the course at Newmarket, which is only 

 four hundred yards short of four miles, in six 

 minutes and forty seconds ; running at the rate 

 of eighty-two feet and a half in the space of a 

 second^. 



Of nearly equal fame is the character of Eclipse, 

 whose strength was said to be greater, and his 

 swiftness scarcely inferior. This latter animal 

 forms the subject of Mons. Sainbel's calculations, 

 who, in his work on the V eterinary Art, has given 

 an elaborate and curious description of his several 

 proportions. It is remarkable that this horse was 

 never esteemed handsome, though the mechanism 



* Brit. Zool. Sec. 



