COMMON HORSE. 425 



3. The height of the body should be equal to 

 its length: the height of Eclipse exceeded his 

 length by about one tenth. 



4. A perpendicular line falhng from the stifle 

 should touch the toe : this line in Eclipse touched 

 the ground at the distance of half a head before 

 the toe. 



5. The distance from the elbow to the bend 

 of the knee, should be the same as from the bend 

 of the knee to the ground : these two distances 

 were unequal in Eclipse, the former being two 

 parts of a head longer than the latter. 



^' This summary comparison shews, that the 

 beauty of a Horse cannot be absolutely deter- 

 mined by general rules, but must ever be in rela- 

 tion to a particlar species. " 



Mons. Sainbel farther informs us, that, on 

 the 25th of February, 1789, Eclipse was seized 

 with a violent cholic. The remedies acknow- 

 ledged as most proper in that case Avere admini- 

 stered, but Avithout effect. He expired on the 

 27th at seven o'clock in the evening, in the 26th 

 year of his age. " 



In Mons. Sonnini's edition of Buffon may be 

 found an exact enumeration of ail the different 

 colours of which horses are seen ; with their seve- 

 ral shades and names. On this subject also Ges- 

 ner and Aldrovandus have given the usual enu- 

 merations : in general, however, it seems agreed, 

 that the colour is one of the least important attri- 

 butes ; according to the well-knov/n doctrine, 

 now passed into a proverb, that a good horse is 



