Longhorn Cattle : their History and Peculiarities. 465 
doubt if even the Disliley or Rollright books showed higher 
prices than these. Pitt, in his agricultural report of Derbyshire, 
May 20th, 179-4, says, "I viewed the stock of Mr. Prinsep, of 
Croxall, and I shall just observe, that they are of a Longhora 
breed ; and by a long attention, have been brought to a high 
degree of superiority : large, thick, heavy, and well made, with 
a pretty good show for milking ; and such a disposition to 
fatten, that INIr. Prinsep observes the young stock are obliged 
j to be almost starved by short pasturage, otherwise they make 
j fat, and never stand the bull. Cows give upon an average 
i about 8 quarts of milk each, which their owner thinks equal,, 
from its superior quality, to a much greater quantity from 
inferior breeds. Mr. Prinsep's bull, named ' Bright,' which 
always has been, and invariably will be, kept for his own stock,, 
is a majestic, noble animal ; large, heavy in the valuable parts,. 
> with the least imaginable proportions of offal, with a skia 
handling soft and sleek. This majestic animal is so gentle and 
docile, that three or four persons at once may handle him 
without the least sign of ferocity, or even notice on his part. 
' Brighteye,' the son of ' Bright,' now 3 years old, is a most 
beautiful and complete animal ; and it requires a person of 
superior skill to that which I possess to find a single fault with 
him.' 
What a pity it is that Pitt did not think it worth his while- 
to give us the pedigrees of these bulls, so that we might have 
traced the strains of blood ! As Mr. Prinsep hired " Shake- 
speare," I apprehend that there is little doubt that they came 
of the celebrated " Twopenny " family. On p. 466 is given a 
portrait of one of them by Ward,* the celebrated animal painter 
of that period ; and as no doubt it is a truthful likeness, as- 
well as a very valuable picture, I can only come to the con- 
clusion that those who think the Longhorn cattle of those days 
were superior to those now to be seen, are in error. I have 
met with several bulls in recent years to which " Bright," or 
" Brighteye," whichever it may be that was painted, certain! j 
could not, to use a vulgar phrase, " hold a candle." In fact, 
I incline to the belief that in the case of many of these ancient 
worthies distance lends enchantment to the view. We learn 
from another authority, that a dozen years or so later, Mr. 
Prinsep had a dairy of milking-cows, all in such condition that 
they Avere really fit for the butcher ; and that a 7-year-old cow,, 
which was killed, turned the scale dead weight at 104 stone, 
* I must acknowledge the courtesy of the proprietor and editor cf 'The 
j Agricultural Gazette,' through who.se kindness the portraits of the bull of the 
' last century, of the two steers (p. i78), and of the cow (Fig. 4, p. 484), have beeu 
laid before my readers. 
