Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland. 
55 
bears  and  wolves,  is  exposed  in  a different  latitude  to  the 
attack  of  tigers  and  crocodiles.* 
Considering  the  wonderful  plasticity  of  the  noble  animal’s 
nature ; remembering  the  power  that  man  has  to  mould  it  to  his 
pleasure  and  to  his  purposes ; remembering  that  in  this  respect 
the  Englishman,  above  all  men,  is  pre-eminent ; that  England  is 
the  birthplace,  the  cradle,  the  home  of  the  thoroughbred, 
the  universally  undisputed  aristocrat  of  the  equine  race,  how 
can  I doubt  or  question  the  future  of  the  English  horse  ? The 
English  horse,  moreover,  is  a part  of  the  history  of  England : — 
“We  are  the  sons  of  men 
Who  conquered  on  Cre'cy’s  plain, 
And  what  our  fathers  did  before 
Their  sons  will  do  again.” 
The  English  horse,  of  every  race,  is  an  integral  part  of  that 
English  literature  which  is  the  treasured  possession,  and  one  of 
the  strongest  of  the  many  strong  bonds  which  unite  the  vast 
world-spread  Anglo-Saxon  family.  That  noble  Chaucer,  in 
those  former  times,  who  first  enriched  our  English  with  his 
rhymes  ; Shakspeare,  the  dear  son  of  memory,  that  great  heir  of 
fame  ; Sir  Roger  de  Coverley,  whose  hunting-horses  were  the 
finest  and  best-managed — his  tenants  are  still  full  of  the  praises 
of  a grey  stone-horse  that  unhappily  staked  himself  several  years 
since  and  was  buried  with  great  solemnity  in  the  orchard  ; the 
silent  “ Spectator,”  mounted  by  Sir  Roger  on  his  chaplain’s 
easy  pad — the  silent  “ Spectator  ” who  nearly  lost  them  all  their 
sport  by  forgetting  to  cry  “ Stole  away  ! ” but  who  later  made 
amends  by  saying  that  hunting  and  horsemanship  were  the  best 
kinds  of  physic  for  mending  a bad  constitution  and  for  pre- 
serving a good  one  ; until  these  things,  all  these  things — History, 
Chaucer,  Shakspeare,  Sir  Roger  de  Coverley,  the  “ Spectator  ’ 
— are  all,  all  forgotten,  — yes,  I make  bold  to  say,  perhaps 
afterwards, — the  half-bred  horse  will  continue  to  be  produced 
in  England,  and  that  in  perfection. 
II. — Shorthorns  in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  By  James  Mac- 
donald, Editor  of  ‘ The  Farmers’  Gazette,’  Dublin. 
Improved  Shorthorns,  unlike  prophets,  have  had  no  lack  of 
honour  in  their  own  country.  For  a long  period  of  time  they 
have  been  freely  accorded  the  first  position  amongst  English 
races  of  cattle.  To  that  distinction  the  numerical  strength  and 
high  general  character  of  the  breed,  coupled  with  remarkable 
* In  South  America  the  horse  has  to  contend  even  against  fishes.  The  electric 
eel,  the  gymnotw,  six  feet  long,  carries  a battery  strong  enough  to  kill  the  largest 
animal  at  one  discharge. — See  Alex,  von  Humboldt,  ‘ Views  of  Nature.’ 
