Clals I. ] 
3 
<* V 
QUADRUPED a 
we employ for that purpofe, or for the draught, 
are an off-fpring of the German or Flemijh 
breed, meliorated by our foil, and a judicious 
culture. 
The increafe of our inhabitants, and the 
extent of our manufactures, together with the 
negleCt of internal navigation to convey thole 
manufactures, multiplied the number of our 
horles: an excels of wealth, before unknown 
in thefe lllands, increafed the luxury of car¬ 
riages, and added to the neceffity of an ex¬ 
traordinary culture of thefe animals : their 
high reputation abroad, has alfo made them a 
branch of commerce, and proved another 
caule of their vail increafe. 
the horfe, and the other domeftic animals $ 
and left very little for after writers to add* 
We may obferve, that this moft noble and ufe- 
ful quadruped is endowed with every quality 
that can make it fubfervient to the ufes of 
mankind; and thole qualities appear in a more 
exalted, or in a lefs degree, in proportion to 
our various neceffities* 
Undaunted courage, added to a docility half 
reafoning, is given to fome, which fits them 
for military fervices. The fpirit and emula¬ 
tion fo apparent in others, furnilh us with that 
fpecies, which is admirably adapted for the 
courfe} or, the more noble and generous 
pleafure of the chace. 
As no kingdom can boaft of parallel cir- 
cumftances, fo none can vie with us in the 
number of thele noble quadrupeds } it would 
be extremely difficult to guefs at the exaCt 
amount of them, or to form a periodical ac¬ 
count of their increafe. We find that in the 
beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign * the 
whole kingdom could not fupply two thou- 
fand horfes to form our cavalry : and even in 
the year 1588, when the nation was in the 
moft imminent danger from the Spanijh in- 
vafion, all the cavalry which the nation 
could then furnilh amounted only to 3000 j 
but fuch is their prefent increafe, that in the 
late war, the number employed was 133575 } 
and fuch is our improvement in the breed of 
horfes, that moft of thofe which are ufed in 
our waggons and carriages f of different kinds, 
might be applied to the fame purpofe: of 
thole, our capital alone employs near 22,000. 
The learned M. Buffon, has almoft ex- 
haufted the fubjedf of the natural hiftory of 
* Vide Sir Edw. Harwood's memorial. Harleian Mifc. vol.4.255. 
f It may alfo be obferved, that the ufe of coaches was not in¬ 
troduced into England till the year 1564. 
Patience and perfeverance appear ftrongly 
in that moft ufeful kind deftined to bear the 
burdens we impofe on them } or are employed 
in the llavery of the draught. 
Though endowed with vaft ftrength, and 
great powers, they very rarely exert either to 
their mafters prejudice } but on the contrary, 
will endure fatigues, even to death, for our 
benefit. Providence has implanted in them a 
benevolent dilpofition, and a fear of the hu¬ 
man race, together with a certain confeioufe 
nels of the fervices we can render them. Moft 
of the hoofed quadrupeds are domeftic, be- 
caufe neceffity compels them to feek our pro¬ 
tection : Wild beafts are provided with feet 
and claws, adapted to the forming dens and 
retreats from the inclemency of the weather * 
but the former, deftitute of thefe advantages 
tD y 
are obliged to run to us for artificial ffielter, 
and harvefted provifion 5 as nature, in thefe 
climates, does not throughout the year fupply 
them with neceffary food. 
But 
