Horses In History

It is hard to say with any near approach to accuraèy how long the horso has been a domesticated animal. We can only say that he has been so from time immeinorial - that is, from the earliest times of wbich we have any records. The Assyriau sculptures - and they are about the most ancient of which we know anything, for some of them are estimated todate from 4200 B. O. - contain more representations of caparisoned horses than even men. Still, we do int get any examples of favorito horses until a Ioug time after this. Even the first examples, indeed, are only legendary, for, though there is no doubt that Héctor of Troy existed, it is not improbable that Homer invented the names of his three favorite horses, Poderge, the cream colored Galathe and the fiery Ethon. But the horse of Alexander the Great, Bucephalus, is an individual as historically real ashismaster. This famous horse was, says Plutarch, offered to Philip for 13 talents (about L2,518), but he displayed so mnch viciousuess that Alexander's father was about to seud him away wheu the young priuce offered to tame him. He agreed, in the event of failure, to forfeit the priee of the horse and began by turniug his head to the sun, as he observed that the horse was frightened at his own shadow. In the end he completely tamed him - so completely, indeed, that Bucephalus, though he would permit nobody except Alexander to inount him, always knelt down for that purpose to his master. He died at the age of 30, and his master built as his mausoleum the city of Bucephala. Readers of Macaulay will remember the famous black Auster, the horse of JVIerminius, and the dark gray charger of Mamilius, whose sudden appearance in the city of Tusculum without his master brought the news of the defeat of the allies at Lake Regillus. Connected with that battle, too, were the horsea of the great "twin brethren, " Castor and Pollux, coal black, with white legs and tails. But those are legendary. Not so, however, the well known horse of Calignla, Incitatus. This animal had a stable of marble; his stall -was of ivory, his clothing of purple and his halters stiff with gems. He had a set of golden plates and was presënted with a palace, furniture and slaves complete, in order that guests invited in his name should be properly entertained. His diet was the most costly that could be imagined, the finest grapes that Asia could provide being reserved for him. Veras, another Roman emperor about a century later, treated his horse almost as extravagantly. He fed him with raisins and almonds with his own hands, and when he died erected a statue of gold to him, vvhile all the dignitaries of the empire attend ed the funeral. As we come to later times, so we get more examples of favorite horses. William the Conqueror had one which he rode at the battle of Hastiugs, about which almost everything seems to be known except his name. He was of huge size and was a present from King Alfonso of Spain - "such a gift as a prince might give and a prince receive. " This gallant horse, however, did not survive the battle, for Gyrth, Harold's butcher. "clnvo bjjn with a bilí, and he "lied." Hichard J's horse was called MaJedt, and was jet black. He bore his master through the holy war and arrived in England before him. In fact, ne survived the king sevcral years. The second Richard, too, had a favorite lorse, called Roan Barbary, which was supposed to be the finest horse in Europe it that time, and it was on Roan Baraary that the young king was mounted vhen the incident whereiu Wat Tyler ' vas stabbed by the mayor of Walworth ;ook place. ' About a century later we get the ; tVars of the Roses, and in the many jattles of that civil disturbance a cou)le of horses played important parts. These belouged to the great Earl of ] ÍVarwick, the kingmaker. His first vas Maleck, a beautiful gray, which 1 ie rode at the battle of Towton. It was j his horse whose death turned the tunes of the battle, for Warwick, seeing that his men were giving ground, deliberately sprang trom his favorite horse and killed him. Then his men knew that the kingmaker was prepared to conqner, but not to fly. ïhey rallied and finally won the battle. There were two horses belonging to highwaymen which were fanious in their time. One of them belonged to the celebrated knight of the road, Paul Clifford. He was called Robin and was Irish. In color iron gray, he was reputed by judges of horseflesh - aud there were somewho were quite as competent to give an opinión, if not inore so, as any of the present day - to be absolutely without blemish and to be second to none. Another faraous horse, or rather mare, was Black Bess. Her owner, Dick Turpin, or, to give him his correct name, Nicks, committed a robbery in London at 4 o'clock in the morning, and, fearing discovery, made for Gravesend, ferried across the river and appeared at the bowling green in York the same evening, having accomplished his rideof 300 miles in 16 hours on one horse. At least so says the legend, and this is certain - that on his trial he was acquitted, the jury consid ering it impossible that he could havo