perftitiously placed great faith in the neighing of their horfes. When they defigned to declare war against their enemies, they fet their fpears before the temple of their gods, and the facred horfe * was led out; when if he put his right foot forward, the omen was held good, but, if on the contrary he stepped with his left foot first, the omen was efteemed as unlucky, and they defifted from the intended bufinefs. Alfo to know the event of a battle, previous to the engagement, they would arm one of their own men, and fet him against an armed captive; and by the iffue of this combat, they would judge the fuccefs of the field. They went finging to the battle, carrying before them the images of their gods from their confecrated woods, and had Runic characters engraven on their fpears, which were held as magic charms. Thefe Runic characters were either invented, or improved by Woden, who taught the putting them into rhyme; the which, with the art of engraving them on tables of stone, they brought with them into Germany †.

The Saxons had a most barbarous cuftom of facrificing every tenth prifoner to Woden, who they thought, would highly delignt in fuch horrid cruelty.

Single combat, by them called cemp or kemp-fight, was often practised in matters that could not readily be decided in any other manner.

No man was permitted to bear arms, till he was with great folemnity admitted in a general affembly, where his father, or fome of his nearest kindred, prefented him with a shield and a framea, or fhort fpear: thus the path of honour was opened to him, and this was the first step to glory and renown. Their arms they always held in the greatcft veneration, fo that a virgin given in marriage, brought as her dower, a fhield, a fword, and a lance, thefe were received as the most facred pledges, nay, as the very patron gods of matrimony: neither came they unarmed even to their councils, or feafls. They bound their leagues and friendships in blood: and at their drinking festivals. they would embrace each other, and cut a vein in their foreheads, letting the blood fall from thence into each others cups, which being firred about with the wine, they drank it off, accounting it the higheft mark of friendship to talte each others

* Perhaps this is the fame horse that was kept in the temple of the idol Perenuth, on which they fuppofed the God would ride to help them in battle; and this they could not in the least doubt the truth of, because often after a battle, the horfe was found entirely in a foam. But it is to be noted, the priests alone had the care of the horse, none dared to come near the place where he was kept, till they pleased to fhew him to the people."

Woden alfo made a law, that the bodies of the dead, flain in battle, fhould be burnt, together with their arms, ornaments, and money, and over the afhes of their kings and heroes, to raife large hills of earth and on the fepulchres of those who had performed great and glorious actions, to erect high monuments infcribed with Runic characters.'

blood.

blood. And after this drinking, they anointed their heads with fome cooling unguent to prevent the fumes of the wine affecting them.

A man might not cut his beard till he had flain his enemy, or taken his ftandard from him. And they wore a ring of iron round their necks in token of bondage, till by their bravery and valour, they had it taken from them with honour.

As we have feen that they were ftrenuous and fanguine in the purfuit of glory, fo were they equally firm and ftedfaft in misfortunes, bearing a mind too noble to be debafed even in captivity. A band of them being taken by Lyfimachus, (a Roman general) were led to Rome, with a defign of producing them as gladiators at the public fhews in the amphitheatre, for the paftime of the Romans, but they refolutely put an end to their lives the morning they were to be produced, chufing much rather to die, than difgracefully turn the edge of their fwords against each other to pleasure their inhuman enemies.'

In the fecond volume, Mr. Strutt proceeds to the Norman æra, where, after taking a fhort view of the rife and progrefs of architecture, he treats of the regal courts and government of the Normans, their laws, fhipping, &c. He then directs his attention to the hufbandry of the Anglo-Normans, their drefs, banquets, mufical inftruments, paftimes, marriages, form of baptifm, together with an account of their arts and learning.

The laft divifion of the work treats of the English æra, which comprises the period from the acceffion of Edward the First, to the end of the reign of Henry the Seventh. The antiquities of this period are confidered under the various heads that have been already enumerated; and the author concludes with an account of the manufcripts from whence he derived the materials of the fecond volume, to which are likewife fubjoined fixty quarto plates, illuftrative of different fubje&s.

To those who are defirous of attaining a knowledge of British antiquities, from a motive fuperior to that of temporary amusement alone, this work is particularly calculated to afford abundant gratification. For befides the account of ancient obje&s, many of which have now no other exiftence than in the delineation of those times, it prefents us with an entertaining view of the progrefs, and various changes of civil life in England, from the earliest period of information, to the fixteenth century. The materials of the work are fuch as could only be colle&ed by a perfon of extraordinary patience and induftry in literary purfuits; and with thefe requifite ingredients of an accomplished antiquary, Mr. Strutt has united the candour of an unprejudiced enquirer, and the fidelity of the hiftorian.

XI. Ob.

XI. Obfervations upon the Shoeing of Horfes: together with a new Inquiry into the Causes of Difeafes in the Feet of Horfes. In two Parts. Part 1. Upon the Shoeing of Horfes. Part II. Upon the Difeafes of the Feet. By J. Clark, Farrier. 8vo. 35. Cadell.

THE

"HE first part of this work was formerly published, but has received from the author confiderable improvements in the prefent edition. What now chiefly demands our attention, however, is the second part, in which he treats, apparently with great judgment and experience, of the Diseases of the Feet of Horses.

Mr. Clark fets out with observing, that the diseases to which the horse's fore-feet in particular are liable, deferve to be principally confidered, as thefe are more exposed to injury from a number of causes, than any other part of the body. He imputes the great neglect refpecting the management of horses feet, to the not attending to what is most natural to them, whether in fhoeing, or in the means commonly used to preserve them moift, cool, and found. To confirm this remark, he produces a variety of obfervations, and afterwards proceeds to confider the feveral difeafes under diftin&t heads.

As a specimen of the work, we shall present our readers with a part of the first chapter, which contains Remarks upon Greafing, Oiling, and Stuffing Horfes Hoofs.

There are many things practifed with regard to the management of horfes in general, which cuftom alone has eftablished, and are now fo univerfally esteemed as effentially neceffary, that they are received as undoubted maxims, and fubmitted to without any inquiry into the reafon or propriety of fuch prac tice. Of numberless inftances that might be mentioned, thofe only concerning the feet come under our prefent plan.

The caftom of keeping our fineft horfes ftanding conftantly upon dry litter and hot dung in the ftable, is exceedingly hurtful, as it overheats the feet and legs, and makes the hoofs become very brittle, dry, aud hard. Many other bad confequences arife from this practice, as it lays the foundation of a number of diseases both in the feet and legs, particularly in the former, which are always found to agree best with coolness and moisture. Hence we find, that horfes hoofs, whilft running in the fields, are always in better condition than thofe that are kept hot and dry in the ftable, which, befide being liable to many difeafes, are hard, brittle, fhattered, and often broken.

With respect to greafy or oily applications, fo often prefcribed for the hoofs of horfes, in order to preferve them found, tough, &c. although they are univerfally practifed and recom mended by all authors who have written upon the fubject of

far

farriery; yet I must be fa fingular as to diffent from this received maxim; and I fhall endeavour to fhow, that greafy or oily applications to the hoofs of horses, are rather pernicious than falutary.

When young horfes are firft taken from the fields, their hoofs are cool, found, and tough. Thefe are found from experience to be good qualities; but horfes are no fooner introduced into the table, than their hoofs are greafed or oiled two or three times a week; and, if they are kept much in the house ftanding upon hot dry litter, without being frequently led abroad, and without having an opportunity of getting their hoofs cooled and moistened in wet ground, their hoofs grow fo brittle, dry, and hard, that pieces frequently break off, like chips from a hard ftone; and, when driving the nails in fhoeing, pieces will fplit off, even although the nails are made very fine and thin. Now, if thefe fame horfes with brittle hattered hoofs, are turned out to graze in the fields, their hoofs in time will become, as they were originally, found, tough, and good.

I would therefore alk the advocates for greafing, oiling, &c. what is the caufe of this change? It certainly cannot be faid, that the hoofs were greafed or oiled while at grafs; at leaft, I never knew or heard of one inflance of this being done. It therefore muft certainly proceed from the wet and moiflure which the hools are expofed to in the fields, of which water is the principal ingredient: from the fame caufe we likewife find, that horfes hoofs are always better (that is, founder and tougher), at the end of winter, than after the dry months of fummer: and we likewife know, as a certain fact, of which we have daily proofs, that, when all other means fail, we turn horfes out to grafs, in order to recover their decayed, brittle hoofs. And we find, that the hind feet of horfes, from flanding in the wet and moisture of their own dung, are always in better condition than the fore-feet, which stand upon hot and dry litter. But farther,

It has already been obferved, that the hoofs of horfes are porous, and that infenfible perfpiration is carried on through thefe pores, in the fame manner, and according to the fame laws, as take place in other parts of the body. Now, it is a known fact, that greafy or oily medicines, applied to the skin of the human body, prevent perfpiration, which is frequently attended with the worst confequences. The fame reafoning will hold with respect to the hoofs of horses; for greafy or oily applications clofe or hut up the pores of the hoof, by being abforbed or fucked into its inner fubftance. Hence the natural moisture which fhould nourish the hoof, is thereby prevented from arriving at its furface, which, on that account, becomes as it were dead, and confequently dry, brittle, and hard.

The original practice of greafing or oiling horíes hoofs, had probably taken its rife, from obferving, that greafe or oil foftened dead fubftances, fuch as leather, &c. But this will by

no means apply to the hoofs of horfes, as there is a very great difference between the living and dead parts of animals. The former having juices, &c. neceffary for their own nourishment and fupport, whilft the latter require fuch applications as will preferve them from decaying and rotting. Hence likewise, we feldom fee horfes ftand for any confiderable time upon hot dry hitter in the ftable, having their hoofs greafed or oiled, and kept dry, but they are troubled with many difeafes, which lame their feet; whilft the hoofs of thofe horses that go at cart and plough, though never greafed, are better in every respect, and are more free from thofe complaints, which, in fact, are the attendants of dry hardened hoofs, and the effects of obstructed perfpiration. On the contrary, thofe hoofs that are exposed to coolness and moisture, are found and good, whilst our finest horfes, that are kept in ftables, from our own management of their hoofs, become cripples, and fubject to a number of maladies, which fooner or later render them useless."

The fubfequent obfervations are employed on the natural defects of the feet, wounds, fprains, foundered feet, hoofbound, corns, running-thrushes, and falfe quarter. Mr. Clark is evidently a judicious and intelligent farrier, and his remarks deferve to be perufed by all who have either the immediate management of horses, or are interested in the welfare of those noble and useful animals.

XH. The Comic Romance of Monfieur Scarron, tranflated by Oliver Goldsmith. vols. 12mo. 6s. Griffin.

IN

an Addrefs prefixed to the fecond of these volumes, we are told, that this tranflation (a few fheets excepted) was executed by the late Dr. Goldfinith. If this affertion be juft, it afforded the editor a fair opportunity of applauding the performance without the imputation of arrogance. We are informed accordingly, that he (Dr. Goldsmith) has preferved the genuine fpirit of Scarron unimpaired, and taught him to relate his pleafantry with grace, in good English.' That our readers may judge for themselves of the juftness of this encomium, we fhall lay before them a fhort extract, from the fixth chapter.

• Rancour went into the inn, with a hearty meal on his ftomach, and fomething more than half drunk: he was introduced by la Rappiniere's maid, who bid the hoftefs get a bed ready for him. Who have we here? faid the hoftefs; faith, had we no other customers than fuch as he, our houfe-rent would be but ill paid. Peace, huy, faid the husband, Mr. la Rappiniere

does