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Of the natural disposition of Horses.
THey love wet places and bathes, for which cause they are called Philolutra, they also love musick, as hath been already declared, and the whole hoast of Army or the Sybarites, taught their Horses to dance at the sound of a Pipe: and Coelius writeth hereof in this manner, So great (saith he) was the riot and wantonness of the Sybarites, that at their common feasts they brought in Horses to dance before men; which thing being known by the Crotoniatae, they offered them War, and agreed upon the fight: whereupon in the day of battle, the Crotoniats brought with them divers Pipers and Min∣strils, who upon a sign given to them, sounded their instruments, whereupon the Sybaritan Horses came running and dancing among their adversaries, and so betrayed themselves and their Riders to the enemy.
The like story is reported by Athenaeus, of the people called Cardiani, for they also taught their Horses to dance upon their hinder legs, and to work many strange feats with their fore-feet, at the hearing of certain measures played upon Pipes.
The Bisaltans waged War against the Cardians, and they had to their Captain a certain man called * 1.1 Onaris, who when he was a Boy was sold to Cardia, and there he served with a Barber: In the time of his service he oftentimes heard, that the Oracle had foretold, how the Cardians should be over∣come by the Bisaltans, and therefore he to prevent the worst, run away from his Master, and came home safe to Bisalta his own Countrey, and was by his Countrey-men created Captain of all their warlike forces: he understanding what tricks the Cardians taught their Horses in dancing, brought out of Cardia certain Pipes, and taught divers Bisaltans to sound and play the measures upon them, which the Cardians taught their Horses: whereupon when as they joyned battle with the Cardian Horses (for all the force of the Cardians lay in their Horses) he commanded his Piping Bisaltans to sound their musick, which the Horses understood, who presently stood up upon their hinder-legs, and would not fight any more, or go any further, so as they were overthrown by their adversaries.
They have also a singular pleasure in publick spectacles, and therefore have been observed to be * 1.2 provoked not only by pipes or such instrumentall musick, but also by Songs or vocall harmony, by variety of colours, and by burning Torches. Dion also writeth that he saw a Horse taught to know and to do reverence to a King.
And Textor affirmeth that he saw a Horse at Paris at the trumphs, Tilt, and Turnaments made for the mariage of Lewis the twelfth to Mary, a Lady of Britain, which being commanded by his Rider to salute the Queen, presently did bend both his knees unto her, and then rose again running away as fast as a bird could flie.
Homer seemeth also to affirm that there are in Horses divine qualities, understanding things to come, for being tyed to their mangers they mourned for the death of Patroclus, and also fore shewed Achilles what should happen unto him: for which cause Pliny saith of them, that they lament their lost Masters with tears, and foreknow battles; Virgil writeth thus of the Horse of Pallas;
Post bellator equus, positis insignibus, Aethon It lachtymans, guttisque humectat grandibus ••ra.
Accursius affirmeth, that Caesar three dayes before he died, found his ambling Nag weeping in the stable, which was a token of his ensuing death, which thing I should not believe, except Tranquillus in the life of Caesar, had related the same thing, and he addeth moreover, that the Horses which were consecrated to Mars for passing over Rubicon, being let to run wilde abroad without their Masters, because no man might meddle with the Horses of the Gods, were found to weep aboundantly, and to abstain from all meat. Whereof there could be no cause given, but the love of their former Ma∣sters. It is also reported of Rodatus, a Captain to Charles the great, who after the death of the Emperour was made a Monk, his Horse would never suffer any to come on his back except his Ma∣ster, who likewise had abstained from riding many years: But it happened that certain Pagans brake in upon the said Monastery, whereupon poor Rodatus went unto his Horse, who after many years discontinuance, willingly took up his aged Master upon his back, and so carryed him untill he tri∣umphed over his adversaries; and no marvel, for Dogs and Horses are most loving to men, if they be brought up carefully, and liberally, they recompense the good turns of their benefactors. It is observed in the nature of Horses, that they seldom hurt a man or childe, except in their madness, yet are there malicious Horses as well as men. It is reported by Pliny and Tzetzes, that when a foal hath lost his dam, the residue of the Mares which give suck, bring it up, and that they are seldom found at variance, except the barren Mares pull away the foals from the natural dams. For there is no creature so loving to their young ones, as are Mares, neither any so desirous of young; for which cause, when they are barren themselves, they labour to steal them away from others.
They which were wont to races, would perform it upon Mares newly delivered of foals they tyed * 1.3 up the foals at home, and led the Mares to the beginning of the race, making the end thereof at the foals stable; and so putting the Beast forward, she runneth homewards more speedily for the re∣membrance of her foal.