A Dissertation on Horses: Wherein It is Demonstrated, by Matters of Fact, as Well as from the Principles of Philosophy, That Innate Qualities Do Not Exist, and That the Excellence of This Animal is Altogether Mechanical and Not in the Blood — John Shaqi
A Dissertation on Horses: Wherein It is Demonstrated, by Matters of Fact, as Well as from the Principles of Philosophy, That Innate Qualities Do Not Exist, and That the Excellence of This Animal is Altogether Mechanical and Not in the BloodOsmer, William
History
A Dissertation on Horses: Wherein It is Demonstrated, by Matters of Fact, as Well as from the Principles of Philosophy, That Innate Qualities Do Not Exist, and That the Excellence of This Animal is Altogether Mechanical and Not in the Blood
When arrived at maturity, we see these different birds will still
continue to fight if they meet; if I should be asked why the
perseverance of fighting in one does not continue to death, as in
the other, I answer, that from a different texture of the organs
of the body, different sensations will arise, and consequently
different effects be produced; and this will be proved by
instances from the best of those very cocks which are called game,
who (it is well know) when they suffer a variation in their
texture, or as cockers term it, become rotten, run away
themselves, and their descendants also; which sensation of fear
could not be produced by any alteration in the body, if this
principle of game was innate.
Amongst men, do we not perceive agility and strength stand forth
confessed in the fabric of their bodies? do not even the passions
and pleasures of mankind greatly depend on the organs of their
bodies? Amongst dogs, we shall find the foxhound prevailing over
all others in speed and in bottom; but if not in speed, in bottom
at least I hope it will be allowed. To what shall we impute this
perfection in him? Shall we impute it to his blood, or to that
elegance of form in which is found no unnecessary weight to
oppress the muscles, or detract from his ability of perseverance?
if to blood, from whence shall we deduce it? or from what origin
is it derived? Surely no man means more, when he talks of the
blood of foxhounds, than to intimate that they are descended from
such, whose ancestors have been eminent for their good
qualifications, and have shone conspicuous in the front of the
pack for many generations.
But allowing this system of blood to exist in hounds and Horses,
let us consider how inconsistently and differently we act with
respect to each; with respect to hounds, if when arrived at
maturity, we think them ill shaped and loosely made, we at once
dispose of them without any trial, well knowing they will not
answer our expectations: whereas, in Horses, let the shape be what
it will, we are persuaded to train, because the jockey says thay
are very HIGH-BRED. If we now compare the blood of Horses with
that of dogs, shall not we find the case to be similar? will not
the origin be as uncertain in Horses as in dogs? it is true, in
some foreign countries they have long pedigrees of their Horses as
well as we, but what proofs have they themselves of this
excellence of the blood in one Horse more than another of the same
country? I never heard they made any trial of their Horses in the
racing way, but if they did, their decision would be as uncertain
as ours with respect to the blood, because their decision must be
determined by events alone, and therefore, by no means a proper
foundation whereon to build a system, or establish a fact, which
can be accounted for by causes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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