Let us next inquire what information we can gather from the science of Anatomy18, concerning the laws of motion: it teaches us, that the force and power of a muscle consists in the number of fibres of which it is composed; and that the velocity and motion of a muscle consists in the length and extent of its fibres. Let us compare this doctrine with the language of the jockey: he tells us, if a Horse has not length, he will be slow; and if made to slender, he will not be able to bring his weight through. Does not the observation of the jockey exactly correspond with this doctrine? If we now inquire into the motion of Horses, we shall find the bones are the levers of the body, and the tendons and muscles (which are one and the same thing) are the powers of acting applied to these levers. Now when we consider a half-bred Horse running one mile or more, with the same velocity as a Horse of foreign extraction, we do not impute19 that equality of velocity to any innate20 quality in the half-bred Horse, because we can account for it by external causes: that is by an equality of the length, and extent of his levers and tendons. And when we consider a half-bred Horse running one mile, or more, with the same velocity as the other, and then giving it up, what shall we do? shall we say the foreigner beats him by his blood, or by the force and power of his tendons? or can we, without reproaching our own reason and understanding, impute that to be the effect of occult and hidden causes in the one of these instances and not in the other? both of which are demonstrated with certainty, and reduced to facts by the knowledge of anatomy and the principles of mechanics.
How many instances have we of different Horses beating each other alternately over different sorts of ground! how often do we see short, close, compact Horses beating others of a more lengthened21 shape, over high and hilly coursed, as well as deep and slippery ground; in the latter of which, the blood is esteemed23 much better, and whose performances in general are much better!
And how comes it to pass that Horses of a more lengthened shape, have a superiority over Horses of a shorter make, upon level and flat courses? Is this effected by the difference of their mechanical powers, or is it affected24 by the blood? if, by the latter, then this blood is not general, but partial only, which no reasoning man will be absurd enough to allow. But I much fear our distinctions of good and bad blood are determined25 with much partiality; for every jockey has his particular favourite blood, of which he judges from events, success, or prejudice: else, how comes it to pass, that we see the different opinions and fashions of blood varying daily! nay26, we see the very same blood undergoing the very same fate; this year rejected, the next in the highest esteem22; or this year in high repute, the next held at nothing. How many changes has the blood of Childers undergone! once the best, then the worst, now good again! Where are the descendants of Bay Bolton, that once were the terror of their antagonists27! Did these prevail by the superiority of their blood, or because their power and their fabric28 was superior to the Horses of their time? If any one ask why Danby Cade was not as good a racer as any in the kingdom, the jockey could not impute this defect to his blood; but if it should be imputed29 to his want of proportion, surely it might be held for a true and satisfactory reason. How many revolutions of fame and credit, have all sportsmen observed in these HIGH-BRED families.
Numberless are the examples of this kind which might be quoted, but to account for this, one says, The blood is wore out for want of a proper cross; another tells us, That after having been long in this climate, the blood degenerates30; but these reasons cannot be true, because we see the off-spring of all crosses, and of the most antient** families, occasionally triumphant31 over the sons of the very latest comers, the error then will not be found in the blood, or in the proper crossing; but the defect will be produced by the erroneous judgment32 of mankind, in putting together the male and female with improper5 shapes; and while we are lost and blinded by an imaginary good, the laws of nature stand revealed; and we by paying a proper attention thereto, and employing our judgment therein, might wipe this ignis fatuus from the mind, and fix the truth on a sure foundation. Our observation shews us, that on the one hand, we may breed Horses of foreign extraction too delicate, and too slight for any labour; and on the other hand, so coarse and clumsy, as to be fitter for the cart than the race. Shall we then wonder these cannot race, or shall we doubt that degrees of imperfection in the mechanism, will produce degrees of imperfection in racing33! and when we find such deficient, shall we ridiculously impute it to a degeneracy of that blood, which once was in the highest esteem, or to the want of judgment in him who did not properly adapt the shapes of their progenitors34!
Shall we confess this, or is the fault in nature? For though most philosophers agree, that innate principles do not exist, yet we know for certain, that in the brute35 creation, whose food is plain and simple, (unlike luxurious36 man) the laws of nature are, generally speaking, invariable and determined. If it should be asked why the sons of the Godolphin Arabian were superior to most Horses of their time; I answer, because he had a great power and symmetry of parts, (head excepted) and a propriety37 of length greatly superior to all other Horses of the same diameter, that have been lately seen in this kingdom; which I do not assert on my own judgment, but on the opinion of those who, I believe, understand Horses much better than I pretend to do: and 'tis very probable, this Horse, if he had not been confined to particular Mares, might have begot39 better racers than any he did. On the contrary, I have heard it urged in behalf of his blood, that he was a very mean Horse in figure, and that he was kept as a teizer** some years before he covered. What does this prove? I think nothing more, than that his first owner did not rightly understand this kind of Horse, and that different men differed in their opinions of this Horse's fabric.
If any man who doubts this excellence40 to be in the blood, should ask how it came to pass that we often see two full brothers, one of which is a good racer, the other indifferent, or perhaps bad, I know of but two answers that can be given; we must either allow this excellence of the blood to be partial, or else we must say, that by putting together a Horse and a Mare38, different in their shapes, a foetus may be produced of a happy form at one time, and at another the foetus partaking more or less of the shape of either, may not be so happily formed. Which shall we do? shall we impute this difference of goodness in the two brothers, to the difference of their mechanism? or shall we say this perfection of the blood is partial? If the latter, then we must own that blood is not to be relied on, but that the system of it, and whatever is built on that foundation, is precarious41 and uncertain, and therefore falls to the ground of its own accord. Whilst this continues to be the rule of breeding, I mean of putting male and female together, with no consideration but that of blood and a proper cross, it is no wonder so few good racers are produced, no wonder mankind are disappointed in their pleasures and expectations; for this prejudice does not only extend to blood, but even to the very names of the breeders, and the country where the Horses are bred, though it is beyond all doubt, that the North claims the preference of all other places in this kingdom; but that preference is allowed only from the multiplicity of Mares and Stallions in those parts, and from the number of racers there bred.
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1
texture
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| n.(织物)质地；(材料)构造；结构；肌理 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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constituent
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| n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的 | |
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improper
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| adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的 | |
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improperly
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| 不正确地，不适当地 | |
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conducive
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| adj.有益的，有助的 | |
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backwards
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| adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地 | |
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9
joints
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| 接头( joint的名词复数 )； 关节； 公共场所（尤指价格低廉的饮食和娱乐场所） （非正式）； 一块烤肉 （英式英语） | |
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thighs
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| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
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11
doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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12
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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15
acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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16
mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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dissection
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| n.分析；解剖 | |
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anatomy
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| n.解剖学，解剖；功能，结构，组织 | |
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19
impute
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| v.归咎于 | |
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20
innate
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| adj.天生的，固有的，天赋的 | |
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21
lengthened
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| （时间或空间）延长，伸长( lengthen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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22
esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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23
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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antagonists
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| 对立[对抗] 者，对手，敌手( antagonist的名词复数 )； 对抗肌； 对抗药 | |
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fabric
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| n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织 | |
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29
imputed
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| v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
degenerates
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| 衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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31
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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33
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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34
progenitors
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| n.祖先( progenitor的名词复数 )；先驱；前辈；原本 | |
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brute
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| n.野兽，兽性 | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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mare
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| n.母马，母驴 | |
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39
begot
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| v.为…之生父( beget的过去式 )；产生，引起 | |
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40
excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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41
precarious
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| adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的 | |
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