The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-05
HORSES IN HISTORY.
&c THE NOBLE STEEDs THAT
HAVE ACHIEVED FAME.


:. . hard TO say with any near APP
~ 70 accuracy how long the horse
pio" hsen a domesticated animal. we
pas NV saw that he has been SO from
oan r,memorial-that is, from the
'i' n';ost times of which we have any
eal ardS The Assyrian sculptures-and
,bey are about the most ancient OF whion
're know anything. for some OF them
w Estimated to date from 1900 d. c.
"autain more representations OF capari-
s5 b,rses than even men. Still, we
49, ~ not Get any examples OF favorite
w sos mill a long time after this.
Even the first examples, indeed, are
onIv legendary, for though there is no
donbt that Hector of Troy existed, 1t Is
NOT improbable that Homer invented
10 rames of his three favorite horses,
podoroe. the cream colored Galathe and
tho fiery Ethon. But the horse of Alex
onder the Great, Bucephalus, is an indi-
vidual as historically real as his master.
This famous horse was, says Plutarch,
offered 70 Philip for ID talents (about
e9.51S), but he displayed SO much VI
ciousness that Alexander's father was
obout 70 send him away when the
Young prince offered to tame him. he
aoreed in the event of failure. to for
Cot the price of the horse and began by
turn;np his head to the sun, as he OBJ
served that the horse was frightened at
his own shadow. In the end he COM
nletelv tanned him-so completely, in
deed. that Bucephalus, though he would
hermit nobody except Alexander to
mount him, always knelt down for that
nurpose to his master. He died at the
ace of 80, and his master built as his
mausoleum the city of Bucephala.
Readers of Macaulay will remember
the famous black Auster, the horse of
Merminius, 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. Connect
ed with that battle, too, were the horses
of the great twin brethren, Castor
and Pollux, coal black, with white legs
and tails. But those are legendary. Not
so. however, the we'll known horse Of
Calipula, Inctatus. This animal had a
stable of marble; his stall was of ivory,
his clothing of purple and his halters
stiff with gems. He had set of golden
plates and was presented with 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. Verus, another
Roman emperor about a century later,
treated his horse almost as extravaganza
". He fed him with raisins and almonds
with his own hands. and when ne died
erected statue of gold to him, while
all the dignitaries of the empire attend
ed the funeral.
AS we come to later times, so we get
more examples of favorite horses. Will
liam the Conqueror had one which he
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 gift as a
prince might give and prince receive.
This gallant horse, however, did not
survive the battle, for Gyrth, Harold's
butcher, Glove him with bill, and he
died." Richard rs horse was called
Maleck, and was jet black. He bore his
master through the holy war and ar
rived in England before him. In fact,
ne survived the king several years. The
second Richard, too, had favorite
horse, called Roam Barbary, which was
supposed to be the finest horse in Europe
at that time, and it was ON Roam Bar
barry that the young king was mounted
when the incident wherein Wat Tyler
was stabbed by the mayor Of Walworth
took place.
About century later we get the
Wars of the Roses, and in the many
battles of that civil disturbance cou
pie OF horses played important parts.
These belonged to the great Earl OF
Warwick, the kingmaker. His first
was Maleck, beautiful gray, which
ne rode at the battle of Towton. 1t was
this horse whose death turned the for.
tunes OF the battle. for Warwick, seeing
that his men were giving ground, de-
hberately sprang from his favorite horse
and killed him. Then his men knew
that the kingmaker was prepared t.
conquer, but not to fly. They rallied
and finally won the battle.
There were two horses belonging Il
nighwaymen which were famous il
their time. One of them belonged tt
the celebrated knight Oh tae road, Pau
Clifford. He was called Robin and wa
Irish. In color iron gray, he was re
puted by judges of horsefiesh ant
there were some who were quite as com
petent to give an opinion, If not mor'
so, as any of the present day--to be alb
solutely without blemish and to be sec
ond to none. Another famous horse, o
rather mare, was Black Bess Her own
en- Dick Turpin, or, to give him hi
correct name, Nicks, committed rob
oery in London at 4 o'clock in tn
morning, and, fearing discovery, mad
tor Gravesend, ferried across the rive
and appeared at the bowling green II
York the same evening, having accom-
nIlSbod HE - a. - onA -. l.. L,x~