800

HORSE-SHOES.

this appears here is, that if the relique discovered wasreally an horse-shoe, it must have been one of the mostancient specimens known; because, we find that monarchdied anno 481; his grave was discovered at Tournay , in1G53. The occasion of his having an horse-shoe in it was,from the creed of his religion; the superstitious belief ofthe Scandinavians, taught them to place implicit confidencein the power of this amulet to prevent the ingress of evilspirits. See Mallet’s Introduction to Northern Mythology .The remains of this belief is even now often seen in theobscure streets of this metropolis, where the mystic shoeappears as the faithful guardian of the domestic threshold.

There have been, we know, some Greek scholars whohave in part proved that the usual word they have readhitherto for shoes, is not a designation of the shoes inquestion. They, accordingly, contend that the Greekword otwcua, was meant to denote those shoes; in thecompany of those superior authorities to whom we allude,we bow, and as mere unqualified students, in that tongue,we do not presume to give an opinion, but should be in-clined to yield our ideas to their very superior direction.The Greek writings of Pancirollus, and the translation ofNicetas, first gave occasion, as we understand, for thisinvestigation, and the above is the result. This, however,does not appear to alter the previously delivered opinionrespecting the use of iron shoes among the Greeks. Butwe learn from Xenophon’s De re Equestri , p. 559, thatthat author’s words have been misunderstood, he havingtherein furnished directions for the proper choice of horses,by attending to a precaution very eminent among theGreeks, to have such of peculiar sound and hard foot, andwhich by stamping would be as musical as a lyre. Xeno-phon directs, also, as to the nature of the place for trialof this experiment, observing, it should he done on flatstones, which stones he recommends to be fastened down■with iron; but intimates nothing about iron horse-shoes, assome have imagined.

It is, we understand, the opinion of the French historian,Daniel, that, in the ninth century horses were not shodalways, but only in the time of frost, and on some othervery' particular occasions.

The practice of shoeing was also introduced into Englandby William I . We are told that this monarch gave thecity of Northampton as a fief to a certain person, one ofhis attendants, in consideration of his paying a stated sum,yearly, for the shoeing of horses. And it is also alleged that