e story of Bucephalus, his
famous horse, illustrates this in a very striking manner. This animal
was a war-horse of very spirited character, which had been sent as a
present to Philip while Alexander was young. They took the horse
out into one of the parks connected with the palace, and the king,
together with many of his courtiers, went out to view him. The horse
pranced about in a very furious manner, and seemed entirely
unmanageable. No one dared to mount him. Philip, instead of being
gratified at the present, was rather disposed to be displeased that
they had sent him an animal of so fiery and apparently vicious a
nature that nobody dared to attempt to subdue him.

In the mean time, while all the other by-standers were joining in the
general condemnation of the horse, Alexander stood quietly by,
watching his motions, and attentively studying his character. He
perceived that a part of the difficulty was caused by the agitations
which the horse experienced in so strange and new a scene, and that he
appeared, also, to be somewhat frightened by his own shadow, which
happened at that time to be thrown very strongly and distinctly upon
the ground. He saw other indications, also, that the high excitement
which the horse felt was not viciousness, but the excess of noble and
generous impulses. It was courage, ardor, and the consciousness of
great nervous and muscular power.

Philip had decided that the horse was useless, and had given orders to
have him sent back to Thessaly, whence he came. Alexander was very
much concerned at the prospect of losing so fine an animal. He begged
his father to allow him to make the experiment of mounting him. Philip
at first refused, thinking it very presumptuous for such a youth to
attempt to subdue an animal so vicious that all his experienced
horsemen and grooms condemned him; however, he at length consented.
Alexander went up to the horse and took hold of his bridle. He patted
him upon the neck, and soothed him with his voice, showing, at the
same time, by his easy and unconcerned manner, that he was not in the
least afraid of him. A spirited horse knows immediately when any one
approaches him in a timid or cautious manner. He appears to look with
contempt on such a master, and to determine not to submit to him. On
the contrary, horses seem to love to yield obedience to man, when the
individual who exacts the obedience possesses those qualities of
coolness and courage which their instin