advertisements of the papers. Cobs, hunters, and hacks, were as plentiful as blackberries in September. The difficulty was only where to choose. "The neatest little cob in London," the "best hack that ever was mounted," "that well-known hunter Tantivy, equal to fifteen stone up to any hounds," all offered themselves to my delighted eyes; and away I went, to try them all and buy

the best.

My reader must excuse me for a little digression to give him some account of myself, so far as regards my equestrian capabilities, otherwise he will not enter, as fully as I could wish, into the merits of my story. Be it known, then, that I ride rather more than twelve stone-have a good seat―never was afraid of a horse in my life-stand about five feet nine inches; and being still under middle age, I am of course far from indifferent whether I am well mounted. Such I take to be the average pretensions of nineteen out of twenty gentlemen in search of a horse.

My first adventure was with a Quaker. There are few things in which the Society of Friends evince their characteristic shrewdness more than in their judgment of horse-flesh. I have a most sincere respect for that body, both in their collective and individual character. I have long known

many of them, and my acquaintance has taught me to value and esteem them; I therefore approached the owner of the first object of my speculation with much confidence. It was a well-bred, gay little gelding, full of life and spirit; and though scarcely high enough for my taste, I approved and purchased him. Friend Joseph was very precise with me. "There is the horse, friend; my price is thirty guineas."

"Will you allow me to try him, Sir?" "Thou art a stranger to me, friend; thou mayest injure the animal, and we shall not know who is in fault."

"Will you warrant him, Sir?" "He has always carried me well, friend: I believe him to be sound, but few men are agreed upon what soundness is." "Is thirty guineas the lowest price?" "I

have asked thee what I believe to be his just value, and I shall take no less."

I was satisfied, paid my money; was well pleased with my purchase for three days; and then discovered what very little reflection might have told me at first, that the Quaker being two stone lighter than myself, and presumably a quiet rider, a horse that would carry him safely, would in less than a week break his own knees and endanger my neck! But I was not deceived; he was a good horse, though not fit for me. I sold him again and lost nothing by him; some time after he was driven a stage of fourteen miles, and kept the lead of a chariot and four, with a new married couple, starting from the church to spend the honeymoon! I dare say that my friends will not have yet forgotten the celerity with which their first relay was ordered out at Canterbury; thanks to the speed of my Quaker.

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I resolved that my second purchase should at all events be strong enough to bear me. I therefore pitched upon a cob; he was, to use the accepted phrase, "built like a castle;" there was no nonsense about him," most assuredly; but he unluckily moved like a castle! I have the greatest aversion to a horse that "won't go;" it is an eternal trial of one's temper; many a time has the provoca

tion brought me within an ace of Martin's penalties. My "castle" had "no go" at all in him; when I first brought him out of the seller's stable, he seemed as gay as a lark; but I suppose he had not been used for a twelvemonth; at the end of a mile all his "pluck" was gone, and my wrath began: my spurs were sharp, but he kicked! A good ashstick brought him to his senses, and restored the equilibrium; nay, it did more, it actually compelled a canter, and if my arm only had been in fault, I had still strength enough left, to have coaxed the canter into a gallop; but, alas! when we arrived at that focus of roads and confusion, Battle-bridge, whether it was that he knew not which course to take, I cannot say, but he paused in his full career so abruptly, that I found myself upon his neck,

instead of his back, and had he advanced another yard I should undoubtedly have found my back on the ground. I decided on my course at onceI walked him to the Veterinary College; ascertained that his wind was as thick as his carcase, and sold him at Osborne's the next day to "a timid old gentleman," for whom he was exactly suited.

My third attempt was somewhat more promising. A very respectable stable-keeper, with whom I have had former transactions, introduced me to an old hunter of his acquaintance. I must own that I entertain great distrust of your hunters converted into hacks! but the introduction was good; the horse was gay; and the tout ensemble favourable; he had but one fault, so far as a day's trial could discover. He would neither pass nor be passed, either by stage, omnibus, or hackneycoach! a matter of not the slightest consequence in Leicestershire: but rather inconvenient in Oxford Street.

I was speedily remounted; nothing is more easy in London. "A charming goer; so docile that a lady might drive him with a pack-thread," found me seated on his back within eight and forty hours. His charms were thrown away upon me, and mine were equally powerless with him; his faults were