,transcriber's ,note ,obvious typographical errors have been corrected4 ,a list of corrections is found at the end of the text4 ,oe ligatures have been expanded4 ,illustration3 ,frontispiece ,page #abc4 ,,riding ,,recollections4 ,,by ,g4 ,j4 ,,whyte-,,melville4 ,,with ,,illustrations ,,by ,,edgar ,,giberne4 ,,fifth ,,edition4 ,,london3 ,,chapman ,,and ,,hall1 #aic1 ,,piccadilly4 #ahgh4 ,all ,rights ,reserved4 ,,london3 ,r4 ,,clay1 ,,sons1 ,,and ,,taylor1 ,,printers1 ,,bread ,,street ,,hill4 ,dedicated1 ,,on ,,behalf ,,of ,,the ,,bridled ,,and ,,saddled1 ,,to ,,the ,,booted ,,and ,,spurred4 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,,kindness #c ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,coercion #ac ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,the ,,bridle #cd ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,abuse ,,of ,,the ,,spur #ei ,,chapter ,v4 ,,hand #gb ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,seat #id ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,valour #aji ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,discretion #abf ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,irish ,,hunters #add ,,chapter ,x4 ,,thorough-,,bred ,,horses #afc ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,riding ,,to ,,fox-,,hounds #ahj ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,riding at ,,stag-,,hounds #bjc ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,provinces #bbj ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,shires #bce ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations4 ,,page ,the ,dorsetshire farmer's plan of teaching horses to jump timber #h ,if he should drop his hind legs1 shoot yourself off over his shoulders in an instant1 with a fast hold of the bridle1 at which tug hard1 even though you may not have regained your legs #cb ,lastly1 when it gets upon ,bachelor1 or ,benedict1 or ,othello1 or any other high-flyer with a suggestive name1 it sails away close1 often too close1 to the hounds leaving brothers1 husbands1 even admirers1 hopelessly in the rear 7,frontispiece7 #abc ,perhaps we find an easy place under a tree1 with an overhanging branch1 and sidle daintily up to it1 bending the body and lowering the head as we creep through1 to the admiration of an indiscreet friend on a rash horse who spoils a good hat and utters an evil execration1 while trying to follow our example #ach ,when we canter anxiously up to a sign-post where four roads meet1 with a fresh and eager horse indeed1 but not the wildest notion towards which point of the compass we should direct his energies1 we can but stop to listen1 take counsel of a countryman1 c4 #aic ,at bay #bjh ',come up horse6' and having admonished that faithful servant with a dig in the ribs from his horn1 blows half-a-dozen shrill blasts in quick succession1 sticks the instrument1 ,i shudder to confess it1 in his boot1 and proceeds to hustle his old white nag at the best pace he can command in the wake of his favourites #bbe ,the ,king of the ,golden ,mines #bdb ,,riding ,,recollections4 ,,riding ,,recollections4 ,as in the choice of a horse and a wife a man must please himself1 ignoring the opinion and advice of friends1 so in the governing of each it is unwise to follow out any fixed system of discipline4 ,much depends on temper1 education1 mutual understanding and surrounding circumstances4 ,courage must not be heated to recklessness1 caution should be implied rather than exhibited1 and confidence is simply a question of time and place4 ,it is as difficult to explain by precept or demonstrate by example how force1 balance1 and persuasion ought to be combined in horsemanship1 as to teach the art of floating in the water or swimming on the back4 ,practice in either case alone makes perfect1 and he is the most apt pupil who brings to his lesson a good opinion of his own powers and implicit reliance on that which carries him4 ,trust the element or the animal and you ride aloft superior to danger2 but with misgiving comes confusion1 effort1 breathlessness1 possibly collapse and defeat4 ,morally and physically1 there is no creature so nervous as a man out of his depth4 ,in offering the following pages to the public1 the writer begs emphatically to disclaim any intention of laying down the law on such a subject as horsemanship4 ,every man who wears spurs believes himself more or less an adept in the art of riding2 and it would be the height of presumption for one who has studied that art as a pleasure and not a profession to dictate for the ignorant1 or enter the lists of argument with the wise4 ,all he can lay claim to is a certain amount of experience1 the result of many happy hours spent with the noble animal under him1 of some uncomfortable minutes when mutual indiscretion has caused that position to be reversed4 ,if the few hints he can offer should prove serviceable to the beginner he will feel amply rewarded1 and will only ask to be kindly remembered hereafter in the hour of triumph when the tyro of a riding-school has become the pride of a hunting-field1--judicious1 cool1 daring1 and skilful--light of hand1 firm of seat1 thoroughly at home in the saddle1 a very ,centaur ,encorpsed and demi-natured ,with the brave beast4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,kindness4 ,in our dealings with the brute creation1 it cannot be too much insisted on that mutual confidence is only to be established by mutual good-will4 ,the perceptions of the beast must be raised to their highest standard1 and there is no such enemy to intelligence as fear4 ,reward should be as the daily food it eats1 punishment as the medicine administered on rare occasions1 unwillingly1 and but when absolute necessity demands4 ,the horse is of all domestic animals most susceptible to anything like discomfort or ill-usage4 ,its nervous system1 sensitive and highly strung1 is capable of daring effort under excitement1 but collapses utterly in any new and strange situation1 as if paralysed by apprehensions of the unknown4 ,can anything be more helpless than the young horse you take out hunting the first time he finds himself in a bog8 ,compare his frantic struggles and sudden prostration with the discreet conduct of an ,exmoor pony in the same predicament4 ,the one terrified by unaccustomed danger1 and relying instinctively on the speed that seems his natural refuge1 plunges wildly forward1 sinks to his girths1 his shoulders1 finally unseats his rider1 and settles down1 without further exertion1 in the stupid apathy of despair4 ,the other1 born and bred in the wild west country1 picking its scanty keep from a foal off the treacherous surface of a ,devonshire moor1 either refuses altogether to trust the quagmire1 or shortens its stride1 collects its energies1 chooses the soundest tufts that afford foothold1 and failing these1 flaps its way out on its side1 to scramble into safety with scarce a quiver or a snort4 ,it has been there before6 ,herein lies the whole secret4 ,some day your young one will be as calm1 as wise1 as tractable4 ,alas6 that when his discretion has reached its prime his legs begin to fail6 ,therefore cultivate his intellect--,i use the word advisedly--even before you enter on the development of his physical powers4 ,nature and good keep will provide for these1 but to make him man's willing friend and partner you must give him the advantage of man's company and man's instruction4 ,from the day you slip a halter over his ears he should be encouraged to look to you1 like a child1 for all his little wants and simple pleasures4 ,he should come cantering up from the farthest corner of the paddock when he hears your voice1 should ask to have his nose rubbed1 his head stroked1 his neck patted1 with those honest1 pleading looks which make the confidence of a dumb creature so touching2 and before a roller has been put on his back1 or a snaffle in his mouth he should be convinced that everything you do to him is right1 and that it is impossible for you1 his best friend1 to cause him the least uneasiness or harm4 ,i once owned a mare that would push her nose into my pockets in search of bread and sugar1 would lick my face and hands like a dog1 or suffer me to cling to any part of her limbs and body while she stood perfectly motionless4 ,on one occasion1 when ,i hung in the stirrup after a fall1 she never stirred on rising1 till by a succession of laborious and ludicrous efforts ,i could swing myself back into the saddle1 with my foot still fast1 though hounds were running hard and she loved hunting dearly in her heart4 ,as a friend remarked at the time1 ,the little mare seems very fond of you1 or there might have been a bother6 ,now this affection was but the result of petting1 sugar1 kind and encouraging words1 particularly at her fences1 and a rigid abstinence from abuse of the bridle and the spur4 ,i shall presently have something to say about both these instruments1 but ,i may remark in the mean time that many more horses than people suppose will cross a country safely with a loose rein4 ,the late ,colonel ,william ,greenwood1 one of the finest riders in the world1 might be seen out hunting with a single curb-bridle1 such as is called a hard-and-sharp and commonly used only in the streets of ,london or the ,park4 ,the present ,lord ,spencer1 of whom it is enough to say that he hunts one pack of his own hounds in ,northamptonshire1 and is always in the same field with them1 never seems to have a horse pull1 or until it is tired1 even lean on his hand4 ,i have watched both these gentlemen intently to learn their secret1 but ,i regret to say without avail4 ,this1 however1 is not the present question4 ,long before a bridle is fitted on the colt's head he should have so thoroughly learned the habit of obedience1 that it has become a second instinct1 and to do what is required of him seems as natural as to eat when he is hungry or lie down when he wants to sleep4 ,this result is to be attained in a longer or shorter time1 according to different tempers1 but the first and most important step is surely gained when we have succeeded in winning that affection which nurses and children call cupboard love4 ,like many amiable characters on two legs1 the quadruped is shy of acquaintances but genial with friends4 ,make him understand that you are his best and wisest1 that all you do conduces to his comfort and happiness1 be careful at first not to deceive or disappoint him1 and you will find his reasoning powers quite strong enough to grasp the relations of cause and effect4 ,in a month or six weeks he will come to your call1 and follow you about like a dog4 ,soon he will let you lift his feet1 handle him all over1 pull his tail1 and lean your weight on any part of his body1 without alarm or resentment4 ,when thoroughly familiar with your face1 your voice1 and the motions of your limbs1 you may back him with perfect safety1 and he will move as soberly under you in any place to which he is accustomed as the oldest horse in your stable4 ,do not forget1 however1 that education should be gradual as moon-rise1 perceptible1 not in progress1 but result4 ,i recollect one morning riding to covert with a ,dorsetshire farmer whose horses1 bred at home1 were celebrated as timber-jumpers even in that most timber-jumping of countries4 ,i asked him how they arrived at this proficiency without breaking somebody's neck1 and he imparted his plan4 ,the colt1 it seemed1 ran loose from a yearling in the owner's straw-yard1 but fed in a lofty out-house1 across the door of which was placed a single tough ashen bar that would not break under a bullock4 ,this was laid on the ground till the young one had grown thoroughly accustomed to it1 and then raised very gradually to such a height as was less trouble to jump than clamber over4 ,at three feet the two-year old thought no more of the obstacle than a girl does of her skipping-rope4 ,after that1 it was heightened an inch every week1 and it needs no ready reckoner to tell us at the end of six months how formidable a leap the animal voluntarily negotiated three times a day4 ,it's never put no higher1 continued my informant2 ,i'm an old man now1 and that's good enough for me4 ,i should think it was6 ,a horse that can leap five feet of timber in cold blood is not likely to be pounded1 while still unblown1 in any part of ,england ,i have yet seen4 ,illustration3 ,page #h4 ,now the ,dorsetshire farmer's system was sound1 and based on common sense4 ,as you bend the twig so grows the tree1 therefore prepare your pupil from the first for the purpose you intend him to serve hereafter4 ,an ,arab foal1 as we know1 brought up in the ,bedouin's tent1 like another child1 among the ,bedouin's children1 is the most docile of its kind1 and ,i cannot but think that if he lived in our houses and we took as much notice of him1 the horse would prove quite as sagacious as the dog2 but we must never forget that to harshness or intimidation he is the most sensitive of creatures1 and even when in fault should be rather cautioned than reproved4 ,an ounce of illustration is worth a pound of argument1 and the following example best conveys the spirit in which our brave and willing servant should be treated by his lord4 ,many years ago1 when he hunted the ,cottesmore country1 ,sir ,richard ,sutton's hounds had been running hard from ,glooston ,wood along the valley under ,cranehoe by ,slawston to ,holt4 ,after thirty minutes or so over this beautiful1 but exceedingly stiff line1 their heads went up1 and they came to a check1 possibly from their own dash and eagerness1 certainly1 at that pace and amongst those fences1 not from being overridden4 ,turn 'em1 ,ben6 exclaimed ,sir ,richard1 with a dirty coat1 and ,hotspur in a lather1 but determined not to lose a moment in getting after his fox4 ,yes1 ,sir ,richard1 answered ,morgan1 running his horse without a moment's hesitation at a flight of double-posts and rails1 with a ditch in the middle and one on each side6 ,the good grey1 having gone in front from the find1 was perhaps a little blown1 and dropping his hind legs in the farthest ditch1 rolled very handsomely into the next field4 ,it's not your fault1 old man6 said ,ben1 patting his favourite on the neck as they rose together in mutual good-will1 adding in the same breath1 while he leapt to the saddle1 and ,tranby acknowledged the line--,forrard on1 ,sir ,richard6--,hoic together1 hoic6 ,you'll have him directly1 my beauties6 ,he's a ,quorn fox1 and he'll do you good6 ,i had always considered ,ben ,morgan an unusually fine rider4 ,for the first time1 ,i began to understand why his horse never failed to carry him so willingly and so well4 ,i do not remember whether ,dick ,webster was out with us that day1 but ,i am sure if he was he has not forgotten it1 and ,i mention him as another example of daring horsemanship combined with an imperturbable good humour1 almost verging on buffoonery1 which seems to accept the most dangerous falls as enhancing the fun afforded by a delightful game of romps4 ,his annual exhibition of prowess at the ,islington horse show has made his shrewd comical face so familiar to the public that his name1 without farther comment1 is enough to recall the presence and bearing of the man--his quips and cranks and merry jests1 his shrill whistle and ready smile1 his strong seat and light1 skilful hand1 but above all his untiring patience and unfailing kindness with the most restive and refractory of pupils4 ,dick1 like many other good fellows1 is not so young as he was1 but he will probably be an unequalled rider at eighty1 and ,i am quite sure that if he lives to the age of ,methuselah1 the extreme of senile irritability will never provoke him to lose his temper with a horse4 ,presence of mind under difficulties is the one quality that in riding makes all the difference between getting off with a scramble and going down with a fall4 ,if unvaried kindness has taught your horse to place confidence in his rider1 he will have his wits about him1 and provide for your safety as for his own4 ,when left to himself1 and not flurried by the fear of punishment1 even an inexperienced hunter makes surprising efforts to keep on his legs1 and it is not too much to say that while his wind lasts1 the veteran is almost as difficult to catch tripping as a cat4 ,i have known horses drop their hind legs on places scarcely affording foothold for a goat1 but in all such feats they have been ridden by a lover of the animal1 who trusts it implicitly1 and rules by kindness rather than fear4 ,i will not deny that there are cases in which the suaviter in modo must be supplemented by the fortiter in re4 ,still the insubordination of ignorance is never wholly inexcusable1 and great discretion must be used in repressing even the most violent of outbreaks4 ,if severity is absolutely required1 be sure to temper justice with mercy1 remembering that1 in brute natures at least1 the more you spare the rod1 the less you spoil the child6 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,coercion4 ,i recollect1 in years gone by1 an old and pleasant comrade used to declare that to be in a rage was almost as contemptible as to be in a funk6 ,doubtless the passion of anger1 though less despised than that of fear1 is so far derogatory to the dignity of man that it deprives him temporarily of reason1 the very quality which confers sovereignty over the brute4 ,when a magician is without his talisman the slaves he used to rule will do his bidding no longer4 ,when we say of such a one that he has lost his head1 we no more expect him to steer a judicious course than a ship that has lost her rudder4 ,both are the prey of circumstances--at the mercy of winds and waves4 ,therefore1 however hard you are compelled to hit1 be sure to keep your temper4 ,strike in perfect good-humour1 and in the right place4 ,many people cannot encounter resistance of any kind without anger1 even a difference of opinion in conversation is sufficient to rouse their bile2 but such are seldom winners in argument or in fight4 ,let them also leave education alone4 ,nature never meant them to teach the young idea how to shoot or hunt1 or do anything else6 ,it is the cold-blooded and sagacious wrestler who takes the prize1 the calm and imperturbable player who wins the game4 ,in all struggles for supremacy1 excitement only produces flurry1 and flurry means defeat4 ,who ever saw ,mr4 ,anstruther ,thompson in a passion1 though1 like every other huntsman and master of hounds1 he must often have found his temper sorely tried8 ,and yet1 when punishment is absolutely necessary to extort obedience from the equine rebel1 no man can administer it more severely1 either from the saddle or the box4 ,but whether double-thonging a restive wheeler1 or having it out with a resolute buck-jumper1 the operation is performed with the same pleasant smile1 and when one of the adversaries preserves calmness and common sense1 the fight is soon over1 and the victory gained4 ,it is not every man1 however1 who possesses this gentleman's iron nerve and powerful frame4 ,for most of us1 it is well to remember1 before engaging in such contests1 that defeat is absolute ruin4 ,we must be prepared to fight it out to the bitter end1 and if we are not sure of our own firmness1 either mental or physical it is well to temporise1 and try to win by diplomacy the terms we dare not wrest by force4 ,if the latter alternative must needs be accepted1 in this as in most stand-up fights1 it will be found that the first blow is half the battle4 ,the rider should take his horse short by the head and let him have two or three stingers with a cutting whip--not more--particularly1 if on a thorough-bred one1 as low down the flanks as can be reached1 administered without warning1 and in quick succession1 sitting back as prepared for the plunge into the air that will inevitably follow1 keeping his horse's head well-up the while to prevent buck-jumping4 ,he should then turn the animal round and round half-a-dozen times1 till it is confused1 and start it off at speed in any direction where there is room for a gallop4 ,blown1 startled1 and intimidated1 he will in all probability find his pupil perfectly amenable to reason when he pulls up1 and should then coax and soothe him into an equable frame of mind once more4 ,such1 however1 is an extreme case4 ,it is far better to avoid the ultima ratio4 ,in equitation1 as in matrimony1 there should never arise the first quarrel4 ,obedience1 in horses1 ought to be a matter of habit1 contracted so imperceptibly that its acquirement can scarcely be called a lesson4 ,this is why the hunting-field is such a good school for leaping4 ,horses of every kind are prompted by some unaccountable impulse to follow a pack of hounds1 and the beginner finds himself voluntarily performing feats of activity and daring1 in accordance with the will of his rider1 which no coercion from the latter would have induced him to attempt4 ,flushed with success1 and if fortunate enough to escape a fall1 confident in his lately-discovered powers1 he finds a new pleasure in their exercise1 and1 most precious of qualities in a hunter1 grows fond of jumping4 ,the same result is to be attained at home1 but is far more gradual1 requiring the exercise of much care1 patience1 and perseverance4 ,nevertheless1 when we consider the inconvenience created by the vagaries of young horses in the hunting field1 to hounds1 sportsmen1 ladies1 pedestrians1 and their own riders1 we must admit that the ,irish system is best1 and that a colt1 to use the favourite expression1 should have been trained into an accomplished lepper1 before he is asked to carry a sportsman through a run4 ,mr4 ,rarey1 no doubt1 thoroughly understood the nature of the animal with which he had to deal4 ,his system was but a convenient application of our principle1 viz41 ,judicious coercion1 so employed that the brute obeys the man without knowing why4 ,when forced to the earth1 and compelled to remain there1 apparently by the mere volition of a creature so much smaller and feebler than itself1 it seemed to acknowledge some mysterious and over-mastering power such as the disciples of ,mesmer profess to exercise on their believers1 and this1 in truth1 is the whole secret of man's dominion over the beasts of the field4 ,it is founded1 to speak practically1 on reason in both1 the larger share being apportioned to the weaker frame4 ,if by terror or resentment1 the result of injudicious severity1 that reason becomes obscured in the stronger animal1 we have a maniac to deal with1 possessing the strength of ten human beings1 over whom we have lost our only shadow of control6 ,where is our supremacy then8 ,it existed but in the imagination of the beast1 for which1 so long as it never tried to break the bond1 a silken thread was as strong as an iron chain4 ,perhaps this is the theory of all government1 but with the conduct and coercion of mankind we have at present nothing to do4 ,there is a peculiarity in horses that none who spend much time in the saddle can have failed to notice4 ,it is the readiness with which all accommodate themselves to a rider who succeeds in subjugating one4 ,some men possess a faculty1 impossible to explain1 of establishing a good understanding from the moment they place themselves in the saddle4 ,it can hardly be called hand1 for ,i have seen consummate horsemen1 notably ,mr4 ,lovell1 of the ,new ,forest1 who have lost an arm2 nor seat1 or how could ,colonel ,fraser1 late of the #aath ,hussars1 be one of the best heavy-weights over such a country as ,meath1 with a broken and contracted thigh8 ,certainly not nerve1 for there are few fields too scanty to furnish examples of men who possess every quality of horsemanship except daring4 ,what is it then8 ,i cannot tell1 but if you are fortunate enough to possess it1 whether you weigh ten stone or twenty1 you will be able to mount yourself fifty pounds cheaper than anybody else in the market6 ,be it an impulse of nature1 or a result of education1 there is a tendency in every horse to make vigorous efforts at the shortest notice in obedience to the inclination of a rider's body or the pressure of his limbs4 ,such indications are of the utmost service in an emergency1 and to offer them at the happy moment is a crucial test of horsemanship4 ,thus races are snatched out of the fire1 as it is termed1 by riding1 and this is the quality that1 where judgment1 patience1 and knowledge of pace are equal1 renders one jockey superior to the rest4 ,it enables a proficient also to clear those large fences that1 in our grazing districts especially1 appear impracticable to the uninitiated1 as if the horse borrowed muscular energy1 no less than mental courage1 from the resolution of his rider4 ,on the racecourse and in the hunting field1 ,custance1 the well-known jockey1 possesses this quality in the highest degree4 ,the same determined strength in the saddle1 that had done him such good service amongst the bullfinches and oxers of his native ,rutland1 applied at the happy moment1 secured on a great occasion his celebrated victory with ,king ,lud4 ,there are two kinds of hunters that require coercion in following hounds1 and he is indeed a master of his art who feels equally at home on each4 ,the one must be steered1 the other smuggled over a country4 ,as he is never comfortable but in front1 we will take the rash horse first4 ,let us suppose you have not ridden him before1 that you like his appearance1 his action1 all his qualities except his boundless ambition1 that you are in a practicable country1 as seems only fair1 and about to draw a covert affording every prospect of a run4 ,before you put your foot in the stirrup be sure to examine his bit--not one groom in a hundred knows how to bridle a horse properly--and remember that on the fitting of this important article depends your success1 your enjoyment1 perhaps your safety1 during the day4 ,horses1 like servants1 will never let their master be happy if they are uncomfortable themselves4 ,see that your headstall is long enough1 so that the pressure may lie on the bars of the horse's mouth and not crumple up the corners of his lips1 like a gag4 ,the curb-chain will probably be too tight1 also the throat-lash2 if so1 loosen both1 and with your own hands2 it is a pleasant way of making acquaintance1 and may perhaps prepossess him in your favour4 ,if he wears a nose-band it will be time enough to take it off when you find he shows impatience of the restriction by shaking his head1 changing his leg frequently1 or reaching unjustifiably at the rein4 ,i am prejudiced against the nose-band4 ,i frankly admit a man in a minority of one must be wrong1 but ,i never rode a horse in my life that1 to my own feeling1 did not go more comfortably when ,i took it off4 ,look also to your girths4 ,for a fractious temper they are very irritating when drawn too tight1 while with good shape and a breast-plate1 there is little danger of their not being tight enough4 ,when these preliminaries have been carefully gone through mount nimbly to the saddle1 and take the first opportunity of feeling your new friend's mouth and paces in trot1 canter1 and gallop4 ,here1 too1 though in general it should be avoided for many reasons1 social1 agricultural1 and personal1 a little larking is not wholly inexcusable4 ,it will promote cordiality between man and beast4 ,the latter1 as we are considering him1 is sure to be fond of jumping1 and to ride him over a fence or two away from other horses in cold blood will create in his mind the very desirable impression that you are of a daring spirit1 determined to be in front4 ,take him1 however1 up to his leap as slow as he will permit--if possible at a trot4 ,even should he break into a canter and become impetuous at last1 there is no space for a violent rush in three strides1 during which you must hold him in a firm1 equable grasp4 ,as he leaves the ground give him his head1 he cannot have too much rope1 till he lands again1 when1 as soon as possible1 you should pull him back to a trot1 handling him delicately1 soothing him with voice and gesture1 treating the whole affair as the simplest matter of course4 ,do not bring him again over the same place1 rather take him on for two or three fields in a line parallel to the hounds4 ,by the time they are put into covert you will have established a mutual understanding1 and found out how much you dislike one another at the worst6 ,it is well now to avoid the crowd1 but beware of taking up a position by yourself where you may head the fox6 ,no man can ride in good-humour under a sense of guilt1 and you must be good-humoured with such a mount as you have under you to-day4 ,exhaust1 therefore1 all your knowledge of woodcraft to get away on good terms with the hounds4 ,the wildest romp in a rush of horses is often perfectly temperate and amenable when called on to cut out the work4 ,should you1 by ill luck1 find yourself behind others in the first field1 avoid1 if possible1 following any one of them over the first fence4 ,even though it be somewhat black and forbidding1 choose a fresh place1 so free a horse as yours will jump the more carefully that his attention is not distracted by a leader1 and there is the further consideration1 based on common humanity1 that your leader might fall when too late for you to stop4 ,no man is in so false a position as he who rides over a friend in the hunting field1 except the friend6 ,take your own line4 ,if you be not afraid to gallop and the hounds run on1 you will probably find it plain sailing till they check4 ,should a brook laugh in your face1 of no unreasonable dimensions1 you may charge it with confidence1 a rash horse usually jumps width1 and there will be plenty of room to ride on the far side4 ,it takes but a few feet of water to decimate a field4 ,i may here observe that1 if1 as they cross1 you see the hounds leap at it1 even though they fall short1 you may be sure the distance from bank to bank is within the compass of a hunter's stride4 ,at timber1 ,i would not have you quite so confident4 ,when1 as in ,leicestershire1 it is set fairly in line with the fence and there is a good take-off1 your horse1 however impetuous1 may leap it with impunity in his stroke1 but should the ground be poached by cattle1 or dip as you come to it1 beware of too great hurry4 ,the feat ought then to be accomplished calmly and collectedly at a trot1 the horse taking his time1 so to speak1 from the motions of his rider1 and jumping1 as it is called1 to his hand4 ,now when man and horse are at variance on so important a matter as pace1 the one is almost sure to interfere at the wrong moment1 the other to take off too soon or get too close under his leap2 in either case the animal is more likely to rise at a fence than a rail1 and if unsuccessful in clearing it a binder is less dangerous to flirt with than a bar4 ,lord ,wilton seems to me to ride at timber a turn slower than usual1 ,lord ,grey a turn faster4 ,whether father and son differ in theory ,i am unable to say1 ,i can only affirm that both are undeniable in practice4 ,mr4 ,fellowes of ,shottisham1 perhaps the best of his day1 and ,mr4 ,gilmour1 facile princeps1 almost walk up to this kind of leap2 ,colonel1 now ,general ,pearson1 known for so many seasons as the flying ,captain1 charges it like a squadron of ,sikh cavalry2 ,captain ,arthur ,smith pulls back to a trot2 ,lord ,carington scarcely shortens the stride of his gallop4 ,who shall decide between such professors8 ,much depends on circumstances1 more perhaps on horses4 ,assheton ,smith used to throw the reins on a hunter's neck when rising at a gate1 and say1--,take care of yourself1 you brute6--whereas the celebrated ,lord ,jersey1 who gave me this information of his old friend's style1 held his own bridle in a vice at such emergencies1 and both usually got safe over6 ,perhaps the logical deduction from these conflicting examples should be not to jump timber at all6 ,but the rash horse is by this time getting tired1 and now1 if you would avoid a casualty1 you must temper valour with discretion1 and ride him as skilfully as you can4 ,he has probably carried you well and pleasantly during the few happy moments that intervened between freshness and fatigue2 now he is beginning to pull again1 but in a more set and determined manner than at first4 ,he does not collect himself so readily1 and wants to go faster than ever at his fences1 if you would let him4 ,this careless1 rushing style threatens a downfall1 and to counteract it will require the exercise of your utmost skill4 ,carry his head for him1 since he seems to require it1 and endeavour1 by main force if necessary1 to bring him to his leaps with his hind legs under him4 ,half-beaten horses measure distance with great accuracy1 and lob over very large places1 when properly ridden4 ,if1 notwithstanding all your precautions1 he persists in going on his shoulders1 blundering through his places1 and labouring across ridge and furrow like a boat in a heavy sea1 take advantage of the first lane you find1 and voting the run nearly over1 make up your mind to view the rest of it in safety from the hard road6 ,ride the same horse again at the first opportunity1 and1 if sound enough to come out in his turn1 a month's open weather will probably make him a very pleasant mount4 ,the slug1 a thorough-bred one1 we will say1 with capital hind-ribs1 lop ears1 and a lazy eye1 must be managed on a very different system from the foregoing4 ,you need not be so particular about his bridle1 for the coercion in this case is of impulsion rather than restraint1 but ,i would advise you to select a useful cutting-whip1 stiff and strong enough to push a gate4 ,not that you must use it freely--one or two reminders at the right moment1 and an occasional flourish1 ought to carry you through the day4 ,be sure1 too1 that you strike underhanded1 and not in front of your own body1 lest you take his eye off at the critical moment when your horse is measuring his leap4 ,the best riders prefer such an instrument to the spurs1 as a stimulant to increased pace and momentary exertion4 ,you will have little trouble with this kind of hunter while hounds are drawing4 ,he will seem only too happy to stand still1 and you may sit amongst your friends in the middle ride1 smoking1 joking1 and holding forth to your heart's content4 ,but1 like the fox1 you will find your troubles begin with the cheering holloa of ,gone away6 ,on your present mount1 instead of avoiding the crowd1 ,i should advise you to keep in the very midst of the torrent that1 pent up in covert1 rushes down the main ride to choke a narrow handgate1 and overflow the adjoining field4 ,emerging from the jaws of their inconvenient egress1 they will scatter1 like a row of beads when the string breaks1 and while the majority incline to right or left1 regardless of the line of chase as compared with that of safety1 some half dozen are sure to single themselves out1 and ride straight after the hounds4 ,select one of these1 a determined horseman1 whom you know to be mounted on an experienced hunter2 give him plenty of room--fifty yards at least--and ride his line1 nothing doubting1 fence for fence1 till your horse's blood is up1 and your own too4 ,i cannot enough insist on a jealous care of your leader's safety1 and a little consideration for his prejudices4 ,the boldest sportsmen are exceedingly touchy about being ridden over1 and not without reason4 ,there is something unpleasantly suggestive in the bit1 and teeth1 and tongue of an open mouth at your ear2 while your own horse1 quivering high in air1 makes the discovery that he has not allowed margin enough for the yawner under his nose6 ,it is little less inexcusable to pick a man's pocket than to ride in it2 and no apology can exonerate so flagrant an assault as to land on him when down4 ,reflect1 also1 that a hunter1 after the effort to clear his fence1 often loses foothold1 particularly over ridge and furrow1 in the second or third stride1 and falls at the very moment a follower would suppose he was safe over4 ,therefore1 do not begin for yourself till your leader is twenty yards into the next field when you may harden your heart1 set your muscles1 and give your horse to understand1 by seat and manner1 that it must be in1 through1 or over4 ,beware1 however1 of hurrying him off his legs4 ,ride him resolutely1 indeed1 but in a short1 contracted stride2 slower in proportion to the unwillingness he betrays1 so as to hold him in a vice1 and squeeze him up to the brink of his task1 when1 forbidden to turn from it1 he will probably make his effort in self-defence1 and take you somehow to the other side4 ,not one hunter in a hundred can jump in good form when going at speed2 it is the perfection of equine prowess1 resulting from great quickness and the confidence of much experience4 ,an arrant refuser usually puts on the steam of his own accord1 like a confirmed rusher1 and wheels to right or left at the last moment1 with an activity that1 displayed in a better cause1 would be beyond praise4 ,the rider1 too1 has more command of his horse1 when forced up to the bit in a slow canter1 than at any other pace4 ,thoroughbred horses1 until their education is complete1 are apt to get very close to their fences1 preferring1 as it would seem1 to go into them on this side rather than the other4 ,it is not a style that inspires confidence2 yet these crafty1 careful creatures are safer than they seem1 and from jumping in a collected form1 with their hind-legs under them1 extricate themselves with surprising address from difficulties that1 after a little more tuition1 they will never be in4 ,they are really less afraid of their fences1 and consequently less flurried1 than the wilful1 impetuous brute that loses its equanimity from the moment it catches sight of an obstacle1 and miscalculating its distance1 in sheer nervousness--most fatal error of all--takes off too soon4 ,i will now suppose that in the wake of your pilot you have negotiated two or three fences with some expenditure of nerve and temper1 but without a refusal or a fall4 ,the cutting-whip has been applied1 and the result1 perhaps1 was disappointing1 for it is an uncertain remedy1 though1 in my opinion1 preferable to the spur4 ,your horse has shown great leaping powers in the distances he has covered without the momentum of speed1 and has doubled an on-and-off with a precision not excelled by your leader himself4 ,if he would but jump in his stride1 you feel you have a hunter under you4 ,should the country be favourable1 now is the time to teach him this accomplishment1 while his limbs are supple and his spirit roused4 ,if he seems willing to face them1 let him take his fences in his own way2 do not force or hurry him1 but keep fast hold of his head without varying the pressure of hand or limb by a hairsbreadth2 the least uncertainty of finger or inequality of seat will spoil it all4 ,should the ditch be towards him1 he will jump from a stand1 or nearly so1 but1 to your surprise1 will land safe in the next field4 ,if it is on the far side1 he will show more confidence1 and will perhaps swing over the whole with something of an effort in his canter4 ,a foot or two of extra width may cause him to drop a hind-leg1 or even bring him on his nose2--so much the better6 no admonition of yours would have proved as effectual a warning--he will take good care to cover distance enough next time4 ,dispense with your leader now1 if you are pretty close to the hounds1 for your horse is gathering confidence with every stride4 ,he can gallop1 of course1 and is good through dirt--it is also understood that he is fit to go2 there are not many in a season1 but let us suppose you have dropped into a run2 if he carries you well to the finish1 he will be a hunter from to-day4 ,after some five and twenty minutes1 you will find him going with more dash and freedom1 as his neighbours begin to tire4 ,you may now ride him at timber without scruple1 when not too high1 but avoid a rail that looks as if it would break4 ,to find out he may tamper with such an obstacle is the most dangerous discovery a hunter can make4 ,you should send him at it pretty quick1 lest he get too near to rise1 and refuse at the last moment4 ,he may not do it in the best of form1 but whether he chances it in his gallop1 or bucks over like a deer1 or hoists himself sideways all in a heap1 with his tail against your hat1 at this kind of fence this kind of horse is most unlikely to fall4 ,the same may be said of a brook4 ,if he is within a fair distance of the hounds1 and you see by the expression of his ears and crest that he is watching them with ardent interest1 ride him boldly at water should it be necessary4 ,it is quite possible he may jump it in his stride from bank to bank1 without a moment's hesitation4 ,it is equally possible he may stop short on the bank1 with lowered head and crouching quarters as if prepared to drink1 or dive1 or decline4 ,he will do none of these4 ,sit still1 give him his head1 keep close into your saddle1 not moving so much as an eyelash1 and it is more than probable that he will jump the stream standing1 and reach the other side1 with a scramble and a flounder at the worst6 ,if he should drop his hind-legs1 shoot yourself off over his shoulders in an instant1 with a fast hold of the bridle1 at which tug hard2 even though you may not have regained your legs4 ,a very slight help now will enable him to extricate himself1 but if he is allowed to subside into the gulf1 it may take a team of cart horses to drag him out4 ,when in the saddle again give him a timely pull2 after the struggle you will be delighted with each other1 and have every prospect of going on triumphantly to the end4 ,illustration3 ,page #cb4 ,i have here endeavoured to describe the different methods of coercion by which two opposite natures may be induced to exert themselves on our behalf in the chase4 ,every horse inclines1 more or less1 to one or other extreme ,i have cited as an example4 ,a perfect hunter has preserved the good qualities of each without the faults1 but how many perfect hunters do any of us ride in our lives8 ,the chestnut is as fast as the wind1 stout and honest1 a safe and gallant fencer1 but too light a mouth makes him difficult to handle at blind and cramped places2 the bay can leap like a deer1 and climb like a goat1 invincible at doubles1 and unrivalled at rails1 but1 as bold ,lord ,cardigan said of an equally accomplished animal1 it takes him a long time to get from one bit of timber to another6 ,while the brown1 even faster than the chestnut1 even safer than the bay1 would be the best1 as he is the pleasantest hunter in the world--only nothing will induce him to go near a brook6 ,it is only by exertion of a skill that is the embodiment of thought in action1 by application of a science founded on reason1 experience and analogy1 that we can approach perfection in our noble four-footed friend4 ,common-sense will do much1 kindness more1 coercion very little1 yet we are not to forget that man is the master2 that the hand1 however light1 must be strong1 the heel1 however lively1 must be resolute2 and that when persuasion1 best of all inducements1 seems to fail1 we must not shrink from the timely application of force4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,the ,,bridle4 ,the late ,mr4 ,maxse1 celebrated some fifty years ago for a fineness of hand that enabled him to cross ,leicestershire with fewer falls than any other sportsman of fifteen stone who rode equally straight1 used to profess much comical impatience with the insensibility of his servants to this useful quality4 ,he was once seen explaining what he meant to his coachman with a silk-handkerchief passed round a post4 ,pull at it6 said the master4 ,does it pull at you8 ,yes1 sir1 answered the servant1 grinning4 ,slack it off then4 ,does it pull at you now8 ,no1 sir4 ,well then1 you double-distilled fool1 can't you see that your horses are like that post8 ,if you don't pull at them they won't pull at you6 ,now it seems to me that in riding and driving also1 what we want to teach our horses is1 that when we pull at them they are not to pull at us1 and this understanding is only to be attained by a delicacy of touch1 a harmony of intention1 and a give-and-take concord1 that for lack of a better we express by the term hand4 ,like the fingering of a pianoforte1 this desirable quality seems rather a gift than an acquirement1 and its rarity has no doubt given rise to the multiplicity of inventions with which man's ingenuity endeavours to supply the want of manual skill4 ,it was the theory of a celebrated ,yorkshire sportsman1 the well-known ,mr4 ,fairfax1 that ,every horse is a hunter if you don't throw him down with the bridle6 and ,i have always understood his style of riding was in perfect accordance with this daring profession of faith4 ,the instrument1 however1 though no doubt producing ten falls1 where it prevents one1 is in so far a necessary evil1 that we are helpless without it1 and when skilfully used in conjunction with legs1 knees1 and body by a consummate horseman1 would seem to convey the man's intentions to the beast through some subtle agency1 mysterious and almost rapid as thought4 ,it is impossible to define the nature of that sympathy which exists between a well-bitted horse and his rider1 they seem actuated by a common impulse1 and it is to promote or create this mutual understanding that so many remarkable conceits1 generally painful1 have been dignified with the name of bridles4 ,in the saddle-room of any hunting-man may be found at least a dozen of these1 but you will probably learn on inquiry1 that three or four at most are all he keeps in use4 ,it must be a stud of strangely-varying mouths and tempers which1 the snaffle1 gag1 ,pelham1 and double-bridle are insufficient to humour and control4 ,as it seems from the oldest representations known of men on horseback1 to have been the earliest in use1 we will take the snaffle first4 ,this bit1 the invention of common-sense going straight to its object1 while lying easily on the tongue and bars of a horse's mouth1 and affording control without pain1 is perfection of its kind4 ,it causes no annoyance and consequently no alarm to the unbroken colt1 champing and churning freely at the new plaything between his jaws2 on it the highly trained charger bears pleasantly and lightly1 to change his leg1--passage--or shoulder in1 at the slightest inflection of a rider's hand2 the hunter leans against it for support in deep ground2 and the race-horse allows it to hold him together at nearly full-speed without contracting his stride1 or by fighting with the restriction1 wasting any of his gallop in the air4 ,it answers its purpose admirably so long as it remains in the proper place1 but not a moment longer4 ,directly a horse by sticking out his nose can shift this pressure to his lips and teeth1 it affords no more control than a halter4 ,with head up1 and mouth open1 he can go how and where he will4 ,in such a predicament only an experienced horseman has the skill to give him such an amount of liberty without license as cajoles him into dropping again to his bridle1 before he breaks away4 ,once off at speed1 with the conviction that he is master1 however ludicrous in appearance1 the affair is serious enough in fact4 ,many centuries elapsed1 and a good deal of unpleasant riding must have been endured1 before the snaffle was supplemented with a martingale4 ,judging from the ,elgin ,marbles1 this useful invention seems to have been wholly unknown to the ,greeks4 ,though the men's figures are perfect in seat and attitude through the whole of that spirited frieze which adorned the ,parthenon1 not one of their horses carries its head in the right place4 ,the ancient ,greek seems to have relied on strength rather than cunning1 in his dealings with the noble animal1 and though he sat down on it like a workman1 must have found considerable difficulty in guiding his beast the way he wanted to go4 ,but with a martingale1 the most insubordinate soon discover that they cannot rid themselves of control4 ,it keeps their heads down in a position that enables the bit to act on the mouth1 and if they must needs pull1 obliges them to pull against that most sensitive part called the bars4 ,there is no escape--bend their necks they must1 and to bend their necks means to acknowledge a master and do homage to the rider's will4 ,it is a well-known fact1 and ,i can attest it by my own experience1 that a twisted snaffle with a martingale will hold a runaway when every other bridle fails2 but to guide or stop an animal by the exercise of bodily strength is not horsemanship1 and to saw at its mouth for the purpose cannot be expected to promote that sympathy of desire and intention which we understand by the term4 ,if we look at the sporting prints of our grandfathers and great-grandfathers1 as delineated1 early in the present century1 we observe that nine out of every ten hunters were ridden in plain snaffle bridles1 and we ask ourselves if our progenitors bred more docile beasts1 or were these drinkers of port wine1 bolder1 stronger1 and better horsemen than their descendants4 ,without entering on the vexed question of comparative merit in hounds1 hunters1 pace1 country and sport1 at an interval of more than two generations1 ,i think ,i can find a reason1 and it seems to me simply this4 ,most of these hunting pictures are representations of the chase in our midland counties1 notably ,leicestershire and ,northamptonshire1 then only partially inclosed2 boundary fences of large properties were few and far between1 straggling also1 and ill-made-up1 the high thorn hedges that now call forth so much bold and so much timid riding1 either did not exist1 or were of such tender growth as required protection by a low rail on each side1 and a sportsman1 with flying coat-tails1 doubling these obstacles neatly1 at his own pace1 forms a favourite subject for the artist of the time4 ,twenty or thirty horsemen1 at most1 comprised the field2 in such an expanse of free country there must have been plenty of room to ride1 and we all know how soon a horse becomes amenable to control on a moor or an open down4 ,the surface too was undrained1 and a few furlongs bring the hardest puller to reason when he goes in over his fetlocks every stride4 ,hand and heel are the two great auxiliaries of the equestrian1 but our grandfathers1 ,i imagine1 made less use of the bridle than the spur4 ,with increased facilities for locomotion1 in the improvement of roads and coaches1 hunting1 always the ,english gentleman's favourite pastime1 became a fashion for every one who could afford to keep a horse1 and men thought little of twelve hours spent in the mail on a dark winter's night in order to meet hounds next day4 ,the numbers attending a favourite fixture began to multiply1 second horses were introduced1 so that long before the use of railways scarlet coats mustered by tens as to-day by fifties1 and the crowd1 as it is called1 became a recognized impediment to the enjoyments of the day4 ,meantime fences were growing in height and thickness2 an improved system of farming subdivided the fields and partitioned them off for pastoral or agricultural purposes2 the hunter was called upon to collect himself1 and jump at short notice1 with a frequency that roused his mettle to the utmost1 and this too in a rush of his fellow-creatures1 urging1 jostling1 crossing him in the first five minutes at every turn4 ,under such conditions it became indispensable to have him in perfect control1 and that excellent invention1 the double-bridle1 came into general use4 ,i suppose ,i need hardly explain to my reader that it loses none of the advantages belonging to the snaffle1 while it gains in the powerful leverage of the curb a restraint few horses are resolute enough to defy4 ,in skilful hands1 varying1 yet harmonising1 the manipulation of both1 as a musician plays treble and bass on the pianoforte1 it would seem to connect the rider's thought with the horse's movement1 as if an electric chain passed through wrist1 and finger1 and mouth1 from the head of the one to the heart of the other4 ,the bearing and touch of this instrument can be so varied as to admit of a continual change in the degree of liberty and control1 of that give-and-take which is the whole secret of comfortable progression4 ,while the bridoon or snaffle-rein is tightened1 the horse may stretch his neck to the utmost1 without losing that confidence in the moral support of his rider's hand which is so encouraging to him if unaccompanied by pain4 ,when the curb is brought into play1 he bends his neck at its pressure to a position that brings his hind-legs under his own body and his rider's weight1 from which collected form alone can his greatest efforts be made4 ,have your curb-bit sufficiently powerful1 if not high in the port1 at any rate long in the cheek1 your bridoon as thick as your saddler can be induced to send it4 ,with the first you bring a horse's head into the right place1 with the second1 if smooth and very thick1 you keep it there1 in perfect comfort to the animal1 and consequently to yourself4 ,a thin bridoon1 and ,i have seen them mere wires1 only cuts1 chafes1 and irritates1 causing more pain and consequently more resistance1 than the curb itself4 ,i have already mentioned the fineness of ,mr4 ,lovell's hand 7alas6 that he has but one71 and ,i was induced by this gentleman to try a plan of his own invention1 which1 with his delicate manipulation1 he found to be a success4 ,instead of the usual bridoon1 he rode with a double strap of leather1 exactly the width of a bridle-rein1 and twice its thickness1 resting where the snaffle ordinarily lies1 on the horse's tongue and bars4 ,with his touch it answered admirably1 with mine1 perhaps because ,i used the leather more roughly than the metal1 it seemed the severer of the two4 ,but a badly-broken horse1 and half the hunters we ride have scarcely been taught their alphabet1 will perhaps try to avoid the restraint of a curb by throwing his head up at the critical moment when you want to steady him for a difficulty4 ,if you have a firm seat1 perfectly independent of the bridle1--and do not be too sure of this1 until you have tried the experiment of sitting a leap with nothing to hold on by--you may call in the assistance of the running-martingale1 slipping your curb-rein1 which should be made to unbuckle1 through its rings4 ,your curb1 ,i repeat1 contrary to the usual practice1 and not your snaffle4 ,i will soon explain why4 ,the horse has so docile a nature1 that he would always rather do right than wrong1 if he can only be taught to distinguish one from the other2 therefore1 have all your restrictive power on the same engine4 ,directly he gives to your hand1 by affording him more liberty you show him that he has met your wishes1 and done what you asked4 ,if you put the martingale on your bridoon rein you can no longer indicate approval4 ,to avoid its control he must lean on the discomfort of his curb1 and it puzzles no less than it discourages him1 to find that every effort to please you is met1 one way or the other1 by restraint4 ,so much for his convenience2 now for your own4 ,i will suppose you are using the common hunting martingale1 attached to the breast-plate of your saddle1 not to its girths4 ,be careful that the rings are too small to slip over those of the curb-bit2 you will be in an awkward predicament if1 after rising at a fence1 your horse in the moment that he tries to extend himself finds his nose tied down to his knees4 ,neither must you shorten it too much at first2 rather accustom your pupil gradually to its restraint1 and remember that all horses are not shaped alike2 some are so formed that they must needs carry their heads higher1 and1 as you choose to think1 in a worse place than others4 ,tuition in all its branches cannot be too gradual1 and nature1 whether of man or beast1 is less easily driven than led4 ,the first consideration in riding is1 no doubt1 to make our horses do what we desire2 but when this elementary object has been gained1 it is of great importance to our comfort that they should accept our wishes as their own1 persuaded that they exert themselves voluntarily in the service of their riders4 ,for this it is essential to use such a bridle as they do not fear to meet1 yet feel unwilling to disobey4 ,many high-couraged horses1 with sensitive mouths1 no uncommon combination1 and often united to those propelling powers in hocks and quarters that are so valuable to a hunter1 while they scorn restraint by the mild influence of the snaffle1 fight tumultuously against the galling restriction of a curb4 ,for these the scion of a noble family1 that has produced many fine riders1 invented a bridle1 combining1 as its enemies declare1 the defects of both1 to which he has given his name4 ,in ,england there seems a very general prejudice against the ,pelham1 whereas in ,ireland we see it in constant use4 ,like other bridles of a peculiar nature it is adapted for peculiar horses2 and ,i have myself had three or four excellent hunters that would not be persuaded to go comfortably in anything else4 ,i need hardly explain the construction of a ,pelham4 ,it consists of a single bit1 smooth and jointed1 like a common snaffle1 but prolonged from the rings on either side to a cheek1 having a second rein attached1 which acts1 by means of a curb-chain round the lower jaw1 in the same manner1 though to a modified extent1 as the curb-rein of the usual hunting double-bridle1 to which it bears an outward resemblance1 and of which it seems a mild and feeble imitation4 ,i have never to this day made out whether or not a keen young sportsman was amusing himself at my expense1 when1 looking at my horse's head thus equipped1 he asked the simple question3 ,do you find it a good plan to have your snaffle and curb all in one8 ,i did find it a good plan with that particular horse1 and at the risk of appearing egotistical ,i will explain why1 by narrating the circumstances under which ,i first discovered his merits1 illustrating as they do the special advantages of this unpopular implement4 ,the animal in question1 thoroughbred1 and amongst hunters exceedingly speedy1 was unused to jumping when ,i purchased him1 and from his unaffected delight in their society1 ,i imagine had never seen hounds4 ,he was active1 however1 high-couraged1 and only too willing to be in front2 but with a nervous1 excitable temperament1 and every inclination to pull hard1 he had also a highly sensitive mouth4 ,the double-bridle in which he began his experiences annoyed him sadly2 he bounced1 fretted1 made himself thoroughly disagreeable1 and our first day was a pleasure to neither of us4 ,next time ,i bethought me of putting on a ,pelham1 and the effect of its greater liberty seemed so satisfactory that to enhance it1 ,i took the curb-chain off altogether4 ,i was in the act of pocketing the links1 when a straight-necked fox broke covert1 pointing for a beautiful grass country1 and the hounds came pouring out with a burning scent1 not five hundred yards from his brush4 ,i remounted pretty quick1 but my thoroughbred one--in racing language1 a good beginner--was quicker yet1 and my feet were hardly in the stirrups1 ere he had settled to his stride1 and was flying along in rather too close proximity to the pack4 ,happily1 there was plenty of room1 and the hounds ran unusually hard1 for my horse fairly broke away with me in the first field1 and although he allowed me by main force to steady him a little at his fences1 during ten minutes at least ,i know who was not master6 ,he calmed1 however1 before the end of the burst1 which was a very brilliant gallop1 over a practicable country1 and when ,i sent him home at two o'clock1 ,i felt satisfied ,i had a game1 good horse1 that would soon make a capital hunter4 ,now ,i am persuaded our timely escapade was of the utmost service4 ,it gave him confidence in his rider's hand2 which1 with this light ,pelham bridle he found could inflict on him no pain1 and only directed him the way he delighted to go4 ,on his next appearance in the hunting-field1 he was not afraid to submit to a little more restraint1 and so by degrees1 though ,i am bound to admit1 the process took more than one season1 he became a steady1 temperate conveyance1 answering the powerful conventional double-bridle with no less docility than the most sedate of his stable companions4 ,we have seen a great deal of fun together since1 but never such a game of romps as our first6 ,why are so many brilliant horses difficult to ride8 ,it ought not to be so4 ,the truest shape entails the truest balance1 consequently the smoothest paces and the best mouth4 ,the fault is neither of form nor temper1 but originates1 if truth must be told1 in the prejudices of the breaker1 who will not vary his system to meet the requirements of different pupils4 ,the best hunters have necessarily great power behind the saddle1 causing them to move with their hind-legs so well under them1 that they will not1 and indeed cannot lean on the rider's hand4 ,this the breaker calls facing their bit1 and the shyer they seem of that instrument1 the harder he pulls4 ,up go their heads to avoid the pain1 till that effort of self-defence becomes a habit1 and it takes weeks of patience and fine horsemanship to undo the effects of unnecessary ill-usage for an hour4 ,eastern horses1 being broke from the first in the severest possible bits1 all acquire this trick of throwing their noses in the air2 but as they have never learned to pull1 for the ,oriental prides himself on riding with a finger1 you need only give them an easy bridle and a martingale to make them go quietly and pleasantly1 with heads in the right place1 delighted to find control not necessarily accompanied by pain4 ,and this indeed is the whole object of our numerous inventions4 ,a light-mouthed horse steered by a good rider1 will cross a country safely and satisfactorily in a ,pelham bridle1 with a running martingale on the lower rein4 ,it is only necessary to give him his head at his fences1 that is to say1 to let his mouth alone1 the moment he leaves the ground4 ,that the man he carries can hold a horse up1 while landing1 ,i believe to be a fallacy1 that he gives him every chance in a difficulty by sitting well back and not interfering with his efforts to recover himself1 ,i know to be a fact4 ,the rider cannot keep too quiet till the last moment1 when his own knee touches the ground1 then1 the sooner he parts company the better1 turning his face towards his horse if possible1 so as not to lose sight of the falling mass1 and1 above all1 holding the bridle in his hand4 ,the last precaution cannot be insisted on too strongly4 ,not to mention the solecism of being afoot in boots and breeches during a run1 and the cruel tax we inflict on some brother sportsman1 who1 being too good a fellow to leave us in the lurch1 rides his own horse furlongs out of his line to go and catch ours1 there is the further consideration of personal safety to life and limb4 ,that is a very false position in which a man finds himself1 when the animal is on its legs again1 who cannot clear his foot from the stirrup1 and has let his horse's head go6 ,i believe too that a tenacious grasp on the reins saves many a broken collar-bone1 as it cants the rider's body round in the act of falling1 so that the cushion of muscle behind it1 rather than the point of his shoulder1 is the first place to touch the ground2 and no one who has ever been pitched into by a bigger boy at school can have forgotten that this part of the body takes punishment with the greatest impunity4 ,but we are wandering from our subject4 ,to hold on like grim death when down1 seems an accomplishment little akin to the contents of a chapter professing to deal with the skilful use of the bridle4 ,the horse1 except in peculiar cases1 such as a stab with a sharp instrument1 shrinks like other animals from pain4 ,if he cannot avoid it in one way he will in another4 ,when suffering under the pressure of his bit1 he endeavours to escape the annoyance1 according to the shape and setting on of his neck and shoulders1 either by throwing his head up to the level of a rider's eyes1 or dashing it down between his own knees4 ,the latter is by far the most pernicious manoeuvre of the two1 and to counteract it has been constructed the instrument we call a gag4 ,this is neither more nor less than another snaffle bit of which the head-stall and rein1 instead of being separately attached to the rings1 are in one piece running through a swivel1 so that a leverage is obtained on the side of the mouth of such power as forces the horse's head upwards to its proper level4 ,in a gag and snaffle no horse can continue boring1 as it is termed against his rider's hand2 in a gag and curb he is indeed a hard puller who will attempt to run away4 ,but with this bridle1 adieu to all those delicacies of fingering which form the great charm of horsemanship1 and are indeed the master touches of the art4 ,a gag cannot be drawn gently through the mouth with hands parted and lowered on each side so as to turn and wind a fiery ,pegasus1 nor is the bull-headed beast that requires it one on which1 without long and patient tuition1 you may hope to witch the world with noble horsemanship4 ,it is at best but a schoolmaster1 and like the curbless ,pelham in which my horse ran away with me1 only a step in the right direction towards such willing obedience as we require4 ,something has been gained when our horse learns we have power to control him2 much when he finds that power exerted for his own advantage4 ,i would ride mine in a chain-cable if by no other means ,i could make him understand that he must submit to my will1 hoping always eventually to substitute for it a silken thread4 ,all bridles1 by whatever names they may be called1 are but the contrivances of a government that depends for authority on concealment of its weakness4 ,hard hands will inevitably make hard pullers1 but to the animal intellect a force still untested is a force not lightly to be defied4 ,the loose rein argues confidence1 and even the brute understands that confidence is an attribute of power4 ,change your bridle over and over again1 till you find one that suits your hand1 rather1 ,i should say1 that suits your horse's mouth4 ,do not1 however1 be too well satisfied with a first essay4 ,he may go delightfully to-day in a bit that he will learn how to counteract by to-morrow4 ,nevertheless1 a long step has been made in the right direction when he has carried you pleasantly if only for an hour4 ,should that period have been passed in following hounds1 it is worth a whole week's education under less exciting conditions4 ,a horse becomes best acquainted with his rider in those situations that call forth most care and circumspection from both4 ,broken ground1 fords1 morasses1 dark nights1 all tend to mutual good understanding1 but forty minutes over an inclosed country establishes the partnership of man and beast on such relations of confidence as much subsequent indiscretion fails to efface4 ,the same excitement that rouses his courage seems to sharpen his faculties and clear his brain4 ,it is wonderful how soon he begins to understand your meaning as conveyed literally from hand to mouth1 how cautiously he picks his steps amongst stubs or rabbit-holes1 when the loosened rein warns him he must look out for himself1 how boldly he quickens his stride and collects his energies for the fence he is approaching1 when he feels grip and grasp tighten on back and bridle1 conscious that you mean to catch hold of his head and send him at it6 while loving you all the better for this energy of yours that stimulates his own4 ,and now we come to a question admitting of no little discussion1 inasmuch as those practitioners differ widely who are best capable of forming an opinion4 ,the advocates of the loose rein1 who though outnumbered at the covert-side1 are not always in a minority when the hounds run1 maintain that a hunter never acquits himself so well as while let completely alone2 their adversaries1 on the other hand1 protest that the first principle of equitation1 is to keep fast hold of your horse's head at all times and under all circumstances4 ,you pull him into his fences1 argues ,finger4 ,you will never pull him out of them1 answers ,fist4 ,get into a bucket and try to lift yourself by the handles6 rejoins ,finger1 quoting from an apposite illustration of ,colonel ,greenwood's1 as accomplished a horseman as his brother1 also a colonel1 whose fine handling ,i have already mentioned4 ,a horse isn't a bucket1 returns ,fist1 triumphantly2 why1 directly you let his head go does he stop in a race1 refuse a brook1 or stumble when tired on the road8 ,it is a thousand pities that he cannot tell us which of the two systems he prefers himself4 ,we may argue from theory1 but can only judge by practice2 and must draw our inferences rather from personal experience than the subtlest reasoning of the schools4 ,now if all horses were broke by such masters of the art as ,general ,lawrenson and ,mr4 ,mackenzie ,greaves1 riders who combine the strength and freedom of the hunting field with the scientific exercise of hands and limbs1 as taught in the haute ecole1 so obedient would they become to our gestures1 nay1 to the inflection of our bodies1 that they might be trusted over the strongest lordship in ,leicestershire with their heads quite loose1 or1 for that matter1 with no bridle at all4 ,but equine education is usually conducted on a very different system to that of ,monsieur ,baucher1 or either of the above-named gentlemen4 ,from colthood horses have been taught to understand1 paradoxically enough1 that a dead pull against the jaws means1 ,go on1 and be hanged to you1 till ,i alter the pressure as a hint for you to stop4 ,it certainly seems common sense1 that when we tug at a horse's bridle he should oblige us by coming to a halt1 yet1 in his fast paces1 we find the pull produces a precisely contrary effect2 and for this habit1 which during the process of breaking has become a second nature1 we must make strong allowances1 particularly in the hurry and excitement of crossing a country after a pack of hounds4 ,it has happened to most of us1 no doubt1 at some period to have owned a favourite1 whose mouth was so fine1 temper so perfect1 courage so reliable1 and who had so learned to accommodate pace and action to our lightest indications1 that when thus mounted we felt we could go tit-tupping over a country with slackened rein and toe in stirrup1 as if cantering in the ,park4 ,as we near our fence1 a little more forbidding1 perhaps1 than common1 every stride seems timed like clockwork1 and1 unwilling to interfere with such perfect mechanism1 we drop our hand1 trusting wholly in the honour of our horse4 ,at the very last stride the traitor refuses1 and whisks round4 ,et tu brute6 we exclaim--,are you also a brute8--and catching him vigorously by the head1 we ram him again at the obstacle to fly over it like a bird4 ,early associations had prevailed1 and our stanch friend disappointed us1 not from cowardice1 temper1 nor incapacity1 but only from the influence of an education based on principles contrary to common sense4 ,the great art of horsemanship1 then1 is to find out what the animal requires of us1 and to meet its wishes1 even its prejudices1 half-way4 ,cool with the rash1 and daring with the cautious1 it is wise to retain the semblance1 at least1 of a self-possession superior to casualties1 and equal to any emergency1 from a refusal to a fall4 ,though give and take is the very first principle of handling1 too sudden a variation of pressure has a tendency to confuse and flurry a hunter1 whether in the gallop or when collecting itself for the leap4 ,if you have been holding a horse hard by the head1 to let him go in the last stride is very apt to make him run into his fence2 while1 if you have been riding with a light hand and loosened rein1 a chuck under the chin at an inopportune moment distracts his attention1 and causes him to drop short4 ,how did you get your fall8 is a common question in the hunting-field4 ,if the partner at one end of the bridle could speak1 how often would he answer1 ,through bad riding2 when the partner at the other dishonestly replies1 ,the brute didn't jump high enough1 or far enough1 that was all4 ,it is well for the most brilliant reputations that the noble animal is generous as he is brave1 and silent as he is wise4 ,i have already observed there are many more kinds of bridles than those just mentioned4 ,major ,dwyer's1 notably1 of which the principle is an exact fitting of bridoon and curb-bits to the horse's mouth1 seems to give general satisfaction2 and ,lord ,gardner1 whose opinion none are likely to dispute1 stamps it with his approval4 ,i confess1 however1 to a preference for the old-fashioned double-bridles1 such as are called respectively the ,dunchurch1 ,nos4 #a and #b1 being persuaded that these will meet the requirements of nine horses out of ten that have any business in the hunting-field4 ,the first1 very large1 powerful1 and of stronger leverage than the second1 should be used with discretion1 but1 in good hands1 is an instrument against which the most resolute puller1 if he insists on fighting with it1 must contend in vain4 ,thus tackled1 and ridden by such a horseman as ,mr4 ,angerstein1 for instance1 of ,weeting1 in ,norfolk1 ,i do not believe there are half-a-dozen hunters in ,england that could get the mastery4 ,whilst living in ,northamptonshire ,i remember he owned a determined runaway1 not inappropriately called ,hard ,bargain1 that in this bridle he could turn and twist like a pony4 ,i have no doubt he has not forgotten the horse1 nor a capital run from ,misterton1 in which1 with his usual kindness1 he lent him thus bridled to a friend4 ,i have seen horses go very pleasantly in what ,i believe is called the half-moon bit1 of which the bridoon1 having no joint1 is shaped so as to take the curve of the animal's mouth4 ,i have never tried one1 but the idea seems good1 as based on the principle of comfort to the horse4 ,when we can arrive at that essential1 combined with power to the rider1 we may congratulate ourselves on possessing the right bridle at last1 and need have no scruple in putting the animal to its best pace1 confident we can stop it at will4 ,we should never forget that the faster hounds run1 the more desirable is it to have perfect control of our conveyance2 and that a hunter of very moderate speed1 easy to turn1 and quick on its legs1 will cross a country with more expedition than a race-horse that requires half a field to go about2 and that we dare not extend lest1 with too much way on1 he should get completely out of our hand4 ,once past the gap you fancied1 you will never find a place in the fence you like so well again4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,abuse ,,of ,,the ,,spur4 ,you may ride us1 ,with one soft kiss1 a thousand furlongs1 ere ,with spurs we heat an acre4 ,says ,hermione1 and indeed that gentle lady's illustration equally applies to an inferior order of beings1 from which also man derives much comfort and delight4 ,it will admit of discussion whether the armed heel1 with all its terrors1 has not1 on the race-course at least1 lost more triumphs than it has won4 ,i have been told that ,fordham1 who seems to be first past the judges' chair oftener than any jockey of the day1 wholly repudiates the tormentors1 arguing that they only make a horse shorten his stride1 and shut up1 to use an expressive term1 instead of struggling gallantly home4 ,judging by analogy1 it is easy to conceive that such may be the case4 ,the tendency of the human frame seems certainly to contract rather than expand its muscles1 with instinctive repugnance at the stab of a sharp instrument1 or even the puncture of a thorn4 ,it is not while receiving punishment but administering it that the prize-fighter opens his shoulders and lets out4 ,there is no doubt that many horses1 thoroughbred ones especially1 will stop suddenly1 even in their gallop1 and resent by kicking an indiscreet application of the spurs4 ,a determined rider who keeps them screwed in the animal's flanks eventually gains the victory4 ,but such triumphs of severity and main force are the last resource of an authority that ought never to be disputed1 as springing less from fear than confidence and good-will4 ,it cannot be denied that there are many fools in the world1 yet1 regarding matters of opinion1 the majority are generally right4 ,a top-boot has an unfinished look without its appendage of shining steel2 and1 although some sportmen assure us they dispense with rowels1 it is rare to find one so indifferent to appearances as not to wear spurs4 ,there must be some good reason for this general adoption of an instrument that1 from the days of chivalry1 has been the very stamp and badge of a superiority which the man on horseback assumes over the man on foot4 ,let us weigh the arguments for and against this emblem of knighthood before we decide4 ,in the riding-school1 and particularly for military purposes1 when the dragoon's right hand is required for his weapon1 these aids1 as they are called1 seem to enhance that pressure of the leg which acts on the horse's quarters1 as the rein on his forehand1 bringing his whole body into the required position4 ,perhaps if the boot were totally unarmed much time might be lost in making his pupil understand the horseman's wishes1 but any one who has ridden a perfectly trained charger knows how much more accurately it answers to the leg than the heel1 and how awkwardly a horse acquits himself that has been broke in very sharp spurs2 every touch causing it to wince and swerve too far in the required direction1 glancing off at a tangent1 like a boat that is over ready in answering her helm4 ,patience and a light switch1 ,i believe1 would fulfil all the purposes of the spur1 even in the manege2 but delay is doubtless a drawback1 and there are reasons for going the shortest way on occasion1 even if it be not the smoothest and the best4 ,it is quite unnecessary1 however1 and even prejudicial1 to have the rowels long and sharp4 ,nothing impedes tuition like fear2 and fear in the animal creation is the offspring of pain4 ,granted1 then1 that the spur may be applied advantageously in the school1 let us see how far it is useful on the road or in the hunting-field4 ,we will start by supposing that you do not possess a really perfect hack2 that desirable animal must1 doubtless1 exist somewhere1 but1 like ,pegasus1 is more often talked of than seen4 ,nevertheless1 the roadster that carries you to business or pleasure is a sound1 active1 useful beast1 with safe1 quick action1 good shoulders1 of course1 and a willing disposition1 particularly when turned towards home4 ,how often in a week do you touch it with the spurs8 ,once1 perhaps1 by some bridle-gate1 craftily hung at precisely the angle which prevents your reaching its latch or hasp4 ,and what is the result of this little display of vexation8 ,your hack gets flurried1 sticks his nose in the air1 refuses to back1 and compels you at last to open the gate with your wrong hand1 rubbing your knee against the post as he pushes through in unseemly haste1 for fear of another prod4 ,when late for dinner1 or hurrying home to outstrip the coming shower1 you may fondly imagine that but for the persuaders you would have been drenched to the skin2 and1 relating your adventures at the fire-side1 will probably declare that you stuck the spurs into him the last mile1 and came along as hard as he could drive4 ,but1 if you were to visit him in the stable1 you would probably find his flanks untouched1 and would1 ,i am sure1 be pleased rather than disappointed at the discovery4 ,happily1 not one man in ten knows how to spur a horse1 and the tenth is often the most unwilling to administer so severe a punishment4 ,ladies1 however1 are not so merciful4 ,perhaps because they have but one1 they use this stimulant liberally1 and without compunction4 ,from their seat1 and shortness of stirrup1 every kick tells home4 ,concealed under a riding-habit1 these vigorous applications are unsuspected by lookers-on2 and the unwary wonder why1 in the streets of ,london or the ,park1 a ladies' horse always appears to go in a lighter and livelier form than that of her male companion4 ,it's a woman's hand1 says the admiring pedestrian4 ,not a bit of it1 answers the cynic who knows2 it's a woman's heel4 ,but1 however sparing you may be of the spurs in lane or bridle-road1 you are tempted to ply them far too freely in the anxiety and excitement of the hunting-field4 ,have you ever noticed the appearance of a white horse at the conclusion of some merry gallop over a strongly fenced country8 ,the pure conspicuous colour tells sad tales1 and the smooth1 thin-skinned flanks are too often stained and plastered with red4 ,many bad horsemen spur their horses without meaning it2 many worse1 mean to spur their horses at every fence1 and do4 ,a ,leicestershire notability1 of the last generation once dubbed a rival with the expressive title of a hard funker2 and the term1 so happily applied1 fully rendered what he meant4 ,of all riders the hard funker is the most unmerciful to his beast2 at every turn he uses his spurs cruelly1 not because he is hard1 but because he funks4 ,let us watch him crossing a country1 observing his style as a warning rather than an example4 ,hesitation and hurry are his principal faults1 practised1 with much impartiality1 in alternate extremes4 ,though half-way across a field1 he is still undecided where to get out4 ,this vacillation communicates itself in electric sympathy to his horse1 and both go wavering down to their fence1 without the slightest idea what they mean to do when they arrive4 ,some ten strides off the rider makes up his mind1 selecting1 probably1 an extremely awkward place1 for no courage is so desperate as that which is founded on fear4 ,want of determination is now supplemented by excessive haste and1 with incessant application of the spurs1 his poor horse is hurried wildly at the leap4 ,that it gets over without falling1 as happens oftener than might be supposed1 seems due to activity in the animal rather than sagacity in the rider1 and a strong instinct of self-preservation in both2 but such a process1 repeated again and again during a gallop1 even of twenty minutes1 tells fearfully on wind and muscle1 nor have many hunters sufficient powers of endurance to carry these exacting performers through a run4 ,still the h4 f4 would be nothing without his spurs1 and ,i grant that to him these instruments are indispensable1 if he is to get from one field to another2 but of what use are they to such men as ,mr4 ,gilmour1 ,captain ,coventry1 ,sir ,frederic ,johnston1 ,captain ,boyce1 ,mr4 ,hugh ,lowther1 and a host more that ,i could name1 who seem to glide over ,leicestershire1 and other strongly-fenced countries1 as a bird glides through the air4 ,day after day1 unless accidentally scored in a fall1 you may look in vain for a spur-mark on their horses sides4 ,shoulders and quarters1 indeed1 are reddened by gashes from a hundred thorns2 but the virgin spot1 a handsbreadth behind the girths1 is pure and stainless still4 ,yet not one of the gentlemen ,i have named will ride without the instrument he uses so rarely1 if at all2 and they must cherish1 therefore1 some belief in its virtue1 when called into play1 strong enough to counterbalance its indisputable disadvantages--notably1 the stabbing of a hunter's side1 when its rider's foot is turned outwards by a stake or grower1 and the tearing of its back or quarters in the struggle and confusion of a fall4 ,there is one excellent reason that1 perhaps1 ,i may have overlooked4 ,it is tiresome to answer the same question over and over again1 and in a field of #bjj sportsmen you are sure to be asked almost as many times1 ,why don't you wear spurs8 if you set appearances at defiance by coming into the hunting-field without them4 ,in my personal recollection ,i can only call to mind one man who systematically abjured so essential a finish to the horseman's dress and equipment4 ,this was ,mr4 ,tomline of ,leigh ,lodge1 a ,leicestershire farmer and horse-dealer1 well-known some thirty years ago as one of the finest riders and straightest goers that ever got into a saddle4 ,his costume1 indeed1 was not of so careful a nature that want of completeness in any one particular could spoil the general effect4 ,he always hunted in a rusty1 worn pilot-jacket1 drab breeches with strings untied1 brown-topped boots1 and a large ill-fitting hat1 carrying in his hand a ground-ash plant1 totally useless for opening a gate if he did not happen to jump it4 ,yet thus accoutred1 and generally on a young one1 so long as his horse's condition lasted1 he was sure to be in front1 and1 when the fences were rougher than common1 with but two or three companions at most4 ,i have not yet forgotten the style in which ,i once saw him coax a four-year-old to jump a bottom under ,launde1 fortified by a high post and rail--down-hill--a bad take off--and almost a ravine on the far side6 ,with his powerful grip and exquisite handling1 he seemed to persuade the pupil that it was as willing as the master4 ,my own spurs were four inches long1 and ,i was riding the best hunter in my stable1 but ,i don't think ,i would have had the same place for fifty pounds6 ,a paradox1 like an ,irishman's bull1 will sometimes convey our meaning more impressively than a logical statement4 ,it seems paradoxical1 yet ,i believe it is sound sense to say that no man should arm his heels with spurs unless he is so good a rider as to be sure they shall not touch his horse4 ,to punish him with them involuntarily is1 of course1 like any other blunder totally inadmissible1 but when applied with intention1 they should be used sparingly and only as a last resource4 ,that there are occasions on which they rouse a horse's energies for a momentary effort1 ,i am disposed to admit less from my own experience than the opinion of those for whose practical knowledge in all such matters ,i have the greatest respect4 ,both the ,messrs4 ,coventry1 in common with other first-rate steeple-chase riders1 advocate their use on rare occasions and under peculiar circumstances4 ,poor ,jem ,mason never went hunting without them1 and would not1 ,i think1 have hesitated to apply them pretty freely if required1 but then these could all spur their horses in the right place1 leaning back the while and altering in no way the force and bearing of hand or seat4 ,most men1 on the contrary1 stoop forward and let their horses' heads go when engaged in this method of compulsion1 and even if their heels do reach the mark1 by no means a certainty1 gain but little with the rowels compared to all they lose with the reins4 ,there is no fault in a hunter so annoying to a man whose heart is in the sport as a tendency to refuse4 ,it utterly defeats the timid and damps the courage of the bold1 while even to him who rides that he may hunt rather than hunts that he may ride1 it is intensely provoking1 as he is apt to lose by it that start which is so invaluable in a quick thing1 and1 when a large field are all struggling for the same object1 so difficult to regain4 ,this perversity of disposition too1 is very apt to be displayed at some fence that will not admit of half-measures1 such as a rail low enough to jump1 but too strong to break1 or a ditch so wide and deep that it must not be attempted as a standing leap4 ,in these cases a vigorous dig with the spurs at the last moment will sometimes have an excellent effect4 ,but it must not be trusted as an unfailing remedy4 ,nearly as many hunters will resent so broad a hint1 by stopping short1 and turning restive1 as will spring generously forward1 and make a sudden effort in answer to the appeal4 ,for this1 as for every other requirement of equitation1 much depends on an insight into his character1 whom an enthusiastic friend of mine designates the bolder and wiser animal of the two4 ,few men go out hunting with the expectation of encountering more than one or two falls in the best of runs1 although the score sometimes increases very rapidly1 when a good and gallant horse is getting tired towards the finish4 ,twenty croppers in a season1 if he is well-mounted1 seems a high average for the most determined of bruisers1 but a man1 whom circumstances impel to ride whatever he can lay hands on1 must take into consideration how he can best rise from the ground unhurt with no less forethought than he asks his way to the meet or inquires into the condition of his mount4 ,to such a bold rider the spur may seem an indispensable article1 but he must remember that even if its application should save him on occasion1 which ,i am not altogether prepared to admit1 the appendage itself is most inconvenient when down4 ,i cannot remember a single instance of a man's foot remaining fixed in the stirrup who was riding without spurs4 ,i do not mean to say such a catastrophe is impossible1 but ,i have good reason to know that the buckle on the instep1 which when brightly polished imparts such a finish to the lustrous wrinkles of a well-made boot1 is extremely apt to catch in the angle of the stirrup iron1 and hold us fast at the very moment when it is most important to our safety we should be free4 ,i have headed this chapter ,the ,abuse of the ,spur1 because ,i hold that implement of horsemanship to be in general most unmercifully abused1 so much so that ,i believe it would be far better for the majority of horses1 and riders too1 if it had never come into vogue4 ,the perfect equestrian may be trusted indeed with rowels sharp and long as those that jingle at the ,mexican's heels on his boundless prairies1 but1 as in the days of chivalry1 these ornaments should be won by prowess to be worn with honour2 and ,i firmly believe that nine out of every ten men who come out hunting would be better and more safely carried if they left their spurs at home4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,hand4 ,what is it8 ,intellect1 nerve1 sympathy1 confidence1 skill8 ,none of these can be said to constitute this quality2 rather it is a combination of all1 with something superinduced that can only be called a magnetic affinity between the aggressive spirit of man and the ductile nature of the beast4 ,he spurred the old horse1 and he held him tight1 ,and leaped him out over the wall1 says ,kingsley1 in his stirring ballad of ,the ,knight's ,last ,leap at ,alten-ahr2 and ,kingsley1 an excellent rider himself1 thus described exactly how the animal should have been put at its formidable fence4 ,most poets would have let their horse's head go--the loose rein is a favourite method of making play in literature--and a fatal refusal must have been the result4 ,the ,german ,knight1 however1 whose past life seems to have been no less disreputable than his end was tragic1 had not ,lived by the saddle for years a score1 to fail in his horsemanship at the finish1 and so1 when he came to jump his last fence1 negotiated it with no less skill than daring--grim1 quiet1 resolute1 strong of seat1 and firm of hand4 ,the latter quality seems1 however1 much the rarer of the two4 ,for ten men who can stick to the saddle like ,centaurs you will hardly find one gifted with that nicety of touch which horses so willingly obey1 and which1 if not inborn1 seems as difficult to acquire by practice as the draughtsman's eye for outline1 or the musician's ear for sound4 ,attention1 reflection1 painstaking1 and common sense1 can1 nevertheless1 do much2 and1 if the brain will only take the trouble to think1 the clumsiest fingers that ever mismanaged a bridle may be taught in time to humour it like a silken thread4 ,i have been told1 though ,i never tried the experiment1 that if you take bold chanticleer from his perch1 and1 placing his bill on a table1 draw from it a line of chalk by candle-light1 the poor dazed fowl makes no attempt to stir from this imaginary bondage1 persuaded that it is secured by a cord it has not strength enough to break4 ,we should never get on horseback without remembering this unaccountable illusion2 our control by means of the bridle is1 in reality1 little more substantial than the chalk-line that seems to keep the bird in durance4 ,it should be our first consideration so to manage the rein we handle as never to give our horse the opportunity of discovering our weakness and his own strength4 ,how is this to be effected8 ,by letting his head go1 and allowing him to carry us where he will8 ,certainly not1 or we should have no need for the bridle at all4 ,by pulling at him1 then1 with main strength1 and trying the muscular power of our arms against that of his shoulders and neck8 ,comparing these relative forces again1 we are constrained to answer1 ,certainly not2 the art of control is essentially founded on compromise4 ,in riding1 as in diplomacy1 we must always be ready to give an inch that we may take an ell4 ,the first principle of horsemanship is to make the animal believe we can rule its wildest mood2 the next1 to prevent1 at any sacrifice1 the submission of this plausible theory to proof4 ,you get on a horse you have never seen before1 improperly bitted1 we may fairly suppose1 for few men would think of wasting as many seconds on their bridle as they devote minutes to their boots and breeches4 ,you infer1 from his wild eye and restless ear that he is a bit of a romp2 and you observe1 with some concern1 that surrounding circumstances1 a race1 a review1 a coursing-meeting1 or a sure find1 it matters little which1 are likely to rouse all the tumultuous propensities of his nature4 ,obviously it would be exceedingly bad policy to have the slightest misunderstanding4 ,the stone of ,sisyphus gathered impetus less rapidly than does a horse who is getting the better of his rider2 and ,john ,gilpin was not the first equestrian1 by a good many1 for whom ,the trot became a gallop soon1 ,in spite of curb and rein4 ,i am the owner1 ,i wish ,i could say the master1 of the four best hunters ,i ever had in my life1 wrote one of the finest horsemen in ,europe to a brother proficient in the art2 and although so frank an avowal would have seemed less surprising from an inferior performer1 his friend1 who was also in the habit of riding anything1 anywhere1 and over everything1 doubtless understood perfectly what he meant4 ,now in equitation there can be no divided empire2 and the horse will most assuredly be master if the man is not4 ,in the interests of good government1 then1 beware how you let your authority literally slip through your fingers1 for1 once lost1 it will not easily be regained4 ,draw your reins gently to an equal length1 and ascertain the precise bearing on your horse's mouth that seems1 while he is yet in a walk1 to influence his action without offending his sensitiveness4 ,but this cannot be accomplished with the hands alone2 these members1 though supposed to be the prime agents of control1 will do little without the assistance of legs and knees pressing the sides and flanks of the animal1 so as to urge him against the touch of his bit1 from which he will probably show a tendency to recoil1 and1 as it is roughly called1 forcing him into his bridle4 ,the absence of this leg-power is an incalculable disadvantage to ladies1 and affords the strongest reason1 amongst many1 why they should be mounted only on temperate and perfectly broken horses4 ,how much oftener would they come to grief but that their seat compels them to ride with such long reins as insure light hands1 and that their finer sympathy seems fully understood and gratefully appreciated by the most sympathetic of all the brute creation6 ,the style adopted by good horsewomen1 especially in crossing a country1 has in it much to be admired1 something1 also1 to be deprecated and deplored4 ,they allow their horses plenty of liberty1 and certainly interfere but little with their heads1 even at the greatest emergencies2 but their ideas of pace are unreasonably liberal1 and they are too apt to chance it at the fences1 encouraging with voice and whip the haste that in the last few strides it is judicious to repress4 ,it seems to me they are safer in a bank-and-ditch country than amongst the high strong fences of the grazing districts1 where a horse must be roused and held together that he may jump well up in the air1 and extend himself afterwards1 so as to cover the wide uncertainties he may find on the landing side4 ,for a bank he is pretty sure to collect himself without troubling his rider2 and this is1 perhaps1 why ,irishmen1 as a general rule1 use such light bridles4 ,now1 a woman cannot possibly bring her horse up to a high staked-and-bound fence1 out of deep ground1 with the strength and resolution of a man1 whose very grip in the saddle seems to extort from the animal its utmost energies4 ,half measures are fatal in a difficulty1 and1 as she seems unable to interfere with good effect she is wise to let it alone4 ,we may learn from her1 however1 one of the most effective secrets of the whole art1 and that is1 to ride with long reins4 ,always give them plenty of rope1 said poor ,jem ,mason1 when instructing a beginner2 and he certainly practised what he preached4 ,i have seen his hands carried so high as to be level with his elbows1 but his horse's head was always in the right place2 and to this must be attributed the fact that1 while he rode to hounds straighter than anybody else1 he got comparatively few falls4 ,a man with long reins not only affords his horse greater liberty at his fences1 but allows him every chance of recovery should he get into difficulties on landing1 the rider not being pulled with a jerk on the animal's neck and shoulders1 so as to throw both of them down1 when they ought to have got off with a scramble4 ,let us return to the horse you have lately mounted1 not without certain misgivings that he may be tempted to insubordination under the excitement of tumult1 rivalry1 or noise4 ,when you have discovered the amount of repression1 probably very slight1 that he accepts without resentment1 at a walk1 increase your pace gradually1 still with your legs keeping him well into his bridle1 carrying your hands low down on his withers1 and1 if you take my advice1 with a rein in each4 ,you will find this method affords you great control of your horse's head1 and enables you1 by drawing the bit through his mouth1 to counteract any arrangement on his part for a dead pull1 which could have but one result4 ,should you1 moreover1 find it necessary to jump1 you can thus hold him perfectly straight at his fences1 so that he must either decline altogether or go exactly where you put him4 ,young1 headstrong horses are exceedingly apt to swerve from the place selected for them1 and to rise sideways at some strong bit of timber1 or impracticable part of a bullfinch2 and this is a most dangerous experiment1 causing the worst kind of falls to which the sportsman is liable4 ,riding thus two-handed1 you will probably find your new acquaintance bends to you in his canter better than in his trot1 and if so1 you may safely push him to a gallop1 taking great care1 however1 not to let him extend himself too much4 ,when he goes on his shoulders1 he becomes a free agent2 so long as his haunches are under him1 you can keep him1 as it is called1 in your hand4 ,there is considerable scope for thought in this exercise of manual skill1 and it is always wise to save labour of body by use of brain4 ,take care then1 to have your front clear1 so that your horse may flatter himself he is leading his comrades1 when he will not give you half so much trouble to retain him in reasonable bounds4 ,strategy is here required no less than tactics1 and horsemanship even as regards the bridle1 is quite as much a matter of head as hand4 ,if you are out hunting1 and have got thus far on good terms1 you will probably now be tempted to indulge in a leap4 ,we cannot1 unfortunately1 select these obstacles exactly as we wish2 it is quite possible your first fence may be high1 strong1 and awkward1 with every probability of a fall4 ,take your horse at it quietly1 but resolutely1 in a canter1 remembering that the quicker and shorter his strides1 while gathering impetus1 the greater effort he can make when he makes his spring4 ,above all1 measure with your eye1 and endeavour to show him by the clip of your thighs1 and the sway of your body1 exactly where he should take off4 ,on this important point depends1 almost entirely1 the success of your leap4 ,half a stride means some six or seven feet2 to leave the ground that much too soon adds the width of a fair-sized ditch to his task1 and if the sum total prove too much for him you cannot be surprised at the result4 ,this is1 ,i think1 one of the most important points in horsemanship as applied to riding across a country4 ,it is a detail in which ,lord ,wilton particularly excels1 and although so good a huntsman must despise a compliment to his mere riding1 ,i cannot refrain from mentioning ,tom ,firr1 as another proficient who possesses this enviable knack in an extraordinary degree4 ,many of us can remember ,cap ,tomline1 a professional rough rider1 living at or near ,billesdon1 within the last twenty years1 as fine a horseman as his namesake1 whom ,i have already mentioned1 and a somewhat lighter weight4 ,for one sovereign1 ,cap1 as we used to call him1 was delighted to ride anybody's horse under any circumstances1 over1 or into any kind of fence the owner chose to point out4 ,after going brilliantly through a run1 ,i have seen him1 to my mind most injudiciously1 desired to lark home alongside1 while we watched his performance from the road4 ,he was particularly fond of timber1 and notwithstanding that his horse was usually rash1 inexperienced1 or bad-tempered1 otherwise he would not have been riding him1 ,i can call to mind very few occasions on which ,i saw him down4 ,one unusually open winter1 when he hunted five and six days a week from ,october to ,april1 he told me he had only fifteen falls1 and that taking the seasons as they came1 thirteen was about his average4 ,nor was he a very light-weight--spare1 lengthy1 and muscular1 he turned twelve stone in his hunting clothes1 which were by no means of costly material4 ,horses rarely refused with him1 and though they often had a scramble for it1 as seldom fell1 but under his method of riding1 sitting well down in the saddle1 with the reins in both hands1 they never took off wrong1 and in this lay the great secret of his superiority4 ,when ,i knew him he was an exceedingly temperate man2 for many years ,i believe he drank only water1 and he eschewed tobacco in every form4 ,the reason you gentlemen have such bad nerves1 he said to me1 jogging home to ,melton one evening in the dusk that always meets us about ,somerby1 is because you smoke so much4 ,it turns your brains to a kind of vapour6 the inference was startling1 ,i thought1 and not complimentary1 but there might be some truth in it nevertheless4 ,we have put off a great deal of time at our first fence1 let us do it without a fall1 if we can4 ,when a hunter's quarters are under him in taking off1 he has them ready to help him over any unforeseen difficulty that may confront him on the other side4 ,should there be a bank from which he can get a purchase for a second effort1 he will poise himself on it lightly as a bird1 or perhaps1 dropping his hind-legs only1 shoot himself well into the next field1 with that delightful elasticity which1 met by a corresponding action of his rider's loins1 imparts to the horseman such sensations of confidence and dexterity as are felt by some buoyant swimmer1 wafted home on the roll of an incoming wave4 ,strong hocks and thighs1 a mutual predilection for the chase1 a bold heart between the saddle-flaps1 another under the waistcoat1 and a pair of light hands1 form a combination that few fences after ,christmas are strong enough or blind enough to put down4 ,and now please not to forget that soundest of maxims1 applicable to all affairs alike by land or sea--,while she lies her course1 let the ship steer herself4 ,if your horse is going to his own satisfaction1 do not be too particular that he should go entirely to yours4 ,so long as you can steady him1 never mind that he carries his head a little up or a little down4 ,if he shakes it you know you have got him1 and can pull him off in a hundred yards4 ,keep your hands quiet and not too low4 ,it is a well-known fact1 of which1 however1 many draughtsmen seem ignorant1 that the horse in action never puts his fore-feet beyond his nose4 ,you need only watch the finish of a race to be satisfied of this1 and indeed the ,derby winner in his supreme effort is almost as straight as an old-fashioned frigate1 from stem to stern1 while a line dropped perpendicularly from his muzzle would exactly touch the tips of his toes4 ,now1 if your hands are on each side of your horse's withers1 you make him bend his neck so much as to contract his stride within three-quarter speed1 whereas when you carry them about the level of your own hips1 and nearly as far back1 he has enough freedom of head to extend himself without getting beyond your control1 and room besides to look about him1 of which be sure he will avail himself for your mutual advantage4 ,i have ridden hunters that obviously found great pleasure in watching hounds1 and1 except to measure their fences1 would never take their eyes off the pack from field to field1 so long as we could keep it in sight4 ,these animals too1 were1 invariably fine jumpers1 free1 generous1 light-hearted1 and as wise as they were bold4 ,i heard a very superior performer once remark that he not only rode every horse differently1 but he rode the same horse differently at every fence4 ,all ,i can say is1 he used to ride them all in the same place1 well up with the hounds1 but ,i think ,i understand what he meant4 ,he had his system of course1 like every other master of the art1 but it admitted of endless variations according to circumstances and the exigencies of the case4 ,no man1 ,i conclude1 rides so fast at a wall as a brook1 though he takes equal pains with his handling in both cases1 if in a different way1 nor would he deny a half-tired animal that support1 amounting even to a dead pull1 which might cause a hunter fresh out of his stable to imagine his utmost exertions were required forthwith4 ,nevertheless1 whether lobbing along through deep ground at the punishing period1 when we wish our fun was over1 or fingering a rash one delicately for his first fence1 a stile1 we will say1 downhill with a bad take-off1 when we could almost wish it had not begun1 we equally require such a combination of skill1 science1 and sagacity1 or rather common-sense1 as goes by the name of hand4 ,when the player possesses this quality in perfection it is wonderful how much can be done with the instrument of which he holds the strings4 ,i remember seeing the ,reverend ,john ,bower1 an extraordinarily fine rider of the last generation1 hand his horse over an ugly iron-bound stile1 on to some stepping-stones1 with a drop of six or seven feet1 into a ,leicestershire lane1 as calmly as if the animal had been a lady whom he was taking out for a walk4 ,he pulled it back into a trot1 sitting very close and quiet1 with his hand raised two or three inches above the withers1 and ,i can still recall1 as if ,i had seen it yesterday1 the curve of neck and quarters1 as1 gently mouthing the bit1 that well-broken hunter poised lightly for its spring1 and landing in the same collected form1 picked its way daintily1 step by step1 down the declivity1 like a cat4 ,there was a large field out1 but though ,leicestershire then1 as now1 had no lack of bold and jealous riders1 who could use heads1 hands1 and beyond all1 their heels1 nobody followed him1 and ,i think the attempt was better left alone4 ,another clergyman of our own day1 whose name ,i forbear mentioning1 because ,i think he would dislike it for professional reasons1 has the finest bridle-hand of any one ,i know4 ,you good man1 ,i once heard a foreigner observe to this gentleman1 in allusion to his bold style of riding2 it no matter if you break your neck6 ,and although ,i cannot look on the loss of such valuable lives from the same point of view as this ,continental moralist1 ,i may be permitted to regret the present scarcity of clergymen in the hunting-field4 ,it redounds greatly to their credit1 for we know how many of them deny themselves a harmless pleasure rather than offend the weaker brethren1 but what a dog in the manger must the weaker brother be6 ,i have never heard that these hunting parsons1 as they are called1 neglect the smallest detail of duty to indulge in their favourite sport1 but when they do come out you may be sure to see them in the front rank4 ,can it be that the weaker brother is jealous of his pastor's superiority in the saddle8 ,i hope not4 ,at any rate it seems unfair to cavil at the enjoyment by another of the pursuit we affect ourselves4 ,let us show more even-handed justice1 if not more charity1 and endeavour at least to follow the good man's example in the parish1 though we are afraid to ride his line across the fields4 ,it would be endless to enter on all the different styles of horsemanship in which fine hands are of the utmost utility4 ,on the race-course1 for instance1 it seems to an outsider that the whole performance of the jockey is merely a dead pull from end to end4 ,but only watch the lightest urchin that is flung on a two-year-old to scramble home five furlongs as fast as ever he can come2 you will soon be satisfied that even in these tumultuous flights there is room for the display of judgment1 patience1 though briefly tried1 and manual skill4 ,the same art is exercised on the light smooth snaffle1 held in tenacious grasp1 that causes the heavily-bitted charger to dance and passage in the school4 ,it differs only in direction and degree4 ,as much dexterity is required to prevent some playful flyer recently put in training from breaking out in a game of romps1 when he ought to be minding his business in the string as to call forth the well-drilled efforts of a war-horse1 answering wrist and leg with disciplined activity1 ready to rein back1 pass1 wheel1-- ,and high curvet that not in vain1 ,the sword-sway may descend amain ,on foeman's casque below4 ,chifney1 the great jockey of his day1 wrote an elaborate treatise on handling1 laying down the somewhat untenable position1 that even a racehorse should be held as if with a silken thread4 ,i have noticed1 too1 that our best steeplechase riders have particularly fine hands when crossing a country with hounds2 nor does their professional practice seem to make them over-hasty at their fences1 when there is time to do these with deliberation4 ,i imagine that to ride a steeplechase well1 over a strong line1 is the highest possible test of what we may call all-round horsemanship4 ,my own experience in the silk jacket has been of the slightest2 and ,i confess that1 like ,falstaff with his reasons1 ,i never fancied being rattled quite so fast at my fences on compulsion4 ,one of the finest pieces of riding ,i ever witnessed was in a steeplechase held at ,melton1 as long ago as the year #ahfd1 when1 happening to stand near the brook1 eighteen feet of water1 ,i observed my friend ,captain ,coventry come down at it4 ,choosing sound ground and a clear place1 for it was already beginning to fill with numerous competitors1 he set his horse going1 at about a hundred yards from the brink2 in the most masterly manner1 increasing the pace resolutely but gradually1 so as not to flurry or cause the animal to change his leg1 nearly to full speed before he took off4 ,i could not have believed it possible to make a horse go so fast in so collected a form2 but with the rider's strength in the saddle1 and perfectly skilful hands1 he accomplished the feat1 and got well over1 ,i need hardly say1 in his stride4 ,but1 although a fine bridle-hand1 as it is called1 proves of such advantage to the horseman in the hurry-skurry of a steeplechase or a very quick thing with hounds1 its niceties come more readily under the notice of an observer on the road than in the field4 ,perhaps the ,ride in ,hyde ,park is the place of all others where this quality is most appreciated1 and1 shall we add8 most rarely to be found4 ,a perfect ,park hack1 that can walk or canter five miles an hour1 no light criterion of action and balance1 should also be so well broke1 and so well ridden1 as to change its leg1 if asked to do so1 at every stride4 ,with woven paces1 if not with waving arms1 ,i have seen rider and horse threading in and out the trees that bisect ,rotten ,row1 without missing one1 for half a mile on end2 the animal leading with near or off leg1 as it inclined to left or right1 guided only by the inflection of the rider's body1 and the touch1 too light to be called a pressure1 of his knee and leg4 ,how seldom does one see a horse ridden properly round a corner4 ,he is usually allowed to turn on his shoulders1 with his hind-legs too far back to be of the slightest assistance if he slips or stumbles1 and should the foothold be greasy1 as may happen in ,london streets1 down he comes flat on his side4 ,even at a walk1 or slow trot1 he should be collected1 and his outer flank pressed inwards by his rider's heel1 so that the motive power in hocks and thighs is kept under his own body1 and the weight on his back4 ,in the canter it stands to reason that he should lead with the inner leg1 otherwise it is very possible he may cross the other over it1 and fall like a lump of lead4 ,i remember seeing the famous ,lord ,anglesey ride his hack at that pace nineteen times out of ,piccadilly into ,albemarle ,street1 before it turned the corner exactly to his mind4 ,the handsome old warrior who looked no less distinguished than he was1 had1 as we know1 a cork leg1 and its oscillation no doubt interfered with those niceties of horsemanship in which he delighted4 ,nevertheless at the twentieth trial he succeeded1 and a large crowd1 collected to watch him1 seemed glad of an opportunity to give their ,waterloo hero a hearty cheer as he rode away4 ,perhaps the finest pair of hands to be seen amongst the frequenters of the ,park in the present day belong to ,mr4 ,mackenzie ,greaves1 a retired cavalry officer of our own service1 who1 passionately fond of hunting and everything connected with horses1 has lately turned his attention to the subtleties of the haute ecole1 nowhere better understood1 by a select few1 than in ,paris1 where he usually resides4 ,to watch this gentleman on a horse he has broken in himself1 gliding through the crowd1 as if by mere volition1 with the smoothness1 ease1 and rapidity of a fish arrowing up a stream1 makes one quite understand how the myth of the ,centaur originated in the sculpture and poetry of ,greece4 ,in common with ,general ,laurenson1 whose name ,i have already mentioned as just such another proficient1 his system is very similar to that of ,monsieur ,baucher1 one of the few lovers of the animal either in ,france or ,england1 who have so studied its character as to reduce equine education to a science4 ,its details are far too elaborate to enter on here1 but one of its first principles1 applied in the most elementary tuition1 is never to let the horse recoil from his bridle4 ,drop your hands6 say nine good riders out of ten1 when the pupil's head is thrown up to avoid control4 ,not so1 replies ,baucher4 ,on the contrary1 tighten and increase your pressure more and more1 keeping the rebel up to his bit with legs and spurs if necessary1 till he yields1 not you2 then on the instant1 rapidly and dexterously1 as you would strike in fly-fishing1 give to him1 and he will come into your hand6 ,i have tried his method myself1 in more than one instance1 and am inclined to think it is founded on common sense4 ,but in all our dealings with him1 we should remember that the horse's mouth is naturally delicate and sensitive though we so often find it hardened by violence and ill-usage4 ,the amount of force we apply1 therefore1 whether small or great1 should be measured no less accurately than the drops of laudanum administered to a patient by the nurse4 ,reins are intended for the guidance of the horse1 not the support of his rider1 and if you do not feel secure without holding on by something1 rather than pluck at his mouth1 accept the ridicule of the position with its safety1 and grasp the mane6 ,seriously1 you may do worse in a difficulty when your balance is in danger1 and instinct prompts you to restore it1 as1 if a horse is struggling out of a bog1 has dropped his hind-legs in a brook1 or otherwise come on his nose without actually falling1 nothing so impedes his endeavours to right himself as a tug of the bridle at an inopportune moment4 ,that instrument should be used for its legitimate purposes alone1 and a strong seat in the saddle is the first essential for a light hand on the rein4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,seat4 ,some people tell you they ride by balance1 others by grip4 ,i think a man might as well say he played the fiddle by finger1 or by ear4 ,surely in either case a combination of both is required to sustain the performance with harmony and success4 ,the grip preserves the balance1 which in turn prevents the grip becoming irksome4 ,to depend on the one alone is to come home very often with a dirty coat1 to cling wholly by the other is to court as much fatigue in a day as ought to serve for a week4 ,i have more than once compared riding to swimming1 it seems to require the same buoyancy of spirits1 the same venture of body1 the same happy combination of confidence1 strength1 and skill4 ,the seat a man finds easiest to himself1 says the inimitable ,mr4 ,jorrocks1 will in all humane probability be the easiest to his 'oss6 and in this1 as in every other remark of the humorous grocer1 there is no little wisdom and truth4 ,if he go smooth1 ,i am1#ie-a said a ,frenchman1 to whom a friend of mine offered a mount1 if he go rough1 ,i shall not remain6 and doubtless the primary object of getting into a saddle1 is to stay there at our own convenience1 so long as circumstances permit4 #ie-a ,j'y suis4 ,but what a number of different attitudes do men adopt1 in order to insure this permanent settlement4 ,there is no position1 from the tongs in the fender1 to the tailor on his shop-board1 into which the equestrian has not forced his unaccustomed limbs1 to avoid involuntary separation from his beast4 ,the dragoon of fifty years ago was drilled to ride with a straight leg1 and his foot barely resting on the stirrup1 whereas the oriental cavalry soldier1 no mean proficient in the management of horse and weapon1 tucks his knees up nearly to his chin1 so that when he rises in the saddle1 he towers above his little ,arab as if he were standing rather than sitting on its back4 ,the position1 he argues1 gives him a longer reach1 and a stronger purchase for the use of sword and spear4 ,if we are to judge by illuminated copies of ,froissart1 and other contemporary chronicles1 it would seem that the armour-clad knight of the olden time1 trusting in the depth and security of his saddle1 rode so long as to derive no assistance whatever from his stirrups1 sitting down on his horse as much as possible1 in dread1 may be1 lest the point of an adversary's lance should hoist him fairly out of his place over a cantle six inches high1 and send him clanging to the ground1 in mail and plate1 surcoat1 helmet and plumes1 with his lady-love1 squires1 yeomen1 the marshals of the lists1 and all his feudal enemies looking on6 ,now the length of stirrup with which a man should ride1 and in its adjustment consists much of the ease1 grace1 and security of his position1 depends on the conformation of his lower limbs4 ,if his thighs are long in proportion to his frame1 flat and somewhat curved inwards1 he will sit very comfortably at the exact length that raises him clear of his horse's withers1 when he stands up in his stirrups with his feet home1 and the majority of men thus limbed1 on the majority of horses1 will find this a good general rule4 ,but when the legs are short and muscular1 the thighs round and thick1 the whole frame square and strong1 more like wrestling than dancing1 and many very superior riders are of this figure1 the leathers must be pulled up a couple of holes1 and the foot thrust a little more forward1 to obtain the necessary security of seat1 at a certain sacrifice of grace and even ease4 ,to look as neat as one can is a compliment to society1 to be safe and comfortable is a duty to oneself4 ,much also depends on the animal we bestride4 ,horses low in the withers1 and strong behind the saddle1 particularly if inclined to catch hold a little1 require in all cases rather shorter stirrups than their easier and truer-shaped stable-companions1 nay1 the varying roundness of barrel at different stages of condition affects the attitude of a rider1 and most of us must have remarked1 as horse and master get finer drawn towards the spring1 how we let out the stirrups in proportion as we take in waistbelt1 and saddle girths4 ,men rode well nevertheless1 witness the ,elgin marbles1 before the invention of this invaluable aid to horsemanship2 and no equestrian can be considered perfect who is unable in a plunge or leap to stick on his horse bare-backed4 ,every boy should be taught to ride without stirrups1 but not till he is tall and strong enough to grasp his pony firmly between his knees4 ,a child of six or seven might injure itself in the effort1 and ten1 or eleven1 is an early age enough for our young gentleman to be initiated into the subtleties of the art4 ,my own idea is that he should begin without reins1 so as to acquire a seat totally independent of his hands1 and should never be trusted with a bridle till it is perfectly immaterial to him whether he has hold of it or not4 ,neither should it be restored1 after his stirrups have been taken away1 till he has again proved himself independent of its support4 ,when he has learnt to canter round the school1 and sit firm over a leaping bar1 with his feet swinging loose1 and his hands in his pockets1 he will have become a better horseman than ninety-nine out of every hundred who go out hunting4 ,henceforward you may trust him to take care of himself1 and swim alone4 ,in every art it is well to begin from the very first with the best method2 and ,i would instil into a pupil1 even of the tenderest years1 that although his legs1 and especially his knees1 are to be applied firmly to his pony's sides1 as affording a security against tumbling off1 it is from the loins that he must really ride1 when all is said and done4 ,i dare say most of us can remember the mechanical horse exhibited in ,piccadilly some ten or twelve years ago1 a ,german invention1 remarkable for its ingenuity and the wonderful accuracy with which it imitated1 in an exaggerated degree1 the kicks1 plunges1 and other outrages practised by the most restive of the species to unseat their riders4 ,shaped in the truest symmetry1 clad in a real horse's skin1 with flowing mane and tail1 this automaton represented the live animal in every particular1 but for the pivot on which it turned1 a shaft entering the belly below its girths1 and communicating through the floor with the machinery that set in motion and regulated its astonishing vagaries4 ,on mounting1 the illusion was complete4 ,its very neck was so constructed with hinges that1 on pulling at the bridle1 it gave you its head without changing the direction of its body1 exactly like an unbroken colt as yet intractable to the bit4 ,at a word from the inventor1 spoken in his own language to his assistants below1 this artificial charger committed every kind of wickedness that could be devised by a fiend in equine shape4 ,it reared straight on end2 it lunged forward with its nose between its fore-feet1 and its tail elevated to a perpendicular1 awkward and ungainly as that of a swan in reverse4 ,it lay down on its side2 it rose to its legs with a bounce1 and finally1 if the rider's strength and dexterity enabled him still to remain in the saddle1 it wheeled round and round with a velocity that could not fail at last to shoot him out of his seat on to the floor1 humanely spread with mattresses1 in anticipation of this inevitable catastrophe4 ,it is needless to say how such an exhibition drew1 with so horse-loving a public as our own4 ,no gentleman who fancied he could ride a bit was satisfied till he had taken his shilling's worth and the mechanical horse had put him on his back4 ,but for the mattresses1 ,piccadilly could have counted more broken collar-bones than ever did ,leicestershire in the blindest and deepest of its ,novembers4 ,rough-riders from the ,life-,guards1 ,blues1 ,artillery1 and half the cavalry regiments in the service1 came to try conclusions with the spectre2 and1 like antagonists of some automaton chess-player1 retired defeated and dismayed4 ,for this universal failure1 one could neither blame the men nor the military system taught in their schools4 ,it stands to reason that human wind and muscle must sooner or later succumb to mechanical force4 ,the inventor himself expressed surprise at the consummate horsemanship displayed by many of his fallen visitors1 and admitted that more than one rough-rider would have tired out and subjugated any living creature of real flesh and blood2 while the essayists universally declared the imitation so perfect1 that at no period of the struggle could they believe they were contending with clock-work1 rather than the natural efforts of some wild unbroken colt4 ,but those who succeeded best1 ,i remarked 7and ,i speak with some little experience1 having myself been indebted to the mattresses in my turn71 were the horsemen who1 allowing their loins to play freely1 yielding more or less to every motion of the figure1 did not trust exclusively for firmness of seat to the clasp of their knees and thighs4 ,the mere balance rider had not a chance1 the athlete who stuck on by main force found himself hurled into the air1 with a violence proportioned to his own stubborn resistance2 but the artist who judiciously combined strength with skill1 giving a little here that he might get a stronger purchase there1 swaying his body loosely to meet and accompany every motion1 while he kept his legs pressed hard against the saddle1 withstood trick after trick1 and shock after shock creditably enough1 till a hint muttered in ,german that it was time to displace him1 put such mechanism in motion as settled the matter forthwith4 ,there was one detail1 however1 to be observed in the equipment of the mechanical horse that brings us to a question ,i have heard discussed amongst the best riders with very decided opinions on either side4 ,formerly every saddle used to be made with padding about half an inch deep1 sewn in the front rim of the flap against which a rider rests his knee1 for the purpose1 as it would seem1 of affording him a stronger seat with its resistance and support4 ,thirty or forty years ago a few noted sportsmen1 despising such adventitious aid1 began to adopt the open1 or plain-flapped saddle2 and1 although not universal1 it has now come into general use4 ,it would certainly1 of the two1 have been the better adapted to the automaton ,i have described1 as an inequality of surface was sadly in the way when the figure in its downward perpendicular1 brought the rider's foot parallel with the point of its shoulders4 ,the man's calf then necessarily slipped over the padding of his saddle1 and it was impossible for him to get his leg back to its right place in time for a fresh outbreak when the model rose again to its proper level4 ,as ,i would prefer an open saddle for the artificial1 so ,i do for the natural horse1 and ,i will explain why4 ,i take it as a general and elementary rule1 there is no better position for a rider than that which brings shoulder1 hip1 knee1 and heel into one perpendicular line4 ,a man thus placed on his horse cannot but sit well down with a bend in his back1 and in this attitude1 the one into which he would naturally fall1 if riding at full speed1 he has not only security of seat1 but great command over the animal he bestrides4 ,he will find1 nevertheless1 in crossing a country1 or otherwise practising feats of horsemanship requiring the exercise of strength1 that to get his knee an inch or two in advance of the correct line will afford such leverage as it were for the rest of his body as gives considerable advantage in any unusual difficulty1 such as a drop-leap1 for instance1 with which he may have to contend4 ,now in the plain-flapped saddle1 he can bend his leg as much as he likes1 and put it indeed where he will4 ,this facility1 too1 is very useful in smuggling through a gap by a tree1 often the most convenient egress1 to make use of which1 with a little skill and prudence1 is a less hazardous experiment than it looks4 ,a horse will take good care not to graze his own skin1 and the space that admits of clearing his hips is wide enough for his rider's leg as well1 if he hangs it over the animal's shoulder just where its neck is set on to the withers4 ,but ,i would caution him to adopt this attitude carefully and above all1 in good time4 ,he should take his foot out of the stirrup and make his preparatory arrangements some three or four strides off at least1 so as to accommodate his change of seat to the horse's canter before rising at the leap1 and if he can spare his hand nearest the tree1 so as to fend it off a little at the same time1 he will be surprised to find how safely and pleasantly he accomplished a transit through some awkward and dangerous fence4 ,but he must beware of delaying this little manoeuvre till the last moment1 when his horse is about to spring4 ,it is then too late1 and he will either find himself so thrown out of his seat as to lose balance and grip too1 or will try to save his leg by shifting it back instead of forward1 when much confusion1 bad language1 and perhaps a broken knee-pan will be the result4 ,amongst other advantages of the open saddle we must not forget that it is cheaper by twenty shillings1 and so sets off the shape of his forehand as to make a hunter look more valuable by twenty pounds4 ,nevertheless1 it is still repudiated by some of our finest horsemen1 who allege the sufficient reason that an inch or so of stuffing adds to their strength and security of seat4 ,this1 after all is1 the sine qua non1 to which every article of equipment1 even the important items of boots and breeches1 should be subservient1 and ,i may here remark that ease and freedom of dress are indispensable to a man who wishes to ride across a country not only in comfort1 but in safety4 ,i am convinced that tight1 ill-fitting leathers may have broken bones to answer for4 ,many a good fellow comes down to breakfast1 stiff of gait1 as if he were clothed in buckram1 and can we wonder that he is hurt when thus hampered and constrained1 he falls stark and rigid1 like a paste-board policeman in a pantomime4 ,i have already protested against the solecism of saving yourself by the bridle4 ,it is better1 if you must have assistance1 to follow the example of two or three notoriously fine riders and grasp the cantle of the saddle at the risk of breaking its tree4 ,but in my humble opinion it is not well to be in the wrong even with ,plato1 and1 notwithstanding these high authorities1 we must consider such habits1 however convenient on occasion1 as errors in horsemanship4 ,to a good rider the saddle ought to be a place of security as easy as an armchair4 ,i have heard it asserted1 usually by persons of lean and wiry frames1 that with short legs and round thighs1 it is impossible to acquire a firm seat on horseback2 but in this1 as in most matters of skill1 ,i believe nature can be rendered obedient to education4 ,few men are so clumsily shaped but that they may learn to become strong and skilful riders if they will adopt a good system1 and from the first resolve to sit in the right place2 this1 ,i think1 should be in the very middle of the saddle1 while bending the small of the back inwards1 so that the weight of the body rests on that part of a horse's spine immediately behind his withers1 under which his fore feet are placed1 and on which1 it has been ascertained1 he can bear the heaviest load4 ,when the animal stands perfectly still1 or when it is extended at full speed1 the most inexperienced horseman seems to fall naturally into the required position2 but to preserve it1 even through the regulated paces of the riding school demands constant effort and attention4 ,the back-board is here1 in my opinion1 of great assistance to the beginner1 as it forces him into an attitude that causes him to sit on the right part of his own person and his horse's back4 ,it compels him also to carry his hands at a considerable distance off the horse's head1 and thus entails also the desideratum of long reins4 ,the shortest and surest way1 however1 of attaining a firm seat on horseback is1 after all1 to practise without stirrups on every available opportunity4 ,many a valuable lesson may be taken while riding to covert and nobody but the student be a bit the wiser4 ,thus to trot and canter along1 for two or three miles on end is no bad training at the beginning of the season1 and even an experienced horseman will be surprised to find how it gets him down in his saddle1 and makes him feel as much at home there as he did in the previous ,march4 ,the late ,captain ,percy ,williams1 as brilliant a rider over a country as ever cheered a hound1 and to whom few professional jockeys would have cared to give five pounds on a race-course1 assured me that he attributed to the above self-denying exercise that strength in the saddle which used to serve him so well from the distance home4 ,when quartered at ,hounslow with his regiment1 the #ith ,lancers1 like other gay young light dragoons1 he liked to spend all his available time in ,london4 ,there were no railroads in those days1 and the coaches did not always suit for time2 but he owned a sound1 speedy1 high-trotting hack1 and on this bone setter he travelled backwards and forwards twelve miles of the great ,bath ,road1 with military regularity1 half as many times a week4 ,he made it a rule to cross the stirrups over his horse's shoulders the moment he was off the stones at either end1 only to be replaced when he reached his destination4 ,in three months' time1 he told me1 he had gained more practical knowledge of horsemanship1 and more muscular power below the waist1 than in all the hunting1 larking1 and riding-school drill of the previous three years4 ,grace is1 after all1 but the result of repressed strength4 ,the loose and easy seat that seems to sway so carelessly with every motion1 can tighten itself by instinct to the compression of a vice1 and the prettiest rider1 as they say in ,ireland1 is probably the one whom a kicker or buck-jumper would find the most difficult to dislodge4 ,no doubt in the field1 the ride1 the parade1 or the polo-ground a strong seat is the first of those many qualities that constitute good horsemanship4 ,the real adept is not to be unseated by any catastrophe less conclusive than complete downfall of man and beast2 nay1 even then he parts company without confusion1 and it may be said of him as of ,william of ,deloraine1 good at need in a like predicament-- ,still sate the warrior1 saddle fast1 ,till1 stumbling in the mortal shock1 ,down went the steed1 the girthing broke1 ,hurled in a heap lay man and horse4 ,but ,i have a strong idea ,sir ,william did not let his bridle go even then4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,valour4 ,he that would venture nothing must not get on horseback1 says a ,spanish proverb1 and the same caution seems applicable to most manly amusements or pursuits4 ,we cannot enter a boat1 put on a pair of skates1 take a gun in hand for covert shooting1 or even run downstairs in a hurry without encountering risk2 but the amount of peril to which a horseman subjects himself seems proportioned inversely to the unconsciousness of it he displays4 ,where there is no fear there is no danger1 though a somewhat reckless aphorism1 is more applicable1 ,i think1 to the exercise of riding than to any other venture of neck and limbs4 ,the horse is an animal of exceedingly nervous temperament1 sympathetic too1 in the highest degree1 with the hand from which he takes his instructions4 ,its slightest vacillation affects him with electric rapidity1 but from its steadiness he derives moral encouragement rather than physical support1 and on those rare occasions when his own is insufficient1 he seems to borrow daring and resolution from his rider4 ,if the man's heart is in the right place1 his horse will seldom fail him2 and were we asked to name the one essential without which it is impossible to attain thorough proficiency in the saddle1 we should not hesitate to say nerve4 ,nerve1 ,i repeat1 in contradistinction to pluck4 ,the latter takes us into a difficulty1 the former brings us out of it4 ,both are comprised in the noble quality we call emphatically valour1 but while the one is a brilliant and imposing costume1 so is the other an honest wear-and-tear fabric1 equally fit for all weathers1 fine and foul4 ,you shiver1 ,colonel--you are afraid1 said an insubordinate ,major1 who ought to have been put under arrest then and there1 to his commanding officer on the field of ,prestonpans4 ,i am afraid1 sir1 answered the ,colonel2 and if you were as much afraid as ,i am1 you would run away6 ,i have often thought this improbable anecdote exemplifies very clearly that most meritorious of all courage which asserts the dominion of our will over our senses4 ,the ,colonel's answer proves he was full of valour4 ,he had lots of pluck1 but as he was bold enough to admit1 a deficiency of nerve4 ,now the field of ,diana happily requires but a slight per-centage of daring and resolution compared with the field of ,mars4 ,i heard the late ,sir ,francis ,head1 distinguished as a soldier1 a statesman1 an author1 and a sportsman1 put the matter in a few words1 very tersely--and exceedingly to the point4 ,under fire1 said he1 there is a guinea's-worth of danger1 but it comes to you4 ,in the hunting-field1 there is only three-ha'p 'orth1 but you go to it6 ,in both cases1 the courage required is a mere question of degree1 and as in war1 so in the chase1 he is most likely to distinguish himself whose daring1 not to be dismayed1 is tempered with coolness1 whose heart is always stout and hopeful1 while he never loses his head4 ,now as ,i understand the terms pluck and nerve1 ,i conceive the first to be a moral quality1 the result of education1 sentiment1 self-respect1 and certain high aspirations of the intellect2 the second1 a gift of nature dependent on the health1 the circulation1 and the liver4 ,as memory to imagination in the student1 so is nerve to pluck in the horseman4 ,not the more brilliant quality1 nor the more captivating1 but sound1 lasting1 available for all emergencies1 and sure to conquer in the long run4 ,we will suppose two sportsmen are crossing a country equally well mounted1 and each full of valour to the brim4 ,a1 to quote his admiring friends1 has the pluck of the devil6 ,b1 to use a favourite expression of the saddle-room1 has a good nerve4 ,both are bound to come to grief over some forbidding rails at a corner1 the only way out1 in the line hounds are running1 and neither has any more idea of declining than had poor ,lord ,strathmore on a similar occasion when ,jem ,mason halloaed to him1 ,eternal misery on this side my lord1 and certain death on the other6 ,so they harden their hearts1 sit down in their saddles1 and this is what happens3-- ,a's horse1 injudiciously sent at the obstacle1 because it is awkward1 a turn too fast1 slips in taking off1 and strikes the top-rail1 which neither bends nor breaks1 just below its knees4 ,a flurried snatch at the bridle pulls its head in the air1 and throws the animal skilfully to the ground at the moment it most requires perfect freedom for a desperate effort to keep on its legs4 ,rider and horse roll over in an imperial crowner1 and rise to their feet looking wildly about them1 totally disconnected1 and five or six yards apart4 ,this is not encouraging for ,b1 who is obliged to follow1 inasmuch as the place only offers room for one at a time1 but as soon as his leader is out of the way1 he comes steadily and quietly at the leap4 ,his horse too1 slips in the tracks of its fallen comrade1 but as it is going in a more collected form1 it contrives to get its fore-legs over the impediment1 which catches it1 however1 inside the hocks1 so that1 balancing for a moment1 it comes heavily on its nose4 ,during these evolutions1 ,b sits motionless in the saddle1 giving the animal complete liberty of rein4 ,an instinct of self-preservation and a good pair of shoulders turn the scale at the last moment1 and although there is no denying they had a squeak for it in the scramble1 ,b and his horse come off without a fall4 ,now it was pluck that took both these riders into the difficulty1 but nerve that extricated one of them without defeat4 ,i am not old enough to have seen the famous ,mr4 ,assheton ,smith in the hunting-field1 but many of my early ,leicestershire friends could remember him perfectly at his best1 when he hunted that fine and formidable country1 with the avowed determination1 daily carried out1 of going into every field with his hounds6 ,the expenditure of valour1 for it really deserves the name necessary to carry out such a style of riding can only be appreciated by those who have tried to keep in a good place during thirty or forty minutes1 over any part of the ,quorn and ,cottesmore counties lying within six miles of ,billesdon4 ,where should we be but for the gates8 ,i think ,i may answer1 neither there nor thereabouts6 ,i have reason to believe the many stories told of ,tom ,smith's skill and daring are little1 if at all1 exaggerated4 ,he seems admitted by all to have been the boldest1 as he was one of the best1 horsemen that ever got into a saddle with a hunting-whip in his hand4 ,though subsequently a man of enormous wealth1 in the prime of life1 he lived on the allowance1 adequate but not extravagant1 made him by his father1 and did by no means give those high prices for horses1 which1 on the principle that money makes the mare to go1 are believed by many sportsmen to ensure a place in the front rank4 ,he entertained no fancies as to size1 action1 above all1 peculiarities in mouths and tempers4 ,little or big1 sulky1 violent1 or restive1 if a horse could gallop and jump1 he was a hunter the moment he found himself between the legs of ,tom ,smith4 ,there is a namesake of his hunting at present from ,melton1 who seems to have taken several leaves out of his book4 ,captain ,arthur ,smith1 with every advantage of weight1 nerve1 skill1 seat1 and hand1 is never away from the hounds4 ,moreover1 he always likes his horse1 and his horse always seems to like him4 ,this gentleman1 too1 is blessed with an imperturbable temper1 which ,i have been given to understand the squire of ,tedworth was not4 ,instances of ,tom ,smith's daring are endless4 ,how characteristic was his request to a farmer near ,glengorse1 that he would construct such a fence as should effectually prevent the field from getting away in too close proximity to his hounds4 ,i can make you up a stopper1 said the good-natured yeoman1 and welcome2 but what be you to do yourself1 ,squire1 for ,i know you like well to be with 'em when they run8 ,never mind me1 was the answer1 you do what ,i ask you4 ,i never saw a fence in this country ,i couldn't get over with a fall6 and1 sure enough1 the first day the hounds found a fox in that well-known covert1 ,tom ,smith was seen striding along in the wake of his darlings1 having tumbled neck-and-crop over the obstacle he had demanded1 in perfect good humour and content4 ,if valour then1 is a combination of pluck and nerve1 he may be called the most valorous sportsman that ever got upon a horse1 while affording another example of the partiality with which fortune favours the bold1 for although he has had between eighty and ninety falls in a season1 he was never really hurt1 ,i believe1 but once in his life4 ,that is a brave man6 ,i have heard ,lord ,gardner say in good-humoured derision1 pointing to some adventurous sportsman1 whose daring so far exceeded his dexterity as to bring horse and rider into trouble2 but his lordship's own nerve was so undeniable1 that like many others1 he may have undervalued a quality of which he could not comprehend the want4 ,most hunting-men1 ,i fancy1 will agree with me1 that of all obstacles we meet with in crossing a country1 timber draws most largely on the reserve fund of courage hoarded away in that part of a hero's heart which is nearest his mouth4 ,the highest rails ,i ever saw attempted were ridden at by ,lord ,gardner some years ago1 while out with ,mr4 ,tailby's hounds near the ,ram's ,head4 ,with a fair holding scent1 and the pack bustling their fox along over the grass1 there was no time for measurement1 but ,i remember perfectly well that being in the same field1 some fifty yards behind him1 and casting longing looks at the fence1 totally impracticable in every part1 ,i felt satisfied the corner he made for was simply an impossibility4 ,we had better turn round and go home6 ,i muttered in my despair4 ,the leap consisted of four strong rails1 higher than a horse's withers1 an approach down hill1 a take-off poached by cattle1 and a landing into a deep muddy lane4 ,i can recall at this moment1 the beautiful style in which my leader brought his horse to its effort4 ,very strong in the saddle1 with the finest hands in the world1 leaning far back1 and sitting well down1 he seemed to rouse as it were1 and concentrate the energies of the animal for its last half-stride1 when1 rearing itself almost perpendicularly1 it contrived to get safe over1 only breaking the top rail with a hind leg4 ,this must have lowered the leap by at least a foot1 yet when ,i came to it1 thus reduced1 and made easy1 it was still a formidable obstacle1 and ,i felt thankful to be on a good jumper4 ,of late years ,i have seen ,mr4 ,powell1 who is usually very well mounted1 ride over exceedingly high and forbidding timber so persistently1 as to have earned from that material1 the nom de chasse by which he is known amongst his friends4 ,but perhaps the late ,lord ,cardigan1 the last of the ,brudenells1 afforded in the hunting-field1 as in all other scenes of life1 the most striking example of that pluck which is totally independent of youth1 health1 strength1 or any other physical advantage4 ,the courage that in advanced middle-age governed the steady manoeuvres of ,bulganak1 and led the death-ride at ,balaclava1 burned bright and fierce to the end4 ,the graceful seat might be less firm1 the tall soldier-like figure less upright1 but ,mars1 one of his last and best hunters1 was urged to charge wood and water by the same bold heart at seventy1 that tumbled ,langar into the ,uppingham road over the highest gate in ,leicestershire at twenty-six4 ,the foundation of ,lord ,cardigan's whole character was valour4 ,he loved it1 he prized it1 he admired it in others1 he was conscious and proud of it in himself4 ,so jealous was he of this chivalrous quality1 that even in such a matter of mere amusement as riding across a country1 he seemed to attach some vague sense of disgrace to the avoidance of a leap1 however dangerous1 if hounds were running at the time1 and was notorious for the recklessness with which he would plunge into the deepest rivers though he could not swim a stroke6 ,this ,i think is to court real danger for no sufficient object4 ,lord ,wolverton1 than whom no man has ridden straighter and more enthusiastically to hounds1 ever since he left ,oxford1 once crossed the ,thames in this most perilous fashion1 for he1 too1 has never learnt to swim1 during a run with the ,queen's4 ,but1 said ,i1 protesting subsequently against such hardihood1 you were risking your life at every stroke4 ,i never thought of that1 was the answer1 till ,i got safe over1 and it was no use bothering about it then4 ,lord ,cardigan however1 seemed well aware of his danger1 and1 in my own recollection1 had two very narrow escapes from drowning in these uncalled-for exploits4 ,the gallant old cavalry officer's death was in keeping with his whole career4 ,at threescore years and ten he insisted on mounting a dangerous animal that he would not have permitted any friend to ride4 ,what happened is still a mystery4 ,the horse came home without him1 and he never spoke again1 though he lived till the following day4 ,but these are sad reflections for so cheerful a subject as daring in the saddle4 ,red is our colour1 not black1 and1 happily1 in the sport we love1 there are few casualties calling forth more valour than is required to sustain a bloody nose1 a broken collar-bone1 or a sound ducking in a wet ditch4 ,yet it is extraordinary how many good fellows riding good horses find themselves defeated in a gallop after hounds1 from indecision and uncertainty1 rather than want of courage1 when the emergency actually arises4 ,though the danger1 according to ,sir ,francis ,head1 is about a hap'orth1 it might possibly be valued at a penny1 and nobody wants to discover1 in his own person1 the exact amount4 ,therefore are the chivalry of the ,midland ,counties to be seen on occasion panic-stricken at the downfall or disappearance of a leader4 ,and a dozen feet of dirty water will wholly scatter a field of horsemen who would confront an enemy's fire without the quiver of an eye-lash4 ,except timber1 of which the risk is obvious1 at a glance1 nothing frightens the half-hard1 so much as a brook4 ,it is difficult1 you see1 to please them1 the uncertainty of the limpid impediment being little less forbidding than the certainty of the stiff6 ,but it does require dash and coolness1 pluck and nerve1 a certain spice of something that may fairly be called valour1 to charge cheerfully at a brook when we have no means of ascertaining its width1 its depth1 or the soundness of its banks4 ,horses too are apt to share the misgivings of their riders1 and water-jumping1 like a loan to a poor relation1 if not done freely1 had better not be done at all4 ,the fox1 and consequently the hounds1 as we know1 will usually cross at the narrowest place1 but even if we can mark the exact spot1 fences1 or the nature of the ground may prevent our getting there4 ,what are we to do8 ,if we follow a leader1 and he drops short1 we are irretrievably defeated1 if we make our own selection1 the gulf may be as wide as the ,thames4 ,send him at it6 says valour1 and take your chance6 ,perhaps it is the best plan after all4 ,there is something in luck1 a good deal in the reach of a horse's stride at a gallop1 and if we do get over1 we rather flatter ourselves for the next mile or two that we have done the trick6 ,to enter on the subject of hard riding1 as it is called1 without honourable mention of the habit and the side-saddle1 would in these days betray both want of observation and politeness2 but ladies1 though they seem to court danger no less freely than admiration1 possess1 ,i think1 as a general rule1 more pluck than nerve4 ,i can recall an instance very lately1 however1 in which ,i saw displayed by one of the gentlest of her sex1 an amount of courage1 coolness1 and self-possession1 that would have done credit to a hero4 ,this lady1 who had not quite succeeded in clearing a high post-and-rail with a boggy ditch on the landing side1 was down and under her horse4 ,the animal's whole weight rested on her legs1 so as to keep her in such a position1 that her head lay between its fore and hind feet1 where the least attempt at a struggle1 hemmed in by those four shining shoes1 must have dashed her brains out4 ,she seemed in no way concerned for her beauty1 or her life1 but gave judicious directions to those who rescued her as calmly and courteously as if she had been pouring out their tea4 ,the horse1 though in that there is nothing unusual1 behaved like an angel1 and the fair rider was extricated without very serious injury2 but ,i thought to myself1 as ,i remounted and rode on1 that if a legion of ,amazons could be rendered amenable to discipline they would conquer the world4 ,no man1 till he has tried the experiment1 can conceive how awkward and powerless one feels in a lady's seat4 ,they themselves affirm that with the crutch1 or second pommel on the near side1 they are more secure than ourselves2 but when ,i see those delicate1 fragile forms flying over wood and water1 poised on precipitous banks1 above all1 crashing through strong bullfinches1 ,i am struck with admiration at the mysteries of nature1 among which not the least wonderful seems the feminine desire to excel4 ,and they do excel when resolved they will1 even in those sports and exercises which seem more naturally belonging to the masculine department4 ,it was but the other day1 a boatman in the ,channel told me he saw a lady swimming alone more than half a mile off shore4 ,now that the universal rink has brought skating into fashion1 the many-twinkling feet1 that smoothest glide and turn most deftly1 are shod with such dainty boots as never could be worn by the clumsier sex4 ,at lawn-tennis the winning service is offered by some seductive hoyden in her teens2 and1 although in the game of cricket the ,graces have as yet been males1 at no distant day we may expect to see the best batsman at the ,oval bowled out1 or perhaps caught by a woman6 ,yes1 the race is in the ascendant4 ,it takes the heaviest fish1--,i mean real fish--with a rod and line4 ,it kills its grouse right and left--in the moor among the heather4 ,it shoulders a rifle no heavier than a pea-shooter1 but levels the toy so straight that1 after some cunning stalk1 a stag of ten goes down before the white hand and taper finger1 as becomes his antlers and his sex4 ,lastly1 when it gets upon ,bachelor1 or ,benedict1 or ,othello1 or any other high-flyer with a suggestive name1 it sails away close1 often too close1 to the hounds1 leaving brothers1 husbands1 even admirers hopelessly in the rear4 ,now1 ,i hope ,i am not going to express a sentiment that will offend their prejudices1 and cause young women to call me an old one1 but ,i do consider that1 in these days1 ladies who go out hunting ride a turn too hard4 ,far be it from me to assert that the ,field is no place for the fair2 on the contrary1 ,i hold that their presence adds in every respect to its charms4 ,neither would ,i protest against their jumping1 and relegate them to the bridle-roads or lanes4 ,nothing of the kind4 ,let the greatest care be taken in the selection of their horses2 let their saddles and bridles be fitted to such a nicety that sore backs and sore mouths are equally impossible1 and let trustworthy servants be told off to attend them during the day4 ,then1 with everything in their favour1 over a fair country1 fairly fenced1 why should they not ride on and take their pleasure8 ,but even if their souls disdain to follow a regular pilot 7and ,i may observe his office requires no little nerve1 as they are pretty quick on to a leader if he gets down71 ,i would entreat them not to try cutting out the work1 as it is called1 but rather to wait and see one rider1 at least1 over a leap before they attempt it themselves4 ,it is frightful to think of a woman landing in a pit1 a water-course1 or even so deep a ditch as may cause the horse to roll over her when he falls4 ,with her less muscular frame she is more easily injured than a man2 with her finer organisation she cannot sustain injury as well4 ,it turns one sick to think of her dainty head between a horse's hind-legs1 or of those cruel pommels bruising her delicate ribs and bosom4 ,it is at least twenty to one in our favour every time we fall1 whereas with her the odds are all the other way1 and it is almost twenty to one she must be hurt4 ,what said the wisest of kings concerning a fair woman without discretion8 ,we want no ,solomon to remind us that with her courage roused1 her ambition excited1 all the rivalry of her nature called into play1 she has nowhere more need of this judicious quality than in the hunting-field4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,discretion4 ,it has been called the better part of valour1 and doubtless1 when wanting1 the latter is as likely to sustain irretrievable reverses as a ship without a rudder1 or a horse without a bridle4 ,the two should always travel together2 but it appears to me that we meet the cautious brother most frequently on our journey through life4 ,in the chase1 however1 they seem to share their presence impartially enough4 ,valour is very much to the front at the covert side1 and shows again with great certainty after dinner2 but discretion becomes paramount and almost ubiquitous when the hounds run1 being called on indeed to act for us in every field4 ,sometimes1 particularly when countries are blind early in ,november1 we abandon ourselves so entirely to its guidance as little by little to lose all our self-reliance1 till at last we feel comfortable nowhere but in the high road2 and most of us1 ,i dare say1 can recall occasions on which we have been so utterly discomfited by an early disappointment 7in plain ,english a fence we were afraid to jump7 as to give in without an effort1 although the slightest dash of valour at the right moment would have carried us triumphantly out of defeat4 ,never mind4 ,like a ,french friend of mine1 who expresses his disinclination to our chasse au renard by protesting1 ,monsieur1 je ne cherche pas mes emotions a me casser le cou1 when we are avowedly in pursuit of pleasure we ought to take it exactly as suits us best4 ,there are two ends of the string in every run with hounds4 ,wisdom pervades each of these1 but eschews the various gradations between4 ,in front rides valour with discretion2 in rear1 discretion without valour2 and in the middle a tumultuous throng1 amongst whom neither quality is to be recognised4 ,with too little of the one to fly1 not enough of the other to creep1 they waver at the fences1 hurry at the gaps1 get in each other's way at the gates1 and altogether make exceedingly slow progress compared to their efforts and their excitement4 ,valour without discretion1 ,i had almost forgotten to observe1 was down and under his horse at the first difficulty4 ,we will let the apex of the pyramid alone for the present1 taking the safest and broadest end of the hunt first4 ,if1 then1 you have achieved so bad a start that it is impossible to make up your lee-way1 or if you are on a hack with neither power nor intention to ride in the front rank1 be sure you cannot take matters too coolly should you wish to command the line of chase and see as much as possible of the fun4 ,i am supposing the hounds have found a good fox that knows more than one parish1 and are running him with a holding scent4 ,however favourable your start1 and fate is sure to arrange a good one for a man too badly mounted to avail himself of it1 let nothing induce you to keep near the pack4 ,at a mile off you can survey and anticipate their general direction1 at a quarter that distance you must ride every turn4 ,do not be disordered by the brilliancy of the pace should their fox go straight up wind4 ,if he does not sink it within five minutes he means reaching a drain1 and another five will bring the who-whoop6 that marks him to ground4 ,this is an unfailing deduction1 but happily the most discreet of us are apt to forget it4 ,time after time we are so fooled by the excitement of our gallop that even experience does not make us wise1 and we enjoy the scurry1 exclaiming1 ,what a pity6 when it is over1 as if we had never been out hunting before4 ,it would be useless to distress your hack for so short a spin1 rather keep wide of the line1 if possible1 on high ground1 and calculate by the wind1 the coverts1 and the general aspect of the country1 where a fox is most likely to make his point4 ,i have known good runs in the ,shires seen fairly1 from end to end1 by a lady in a wagonette4 ,when business really begins1 men are apt to express in various ways their intention of taking part4 ,some use their eyes1 some their heels1 and some their flasks4 ,do you trust your brains1 they will stand you in better stead than spurs1 or spectacles1 or even brandy diluted with curacoa4 ,keep your attention fixed on the chase1 watch the pack as long as you can1 and when those white specks have vanished into space1 depend on your own skill in woodcraft and knowledge of country to bring you up with them again4 ,above all1 while they are actually in motion1 distrust the bobbing hats and spots of scarlet that you mark in a distant cluster behind the hedge4 ,what are they but the field8 and the field1 if it is really a run1 are pretty sure to be out of it4 ,the first flight you will find very difficult to keep in view4 ,at the most it consists of six or seven horsemen riding fifty or a hundred yards apart1 and even its followers become so scattered and detached that in anything like an undulating country they are completely hidden from observation4 ,if you do catch a glimpse of them1 how slow they seem to travel6 and yet1 when you nick in presently1 heaving flanks1 red faces1 and excited voices will tell a very different tale4 ,trotting soberly along1 then1 with ears and eyes wide open1 carefully keeping down wind1 not only because the hounds are sure to bend in that direction1 but also that you can thus hear before you see them1 and take measures accordingly1 you will have ridden very few miles before you are gladdened by the cheerful music of the pack1 or more probably a twang from the horn4 ,the scent is rarely so good as to admit of hounds running for thirty or forty minutes without a check2 indeed1 on most days they are likely to be at fault more than once during the lapse of half an hour1 when the huntsman's science will be required to cast them1 and1 in some cases1 to assist them in losing their fox4 ,now is your time to press on with the still undefeated hack4 ,if you are wise you will not leave the lanes to which ,i give you the credit of having stuck religiously from the start4 ,at least1 do not think of entering a field unless the track of an obvious bridle-road leads safely into the next4 ,a man who never jumps at all can by no possibility be pounded1 whereas the easiest and safest of gaps into an inclosure may mean a bullfinch with two ditches at the other end4 ,perhaps you will find yourself ahead of every one as the hounds spread1 and stoop and dash forward with a whimper that makes the sweetest of music in your ears4 ,perhaps1 as they swarm across the very lane in which you are standing1 discretion may calmly open the gate for valour1 who curses him in his heart1 wondering what business he has to be there at all4 ,there is jealousy even in the hunting-field1 though we prefer to call it keenness1 emulation1 a fancy for riding our own line1 and ,i fear that with most of us1 in spite of the kindly sympathies and joyous expansion of the chase1 ego et praeterea nihil is the unit about which our aspirations chiefly revolve4 ,what is the use8 ,i once heard a plaintive voice lamenting behind a blackthorn1 while the hounds were baying over a drain at the finish of a clipping thirty minutes on the grass4 ,i've spoilt my hat1 ,i've torn my coat1 ,i've lamed my horse1 ,i've had two falls1 ,i went first1 ,i'll take my oath1 from end to end1 and there's that d--d fellow on the coffee-coloured pony gets here before me after all6 ,there are times1 no doubt1 when valour must needs yield the palm to discretion4 ,let us see how this last respectable quality serves us at the other and nobler extremity of the hunt1 for it is there1 after all1 that our ambition points1 and our wishes chiefly tend4 ,are you a hard rider8 asked an inquiring lady of ,mr4 ,jorrocks4 ,the hardest in ,england1 answered that facetious worthy1 adding to himself1 ,i may say that1 for ,i never goes off the 'ard road if ,i can help it4 ,now instead of following so cautious an example1 let us rather cast overboard a superfluity of discretion1 that would debar us the post of honour we are fain to occupy1 retaining only such a leavening of its virtue as will steer us safely between the two extremes4 ,while the hounds are racing before us1 with a good scent1 in an open country1 let our gallant hunter be freely urged by valour to the front1 while at the same time1 discretion holds him hard by the head1 lest a too inconsiderate daring should endanger his rider's neck4 ,if a man has the luck to be on a good timber-jumper1 now is the time to take advantage freely of its confidential resources4 ,if not pulled about1 and interfered with1 a hunter that understands his business leaps this kind of fence1 so long as he is fresh1 with ease to himself and security to his rider4 ,he sees exactly what he has to do1 and need not rise an inch higher1 nor fling himself an inch farther than is absolutely necessary1 whereas a hedge induces him to make such exertions as may cover the uncertainty it conceals4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the binder will usually bear tampering with1 which the bar will not1 therefore if your own courage and your horse's skill tempt you to negotiate rails1 stiles1 or even a gate--and this last is very good form--sound discretion warns you to select the first ten or fifteen minutes of a run for such exhibitions1 but to avoid them religiously1 when the deep ground and the pace have begun to tell4 ,assheton ,smith himself1 though he scouted the idea of ever turning from anything1 had in so far the instinct of self-preservation1 that when he thought his horse likely to fall over such an obstacle1 he put him at it somewhat a-slant1 so that the animal should get at least one fore-leg clear1 and tumble on to its side1 when this accomplished rider was pretty sure to rise unhurt with the reins in his hand4 ,now this diagonal style of jumping1 judiciously practised1 is not without its advantages at less dangerous fences than the uncompromising bit of timber that turns us over4 ,it necessarily increases the width of a bank1 affording the horse more room for foothold1 as it decreases the height and strength of the growers1 by taking them the way they lie1 and may1 on occasion1 save a good hunter from a broken back1 the penalty for dropping both hind legs simultaneously and perpendicularly into some steep cut ditch he has failed to cover in his stride4 ,discretion1 you observe1 should accompany the hardest riders1 and is not to be laid aside even in the confusion and excitement of a fall4 ,this must prove a frequent casualty with every man1 however well-mounted1 if the hounds show sport and he means to be with them while they run4 ,it seems a paradox1 but the oftener you are down1 the less likely you are to be hurt4 ,practice soon teaches you to preserve presence of mind1 or1 as ,i may be allowed to call it1 discretion1 and when you know exactly where your horse is1 you can get away from him before he crushes you with the weight of his body4 ,a foot or a hand thrust out at the happy moment1 is enough to fend you off1 and your own person seldom comes to the ground with such force as to do you any harm1 if there is plenty of dirt4 ,in the absence of that essential to sport1 hunters are not distressed1 and therefore do not often fall4 ,if1 however1 you have undertaken to temper the rashness of a young one with your own discretion1 you must expect occasional reverses2 but even thus1 there are many chances in your favour1 not the least of which is your pupil's elasticity4 ,lithe and agile1 he will make such gallant efforts to save himself as usually obviate the worst consequences of his mistake4 ,the worn-out1 the under-bred1 or the distressed horse comes down like a lump of lead1 and neither valour nor discretion are much help to us then4 ,from the pace at which hounds cross a country1 there is unfortunately no time to practise that most discreet manoeuvre called leading over1 when the fence is of so formidable a nature as to threaten certain discomfiture1 yet ,i have seen a few tall1 powerful1 active men1 spring off and on their horses with such rapidity as to perform this feat successfully in all the hurry of a burst4 ,the late ,colonel ,wyndham1 who1 when he commanded the ,greys1 in which regiment he served at ,waterloo1 was said by ,george the ,fourth to be the handsomest man in the army1 possessed with a giant's stature the pliant agility of a harlequin4 ,a finer rider never got into a saddle4 ,weighing nineteen stone1 ,i have seen him in a burst across ,leicestershire1 go for twenty minutes with the best of the light-weights1 occasionally relieving his horse by throwing himself off1 leaping a fence alongside of it1 and vaulting on again1 without checking the animal sufficiently to break its stride4 ,the lamented ,lord ,mayo too1 whose tall stalwart frame was in keeping with those intellectual powers that ,india still recalls in melancholy pride1 was accustomed1 on occasion1 thus to surmount an obstacle1 no less successfully among the bullfinches of ,northamptonshire than the banks and ditches of ,kildare4 ,perhaps the best rider of his family1 and it is a bold assertion1 for when five or six of the brothers are out hunting1 there will always be that number of tall heavy men1 answering to the name of ,bourke in the same field with the hounds1 ,lord ,mayo1 or rather ,lord ,naas 7for the best of his sporting career closed with his succession to the earldom71 was no less distinguished for his daring horsemanship1 than his tact in managing a country1 and his skill in hunting a pack of hounds4 ,that he showed less forethought in risking a valuable life than in conducting the government of an empire1 we must attribute to his personal courage and keen delight in the chase1 but that he humorously deplored the scarcity of discretion amongst its votaries1 the following anecdote1 as ,i had it from himself1 sufficiently attests4 ,while he hunted his own hounds in ,kildare1 his most constant attendant1 though on foot1 was a nondescript character1 such as is called a tight boy in ,ireland1 and nowhere else1 belonging to a class that never seem to do a day's work1 nor to eat a plentiful meal1 but are always pleasant1 obliging1 idle1 hungry1 thirsty1 and supremely happy4 ,running ten miles on foot to covert1 ,mick1 as he was called1 would never leave the hounds till they reached their kennels at night4 ,thus1 plodding home one evening by his lordship's horse1 after an unusually long and fatiguing run1 the rider could not help expostulating with the walker on such a perverse misapplication of strength1 energy1 and perseverance4 ,why1 look at the work you have been doing1 said his lordship2 with a quarter of the labour you might have earned three or four shillings at least4 ,what a fool you must be1 ,mick1 to neglect your business1 and lose half your potatoes1 that you may come out with my hounds6 ,mick reflected a moment1 and looked up1 ,ah6 me lard1 replied he1 with such a glance of fun as twinkles nowhere but in the ,irish blue of an ,irish eye1 it's truth your lardship's spakin' this night2 'av there was no fools1 there'd be sorra few fox-hunters6 ,let us return to the question of ,discretion1 and how we are to combine it with an amusement that makes fools of us all4 ,while valour1 then1 bids us take our fences as they come1 discretion teaches us that each should be accomplished in the manner most suitable to its peculiar requirements4 ,when a bank offers foothold1 and we see the possibility of dividing a large leap by two1 we should pull back to a trot1 and give our horse a hint that he will do well to spring on and off the obstacle in accordance with a motion of our hand4 ,if1 on the contrary1 his effort must be made at a black and forbidding bullfinch1 with the chance of a wide ditch1 or even a tough ashen rail1 beyond1 it is wise1 should we mean having it at all1 to catch hold of the bridle and increase our pace1 for the last two or three strides1 with such energy as shall shoot us through the thorns like a harlequin through a trap-door1 leaving the orifice to close up behind1 with no more traces of our transit than are left by a bird6 ,illustration3 ,page #ach4 ,perhaps we find an easy place under a tree1 with an overhanging branch1 and sidle daintily up to it1 bending the body and lowering the head as we creep through1 to the admiration of an indiscreet friend on a rash horse who spoils a good hat and utters an evil execration while trying to follow our example4 ,or it may be1 rejoicing to find ourselves on arable land1 that actually rides light1 and yet carries a scent1 ,solid and tall1 ,the rasping wall challenges us a quarter of a mile off to face it or go home1 for it offers neither gate nor gap1 and seems to meet the sky-line on either side4 ,i do not know whether others are open to the same deception1 but to my own eye1 a wall appears more1 and a hedge less1 than its real height at a certain distance off4 ,the former1 however1 is a most satisfactory leap when skilfully accomplished1 and not half so arduous as it looks4 ,have it6 says ,valour4 ,yes1 but very slow1 replies ,discretion4 ,and1 sure enough1 we calm the free generous horse into a trot1 causing him to put his very nose over the obstacle before taking off2 when bucking into the air1 like a deer1 he leaves it behind him with little more effort than a girl puts to her skipping-rope4 ,the height an experienced wall-jumper will clear seems scarcely credible4 ,a fence of this description1 which measurement proves to be fully six feet1 was jumped by the well-known ,colonel ,miles three or four years ago in the ,badminton country without displacing a stone1 and although the rider's consummate horsemanship afforded every chance of success1 great credit is due to the good hunter that could make such an effort with so heavy a man on its back4 ,the knack of wall-jumping1 however1 is soon learned even by the most inexperienced animals1 and ,i may here observe that ,i have often been surprised at the discretion shown by young horses1 when ridden close to hounds1 in negotiating fences requiring sagacity and common sense4 ,i am aware that my opinion is singular1 and ,i only give it as the result1 perhaps exceptional1 of my own limited experience2 but ,i must admit that ,i have been carried by a pupil1 on his first day1 over awkward places1 up and down banks1 in and out of ravines1 or under trees1 with a docility and circumspection ,i have looked for from the veterans in vain4 ,perhaps the old horse knows me as well as ,i know him1 and thinks also that he knows best4 ,i am bound to say he never fails me when ,i trust him1 but he likes his head let alone1 and insists on having it all his own way4 ,when his blood is really up1 and the hero of a hundred fights considers it worth while to put forth his strength1 ,i am persuaded he is even bolder than his junior4 ,not only at the fences1 however1 do we require discretion4 ,there is a right way and a wrong of traversing every acre of ground that lies between them4 ,on the grass1 we must avoid crossing high ridge-and-furrow in a direct line2 rather let us take it obliquely1 or1 if the field be not too large1 go all the way round by the headland4 ,for an unaccustomed horse there is nothing so trying as those up-and-down efforts1 that resemble the lurches of a boat in a heavy sea4 ,a very true-shaped animal will learn to glide smoothly over them after a season or two1 but these inequalities of surface must always be a tax on wind and muscular powers at best4 ,the easiest goer in ridge-and-furrow that we have yet seen is a fox4 ,surely no other quadruped has nature gifted with so much strength and symmetry in so small a compass4 ,amongst the ploughs1 though the fences are happily easier1 forethought and consideration are even more required for ground4 ,after much rain1 do not enter a turnip-field if you can help it1 the large1 frequent roots loosen the soil1 and your horse will go in up to his hocks2 young wheat also it is well to avoid1 if only for reasons purely selfish2 but on the fallows1 when you find a wet furrow1 lying the right way1 put on steam1 splash boldly ahead1 and never leave it so long as it serves you in your line4 ,the same may be said of a foot-path1 even though its guidance should entail the jumping of half-a-dozen stiles4 ,sound foothold reduces the size of any leap1 and while you are travelling easily above the ground1 the rest of the chase1 fox and hounds too1 as well as horses1 though in a less degree1 are labouring through the mire4 ,when your course is intersected by narrow water-cuts1 for purposes of irrigation1 by covered drains1 or deep1 grass-grown cart-ruts1 it will be well to traverse them obliquely1 so that1 if they catch the stride of his gallop1 your horse may only get one foot in at a time4 ,he will then right himself with a flounder1 whereas1 if held by both legs1 either before or behind1 the result is a rattling fall1 very dangerous to his back in the one case1 and to your own neck in the other4 ,valour of course insists that a hunter should do what he is bid1 but there are some situations in which the beast's discretion pleads reasonably enough for some forbearance from its master4 ,if a good horse1 thoroughly experienced in the exigencies of the sport1 that you have ridden a season or two1 and flatter yourself you understand1 persistently refuses a fence1 depend upon it there is sufficient reason4 ,the animal may be lame from an injury just received1 may have displaced a joint1 broken a tendon1 or even ruptured an artery4 ,perhaps it is so blown as to feel it must fall in the effort you require4 ,at any rate do not persevere4 ,horses have been killed1 and men also1 through a sentiment of sheer obstinacy that would not be denied1 and humanity should at least think shame to be out-done in discretion by the brute4 ,a horse is a wise creature enough1 or he could never carry us pleasantly to hounds4 ,an old friend of mine used to say3 ,people talk about size and shape1 shoulders1 quarters1 blood1 bone1 and muscle1 but for my part1 give me a hunter with brains4 ,he has to take care of the biggest fool of the two1 and think for both6 ,discretion1 then1 is one of the most valuable qualities for an animal charged with such heavy responsibilities1 that bears us happy and triumphant during the day1 and brings us safe home at night4 ,who would grudge a journey across ,st4 ,george's ,channel to find this desirable quality in its highest perfection at ,ballinasloe or ,cahirmee8 for indeed it is not too much to say that whatever we may think of her natives1 the most discreet and sagacious of our hunters come over from the ,emerald ,isle4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,irish ,,hunters4 ,an' niver laid an iron to the sod6 was a metaphor ,i once heard used by an excellent fellow from ,limerick1 to convey the brilliant manner in which a certain four-year-old he was describing performed during a burst1 when1 his owner told me1 he went clean away from all rivals in his gallop1 and flew every wall1 bank1 and ditch1 in his stride4 ,the expression1 translated into ,english1 would seem to imply that he neither perched on the grass-grown banks1 with all four feet at once1 like a cat1 nor struck back at them with his hind legs1 like a dog2 and perhaps my friend made the more account of this hazardous style of jumping1 that it seemed so foreign to the usual characteristics of the ,irish horse4 ,for those who have never hunted in ,ireland1 ,i must explain that the country as a general rule is fenced on a primitive system1 requiring little expenditure of capital beyond the labour of a man1 or1 as he is there called1 a boy1 with a short pipe in his mouth and a spade in his hand4 ,this light-hearted operative1 gay1 generous1 reckless1 high-spirited1 and by no means a free worker1 simply throws a bank up with the soil that he scoops out of the ditch1 reversing the process1 and filling the latter by levelling the former1 when a passage is required for carts1 or cattle1 from one inclosure to the next4 ,i ought nevertheless to observe1 that many landlords1 with a munificence for which ,i am at a loss to account1 go to the expense of erecting massive pillars of stone1 ostensibly gate-posts1 at commanding points1 between which supports1 however1 they seldom seem to hang a gate1 though it is but justice to admit that when they do1 the article is usually of iron1 very high1 very heavy1 and fastened with a strong padlock1 though its object seems less apparent1 when we detect within convenient distance on either side a gap through which one might safely drive a gig4 ,it is obvious1 then1 that this kind of fence1 at its widest and deepest1 requires considerable activity as well as circumspection on a horse's part1 and forbearance in handling on that of a rider4 ,the animal must gather itself to spring like a goat1 on the crest of the eminence it has to surmount1 with perfect liberty of head and neck1 for the climb1 and subsequent effort1 that may1 or may not be demanded4 ,neither man nor beast can foresee what is prepared for them on the landing side1 and a clever ,irish hunter brings itself up short in an instant1 should the gulf be too formidable for its powers1 balancing on the brink1 to look for a better spot1 or even leaping back again into the field from which it came4 ,that the ,irishman rides with a light bridle and lets it very much alone is the necessary result4 ,his pace at the fences must be slow1 because it is not a horse's nature1 however rash1 to rush at a place like the side of a house2 and instinct prompts the animal to collect itself without restraint from a rider's hand1 while any interference during the second and downward spring would only tend to pull it back into the chasm it is doing its best to clear4 ,the efforts by which an ,irish hunter surmounts these national impediments is like that of a hound jumping a wall4 ,the horse leaps to the top with fore-and-hind feet together1 where it dwells1 almost imperceptibly1 while shifting the purchase1 or changing1 as the natives call it1 in the shortest possible stride1 of a few inches at most1 to make the second spring4 ,every good ,english hunter will strike back with his hind legs when surprised into sudden exertion1 but only a proficient bred1 or at least1 taught in the sister island1 can master the feat described above in such artistic form as leads one to believe that1 like ,pegasus1 the creature has wings at every heel4 ,no man who has followed hounds in ,meath1 ,kilkenny1 or ,kildare will ever forget the first time1 when1 to use the vernacular of those delightful countries1 he rode an accomplished hunter over an intricate lep6 ,but the merit is not heaven-born4 ,on the contrary1 it seems the result of patient and judicious tuition1 called by ,irish breakers training1 in which they show much knowledge of character and sound common sense4 ,in some counties1 such as ,roscommon and ,connemara1 the brood mare indeed1 with the foal at her foot1 runs wild over extensive districts1 and1 finding no gates against which to lean1 leaps leisurely from pasture to pasture1 pausing1 perhaps1 in her transit to crop the sweeter herbage from some bank on which she is perched4 ,where mamma goes her little one dutifully follows1 imitating the maternal motions1 and as a charming mother almost always has a charming daughter1 so1 from its earliest foalhood1 the future hunter acquires an activity1 courage1 and sagacity that shall hereafter become the admiration of crowded hunting-fields in the land of the ,saxon far1 far away6 ,but whereas in many parts of ,ireland improved agriculture denies space for the unrestrained vagaries of these early lessons1 a judicious system is adopted that substitutes artificial education for that of nature4 ,it is wonderful we don't get more falls1 said one of the boldest and best of lady riders1 who during many seasons followed the pilotage of ,jem ,mason1 and but for failing eye-sight1 could sometimes have gone before him1 when we consider that we all ride half-broken horses1 and1 no doubt1 on our side of the ,channel1 the observation contained a great deal of truth4 ,but in this respect our neighbours show more wisdom4 ,they seldom bring a pupil into the hunting-field till the elementary discipline has been gone through that teaches him when he comes to his fence what to do with it4 ,he may be three1 he may be four4 ,i have seen a sportsman in ,kilkenny so unassumingly equipped that instead of boots he wore wisps of straw called1 ,i believe1 sooghauns go in front for a quarter of an hour on a two-year old6 ,whatever his age1 the colt shows himself an experienced hunter when it is necessary to leap4 ,not yet mouthed1 with unformed paces and wandering action1 he may seem the merest baby on the road or across a field1 but no veteran can be wiser or steadier when he comes within distance of it1 or1 as his owner would say1 when he challenges his leap1 and this enthusiast hardly over-states the truth in affirming that his pupil would change on the edge of a razor1 and never let ye know he was off the ,queen's high-road1 ,god bless her1 all the time6 ,the ,irishman1 like the ,arab1 seems to possess a natural insight into the character of a horse2 with many shortcomings as grooms1 not the least of which are want of neatness in stable-management1 and rooted dislike to hard work1 except by fits and starts1 they cherish extraordinary affection for their charges1 and certainly in their dealings with them obviously prefer kindness to coercion4 ,i do not think they always understand feeding judiciously1 and many of them have much to learn about getting horses into condition2 but they are unrivalled in teaching them to jump4 ,though seldom practised1 there is no better system in all undertakings than to begin with the beginning1 and an ,irish horse-breaker is so persuaded of this great elementary truth that he never asks the colt to attempt three feet till it has become thoroughly master of two4 ,with a cavesson rein1 a handful of oats1 and a few yards of waste ground behind the potato-ground or the pig-styes1 he will1 by dint of skill and patience1 turn the most blundering neophyte into an expert and stylish fencer in about six weeks4 ,as he widens the ditch of his earthwork1 he necessarily heightens its bank1 which his simple tools1 the spade and the pipe1 soon raise to six or seven feet4 ,when the young one has learned to surmount this temperately1 but with courage1 to change on the top1 and deliver itself handsomely1 with the requisite fling and freedom1 on the far side1 he considers it sufficiently advanced to take into the fields1 where he leads it forthwith1 leaving behind him the spade1 but holding fast to the corn1 the cavesson1 and the pipe4 ,here he soon teaches his colt to wait1 quietly grazing1 or staring about1 while he climbs the fence he intends it to jump1 and almost before the long rein can be tightened it follows like a dog1 to poke its nose in his hand for the few grains of oats it expects as a reward4 ,some breakers drive their pupils from behind1 with reins1 pulling them up when they have accomplished the leap2 but this is not so good a plan as necessitating the use of the whip1 and having1 moreover1 a further disadvantage in accustoming the colt to stop dead short on landing1 a habit productive hereafter of inconvenience to a loose rider taken unawares6 ,when he has taught his horse thus to walk over a country1 for two or three miles on end1 the breaker considers it1 with reason1 thoroughly trained for leaping1 and has no hesitation however low its condition1 in riding it out with the hounds4 ,who that has hunted in ,ireland but can recall the interest1 and indeed amusement1 with which he has watched some mere baby1 strangely tackled and uncouthly equipped1 sailing along in the front rank1 steered with consummate skill and temper by a venerable rider who looks sixty on horseback1 and at least eighty on foot4 ,the man's dress is of the shabbiest and most incongruous1 his boots are outrageous1 his spurs ill put on1 and his hat shows symptoms of ill-usage in warfare or the chase2 but he sits in the saddle like a workman1 and age has no more quenched the courage in his bright ,irish eye1 than it has soured the mirth of his temperament1 or saddened the music of his brogue4 ,you know instinctively that he must be a good fellow and a good sportsman2 you cannot follow him for half a mile without being satisfied that he is a good rider1 and you forget1 in your admiration of his beast's performance1 your surprise at its obvious youth1 its excessive leanness1 and the unusual shabbiness of its accoutrements4 ,inspecting these more narrowly1 if you can get near enough1 you begin to grudge the sums you have paid ,bartley1 or ,wilkinson and ,kidd1 for the neat turn-out you have been taught to consider indispensable to success4 ,you see that a horse may cross a dangerous country speedily and in safety1 though its saddle be pulpy and weather-stained1 with unequal stirrup-leathers1 and only one girth2 though its bridle be a ,pelham1 with a noseband1 and without a curb-chain1 while one rein seems most untrustworthy1 and the other1 for want of a buckle1 has its ends tied in a knot4 ,and yet1 wherever the hounds go1 thither follow this strangely-equipped pair4 ,they arrive at a seven-foot bank1 defended by a wide and1 more forbidding still1 an enormously deep ditch on this side and with nothing apparently but blue sky on the other4 ,while the man utters an exclamation that seems a threat1 a war-cry1 and a shout of triumph combined1 the horse springs to the summit1 perches like a bird1 and disappears buoyantly into space as if furnished1 indeed1 with wings1 that it need only spread to fly away4 ,they come to a stone-gap1 as it is termed2 neither more nor less than a disused egress1 made up with blocks of granite into a wall about five feet high1 and the young one1 getting close under it1 clears the whole out of a trot1 with the elasticity and the very action of a deer4 ,presently some frightful chasm has to be encountered1 wide enough for a brook1 deep enough for a ravine1 boggy of approach1 faced with stone1 and offering about as awkward an appearance as ever defeated a good man on his best hunter and bade him go to look for a better place4 ,our friend in the bad hat1 who knows what he is about1 rides at this yawner a turn slower than would most ,englishmen1 and with a lighter hand on his horse's mouth1 though his legs and knees are keeping the pupil well into its bridle1 and1 should the latter want to refuse1 or renage1 as they say in ,ireland1 a disgrace of which it has not the remotest idea1 there is a slip of ground-ash in the man's fingers ready to administer a refresher on its flank4 ,did ye draw now8 asks an ,irishman when his friend is describing how he accomplished some extraordinary feat in leaping1 and the expression1 derived from an obsolete custom of sticking the cutting-whip upright in the boot1 so that it has come to mean punishment from that instrument1 is nearly always answered--,i did not6 ,light as a fairy1 our young1 but experienced hunter dances down to the gulf1 and leaves it behind with scarce an effort1 while an unwashed hand bestows its caress on the reeking neck that will hereafter thicken prodigiously in some ,saxon stable on a proper allowance of corn4 ,if you are riding an ,irish horse1 you cannot do better than imitate closely every motion of the pair in front4 ,if not1 you will be wise1 ,i think1 to turn round and go home4 ,presently we will hope1 for the sake of the neophyte1 whose condition is by no means on a par with his natural powers1 the hounds either kill their fox1 or run him to ground1 or lose1 or otherwise account for him1 thus affording a few minutes' repose for breathing and conversation4 ,it's an intrickate country1 observes some brother-sportsman with just such another mount to the veteran ,i have endeavoured to describe2 and will that be the colt by ,chitchat out of ,donovan's mare8 ,does he 'lep' well now8 he adds with much interest4 ,the beautifullest ever ye see6 answers his friend1 and nobody who has witnessed the young horse's performances can dispute the justice of such a reply4 ,it is not difficult to understand that hunters so educated and so ridden in a country where every leap requires power1 courage1 and the exercise of much sagacity1 should find little difficulty in surmounting such obstacles as confront them on this side of the ,channel4 ,it is child's play to fly a ,leicestershire fence1 even with an additional rail1 for a horse that has been taught his business amongst the precipitous banks and fathomless ditches of ,meath or ,kildare4 ,if the ground were always sound and the hills somewhat levelled1 these ,irish hunters would find little to stop them in ,leicestershire from going as straight as their owners dared ride4 ,practice at walls renders them clever timber-jumpers1 they have usually the spring and confidence that make nothing of a brook1 and their careful habit of preparing for something treacherous on the landing side of every leap prevents their being taken unawares by the oxers and doubles that form such unwelcome exceptions to the usual run of impediments throughout the shires4 ,there is something in the expression of their very ears while we put them at their fences1 that seems to say1 ,it's a good trick enough1 and would take in most horses1 but my mother taught me a thing or two in ,connemara1 and you don't come over me6 ,unfortunately the ,shires1 as they are called par excellence1 the ,vale of ,aylesbury1 a perfect wilderness of grass1 and indeed all the best hunting districts1 ride very deep nine seasons out of ten1 so that the ,irish horse1 accustomed to a sound lime-stone soil and an unfurrowed surface in his own green island1 being moreover usually much wanting in condition1 feels the added labour1 and difference of action required1 severely enough4 ,it is proverbial that a horse equal to fourteen stone in ,ireland is only up to thirteen in ,leicestershire1 and ,english purchasers must calculate accordingly4 ,but if some prize-taker at the ,dublin ,horse ,show1 or other ornament of that land which her natives call the first flower of the earth and first gem of the sea1 should disappoint you a little when you ride him in ,november from ,ranksborough1 the ,coplow1 ,crick1 ,melton-,spinney1 ,christmas-,gorse1 ,great-,wood1 or any other favourite covert in one of our many good hunting countries1 do not therefore despond4 ,if he fail in deep ground1 or labour on ridge and furrow1 remember he possesses this inestimable merit that he can go the shortest way6 ,because the fence in front is large1 black1 and forbidding1 you need not therefore send him at it a turn faster than usual2 he is accustomed to spring from his back1 and cover large places out of a trot4 ,if you ride your own line to hounds1 it is no slight advantage thus to have the power of negotiating awkward corners1 without being committed to them fifty yards off1 unable to pull up should they prove impracticable2 and the faculty of jumping at short notice1 on this consideration alone1 ,i conceive to be one of the choicest qualities a hunter can possess4 ,also1 even in the most favoured and flying of the grass countries1 many fences require unusual steadiness and circumspection4 ,if they are to be done at all1 they can only be accomplished by creeping1 sometimes even climbing to the wished-for side4 ,the front rank itself will probably shirk these unaccustomed obstacles with cordial unanimity1 leaving them to be triumphantly disposed of by your new purchase from ,kildare4 ,he pokes out his nose1 as if to inspect the depth of a possible interment1 and it is wise to let him manage it all his own way4 ,you give him his head1 and the slightest possible kick in the ribs4 ,with a cringe of his powerful back and quarters1 a vigorous lift that seems to reach two-thirds of the required distance1 a second spring1 apparently taken from a twig weak enough to bend under a bird1 that covers the remainder1 a scramble for foothold1 a half stride and a snort of satisfaction1 the whole is disposed of1 and you are alone with the hounds4 ,though1 under such circumstances1 these seem pretty sure to run to ground or otherwise disappoint you within half-a-mile1 none the less credit is due to your horse's capabilities1 and you vow next season to have nothing but ,irish nags in your stable1 resolving for the future to ride straighter than you have ever done before4 ,but if you are so well pleased now with your promising ,patlander1 what shall you think of him this time next year1 when he has had twelve months of your stud-groom's stable-management1 and consumed ten or a dozen quarters of good ,english oats8 ,though you may have bought him as a six-year old1 he will have grown in size and substance1 even in height1 and will not only look1 but feel up to a stone more weight than you ever gave him credit for4 ,he can jump when he is blown now1 but he will never be blown then4 ,condition will teach him to laugh at the deep ground1 while his fine shoulders and true shape will enable him1 after the necessary practice1 to travel across ridge and furrow without a lurch4 ,he will have turned out a rattling good horse1 and you will never grudge the cheque you wrote1 nor the punch you were obliged to drink1 before his late proprietor would let you make him your own4 ,gold and whisky1 in large quantities and judiciously applied1 may no doubt buy the best horses in ,ireland4 ,but a man must know where to look for them1 and even in remote districts1 will sometimes be disappointed to find that the ,english dealers have forestalled him4 ,happily1 there are so many good horses1 perhaps ,i should say1 so few rank bad ones1 bred in the country1 that from the very sweepings and leavings of the market1 one need not despair of turning up a trump4 ,a hunter is in so far like a wife1 that experience alone will prove whether he is or is not good for nothing4 ,make and shape1 in either case1 may be perfect1 pedigree unimpeachable1 and manners blameless1 but who is to answer for temper1 reflection1 docility1 and the generous staying power that accepts rough and smooth1 ups and downs1 good and evil1 without a struggle or a sob8 ,when we have tried them1 we find them out1 and can only make the best of our disappointment1 if they do not fully come up to our expectations4 ,there is many a good hunter1 particularly in a rich man's stable1 that never has a chance of proving its value4 ,with three or four1 we know their form to a pound2 with a dozen1 season after season goes by without furnishing occasion for the use of all1 till some fine scenting day1 after mounting a friend1 we are surprised to learn that the flower of the whole stud has hitherto been esteemed but a moderate animal1 only fit to carry the sandwiches1 and bring us home4 ,i imagine1 notwithstanding all we have heard and read concerning the difficulty of buying ,irish horses in their own country1 that there are still scores of them in ,cork1 ,limerick1 and other breeding districts1 as yet unpromised and unsold4 ,the scarcity of weight-carriers is indisputable1 but can we find them here8 ,the light man's horse1 to fly under sixteen stone1 is a black swan everywhere1 and if not a light man's horse1 that is to say1 free1 flippant1 fast1 and well-bred1 he will never give his stalwart rider thorough satisfaction2 but in ,ireland1 far more plentifully than in ,england1 are still to be found handsome1 clever1 hunting-like animals fit to carry thirteen stone1 and capital jumpers at reasonable prices1 varying from one to two hundred pounds4 ,the latter sum1 particularly if you had it with you in sovereigns1 would in most localities insure the pick of the basket1 and ten or twenty of the coins thrown back for luck4 ,i have heard it objected to ,irish hunters1 that they are so accustomed to double all their places1 as to practise this accomplishment even at those flying fences of the grazing districts which ought to be taken in the stride1 and that they require fresh tuition before they can be trusted at the staked-and-bound or the bullfinch1 lest1 catching their feet in the growers as in a net1 they should be tumbled headlong to the ground4 ,i can only say that ,i have been well and safely carried by many of them on their first appearance in ,leicestershire1 as in other ,english countries1 that they seemed intuitively to apprehend the character of the fences they had to deal with1 and that1 although being mortal1 they could not always keep on their legs1 ,i cannot remember one of them giving me a fall because he was an ,irish horse6 ,how many their nationality has saved me1 ,i forbear to count1 but ,i am persuaded that the careful tuition undergone in youth1 and their varied experience when sufficiently advanced to follow hounds over their native country1 imparts that facility of powerful and safe jumping1 which is one of the most important qualities among the many that constitute a hunter4 ,they possess also the merit of being universally well-bred4 ,this is an advantage no sportsman will overlook who likes to be near hounds while they run1 but objects to leading1 driving1 or perhaps pushing his horse home4 ,till within a few years1 there was literally no cart-horse blood in ,ireland4 ,the black-drop of the ponderous ,clydesdale remained positively unknown1 and although the ,suffolk ,punch has been recently introduced1 he cannot yet have sufficiently tainted the pedigrees of the country1 to render us mistrustful of a golden-coated chestnut1 with a round barrel and a strong back4 ,no1 their horses if not quite clean-bred1 as the ,irish themselves call it1 are at least of illustrious parentage on both sides a few generations back1 and this high descent cannot but avail them1 when called on for long-continued exertion1 particularly at the end of the day4 ,juvenal1 hurling his scathing satire against the patricians of his time1 drew from the equine race a metaphor to illustrate the superiority of merit over birth4 ,however unanswerable in argument1 he was1 ,i think1 wrong in his facts4 ,men and women are to be found of every parentage1 good1 bad1 and indifferent2 but with horses1 there is more in race than in culture1 and for the selection of these noble animals at least1 ,i can imagine no safer guide than the aristocratic maxim1 ,blood will tell6 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,thorough-,,bred ,,horses4 ,i have heard it affirmed1 though ,i know not on what authority1 that if we are to believe the hunting records of the last hundred years1 in all runs so severe and protracted as to admit of only one man getting to the finish1 this exceptional person was in every instance1 riding an old horse1 a thorough-bred horse1 and a horse under fifteen-two6 ,perhaps on consideration1 this is a less remarkable statement than it appears4 ,that the survivor was an old horse1 means that he had many years of corn and condition to pull him through2 that he was a little horse1 infers he carried a light weight1 but that he was a thorough-bred horse seems to me a reasonable explanation of the whole4 ,the thorough-bred ones never stop1 is a common saying among sportsmen1 and there are daily instances of some high-born steed who can boast ,his sire from the desert1 his dam from the north1 galloping steadily on1 calm and vigorous1 when the country behind him is dotted for miles with hunters standing still in every field4 ,it is obvious that a breed1 reared expressly for racing purposes1 must be the fastest of its kind4 ,a colt considered good enough to be put through the mill on ,newmarket ,heath1 or ,middleham ,moor1 whatever may be his shortcomings in the select company he finds at school1 cannot but seem a flyer1 when in after-life he meets horses1 however good1 that have neither been bred nor trained for the purpose of galloping a single mile at the rate of an express train4 ,while these are at speed he is only cantering1 and we need not therefore be surprised that he can keep cantering on after they are reduced to a walk4 ,in the hunting-field1 what kills is the pace4 ,when hounds can make it good enough they kill their fox1 when horses cannot it kills them1 and for this reason alone1 if for no other1 ,i would always prefer that my hunters should be quite thorough-bred4 ,though undoubtedly the best1 ,i cannot affirm1 however1 that they are always the pleasantest mounts2 far from it1 indeed1 just at first1 though subsequent superiority makes amends for the little eccentricities of gait and temper peculiar to pupils from the racing-stable in their early youth4 ,an idle1 lurching mover1 rather narrow before the saddle1 with great power of back and loins1 a habit of bearing on its rider's hand1 one side to its mouth1 and a loose neck1 hardly inspires a careful man with the confidence necessary for enjoyment2 coming away from ,ranksborough1 for instance1 down-hill1 with the first fence leaning towards him1 very little room1 his horse too much extended1 going on its shoulders1 and getting the better of him at every stride6 ,but this is an extreme case1 purposely chosen to illustrate at their worst1 the disadvantages of riding a thorough-bred horse4 ,it is often our own fault1 when we buy one of these illustrious cast-offs1 that our purchase so disappoints us after we have got it home4 ,many men believe that to carry them through an exhausting run1 such staying powers are required as win under high weights and at long distances on the turf4 ,their selection1 therefore1 from the racing-stable1 is some young one of undeniably stout blood1 that when asked the question for the first time1 has been found too slow to put in training4 ,they argue with considerable show of reason1 that it will prove quite speedy enough for a hunter1 but they forget that though a fast horse is by no means indispensable to the chase1 a quick one is most conducive to enjoyment when we are compelled to jump all sorts of fences out of all sorts of ground4 ,now a yearling1 quick enough on its legs to promise a turn of speed1 is pretty sure to be esteemed worth training1 nor will it be condemned as useless1 till its distance is found to be just short of half-a-mile4 ,in plain ,english1 when it fails under the strain on wind and frame1 of galloping at its very best1 eight hundred and seventy yards1 and fades to nothing in the next ten4 ,now this collapse is really more a question of speed than stamina4 ,there is a want of reach or leverage somewhere1 that makes its rapid action too laborious to be lasting1 but there is no reason why the animal that comes short of five furlongs on the trial-ground1 should not hold its own in front1 for five miles of a steeple-chase1 or fifteen of a run with hounds4 ,these1 in fact1 are the so-called weeds that win our cross-country races1 and when we reflect on the pace and distance of the ,liverpool1 four miles and three-quarters run in something under eleven minutes1 at anything but feather-weights1 and over all sorts of fences1 we cannot but admire the speed1 gallantry1 and endurance1 the essentially game qualities of our ,english horse4 ,and here ,i may observe that a good steeple-chaser1 properly sobered and brought into his bridle1 is one of the pleasantest hunters a man can ride1 particularly in a flying country4 ,he is sure to be able to make haste in all sorts of ground1 while the smooth1 easy stride that wins between the flags is invaluable through dirt4 ,he does not lose his head and turn foolish1 as do many good useful hunters1 when bustled along for a mile or two at something like racing pace4 ,very quick over his fences1 his style of jumping is no less conducive to safety than despatch1 while his courage is sure to be undeniable1 because the slightest tendency to refuse would have disqualified him for success in his late profession1 wherein also1 he must necessarily have learnt to be a free and brilliant water-jumper4 ,indeed you may always take two liberties with a steeple-chase horse during a run 7not more74 ,the first time you squeeze him1 he thinks1 ,oh6 this is the brook6 and putting on plenty of steam1 flings himself as far as ever he can4 ,the second1 he accepts your warning with equal good will4 ,all right6 he seems to answer1 ,this is the brook1 coming home6 but if you try the same game a third time1 ,i cannot undertake to say what may happen1 you will probably puzzle him exceedingly1 upset his temper1 and throw him out of gear for the day4 ,we have travelled a long way1 however1 from our original subject1 tuition of the thorough-bred for the field1 or perhaps ,i should call it the task of turning a bad race-horse into a good hunter4 ,like every other process of education this requires exceeding perseverance1 and a patience not to be overcome4 ,the irritation of a moment may undo the lessons of a week1 and if the master forgets himself1 you may be sure the pupil will long remember which of the two was in fault4 ,never begin a quarrel if it can possibly be avoided1 because1 when war is actually declared1 you must fight it out to the bitter end1 and if you are beaten1 you had better send your horse to ,tattersall's1 for you will never be master again4 ,stick to him till he does what you require1 trusting1 nevertheless1 rather to time than violence1 and if you can get him at last to obey you of his own free will1 without knowing why1 ,i cannot repeat too often1 you will have won the most conclusive of victories4 ,when the late ,sir ,charles ,knightley took ,sir ,marinel out of training1 and brought him down to ,pytchley1 to teach him the way he should go 7and the way of ,sir ,charles over a country was that of a bird in the air71 he found the horse restive1 ignorant1 wilful1 and unusually averse to learning the business of a hunter4 ,the animal1 was1 however1 well worth a little painstaking1 and his owner1 a perfect centaur in the saddle1 rode him out for a lesson in jumping the first day the hounds remained in the kennel4 ,at two o'clock1 as his old friend and contemporary1 ,mr4 ,john ,cooke informed me1 he came back1 having failed to get the rebel over a single fence4 ,but ,i have told them not to take his saddle off1 said ,sir ,charles1 sitting down to a cutlet and a glass of ,madeira1 after luncheon ,i mean to have a turn at him again6 ,so the baronet remounted and took the lesson up where he had left off4 ,nerve1 temper1 patience1 the strongest seat1 and the finest hands in ,england1 could not but triumph at last1 and this thorough-bred pair came home at dinner-time1 having larked over all the stiffest fences in the country1 with perfect unanimity and good will4 ,sir ,marinel1 and ,benvolio1 also a thorough-bred horse1 were by many degrees1 ,sir ,charles has often told me1 the best hunters he ever had4 ,shuttlecock too1 immortalized in the famous ,billesdon-,coplow poem1 when ,villiers esteemed it a serious bore1 ,that no longer could ,shuttlecock fly as before1 was a clean thorough-bred horse1 fast enough to have made a good figure on the race-course1 but with a rooted disinclination to jump4 ,that king of horsemen1 the grandfather of the present ,lord ,jersey1 whom ,i am proud to remember having seen ride fairly away from a whole ,leicestershire field1 over a rough country not far from ,melton1 at seventy-three1 told me that this horse1 though it turned out eventually one of his safest and boldest fencers1 at the end of six weeks' tuition would not jump the leaping-bar the height of its own knees6 ,his lordship1 however1 who was blessed in perfection1 with the sweet temper1 as with the personal beauty and gallant bearing of his race1 neither hurried nor ill-used it1 and the time spent on the animal's education1 though somewhat wearisome1 was not thrown away4 ,mr4 ,gilmour's famous ,vingt-et-un1 the best hunter1 he protests1 by a great deal that gentleman ever possessed1 was quite thorough-bred4 ,seventeen hands high1 but formed all over in perfect proportion to this commanding frame1 it may easily be imagined that the power and stride of so large an animal made light of ordinary obstacles1 and ,i do not believe1 though it may sound an extravagant assertion1 there was a fence in the whole of ,leicestershire that could have stopped ,vingt-et-un and his rider1 on a good scenting day some few years ago4 ,such men and such horses ought never to grow old4 ,mr4 ,william ,cooke1 too1 owned a celebrated hunter called ,advance1 of stainless pedigree1 as was ,december1 so named from being foaled on the last day of that month1 a premature arrival that lost him his year for racing purposes by twenty-four hours1 and transferred the colt to the hunting-stables4 ,mr4 ,cooke rode nothing but this class1 nor indeed could any animal less speedy than a race-horse1 sustain the pace he liked to go4 ,whitenose1 a beautiful animal that the late ,sir ,richard ,sutton affirmed was not only the best hunter he ever owned1 but that he ever saw or heard of1 and on whose back he is painted in ,sir ,f4 ,grant's spirited picture of the ,cottesmore ,meet1 was also quite thorough-bred4 ,when ,sir ,richard hunted the ,burton country1 ,whitenose carried him through a run so severe in pace and of such long duration1 that not another horse got to the end1 galloping1 his master assured me1 steadily on without a falter1 to the last4 ,by the way1 he was then of no great age1 and nearer sixteen hands than fifteen-two6 ,this was a very easy horse to ride1 and could literally jump anything he got his nose over4 ,a picture to look at1 with a coat like satin1 the eyes of a deer1 and the truest action in his slow as in his fast paces1 he has always been my ideal of perfection in a hunter4 ,but it would be endless to enumerate the many examples ,i can recall of the thorough-bred's superiority in the hunting-field4 ,those ,i have mentioned belong to a by-gone time1 but a man need not look very narrowly into any knot of sportsmen at the present day1 particularly after a sharpish scurry in deep ground1 before his eye rests on the thin tail1 and smoothly turned quarters1 that need no gaudier blazon to attest the nobility of their descent4 ,if you mean1 however1 to ride a thorough-bred one1 and choose to make him yourself1 do not feel disappointed that he seems to require more time and tuition than his lower-born cousins1 once and twice removed4 ,in the first place you will begin by thinking him wanting in courage6 ,where the half-bred one1 eager1 flurried1 and excited1 rushes wildly at an unaccustomed difficulty1 your calmer gentleman proceeds deliberately to examine its nature1 and consider how he can best accomplish his task4 ,it is not that he has less valour1 but more discretion6 ,in the monotonous process of training1 he has acquired1 with other tiresome tricks1 the habit of doing as little as he can1 in the different paces1 walk1 canter1 and gallop1 of which he has become so weary4 ,even the excitement of hunting till hounds really run1 hardly dissipates his aristocratic lethargy1 but only get him in front for one of those scurries that1 perhaps twice in a season turn up a fox in twenty minutes1 and if you dare trust him1 you will be surprised at the brilliant performance of your idle1 negligent1 wayward young friend4 ,he bends kindly to the bridle he objected to all the morning1 he tucks his quarters in1 and scours through the deep ground like a hare1 he slides over rather than jumps his fences1 with the easy swoop of a bird on the wing1 and when everything of meaner race has been disposed of a field or two behind1 he trots up to some high bit of timber1 and leaps it gallantly without a pause1 though only yesterday he would have turned round to kick at it for an hour6 ,still1 there are many chances against your having such an opportunity as this4 ,most days the hounds do not run hard4 ,when they do1 you are perhaps so unfortunate as to lose your start1 and finally1 should everything else be in your favour1 it is twenty to one you are riding the wrong horse6 ,therefore1 the process of educating your young one1 must be conducted on quieter principles1 and in a less haphazard way4 ,if you can find a pack of harriers1 and their master does not object1 there is no better school for the troublesome or unwilling pupil4 ,but remember1 ,i entreat1 that horsebreaking is prejudicial to sport1 and most unwelcome4 ,you are there on sufferance1 take care to interfere with nobody1 and above all1 keep wide of the hounds6 ,the great advantage you will find in harehunting over the wilder pursuit of the fox1 is in the circles described by your game4 ,there is plenty of time to have it out with a refuser1 and indeed to turn him backwards and forwards if you please1 over the same leap1 without fear of being left behind4 ,the merry harriers are pretty sure to return in a few minutes1 and you can begin again1 with as much enthusiasm of man and horse as if you had never been out of the hunt at all6 ,whip and spur1 ,i need hardly insist1 cannot be used too sparingly1 and anything in the shape of haste or over-anxiety is prejudicial1 but if it induces him to jump in his stride1 you may ride this kind of horse a turn faster at his fences1 than any other4 ,you can trust him not to be in too great a hurry1 and it is his nature to take care of himself4 ,till he has become thoroughly accustomed to his new profession1 it is well to avoid such places as seem particularly distasteful and likely to make him rebel4 ,his fine skin will cause him to be a little shy of thick bullfinches1 and his sagacity mistrusts deep or blind ditches1 such as less intelligent animals would run into without a thought4 ,rather select rails1 or clean upright fences1 that he can compass and understand4 ,try to imbue him with love for the sport and confidence in his rider4 ,after a few weeks1 he will turn his head from nothing1 and go straighter1 as well as faster1 and longer than anything in your stable4 ,an old ,meltonian used to affirm that the first two articles of his creed for the hunting season were1 a perfectly pure claret1 and thorough-bred horses4 ,of the former he was unsparing to his friends1 the latter he used freely enough for himself4 ,certainly no man gave pleasanter dinners1 or was better carried1 and one might do worse than go to ,melton with implicit reliance on these twin accessories of the chase4 ,all opinions must be agreed1 ,i fancy1 about the one1 but there are still many prejudices against the other4 ,heavy men especially declare they cannot find thorough-bred horses to carry them1 forgetting1 it would seem1 that size is no more a criterion of strength than haste is of speed4 ,the bone of a thorough-bred horse is of the closest and toughest fibre1 his muscles are well developed1 and his joints elastic4 ,do not these advantages infer power1 no less than stamina1 and in our own experience have we not all reason to corroborate the old-fashioned maxim1 ,it is action that carries weight8 ,nimrod1 who understood the subject thoroughly1 observes with great truth1 that ',wind' is strength2 when a horse is blown a mountain or a mole-hill are much the same to him1 and no sportsman who has ever scaled a ,highland hill to circumvent a red-deer1 or walk up to a point1 will dispute the argument4 ,what a game animal it is1 that without touch of spur1 at the mere pleasure and caprice of a rider1 struggles gallantly on till it drops6 ,there used to be a saying in the ,prize ,ring1 that ,seven pounds will lick the best man in ,england4 ,this is but a technical mode of stating that1 caeteris paribus1 weight means strength4 ,thirty years ago1 it was a common practice at ,melton to weigh hunters after they were put in condition1 and sportsmen often wondered to find how the eye had deceived them1 in the comparative tonnage1 so to speak1 and consequently1 the horse-power of these different conveyances2 the thorough-bred1 without exception1 proving far heavier than was supposed4 ,an athlete1 we all know1 whether boxer1 wrestler1 pedestrian1 cricketer or gymnast1 looks smaller in his clothes1 and larger when he is stripped4 ,similarly1 on examining in the stable1 the nice little horse we admired in the field1 it surprises us to find nearly sixteen hands of height1 and six feet of girth1 with power to correspond in an animal of which we thought the only defect was want of size4 ,a thorough-bred one is invariably a little bigger1 and a great deal stronger than he looks4 ,of his power to carry weight1 those tall1 fine men who usually ride so judiciously and so straight1 are not yet sufficiently convinced1 although if you ask any celebrated welter to name the best horse he ever had1 he is sure to answer1 ,oh6 little ,so-and-so4 ,he wasn't up to my weight1 but he carried me better than anything else in the stable6 ,surely no criterion could be more satisfactory than this6 ,it may not be out of place to observe here1 as an illustration of the well-known maxim1 ,horses can go in all shapes1 that of the three heaviest men ,i can call to mind who rode perfectly straight to hounds1 the best hunter owned by each was too long in the back4 ,sober ,robin1 an extraordinary animal that could carry ,mr4 ,richard ,gurney1 riding twenty stone1 ahead of all the light-weights1 was thus shaped4 ,a famous bay-horse1 nearly as good1 belonging to the late ,mr4 ,wood of ,brixworth ,hall1 an equally heavy man1 who when thus mounted1 never stopped to open a gate6 had1 his owner used to declare1 as many vertebrae as a crocodile1 and ,colonel ,wyndham whose size and superiority in the saddle ,i have already mentioned1 hesitated a week before he bought his famous black mare1 the most brilliant hunter he ever possessed1 because she was at least three inches too long behind the saddle6 ,i remember also seeing the late ,lord ,mayo ride fairly away from a ,pytchley field1 no easy task1 between ,lilbourne and ,cold ,ashby1 on a horse that except for its enormous depth of girth1 arguing unfailing wind1 seemed to have no good points whatever to catch the eye4 ,it was tall1 narrow1 plain-headed1 with very bad shoulders1 and very long legs1 all this to carry at least eighteen stone2 but it was nearly1 if not quite1 thorough-bred4 ,we need hardly dwell on the advantages of speed and endurance1 inherited from the ,arab1 and improved1 as we fondly hope1 almost to perfection1 through the culture of many generations1 while even the fine temper of the desert-born has not been so warped by the tricks of stable-boys1 and the severity of turf-discipline1 but that a little forbearance and kind usage soon restores its natural docility4 ,in all the qualities of a hunter1 the thorough-bred horse1 is1 ,i think1 superior to the rest of his kind4 ,you can hardly do better than buy one1 and make him to your hand1 should you be blessed with good nerves1 a fine temper1 and a delicate touch1 or1 wanting these qualities1 confide him to some one so gifted1 if you wish to be carried well and pleasantly1 in your love for hunting1 perhaps ,i should rather say1 for the keen and stirring excitement we call riding to hounds4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,riding ,,to ,,fox-,,hounds4 ,if you want to be near hounds1 says an old friend of mine who1 for a life-time1 has religiously practised what he preaches1 the method is simple1 and seems only common sense--keep as close to them as ever you can6 but ,i think1 though1 with his undaunted nerve1 and extraordinary horsemanship1 he seems to find it feasible enough1 this plan1 for most people1 requires considerable management1 and no little modification4 ,i grant we should never let them slip away from us1 and that1 in nine cases out of ten1 when defeated by what we choose to call a bad turn it is our own fault4 ,at the same time1 there are many occasions on which a man who keeps his eyes open1 and knows how to ride1 can save his horse to some purpose1 by travelling inside the pack1 and galloping a hundred yards for their three4 ,i say who keeps his eyes open1 because1 in order to effect this economy of speed and distance1 it is indispensable to watch their doings narrowly1 and to possess the experience that tells one when they are really on the line1 and when only flinging forward to regain1 with the dash that is a fox-hound's chief characteristic1 the scent they have over-run4 ,constant observation will alone teach us to distinguish the hounds that are right2 and to turn with them judiciously1 is the great secret of getting to the end4 ,we must1 therefore1 be within convenient distance1 and to ensure such proximity1 it is most desirable to get a good start4 ,let us begin at the beginning1 and consider how this primary essential is to be obtained4 ,directly a move is made from the place of meeting1 it is well to cut short all coffee-house conversation1 even at the risk of neglecting certain social amenities1 and to fix our minds at once on the work in hand4 ,a good story1 though pleasant enough in its way1 cannot compare with a good run1 and it is quite possible to lose the one by too earnest attention to the other4 ,a few courteous words previously addressed to the huntsman will ensure his civility during the day2 but this is not a happy moment for imparting to him your opinion on things in general and his own business in particular4 ,he has many matters to occupy his thoughts1 and does not care to see you in the middle of his favourites on a strange horse4 ,it is better to keep the second whip between yourself and the hounds1 jogging calmly on1 with a pleasant view of their well-filled backs and handsomely-carried sterns1 taking care to pull up1 religiously murmuring the orthodox caution--,ware horse6 when any one of them requires to pause for any purpose4 ,you cannot too early impress on the hunt servants that you are a lover of the animal1 most averse to interfering with it at all times1 and especially in the ardour of the chase4 ,if the size and nature of the covert will admit1 you had better go into it with the hounds1 and on this occasion1 but no other1 ,i think it is permissible to make use of the huntsman's pilotage at a respectful distance4 ,where there are foxes there is game1 where game1 riot4 ,a few young hounds must come out with every pack1 and the rate or cheer of your leader will warn you whether their opening music means a false flourish or a welcome find4 ,also where he goes you can safely follow1 and need have no misgivings that the friendly hand-gate for which he is winding down some tortuous ride will be nailed up4 ,besides1 though floundering in deep1 sloughy woodlands entails considerable labour on your horse1 it is less distressing than that gallop of a mile or two at speed which endeavours1 but usually fails1 to make amends for a bad start2 whereas1 if you get away on good terms1 you can indulge him with a pull at the first opportunity1 and those scenting days are indeed rare on which hounds run many fields without at least a hover1 if not a check4 ,some men take their station outside the covert1 down wind1 in a commanding position1 so as to hear every turn of the hounds1 secure a front place for the sport1 and--head the fox6 ,but we will suppose all such difficulties overcome2 that a little care1 attention1 and common sense have enabled you to get away on good terms with the pack2 and that you emerge not a bowshot off1 while they stream across the first field with a dash that brings the mettle to your heart and the blood to your brain4 ,do not1 therefore1 lose your head4 ,it is the characteristic of good manhood to be physically calm in proportion to moral excitement4 ,remember there are two occasions in chase when the manner of hounds is not to be trusted4 ,on first coming away with their fox1 and immediately before they kill him1 the steadiest will lead you to believe there is a burning scent and that they cannot make a mistake4 ,nevertheless1 hope for the best1 set your horse going1 and if1 as you sail over1 or crash through1 the first fence1 you mark the pack driving eagerly on1 drawn to a line at either end by the pace1 harden your heart1 and thank your stars4 ,it is all right1 you may lay odds1 you are in for a really good thing6 ,i suppose ,i need hardly observe that the laws of fox-hunting forbid you to follow hounds by the very obvious process of galloping in their track4 ,nothing makes them so wild1 to use the proper term1 as riding on their line2 and should you be ignorant enough to attempt it1 you are pretty sure to be told where you are driving them1 and desired to go there yourself6 ,no2 you must keep one side or the other1 but do not1 if you can help it1 let the nature of the obstacles to be encountered bias your choice4 ,ride for ground as far as possible when the foothold is good2 the fences will take care of themselves2 but let no advantages of sound turf1 nor even open gates1 tempt you to stray more than a couple of hundred yards from the pack4 ,at that distance a bad turn can be remedied1 and a good one gives you leisure to pull back into a trot4 ,remember1 too1 that it is the nature of a fox1 and we are now speaking of fox-hunting1 to travel down wind2 therefore1 as a general rule1 keep to leeward of the hounds4 ,every bend they make ought to be in your favour2 but1 on the other hand should they chance to turn up wind1 they will begin to run very hard1 and this is a good reason for never letting them get1 so to speak1 out of your reach4 ,i repeat1 as a general rule1 but by no means without exception4 ,in ,leicestershire especially1 foxes seem to scorn this fine old principle1 and will make their point with a stiff breeze blowing in their teeth2 but on such occasions they do not usually mean to go very far1 and the gallant veteran1 with his white tag1 that gives you the run to be talked of for years1 is almost always a wind-sinker from wold or woodland in an adjoining hunt4 ,suppose1 however1 the day is perfectly calm1 and there seems no sufficient reason to prefer one course to the other1 should we go to right or left8 ,this is a matter in which neither precept nor personal experience can avail4 ,one man is as sure to do right as the other to do wrong4 ,there is an intuitive perception1 more animal than human1 of what we may call the line of chase1 with which certain sportsmen are gifted by nature1 and which1 ,i believe1 would bring them up at critical points of the finest and longest runs if they came out hunting in a gig4 ,this faculty1 where everything else is equal1 causes ,a to ride better than ,b1 but is no less difficult to explain than the instinct that guides an ,indian on the prairie or a swallow across the sea4 ,it counsels the lady in her carriage1 or the old coachman piloting her children on their ponies1 it enables the butcher to come up on his hack1 the first-flight man to save his horse1 and above all1 the huntsman to kill his fox4 ,the ,duke of ,beaufort possesses it in an extraordinary degree4 ,when so crippled by gout1 or reduced by suffering as to be unable to keep the saddle over a fence1 he seems1 even in strange countries1 to see no less of the sport than in old days1 when he could ride into every field with his hounds4 ,and ,i do believe that now1 in any part of ,gloucestershire1 with ten couple of the badger-pyed and a horn1 he could go out and kill his fox in a ,bath-chair6 ,perhaps1 however1 his may be an extreme case4 ,no man has more experience1 few such a natural aptitude and fondness for the sport4 ,lord ,worcester1 too1 like his father1 has shown how an educated gentleman1 with abilities equal to all exigencies of a high position that affords comparatively little leisure for the mere amusements of life1 can excel1 in their own profession1 men who have been brought up to it from childhood1 whose thoughts and energies1 winter and summer1 morning1 noon1 and night1 are concentrated on the business of the chase4 ,this knack of getting to hounds then--should we consider genius or talent too strong terms to use for proficiency in field sports--while a most valuable quality to everybody who comes out hunting1 is no less rare than precious4 ,if we have it we are to be congratulated and our horses still more1 but if1 like the generality of men1 we have it not1 let us consider how far common sense and close attention will supply the want of a natural gift4 ,it was said of an old friend of mine1 the keenest of the keen1 that he always rode as if he had never seen a run before1 and should never see a run again6 ,this1 ,i believe1 is something of the feeling with which we ought to be possessed1 impelling us to take every legitimate advantage and to throw no possible chance away4 ,it cannot be too often repeated that judicious choice of ground is the very first essential for success4 ,therefore the hunting-field has always been considered so good a school for cavalry officers4 ,there seems no limit to the endurance of a horse in travelling over a hard and tolerably level surface1 even under heavy weight1 but we all know the fatal effect of a very few yards in a steam-ploughed field1 when the gallant animal sinks to its hocks every stride4 ,keep an eye forward then1 and shape your course where the foothold is smooth and sound4 ,in a hilly country choose the sides of the slopes1 above1 rather than below1 the pack1 for1 if they turn away from you1 it is harder work to gallop up1 than down4 ,in the latter case1 and for this little hint ,i am indebted to ,lord ,wilton1 do not increase your speed so as to gain in distance1 rather preserve the same regular pace1 so as to save in wind4 ,descending an incline at an easy canter1 and held well together1 your horse is resting almost as if he were standing still4 ,it is quite time enough when near the bottom to put on a spurt that will shoot him up the opposite rise4 ,on the grass1 if you must cross ridge-and-furrow1 take it a-slant1 your horse will pitch less on his shoulders1 and move with greater ease1 while if they lie the right way1 by keeping him on the crest1 rather than in the trough of those long parallel rollers1 you will ensure firm ground for his gallop1 and a sounder1 as well as higher take-off for the leap1 when he comes to his fence4 ,i need hardly remind you that in all swampy places1 rushes may be trusted implicitly1 and experienced hunters seem as well aware of the fact as their riders4 ,vegetable growth1 indeed1 of any kind has a tendency to suck moisture into its fibres1 and consequently to drain1 more or less1 the surface in its immediate vicinity4 ,the deep rides of a woodland are least treacherous at their edges1 and the brink of a brook is most reliable close to some pollard or alder bush1 particularly on the upper side1 as ,mr4 ,bromley ,davenport knew better than most people1 when he wrote his thrilling lines3-- ,then steady1 my young one6 the place ,i've selected ,above the dwarf willow1 is sound1 ,i'll be bail2 ,with your muscular quarters beneath you collected1 ,prepare for a rush like the limited mail6 ,but we cannot always be on the grass1 nor1 happily are any of us obliged1 often in a life time1 to ride at the ,whissendine6 ,in ploughed land1 choose a wet furrow1 for the simple reason that water would not stand in it unless the bottom were hard1 but if you cannot find one1 nor a foot-path1 nor a cart-track trampled down into a certain consistency1 remember the fable of the hare and the tortoise1 pull your horse back into a trot1 and never fear but that you will be able to make up your leeway when you arrive at better ground4 ,it is fortunate that the fences are usually less formidable here than in the pastures1 and will admit of creeping into1 and otherwise negotiating1 with less expenditure of power1 so you may travel pretty safely1 and turn at pleasure1 shorter than the hounds4 ,there are plough countries1 notably in ,gloucestershire and ,wilts1 that ride light4 ,to them the above remarks in no way apply4 ,inclosed with stone walls1 if there is anything like a scent1 hounds carry such a head1 and run so hard over these districts1 that you must simply go as fast as your horse's pace1 and as straight as his courage admits1 but if you have the ,duke of ,beaufort's dog-pack in front of you1 do not be surprised to find1 with their extraordinary dash and enormous stride1 that even on the pick of your stable1 ere you can jump into one field they are half-way across the next4 ,in hunting1 as in everything else1 compensation seems the rule of daily life1 and the very brilliancy of the pace affords its own cure4 ,either hounds run into their fox1 or1 should he find room to turn1 flash over the scent1 and bring themselves to a check4 ,you will not then regret having made play while you could1 and although no good sportsman1 and1 indeed1 no kind-hearted man1 would overtax the powers of the most generous animal in creation1 still we must remember that we came out for the purpose of seeing the fun1 and unless we can keep near the hounds while they run we shall lose many beautiful instances of their sagacity when brought to their noses1 and obliged to hunt4 ,there is no greater treat to a lover of the chase than to watch a pack of high-bred fox-hounds that have been running hard on pasture1 brought suddenly to a check on the dusty sun-dried fallows4 ,after dashing and snatching in vain for a furlong or so1 they will literally quarter their ground like pointers1 till they recover the line1 every yard of which they make good1 with noses down and sterns working as if from the concentrated energy of all their faculties1 till suspicion becomes certainty1 and they lay themselves out once more1 in the uncontrolled ecstasy of pursuit4 ,now if you are a mile behind1 you miss all these interesting incidents1 and lose1 as does your disappointed hunter1 more than half the amusement you both came out to enjoy4 ,the latter too1 works twice as hard when held back in the rear1 as when ridden freely and fearlessly in front4 ,the energy expended in fighting with his rider would itself suffice to gallop many a furlong and leap many a fence1 while the moral effect of disappointment is most disheartening to a creature of such a highly-strung nervous organisation4 ,look at the work done by a huntsman's horse before the very commencement of some fine run1 the triumphant conclusion of which depends so much on his freshness at the finish1 and yet how rarely does he succumb to the labour of love imposed2 but then he usually leaves the covert in close proximity to his friends the hounds1 every minute of his toil is cheered by their companionship1 and1 having no leeway to make up he need not be overpaced when they are running their hardest1 while he finds a moment's leisure to recover himself when they are hunting their closest and best4 ,in those long and severe chases1 to which1 unhappily1 two or three horses may sometimes be sacrificed1 the first flight are not usually sufferers4 ,death from exhaustion is more likely to be inflicted cruelly1 though unwittingly on his faithful friend and comrade1 by the injudicious and hesitating rider1 who has neither decision to seize a commanding position in front1 nor self-denial to be satisfied with an unassuming retirement in rear4 ,his valour and discretion are improperly mixed1 like bad punch1 and fatal is the result4 ,a timely pull means simply the difference between breathlessness and exhaustion1 but this opportune relief is only available for him who knows exactly how far they brought it1 and where the hounds flashed beyond the line of their fox at a check4 ,i remember in my youth1 alas6 long ago1 the old sportsman--a character for whom1 ,i fear1 we entertained in my day less veneration than we professed--amongst many inestimable precepts was fond of propounding the following3-- ,young gentleman1 nurse your hunter carefully at the beginning of a run1 and when the others are tired he will enable you to see the end4 ,illustration3 ,page #aic4 ,now with all due deference to the old sportsman1 ,i take leave to differ with him in toto4 ,by nursing one's horse1 ,i conclude he meant riding him at less than half-speed during that critical ten minutes when hounds run their very hardest and straightest4 ,if we follow this cautious advice1 who is to solve the important question1 ,which way are they gone8 when we canter anxiously up to a sign-post where four roads meet1 with a fresh and eager horse indeed1 but not the wildest notion towards which point of the compass we should direct his energies8 ,we can but stop to listen1 take counsel of a countryman who unwittingly puts us wrong1 ride to points1 speculate on chances1 and make up our minds never to be really on terms with them again6 ,no1 ,i think on the contrary1 the best and most experienced riders adopt a very different system4 ,on the earliest intimation that hounds are away1 they may be observed getting after them with all the speed they can make4 ,who ever saw ,mr4 ,portman1 for instance1 trotting across the first field when his bitches were well out of covert settling on the line of their fox8--and ,i only mention his name because it occurs to me at the moment1 and because1 notwithstanding the formidable hills of his wild country and the pace of his flying pack1 he is always present at the finish1 to render them assistance if required1 as it often must be1 with a sinking fox4 ,the first blow is half the battle in many nobler struggles than a street-brawl with a cad1 and the very speed at which you send your horse along for a few furlongs1 if the ground is at all favourable1 enables you to give him a pull at the earliest opportunity1 without fear lest the whole distant panorama of the hunt should fade into space while you are considering what to do next4 ,not that ,i mean you to over-mark1 or push him for a single stride1 beyond the collected pace at which he travels with ease and comfort to himself2 for remember he is as much your partner as the fairest young lady ever trusted to your guidance in a ball-room3 but ,i do mean that you should make as much haste as is compatible with your mutual enjoyment1 and1 reflecting on the capricious nature of scent1 take the chance of its failure1 to afford you a moment's breathing-time when most required4 ,at all periods of a fox-chase1 be careful to anticipate a check4 ,never with more foresight than when flying along in the ecstasy of a quick thing1 on a brilliant hunter4 ,keep an eye forward1 and scan with close attention every moving object in front4 ,there you observe a flock of sheep getting into line like cavalry for a charge--that is where the fox has gone4 ,or perhaps a man is ploughing half-a-mile further on2 in all probability this object will have headed him1 and on the discretion with which you ride at these critical moments may depend the performance of the pack1 the difference between a beautiful turn and an unlucky check4 ,the very rush of your gallop alongside them will tempt high-mettled hounds into the indiscretion of over-running their scent4 ,whereas1 if you take a pull at your horse1 and give them plenty of room1 they will swing to the line1 and wheel like a flock of pigeons on the wing4 ,always ride1 then1 to command hounds if you can1 but never be tempted1 when in this proud position1 to press them1 and to spoil your own sport1 with that of every one else4 ,if so fortunate as to view him1 and near enough to distinguish that it is the hunted fox1 think twice before you holloa4 ,more time will be lost than gained by getting their heads up1 if the hounds are still on the line1 and even when at fault1 it is questionable whether they do not derive less assistance than excitement from the human voice4 ,much depends on circumstances1 much on the nature of the pack4 ,i will not say you are never to open your mouth1 but ,i think that if the inmates of our deaf and dumb asylums kept hounds1 these would show sport above the average1 and would seldom go home without blood4 ,noise is by no means a necessary concomitant of the chase1 and a hat held up1 or a quiet whisper to the huntsman1 is of more help to him than the loudest and clearest view-holloa that ever wakened the dead from the lungs of ,john ,peel in the morning4 ,we have hitherto supposed that you are riding a good horse1 in a good place1 and have been so fortunate as to meet with none of those reverses that are nevertheless to be expected on occasion1 particularly when hounds run hard and the ground is deep4 ,the best of hunters may fall1 the boldest of riders be defeated by an impracticable fence4 ,hills1 bogs1 a precipitous ravine1 or even an unlucky turn in a wood may place you at a mile's disadvantage1 almost before you have realised your mistake1 and you long for the wings of an eagle1 while cursing the impossibility of taking back so much as a single minute from the past4 ,it seems so easy to ride a run when it is over6 ,but do not therefore despair4 ,pull yourself well together1 no less than your horse4 ,keep steadily on at a regulated pace1 watching the movements of those who are with the hounds1 and ride inside them1 every bend4 ,no fox goes perfectly straight--he must turn sooner or later--and when the happy moment arrives be ready to back your luck1 and pounce6 ,but here1 again1 ,i would have your valour tempered with discretion4 ,if your horse does not see the hounds1 be careful how you ride him at such large places as he would face freely enough in the excitement of their company4 ,not one hunter in fifty is really fond of jumping1 and we hardly give them sufficient credit for the good-humour with which they accept it as a necessity for enjoyment of the sport4 ,avoid water especially1 unless you have reason to believe the bottom is good1 and you can go in and out4 ,even under such favourable conditions1 look well to your egress4 ,there is never much difficulty about the entrance1 and do not forget that the middle is often the shallowest1 and always the soundest part of a brook4 ,when tempted therefore to take a horse1 that you know is a bad water-jumper1 at this serious obstacle2 you are most likely to succeed1 if you only ask him to jump half-way4 ,should he drop his hind-legs under the farther bank1 he will probably not obtain foothold to extricate himself1 particularly with your weight on his back4 ,we are all panic-stricken1 and with reason1 at the idea of being submerged1 but we might wade through many more brooks than we usually suppose4 ,i can remember seeing the ,rowsham1 generally believed to be bottomless1 forded in perfect safety by half-a-dozen of the finest and heaviest bullocks the ,vale of ,aylesbury ever fattened into beef4 ,this1 too1 close to a hunting-bridge1 put there by ,baron ,rothschild because of the depth and treacherous nature of the stream6 ,a hard road1 however1 though to be avoided religiously when enjoying a good place with hounds1 is an invaluable ally on these occasions of discomfiture and vexation1 if it leads in the same direction as the line of chase4 ,on its firm1 unyielding surface your horse is regaining his wind with every stride4 ,should a turnpike-gate bar your progress1 chuck the honest fellow a shilling who swings it back and never mind the change4 ,we hunt on sufferance2 for our own sakes we cannot make the amusement too popular with the lower classes4 ,the same argument holds good as to feeing a countryman who assists you in any way when you have a red coat on your back4 ,reward him with an open hand4 ,he will go to the public-house and drink fox-hunting amongst his friends4 ,it is impossible to say how many innocent cubs are preserved by such judicious liberality to die what ,charles ,payne calls a natural death4 ,and now your quiet perseverance meets its reward4 ,you regain your place with the hounds and are surprised to find how easily and temperately your horse1 not yet exhausted1 covers large flying fences in his stride4 ,a half-beaten hunter1 as ,i have already observed1 will lob over high and wide places if they can be done in a single effort1 although instinct causes him to cut them very fine1 and forbids unnecessary exertion2 but it is the beginning of the end1 and you must not presume on his game1 enduring qualities too long4 ,the object of your pursuit1 however1 is also mortal4 ,by the time you have tired an honest horse in good condition the fox is driven to his last resources1 and even the hounds are less full of fire than when they brought him away from the covert4 ,i am supposing1 of course1 that they have not changed during the run4 ,you may now save many a furlong by bringing your common sense into play4 ,what would you do if you were a beaten fox1 and where would you go8 ,certainly not across the middle of those large pastures where you could be seen by the whole troop of your enemies without a chance of shelter or repose4 ,no2 you would rather lie down in this deep1 overgrown ditch1 sneak along the back of that strong1 thick bullfinch1 turn short in the high1 double hedgerow1 and so hiding yourself from the spiteful crows that would point you out to the huntsman1 try to baffle alike his experienced intelligence and the natural sagacity of his hounds4 ,such are but the simplest of the wiles practised by this most cunning beast of chase4 ,while observing them1 you need no further distress the favourite who has carried you so well than is necessary to render the assistance required for finishing satisfactorily with blood2 and here your eyes and ears will be far more useful than the speed and stamina of your horse4 ,who-whoop6 ,his labours are now over for the day4 ,do not keep him standing half-an-hour in the cold1 while you smoke a cigar and enlarge to sympathising ears on his doings1 and yours1 and theirs1 and those of everybody concerned4 ,rather jog gently off as soon as a few compliments and congratulations have been exchanged1 and keep him moving at the rate of about six miles an hour1 so that his muscles may not begin to stiffen after his violent exertions1 till you have got him home4 ,jump off his honest back1 to walk up and down the hills with him as they come4 ,he well deserves this courtesy at your hands4 ,if you ever go out shooting you cannot have forgotten the relief it is to put down your gun for a minute or two4 ,and even from a selfish point of view1 there is good reason for this forbearance in the ease your own frame experiences with the change of attitude and exercise4 ,if you can get him a mouthful of gruel1 it will recruit his exhausted vitality1 as a basin of soup puts life into a fainting man2 but do not tarry more than five or six minutes for your own luncheon1 while he is sucking it in1 and the more tired he seems1 remember1 the sooner you ought to get him home4 ,if he fails altogether1 does not attempt to trot1 and wavers from side to side under your weight1 put him into the first available shelter1 and make up your mind1 however mean the quarters1 it is better for him to stay there all night than in his exhausted condition to be forced back to his own stable4 ,with thorough ventilation and plenty of coverings1 old sacks1 blankets1 whatever you can lay hands on1 he will take no harm4 ,indeed1 if you can keep up his circulation there is no better restorative than the pure cold air that in a cow-shed1 or out-house1 finds free admission1 to fill his lungs4 ,you will lose your dinner perhaps4 ,what matter8 ,you may even have to sleep out in the worst inn's worst room1 unfed1 unwashed1 and without a change of clothes4 ,it is no such penance after all1 and surely your first duty is to the gallant generous animal that would never fail you at your need1 but would gallop till his heart broke1 for your mere amusement and caprice4 ,of all our relations with the dumb creation1 there is none in which man has so entirely the best of it as the one-sided partnership that exists between the horse and his rider4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,riding ,,at ,,stag-,,hounds4 ,i have purposely altered the preposition at the heading of this1 because it treats of a method so entirely different from that which ,i have tried to describe in the preceding chapter4 ,at the risk of rousing animadversion from an experienced and scientific majority1 ,i am prepared to affirm that there is nearly as much intelligence and knowledge of the animal required to hunt a deer as a fox1 but in following the chase of the larger and higher-scented quadruped there are no fixed rules to guide a rider in his course1 so that if he allows the hounds to get out of sight he may gallop over any extent of country till dark1 and never hear tidings of them again4 ,therefore it has been said1 one should ride to fox-hounds1 but at stag-hounds1 meaning that with the latter1 skill and science are of little avail to retrieve a mistake4 ,deer1 both wild and tame1 so long as they are fresh1 seem perfectly indifferent whether they run up wind or down1 although when exhausted they turn their heads to the cold air that serves to breathe new life into their nostrils4 ,perhaps1 if anything1 they prefer to feel the breeze blowing against their sides1 but as to this there is no more certainty than in their choice of ground4 ,other wild animals go to the hill2 deer will constantly leave it for the vale4 ,i have seen them fly1 straight as an arrow1 across a strongly enclosed country1 and circle like hares on an open down4 ,sometimes they will not run a yard till the hounds are at their very haunches2 sometimes1 when closely pressed1 they become stupid with fear1 or turn fiercely at bay4 ,have we got a good deer to-day8 is a question usually answered with the utmost confidence1 yet how often the result is disappointment and disgust4 ,nor is this the case only in that phase of the sport which may be termed artificial4 ,a wild stag proudly carrying his brow1 bay1 and tray over ,exmoor seems no less capricious than an astonished hind1 enlarged amongst the brickfields of ,hounslow1 or the rich pastures that lie outstretched below ,harrow-on-the-,hill4 ,one creature1 familiar with every inch of its native wastes1 will often wander aimlessly in a circle before making its point2 the other1 not knowing the least where it is bound1 will as often run perfectly straight for miles4 ,my own experience of the calf1 as it has been ignominiously termed1 is limited to three packs--,mr4 ,bissett's1 who hunts the perfectly wild animal over the moorlands of ,somerset and ,north ,devon2 ,baron ,rothschild's1 in the ,vale of ,aylesbury2 and ,lord ,wolverton's blood-hounds1 amongst the combes of ,dorsetshire and doubles of the ,blackmoor ,vale4 ,with her ,majesty's hounds ,i have not been out more than three or four times in my life4 ,let us take the noble chase of the ,west country first1 as it is followed in glorious autumn weather through the fairest scenes that ever haunted a painter's dream2 in ,horner woods and ,cloutsham ,ball1 over the grassy slopes of ,exmoor1 and across the broad expanse of ,brendon1 spreading its rich mantle of purple under skies of gold4 ,we could dwell for pages on the associations connected with such classical names as ,badgeworthy-water1 ,new-,invention1 ,mountsey ,gate1 or wooded ,glenthorne1 rearing its garlanded brows above the ,severn sea4 ,but we are now concerned in the practical question1 how to keep a place with ,mr4 ,bissett's six-and-twenty-inch hounds running a warrantable deer over the finest scenting country in the world8 ,you may ride at them as like a tailor as you please4 ,the ups and downs of a ,devonshire coombe will soon put you in your right place1 and you will be grateful for the most trifling hint that helps you to spare your horse1 and remain on any kind of terms with them1 on ground no less trying to his temper and intelligence than to his wind and muscular powers4 ,till you attempt to gallop alongside you will hardly believe how hard the hounds are running4 ,they neither carry such a head1 nor dash so eagerly1 ,i might almost say jealously1 for the scent as if they were hunting their natural quarry1 the fox4 ,this difference ,i attribute to the larger size1 and consequently stronger odour1 of a deer4 ,every hound enjoying his full share1 none are tempted to rob their comrades of the mysterious pleasure1 and we therefore miss the quick1 sharp turns and the drive that we are accustomed to consider so characteristic of the fox-hound4 ,they string1 too1 in long-drawn line1 because of the tall1 bushy heather1 necessitating great size and power1 through which they must make their way2 but1 nevertheless1 they keep swinging steadily on1 without a check or hover for many a mile of moorland1 showing something of that fierce indomitable perseverance attributed by ,byron to the wolf-- ,with his long gallop that can tire ,the hound's deep hate and hunter's fire4 ,if you had a second ,eclipse under you1 and rode him fairly with them1 yard for yard1 you would stop him in less than twenty minutes6 ,yet old practitioners1 notably that prince of sportsmen the ,rev4 ,john ,russell1 contrive to see runs of many hours' duration without so entirely exhausting their horses but that they can travel some twenty miles home across the moor4 ,such men as ,mr4 ,granville ,somerset1 the late ,mr4 ,dene of ,barnstaple1 ,mr4 ,bissett himself1 though weighing twenty stone1 and a score of others--for in the ,west good sportsmen are the rule1 not the exception--go well from find to finish of these long1 exhausting chases1 yet never trespass too far on the generosity and endurance of the noble animal that carries them to the end4 ,and why8 ,because they take pains1 use their heads sagaciously1 their hands skilfully1 and their heels scarcely at all4 ,to their experience ,i am indebted for the following little hints which ,i have found serviceable when embarked on those wide1 trackless wastes1 brown1 endless1 undulating1 and spacious as the sea4 ,there are happily no fences1 and the chief obstructions to be defeated1 or rather negotiated1 are the combes--a succession of valleys that trend upward from the shallow streams to the heathery ridges1 narrowing as they ascend till lost in the level surface of the moor4 ,never go down into these until your deer is sinking4 ,so surely as you descend will you have to climb the opposite rise2 rather keep round them towards the top1 watching the hounds while they thread a thousand intricacies of rock1 heather1 and scattered copse-wood1 so as to meet them when they emerge1 which they will surely do on the upper level1 for it is the nature of their quarry to rise the hill aslant1 and seek safety1 when pressed1 in its speed across the flat4 ,a deer descends these declivities one after another as they come1 but it is for the refreshment of a bath in their waters below1 and instinct prompts it to return without delay to higher ground when thus invigorated4 ,only if completely beaten and exhausted1 does it become so confused as to attempt scaling a rise in a direct line4 ,the run is over then1 and you may turn your horse's head to the wind1 for in a furlong or two the game will falter and come down again amongst its pursuers to stand at bay4 ,illustration3 ,page #bjh4 ,coast your combes1 therefore1 judiciously1 and spare your horse2 so shall you cross the heather in thorough enjoyment of the chase till it leads you perhaps to the grassy swamps of ,exmoor1 the most plausible line in the world1 over which hounds run their hardest--and now look out6 ,if ,exmoor were in ,leicestershire1 it would be called a bog1 and cursed accordingly1 but every country has its own peculiarities1 and a ,north ,devon sportsman more especially1 on a horse whose dam1 or even grandam1 was bred on the moor1 seems to flap his way across it with as much confidence as a bittern or a curlew4 ,could ,i discover how he accomplished this feat ,i would tell you1 but ,i can only advise you to ride his line and follow him yard for yard4 ,there are certain sound tracks and pathways1 no doubt1 in which a horse does not sink more than fetlock deep1 and ,mr4 ,knight1 the lord of the soil1 may be seen1 on a large handsome thorough-bred hunter1 careering away as close to the pack as he used to ride in the ,vale of ,aylesbury1 but for a stranger so to presume would be madness1 and if he did not find himself bogged in half a minute1 he would stop his horse in half a mile4 ,choose a pilot then1 ,mr4 ,granville ,somerset we will say1 or one of the gentlemen ,i have already named1 and stick to him religiously till the welcome heather is brushing your stirrup-irons once more4 ,on ,brendon1 you may ride for yourself with perfect confidence in the face of all beholders1 bold and conspicuous as ,dunkery ,beacon1 but on ,exmoor you need not be ashamed to play follow my leader4 ,only give him room enough to fall6 ,as1 although a full-grown or warrantable stag is quickly found1 the process of separating it from its companions1 called tufting1 is a long business1 lasting for hours1 you will be wise to take with you a feed of corn and a rope halter1 the latter of which greatly assists in serving your horse with the former4 ,you will find it also a good plan to have your saddles previously well stuffed and repaired1 lined with smooth linen4 ,the weather in ,august is very hot1 and your horse will be many hours under your weight1 therefore it is well to guard against a sore back4 ,jump off1 too1 whenever you have the chance2 a hunter cannot but find it a delightful relief to get rid of twelve or thirteen stone bumping all day against his spine for a minute or two at a time4 ,i have remarked1 however1 with some astonishment that the heavier the rider the more averse he seems to granting this indulgence1 and am forced to suppose his unwillingness to get down proceeds1 as my friend ,mr4 ,grimston says1 from a difficulty in getting up again6 ,this gentleman1 however1 who1 notwithstanding his great weight1 has always ridden perfectly straight to hounds1 over the stiffest of grass countries1 obstinately declines to leave the saddle at any time under less provocation than a complete turn over by the strength of a gate or stile4 ,to mention the ,honourable ,robert brings one by an irresistible association of ideas into the wide pastures of that grassy paradise which mortals call the ,vale of ,aylesbury4 ,here1 under the excellent management of ,sir ,nathaniel ,rothschild1 assisted by his brother ,mr4 ,leopold1 the carted deer is hunted on the most favourable terms1 and a sportsman must indeed be prejudiced who will not admit that ten mile points over grass with one of the handsomest packs of hounds in the world1 are most enjoyable2 the object of chase1 when the fun is over1 returning to ,mentmore1 like a gentleman1 in his own carriage1 notwithstanding4 ,fred ,cox is the picture of a huntsman4 ,mark ,howcott1 his whip1 fears nothing in the shape of a fence1 and will close with a wicked stag1 in or out of water1 as readily as a policeman collars a pickpocket6 ,the horses are superb1 and so they ought to be1 for the fences that divide this grazing district into fields of eighty and a hundred acres grow to the most formidable size and strength4 ,unless brilliantly mounted neither masters nor servants could hold the commanding position through a run that they always seem to desire4 ,in riding to these hounds1 as to all others1 it is advisable to avoid the crowd4 ,many of the hedgerows are double1 with a ditch on each side1 and to wait for your turn amongst a hundred horsemen1 some too bold1 some too cautious1 would entail such delay as must prove fatal with a good scent4 ,happily1 there are plenty of gates1 and a deer preferring timber to any other leap1 usually selects this convenient mode of transit4 ,should they be chained1 look for a weak place in the fence1 which1 being double1 will admit of subdividing your leap by two1 and your chance of a fall by ten4 ,at first you may be somewhat puzzled on entering a field to find your way out4 ,i will suppose that in other countries you have been accustomed to select the easiest place at once in the fence you are approaching1 and to make for it without delay1 but across these large fields the nature of an obstacle deceives your eye4 ,the two contiguous hedges that form one boundary render it very difficult to determine at a distance where the easiest place is1 so you will find it best to follow the hounds1 and take your chance4 ,the deer1 like your horse1 is a large quadruped1 and1 except under unusual circumstances1 where one goes the other can probably follow4 ,this1 ,i fear1 is a sad temptation to ride on the line of hounds4 ,if you give way to it1 let the whole pack be at least two or three hundred yards in front1 and beware1 even then1 of tail hounds coming up to join their comrades4 ,be careful also1 never to jump a fence in your stride1 till you see the pack well into the next field4 ,a deer is very apt to drop lightly over a wall or upright hedge just high enough to conceal it1 and then turn short at a right angle under this convenient screen4 ,it would be painful to realise your feelings1 poised in air over eight or ten couple of priceless hounds1 with a chorus of remonstrances storming in the rear6 ,it is no use protesting you ,didn't touch them1 you ,didn't mean it1 you ,never knew they were there4 ,better ride doggedly on1 over the largest places you can find1 and apologise humbly to everybody at the first check4 ,when a fox goes down to water he means crossing1 not so the deer4 ,if at all tired1 or heated1 it may stay there for an hour4 ,on such occasions1 therefore1 you can take a pull at your horse and your flask too if you like1 while you look for the best way to the other side4 ,when induced to leave it1 however1 the animal seems usually so refreshed by its bath1 as to travel a long distance1 and on this1 as on many other occasions in stag-hunting1 the run seems only beginning1 when you and your horse consider it ought to be nearly over4 ,directly you observe a deer1 that has hitherto gone straight1 describing a series of circles1 you may think about going home4 ,it is tired at last1 and will give you no more fun for a month4 ,you should offer assistance to the men1 and1 even if it be not accepted1 remain1 as a matter of courtesy1 to see your quarry properly taken1 and sent back to the paddock in its cart4 ,with all stag-hounds1 the same rules would seem to apply4 ,never care to view it1 and above all1 unless expressly requested to do so for a reason1 avoid the solecism of riding the deer4 ,on the mode in which this sport is conducted depends the whole difference between a wild exhilarating pastime and a tame uninteresting parade4 ,though prejudice will not allow it is the real thing1 we cannot but admit the excellence of the imitation1 and a man must possess a more logical mind1 a less excitable temperament1 than is usually allotted to sportsmen1 who can remember1 while sailing along with hounds running hard over a flying country1 that he is only trying to catch what he had already1 and has turned a handsome hairy-coated quadruped out of a box for the mere purpose of putting it in again when the fun is over6 ,follow every turn then1 religiously1 and with good intent4 ,you came out expressly to enjoy a gallop1 do not allow yourself to be disappointed4 ,if nerve and horse are good enough1 go into every field with them1 but1 ,i intreat you1 ride like a sportsman1 and give the hounds plenty of room4 ,this last injunction more especially applies to that handsome pack of black-and-tans with which ,lord ,wolverton1 during the last five or six seasons1 has shown extraordinary sport for the amusement of his neighbours on the uplands of ,dorset and in the green pastures that enrich the valley of the ,stour4 ,these blood-hounds1 for such they are1 and of the purest breed1 stand seven or eight-and-twenty inches1 with limbs and frames proportioned to so gigantic a stature4 ,their heads are magnificent1 solemn sagacious eyes1 pendent jowls1 and flapping ears that brush away the dew4 ,thanks to his ,lordship's care in breeding1 and the freedom with which he has drafted1 their feet are round and their powerful legs symmetrically straight4 ,a spirited and truly artistic picture of these hounds in chase1 sweeping like a whirlwind over the downs1 by ,mr4 ,goddard1 the well-known painter1 hangs on ,lord ,wolverton's staircase in ,london1 and conveys to his guests1 particularly after dinner1 so vivid an idea of their picturesque and even sporting qualities as ,i cannot hope to represent with humble pen and ink4 ,one could almost fancy1 standing opposite this masterpiece1 that one heard the cry4 ,full1 sonorous1 and musical1 it is not extravagant to compare these deep-mouthed notes with the peal of an organ in a cathedral4 ,yet they run a tremendous pace4 ,stride1 courage1 and condition 7the last essential requiring constant care7 enable them to sustain such speed over the open as can make a good horse look foolish6 ,while1 amongst enclosures1 they charge the fences in line1 like a squadron of heavy dragoons4 ,yet for all this fire and mettle in chase1 they are sad cowards under pressure from a crowd4 ,a whip cracked hurriedly1 a horse galloping in their track1 even an injudicious rate1 will make the best of them shy and sulky for half the day4 ,only by thorough knowledge of his favourites1 and patient deference to their prejudices1 has ,lord ,wolverton obtained their confidence1 and it is wonderful to mark how his perseverance is rewarded4 ,while he hunts them they are perfectly handy1 and turn like a pack of harriers2 but if an outsider attempts to cap them on1 or otherwise interfere1 they decline to acknowledge him from the first2 and should they be left to his guidance1 are quite capable of going straight home at once1 with every mark of contempt4 ,in a run1 however1 their huntsman is seldom wanting4 ,his lordship has an extraordinary knack of galloping1 getting across a field with surprising quickness on every horse he rides1 and is not to be turned by the fence when he reaches it1 so that his hounds are rarely placed in the awkward position of a pack at fault with no one to look to for assistance4 ,he has acquired1 too1 considerable familiarity with the habits of his game1 and has a holy horror of going home without it1 so perseveres1 when at a loss1 through many a long hour of cold hunting1 slotting1 scouring the country for information1 and other drawbacks to enjoyment of his chase4 ,as he says himself1 ,the worst of a deer is1 you can't leave off when you like4 ,nobody will believe you if you swear it went to ground6 ,part of the country in his immediate neighbourhood seems made for stag-hunting4 ,large fields1 easy slopes1 light fences1 and light land1 with here and there a hazel copse1 bordering a stretch for three or four miles of level turf1 like ,launceston ,down1 or ,blandford race-course1 must needs tempt a deer to go straight no less than a horseman1 but the animal1 as ,i have said1 is unaccountably capricious1 and if we could search his lordship's diary ,i believe we should find his best runs have taken place over a district differing in every respect from the above4 ,as soon as the leaves are fallen sufficiently to render the ,blackmoor ,vale rideable1 it is his greatest pleasure to take the blood-hounds down to those deep1 level1 and strongly-enclosed pastures1 over which1 notwithstanding the size and nature of the fences1 he finds his deer 7usually hinds7 run remarkably well1 and make extraordinary points4 ,ten miles1 on the ordnance map1 is no unusual distance1 and is often accomplished in little more than an hour4 ,for men who enjoy riding ,i can conceive no better fun4 ,not an acre of plough is to be seen4 ,the enclosures1 perhaps1 are rather small1 but this only necessitates more jumping1 and the fences may well satisfy the hungriest1 or as an ,irishman would say1 the thirstiest1 of competitors6 ,they are not1 however1 quite so formidable as they look4 ,to accomplish two blind ditches1 with a bank between1 and a hedge thereon1 requires indeed discretion in a horse1 and cool determination in its rider1 but where these exist the large leap is divided easily by two1 and a good man1 who means going1 is not often to be pounded1 even in the ,blackmoor ,vale4 ,nothing is quite perfect under the sun1 not your own best hunter1 nor your wife's last baby1 and the river ,stour1 winding through them in every direction1 somewhat detracts from the merit of these happiest of hunting-grounds4 ,a good friend to the deer1 and a sad hindrance to its pursuers1 it has spoilt many a fine run2 but even with this drawback there are few districts in any part of ,england so naturally adapted to the pleasures of the chase4 ,the population is scanty1 the countrymen are enthusiasts1 the farmers the best fellows on earth1 the climate seems unusually favourable2 from the kindness and courtesy of ,sir ,richard ,glynn and ,mr4 ,portman1 who pursue the legitimate sport over the same locality1 and his own personal popularity1 the normal difficulties of his undertaking are got over in favour of the noble master1 and everybody seems equally pleased to welcome the green plush coats and the good grey horses in the midst of the black-and-tans4 ,if ,i were sure of a fine morning and a safe mount1 ,i would ask for no keener pleasure than an hour's gallop with ,lord ,wolverton's blood-hounds over the ,blackmoor ,vale4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,provinces4 ,a distinguished soldier of the present day1 formerly as daring and enthusiastic a rider as ever charged his oxers with the certainty of a fall1 was once asked in my hearing by a mild stranger1 ,whether he had been out with the ,crawley and ,horsham8 if ,i remember right4 ,no1 sir6 was the answer1 delivered in a tone that somewhat startled the querist1 ,i have never hunted with any hounds in my life but the ,quorn and the ,pytchley1 and ,i'll take d----d good care ,i never do6 ,now ,i fancy that not a few of our golden youth1 who are either born to it1 or have contrived in their own way to get the silver spoon into their mouths1 are under the impression that all hunting must necessarily be dead slow if conducted out of ,leicestershire1 and that little sport1 with less excitement1 is to be obtained in those remote regions which they contemptuously term the provinces4 ,there never was a greater fallacy4 ,if we calculate the number of hours hounds are out of kennel 7for we must remember that the ,quorn and ,belvoir put two days into one71 we shall find1 ,i think1 that they run hard for fewer minutes1 in proportion1 across the fashionable countries than in apparently less-favoured districts concealed at sundry out-of-the-way corners of the kingdom4 ,nor is this disparity difficult to understand4 ,fox-hunting at its best is a wild sport2 the wilder the better4 ,where coverts are many miles apart1 where the animal must travel for its food1 where agriculture is conducted on primitive principles that do not necessitate the huntsman's horror1 a man in every field1 the fox retains all his savage nature1 and is prepared to run any distance1 face every obstacle1 rather than succumb to his relentless enemy1 the hound4 ,he has need1 and he seems to know it1 of all his courage and all his sagacity1 as compelled to fight alone on his own behalf1 without assistance from that invaluable ally1 the crowd4 ,a score of hard riders1 nineteen of whom are jealous1 and the twentieth determined not to be beat1 forced on by a hundred comrades all eager for the view and its stentorian proclamation1 may well save the life of any fox on earth1 with scarce an effort from the animal itself4 ,but that hounds are creatures of habit1 and huntsmen in the flying countries miracles of patience1 no less than their masters1 not a nose would be nailed on the kennel-door1 after cub-hunting was over1 from one end of the shires to the other4 ,nothing surprises me so much as to see a pack of hounds1 like the ,belvoir or the ,quorn1 come up through a crowd of horses and stick to the line of their fox1 or fling gallantly forward to recover it1 without a thought of personal danger or the slightest misgiving that not one man in ten is master of the two pair of hoofs beneath him1 carrying death in every shoe4 ,were they not bred for the make-and-shape that gives them speed no less than for fineness of nose1 but especially for that dash which1 like all victorious qualities1 leaves something to chance1 they could never get a field from the covert4 ,it does happen1 however1 that1 now and again1 a favourable stroke of fortune puts a couple of furlongs between the hounds and their pursuers4 ,a hundred-acre field of well saturated grass lies before them1 down go their noses1 out go their sterns1 and away they scour1 at a pace which makes a precious example of young ,rapid on a first-class steeple-chase horse with the wrong bridle in its mouth4 ,but how differently is the same sport being carried out in his father's country1 perhaps by the old gentleman's own pack1 with which the young one considers it slow to hunt4 ,let us begin at the beginning and try to imagine a good day in the provinces1 about the third week in ,november1 when leaves are thin and threadbare on the fences1 while copse and woodland glisten under subdued shafts of sunlight in sheets of yellow gold4 ,what says ,mr4 ,warburton1 favoured of ,diana and the ,muses8 ,the dew-drop is clinging ,to whin-bush and brake1 ,the sky-lark is singing1 ,merry hunters1 awake6 ,home to the cover1 ,deserted by night1 ,the little red rover ,is bending his flight-- ,could words more stirringly describe the hope and promise1 the joy1 the vitality1 the buoyant exhilaration of a hunting morning8 ,so the little red rover1 who has travelled half-a-dozen miles for his supper1 returns to find he has forgotten his latch-key1 and curls himself up in some dry1 warm nook amongst the brushwood1 at the quietest corner of a deep1 precipitous ravine4 ,here1 while sleep favours digestion1 he makes himself very comfortable1 and dreams1 no doubt1 of his own pleasures and successes in pursuit of prey4 ,presently1 about half-past eleven1 he wakes with a start1 leaps out of bed1 shakes his fur1 and stands to listen1 a perfect picture1 with one pad raised and his cunning head aslant4 ,yes1 he recognized it from the first4 ,the ,yooi1 wind him1 and rouse him6 of old ,matthew's mellow tones1 not unknown in a gin-and-water chorus when occasion warrants the convivial brew1 yet clear1 healthy1 and resonant as the very roar of ,challenger1 who has just proclaimed his consciousness of the drag1 some five hours old4 ',tis an experienced rover1 and does not hesitate for an instant4 ,stealing down the ravine1 he twists his agile little body through a tangled growth of blackthorn and brambles1 crosses the stream dry-footed with a leap1 and1 creeping through the fence that bounds his stronghold1 peers into the meadow beyond4 ,no smart and busy whip has clapped forward to view and head him4 ,matthew1 indeed1 brings out but one1 and swears he could do better without him4 ,so the rover puts his sharp nose straight for the solitude he loves1 and whisking his brush defiantly1 resolves to make his point4 ,he has been gone five minutes when the clamour of the find reaches his ears1 twice that time ere the hounds are fairly out of covert on his line2 so1 with a clear head and a bold heart1 he has leisure to consider his tactics and to remember the main earth at ,crag's-end in the forest1 twelve miles off as the crow flies4 ,illustration3 ,page #bbe4 ,challenger1 and ,charmer his progeny1 crash out of the wood together1 fairly howling with ecstasy as their busy noses meet the rich tufted herbage1 dewy1 dank1 and tainted with the maddening odour that affords such uncontrolled enjoyment4 ,harve art him1 my lards6 exclaims old ,matthew1 in ,doric accents1 peculiar to the kennel4 ,come up1 horse6 and1 having admonished that faithful servant with a dig in the ribs from his horn1 blows half-a-dozen shrill blasts in quick succession1 sticks the instrument1 ,i shudder to confess it1 in his boot1 and proceeds to hustle his old white nag at the best pace he can command in the wake of his favourites4 ,dang it6 they're off1 exclaims a farmer1 who had stationed himself on the crest of the hill1 diving1 at a gallop1 down a stony darkling lane1 overgrown with alder1 brambles1 honeysuckle1 all the garden produce of uncultivated nature1 lush and steaming in decay4 ,the field1 consisting of the ,squire1 three or four strapping yeomen1 a parson1 and a boy on a pony1 follow his example1 and making a good turn in the valley1 find themselves splashing through a glittering1 shallow streamlet1 still in the lane1 with the hounds not a bowshot from them on the right4 ,and pace8 inquires young ,rapid1 when his father describes the run to him on ,christmas-eve4 ,of course you had no pace with so good a point8 ,pace1 sir6 answers the indignant parent2 my hounds run because they can hunt4 ,i tell you1 they were never off the line for an hour and three-quarters6 ,matthew would try to cast them once1 and very nearly lost his fox1 but ,charmer hit it off on the other side of the combe and put us right4 ,he's as like old ,challenger as he can stick2 a deal more like than you are to me4 ,young ,rapid concedes the point readily1 and the ,squire continues his narrative3 ,i had but eighteen couple out1 because of a run the week before--,i'll tell you about it presently1--five-and-thirty minutes on the hills1 and a kill in the open1 that lamed half the pack amongst the flints4 ,you talk of pace--they went fast enough to have settled the best of you1 ,i'll warrant6 but ,i'm getting off the line--,i've not done with the other yet4 ,i never saw hounds work better4 ,they came away all together1 they hunted their fox like a cluster of bees2 swarming over every field1 and every fence1 they brought him across ,tinglebury ,tor1 where it's always as dry as that hearth-stone1 through a flock of five hundred sheep1 they rattled him in and out of ,combe-,bampton1 though the ,lower ,woods were alive with riot--hares1 roe1 fallow-deer1 hang it6 apes and peacocks if you like2 had old ,matthew not been a fool they would never have hesitated for a moment1 and when they ran into him under ,crag's-end1 there wasn't a man-jack of them missing4 ,not one--that's what ,i call a pack of hounds6 ,the best part of it8 ,so much depends on whether you young fellows go out to hunt1 or to ride4 ,for the first half-hour or so we were never off the grass--there's not a ploughed field all the way up the valley till you come to ,shifner's allotments1 orchard and meadow1 meadow and orchard1 fetlock-deep in grass1 even at this time of year4 ,why1 it carries a side-scent1 like the heather on a moor6 ,i suppose you'd have called that the best part4 ,i didn't1 though ,i saw it well from the lane with ,matthew and the rest of us1 all but the ,vicar1 who went into every field with the hounds--,i thought he was rather hard on them amongst those great blind1 tangled fences2 but he's such a good fellow1 ,i hadn't the heart to holloa at him--it's very wrong though1 and a man in his profession ought to know better4 ,i can't say they checked exactly in the allotments1 but the manure and rubbish1 weeds burning1 and whatnot1 brought them to their noses4 ,that's where ,matthew made such a fool of himself2 but1 as ,i told you1 ,charmer put us all right4 ,the fox had crossed into ,combe-,bampton and was rising the hill for the downs4 ,i never saw hounds so patient--they could but just hold a line over the chalk--first one and then another puzzled it out1 till they got on better terms in ,hazlewood ,hanger1 and when they ran down into the valley again between the cliffs there was a cry it did one's heart good to hear4 ,i had a view of him1 crossing ,parker's ,piece1 the long strip of waste land1 you know1 under ,craven ,clump2 and he seemed as fresh as you are now--,i sat as mute as a mouse1 for six-and-thirty noses knew better where he'd gone than ,i did1 and six-and-thirty-tongues were at work that never told a lie4 ,the ,vicar gave them plenty of room by this time1 and all our horses seemed to have had about enough6 ',i wish we mayn't have changed in the ,hanger1' said ,matthew1 refreshing the old grey with a side-binder1 as they blundered into the lane1 but ,i knew better--he had run the rides1 every yard1 and that made me hope we should have him in hand before long4 ,it began to get very interesting1 ,i was near enough to watch each hound doing his work1 eighteen couple1 all dogs1 three and four season hunters1 for ,i hadn't a single puppy out4 ,i wish you had been there1 my boy4 ,it was a real lesson in hunting1 and ,i'll tell you what ,i thought of them1 one by ----4 ,hulloh6 ,yes4 ,you'd better ring for coffee--,hanged if ,i don't believe you've been fast asleep all the time6 ,but such runs as these1 though wearisome to a listener1 are most enjoyable for those who can appreciate the steadiness and sagacity of the hound1 no less than the craft and courage of the animal it pursues4 ,there is an indescribable charm too1 in what ,i may call the romance of hunting1--the remote scenes we should perhaps never visit for their own sake1 the broken sunlight glinting through copse and gleaming on fern1 the woodland sights1 the woodland sounds1 the balmy odours of nature1 and all the treats she provides for her votaries1 tasted and enjoyed1 with every faculty roused1 every sense sharpened in the excitement of our pursuit4 ,these delights are better known in the provinces than the shires1 and to descend from flights of fancy to practical matters of ,l s4 d41 we can hunt in the former at comparatively trifling expense4 ,in the first place1 particularly if good horsemen1 we need not be nearly so well-mounted4 ,there are few provincial countries in which a man who knows how to ride1 cannot get from one field to another1 by hook or by crook1 with a little creeping and scrambling and blundering1 that come far short of the casualty we deprecate as a rattling fall6 ,his horse must be in good condition of course1 and able to gallop2 also if temperate1 the more willing at his fences the better1 but it is not indispensable that he should possess the stride and power necessary to cover some twenty feet of distance1 and four or five of height1 at every leap1 nor the blood that can alone enable him to repeat the exertion1 over and over again1 at three-quarter speed in deep ground4 ,to jump1 as it is called1 from field to field1 tries a horse's stamina no less severely than his courage1 while1 as ,i have already observed1 there is no such economy of effort1 and even danger1 as to make two small fences out of a large one4 ,i do not mean to say that there are any parts of ,england where1 if hounds run hard1 a hunter1 with a workman on his back1 has not enough to do to live with them1 but ,i do consider that1 caeteris paribus1 a good rider may smuggle a moderate horse over most of our provincial countries1 whereas he would be helpless on the same animal in ,leicestershire or ,northamptonshire4 ,there1 on the other hand1 an inferior horseman1 bold enough to place implicit confidence in the first-class hunter he rides1 may see a run1 from end to end1 with considerable credit and enjoyment1 by the simple process of keeping a good hold of his bridle1 while he leaves everything to the horse4 ,but he must not have learned a single letter of the noble word ,funk4 ,directly his heart fails1 and he interferes1 down they both come1 an imperial crowner1 and the game is lost6 ,many of our provincial districts are also calculated1 from their very nature1 to turn out experienced sportsmen no less than accomplished riders4 ,in large woods1 amongst secluded hills1 or wild tracts of moor intersected by impracticable ravines1 a lover of the chase is compelled by force of circumstances to depend on his own eyes1 ears1 and general intelligence for his amusement4 ,he finds no young ,rapid to pilot him over the large places1 if he means going2 no crafty band of second-horsemen to guide him in safety to the finish1 if his ambition is satisfied with a distant and occasional view of the stirring pageant2 no convenient hand-gate in the corner1 no friendly bridge across the stream2 above all1 no hurrying cavalcade drawn out for miles1 amongst which to hide1 and with whom pleasantly to compare notes hereafter in those self-deceiving moments1 when ,dined1 o'er our claret1 we talk of the merit1 ,of every choice spirit that rode in the run4 ,but here the crowd1 ,sir1 can talk just as loud1 ,sir1 ,as those who were forward enjoying the fun6 ,no4 ,in the provinces our young sportsman must make up his mind to take his own part1 to study the coverts drawn1 and find out for himself the points where he can see1 hear1 and1 so to speak1 command hounds till they go away2 must learn how to rise the hill with least labour1 and descend it with greatest dispatch1 how to thread glen1 combe1 or dale1 wind in and out of the rugged ravine1 plunge through a morass1 and make his way home at night across trackless moor1 or open storm-swept down4 ,by the time he has acquired these accomplishments1 the horsemanship will have come of itself4 ,he will know how to bore where he cannot jump1 to creep where he must not fly1 and so manage his horse that the animal seems to share the intentions and intelligence of its rider4 ,if he can afford it1 and likes to spend a season or two in the shires for the last superlative polish1 let him go and welcome6 ,he will be taught to get clear of a crowd1 to leap timber at short notice1 to put on his boots and breeches1 and that is about all there is left for him to learn6 ,in the ,british army1 though more than a hundred regiments constitute the line1 each cherishes its own particular title1 while applying that general application indiscriminately to the rest4 ,i imagine the same illusion affects the provinces1 and ,i should offend an incalculable number of good fellows and good sportsmen1 were ,i to describe as provincial establishments1 the variety of hunts1 north1 south1 east1 and west1 with which ,i have enjoyed so much good company and good fun4 ,each has its own claim to distinction1 some have collars1 all have sport4 ,grass1 ,i imagine1 is the one essential that constitutes pre-eminence in a hunting country1 and for this the shires have always boasted they bear away the palm1 but it will surprise many of my readers to be told that in the south and west there are districts where this desideratum seems now more plentiful than in the middle of ,england4 ,the ,blackmoor ,vale still lies almost wholly under pasture1 and you may travel to-day forty miles by rail1 through the counties of ,dorset and ,somerset1 in general terms nearly from ,blandford to ,bath1 without seeing a ploughed field4 ,what a country might here be made by such an enthusiast as poor ,sam ,reynell1 who found ,meath without a gorse-covert1 and drew between thirty and forty sure finds in it before he died6 ,independently of duty1 which ought to be our first consideration1 there is also great convenience in hunting from home4 ,we require no large stud1 can choose our meets1 and1 above all1 are indifferent to weather4 ,a horse comes out so many times in a season2 if we don't hunt to-day we shall next week4 ,compare this equable frame of mind with the irritation and impatience of a man who has ten hunters standing at the sign of ,the ,hand-in-,pocket1 while he inhabits the front parlour1 without his books1 deprived of his usual society and occupations1 the barometer at set fair1 and the atmosphere affording every indication of a six-weeks' frost6 ,let us see in what the charm consists that impels people to encounter bad food1 bad wine1 bad lodgings1 and above all1 protracted boredom1 for a campaign in those historical hunting-grounds1 that have always seemed to constitute the rosiest illusion of a sportsman's dream4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,shires4 ,every species of fence every horse doesn't suit1 ,what's a good country hunter may here prove a brute1 ,sings that clerical bard who wrote the ,billesdon-,coplow poem1 from which ,i have already quoted2 and it would be difficult to explain more tersely than do these two lines the difference between a fair useful hunter1 and the flyer we call par excellence a ,leicestershire horse6 ,alas6 for the favourite unrivalled over ,gloucestershire walls1 among ,dorsetshire doubles1 in the level ploughs of ,holderness1 or up and down the wild ,derbyshire hills1 when called upon to gallop1 we will say1 from ,ashby pastures to the ,coplow1 after a week's rain1 at ,quorn pace1 across ,quorn fences1 unless he happens to possess with the speed of a steeple-chaser1 the courage of a lion and the activity of a cat6 ,for the first mile or two pristinae virtutis haud immemor he bears him gallantly enough1 even the unaccustomed rail on the far side of an oxer1 elicits but a startling exertion1 and a loud rattle of horn and iron against wood1 but ere long the slope rises against him1 the ridge-and-furrow checks his stride1 a field1 dotted with ant-hills as large as church-hassocks and not unlike them in shape1 to catch his toes and impede his action1 changes his smooth easy swing to a laborious flounder1 and presently at a thick bullfinch on the crest of a grassy ridge1 out of ground that takes him in nearly to his hocks1 comes the crisis4 ,too good a hunter to turn over1 he gets his shoulders out and lets his rider see the fall before it is administered1 but down he goes notwithstanding1 very effectually1 to rise again after a struggle1 his eye wild1 nostril distended1 and flanks heaving1 thoroughly pumped out6 ,he is a good horse1 but you have brought him into the wrong country1 and this is the result4 ,it would be a hopeless task to extract from young ,rapid's laconic phrases1 and general indifference1 any particulars regarding the burst in which1 to give him his due1 he has gone brilliantly1 or the merits of the horse that carried him in the first flight without a mistake4 ,he wastes his time1 his money1 his talents1 but not his words4 ,for him and his companions1 question and answer are cut short somewhat in this wise3-- ,did you get away with them from the ,punchbowl8 ,yes1 ,i was among the lucky ones4 ,is1 ',the ,king of the ,golden ,mines' any use8 ,i fancy he is good enough4 ,and yet he is reflecting on the merits of ,self and ,co4 with no little satisfaction1 and does not grudge one shilling of the money--a hundred down1 and a bill for two hundred and fifty--that the horse with the magnificent name cost him last spring4 ,their performance1 ,i admit1 does them both credit4 ,i will endeavour to give a rough sketch of the somewhat hazardous amusement that puts him out of conceit with the sport shown by his father's hounds4 ,let us picture to ourselves then1 ,rapid junior1 resplendent in the whitest of breeches and brightest of boots1 with a single-breasted1 square-cut scarlet coat1 a sleek hat curly of brim1 four feet of cane hunting-whip in his hand1 a flower at his breast1 and a toothpick in his mouth1 replaced by an enormous cigar as somebody he doesn't know suggests they are not likely to find4 ,though he looks so helpless1 and more than half-asleep1 he is wide-awake enough in fact1 and dashes the weed unlighted from his lips1 when he spies the huntsman stand up in his stirrups as though on the watch4 ,there lurks a fund of latent energy under the placidity of our friend's demeanour1 and1 as four couple of hounds come streaming out of cover1 he shoots up the bank rather too near them1 to pick his place without hesitation in an ugly bullfinch at the top4 ,two of his own kind are making for the same spot at the same moment1 and our young friend shows at such a crisis1 that he knows how to ride4 ,taking ,the ,king of the ,golden ,mines1 hard by the head1 he changes his aim on the instant1 and rams the good horse at four feet of strong timber1 leaning towards him1 with an energy not to be denied4 ,over they go triumphantly1 ,the ,king1 half affronted1 catching hold with some resentment1 as he settles vigorously to his stride4 ,what matter8 most of the pack are already half-way across the next field1 for ,leicestershire hounds have an extraordinary knack of flying forward to overtake their comrades4 ,his father would be delighted with the performance1 and would call it scoring to cry1 but young ,rapid does not trouble himself about such matters4 ,he is only glad to find they are out of his way1 and thinks no more about it1 except to rejoice that he can put the steam on1 without the usual remonstrance from huntsman and master4 ,the ,king can gallop like a race-horse1 and is soon at the next leap--a wide ditch1 a high staked-and-bound hedge1 coarse1 rough and strong1 with a drop and what you please1 on the other side4 ,this last treat proves to be a bowed-out oak-rail1 standing four feet from the fence4 ,the ,king1 full of courage1 and going fast1 bounds over the whole with his hind legs tucked under him like a deer1 ready1 but not requiring1 to strike back1 while two of ,rapid's young friends with whom he dined yesterday1 and one he will meet at dinner to-day1 fly it in similar form1 nearly alongside4 ,an ugly1 overgrown bullfinch1 with a miniature ravine1 or1 as it is here called1 a bottom1 appears at the foot of the hill they are now descending1 and1 as there seems only one practicable place1 these four reckless individuals at once begin to race for the desirable spot4 ,the ,king's turn of speed serves him again2 covering five- or six-and-twenty feet1 he leaps it a length in front of the nearest horse1 and a couple of strides before the other two1 while loud reproachful outcries resound in the rear because of ,harmony's narrow escape--the ,king's forefoot1 missing that priceless bitch by a yard6 ,our young gentleman1 having got a lead now1 begins to ride with more judgment4 ,he trots up to a stile and pops over in truly artistic form2 better still1 he gives the hounds plenty of room on the fallow beyond1 where they have hovered for a moment and put down their noses1 holding his hand up to warn those behind1 a bit of cheek1 as they call this precautionary measure1 which he will be made to remember for some days to come6 ,he is not such a fool but that he knows1 from experience in the old country1 how a little patience at these critical moments makes the whole difference between a good day's sport and a bad4 ,it would be provoking to lose the chance of a gallop now1 when he has got such a start1 and is riding the best horse in his stable1 so he looks anxiously over his shoulder for the huntsman1 who is coming1 and stands fifty yards aloof1 which he considers a liberal allowance1 that the hounds may have space to swing4 ,to-day there is a good scent and a good fox1 a combination that happens oftener than might be supposed4 ,harmony1 who1 notwithstanding her recent peril1 has never been off the line1 though the others over-shot it1 scours away at a tangent1 with the slightest possible whimper1 and her stern down1 the leading hounds wheeling to her like pigeons1 and the whole pack driving forward again1 harder than before4 ,it is a beautiful turn2 young ,rapid would admire it1 no doubt1 were his attention not distracted by the gate out of the field1 which is chained up1 and a hurried calculation as to whether it is too high for the ,king to attempt4 ,the solution is obvious4 ,i need hardly say he jumps it gallantly in his stride4 ,it would never do1 you see1 to let those other fellows catch him1 and he sails away once more with a stronger lead than at first4 ,what a hunting panorama opens on his view6--a downward stretch of a couple of miles1 and a gentle rise beyond of more than twice that distance1 consisting wholly of enormous grass fields1 dotted here and there with single trees1 and separated by long lines of fences1 showing black and level on that faded expanse of green4 ,the smoke from a farm-house rises white and thin against the dull sky in the middle distance1 and a taper church-spire points to heaven from behind the hill1 otherwise there is not an object for miles to recall everyday life2 and young ,rapid's world consists at this moment of two reeking pointed ears1 with a vision of certain dim shapes1 fleeting like shadows across the open--swift1 dusky1 and noiseless as a dream4 ,his blood thrills with excitement1 from the crown of his close-cropped head to his silken-covered heel1 but education is stronger than nature1 and he tightens his lips1 perhaps to repress a cheer1 while he murmurs--,over the brook for a hundred6 and the ,king never turned from water in his life4 ,two more fences bring him to the level meadow with its willows4 ,harmony is shaking herself on the farther bank1 and he has marked with his eye the spot where he means to take off4 ,a strong pull1 a steady hand1 the energy of a mile gallop condensed into a dozen strides1 and the stream passes beneath him like a flash4 ,it's a rum one6 he murmurs1 standing up in his stirrups to ease the good horse1 while one follower exclaims ,bravo6 ,rapid4 ,go along1 old man6 as the speaker plunges overhead2 and another1 who lands with a scramble1 mutters1 ,d----n him1 ,i shall never catch him6 my horse is done to a turn now4 ,the ,king1 his owner thinks1 is well worth the ,l#cej that has not been paid4 ,the horse has caught his second wind1 and keeps striding on1 strong and full of running1 though temperate enough now1 and1 in such a country as this1 a truly delightful mount4 ,illustration3 ,page #bdb4 ,there is no denying that our friend is a capital horseman1 and bold as need be4 ,the ,king of the ,golden ,mines1 with a workman on his back1 can hardly be defeated by any obstacle that the power and spring of a quadruped ought to surmount4 ,he has tremendous stride1 and no less courage than his master1 so fence after fence is thrown behind the happy pair with a sensation like flying that seems equally gratifying to both4 ,the ground is soft but sound enough2 the leaps1 though large1 are fair and clean4 ,one by one they are covered in light1 elastic bounds1 of eighteen or twenty feet1 and for a mile1 at least1 the ,king scarcely alters his action1 and never changes his leg4 ,young ,rapid would ask no better fun than to go on like this for a week4 ,once he has a narrow escape4 ,the fox having turned short up a hedgerow after crossing it1 the hounds1 though running to kill1 turn as short1 for which they deserve the praise there is nobody present to bestow1 and ,rapid1 charging the fence with considerable freedom1 just misses landing in the middle of the pack4 ,i know it1 because he acknowledged it after dinner1 professing1 at the same time1 devout thankfulness that master and huntsman were too far off to see4 ,just such another turn is made at the next fence1 but this time on the near side4 ,the hounds disappear suddenly1 tumbling over each other into the ditch like a cascade4 ,peering between his horse's ears1 the successful rider can distinguish only a confused whirl of muddy backs1 and legs1 and sterns1 seen through a cloud of steam2 but smothered growls1 with a certain vibration of the busy cluster1 announce that they have got him1 and ,rapid so far forgets himself as to venture on a feeble ,who--whoop6 ,before he can leap from the saddle the huntsman comes up followed by two others1 one of whom1 pulling out his watch1 with a delighted face repeats frantically1 ,seven-and-twenty minutes1 and a kill in the open6 ,what a good gallop6 ,not the ghost of a check from end to end4 ,seven-and-twenty minutes1 and so on1 over and over again4 ,while the field straggle in1 and the obsequies of this good fox are properly celebrated1 a little enthusiasm would be justifiable enough on the part of a young gentleman who has had the best of it unquestionably through the whole of so brilliant a scurry4 ,he might be expected to enlarge volubly1 and with excusable self-consciousness1 on the pace1 the country1 the straight running of the fox1 the speed and gallantry of the hounds2 nor could we blame him for praising by implication his own determined riding in a tribute to ,the ,king of the ,golden ,mines4 ,but such extravagancies are studiously repudiated and repressed by the school to which young ,rapid belongs4 ,all he does say is this-- ,i wonder when the second horses will come up8 ,i want some luncheon before we go and find another fox4 ,i have already observed that in the shires we put two days into one4 ,where seventy or eighty couple of hounds are kept and thirty horses1 to hunt four times a week1 with plenty of country1 in which you may find a fox every five minutes1 there can be no reason for going home while light serves2 and really good scenting days occur so rarely that we may well be tempted to make the most of one even with jaded servants and a half-tired pack of hounds4 ,the field1 too1 are considerably diminished by three or four o'clock4 ,one has no second horse1 another must get home to write his letters1 and1 if within distance of ,melton1 some hurry back to play whist4 ,everything is comparative4 ,with forty or fifty horsemen left1 a huntsman breathes more freely1 and these1 who are probably enthusiasts1 begin to congratulate themselves that the best of the day is yet to come4 ,let us go and draw ,melton ,spinney1 is a suggestion that brightens every eye2 and the ,duke will always draw ,melton ,spinney so long as he can see4 ,it is no unusual thing for his hounds to kill1 and1 ,i have been told1 they once found their fox by moonlight1 so that it is proverbial all over his country1 if you only stop out late enough1 you are sure of a run with the ,belvoir at last4 ,and then1 whether you belong to the school of young ,rapid or his father1 you will equally have a treat4 ,are you fond of hounds8 ,here is a pack that cannot be surpassed1 to delight the most fastidious eye1 satisfy the most critical taste4 ,do you like to see them hunt8 ,watch how these put their noses down1 tempering energy with patience1 yet so bustling and resolute as to work a bad scent into a good one4 ,are you an admirer of make-and-shape8 ,mark this perfect symmetry of form1 bigger1 stronger1 and tougher than it looks4 ,do you understand kennel management and condition8 ,ask ,gillard why his hounds are never known to tire1 and get from him what hints you can4 ,lastly1 do you want to gallop and jump1 defeat your dearest friends1 and get to the end of your best horse8 ,that is but a moderate scenting-day1 on which the ,belvoir will not afford opportunity to do both4 ,if you can live with them while they run1 and see them race into their fox at the finish1 ,i congratulate you on having science1 nerve1 all the qualities of horsemanship1 a good hunter1 and1 above all1 a good groom4 ,these remarks as to pace1 stoutness1 and sporting qualities1 apply also to the ,quorn1 the ,cottesmore1 and the ,pytchley4 ,this last1 indeed1 with its extensive range of woodlands in ,rockingham ,forest1 possesses the finest hunting country in ,england1 spacious enough to stand six days a week in the mildest of winters all the season through4 ,under the rule of ,lord ,spencer1 who has brought to bear on his favourite amusement the talent1 energy1 and administrative powers that1 while they remained in office1 were so serviceable to his party1 the ,pytchley seems to have recovered its ancient renown1 and the sport provided for the white collars during the last year or two has been much above the average4 ,his lordship thoroughly understands the whole management of hounds1 in the kennel and the field1 is enthusiastically fond of the pursuit1 and1 being a very determined rider as well as an excellent judge of a horse1 is always present in an emergency to observe the cause and take measures for the remedy4 ,will ,goodall has but little to learn as a huntsman1 and1 like his father1 the unrivalled ,will ,goodall of ,belvoir celebrity1 places implicit confidence in his hounds4 ,they can put me right1 seems his maxim1 oftener than ,i can put them6 ,if a man wanted to see a gallop in the shires at its best1 he should meet the ,pytchley some ,saturday in ,february at ,waterloo ,gorse1 but ,i am bound to caution him that he ought to ride a brilliant hunter1 and1 as young ,rapid would say1 harden his heart to make strong use of him4 ,large grass fields1 from fifty to a hundred acres in extent1 carrying a rare scent1 are indeed tempting2 but to my own taste1 though perhaps in this my reader may not agree with me1 they would be more inviting were they not separated by such forbidding fences4 ,a high black-thorn hedge1 strong enough to hold an elephant1 with one1 and sometimes two ditches1 fortified1 moreover1 in many cases1 by a rail placed half a horse's length off to keep out cattle from the thorns1 offers1 indeed1 scope for all the nobler qualities of man and beast1 but while sufficiently perilous for glory1 seems to my mind rather too stiff for pleasure6 ,and yet ,i have seen half-a-dozen good men well-mounted live with hounds over this country for two or three miles on end without a fall1 nor do ,i believe that in these stiffly fenced grazing grounds the average of dirty coats is greater than in less difficult-looking districts4 ,it may be that those who compete are on the best of hunters1 and that a horse finds all his energies roused by the formidable nature of such obstacles1 if he means to face them at all6 ,and now a word about those casualties which perhaps rather enhance than damp our ardour in the chase4 ,mr4 ,assheton ,smith used to say that no man could be called a good rider who did not know how to fall4 ,founded on his own exhaustive experience there is much sound wisdom in this remark4 ,the oftener a man is down1 the less likely is he to be hurt1 and although1 as the old joke tells us1 absence of body as regards danger seems even preferable to presence of mind1 the latter quality is not without its advantage in the crisis that can no longer be deferred4 ,i have seen men so flurried when their horses' noses touched the ground as to fling themselves wildly from the saddle1 and meet their own apprehensions half-way1 converting an uncertain scramble into a certain downfall4 ,now it should never be forgotten that a horse in difficulties has the best chance of recovery if the rider sits quiet in the middle of his saddle and lets the animal's head alone4 ,it is always time enough to part company when his own knee touches the ground1 and as he then knows exactly where his horse is1 he can get out of the way of its impending body1 ere it comes heavily to the earth4 ,if his seat is not strong enough to admit of such desirable tenacity1 let him at least keep a firm hold of the bridle2 that connecting link will1 so to speak1 preserve his communications1 and a kick with one foot1 or timely roll of his own person1 will take him out of harm's way4 ,the worst fall a man can get is to be thrown over his horse's head1 with such violence as to lay him senseless till the animal1 turning a somersault1 crushes his prostrate body with all the weight of its own4 ,such accidents must sometimes happen1 of course1 but they are not necessarily of every-day occurrence4 ,by riding with moderate speed at his fences1 and preserving1 on all occasions1 coolness1 good-humour1 and confidence in his partner1 a sportsman1 even when past his prime1 may cross the severest parts of the ,harborough country itself with an infinitesimal amount of danger to life and limb4 ,kindness1 coercion1 hand1 seat1 valour1 and discretion should be combined in due proportion1 and the mixture1 as far as the hunting-field is concerned1 will come out a real elixir vitae such as the pale ,rosicrucian poring over crucible and alembic sought to compound in vain4 ,i cannot forbear quoting once more from the gallant soul-stirring lines of ,mr4 ,bromley ,davenport1 himself an enthusiast who1 to this day1 never seems to remember he has a neck to break6 ,what is time8 the effusion of life zoophytic1 ,in dreary pursuit of position or gain4 ,what is life8 the absorption of vapours mephitic1 ,the bursting of sunlight on senses and brain4 ,such a life has been mine1 though so speedily over1 ,condensing the joys of a century's course1 ,from the find1 till they ate him near ,woodwell-,head ,covert1 ,in thirty bright minutes from ,banksborough ,gorse6 ,yes1 when all is said and done1 perhaps the very acme and perfection of a riding run1 is to be attained within fifteen miles of ,melton4 ,a man who has once been fortunate enough to find himself1 for ever so short a distance1 leading ,the cream of the cream1 in the shire of shires1 will never1 ,i imagine1 forget his feelings of triumph and satisfaction while he occupied so proud a position2 nor do ,i think that1 as a matter of mere amusement and pleasurable excitement1 life can offer anything to compare with a good horse1 a good conscience1 a good start1 and ,a quick thirty minutes from ,banksborough ,gorse4 ,,the ,,end4 ,,london3 ,r4 ,,clay1 ,,sons1 ,,and ,,taylor1 ,,bread ,,street ,,hill1 ,e4,c4 #aic1 ,,piccadilly1 ,,london1 ,w4 ,,november1 #ahgg4 ,chapman and ,hall's ,,catalogue ,,of ,,books4 ,,including ,,drawing ,,examples1 ,,diagrams1 ,,models1 ,,instruments1 ,,etc4 ,,issued ,,under ,,the ,,authority ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,and ,,art ,,department ,,south ,,kensington1 ,,for ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,schools ,,and ,,art ,,and ,,science ,,classes4 ,,new ,,novels4 ,,new ,,novel1 ,,by ,,the ,,duke ,,de ,,pomar4 ,a ,,secret ,,marriage4 ,by ,,the ,,duke ,,de ,,pomar4 ,author of ,fashion and ,passion1 c4 c4 #c ,,vols4 ,,new ,,novel1 ,,by ,,annie ,,thomas4 ,a ,,laggard ,,in ,,love4 ,by ,,annie ,,thomas 7,,mrs4 ,,pender ,,cudlip74 ,author of ,dennis ,donne and ,called to ,account1 c4 c4 ,will be ready in a few days4 #c ,,vols4 ,,new ,,novel1 ,,by ,,lady ,,wood4 ,,sheen',s ,,foreman ,a ,,novel4 ,by ,,lady ,,wood4 ,author of ,sabrina1 ,wild ,weather1 ,through ,fire and ,water1 c4 c4 #c ,,vols4 ,,new ,,novel1 ,,by ,,joseph ,,hatton4 ,,the ,,queen ,,of ,,bohemia4 ,a ,,novel4 ,by ,,joseph ,,hatton4 #b ,,vols4 ,,grey ,,abbey4 ,by ,,old ,,calabar4 ,author of ,jack ,blake1 ,over ,turf and ,stubble1 c4 c4 #b ,,vols4 ,,rothery ,,selfert1 ,q4,c4 ,by ,,john ,,ollive4 ,author of ,a ,wooing of ,ate4 ,,artist ,,and ,,amateur2 ,,or1 ,,the ,,surface ,,of ,,life4 ,a ,,novel4 ,by ,,mrs4 ,,caddy4 #c ,vols4 ,,books ,,published ,,by ,,chapman ,,and ,,hall4 ,,abbott 7,,edwin7--,formerly ,head-,master of the ,philological ,school-- ,a ,,concordance ,,of ,,the ,,original ,,poetical ,,works ,,of ,,alexander ,,pope4 ,with an ,introduction on the ,english of ,pope1 by ,,edwin ,a4 ,,abbott1 ,d4,d41 ,author of ,a ,shakespearian ,grammar1 c4 c4 ,medium #hvo1 price ,l#a #as4 ,,abbott 7,,samuel7-- ,,ardenmohr3 ,,among ,,the ,,hills4 ,a ,record of ,scenery and ,sport in the ,highlands of ,scotland4 ,with ,sketches and ,etchings by the ,author4 ,demy #hvo1 #abs4 #f;d4 ,,adams 7,,francis7-- ,,the ,,free-,,school ,,system ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states4 ,demy #hvo1 #is4 ,,adon-- ,,lays ,,of ,,modern ,,oxford4 ,illustrated by ,m4 ,e4 ,,edwards1 ,f4 ,,lockwood1 and ,,the ,,author4 ,fcap4 #dto1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,austin 7,,alfred7-- ,,leszko ,,the ,,bastard4 ,a ,tale of ,polish ,grief4 ,crown #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,bartley 7,g4 ,c4 ,t47-- ,a ,,handy ,,book ,,for ,,guardians ,,of ,,the ,,poor3 being a ,complete ,manual of the ,duties of the ,office1 the ,treatment of ,typical ,cases1 with ,practical ,examples1 c4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 ,,the ,,parish ,,net3 ,,how ,,it',s ,,dragged ,,and ,,what ,,it ,,catches4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,seven ,,ages ,,of ,a ,,village ,,pauper4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,benson 7,w47-- ,,manual ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,colour4 ,coloured ,frontispiece and ,illustrations4 #abmo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,principles ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,colour4 ,small #dto1 cloth1 #aes4 ,,blake 7,,edith ,,osborne7-- ,,twelve ,,months ,,in ,,southern ,,europe4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo1 #ads4 ,,blanc 7,,charles7-- ,,art ,,in ,,ornament ,,and ,,dress4 ,translated from the ,french of ,,charles ,,blanc1 ,member of the ,institute1 and formerly ,director of ,fine ,arts4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,blyth 7,,colonel7-- ,,the ,,whist-,,player4 ,with ,coloured ,plates of ,hands4 ,third ,edition4 ,imp4 #afmo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,bradley 7,,thomas7--of the ,royal ,military ,academy1 ,woolwich-- ,,elements ,,of ,,geometrical ,,drawing4 ,in ,two ,parts1 with ,sixty ,plates4 ,oblong-folio1 half-bound1 each ,part #afs4 ,selection 7from the above7 of ,twenty ,plates for the use of the ,royal ,military ,academy1 ,woolwich4 ,oblong folio1 half-bound1 #afs4 ,,bryant 7,w4 ,c47-- ,,the ,,civil ,,service ,,of ,,the ,,crown3 its ,rise and its ,constitution4 ,small #hvo1 cloth1 #ds4 ,,buckland 7,,frank7-- ,,log-,,book ,,of ,a ,,fisherman ,,and ,,zoologist4 ,second ,edition4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,large crown #hvo1 #abs4 ,,buckmaster 7,j4 ,c47-- ,,the ,,elements ,,of ,,mechanical ,,physics4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth4 ,reprinting4 ,,burchett 7,r47-- ,,definitions ,,of ,,geometry4 ,new ,edition4 #bdmo1 cloth1 #e;d4 ,,linear ,,perspective1 for the ,use of ,schools of ,art4 ,twenty-first ,thousand4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 ,,practical ,,geometry3 ,the ,course of ,construction of ,plane ,geometrical ,figures4 ,with #acg ,diagrams4 ,eighteenth ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,caddy 7,,mrs47-- ,,household ,,organization4 ,crown #hvo1 #ds4 ,,caithness 7,,countess7-- ,,old ,,truths ,,in ,a ,,new ,,light3 or an ,earnest ,endeavour to ,reconcile ,material ,science with ,spiritual ,science and ,scripture4 ,demy #hvo1 #aes4 ,,campion 7,j4 ,s471 late ,major1 ,staff1 #ast ,br4 ,c4,n4,g41 ,u4,s4,a4-- ,,on ,,the ,,frontier4 ,reminiscences of ,wild ,sport1 ,personal ,adventures1 and ,strange ,scenes4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo4 ,in ,november4 ,,carlyle 7,,dr47-- ,,dante',s ,,divine ,,comedy4--,literal ,prose ,translation of ,,the ,,inferno1 with ,text and ,notes4 ,second ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 #ads4 ,,carlyle 7,,thomas7--,see pages #ag and #ah4 ,,clinton 7,r4 ,h47-- ,a ,,compendium ,,of ,,english ,,history1 from the ,earliest ,times to ,a4,d4 #ahgb4 ,with ,copious ,quotations on the ,leading ,events and the ,constitutional ,history1 together with ,appendices4 ,post #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,craik 7,,george ,,lillie7-- ,,english ,,of ,,shakespeare4 ,illustrated in a ,philological ,commentary on his ,julius ,caesar4 ,fifth ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,outlines ,,of ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,english ,,language4 ,ninth ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,dasent 7,,sir ,g4 ,w47-- ,,jest ,,and ,,earnest4 ,a ,collection of ,reviews and ,essays4 #b vols4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,tales ,,from ,,the ,,fjeld4 ,a ,second ,series of ,popular ,tales from the ,norse of ,p4 ,ch4 ,asbjoernsen4 ,small #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,daubourg 7,e47-- ,,interior ,,architecture4 ,doors1 ,vestibules1 ,staircases1 ,anterooms1 ,drawing1 ,dining1 and ,bed rooms1 ,libraries1 ,bank and ,newspaper ,offices1 ,shop ,fronts and ,interiors4 ,with detailed ,plans1 ,sections1 and ,elevations4 ,a purely practical work1 intended for ,architects1 ,joiners1 ,cabinet ,makers1 ,marble ,workers1 ,decorators2 as well as for the owners of houses who wish to have them ornamented by artisans of their own choice4 ,half-imperial1 cloth1 ,l#b #abs4 #f;d4 ,,davidson 7,,ellis ,a47-- ,,the ,,amateur ,,house ,,carpenter3 a ,guide in ,building1 ,making1 and ,repairing4 ,with numerous ,illustrations1 drawn on ,wood by the ,author4 ,royal #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,davison 7,,the ,,misses7-- ,,triqueti ,,marbles ,,in ,,the ,,albert ,,memorial ,,chapel1 ,,windsor4 ,a ,series of ,photographs4 ,dedicated by express permission to ,her ,majesty the ,queen4 ,the ,work consists of #aag ,photographs1 with descriptive ,letterpress1 mounted on #di sheets of cardboard1 half-imperial4 ,price ,l#aj #ajs4 ,,de ,,coin 7,,colonel ,,robert ,l47-- ,,history ,,and ,,cultivation ,,of ,,cotton ,,and ,,tobacco4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #is4 ,,de ,,koninck 7,l4 ,l47 and ,,dietz 7,e47-- ,,practical ,,manual ,,of ,,chemical ,,assaying1 as applied to the ,manufacture of ,iron from its ,ores1 and to ,cast ,iron1 ,wrought ,iron1 and ,steel1 as found in ,commerce4 ,edited1 with notes1 by ,,robert ,,mallet4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,de ,,leuville 7,,le ,,marquis7-- ,,entre-,,nous4 ,with ,portrait4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 #es4 ,a ,smaller ,edition1 with ,portrait4 ,crown #hvo1 #cs4 ,,de ,,pomar 7,,the ,,duke7-- ,,fashion ,,and ,,passion2 or1 ,life in ,mayfair4 ,new ,edition1 in #a vol4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,,the ,,heir ,,to ,,the ,,crown4 ,crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,de ,,worms 7,,baron ,,henry7-- ,,england',s ,,policy ,,in ,,the ,,east4 ,an ,account of the ,policy and ,interest of ,england in the ,eastern ,question1 as compared with those of the other ,european ,powers4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,to this ,edition has been added the ,tripartite ,treaty of #ahef1 and the ,black ,sea ,treaty of #ahga4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 #es4 ,,the ,,austro-,,hungarian ,,empire3 ,a ,political ,sketch of ,men and ,events since #ahfh4 ,revised and ,corrected1 with an ,additional ,chapter on the ,present ,crisis in the ,east4 ,with ,maps4 ,second ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #is4 ,,dickens 7,,charles7--,see pages #ai-bb4 ,,dyce',s ,,collection4 ,a ,catalogue of ,printed ,books and ,manuscripts bequeathed by the ,,rev4 ,,alexander ,,dyce to the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 #b vols4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 #ads4 ,a ,collection of ,paintings1 ,miniatures1 ,drawings1 ,engravings1 ,rings1 and ,miscellaneous ,objects1 bequeathed by the ,,rev4 ,,alexander ,,dyce to the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 #a vol4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 #gs4 ,,dickens 7,,charles7--,conducted by-- ,,all ,,the ,,year ,,round4 ,first ,series4 #bj vols4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 #f;d4 each4 ,new ,series4 ,vols4 #a to #ab4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 #f;d4 each4 ,,dixon 7,w4 ,,hepworth7-- ,,the ,,holy ,,land4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,with #b ,steel and #ab ,wood ,engravings4 ,post #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,drayson 7,,lieut4-,,col4 ,a4 ,w47-- ,,the ,,cause ,,of ,,the ,,supposed ,,proper ,,motion ,,of ,,the ,,fixed ,,stars1 with other ,geometrical ,problems in ,astronomy hitherto unsolved4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 ,,the ,,cause1 ,,date1 ,,and ,,duration ,,of ,,the ,,last ,,glacial ,,epoch ,,of ,,geology1 with an ,investigation of a ,new ,movement of the ,earth4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 ,,practical ,,military ,,surveying ,,and ,,sketching4 ,fifth ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,,dyce 7,,william71 ,r4,a4-- ,,drawing-,,book ,,of ,,the ,,government ,,school ,,of ,,design2 ,,or1 ,,elementary ,,outlines ,,of ,,ornament4 ,fifty selected ,plates4 ,folio1 sewed1 #es42 mounted1 #ahs4 ,text to ,ditto4 ,sewed1 #f;d4 ,,elliot 7,,frances7-- ,,old ,,court ,,life ,,in ,,france4 ,third ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,diary ,,of ,,an ,,idle ,,woman ,,in ,,italy4 ,second ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,pictures ,,of ,,old ,,rome4 ,new ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,elliot 7,,robert ,h47-- ,,experiences ,,of ,a ,,planter ,,in ,,the ,,jungles ,,of ,,mysore4 ,with ,illustrations and a ,map4 #b vols4 #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #ds4 ,,concerning ,,john',s ,,indian ,,affairs4 #hvo1 cloth1 #is4 ,,engel 7,,carl7-- ,a ,,descriptive ,,and ,,illustrated ,,catalogue ,,of ,,the ,,musical ,,instruments in the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum1 preceded by an ,essay on the ,history of ,musical ,instruments4 ,second ,edition4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 #abs4 ,,ewald 7,,alexander ,,charles71 ,f4,s4,a4-- ,,the ,,life ,,and ,,times ,,of ,,prince ,,charles ,,stuart1 ,,count ,,of ,,albany1 commonly called ,the ,young ,pretender4 ,from the ,state ,papers and other ,sources4 ,author of ,the ,life and ,times of ,algernon ,sydney1 ,the ,crown and its ,advisers1 c4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 ,l#a #hs4 ,,sir ,,robert ,,walpole4 ,a ,political ,biography1 #afgf-agde4 ,demy #hvo1 #ahs4 ,,falloux 7,,count ,,de71 of the ,french ,academy-- ,,augustin ,,cochin4 ,translated from the ,french by ,augustus ,craven4 ,large crown #hvo1 #is4 ,,fane 7,,violet7-- ,,denzil ,,place3 a ,story in ,verse4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #hs4 ,,queen ,,of ,,the ,,fairies 7,a ,village ,story71 and other ,poems4 ,by the ,author of ,denzil ,place4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,,anthony ,,babington3 a ,drama4 ,by the ,author of ,denzil ,place1 ,the ,queen of the ,fairies1 c4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,,finlaison 7,,alexander ,,glen7-- ,,new ,,government ,,succession-,,duty ,,tables4 ,third ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,fleming 7,,george71 ,f4,r4,c4,s4-- ,,animal ,,plagues3 ,,their ,,history1 ,,nature1 ,,and ,,prevention4 #hvo1 cloth1 #aes4 ,,horses ,,and ,,horse-,,shoeing3 their ,origin1 ,history1 ,uses1 and ,abuses4 #baj ,engravings4 #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,practical ,,horse-,,shoeing3 ,with #cg ,illustrations4 ,second ,edition1 enlarged4 #hvo1 sewed1 #bs4 ,,rabies ,,and ,,hydrophobia3 ,,their ,,history1 ,,nature1 ,,causes1 ,,symptoms1 ,,and ,,prevention4 ,with #h ,illustrations4 #hvo1 cloth1 #aes4 ,a ,,manual ,,of ,,veterinary ,,sanitary ,,science ,,and ,,police4 ,with #cc ,illustrations4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 #cfs4 ,,forster 7,,john7-- ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,charles ,,dickens4 ,uniform with the ,c4 ,d4 ,edition of his ,works4 ,with ,numerous ,illustrations4 #b vols4 #gs4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,charles ,,dickens4 ,with ,portraits and other ,illustrations4 #aeth ,thousand4 #c vols4 #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#b #bs4 ,a ,new ,edition in #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 uniform with the ,illustrated ,edition of ,dickens's ,works4 ,price ,l#a #hs4 ,,sir ,,john ,,eliot3 a ,biography4 ,with ,portraits4 ,new and cheaper ,edition4 #b vols4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #ads4 ,,oliver ,,goldsmith3 a ,biography4 ,cheap ,edition in one volume4 ,small #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,walter ,,savage ,,landor3 a ,biography1 #agge-ahfd4 ,with ,portraits and ,vignettes4 ,a ,new and ,revised ,edition1 in #a vol4 ,demy #hvo1 #ads4 ,,fortnum 7,c4 ,d4 ,e47-- ,a ,,descriptive ,,and ,,illustrated ,,catalogue ,,of ,,the ,,bronzes ,,of ,,european ,,origin in the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum1 with an ,introductory ,notice4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #ajs4 ,a ,,descriptive ,,and ,,illustrated ,,catalogue ,,of ,,maiolica1 ,,hispano-,,moresco1 ,,persian1 ,,damascus1 ,,and ,,rhodian ,,wares in the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#b4 ,,francatelli 7,c4 ,e47-- ,,royal ,,confectioner3 ,english and ,foreign4 ,a ,practical ,treatise4 ,with ,coloured ,illustrations4 #crd ,edition4 ,post #hvo cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,gallenga 7,a47-- ,,the ,,pearl ,,of ,,the ,,antilles4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #is4 ,,gillmore 7,,parker7-- ,,prairie ,,and ,,forest3 a ,description of the ,game of ,north ,america1 with personal ,adventures in their pursuit4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 ,,gould 7,w4 ,,baring7-- ,,how ,,to ,,save ,,fuel4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,post #hvo1 #as4 ,,holbein-- ,,twelve ,,heads ,,after ,,holbein4 ,selected from ,drawings in ,her ,majesty's ,collection at ,windsor4 ,reproduced in ,autotype1 in portfolio4 #cfs4 ,,hall 7,,sidney7-- ,a ,,travelling ,,atlas ,,of ,,the ,,english ,,counties4 ,fifty ,maps1 coloured4 ,new ,edition1 including the ,railways1 corrected up to the present date4 ,demy #hvo1 in roan tuck1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,hardy 7,,capt4 ,c47-- ,,forest ,,life ,,in ,,acadie2 and ,sketches of ,sport and ,natural ,history in the ,lower ,provinces of the ,canadian ,dominion4 ,with ,illustrations4 #hvo1 cloth1 #ahs4 ,,hovelacque 7,,abel7-- ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,language3 ,,linguistics1 ,,philology1 ,,and ,,etymology4 ,with ,maps4 ,large crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,being the first volume of ,the ,library of ,contemporary ,science4 7,for list of other ,works of the same ,series1 see page #bd47 ,,hulme 7,f4 ,e47-- ,a ,series of #fj ,outline ,examples of ,free-hand ,ornament4 ,royal #hvo1 mounted1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,humphris 7,h4 ,d47-- ,,principles ,,of ,,perspective4 ,illustrated in a ,series of ,examples4 ,oblong-folio1 half-bound1 and ,text #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,jacquemart 7,,albert7-- ,,the ,,history ,,of ,,furniture4 ,researches and ,notes on ,objects of ,art which form ,articles of ,furniture1 or would be interesting to ,collectors4 ,translated from the ,french and ,edited by ,mrs4 ,,bury ,,palliser4 ,with #bjj ,illustrations4 ,imperial #hvo4 ,in ,november4 ,,jagor 7,f47-- ,,philippine ,,islands1 ,,the4 ,with numerous ,illustrations and a ,map4 ,demy #hvo1 #afs4 ,,jarry 7,,general7-- ,,napier 7,,maj4-,,gen4 ,w4 ,c4 ,e47--,,outpost ,,duty4 ,translated1 with ,,treatises ,,on ,,military ,,reconnaissance ,,and ,,on ,,road-,,making4 ,third ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #es4 ,,kebbel 7,t4 ,e47-- ,,the ,,agricultural ,,labourer4 ,a ,short ,survey of his ,position4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,,kempis 7,,thomas ,a7-- ,,the ,,imitation ,,of ,,christ4 ,beautifully ,illustrated ,edition4 ,demy #hvo4 ,in ,november4 ,,klaczko 7,m4 ,,julian7-- ,,two ,,chancellors3 ,,prince ,,gortchakof and ,,prince ,,bismarck4 ,translated by ,mrs4 ,tait4 ,new and cheaper edition1 #fs4 ,,lacroix 7,p47-- ,,science ,,and ,,literature ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,ages ,,and ,,at ,,the ,,period ,,of ,,the ,,renaissance4 ,with #ac ,coloured ,illustrations and #djj ,wood ,engravings4 7,this ,volume completes the ,series47 ,imperial #hvo4 ,in ,november4 ,,the ,,arts ,,of ,,the ,,middle ,,ages ,,and ,,at ,,the ,,period ,,of ,,the ,,renaissance4 ,with #ai ,chromo-lithographs and over #djj ,woodcuts4 ,a ,new ,edition1 on large paper4 ,imperial #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #aas4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,manners1 ,,customs1 ,,and ,,dress ,,of ,,the ,,middle ,,ages4 ,with #ae ,chromo-lithographs and over #djj ,wood ,engravings4 ,a ,new ,edition1 on large paper4 ,imperial #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #aas4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,military ,,and ,,religious ,,life ,,in ,,the ,,middle ,,ages ,,and ,,of ,,the ,,period ,,of ,,the ,,renaissance4 ,with #ad ,chromo-lithographs and upwards of #djj ,engravings on ,wood4 ,imperial #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #aas4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,eighteenth ,,century3 its ,institutions1 ,customs1 and ,costumes4 ,france #agjj-aghi4 ,illustrated with #ba ,chromo-lithographs and #cea ,wood ,engravings4 ,on large paper4 ,imperial #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#b #bs4 ,,lee 7,,henry1 ,f4,l4,s41 ,f4,g4,s41 ,f4,z4,s41 c41 ,naturalist of the ,brighton ,aquarium7-- ,,aquarium ,,notes4 ,,the ,,octopus2 or1 ,the ,devil-fish of ,fiction and of ,fact4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,crown #hvo1 #cs4 ,,legge 7,,alfred ,,owen7-- ,,pius ,,ix4 ,the ,story of his ,life to the ,restoration in #ahej1 with ,glimpses of the ,national ,movement in ,italy4 ,author of ,the ,growth of the ,temporal ,power in ,italy4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 ,l#a #abs4 ,,letourneau 7,,dr4 ,,charles7-- ,,biology4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,forming a new volume of ,the ,library of ,contemporary ,science4 ,in ,october4 ,,lynch 7,,rev4 ,t4 ,t47-- ,,memorials ,,of ,,theophilus ,,trinal1 ,,student4 ,new ,edition1 enlarged4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth extra1 #fs4 ,,lytton 7,,robert1 ,,lord7-- ,,poetical ,,works--,,collected ,,edition4 ,now ,issuing in ,monthly ,volumes4 ,,fables ,,in ,,song4 #b vols4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #abs4 ,,lucile4 #a vol4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #fs4 ,,the ,,wanderer4 #a vol4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #fs4 ,vol4 ,v4 in the ,press4 ,,mallet 7,,dr4 ,j4 ,w47-- ,,cotton3 ,,the ,,chemical1 c41 ,,conditions ,,of ,,its ,,successful ,,cultivation4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,mallet 7,,robert7-- ,,great ,,neapolitan ,,earthquake ,,of #aheg4 ,first ,principles of ,observational ,seismology1 as developed in the ,report to the ,royal ,society of ,london1 of the ,expedition made into the ,interior of the ,kingdom of ,naples1 to investigate the circumstances of the great ,earthquake of ,december1 #aheg4 ,maps and numerous ,illustrations4 #b vols4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#c #cs4 ,,maskell 7,,william7-- ,a ,,description ,,of ,,the ,,ivories1 ,,ancient ,,and ,,mediaeval1 in the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum1 with a ,preface4 ,with numerous ,photographs and ,woodcuts4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #as4 ,,mazade 7,,charles ,,de7-- ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,count ,,cavour4 ,translated from the ,french4 ,demy #hvo1 #afs4 ,,melville 7,g4 ,j4 ,,whyte-7-- ,,rosine4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo4 ,uniform with ,katerfelto1 #afs4 ,,sister ,,louise2 or1 ,the ,story of a ,woman's ,repentance4 ,with ,illustrations by ,,miriam ,,kerns4 ,demy #hvo1 #afs4 ,,katerfelto3 ,a ,story of ,exmoor4 ,with #ab ,illustrations by ,,colonel ,h4 ,,hope ,,crealocke4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,large crown1 #hs4 7,for ,cheap ,editions of other ,works1 see page #be47 ,,meredith 7,,george7-- ,,modern ,,love1 ,,and ,,poems ,,of ,,the ,,english ,,roadside1 with ,poems and ,ballads4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,miller 7,,joaquin7-- ,,the ,,ship ,,in ,,the ,,desert4 ,by the ,author of ,songs of the ,sierras1 c4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #fs4 ,,molesworth 7,w4 ,,nassau7-- ,,history ,,of ,,england ,,from ,,the ,,year #ahcj ,,to ,,the ,,resignation ,,of ,,the ,,gladstone ,,ministry4 ,a ,cheap ,edition1 carefully revised1 and carried up to ,march #ahgd crown #hvo1 #ahs4 ,a ,school ,edition1 in #a vol4 ,post #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,montagu 7,,the ,,right ,,hon4 ,,lord ,,robert1 ,m4,p47-- ,,foreign ,,policy3 ,,england ,,and ,,the ,,eastern ,,question4 ,second ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 #ads4 ,,morley 7,,henry7-- ,,english ,,writers4 ,vol4 ,i4 ,part ,i4 ,,the ,,celts ,,and ,,anglo-,,saxons4 ,with an ,introductory ,sketch of the ,four ,periods of ,english ,literature4 ,part ,,ii4 ,,from ,,the ,,conquest ,,to ,,chaucer4 7,making #b vols47 #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #bs4 asterism ,each ,part is indexed separately4 ,the ,two ,parts complete the account of ,english ,literature during the ,period of the ,formation of the ,language1 or of ,,the ,,writers ,,before ,,chaucer4 ,vol4 ,,ii4 ,part ,i4 ,,from ,,chaucer ,,to ,,dunbar4 #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 ,,tables ,,of ,,english ,,literature4 ,containing #bj ,charts4 ,second ,edition1 with ,index4 ,royal #dto1 cloth1 #abs4 ,in ,three ,parts4 ,parts ,i4 and ,,ii41 containing ,three ,charts1 each #as4 #f;d4 ,part ,,iii41 containing #ad ,charts1 #gs4 ,part ,,iii4 also kept in ,sections1 #a1 #b1 and #e1 #as4 #f;d4 each2 #c and #d together1 #cs4 asterism ,the ,charts sold separately4 ,,morley 7,,john7-- ,,critical ,,miscellanies4 ,second ,series4 ,france in the ,eighteenth ,century--,robespierre--,turgot--,death of ,mr4 ,mill--,mr4 ,mill on ,religion--,on ,popular ,culture--,macaulay4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #ads4 ,,critical ,,miscellanies4 ,first ,series4 ,demy #hvo1 #ads4 ,,rousseau4 #b vols4 #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #fs4 ,,voltaire4 ,cheap ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,,struggle ,,for ,,national ,,education4 ,third ,edition4 #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 ,,on ,,compromise4 ,new ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,morris 7,m4 ,o',,connor7-- ,,hibernica ,,venatica4 ,large crown #hvo4 ,in ,october4 ,,triviata2 or1 ,cross ,road ,chronicles of ,passages in ,irish ,hunting ,history during the season of #ahge-gf4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,large crown #hvo1 #afs4 ,,newton 7,e4 ,,tulley1 ,f4,g4,s47--,assistant-,naturalist ,h4,m4 ,geological ,survey-- ,,the ,,typical ,,parts ,,in ,,the ,,skeletons ,,of ,a ,,cat1 ,,duck1 ,,and ,,codfish1 being a ,catalogue with ,comparative ,descriptions arranged in a ,tabular ,form4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 ,,oliver 7,,professor71 ,f4,r4,s41 c4-- ,,illustrations ,,of ,,the ,,principal ,,natural ,,orders ,,of ,,the ,,vegetable ,,kingdom1 ,,prepared ,,for ,,the ,,science ,,and ,,art ,,department1 ,,south ,,kensington4 ,oblong #hvo1 with #aji ,plates4 ,price1 plain1 #afs42 coloured1 ,l#a #fs4 ,,parr 7,,harriett7--,author of ,essays in the ,silver ,age1 c4-- ,,de ,,guerin 7,,maurice ,,and ,,eugenie74 ,a ,monograph4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,pim 7,b47 and ,,seeman 7,b47-- ,,dottings ,,on ,,the ,,roadside ,,in ,,panama1 ,,nicaragua1 ,,and ,,mosquito4 ,with ,plates and ,maps4 #hvo1 cloth1 #ahs4 ,,pollen 7,j4 ,h47-- ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern ,,furniture ,,and ,,woodwork ,,in ,,the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum4 ,with an ,introduction1 and ,illustrated with numerous ,coloured ,photographs and ,woodcuts4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #as4 ,,puckett 7,r4 ,,campbell7--,head-,master of the ,bath ,school of ,art-- ,,sciography2 or1 ,radial ,projection of ,shadows4 ,new ,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,ranken 7,w4 ,h4 ,l47-- ,,the ,,dominion ,,of ,,australia4 ,an ,account of its ,foundations4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #abs4 ,,redgrave 7,,richard7-- ,,manual ,,and ,,catechism ,,on ,,colour4 #bdmo1 cloth1 #i;d4 ,,redgrave 7,,samuel7-- ,a ,,descriptive ,,catalogue ,,of ,,the ,,historical ,,collection ,,of ,,water-,,colour ,,paintings ,,in ,,the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum4 ,with an ,introductory ,notice by ,,samuel ,,redgrave4 ,with numerous ,chromo-lithographs and other ,illustrations4 ,published for the ,science and ,art ,department of the ,committee of ,council on ,education4 ,royal #hvo1 ,l#a #as4 ,,ridge 7,,dr4 ,,benjamin7-- ,,ourselves1 ,,our ,,food1 ,,and ,,our ,,physic4 ,twelfth ,edition4 ,fcap #hvo1 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,robinson 7,c4 ,e47-- ,,the ,,cruise ,,of ,,the ,,widgeon3 #gjj ,miles in a ,ten-,ton ,yawl1 from ,swanage to ,hamburg1 through the ,dutch ,canals and the ,zuyder ,zee1 ,german ,ocean1 and the ,river ,elbe4 ,with #d ,illustrations1 drawn on ,wood1 by the ,author4 ,second ,edition4 ,large crown #hvo1 #is4 ,,robinson 7,j4 ,c47-- ,,italian ,,sculpture ,,of ,,the ,,middle ,,ages ,,and ,,period ,,of ,,the ,,revival ,,of ,,art4 ,a descriptive ,catalogue of that ,section of the ,south ,kensington ,museum comprising an ,account of the ,acquisitions from the ,gigli and ,campana ,collections4 ,with #bj ,engravings4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,robson 7,,george7-- ,,elementary ,,building ,,construction4 ,illustrated by a ,design for an ,entrance1 ,lodge1 and ,gate4 #ae ,plates4 ,oblong folio1 sewed1 #hs4 ,,robson 7,,rev4 ,j4 ,h41 ,m4,a41 ,,ll4,m47--late ,foundation ,scholar of ,downing ,college1 ,cambridge-- ,,an ,,elementary ,,treatise ,,on ,,algebra4 ,post #hvo1 #fs4 ,,rock 7,,the ,,very ,,rev4 ,,canon1 ,d4,d47-- ,,on ,,textile ,,fabrics4 ,a ,descriptive and ,illustrated ,catalogue of the ,collection of ,church ,vestments1 ,dresses1 ,silk ,stuffs1 ,needlework1 and ,tapestries in the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #aas4 #f;d4 ,,salusbury 7,,philip ,h4 ,b47--,lieut4 #ast ,royal ,cheshire ,light ,infantry-- ,,two ,,months ,,with ,,tchernaieff ,,in ,,servia4 ,large crown #hvo1 #is4 ,,schmid 7,,herman7 and ,,stieler 7,,karl7-- ,,bavarian ,,highlands 7,,the7 ,,and ,,the ,,salzkammergut4 ,profusely illustrated by ,g4 ,,closs1 ,w4 ,,diez1 ,a4 ,,von ,,ramberg1 ,k4 ,,raup1 ,j4 ,g4 ,,steffan1 ,f4 ,,volty1 ,j4 ,,watter1 and others4 ,with an ,account of the ,habits and ,manners of the ,hunters1 ,poachers1 and ,peasantry of these ,districts4 ,super-royal #dto1 cloth1 ,l#a #es4 ,,scott 7,,sir ,,sibbald ,d47-- ,,to ,,jamaica ,,and ,,back4 ,with ,frontispiece4 ,crown #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,shirreff 7,,emily7-- ,a ,,sketch ,,of ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,friedrich ,f,r,oe,b,e,l1 together with a ,notice of ,,madame ,,von ,,marenholtz ,,bulow',s ,personal ,recollections of ,f4 ,f,r,oe,b,e,l4 ,crown #hvo1 sewn1 #as4 ,,shute 7,,anna ,,clara7-- ,,posthumous ,,poems4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #hs4 ,,skertchly 7,j4 ,a47-- ,,dahomey ,,as ,,it ,,is3 being a ,narrative of ,eight ,months' ,residence in that ,country1 with a ,full ,account of the ,notorious ,annual ,customs1 and the ,social and ,religious ,institutions of the ,ffons4 ,with ,illustrations4 #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,spalding 7,,captain7-- ,,khiva ,,and ,,turkestan1 translated from the ,russian1 with ,map1 ,large crown #hvo1 #is4 ,,spicer 7,,henry7-- ,,acted ,,dramas4 ,crown #hvo1 #hs4 ,,st4 ,,clair 7,s4,g4,b41 ,captain late #bast ,fusiliers7 and ,,charles ,a4 ,,brophy-- ,,twelve ,,years' ,,residence ,,in ,,bulgaria4 ,revised ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 #is4 ,,story 7,w4 ,w47-- ,,roba ,,di ,,roma4 ,seventh ,edition1 with ,additions and ,portrait4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,proportions ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,frame1 ,,according ,,to ,a ,,new ,,canon4 ,with ,plates4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 #ajs4 ,,castle ,,st4 ,,angelo4 ,uniform with ,roba di ,roma4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,large crown #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,streeter 7,e4 ,w47-- ,,precious ,,stones ,,and ,,gems4 ,an exhaustive and practical ,work for the ,merchant1 ,connoisseur1 or the ,private ,buyer4 ,treats upon all descriptions of ,precious ,stones1 giving their ,history1 ,habitat1 ,value1 and ,uses for ,ornament1 together with much ,information regarding their ,matrices or ,rough ,state4 ,with ,coloured ,illustrations1 ,photographs1 c4 ,demy #hvo1 #ahs4 ,,gold2 ,,or1 ,,legal ,,regulations ,,for ,,this ,,metal ,,in ,,different ,,countries ,,of ,,the ,,world4 ,in the ,press4 ,,topinard 7,,dr4 ,,paul7-- ,,anthropology4 ,with a ,preface by ,professor ,,paul ,broca1 ,secretary of the ,societe d',anthropologie4 ,with numerous ,illustrations ,forming a new volume of ,the ,library of ,contemporary ,science4 ,in ,november4 ,,trollope 7,,anthony7-- ,,the ,,prime ,,minister4 #d vols4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#b4 #bs4 ,,australia ,,and ,,new ,,zealand4 ,a ,cheap ,edition in ,four ,parts1 with the ,maps1 ,small #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 each4 ,,new ,,zealand4 ,,victoria ,,and ,,tasmania4 ,,new ,,south ,,wales ,,and ,,queensland4 ,,south ,,australia ,,and ,,western ,,australia4 ,,hunting ,,sketches4 ,cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,travelling ,,sketches4 ,cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,clergymen ,,of ,,the ,,church ,,of ,,england1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,belton ,,estate4 #es4 ,,the ,,way ,,we ,,live ,,now4 ,with #dj ,illustrations vols4 ,demy #hvo1 ,l#a #as4 7,for ,cheap ,editions of other ,works1 see page #be47 ,,trollope 7,t4 ,a47-- ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,papal ,,conclaves4 ,demy #hvo1 #afs4 ,,twining 7,t47-- ,,science ,,made ,,easy4 ,by the ,author of ,technical ,training4 ,being a ,progressive ,course of ,elementary ,lectures for delivery by amateurs1 for use in schools1 and for home study4 ,to be completed in ,six ,parts1 at #as4 each4 ,the first ,four ,parts are now ready4 ,special ,sets of ,apparatus and ,diagrams4 ,explanatory ,prospectuses supplied post free4 ,,von ,,gunther 7,,la ,,comtesse7-- ,,tales ,,and ,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,tyrol4 ,collected and ,arranged4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,wahl 7,o4 ,h47-- ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,the ,,czar4 ,demy #hvo1 #afs4 ,,westwood 7,j4 ,o471 ,m4,a41 ,f4,l4,s41 c4 c4-- ,a ,,descriptive ,,and ,,illustrated ,,catalogue ,,of ,,the ,,fictile ,,ivories ,,in ,,the ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum4 ,with an ,account of the ,continental ,collections of ,classical and ,mediaeval ,ivories4 ,royal #hvo1 half-morocco1 ,l#a #ds4 ,,wheeler 7,g4 ,p47-- ,,visit ,,of ,,the ,,prince ,,of ,,wales4 ,a ,chronicle of ,h4,r4,h4's ,journeyings in ,india1 ,ceylon1 ,spain1 and ,portugal4 ,large crown #hvo1 #abs4 ,,white 7,,walter7-- ,,holidays ,,in ,,tyrol3 ,kufstein1 ,klobenstein1 and ,paneveggio4 ,large crown #hvo1 #ads4 ,,eastern ,,england4 ,from the ,thames to the ,humber4 #b vols4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #ahs4 ,,month ,,in ,,yorkshire4 ,fourth ,edition4 ,with a ,map4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #ds4 ,,londoner',s ,,walk ,,to ,,the ,,land',s ,,end1 ,,and ,a ,,trip ,,to ,,the ,,scilly ,,isles4 ,with #d ,maps4 ,second ,edition4 ,post #hvo1 #ds4 ,,wornum 7,r4 ,n47-- ,,holbein 7,,hans7--,,life4 ,with ,portrait and ,illustrations4 ,imperial #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a #aas4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,epochs ,,of ,,painting4 ,a ,biographical and ,critical ,essay on ,painting and ,painters of all ,times and many ,places4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#a4 ,,analysis ,,of ,,ornament3 ,,the ,,characteristics ,,of ,,styles4 ,an ,introduction to the ,study of the ,history of ,ornamental ,art4 ,with many ,illustrations4 ,sixth ,edition4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 #hs4 ,,wynter 7,,dr47-- ,,fruit ,,between ,,the ,,leaves4 ,by the ,author of ,curiosities of ,civilisation1 ,our ,social ,bees1 ,peeps into the ,human ,hive1 c4 c4 #b vols4 ,crown #hvo1 #ahs4 ,,wyon 7,f4 ,w47-- ,,history ,,of ,,great ,,britain ,,during ,,the ,,reign ,,of ,,queen ,,anne4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 ,l#a #abs4 ,,younge 7,c4 ,d47-- ,,parallel ,,lives ,,of ,,ancient ,,and ,,modern ,,heroes4 ,new ,edition1 #abmo1 cloth1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,,australian ,,meat3 ,,recipes ,,for ,,cooking ,,australian ,,meat1 with ,directions for ,preparing ,sauces suitable for the same4 ,by a ,cook1 #abmo1 sewed1 #i;d4 ,,ceylon3 being a ,general ,description of the ,island1 ,historical1 ,physical1 ,statistical4 ,containing the most ,recent ,information4 ,with ,map4 ,by an ,officer1 late of the ,ceylon ,rifles4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 ,l#a #hs4 ,,colonial ,,experiences2 or1 ,incidents and ,reminiscences of ,thirty-four ,years in ,new ,zealand4 ,by an ,old ,colonist4 ,with a ,map4 ,crown #hvo4 in ,october4 ,,elementary ,,drawing-,,book4 ,directions for ,introducing the ,first ,steps of ,elementary ,drawing in ,schools and among ,workmen4 ,small #dto1 cloth1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,,fortnightly ,,review4--,first ,series1 ,may1 #ahfe1 to ,dec4 #ahff4 #f vols4 ,cloth1 #acs4 each4 ,new ,series1 #ahfg to #ahgb4 ,in ,half-yearly ,volumes4 ,cloth1 #acs4 each4 ,from ,january1 #ahgc1 to ,december1 #ahgf1 in ,half-yearly ,volumes4 ,cloth1 #afs4 each4 ,,german ,,national ,,cookery ,,for ,,english ,,kitchens4 ,with ,practical ,descriptions of the ,art of ,cookery as performed in ,germany1 including small ,pastry and ,confectionery1 ,preserving1 ,pickling1 and making of ,vinegars1 ,liqueurs1 and ,beverages1 warm and cold1 also the ,manufacture of the various ,german ,sausages4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 ,,our ,,creed3 ,being an ,appeal to the ,church of ,england regarding some ,doubts about the ,truth of ,ecclesiastical ,christianity4 ,by a ,,barrister4 ,demy #hvo1 #fs4 ,,our ,,own ,,misanthrope4 ,reprinted from ,vanity ,fair4 ,by ,,ishmael4 ,crown #hvo1 #gs4 ,,past ,,days ,,in ,,india2 or1 ,sporting ,reminiscences of the ,valley of the ,saone and the ,basin of ,singrowlee4 ,by a late ,,customs ,,officer1 ,n4 ,w4 ,provinces1 ,india4 ,post #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,pro ,,nihilo3 ,,the ,,prelude ,,to ,,the ,,arnim ,,trial4 ,an ,english ,edition4 ,demy #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,shooting1 ,,yachting1 ,,and ,,sea-,,fishing ,,trips1 at ,home and on the ,continent4 ,second ,series4 ,by ,,wildfowler1 ,,snapshot4 #b vols41 crown #hvo1 ,l#a #as4 ,,shooting ,,and ,,fishing ,,trips ,,in ,,england1 ,,france1 ,,alsace1 ,,belgium1 ,,holland1 ,,and ,,bavaria4 ,by ,,wildfowler1 ,,snapshot4 #b vols4 ,large crown #hvo1 ,l#a #as4 ,,sport ,,in ,,many ,,lands4 ,by ,the ,old ,shekarry4 ,with #afd ,illustrations4 #b vols4 ,demy #hvo1 ,l#a #ajs4 ,,universal ,,catalogue ,,of ,,books ,,on ,,art4 ,compiled for the use of the ,national ,art ,library1 and the ,schools of ,art in the ,united ,kingdom4 ,in #b vols4 ,crown #dto1 half-morocco1 ,l#b #bs4 ,,wolf ,,hunting ,,and ,,wild ,,sport ,,in ,,brittany4 ,by the ,author of ,dartmoor ,days1 c4 ,with ,illustrations by ,,colonel ,,crealocke1 ,c4 ,b4 ,large crown #hvo1 #abs4 ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum ,,science ,,and ,,art ,,handbooks4 ,published for the ,committee of ,council on ,education4 ,,bronzes4 ,by ,c4 ,,drury ,e4 ,,fortnum1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 ,forming a new volume of ,the ,south ,kensington ,museum ,art ,handbooks4 ,in ,october4 ,,plain ,,words ,,about ,,water4 ,by ,a4 ,h4 ,,church1 ,m4,a41 ,oxon41 ,professor of ,chemistry in the ,agricultural ,college1 ,cirencester4 ,published for the ,committee of ,council on ,education4 ,in the ,press4 ,,animal ,,products3 their ,preparation1 ,commercial ,uses1 and ,value4 ,by ,t4 ,l4 ,,simmonds1 ,editor of the ,journal of ,applied ,science1 ,large crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,food3 ,a ,short ,account of the ,sources1 ,constituents1 and ,uses of ,food2 intended chiefly as a ,guide to the ,food ,collection in the ,bethnal ,green ,museum4 ,by ,a4 ,h4 ,,church1 ,m4,a41 ,oxon41 ,professor of ,chemistry in the ,agricultural ,college1 ,cirencester4 ,large crown #hvo1 #cs4 ,,science ,,conferences4 ,delivered at the ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,crown #hvo1 #fs4 ,,economic ,,entomology4 ,by ,,andrew ,,murray1 ,f4,l4,s41 ,,aptera4 ,with numerous ,illustrations4 ,large crown #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,handbook ,,to ,,the ,,special ,,loan ,,collection of ,scientific ,apparatus4 ,large crown #hvo1 #cs4 ,,the ,,industrial ,,arts3 ,historical ,sketches4 ,with #bdb ,illustrations4 ,demy #hvo1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,textile ,,fabrics4 ,by the ,very ,rev4 ,,daniel ,,rock1 ,d4,d4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,ivories3 ,,ancient ,,and ,,mediaeval4 ,by ,,william ,,maskell4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,ancient ,,modern ,,furniture ,,woodwork4 ,by ,,john ,,hungerford ,,pollen4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,maiolica4 ,by ,c4 ,,drury ,e4 ,,fortnum1 ,f4,s4,a4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,musical ,,instruments4 ,by ,,carl ,,engel4 ,with numerous ,woodcuts4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,manual ,,of ,,design1 compiled from the ,writings and ,addresses of ,,richard ,,redgrave1 ,r4,a41 ,surveyor of ,her ,majesty's ,pictures1 late ,inspector-,general for ,art1 ,science and ,art ,department4 ,by ,,gilbert ,r4 ,,redgrave4 ,with ,woodcuts4 ,large crown #hvo1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,persian ,,art4 ,by ,,major ,r4 ,,murdock ,,smith1 ,r4,e4 ,with ,additional ,illustrations4 ,in ,november4 ,,carlyle',s 7,,thomas7 ,,works4 ,,library ,,edition ,,complete4 ,handsomely printed in #cd vols4 ,demy #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#ae4 ,,sartor ,,resartus4 ,the ,life and ,opinions of ,herr ,teufelsdrockh4 ,with a ,portrait1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,the ,,french ,,revolution4 ,a ,history4 #c vols41 each #is4 ,,life ,,of ,,frederick ,,schiller ,,and ,,examination ,,of ,,his ,,works4 ,with ,supplement of #ahgb4 ,portrait and ,plates1 #is4 ,the ,supplement separately1 #bs4 ,,critical ,,and ,,miscellaneous ,,essays4 ,with ,portrait #f vols41 each #is4 ,,on ,,heroes1 ,,hero ,,worship1 ,,and ,,the ,,heroic ,,in ,,history4 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,past ,,and ,,present1 #is4 ,,oliver ,,cromwell',s ,,letters ,,and ,,speeches4 ,with ,portraits4 #e vols41 each #is4 ,,latter-,,day ,,pamphlets4 #is4 ,,life ,,of ,,john ,,sterling4 ,with ,portrait1 #is4 ,,history ,,of ,,frederick ,,the ,,second4 #aj vols41 each #is4 ,,translations ,,from ,,the ,,german4 #c vols41 each #is4 ,,general ,,index ,,to ,,the ,,library ,,edition4 #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,early ,,kings ,,of ,,norway3 also ,,an ,,essay ,,on ,,the ,,portraits ,,of ,,john ,,knox4 ,crown #hvo1 with ,portrait ,illustrations1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,cheap ,,and ,,uniform ,,edition4 ,in #bc vols41 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 ,l#g #es4 ,,the ,,french ,,revolution3 ,a ,history4 #b vols41 #abs4 ,,oliver ,,cromwell',s ,,letters ,,and ,,speeches1 with ,elucidations1 c4 #c vols41 #ahs4 ,,lives ,,of ,,schiller ,,and ,,john ,,sterling1 #a vol41 #fs4 ,,critical ,,and ,,miscellaneous ,,essays4 #d vols41 ,l#a #ds4 ,,sartor ,,resartus ,,and ,,lectures ,,on ,,heroes1 #a vol41 #fs4 ,,latter-,,day ,,pamphlets4 #a vol41 #fs4 ,,chartism ,,and ,,past ,,and ,,present1 #a vol41 #fs4 ,,translations ,,from ,,the ,,german ,,of ,,musaeus1 ,,tieck1 ,,and ,,richter1 #a vol41 #fs4 ,,wilhelm ,,meister1 by ,goethe4 ,a ,translation4 #b vols41 #abs4 ,,history ,,of ,,friedrich ,,the ,,second1 called ,frederick the ,great4 ,vols4 ,i4 and ,,ii41 containing ,part ,i4--,friedrich till his ,accession4 #ads4 ,vols4 ,,iii4 and ,,iv41 containing ,part ,,ii4--,the ,first ,two ,silesian ,wars4 #ads1 ,vols4 ,v41 ,,vi41 ,,vii41 completing the ,work1 ,l#a #as4 ,,people',s ,,edition4 ,in #cg vols41 small ,crown #hvo4 ,price #bs4 each vol41 bound in cloth2 or in sets of #cg vols4 in #ah1 cloth gilt1 for ,l#c #ads4 ,,sartor ,,resartus4 ,,french ,,revolution4 #c vols4 ,,life ,,of ,,john ,,sterling4 ,,oliver ,,cromwell',s ,,letters ,,and ,,speeches4 #e vols4 ,,on ,,heroes ,,and ,,hero ,,worship4 ,,past ,,and ,,present4 ,,critical ,,and ,,miscellaneous ,,essays4 #g vols4 ,,latter-,,day ,,pamphlets4 ,,life ,,of ,,schiller4 ,,frederick ,,the ,,great4 #aj vols4 ,,wilhelm ,,meister4 #c vols4 ,,translations ,,from ,,musaeus1 ,,tieck1 ,,and ,,richter4 #b ,vols4 ,,general ,,index4 ,,dickens',s 7,,charles7 ,,works4 ,,original ,,editions4 ,in ,demy #hvo4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,edwin ,,drood4 ,with ,illustrations by ,s4 ,l4 ,fildes1 and a ,portrait engraved by ,baker4 ,cloth1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,our ,,mutual ,,friend4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,marcus ,stone4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,the ,,pickwick ,,papers4 ,with ,forty-three ,illustrations by ,seymour and ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,nicholas ,,nickleby4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,sketches ,,by ,,boz4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,george ,cruikshank4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,martin ,,chuzzlewit4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,dombey ,,and ,,son4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,david ,,copperfield4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,bleak ,,house4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,little ,,dorrit4 ,with ,forty ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,the ,,old ,,curiosity ,,shop4 ,with ,seventy-five ,illustrations by ,george ,cattermole and ,h4 ,k4 ,browne4 ,a ,new ,edition4 ,uniform with the other volumes1 ,l#a #as4 ,,barnaby ,,rudge3 a ,tale of the ,riots of ',eighty4 ,with ,seventy-eight ,illustrations by ,g4 ,cattermole and ,h4 ,k4 ,browne4 ,uniform with the other volumes1 ,l#a #as4 ,,christmas ,,books3 ,containing--,the ,christmas ,carol2 ,the ,cricket on the ,hearth2 ,the ,chimes2 ,the ,battle of ,life2 ,the ,haunted ,house4 ,with all the original ,illustrations4 ,cloth1 #abs4 ,,oliver ,,twist and ,,tale ,,of ,,two ,,cities4 ,in one volume4 ,cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,oliver ,,twist4 ,separately4 ,with ,twenty-four ,illustrations by ,george ,cruikshank4 ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,two ,,cities4 ,separately4 ,with ,sixteen ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,cloth1 #is4 asterism ,the remainder of ,dickens's ,works were not originally printed in ,demy #hvo4 ,,library ,,edition4 ,in ,post #hvo4 ,with the ,original ,illustrations1 #cj vols41 cloth1 ,l#ab4 s4d4 ,,pickwick ,,papers #dc ,illustrns41 #b vols4 #af #j ,,nicholas ,,nickleby #ci #b vols4 #af #j ,,martin ,,chuzzlewit #dj #b vols4 #af #j ,,old ,,curiosity ,,shop and ,,reprinted ,,pieces #cf #b vols4 #af #j ,,barnaby ,,rudge and ,,hard ,,times #cf #b vols4 #af #j ,,bleak ,,house #dj #b vols4 #af #j ,,little ,,dorrit #dj #b vols4 #af #j ,,dombey ,,and ,,son #ch #b vols4 #af #j ,,david ,,copperfield #ch #b vols4 #af #j ,,our ,,mutual ,,friend #dj #b vols4 #af #j ,,sketches ,,by ,,boz #ci #a vol4 #h #j ,,oliver ,,twist #bd #a vol4 #h #j ,,christmas ,,books #ag #a vol4 #h #j ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,two ,,cities #af #a vol4 #h #j ,,great ,,expectations #h #a vol4 #h #j ,,pictures ,,from ,,italy and ,,american ,,notes #h #a vol4 #h #j ,,uncommercial ,,traveller #h #a vol4 #h #j ,,child',s ,,history ,,of ,,england #h #a vol4 #h #j ,,edwin ,,drood and ,,miscellanies #ab #a vol4 #h #j ,,christmas ,,stories from ,household ,words1 c4 #af #a vol4 #h #j ,,the ,,charles ,,dickens ,,edition4 ,in ,crown #hvo4 ,in #ba vols41 cloth1 with ,illustrations1 ,l#c #is4 #f;d4 ,,pickwick ,,papers #h ,illustrations #c #f ,,martin ,,chuzzlewit #h #c #f ,,dombey ,,and ,,son #h #c #f ,,nicholas ,,nickleby #h #c #f ,,david ,,copperfield #h #c #f ,,bleak ,,house #h #c #f ,,little ,,dorrit #h #c #f ,,our ,,mutual ,,friend #h #c #f ,,barnaby ,,rudge #h #c #f ,,old ,,curiosity ,,shop #h #c #f ,a ,,child',s ,,history ,,of ,,england #d #c #f ,,edwin ,,drood and ,,other ,,stories #h #c #f ,,christmas ,,stories1 from ,household ,words #h #c #j ,,tale ,,of ,,two ,,cities #h #c #j ,,sketches ,,by ,,boz #h #c #j ,,american ,,notes and ,,reprinted ,,pieces #h #c #j ,,christmas ,,books #h #c #j ,,oliver ,,twist #h #c #j ,,great ,,expectations #h #c #j ,,hard ,,times and ,,pictures ,,from ,,italy #h #c #j ,,uncommercial ,,traveller #d #c #j ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,charles ,,dickens4 ,uniform with this ,edition1 with ,numerous ,illustrations4 #b vols4 #cs4 #f;d4 each4 ,,the ,,illustrated ,,library ,,edition4 ,complete in #cj ,volumes4 ,demy #hvo1 #ajs4 each2 or set1 ,l#ae4 ,this ,edition is printed on a finer paper and in a larger type than has been employed in any previous edition4 ,the type has been cast especially for it1 and the page is of a size to admit of the introduction of all the original illustrations4 ,no such attractive issue has been made of the writings of ,mr4 ,dickens1 which1 various as have been the forms of publication adapted to the demands of an ever widely-increasing popularity1 have never yet been worthily presented in a really handsome library form4 ,the collection comprises all the minor writings it was ,mr4 ,dickens's wish to preserve4 ,,sketches ,,by ,,boz4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,george ,cruikshank4 ,,pickwick ,,papers4 #b vols4 ,with #db ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,oliver ,,twist4 ,with #bd ,illustrations by ,cruikshank4 ,,nicholas ,,nickleby4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,old ,,curiosity ,,shop and ,,reprinted ,,pieces4 #b vols4 ,with ,illustrations by ,cattermole1 c4 ,,barnaby ,,rudge and ,,hard ,,times4 #b vols4 ,with ,illustrations by ,cattermole1 c4 ,,martin ,,chuzzlewit4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,american ,,notes and ,,pictures ,,from ,,italy1 #a vol4 ,with #h ,illustrations4 ,,dombey ,,and ,,son4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,david ,,copperfield4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,bleak ,,house4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,little ,,dorrit4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,two ,,cities4 ,with #af ,illustrations by ,phiz4 ,,the ,,uncommercial ,,traveller4 ,with #h ,illustrations by ,marcus ,stone4 ,,great ,,expectations4 ,with #h ,illustrations by ,marcus ,stone4 ,,our ,,mutual ,,friend4 #b vols4 ,with #dj ,illustrations by ,marcus ,stone4 ,,christmas ,,books4 ,with #ag ,illustrations by ,sir ,edwin ,landseer1 ,r4,a41 ,maclise1 ,r4,a41 c4 c4 ,,history ,,of ,,england4 ,with #h ,illustrations by ,marcus ,stone4 ,,christmas ,,stories4 7,from ,household ,words and ,all the ,year ,round47 ,with #ad ,illustrations4 ,,edwin ,,drood ,,and ,,other ,,stories4 ,with #ab ,illustrations by ,s4 ,l4 ,fildes4 ,,household ,,edition4 ,in ,crown #dto vols4 ,now ,publishing in ,weekly ,penny ,numbers and ,sixpenny ,monthly ,parts4 ,each ,penny ,number will contain ,two ,illustrations4 #ae ,volumes completed4 ,,oliver ,,twist1 with #bh ,illustrations1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 paper1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,martin ,,chuzzlewit1 with #ei ,illustrations1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,david ,,copperfield1 with #fj ,illustrations and a ,portrait1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,bleak ,,house1 with #fa ,illustrations1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,little ,,dorrit1 with #eh ,illustrations1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,pickwick ,,papers1 with #ef ,illustrations1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,barnaby ,,rudge1 with #df ,illustrations1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,two ,,cities1 with #be ,illustrations1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 paper1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,our ,,mutual ,,friend1 with #eh ,illustrations1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,nicholas ,,nickleby1 with #ei ,illustrations by ,f4 ,barnard1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,great ,,expectations1 with #bf ,illustrations by ,f4 ,a4 ,frazer1 cloth1 #as4 #f;d42 paper1 #as4 #i;d4 ,,old ,,curiosity ,,shop1 with #ci ,illustrations by ,charles ,green1 cloth1 #ds42 paper1 #cs4 ,,sketches ,,by ,,boz1 with #cf ,illustrations by ,f4 ,barnard1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 paper1 #as4 #i;d4 ,,hard ,,times1 with #bj ,illustrations by ,h4 ,french1 cloth1 #bs42 paper1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,dombey ,,and ,,son1 with #fa ,illustrations by ,f4 ,barnard1 cloth1 #dc42 paper1 #cs4 ,,uncommercial ,,traveller1 with #bf ,illustrations by ,e4 ,g4 ,dalziel1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d42 paper1 #as4 #i;d4 ,messrs4 ,,chapman ,,hall trust that by this ,edition they will be enabled to place the works of the most popular ,british ,author of the present day in the hands of all ,english readers4 ,the next ,volume will be ,,christmas ,,books4 ,,people',s ,,edition4 ,,pickwick ,,papers4 ,in ,boards4 ,illustrated4 #bs4 ,,sketches ,,by ,,boz4 ,in ,boards4 ,illustrated4 #bs4 ,,oliver ,,twist4 ,in ,boards4 ,illustrated4 #bs4 ,,nicholas ,,nickleby4 ,in ,boards4 ,illustrated4 #bs4 ,,mr4 ,,dickens',s ,,readings4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 sewed4 ,,christmas ,,carol ,,in ,,prose1 #as4 ,,cricket ,,on ,,the ,,hearth1 #as4 ,,chimes3 ,a ,,goblin ,,story1 #as4 ,,story ,,of ,,little ,,dombey4 #as4 ,,poor ,,traveller1 ,,boots ,,at ,,the ,,holly-,,tree ,,inn1 and ,,mrs4 ,,gamp1 #as4 ,a ,,christmas ,,carol1 with the ,original ,coloured ,plates2 being a reprint of the ,original ,edition4 ,small #hvo1 red cloth1 gilt edges1 #es4 ,,the ,,library ,,of ,,contemporary ,,science4 ,some degree of truth has been admitted in the charge not unfrequently brought against the ,english1 that they are assiduous rather than solid readers4 ,they give themselves too much to the lighter forms of literature4 ,technical ,science is almost exclusively restricted to its professed votaries1 and1 but for some of the ,quarterlies and ,monthlies1 very little solid matter would come within the reach of the general public4 ,but the circulation enjoyed by many of these very periodicals1 and the increase of the scientific journals1 may be taken for sufficient proof that a taste for more serious subjects of study is now growing4 ,indeed there is good reason to believe that if strictly scientific subjects are not more universally cultivated1 it is mainly because they are not rendered more accessible to the people4 ,such themes are treated either too elaborately1 or in too forbidding a style1 or else brought out in too costly a form to be easily available to all classes4 ,with the view of remedying this manifold and increasing inconvenience1 we are glad to be able to take advantage of a comprehensive project recently set on foot in ,france1 emphatically the land of ,popular ,science4 ,the well-known publishers ,,mm4 ,reinwald and ,co41 have made satisfactory arrangements with some of the leading savants of that country to supply an exhaustive series of works on each and all of the sciences of the day1 treated in a style at once lucid1 popular1 and strictly methodic4 ,the names of ,,mm4 ,p4 ,broca1 ,secretary of the ,societe d',anthropologie2 ,ch4 ,martins1 ,montpellier ,university2 ,c4 ,vogt1 ,university of ,geneva2 ,g4 de ,mortillet1 ,museum of ,saint ,germain2 ,a4 ,guillemin1 author of ,ciel and ,phenomenes de la ,physique2 ,a4 ,hovelacque1 editor of the ,revue de ,linguistique2 ,dr4 ,dally1 ,dr4 ,letourneau1 and many others1 whose cooperation has already been secured1 are a guarantee that their respective subjects will receive thorough treatment1 and will in all cases be written up to the very latest discoveries1 and kept in every respect fully abreast of the times4 ,we have1 on our part1 been fortunate in making such further arrangements with some of the best writers and recognised authorities here1 as will enable us to present the series in a thoroughly ,english dress to the reading public of this country4 ,in so doing we feel convinced that we are taking the best means of supplying a want that has long been deeply felt4 ,the volumes in actual course of execution1 or contemplated1 will embrace such subjects as3 ,,science ,,of ,,language4 ,ready4 ,,biology4 ,in ,november4 ,,anthropology4 ,in ,december4 ,,comparative ,,mythology4 ,,astronomy4 ,,prehistoric ,,archaeology4 ,,ethnography4 ,,geology4 ,,hygiene4 ,,political ,,economy4 ,,physical ,,and ,,commercial ,,geography4 ,,philosophy4 ,,architecture4 ,,chemistry4 ,,education4 ,,general ,,anatomy4 ,,zoology4 ,,botany4 ,,meteorology4 ,,history4 ,,finance4 ,,mechanics4 ,,statistics1 c4 c4 ,all the volumes1 while complete and so far independent in themselves1 will be of uniform appearance1 slightly varying1 according to the nature of the subject1 in bulk and in price4 ,when finished they will form a ,complete ,collection of ,standard ,works of ,reference on all the physical and mental sciences1 thus fully justifying the general title chosen for the series--,,library ,,of ,,contemporary ,,science4 ,this is a translation of the first work of a new ,french series of ,popular ,scientific ,works4 ,the high character of the series1 and also its bias1 may be inferred from the names of some of its writers1 e4g4 ,p4 ,broca1 ,ch4 ,martins1 ,c4 ,vogt1 c4 ,the ,english publishers announce that the present volume will be followed immediately by others on ,anthropology and ,biology4 ,if they are like their precursor1 they will be clear and well written1 somewhat polemical1 and nobly contemptuous of opponents4444 ,the translator has done his work throughout with care and success4--,athenaeum1 ,sept4 #bb1 #ahgg4 ,,lever',s 7,,charles7 ,,works4 ,,the ,,original ,,edition with ,,the ,,illustrations4 ,in #ag vols4 ,demy #hvo4 ,cloth1 #fs4 each4 ,,cheap ,,edition4 ,fancy boards1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,charles ,o',,malley4 ,,tom ,,burke4 ,,the ,,knight ,,of ,,gwynne4 ,,martins ,,of ,,cromartin4 ,,the ,,daltons4 ,,roland ,,cashel4 ,,davenport ,,dunn4 ,,dodd ,,family4 ,,sir ,,brooke ,,fosbrooke4 ,,bramleighs ,,of ,,bishop',s ,,folly4 ,,lord ,,kilgobbin4 ,fancy boards1 #bs4 ,,the ,o',,donoghue4 ,,fortunes ,,of ,,glencore4 ,,harry ,,lorrequer4 ,,one ,,of ,,them4 ,a ,,day',s ,,ride4 ,,jack ,,hinton4 ,,barrington4 ,,tony ,,butler4 ,,maurice ,,tiernay4 ,,luttrell ,,of ,,arran4 ,,rent ,,in ,,the ,,cloud and ,,st ,,patrick',s ,,eve4 ,,con ,,cregan4 ,,arthur ,o',,leary4 ,,that ,,boy ,,of ,,norcott',s4 ,,cornelius ,o',,dowd4 ,,sir ,,jasper ,,carew4 ,also in sets1 #bg vols4 ,cloth1 for ,l#d #ds4 ,,trollope',s 7,,anthony7 ,,works4 ,,cheap ,,edition4 ,boards1 #bs4 #f;d41 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,phineas ,,finn4 ,,orley ,,farm4 ,,can ,,you ,,forgive ,,her8 ,,phineas ,,redux4 ,,he ,,knew ,,he ,,was ,,right4 ,,ralph ,,the ,,heir4 ,,the ,,bertrams4 ,,eustace ,,diamonds4 ,,vicar ,,of ,,bullhampton4 ,boards1 #bs41 cloth1 #cs4 ,,kellys ,,and ,o',,kellys4 ,mc,d,e,r,m,o,t ,,of ,,ballycloran4 ,,castle ,,richmond4 ,,belton ,,estate4 ,,miss ,,mackensie4 ,,lady ,,anna4 ,,rachel ,,ray4 ,,tales ,,of ,,all ,,countries4 ,,mary ,,gresley4 ,,lotta ,,schmidt4 ,,la ,,vendee4 ,,doctor ,,thorne4 ,,whyte-,,melville',s ,,works4 ,,cheap ,,edition4 ,crown #hvo1 fancy boards1 #bs4 each1 or #bs4 #f;d4 in cloth4 ,,uncle ,,john4 ,a ,novel4 ,,the ,,white ,,rose4 ,,cerise4 ,a ,tale of the ,last ,century4 ,,brookes ,,of ,,bridlemere4 ,,bones ,,and ,i2 or1 ,the ,skeleton at ,home4 ,m41 ,,or ,n4 ,similia ,similibus ,curantur4 ,,contraband2 or1 ,a ,losing ,hazard4 ,,market ,,harborough2 or1 ,how ,mr4 ,sawyer went to the ,shires4 ,,sarchedon4 ,a ,legend of the ,great ,queen4 ,,songs ,,and ,,verses4 ,,satanella4 ,a ,story of ,punchestown4 ,,the ,,true ,,cross4 ,a ,legend of the ,church4 ,,katerfelto4 ,a ,story of ,exmoor4 ,,sister ,,louise2 or1 ,a ,story of a ,woman's ,repentance4 ,,chapman ,,hall',s ,list of ,books1 ,drawing ,examples1 ,diagrams1 ,models1 ,instruments1 c4 ,,including ,,those ,,issued ,,under ,,the ,,authority ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,and ,,art ,,department1 ,,south ,,kensington1 ,,for ,,the ,,use ,,of ,,schools ,,and ,,art ,,and ,,science ,,classes4 ,,bartley 7,g4 ,c4 ,t47-- ,,catalogue ,,of ,,modern ,,works ,,on ,,science ,,and ,,technology4 ,post #hvo1 sewed1 #as4 ,,benson 7,w47-- ,,principles ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,colour4 ,small #dto1 cloth1 #aes4 ,,manual ,,of ,,the ,,science ,,of ,,colour4 ,coloured ,frontispiece and ,illustrations4 #abmo1 cloth1 #bs4 #f;d4 ,,bradley 7,,thomas7--of the ,royal ,military ,academy1 ,woolwich-- ,,elements ,,of ,,geometrical ,,drawing4 ,in ,two ,parts1 with #fj ,plates4 ,oblong-folio1 half-bound1 each part #afs4 ,selections 7from the above7 of #bj ,plates1 for the use of the ,royal ,military ,academy1 ,woolwich4 ,oblong-folio1 half-bound1 #afs4 ,,burchett-- ,,linear ,,perspective4 ,with ,illustrations4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #gs4 ,,practical ,,geometry4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,definitions ,,of ,,geometry4 ,third ,edition4 #bdmo1 sewed1 #e;d4 ,,cubley 7,w4 ,h47-- ,a ,,system ,,of ,,elementary ,,drawing4 ,with ,illustrations and ,examples4 ,imperial #dto1 sewed1 #hs4 ,,davison 7,,ellis ,a47-- ,,drawing ,,for ,,elementary ,,schools4 ,post #hvo1 cloth1 #cs4 ,,model ,,drawing4 #abmo1 cloth1 #cs4 ,,the ,,amateur ,,house ,,carpenter3 ,a ,guide in ,building1 ,making1 and ,repairing4 ,with numerous ,illustrations1 drawn on ,wood by the ,author4 ,demy #hvo1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,delamotte 7,p4 ,h47-- ,,progressive ,,drawing-,,book ,,for ,,beginners4 #abmo1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,dicksee 7,j4 ,r47-- ,,school ,,perspective4 #hvo1 cloth1 #es4 ,,dyce-- ,,drawing-,,book ,,of ,,the ,,government ,,school ,,of ,,design3 ,,elementary ,,outlines ,,of ,,ornament4 #ej ,plates4 ,small folio1 sewed1 #es42 mounted1 #ahs4 ,,introduction ,,to ,,ditto4 ,fcap4 #hvo1 #f;d4 ,,foster 7,,vere7-- ,,drawing-,,books3 7a7 ,forty ,numbers1 at #a;d4 each4 7b7 ,fifty-two ,numbers1 at #c;d4 each4 ,the set b includes the subjects in a4 ,,henslow 7,,professor7-- ,,illustrations ,,to ,,be ,,employed ,,in ,,the ,,practical ,,lessons ,,on ,,botany4 ,prepared for ,south ,kensington ,museum4 ,post #hvo1 sewed1 #f;d4 ,,hulme 7,f4 ,e47-- ,,sixty ,,outline ,,examples ,,of ,,freehand ,,ornament4 ,royal #hvo1 mounted1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,jewitt-- ,,handbook ,,of ,,practical ,,perspective4 #ahmo1 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,kennedy 7,,john7-- ,,first ,,grade ,,practical ,,geometry4 #abmo1 #f;d4 ,,freehand ,,drawing-,,book4 #afmo1 cloth1 #as4 #f;d4 ,,lindley 7,,john7-- ,,symmetry ,,of ,,vegetation3 ,principles to be observed in the delineation of ,plants4 #abmo1 sewed1 #as4 ,,marshall-- ,,human ,,body4 ,text and ,plates reduced from the large ,diagrams4 #b vols41 cloth1 ,l#a #as4 ,,newton 7,e4 ,,tulley1 ,f4,g4,s47-- ,,the ,,typical ,,parts ,,in ,,the ,,skeletons ,,of ,a ,,cat1 ,,duck1 ,,and ,,codfish1 being a ,catalogue with ,comparative ,descriptions arranged in a ,tabular ,form4 ,demy #hvo1 #cs4 ,,oliver 7,,professor7-- ,,illustrations ,,of ,,the ,,vegetable ,,kingdom4 #aji ,plates4 ,oblong #hvo1 cloth4 ,plain1 #afs42 coloured1 ,l#a #fs4 ,,puckett 7,r4 ,,campbell7-- ,,sciography1 ,,or ,,radial ,,projection ,,of ,,shadows4 ,crown #hvo1 cloth1 #fs4 ,,redgrave-- ,,manual ,,and ,,catechism ,,on ,,colour4 ,fifth ,edition4 #bdmo1 sewed1 #i;d4 ,,robson 7,,george7-- ,,elementary ,,building ,,construction4 ,oblong folio1 sewed1 #hs4 ,,wallis 7,,george7-- ,,drawing-,,book4 ,oblong1 sewed1 #cs4 #f;d42 mounted1 #hs4 ,,wornum 7,r4 ,n47-- ,,the ,,characteristics ,,of ,,styles3 ,an ,introduction to the ,study of the ,history of ,ornamental ,art4 ,royal #hvo1 cloth1 #hs4 ,,directions ,,for ,,introducing ,,elementary ,,drawing ,,in ,,schools ,,and ,,among ,,workmen4 ,published at the ,request of the ,society of ,arts4 ,small #dto1 cloth1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,,drawing ,,for ,,young ,,children4 ,containing #aej ,copies4 #afmo1 cloth1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,educational ,,division ,,of ,,south ,,kensington ,,museum3 ,,classified ,,catalogue ,,of4 ,ninth ,edition4 #hvo1 #gs4 ,,elementary ,,drawing ,,copy-,,books1 for the use of ,children from four years old and upwards1 in ,schools and ,families4 ,compiled by a ,student certificated by the ,science and ,art ,department as an ,art ,teacher4 ,seven ,books in #dto1 sewed3 ,book ,i4 ,letters1 #h;d4 ,,ii4 ,ditto1 #h;d4 ,,iii4 ,geometrical and ,ornamental ,forms1 #h;d4 ,,iv4 ,objects1 #h;d4 ,v4 ,leaves1 #h;d4 ,,vi4 ,birds1 ,animals1 c41 #h;d4 ,,vii4 ,leaves1 ,flowers1 and ,sprays1 #h;d4 asterism ,or in ,sets of ,seven ,books1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,,engineer ,,and ,,machinist ,,drawing-,,book1 #af ,parts1 #ga ,plates4 ,folio1 ,l#a #abs2 mounted1 ,l#c #ds4 ,,examination ,,papers ,,for ,,science ,,schools ,,and ,,classes4 ,published ,annually1 #f;d4 7,postage1 #b;d47 ,,principles ,,of ,,decorative ,,art4 ,folio1 sewed1 #as4 ,,science ,,directory4 #abmo1 sewed1 #bs4 7,postage1 #c;d47 ,,art ,,directory1 #abmo1 sewed1 #h;d4 7,postage1 #c;d47 ,,copies ,,for ,,outline ,,drawing3 ,,letters ,a4 ,o4 ,s41 ,three ,sheets1 mounted1 #cs4 ,,de ,,la ,,rue',s ,,outlines ,,of ,,animals1 #as4 ,,dyce',s ,,elementary ,,outlines ,,of ,,ornament1 #ej ,selected ,plates1 mounted back and front1 #ahs42 unmounted1 sewed1 #es4 ,,weitbricht',s ,,outlines ,,of ,,ornament1 reproduced by ,herman1 #ab ,plates1 mounted back and front1 #hs4 #f;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 ,,morghen',s ,,outlines ,,of ,,the ,,human ,,figure reproduced by ,herman1 #bj ,plates1 mounted back and front1 #aes42 unmounted1 #cs4 #d;d4 ,,one ,,set ,,of ,,four ,,plates1 ,outlines of ,tarsia1 from ,gruner1 mounted1 #cs4 #f;d4 unmounted1 #g;d4 ,,albertolli',s ,,foliage1 one set of ,four ,plates1 mounted1 #cs4 #f;d42 unmounted1 #e;d4 ,,outline ,,of ,,trajan ,,frieze1 mounted1 #as4 ,,wallis' ,,drawing-,,book1 mounted1 #hs42 unmounted1 #cs4 #f;d4 ,,outline ,,drawings ,,of ,,flowers1 ,eight ,sheets1 mounted1 #cs4 #f;d42 unmounted1 #h;d4 ,,hulme1 ,f4 ,e41 ,sixty ,examples of ,freehand ,ornament1 mounted1 #ajs4 #f;d4 ,,copies ,,for ,,shaded ,,drawing3 ,,course ,,of ,,design4 ,by ,,ch4 ,,bargue 7,french71 #bj ,selected ,sheets1 #aa at #bs41 and #i at #cs4 each4 ,l#b #is4 ,,renaissance ,,rosette1 unmounted1 #c;d42 mounted1 #i;d4 ,,shaded ,,ornament1 mounted1 #as4 #b;d4 ,,ornament ,,from ,a ,,greek ,,frieze1 mounted1 #i;d42 unmounted1 #c;d4 ,,part ,,of ,a ,,pilaster ,,from ,,the ,,altar ,,of ,,st4 ,,biagio ,,at ,,pisa mounted1 #bs42 unmounted1 #as4 ,,early ,,english ,,capital1 mounted1 #as4 ,,gothic ,,patera1 unmounted1 #d;d42 mounted1 #as4 ,,renaissance ,,scroll1 ,tomb in ,s4 ,m4 ,dei ,frari1 ,venice1 unmounted1 #f;d42 mounted1 #as4 #d;d4 ,,moulding ,,of ,,sculptured ,,foliage1 decorated1 unmounted1 #f;d42 mounted1 #as4 #d;d4 ,,architectural ,,studies4 ,by ,j4 ,b4 ,,tripon4 #bj ,plates1 ,l#b4 ,,mechanical ,,studies4 ,by ,j4 ,b4 ,,tripon1 #aes4 per dozen4 ,,foliated ,,scroll ,,from ,,the ,,vatican1 unmounted1 #e;d42 mounted1 #as4 #c;d4 ,,twelve ,,heads after ,holbein1 selected from his drawings in ,her ,majesty's ,collection at ,windsor4 ,reproduced in ,autotype4 ,half-imperial1 #cfs4 ,,lessons ,,in ,,sepia1 #is4 per dozen1 or #as4 each4 ,,small ,,sepia ,,drawing ,,copies1 #is4 per dozen1 or #as4 each4 ,,coloured ,,examples3 ,a ,,small ,,diagram ,,of ,,colour1 mounted1 #as4 #f;d42 unmounted1 #i;d4 ,,two ,,plates ,,of ,,elementary ,,design1 unmounted1 #as42 mounted1 #cs4 #i;d4 ,,petunia1 mounted1 #cs4 #i;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d4 ,,pelargonium1 mounted1 #cs4 #i;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d ,,camellia1 mounted1 #cs4 #i;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d4 ,,group ,,of ,,camellias1 #abs4 ,,nasturtium1 mounted1 #cs4 #i;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d4 ,,oleander1 mounted1 #cs4 #i;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d4 ,,torrenia ,,asiatica4 ,mounted1 #cs4 #i;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d4 ,,pyne',s ,,landscapes ,,in ,,chromo-,,lithography 7#f71 each1 mounted #gs4 #f;d42 or the set1 ,l#b #es4 ,,cotman',s ,,pencil ,,landscapes 7set of #i71 mounted1 #aes4 ,,sepia ,,drawings 7set of #e71 mounted1 ,l#a4 ,,allonge',s ,,landscapes ,,in ,,charcoal 7#f71 at #ds4 each1 or the set1 ,l#a #ds4 #djab4 ,,bunch ,,of ,,fruit1 ,,pears1 c41 #ds4 #f;d4 #djac4 ,,apples1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djad4 ,,white ,,grapes ,,and ,,plums1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djae4 ,,black ,,grapes ,,and ,,peaches1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djaf4 ,,plums1 ,,mulberries1 c41 #ds4 #f;d4 #djag4 ,,bouquet ,,of ,,flowers1 ,,large ,,roses1 c41 #ds4 #f;d4 #djah4 ,,roses ,,and ,,heartsease1 #cs4 #f;d4 #djai4 ,,small ,,camellias1 #cs4 #f;d4 #djbj4 ,,poppies1 c41 #cs4 #f;d4 #djci4 ,,chrysanthemums1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djdj4 ,,large ,,camellias1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djgg4 ,,lilac ,,and ,,geranium1 #cs4 #f;d4 #djhj4 ,,camellia ,,and ,,rose1 #cs4 #f;d4 #djha4 ,,small ,,camellias ,,and ,,blue ,,bells1 #cs4 #f;d4 #djhb4 ,,large ,,dahlias1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djhc4 ,,roses ,,and ,,lilies1 #ds4 #f;d4 #djij4 ,,roses ,,and ,,sweet ,,peas1 #cs4 #f;d4 #djid4 ,,large ,,roses ,,and ,,heartsease1 #ds4 #dahj4 ,,large ,,bouquet ,,of ,,lilac1 #fs4 #f;d4 #daij4 ,,dahlias ,,and ,,fuchsias1 #fs4 #f;d4 ,,solid ,,models1 c43 99,box of ,models1 ,l#a #ds4 ,a ,stand with a universal joint1 to show the solid models1 c41 ,l#a #ahs4 99,one wire quadrangle1 with a circle and cross within it1 and one straight wire4 ,one solid cube4 ,one skeleton wire cube4 ,one sphere4 ,one cone4 ,one cylinder4 ,one hexagonal prism4 ,l#b #bs4 ,skeleton cube in wood1 #cs4 #f;d4 #ah-;inch ,skeleton cube in wood1 #abs4 99,three objects of form in ,pottery3 ,indian ,jar1 ,celadon ,jar1 #ahs4 #f;d4 ,bottle1 99,five selected ,vases in ,majolica ,ware1 ,l#b #aas4 99,three selected ,vases in ,earthenware1 #ahs4 ,imperial ,deal ,frames1 glazed1 without sunk rings1 #ajs4 99,davidson's ,smaller ,solid ,models1 in ,box1 ,l#b4 99,davidson's ,advanced ,drawing ,models 7#aj models71 ,l#i4 99,davidson's ,apparatus for ,teaching ,practical ,geometry 7#bb models71 ,l#e4 99,binn's ,models for illustrating the elementary principles of orthographic projection as applied to mechanical drawing1 in box1 ,l#a #ajs4 ,vulcanite set square1 #es4 ,large compasses with chalk-holder1 #es4 99,slip1 two set squares and ,t square1 #es4 99,parkes' case of instruments1 containing #f-;inch compasses with pen and pencil leg1 #es4 99,prize instrument case1 with #f-;inch compasses1 pen and pencil leg1 #b small compasses1 pen and scale1 #ahs4 #f-;inch compasses with shifting pen and point1 #ds4 #f;d4 ,small compass in case1 #as4 99 ,models1 c41 entered as sets1 cannot be supplied singly4 ,,large ,,diagrams4 ,,astronomical3 ,,twelve ,,sheets4 ,prepared for the ,committee of ,council on ,education by ,,john ,,drew1 ,ph4 ,dr41 ,f4,r4,s4,a4 ,l#b #hs42 on rollers and varnished1 ,l#d #ds4 ,,botanical3 ,,nine ,,sheets4 ,illustrating a ,practical ,method of ,teaching ,botany4 ,by ,professor ,,henslow1 ,f4,l4,s4 ,l#b2 on canvas and rollers1 and varnished1 ,l#c #cs4 ,,illustrations ,,of ,,the ,,principal ,,natural ,,orders ,,of ,,the ,,vegetable ,,kingdom4 ,by ,professor ,,oliver1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,f4,l4,s4 #gj ,imperial sheets1 containing examples of dried ,plants1 representing the different ,orders4 ,l#e #es4 the set4 ,catalogue and ,index to ,oliver's ,diagrams1 #as4 ,,building ,,construction3 ,,ten ,,sheets4 ,by ,,william ,j4 ,,glenny1 ,professor of ,drawing1 ,king's ,college4 ,in sets1 ,l#a #as4 ,,laxton',s ,,examples ,,of ,,building ,,construction ,,in ,,two ,,divisions3 ,first ,division1 containing #af ,imperial ,plates1 #ajs4 ,second ,division1 containing #af ,imperial ,plates1 #ajs4 ,,busbridge',s ,,drawings ,,of ,,building ,,construction1 #aa ,sheets4 ,mounted1 #es4 #f;d42 unmounted1 #bs4 #i;d4 ,,geological3 ,,diagram ,,of ,,british ,,strata4 ,by ,h4 ,w4 ,,bristow1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,f4,g4,s4 ,a ,sheet1 #ds2 mounted on roller and varnished1 #gs4 #f;d4 ,,mechanical3 ,,diagrams ,,of ,,the ,,mechanical ,,powers1 ,,and ,,their ,,applications ,,in ,,machinery ,,and ,,the ,,arts ,,generally4 ,by ,,dr4 ,,john ,,anderson4 ,this ,series consists of #h ,diagrams1 highly coloured on stout paper1 #c feet #f inches by #b feet #f inches1 price ,l#a per set2 mounted on common rollers1 ,l#b4 ,,diagrams ,,of ,,the ,,steam-,,engine4 ,by ,professor ,,goodeve and ,professor ,,shelley4 ,these ,diagrams are on stout paper1 #dj inches by #bg inches1 highly coloured4 ,the price per set of #da ,diagrams 7#eb-a_/b ,sheets71 ,l#f #fs4 ,these ,diagrams can be supplied varnished and mounted on rollers at #bs4 #f;d4 extra per ,sheet4 ,,examples ,,of ,,machine ,,details4 ,a ,series of #af ,coloured ,diagrams4 ,by ,professor ,,unwin4 ,l#b #bs4 ,,selected ,,examples ,,of ,,machines1 ,,of ,,iron ,,and ,,wood 7,french74 ,by ,,stanislas ,,pettit4 #fj ,sheets1 ,l#c #es42 #acs4 per dozen4 ,,busbridge',s ,,drawings ,,of ,,machine ,,construction 7#bb74 ,mounted1 #aas42 unmounted1 #es4 #f;d4 ,,lessons ,,in ,,mechanical ,,drawing4 ,by ,,stanislas ,,pettit1 #as4 per dozen2 also larger ,sheets1 being more advanced copies1 #bs4 per dozen4 ,,lessons ,,in ,,architectural ,,drawing4 ,by ,,stanislas ,,pettit4 #as4 per dozen2 also larger ,sheets1 being more advanced copies1 #bs4 per dozen4 ,,physiological3 ,,eleven ,,sheets4 ,illustrating ,human ,physiology1 ,life size and ,coloured from ,nature4 ,prepared under the direction of ,,john ,,marshall1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,f4,r4,c4,s41 c4 ,each ,sheet1 #abs4 #f;d4 ,on canvas and rollers1 varnished1 ,l#a #as4 #a4 ,,the ,,skeleton ,,and ,,ligaments4 #b4 ,,the ,,muscles1 ,,joints1 ,,and ,,animal ,,mechanics4 #c4 ,,the ,,viscera ,,in ,,position4--,,the ,,structure ,,of ,,the ,,lungs4 #d4 ,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,circulation4 #e4 ,,the ,,lymphatics ,,or ,,absorbents4 #f4 ,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,digestion4 #g4 ,,the ,,brain ,,and ,,nerves4--,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,the ,,voice4 #h4 ,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,the ,,senses1 ,plate #a4 #i4 ,,the ,,organs ,,of ,,the ,,senses1 ,plate #b4 #aj4 ,,the ,,microscopic ,,structure ,,of ,,the ,,textures ,,and ,,organs1 ,plate #a4 #aa4 ,,the ,,microscopic ,,structure ,,of ,,the ,,textures ,,and ,,organs1 ,plate #b4 ,,human ,,body1 ,,life ,,size4 ,by ,,john ,,marshall1 ,f4,r4,s41 ,f4,r4,c4,s4 #a4 ,,the ,,skeleton1 ,front ,view4 #b4 ,,the ,,muscles1 ,front ,view4 #c4 ,,the ,,skeleton1 ,back ,view4 #d4 ,,the ,,muscles1 ,back ,view4 #e4 ,,the ,,skeleton1 ,side ,view4 #f4 ,,the ,,muscles1 ,side ,view4 #g4 ,,the ,,female ,,skeleton1 ,front ,view4 ,each ,sheet1 #abs4 #f;d42 on canvas and rollers1 varnished1 ,l#a #as4 ,explanatory ,key1 #as4 ,,zoological3 ,,ten ,,sheets4 ,illustrating the ,classification of ,animals4 ,by ,,robert ,,patterson4 ,l#b42 on canvas and rollers1 varnished1 ,l#c #ajs4 ,the same1 reduced in size1 on ,royal paper1 in #i ,sheets1 uncoloured1 #abs4 ,,the ,,fortnightly ,,review4 ,edited by ,,john ,,morley4 ,,the ,,fortnightly ,,review is published on the #ast of every month 7the issue on the #aeth being suspended71 and a ,volume is completed every ,six ,months4 ,the following are among the ,contributors3-- ,,sir ,,rutherford ,,alcock4 ,,professor ,,bain4 ,,professor ,,beesly4 ,,dr4 ,,bridges4 ,,hon4 ,,george ,c4 ,,brodrick4 ,,sir ,,george ,,campbell1 ,m4,p4 ,j4 ,,chamberlain1 ,m4,p4 ,,professor ,,clifford1 ,f4,r4,s4 ,,professor ,,sidney ,,colvin4 ,,montague ,,cookson1 ,q4,c4 ,l4 ,h4 ,,courtney1 ,m4,p4 ,g4 ,h4 ,,darwin4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,farrar4 ,,professor ,,fawcett1 ,m4,p4 ,,edward ,a4 ,,freeman4 ,,mrs4 ,,garret-,,anderson4 ,m4 ,e4 ,,grant-,,duff1 ,m4,p4 ,,thomas ,,hare4 ,f4 ,,harrison4 ,,lord ,,houghton4 ,,professor ,,huxley4 ,,professor ,,jevons ,,emile ,,de ,,laveleye4 ,t4 ,e4 ,,cliffe ,,leslie4 ,,george ,,henry ,,lewes4 ,,right ,,hon4 ,r4 ,,lowe1 ,m4,p4 ,,sir ,,john ,,lubbock1 ,m4,p4 ,,lord ,,lytton4 ,,sir ,h4 ,s4 ,,maine4 ,,dr4 ,,maudsley4 ,,professor ,,max ,m,ue,l,l,e,r4 ,,professor ,,henry ,,morley4 ,g4 ,,osborne ,,morgan1 ,q4,c41 ,m4,p4 ,,william ,,morris4 ,f4 ,w4 ,,newman4 ,w4 ,g4 ,,palgrave4 ,,walter ,h4 ,,pater4 ,,rt4 ,,hon4 ,,lyon ,,playfair1 ,m4,p4 ,,dante ,,gabriel ,,rossetti4 ,,herbert ,,spencer4 ,,hon4 ,e4 ,l4 ,,stanley4 ,,sir ,j4 ,,fitzjames ,,stephen1 ,q4,c4 ,,leslie ,,stephen4 ,j4 ,,hutchison ,,stirling4 ,a4 ,c4 ,,swinburne4 ,,dr4 ,,von ,,sybel4 ,j4 ,a4 ,,symonds4 ,w4 ,t4 ,,thornton4 ,,hon4 ,,lionel ,a4 ,,tollemache4 ,,anthony ,,trollope4 ,,professor ,,tyndall4 ,,the ,,editor4 c4 c4 c4 ,,the ,,fortnightly ,,review is published at #bs4 #f;d4 ,,chapman ,,hall4 #aic1 ,,piccadilly4 ,,charles ,,dickens ,,and ,,evans1 ,,crystal ,,palace ,,press4 ,transcriber's ,note ,the following typographical errors were corrected4 ,page ,error iv ,,street ,,hill1 changed to ,,street ,,hill4 #f have so thorougly changed to have so thoroughly #cb accomplished animal4 changed to accomplished animal1 #ch insurbordinate changed to insubordinate #de of a ,pelham changed to of a ,pelham4 #di recover him self changed to recover himself #hj you half sa changed to you half so #hf combination of skill changed to combination of skill1 #ajd manoeuvre ill changed to manoeuvre till #aab and the liver changed to and the liver4 #aah pluck' changed to pluck #abj panicstricken changed to panic-stricken #afj light man' changed to light man's #aic ,page #aic changed to ,page #aic4 #bjh may turn you changed to may turn your ,ads #f ,l#a #ds changed to ,l#a #ds4 7below ,experiences of a ,planter4447 ,ads #f ,l#a #hs changed to ,l#a #hs4 7below ,the ,life and ,times of ,prince ,charles4447 ,ads #i ,in ,november changed to ,in ,november4 ,ads #aa #cs4 #f;d changed to #cs4 #f;d4 7below ,struggle for ,national ,education7 ,ads #ab ,,schmid 7,,herman changed to ,,schmid 7,,herman7 ,ads #ae ,civilisation1' changed to ,civilisation1 ,ads #af ,in ,november changed to ,in ,november4 ,ads #be ,,was ,,right changed to ,,was ,,right4 ,ads #bh ,sprays1 #h;d changed to ,sprays1 #h;d4 ,ads #ca ,,female ,,skeleton changed to ,,female ,,skeleton1 ,the following words were inconsistently spelled or hyphenated4 a-slant _/ aslant black-thorn _/ blackthorn clock-work _/ clockwork down-hill _/ downhill every-day _/ everyday eye-lash _/ eyelash ,free-hand _/ ,freehand hand-gate _/ handgate head-stall _/ headstall lee-way _/ leeway nose-band _/ noseband race-course _/ racecourse race-horse _/ racehorse steeple-chase _/ steeplechase thorough-bred _/ thoroughbred