MODERN FARRIER. 245 



fifty years have passed, since the inhuman sacrifice 

 of the poor old Flea-bitten Grey Horse; but it 

 ought to be held in remembrance, as a mark for 

 stern and unequivocal detestation, and not to be, as 

 it was, smoothed and unctioned over with a shake 

 of the head and a grave hypocritical countenance, 

 which, if they mean any thing seriously, it is in a 

 doubtful and suspicious way. This excellent ani- 

 mal, a gelding, three parts bred, had won a match 

 of twenty-two miles within the hour, upon the 

 Windsor road ; but the same match being repeated, 

 he failed, and was whipped in, the last mile, until 

 his entrails trailed after him upon the ground ! — 

 attended on each side by furies of hell, in the human 

 shape, expressing in their eyes and countenances 

 the greedy and demon-like thirst of gain, or appre- 

 hension of loss !" 



A recent author mentions the case of a soap-boiler 

 at the west end of London, who possessed a horse 

 that used to work in his cart, and carry out small 

 loads amongst his customers, and which horse he 

 was accustomed to drive in a gig occasionally. By 

 some accident, or other, it was discovered that this 

 horse was possessed of extraordinary speed and bot- 

 tom ; and a lawyer, who, in conjunction with his 

 professional pursuits, carried on a little black-leg 

 amusement, became the purchaser of this animal, 

 and began to turn his powers to account as soon as 

 possible. The first match which he made was to 

 gallop nineteen miles within the hour; and the 

 horse being, to all appearance, a heavy, half-bred, 

 animal, and shewing no indications of speed in his 

 external form, great odds were laid against his win- 

 ning the wager. The horse, however, accomplished 

 the task within the time, to the surprise and dis- 

 comfiture of the knowing ones. Not satisfied with 

 this performance, his owner matched him again, to 

 go twenty miles within the hour, which he also ac- 

 complished ; and, shortly after, he was again matched 



