10 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



advertisements of the papers. Cobs, hunters, and 

 hacks, were as plentiful as blackberries in Septem- 

 ber. The difficulty was only where to choose. 

 *' The neatest little cob in London," ''the best hack 

 that ever was mounted,'' "that well-known hunter 

 Tantivy, equal to fifteen stone up to any hounds," 

 all offered themselves to my delighted eyes : and 

 away I went, to try them all and buy the best. 



My reader must excuse me for a little digression, 

 to give him some account of myself, so far as re- 

 gards my equestrian capabilities, otherwise he will 

 not enter, as fully as I could wish, into the merits 

 of my story. Be it known, then, that I ride rather 

 more than twelve stone — have a good seat — never 

 was afraid of a horse in my life — stand about five 

 feet nine inches ; and being still under middle age, 

 I am of course far from indifferent whether I am 

 well mounted. Such I take to be the average pre- 

 tensions of nineteen out of twenty gentlemen in 

 search of a horse. 



My first adventure was with a Quaker. There 

 are few things in which the Society of Friends 

 evince their characteristic shrewdness more than in 

 their judgment of horse-flesh. I have a most sin- 

 cere respect for them, both in their collective and 



