82 THE ADVENTURES OF A GENTLEMAN 



ground, when the foot descends, is perhaps judicious ; 

 but nothing is more obvious than that nature in- 

 tended this elastic and hard substance to break the 

 jar of the descending foot, and therefore it ought 

 still, notwithstanding the artificial protection given 

 by the shoe to meet the ground. It should be re- 

 collected that the shoe is only an aid to the firmness 

 and durability of the crust, and instead of contribu- 

 ting to the elasticity of the tread, has a tendency 

 directly the reverse, and so far, injurious. 



Instead, therefore, of removing any of those parts 

 which are intended by nature to soften and diminish 

 the jar of violent action, it should be our study to 

 preserve them, as far as is consistent with the neces- 

 sary defence of the crust. It follows, that the frog 

 ought to be allowed to project so far as to meet the 

 ground when the foot expands, though not so low as 

 to be the first part to come in contact with it. 



That part of the external foot which has a plane 

 surface, and extends from the frog to the crust, is 

 called the sole. This, too, is horny and elastic. In 

 a healthy foot it ought to be somewhat concave : and 

 this form should be maintained as much as possible, 

 in preparing the foot for the shoe. 



The heels constitute the posterior part of the foot, 



