294 HUNTERS, 



of his own horses in sickness or health ; to 

 discover their necessities, and prescribe the 

 remedies, without a degrading dependence 

 upon the accumulated ignorance and affected 

 consequence of every illiterate groom, ostler^ 

 ox stable-boy \ who, it is universally known, 

 proudly possess obsolete receipts for every 

 possible disease to Vvhich the horse is liable, 

 (without its containing perhaps one appli-* 

 cable ingredient) and will valiantly vouch 



for the INFALLIBILITY OF ITS VIRTUES, 



though it is ten to one lie is totally unac- 

 quainted with the articles of which it is com- 

 posed, and still more probably has not abi-. 

 lity to read the very farrago he so confidently 

 recommends. 



This evil has originally arisen, and been 

 increased in its growth by too implicit, or 

 rather too indolent a submission of masters 

 in general, to the indiscreet (not to add some^ 

 times infernal) and ridiculous propositions of 

 these people, upon whose destructive affec- 

 tation of knowledge I have already so repeats 

 edly expatiated under different heads ; but am 

 by practical observations as often brought to 

 ei renewal of the subject, to place every gen^- 



