BREAKING. 127 



fo palpably ftriking, they naturally excited 

 every unremitting endeavour to reclaim him. 

 The tafk, however, for the firfl: two or three 

 weeks bore the moft unpromiiing afped ; no 

 method that I could adopt, feemed to have 

 the leaft effect upon the obduracy of his dif- 

 poiition ; hardened to an almoil invincible 

 fpirit of oppofition by former vidories on his 

 fide, and repeated ill ufage on the other, 

 neither perfuafive encouragement nor violence 

 could prevail on him to move a fingle yard 

 forward but when it was perfedly his own 

 pleafure ; he would not only continually flop 

 in all paces, without the leaft obftacle or 

 vifible caufe whatever, and continue his de- 

 termination not to go at all forward for a 

 great length of time, but perfevere in a re- 

 trograde motion an incredible diftance, with 

 the ufual concomitants of rearing^ plunging^ 

 and kicking, to fo violent a degree, that num- 

 bers of a much more ferene and philofophic 

 temper than myfelf, would have certainly pro- 

 ceeded in their refentment to the utmoft extre- 

 mity, and fome time or other have left him 

 crippled or dead upon the fppt. In this daily 

 dilemma, it was the general opinion of mti- 

 mate friends, and thofe who were conftant 



fpedators 



