SHOEING. 147 



tional directions for the eafe and fafety of his 

 horfe, without relying entirely upon thofe 

 who will frequently be found to pcffefs little 

 or no judgment at all. 



The greater part of thofe writers who 

 have favoured the public with a communi- 

 cation of their fentiments upon this fubjed:, 

 feem extravagantly fond of an idea borrowed 

 from antiquity, and transferred from one to 

 another, upon the practicability of horfes 

 travelling the road, and doing their conftant 

 work without any fhoeing at all : fuch ceco- 

 nomical plan may be admirably calculated for 

 the theoretical journey of fome literary fpecu- 

 latift, up two or three pair of flairs in a re- 

 mote corner of the metropolis ; but I will 

 venture to affirm, no fuch excurfion can take 

 place of any duration, without material in- 

 jury to the Hoof, unlefs to the high bred 

 horfes of authors^ many of whom enjoy their 

 journies, as Bajazet enjoyed i:is cruelty, only 

 ^* IN imagination/' 



One of thefe (Osmer) has introduced his 

 remarks with the following rhapsodical ex* 

 poftulation ; 



• L 2 '' When 



