270 WARRANTING. 



latent or patent, not being always discovered 

 till the horse is hunted, or suddenly becomes 

 lame. Kind Griffins, then, for whom this volume 

 is chiefly written, I most fully exonerate, and 

 acquit you of the charge of intentionally deceiv- 

 ing; yet, for reflecting on your judgment, and 



creditable speech, so well calculated to delude the unwary, 

 leaving only one of the same opinion, or, rather, who acknow- 

 ledged the same opinion, as myself. Clearly seeing that I had 

 got into company with either knaves or fools, most probably 

 a little of both, I thought more nourishment was to be gained 

 at this house for the body by drinking, than for the mind by 

 talking, so I allowed the subject to drop. Three months had not 

 elapsed, when my vis-a-vis, the " impossible " gentleman, asked 

 me to look at a horse of his that had been sprained, and blis- 

 tered, but was still lame. The horse had a ringbone on one 

 pastern, besides something else internally wrong in the foot of 

 the other, arising, most probably, from concussion; so I pro- 

 nounced him incurable under eight months, — very probably, not 

 then, "What shall I do?" said he. ''Write on half a sheet 

 of paper," I replied, '^ that the horse has been lame for two 

 months — is thought to be incurable — and that he is in the 

 market for sale." The man burst out laughing. He after- 

 wards tried to get rid of him, but failed ; for I took especial care 

 that none of my acquaintance should be deceived by such an 

 apostate as this. He then sent him to a dealer, who refused 

 to sell him as sound. At last, he handed him over to a friend 

 to dispose of, from whom he received nearly the full amount of 

 his original cost. I did not discover the unlucky wight that was 

 imposed upon ; but, fancy this hypocrite crying out, " Impossi- 

 ble I" Here lies the honest distinction between a man wanting 

 to buy, and one wanting to sell. 



