Beason or Instinct, 109 



monger world, and the British "moke" thenceforward 

 became the most popular animal in London and all great 

 towns. The song, *' If I had a donkey wot wouldn't go " — 

 which was in fashion when T was a little curly-headed boy, 

 working night and day to learn the multiplication table by 

 heart — the prize being a pair of shoe stirrups for my 

 donkey's pad — contained good sentiments too. 



Let any one compare the status of horses, and donkeys 

 and mules, to what it was nearly forty years ago. Many 

 of us remember the wretched hackney-coach horses ; the 

 half-starved beasts in the small coal and coke-sellers' carts; 

 the persecuted donkeys, thrashed and bullied by gentlemen 

 of the Bill Sykes class ; the carts drawn by dogs, panting, 

 with their tongues out and eyes half out of their heads ; 

 the overdriven bullocks which made Smithfield hideous by 

 night, and which — according to poor Tom Hood's or Cruik- 

 shank's lively fancy, I forget which — caused two gentlemen 

 who were represented on the drop at Newgate, with ropes 

 round their necks, as congratulating one another as a mad 

 bull was charging the crowd, " How lucky it is, Bill^ that 

 you and I are up here." Al] these things, thank Heaven, 

 are things of the past, including the gentlemen outside 

 Newgate — on the drop. 



Look at the present state of things. I hope the reader 

 enjoys a speaking acquaintance with horses; if not, let 

 them try it, and they will find a great deal of cheap amuse- 

 ment, and please the drivers who are kind to them. When 

 you see the great wagon horses two abreast, and possibly a 

 third " unicorn " in front, go quietly behind the head of one 

 of the wheelers and say, in a soft voice, ''And how are you, 

 old man 1 " Round comes his honest face, and up goes his 

 ears, and his companion gets jealous, which is very charm- 

 ing when he is a comic horse, as many are, and puts back^ 

 his ears and pretends to bite his friend ; and then the 



