66 THE SEAT. [CHAP. 



species of riding (I have excepted the soldier with his 



weapon in his right hand), I think there is a peculiar seat 



proper to many different styles of riding. The extremes 



Manege of these are the manege and the Eastern styles, hoth 



and East- 



the ex** 8 admirable in their way, and perfectly practical, hut each 



tremes. 



wholly inapplicable to the performances of the other. 



"What can be more perfect than the seats of M. de 

 Kraut and the Marquis de Beauvilliers, in De la Gue- 

 riniere's work, or the engraving of M. de Nestier ? 

 But I do not think that a man in such a seat would look 

 well, or perform well, in a five-pound saddle, over the 

 beacon course : still less that he could lay the reins on 

 the neck of a well-bred horse, and at full speed lie along 

 his horse's side, and with his own body below his horse's 

 back, prime and load a long Persian gun, jump up and 

 use both hands to fire to the right or left, or over his 

 horse's croupe ; or that he could wield a long heavy lance 

 with the power of a Cossack ; or at full gallop hurl the 

 djerrid to the rear .with the force of a Persian, and 

 again, without any diminution of speed, pick it from the 



