ni.] THE BIT. 75 



bars or parts of the mouth bare of teeth, is perhaps 

 the most certain, powerful, and severe instrument to hold 

 a horse with, and it may be tightened till it becomes a 

 dreadful implement of torture. Next to this is what 

 is called the dealer's halter, which is merely a narrow 



4 



thong of leather in like manner tied round the lower jaw, 

 under the tongue, but incapable of being tightened 

 or slackened like the twitch. The bit is a most 

 ingenious attempt to grasp the lower jaw by the 

 same bare parts, with the capability of contracting or 

 of perfectly relaxing the grasp, by the application or 

 withdrawal of the powers of the lever. This is the 

 intended action of the bit, the philosopher's stone, 

 after which all bit-projectors and bit-makers have 

 laboured; the obstacles to be overcome are various and 

 perhaps insuperable, and indeed could the powers of the 

 lever be employed on such exquisitely sensitive parts 

 as the bare jaws, when within this iron vice, perhaps 

 no hand could lie found sufficiently delicate to use them. 

 By pressing your finger-nail against your own gums, you 



