OF FARRIERV, 



m 



save in his off fore leg, with which there has 

 been something amiss below the knee. Pro- 

 bably the most skilful anatomist would fail in 

 discovering one point of liis symmetry faulty. 

 This latter phrase may require explanation : 

 what I mean by it is, that although his frame 

 should be pronounced perfect, as it is ; that in 

 its symmetry, the harmony of each part witli 

 the whole, the fitness and relation of every 

 point for its assigned function, defies criticism. 

 You see before you a form moulded for speed 

 and strength, as the imagination of the most 

 experienced painter would pourtray it. We 

 know that he was swift and strong — let us 

 see if his physical development agrees with 

 the idea affixed by the eye for power. " Ty- 

 ler," I inquired, " have you a morsel of string? 

 Never mind," seeing that he was going to 

 procure it for me at his house. I removed my 

 watch-guard. "Ah!" said he, seeing the 

 use to which I was about applying it, "you 

 are going to measure his leg I see : well, I 

 have not seen such a thing done since the time 

 that His late Royal Highness the Duke of 

 York was staying at Riddlesworth. The 

 Duke, I remember, came one morning, and 

 took the size of Merlin's near fore-leg just 

 under the knee, and its circumference was full 

 nine inches and a quarter. Now, Sir, I like 

 Emilius's leg much the best : it is shaped, as 

 1 call it, like ajiddle, icith the strings slanding 

 well out from it, the way that a Horse's 

 muscle and sinew should do.'' Having care- 

 fully taken my admeasurement of his near leg, 

 the off one being a little thick, T marked it, 

 and placed it in my pocket-book. It is now 

 before me, and gives the circumference of this 

 celebrated Horse's leg exactly eight inches and 

 a half. I need hardly remark that the ap- 

 parent advantage on Merlin's side is easily 



explained, if his limb was rounder, and con- 

 sequently less oval than that of Emilius. 'J his 

 would give him, however, no actual superiority, 

 the shape of the bone and sinew of a Horse's 

 leg (the sole supplies the power) being an 

 oval, shallower of course, as it extends from 

 bone to muscle. My memory does not serve 

 me at the moment as to the sum, which, in his 

 zenith. Eclipse (taking the price of his last 

 moiety for the criterion of the whole) would 

 have sold for. Blr. Thornhill, I was given to 

 understand, refused eight thousand pounds for 

 Emilius. Allowing for the difference of money, 

 Eclipse would have fallen very short of such 

 a figure as that. 



Nothing can be more characteristically 

 English than the Establishment at Riddles- 

 worth. Tyler, the Stud Groom, is an honest, 

 obliging yeoman, with his mind on a level with 

 his calling. He has been six and tw Knty years 

 in his present employment, and tiie stock 

 which has been produced, and reared during 

 that period under his superintendance and 

 care, is the best evidence of his fitness for such 

 occupation : I spent a fevv minutes in his 

 cottage, and it was just the head-quarters in 

 which 1 should have expected to find him. 

 Everything was scrupulously neat ; all the 

 comforts th&t his condition could require were 

 there in abundance ; and the elegances were 

 in perfect accordance. The walls were deco- 

 rated with the most celebrated feats of the 

 white and scarlet. There was Sam winning 

 the Derby in 1818; Sailor, victorious for the 

 same Stakes in 1820 ; a fine plate of Orville ; 

 and one of Herring's admirable likenesses of 

 Emilius. In front of his dwelling runs a spark- 

 ling stream, and just beyond it was a moving 

 Zoological Panorama, such as no Lord in the 

 land can shew. 



4 Q 



