THE STABLE AND ITS MANAGEMENT 63 



he had represented him to be to a person who had 

 purchased him — that he was a very good horse when 

 he went his own pace, but when he wanted him to go 

 his pace it did not suit him. This I take to have been 

 in some measure the case with Hermit. When the 

 pace was not tremendously quick, he was a deHghtful 

 horse to ride over a country, with a perfect snaffle- 

 bridle mouth, and he could hop over all the gates in the 

 country with the elegance of a Vestris. In Leicester- 

 shire, however, he was unknown as a hunter, any 

 farther than now and then appearing by a covert's 

 side, with his owner on his back, but who was forbidden 

 the pleasure of riding him to hounds. Notwithstand- 

 ing this — notwithstanding that he had never been 

 seen to do anything in that country but canter up and 

 down by the side of a covert, and hop over a gate or 

 two, which was as easy to him as going through it — yet, 

 strange to say, he was purchased by the late Capt. St 

 Paul, at the enormous price of six hundred and fifty 

 guineas ! 



Now, reader, we will suppose that this Hermit, who 

 only four years before was purchased at the vulgar 

 price of thirty-five pounds, had been turned out for 

 the two preceding summers in one of those fat meadows 

 in Gloucestershire by the Severn's side, where his 

 owner lived, and had been taken up in the months of 

 July or August, where, under such circumstances as 

 I have mentioned, would have been found the six 

 hundred and fifty guinea customer ? No ; it was to his 

 blooming condition — the work of two years — and to 

 that alone, that his owner was indebted for the im- 



