244 KEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



upon my mettle, and I swore go I would, if I 

 dropped. 



Accordingly, one fine evening in August, 

 1818, we started. I have lived to see leathers 

 in and out twice. At that time they were just 

 going out, and were worn bright yellow. I had 

 brought a pair with me fi:*ora Cambridge, and 

 top-boots. I had a good English saddle, but 

 foolishly did not take my English bridle, or 

 rather reins. I had a good pair of spurs, and 

 a French postilion's whip, out of which, how- 

 ever, I never could extract the true invigo- 

 rating " clack-clack." Merrily did we clatter 

 up the Champs Elysees. Every one knew St. 

 Simon, and having lived a good deal as a boy 

 in Paris, I had no small acquaintance, and many 

 were the kindly greetings we had from happy 

 faces that were enjoying the evening air. It 

 was very well for the first twenty-five leagues 

 (and we had eighty-eight to do), as the horses 

 were good, and the French bidet de poste was 

 then, as he still is, very pleasant in his ambling 

 canter. But as you got further, things changed 

 for the worse. There was nothing but the 

 common posters to ride, and my friend Aimee, 

 an old soldier, managed to get the best always. 

 The nags wanted a little hand now, and I felt 

 the want of my English reins. I remember 



