604 VICES OF THE HORSE. 



continued satisfactory for a considerable time ; hot at the end of about 

 three years his ince returned, and then lie is said to have hilled a onav, for 

 which he was destroyed.' 



It may not be uninteresting, in connection with this, to give some account 

 of this tamer of quadruped vice. However strange and magical his power 

 may seem to be, there is no doubt of the truth of the account that is given 

 of him. The Rev. Mr. Townsend, in his Statistical Survey of Cork, first 

 introduced him to the notice of the public generally, although his fame 

 had long spread over that pai-t of Ireland. We, however, give the fol- 

 lowing extract from ' Croker's Fairy Legends and Traditions of Ireland,' 

 part II. p. 200, for his performances seem the work of some elfin sprite,- 

 rather than of a rude and ignorant horse-breaker. 



' He was an awkward, ignorant rustic of the lowest class, of the name 

 of Sullivan, but better known by the appellation of the Whisperer. His 

 occupation was horse-breaking. The nickname he acquired from the 

 vulgar notion of his being able to communicate to the animal what he 

 wished by means of a whisper ; and the singularity of his method seemed 

 in some degree to justify the supposition. In his own neighbourhood tho 

 notoriety of the fact made it seem less remarkable, but I doubt if any 

 instance of similar subjugating talent is to be found on record. As far as 

 the sphere of his control extended, the boast of veni, vidi, vici, was more 

 justly claimed by Sullivan than even by Ci^sar himself. 



'How his -art was acquired, and in what it consisted, is likely to be for 

 ever unknown, as he has lately (about 1810) left the world -without divulging 

 it. His son, who follows the same tirade, possesses but a small poi'tion of 

 the art, having either never learned the triie secret, or being incapable of 

 putting it into practice. The wonder of his skill consisted in the celerity 

 of the operation, which was performed in privacy, without any apparent 

 means of coercion. Every description of horse or even mule, whether 

 pre"vaously broken or unhandled, Avhatever their peculiar habits or vices 

 might have been, submitted without show of resistance to the magical 

 influence of his art, and in the short space of half an hour became gentle 

 and tractable. This effect, though instantaneously produced, was genei-ally 

 durable. Though more submissive to him than to othei"S, the animals 

 seemed to have acquired a docility unknown before. 



' When sent for to tame a vicious beast, for which he was either paid 

 according to the distance, or generally two or three guineas, he directed 

 the stable, in which he and the object of the experiment were, to be shut, 

 with orders not to open the door until a signal was given. After a tete-a- 

 tete of about half an hour, dui'ing which little or no bustle was hea,rd, 

 the signal was made, and, upon opening the door, the horse appeared lying 

 down, and the man by his side, playing with him like a child with a puppy 

 dog. From that time he was found perfectly willing to submit to any 

 discipline — however repugnant to his nature before.' ' I once,' continues 

 Mr. Croker, ' saw liis skill tried on a horse, which could never before be 

 broiight to stand for a smith to shoe him. The day after Sullivan's half 

 hour's lecture, I went, not Avithout some incredulity, to the smith's shop, 

 with many other curious spectators, Avhere we Avere eye-witnesses of the 

 complete success of his art. This, too, had been a troop hoi'se, and it was 

 supposed, not without reason, that after regimental disciphne had failed, 

 no other would be found availing. I observed that the animal appeared 

 terrified whenever Sullivan either spoke to or looked at him ; how that 

 extraordinary ascendency could have been obtained, is difficult to con- 

 jecture. 



' In common cases this mysterious preparation was unnecessary. He 

 seemed to possess an instinctive power of inspiring awe, the result, per- 



