RIDING TO FIOUNDS iJSf) 



Osbaldeston in Leicestershire. The liorse he rode (Cervantes) was a 

 particularly high leaper, hxxi apt to drop short on the other side, 

 which was the case in this instance, and where the momentum was 

 more particularly rendered necessary. 



I never see the word "momentum," Init it brings to my recollec- 

 tion an anecdote of an old friend of mine— a Fellow of a college, and 

 a good fellow too — who was used to amuse me much by talking 

 philosophically and mathematically on riding to hounds — the words 

 momentum, vis vivida, and impetus, being for ever on his tongue. 

 With the nerves of a bull-dog, and no mean opinion of his prowess, 

 he was in the habit of purchasing horses, which, from natural or 

 acquired defects, had failed in making hunters in the hands of others. 

 His idea was, that if Nature had unfortunately intended such brutes 

 to carry themselves in all forms but the right, that intention could 

 be obviated by the means of mechanical force. To effect this, all 

 sorts of trappings were resorted to ; and it was really alarming to 

 men with any nerves at all to see him sailing across a country 

 with the momentum, vis vivida, and impetus, all in full operation, on 

 horses with mouths like the heart of oak, but with their heads 

 confined with a strong cavesson-martingal. On one occasion a most 

 ludicrous accident occurred. This gentleman was out with the 

 Duke of Beaufort's hounds in Oxfordshire on a horse thus accoutred, 

 when the cavesson he was riding in unfortunately gave way. As 

 may be expected, having no further power over the brute, away 

 went the philosopher, like a ship at sea without a rudder, and, as 

 ill luck would have it, the momentum, vis vivida, and the impetus, 

 all formed their nucleus in the person of an unfortunate butcher on 

 his pony, who was going quietly along a road ; and the two riders 

 and their horses were laid prostrate on the ground. The breath, as 

 may be supposed, was knocked out of each ; but the butcher first 

 came to himself, and, looking at his opponent, whom he had not 

 previously seen, was heard to sigh out, in the true language of 

 the slaughter-house, " D — x\ your eyes — but you've killed me, by 

 G— d!" 



During my visit to Surrey, I saw some horses tackled in curious 

 ways — in w^ays which I had never before seen, and which would pre- 

 clude the possibility of their getting across a country, taking all kinds 



c c 



