112 THE NOBLE SCIENCE. 



in a race, to abandon a horse's head is to stop him at 

 once, and it is no less indispensably necessary to hold 

 him well together, across country. He cannot move 

 well over smooth ground, still less over ridge, and fur- 

 row, or plough, unless he is perfectly collected. In 

 this consists the horsemanship of riding to hounds, no 

 less than in the selection of the firmest ground, the 

 time and place for increase or decrease of speed, the 

 manner and rate of putting horses at their fences, and 

 the hke distinguishing features, in the performance of 

 a first-rate workman. We read at school, 



" Hie moderatur equos qui no7i moderabitur iram," 



and I fear that good riding will not be found so infallible 

 a test of good temper, as to serve for a guide to any 

 young lady in the choice of a husband, if she be not satis- 

 fied that a fox-hunter is better worth having than the 

 " nice young man" who keeps tame rabbits, shoots foxes, 

 &c. &c. But I must say, that temper and patience have 

 no slight influence in the management of a horse ; that if 

 a man can ride well in an irritable mood, he will ride still 

 better in good humour; and that all the most brilliant 

 amongst the hard riders of my acquaintance, are ahke 

 characterised by the most estimable deportment in all re- 

 lations of life. I am aware that, in making this assertion, I 

 am summoning up a fearful array of what are termed, in 

 Paddyland, " right wicked riders," men of the dare-devil 



