ON THE HORSE IN GENERAL. 8l 



tread upon them. The fame mare, trotting at 

 full fpeed, once flew a rod out of her way, 

 that (lie might not tread upon a child, who was 

 accidentally crofling the road. This was not 

 the effect of ftarting or fhying, to which fhe 

 was at no rate addicted, except fometimes from 

 affectation, and when (he was in a gay humour, 

 and fought to entertain her rider. 



The fame mare faved herfelf and her 

 mafler, at the Eafter hunt, upon Epping foreft, 

 whither he had once the curiofity to go : 

 He was riding flowly and very heedlefsly 

 up the hill, abreaft a waggon. The mare 

 pricked her ears at a man and horfe coming 

 full fpeed down the hill, exactly in her line 

 of direction ; and at their approach hung 

 back, and in an inftant, with the dexterity of 

 harlequin, bobbed under the tail of the waggon. 

 A horfeman behind, going very faft, received 

 the mighty (hock, which made the earth trem- 

 ble. One horfe was killed out-right, and the 

 fhoulder of the other fhattered to pieces. 

 Thefe knights, it may be prefumed, were not 

 of the order of " the fons of care." I have a 

 thorough conviction this animal acled in the 

 above-cited inftances, purely from the influence 

 of rational motives. 



I have already trefpafled in the length of 

 this digreflion, or I fhould prefent my reader 

 with an anecdote of an Italian Buffalo, which 



vol. i. g for 



