ON STAGGERS. 4^7 



-■ horfe has got the mad-ftaggers, and muft die.'' 

 Well knowing my own foible, and that I had 

 no hand at a retort, I remained filent. Prefent- 

 iy the violence of the fit abated, the horfe 

 ftretched himfelf out, (baking and groamng ter- 

 ribly, and with the almoft certain indications ot 

 the infufficiency of nature to free herfelf with- 

 out affiftance. The carter now (landing by his 

 horfe's head, I determined to make one more 

 e(ray, and the anecdote of a certain great man 

 on (hipboard ; and '^ extingui(h that illumma- 

 " tion," coming that moment acrofs my mmd, 

 I refolved alfo not to make a fimilar blunder. 

 Accordingly putting myfelf in the mod favour- 

 able pofture to obtain a hearing, I bawled out 



as loud as I was able, « your you 



« thick-fcuUed fon of a , why don't you 



" cut the bars of the horfe's mouth and be 



" to you ?" I (hall never forget it— thefe flow- 

 ers of the mother tongue operated upon the 

 fellow's auditory nerves like a charm ; he juft 

 caft a kind of vacant look towards the place 

 whence the voice proceeded, whilft his hand 

 mechanically (lid down to his pocket ; out came 

 his knife, and after a little aukward (umbling, 

 he drew blood in the roof of the horfe's mouth. 

 The iffue of the blood relieved the preflure on 

 the nerves inlfantaneoufly, and the horfe giving 

 three or four fobs, was upon his legs in lefs than 

 five minutes ; and was led daggering away to a 



farrier. 



