130 COB THE WATER-CARRIE!?. 



our estimation of the qualities of a buggy-horse is simply 

 this : he likes one that always wishes to go slow ; I 

 like one that always wishes to go fast ; and so long as 

 there are such things as reins to be had, and a horse 

 will answer to them, such horses as I describe are the 

 horses for me. If the time should come when I can 

 no longer drive such, I will get a stand-at-the-door 

 cob ; but then, please St. George, some one shall drive, 

 for I won't. 



I hope I have sense enough and liberality of feeling 

 enough not to dislike a member of any class of men if 

 I find him an exception of the right sort to the gene- 

 rality of his class : nor do I even dislike a cob if he is 

 as unlike cobs in general as I would wish him to be ; 

 in which case some persons might say he was no cob 

 at all. If a cob is to be that sort of punchy, bloated 

 piece of inanimation I daily see, that would never, if 

 he could help it, go faster than a walk during the 

 term of his natural life, and only perform this feat 

 when not permitted to stand still, indeed I do most 

 wickedly hate, detest, and abominate each and every 

 cob whenever and wherever he may be found, living 

 or dead, with the exception of finding him defunct 

 and at the kennel door : there my animosity in com- 

 mon charity would cease ; so no one can say I have 

 any objection to a cob in his proper place ! I should 

 be induced to give the man, whoever he was, that first 

 introduced the name of cob for these sort of animals, 

 credit for very properly appreciating their qualifi- 

 cations. Doubtless he took it from Cob, the water- 

 carrier of old ; and a very proper kind of service he 

 thus pointed out for cobs of the present day; and 

 very useful animals they would be if we would only 

 employ them in some such occupations instead of 

 riding them. 



