GENTLEMEN COACHMEN. 383 



make a jockey or a coachman ; and if an amateur, the 



sooner he gives up the attempt the better. Neither will 



a nervous man ever excel, or even be safe on a coach-box ; 



for strong nerve and presence of mind are very often 



called into action there. 



I have more than once amused myself with thinking, 



that if a Diet were formed, before whom crentlemen 



9 .... 



coachmen were to be examined previous to their being 



considered safe, it would not be amiss if they were to put 



them to the following test : — -Let the harness of four 



horses be taken to pieces — strap from strap — and then let 



the pupil be directed to put it together again in their 



presence. If he succeeded, I should have no hesitation 



in pronouncing him safe, as his experience on the road 



must have been considerable. 



If a man could bequeath his experience to his heirs 

 as an heiiloom to his estate, what lots of money would be 

 saved to the young ones ! In the purchase of coach 

 horses some orentlemen coachmen whom I could name 

 have sunk little fortunes. A hint or two may not be 

 amiss here. 



A gentleman should never purchase a horse for his 

 team without a good trial of his mouth and temper. 

 With respect to the first — to be perfect, he should be 

 almost what we call on the road 'a cheek horse ;' that is 

 to say, he should require very little curb ; should always 

 be at play with his bit, and yet not afraid of it ; and each 

 side of his mouth should be alike. To a gentleman's 

 leader a good mouth is everything, and then the higher 

 his courage is the safer he is to drive. With stage-coach 



