advertisements of the papers. Cobs, hunters, and 

 hacks, were as plentiful as blackberries in Sep- 

 tember. The difficulty was only where to choose. 

 " The neatest little cob in London," " the best 

 hack that ever was mounted," " that well-known 

 hunter Tantivy, equal to fifteen stone up to any 

 hounds," all offered themselves to my delighted 

 eyes ; and away I went, to try them all and buy 

 the best. 



My reader must excuse me for a little digression 

 to give him some account of myself, so far as re- 

 gards my equestrian capabilities, otherwise he will 

 not enter as fully as I could wish, into the merits 

 of my story. Be it known, then, that I ride rather 

 more than twelve stone — have a good seat — never 

 was afraid of a horse in my ]ife — stand about five 

 feet nine inches ; and being still under middle age, 

 I am of course far from indifferent whether I am 

 well mounted. Such I take to be the average 

 pretensions of nineteen out of twenty gentlemen 

 in search of a horse. 



My first adventure was with a Quaker. There 

 are few things in which the Society of Friends 

 evince their characteristic shrewdness more than 

 in their judgment of horse-flesh. I have a most 

 sincere respect for them, both in their collective 

 and individual character. I have long known 



