

It is long since I have arrived at the settled 

 conviction that it is very inexpedient to buy a 

 horse from a gentleman, and downright folly to do 

 so if that gentleman is yom- friend. 



A gentleman will never sell a good horse if he 

 can help it ; if circumstances compel him to part 

 with it, it may be reasonably assumed that the 

 character of the horse is well known in his owner's 

 immediate circle, and that he would never find his 

 way into the public market. 



Once, and once only, I broke through this rule; 

 a gentleman had a very beautiful and apparently a 

 valuable horse to sell. I was acquainted with the 

 horse as well as with his owner. I knew that he had 

 been in his possession for above a year, and I had 

 reason to think that he would not have kept him a 

 week if he were not a sound and serviceable animal. 



