Commission Agents. 305 



living. The money is handed over, and the next 

 day the animals are shown and find another 

 master at about £300, thus fulfilling the proverb 

 that when a man is down every one will kick 

 him. Yet the men who do this trickery would 

 be shocked if they were accused of dishonest 

 dealiags. Scores of this kind of cases could be 

 quoted, but I think I have said enough to show 

 that a man, when buying a horse at a fair or from 

 an advertisement, should not do so with his 

 eyes shut ; and although the groom is considered 

 ignorant, yet many gentlemen would have sounder 

 and better studs if the advice of their grooms 

 and coachmen were taken in the selection of 

 them. That there are many ignorant grooms 

 and coachmen there is no doubt ; but I contend 

 that there are as many intellectual men to be 

 found among them as in any other class, and if 

 in my writings I have given umbrage to any of 

 my readers by my plain speaking, I am sorry for 

 so doing; but as my motto has been, ^' Proud to 

 praise, yet not afraid to blame," I could not be 

 truthful unless I blamed the groom for many 

 things, and the masters for as many more. No 

 bad workman ever had a good tool, and no bad 

 master ever got a good man. If, on the other 

 hand, my writings have proved beneficial to my 

 readers, and by them I have added one jot more 

 comfort to the horse, my studies are not in vain. 

 Eemember always the merciful man is kind to 

 his beast. Treat them kindly and you will find 

 any more good horses than l3ad ones. 



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