STORIES OF DEALERS AND DUPES 253 



speculation in the animal's eye as there was in the 

 purchaser's bargain ; and he had a trifling thickness 

 in breath, that the Irish dealer said was only a cowld, 

 that he required a good breathing to get in tune and 

 upon the top of his speed. He had also a bit of a 

 blemish on one knee, but the horse-jockey assured 

 the cockney that it was only a mark in his coat. In 

 short, the y oss was a rip, and at the first stiff leap he 

 came to he shot his rider over his head, broke the 

 other knee, girths and bridle all together. The 

 cockney was much bruised, and threatened the seller 

 with a law-suit, appealing at the same time to his 

 conscience, how he could sell such a horse as sound, 

 and how he could praise him up as he did. " Upon 

 my word," says Pat, " and that's as good as my 

 bond, he is as sound as a bell, for he'll go whenever 

 you touch him ; and as for his character, all I said 

 was that he would run against any horse or mare 

 you could bring into the field ; and as for a leaper 

 let him alone for that ! " The case was hopeless.' l 



Even grave lawyers and judges seem to grow 

 extra witty when a horse-dealing case is before the 

 court. A horse-coping case was tried in the Court 

 of Common Pleas in 1804, and in the course of the 

 trial Lord Alvanley, the Lord Chief Justice, told the 

 following story : 



6 Some years ago,' said his lordship, ( an action 



1 Sporting Magazine, January 1832. 



