The Seat. 1 1 



peculiar air commonly described as forming 

 part of the horse. They may, from careless- 

 ness or affectation, have ungraceful peculiari- 

 ties ; but the poise of their bodies is always 

 perfect. In fact nothing is more curious than 

 to watch how the trunk of a skilful but 

 slovenly horseman appears to grow out of his 

 horse's back, while his legs are working and 

 swaying like mere appendages. 



Look, for instance, at Leech's admirable 

 caricature, in Mr. Sponge's Tour, of Lord 

 Scamperdale riding over to dine at Jawley- 

 ford Court. The noble lord is represented 

 as a square, thickset, ungainly man, dressed 

 in a style of flashy vulgarity ; and nothing 

 can be more grotesque than the jockey-like 

 affectation with which he is lowering and 

 spreading his hands, or than the pseudo-mili- 

 tary affectation with which he is stretching 

 down his short legs, and cocking up his large 

 feet. But all these absurdities are forgotten 

 at once, when we observe the commanding 

 ease with which his body is planted in the 

 saddle. The great artist knew better than to 

 trifle with that part of his hero. The horse, 

 a remarkably clever white galloway, is striding 



