vi Introduction. 



any part of M. Baucher's works. Like 

 many men of original genius, he was far more 

 successful in discovering truth than in explain- 

 ing it. His style of disquisition is very pro- 

 lix, and sometimes not a little obscure ; indeed 

 there are certain portions of his teaching whose 

 precise object and connection I frankly ac- 

 knowledge myself unable to comprehend. 

 Nor is this all. He perpetually employs that 

 peculiar tone of philosophical grandiloquence 

 which is so dear to French writers, and so 

 utterly intolerable to English readers. I ques- 

 tion whether there are many of my hunting 

 acquaintance who would patiently hear them- 

 selves admonished that the cavesson must be 

 c sustained with an energetic wrist/ or that 

 the horse must be prevented from c taking 

 an initiative which might have its dangers/ 



But it has occurred to me that I may be 

 able to do good service by introducing to the 

 civilian horseman those elementary principles 

 of M. Baucher's system which Captain Nolan 

 has judged likely to be useful in the military 

 riding-school. My own observation has con- 



