440 ASHGILL; OR, THE LIFE 



creates a breed of " butcher boys " who, ignorant of the 

 fine art of riding, or who are unendowed with the 

 instincts of the true, genuine horseman, cut open the 

 sides of their mounts from girth to shoulder. A game, 

 spent horse may be struggling beyond his powers, yet 

 he is whipped and spurred in a manner that makes the 

 real lover of the thoroughbred blush at the sight. Some 

 readers may consider this criticism maudlin ; others, we 

 feel persuaded, will recognise in it an honest desire to 

 see the treatment of the most noble and beautiful of the 

 brute creation more merciful and generous. 



No royal road has yet been discovered for the 

 making of a perfect horseman, the essentials are so 

 numerous and diversified to complete the whole, just 

 as they are necessary in the embodiment of a perfect 

 horse a creation yet to come, in that it is almost a 

 physical and mental impossibility for a single individual 

 to combine them in his anatomy. Here is a whimsical 

 rhyme of a modern versifier in Baily bearing on this 

 point : 



HOW TO MAKE A JOCKEY. 



" In a pestle and mortar of moderate size 

 Into Coventry's head put Lord Marcus's eyes; 

 Cut Tom Cannon's throat and save all the blood, 

 To answer your purpose there's none half so good. 

 Pound Archer to dust, as you'll find it expedient, 

 The world cannot furnish a better ingredient. 

 From the Barretts and Wood take plenty of spirit, 

 Successful or not, they have always that merit; 

 Jim Goater's address, John Osborne's advice, 

 A touch of Prometheus, it's done in a trice ! " 



While the versifier pays a well-deserved meed of 

 praise to the judgment of Mr. Coventry and to the eagle 

 glance of " Lord Marcus's eyes," he is somewhat blood- 

 thirsty in his intentions towards poor Tom Cannon. 

 What has the master of Danebury done, in all 



