78 THE HORSE AND HIS RIDER. 



garden, at the Hope, on the Bank-side, for the amuse- 

 ment of the Morocco ambassador, and any nobility 

 who knew the horse, or would pay the price of 

 admission. It seems that this animal originally be- 

 longed to the Earl of Rochester, and being of a 

 ferocious disposition, bad killed several other horses, 

 for which misdeeds he was sold to the Earl of Dor- 

 chester, and in his service he committed several simi- 

 lar offences ; he was then transferred to the worse 

 than savages, who kept the bear-garden. On the day 

 appointed, several dogs were set on the ferocious 

 steed, but he destroyed, or drove them from the arena. 

 At length his owners determined to reserve him for a 

 future day's sport, and directed a person to lead him 

 away ; but before the horse had reached London 

 bridge, the spectators demanded the fulfilment of the 

 promise of baiting him to death, and began to destroy 

 the building. At last the poor beast was brought 

 back, and other dogs set upon him without effect, 

 when he was stabbed Jo death with a sword. 



A parallel for this barbarity is recorded in Colonel 

 Davidson's " Travels in Upper India." He saw at 

 Lucknow, in the king's stable, a beautiful bay English 

 blood horse, which had been presented by George IV. 

 to a former king of Oude. The animal was blinded 

 with cloths, and fastened on each side of his head- 

 stall with strong chains, his vicious temper rendering 

 these precautions necessary. While thus secured ho 



