222 THE HORSE. 



length taken from his horse to the infirmary, or 

 workhouse, where he died consumptive in a few 

 days. It was said he had stood that service, up 

 and down daily, during two years. 



Road Slang. — The following terms from the vo- 

 cabulary are selected as having something of novelty. 

 A drag, a coach, whence drags-man. The reins, rib- 

 bons. Putting the team to a gallop, springing them. 

 Driving near to a corner, or any object, featheredging 

 it. An empty coach, the mad woman. The whip, a 

 tool. A complete coachman, an artist or workman. 

 Travelling great coats, benjamins, or upper benjamins, 

 and so on. The slang of the road, however, is on a 

 very confined scale compared with the slang of the 

 pugilistic ring; which, comprising much of that of 

 the now so numerous and respectable profession of 

 the abstractors, and retaining most of the favourite 

 flash terms of the old school, has received, and is pe- 

 riodically receiving infinite novel and ingenious ad- 

 ditions. Certain classes have immemorially had their 

 peculiar terms, slang, or flash ; for example, the saints 

 of Butler's days and their successors of the present : 

 the thieves, or abstractors — the gipsys — the ladies 

 of unquestionable reputation — the ring — the road — 

 the field and the turf. Now if there had not been 

 much of wit, and spirit, and attraction, in these 

 " little rum tongues," how has it happened that they 

 have ever been so attractive ? and that there have 

 been so many lexicons published to record and ex- 

 plain their terms ? Even the decorum of the pre- 

 sent day, which has fortunately put down profane 

 swearing, and would not endure the republication of 



