HUMANE CALCULATION. 31 



sequent labour would pay for the indulgence. If it is 

 thought it would, he is rested ; if not, he is worked 

 on till he drops. Many persons would be much 

 astonished to be told, while they were going along 

 twelve miles an hour, that the entire team before the 

 coach was not worth eighteen pounds, sometimes not 

 so much : but such is the case. What must be the 

 infirmities of four good sort of horses to bring them 

 to this price, and what their sufferings labouring under 

 such infirmities ! Common reason tells us what they 

 must be. These are a few observations on their 

 horses common in the mouth of coach-masters : " It 

 will be cheaper to work him to death than to be at any 

 expense about him." This means, that if resting 

 him for three months will cost three pounds, and by 

 working him to death three pounds five shillings is to 

 be got out of him, he is condemned at once, and 

 works till he drops. " It will pay better to work 

 him to death than to sell him at that price." That 

 is, the price offered does not amount by five or ten 

 shillings to the amount of labour still left in him ; so 

 he shares the fate of his companion above. "He is 

 cheap to whip to death at the price;" or, "I only 

 bought him to whip to death." This is a frequent 

 remark when a low-priced horse is purchased in. He 

 is wanted for a night-coach, or to work some tempo- 

 rary opposition: and this is said of some wreck 

 of a splendid hunter, who has carried our aristocracy 

 in the first flight over Leicestershire, and is the fate 

 that awaits many who are now doing the same thing ! 

 Human Nature, thou art but a combination of selfish- 

 ness and ingratitude at the very best ! 



To show I am tolerably correct in my estimation 

 of the general tender mercies of coach-masters, I will 



