" NOW, GALLANT SAXON, HOLD THINE OWN." 129 



and is known to be a clever man in his profession 

 (or calling). This, ladies and gentlemen, is my 

 jockey in mufti. When dressed to ride, every- 

 thing is well made, put on in good taste, and he 

 is neatness personified. He is now, we will suppose, 

 on his horse, and giving him a canter. Here many 

 a young aspirant for fame wishes himself in his 

 place, and no doubt thinks nothing could be more 

 delightful or easy. How he would like to show off 

 before the ladies ! and so he might on some horses. 

 But our jockey happens to be on one who sometimes 

 would give a man something else to think about, and 

 who, quietly as he goes now (ridden as he is), would, 

 if our young aspirant was on him, in all probability 

 gratify his heart's desire, and show him OFF to the 

 ladies. Our jockey is, we will say, on Bay Middleton : 

 how still he sits on him ; his hands in the right place, 

 motionless, but just feeling his horse's mouth ! And 

 now he is pulling him up: how gradually he does 

 this, as if he fancied his reins made of a silken thread, 

 and a rude pull would break them. It is not so, 

 however : he knows no rude pull would break them, 

 but it might his horse's temper. We will now suppose 

 him running: could our would-be jock be by his 

 side, he would see that the Bay Middleton he had 

 seen taking his canter had become a very different 

 animal when extended with from 15 to 20 horses 

 running with him, and some perhaps at him. He 

 would find, if on his back, it was not exactly like 

 riding up Rotten Row; and I fear that what his 

 ladye-love might think of him would engross less of 

 his thoughts than what his horse might do with him. 

 This, however, is still only the manual, and, though 

 difficult, is by far the least difficult part of the 



VOL. I. K 



