THE TABLE TURNED. 205 



concluded the business settled; but the gentleman 

 took the liberty of ascending to the loft, and there 

 found the unprepared hay as fragrant as hay could 

 be. The thing was now plain enough, and he took a 

 lock of the prepared and unprepared hay to Lord A. 

 The coachman was ordered up, whose manner on his 

 re-appearance was of course ludicrous enough when 

 compared with his late triumphal exit. However, his 

 Lordship neither condescended to notice this, nor 

 make any angry remonstrance, but merely addressed 

 him as follows : " Moreton, I am going to tell you a 

 story. It is very generally known, but probably not 

 to you." He then related the well-known anecdote 

 of the King of Prussia, who, being constantly annoyed 

 by his men letting their caps fall off at reviews, gave it 

 in general orders that he would flog the first man who 

 did this. It appeared arbitrary enough, but the caps 

 did not again fall off. Having related this, he asked 

 the coachman if he did not think this was very hard on 

 the men ? The coachman " did consider it very hard 

 indeed." " Very well," said his Lordship : " now I 

 am going to be more hard on you still : you say you 

 have got bad hay. I know that no horses can look 

 well on bad hay. But notwithstanding all this, if rny 

 horses do not eat this hay, and recover their condi- 

 tion in one fortnight from this day, at the end of that 

 fortnight by G I will turn you away. Now you 

 may go." He did not want a second intimation ; but 

 finding his case hopeless, the horses did miraculously 

 recover their condition, and he kept his situation. 

 Lord A. made no further remarks on this affair, but it 

 completely opened his eyes, and was the means of his 

 making a minute investigation, and a thorough and 

 lasting reformation in the whole establishment. 



