A MODEL HORSE-DEALER. 257 



dealer was in the end perhaps, all things considered, 

 the best mode by which a man of fortune could supply 

 himself with horses, and the cheapest I should rather 

 have said the least dear. This I only mean when put 

 in competition with (in the generality of cases) breed- 

 ing, or personally attending fairs, and supposing him 

 not to be a judge of horses; but I apprise him that 

 what he calls u taken in" he will be, go where he will ; 

 that is, he will on an average lose by every horse he 

 buys. I remember I have mentioned the Elmores and 

 Andersons as dealers. I beg, however, it may be un- 

 derstood that I merely did so as men whose names are 

 well known, and as among the leading men in their 

 trade ; by no means meaning to infer that there are 

 not many entitled to quite as much confidence, and 

 who are in every sense of the word quite as respectable 

 men : in fact, neither with Messrs. Elmore nor Ander- 

 son have I ever had one single transaction in my life, 

 either in buying or selling. With the late Mr. George 

 Elmore I have, and can only say, that the man who 

 possesses the straight-forward honourable way of doing 

 business, the courteous and I may say gentleman- 

 like manners and address of him, is a rara avis of 

 a horse-dealer. I have no doubt his conduct is here- 

 ditary ; but, if not, I could not give kinder advice than 

 recommending others to imitate their predecessor. 



To show the estimation in which I hold the words 

 or assurances of dealers in any thing (consequently of 

 horse-dealers), I never suffer myself to be guided by 

 one word they say. I do not tell them to hold their 

 tongues ; first, because it would be rude and offensive 

 to do so ; and, secondly, because they have a right to 

 talk ; but with me they talk to the winds. All traders 

 will say what they think most likely to recommend 



VOL. i. s 



