CONVENIENT AUCTIONS. 403 



I have mentioned before that some Repositories 

 have a regular auction once or twice a week. These 

 at times are like the addenda or appendix to an au- 

 thor's work, when used merely to make out a book at 

 the expense of the reader ; but at others, like the 

 codicil to a will, producing greater effect than all the 

 preceding seven skins of parchment put together. 

 Also like an outrigger, ugly to look at, but useful 

 when roads run bad. Or like a unicorn team, awkward 

 to drive, but not to be despised when the option would 

 be a heavy loaded coach and pair. Now, to do Nick 

 justice, he is not disposed to be a slow coach : in 

 truth, he goes over some ground rather too fast ; and 

 I have been showing some of my readers how to put 

 the " skid " on without hurting their fingers. If they 

 incautiously burn them in taking it off, any little boy, 

 who gets threepence a week from the coachman for 

 doing it, will teach them better. 



If I understand the term u auction," it was origi- 

 nally meant (that must have been before the Flood) 

 the putting property up for sale to be really sold to 

 the highest bidder. I have no doubt but that, if pro- 

 perty of any sort was sent for sale in the true spirit 

 of a sale by auction, and proper time given to acquaint 

 purchasers of such that it was bond, fide to be sold, such 

 property would, in the generality of cases, bring its 

 fair value ; but if three or four hunters, however great 

 their merits might be, were sent to be sold even by 

 Mr. Tattersall, if they were unknown horses, of course 

 they would be, figuratively speaking, given away. 

 Why ? Not because auctions are bad places to sell 

 horses at, but because hunters are sold for their merits, 

 and of course people will not bid for merits that they 

 do not know exist. But supposing (may it never 



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