PUECHASING HOESES. 43 



ance of others, consequently (unless to very ex- 

 perienced judges) giving the colt the appearance of 

 being a year older than his true age. It would be 

 held equally flagitious for a dealer to file and clean a 

 horse's teeth, to cause deception as to his age. But 

 how many bottles of port-wine are daily drank 

 (where men are not connoisseurs) that have been 

 made of proper age by tartaric acid, with orris-root 

 and elder-flowers to create a tempting houquet, and 

 brandy to give strength ; while the term " sweating 

 in," pretty well known to the dealers in wine, pre- 

 vents its addition being detected. 



An artificial crust is easily made, and the colouring 

 of the cork promotes the deception: But best of all 

 is the stale trick of exhibiting wine with the bottles 

 so covered with dirt and cobwebs, that had the wine 

 lain in the cellar from the days of our grandfathers 

 it could never have collected round it. Talk of horse- 

 dealers, they are, in point of deception, paragons of 

 virtue, mere bunglers in their business, to some ex- 

 pert wine-merchants. 



The reason the practised judge does not usually 



