PURCHASING HORSES. 69 



nobleman/' with their names specified, be sure you 

 can buy nothing there worth your money. Lord or 

 Mr. Somebody has seen them carrying their late 

 owners and their families ; he determines to buy one 

 or more of them ; he is not limited to price, have 

 them he will ; and, if two or three men are deter- 

 mined on this, cost what they will, the price is sure 

 to be enormous — at least, enormous for the particular 

 animal. lie may not be strikingly handsome, nor 

 anything particular as to action, or possess any qua- 

 lification that a horseman would prize. The frequent 

 fact is this : he has carried some old fogy, is perfectly 

 safe, would not shy at anything in nature or superna- 

 tural, will stand still as a statue, and moye on, when 

 wished, like an automaton. Another old fogy knows 

 this, and for such qualities will give any price ; so 

 unless you are an old fogy too, if you were to buy 

 one of these prized animals you might give consider- 

 ably above a hundred for what to any but such a man 

 would not be worth twenty-five pounds ; in fact, each 

 horse will under such circumstances bring a price 

 that only particular persons would contemplate 



