74 PRECEPT AND PRACTICE. 



long ago, though he knowed I wanted him for a gen- 

 tleman, a customer of mine ; in coarse I could not 

 let him have him ; so I lost a hat-fall of money." As 

 Falstaff said, "Lord, Lord, how this world is given to 

 lying." The fat knight was a tolerable hand at it him- 

 self; but I will back a regular coper to beat even him. 



We will now quit Tattersall's, and will mention a ruse 

 by which a man is almost sure to be taken in. Now at 

 Tattersall's he only runs a risk of this in buying cer- 

 tain horses under certain circumstances ; but in the 

 way I am going to mention, he is as certain to be so 

 as he would be if he purchased silks and satins at one 

 of the advertising mock auctions — I cannot mention 

 any greater certainty. 



It should seem that people like to be humbugged : 

 or whether they think that luck, or judgment will 

 bring them through while tampering in such danger- 

 ous speculations, or whether they think that now and 

 then a bargain is to be had, and hope the now and 

 then will be in their particular case, I know not ; but 

 by their going to such places it should seem that the 

 assertion is not very wide of the mark that says, that 



