" Othello's occupation's gone." 47 



judges of horses lielcl it as a maxim, that " a good 

 hunter could be purchased any day, but a good 

 hack not more than once a year ; " and in bygone 

 daj^s such a maxim was perfectly just. Any 

 horse that could bear six or seven hours' fatigue, 

 gallop a moderate pace, and jump safely at very 

 moderate fences, was a hunter : but in those days 

 the hack, to be a perfect one, required a multi- 

 tude of good qualities, — he wanted as much 

 speed, when called on, as the hunter, good temper, 

 the best of action, in all his paces, going with ease 

 to the rider and himself, not too hasty but always 

 ready to go, a perfect mouth, perfect safety, the 

 best of legs and feet, and the best of constitutions, 

 to which must be added indomitable game; for 

 while the hunter has the excitement of the cry of 

 hounds, and the bustle of a crowd of horsemen, to 

 keep his spirits up, the hack has nothing but the 

 gameness of his nature to enable him to finish 

 with cheerfulness and safety the last twenty of a 

 journey of sixty or sometimes eighty miles, in 

 thirteen or fourteen hours. Time was, and indeed 

 not more than a century back, when it was only 

 on the high road that a carriage could travel at 

 anything beyond a foot pace, with an occasional 

 jog-trot; and even on the best turnpike roads six 

 miles an hour was held fair work; in fact, the 

 mails astonished the whole country in under- 

 taking to do eight. Under such circumstances, a 



