ESTIMATION OF MERIT VARIES. 25 



tion to possess them. Mrs. Glass says, "first 

 catch your hare ; " but she supposes you to be 

 already a cook, otherwise she would probably 

 have said " first make yourself a cook : " so I 

 should say, first make yourself a horseman, then 

 get the hunters. 



When I recommend the tyro among horses 

 only to buy such as he has seen doing in a satis- 

 factory way the description of work for which he 

 wants them, I must give him another caution, 

 and that is, to consider whether he is judge enough 

 to decide whether the horse has done this work in 

 a proper manner; for a satisfactory way, as the 

 term is here applicable, renders it by no means a 

 definite one ; as the question may be put, " satis- 

 factory way " to whom ? For if it is only satis- 

 factory to a person who does not know how work 

 ought to be done, the buyer may get possession 

 of a brute that he will not find it very easy to 

 get rid of under considerable loss. Doing work 

 as it ought to be done, and only doing it some- 

 how, just makes the difference, in two horses of 

 similar age, soundness, and appearance, of being 

 worth a hundred and forty, or only forty. It is 

 true there are many persons who are content if 

 their animal does his business anyhow, provided 

 he does it ; and if they are satisfied with this, 

 and have bought such a treasure at his proper 

 value, he is as good value to them as the best 



