MAKING THE MOST OP ONE's TALENT. 211 



one. Its pleasantness depends, in a great measure, 

 on the turn of mind, or rather pursuit of the person. 

 Some men job hunters ; agree for price, and the 

 number they may choose to have placed at their 

 disposal. So far as my particular turn goes, I 

 should derive no more pleasure from riding 

 Tilbury's horses during a season, than I should in 

 riding a post-horse to Hounslow by way of an 

 airing. I have been accustomed to own nice 

 ones, had (I hope a pardonable) pride in them, 

 and, I am free to confess, in their condition, and 

 sometimes performance. Now I cannot conceive 

 anything flattering to this little harmless vanity 

 in riding such a horse, the property of another, 

 and under the management of the servant of 

 another. But the feeling of having made a horse 

 the clever animal he is, and bringing him into the 

 condition he is, does go somewhere towards show- 

 ing you know what you are about. I am quite 

 willing to allow that making a hunter, brlno-incr 

 him out in king's plate condition, and riding him 

 well (supposing the latter to be done), is no great 

 matter to be vain about ; but if a man's mind and 

 talents are not framed to the performance of great 

 achievements, it would be hard to deprive him of 

 enjoying the little triumph attendant on the per- 

 formance of minor ones. 



We should have been sorry to see John Kemble 

 sing a comic song between the acts of *^ Hamlet." 

 p 2 



