20 



tear it off. I succeeded however, after pointing out tlie 

 o-larino- defects in the fittmg of the shoes, in overcoming 



to & 



my friend's scruples ; and he permitted me to have my 

 own way in the matter: I accordingly caused new shoes 

 to be carefully fitted, and fastened by three nails; liut, 

 when he found himself engaged in the very last cause 

 which was tried, and considered, that he must ride through 

 the greater part of the night, in order to be in his place 

 in Court on the following morning at Launceston, the im- 

 prudence of trusting to three nails presented itself very 

 unpleasantly to his mind, and he entreated me to have 

 some more nails put in the shoes. I told him, I would 

 willingly comply %vith his request, but unfortunately there 

 were no more holes : then came the very natural question, 

 " What is the remedy, if I lose a shoe T the only one, I 

 could suggest, was, that he should lead his horse carefully 

 to the nearest inn, leave him there, and take post-horses 

 at my expense : and I would willingly have paid for his 

 posting into Cornwall and back, to have ascertained the 

 fact, that his horse could have torn those shoes off. The 

 end of it was, that I gained an important fact, and saved 

 my money ; for his horse carried his shoes safely into Corn- 

 wall, and back to London ; but satisfactory as tliis fact 

 might be to me, it was by no means convincing to the 

 smith, who usually shod him ; he could not efface from his 

 memory the lost shoes of former experiments, nor be persuaded 

 to try again ; so at the following Assize down came the 

 poor horse with seven nails in each fore shoe. Again I saw 

 him shod with three nails ; and again he carried his shoes 



