20 



Introduction 



teenth. century. Our author describes the figure 

 as being that of the Countess of Newcastle. 



It may be conjectured, that a single crutch, 

 only, for the advanced leg, was at first used ; and 

 this, it is not improbable, was fixed on the centre 

 of the pommel, as in the lady's saddle, now, or at 

 least very lately, common in some parts of Mexico ; 

 where the women, it would seem, ride with the left 

 hand towards the animal's head. This, also, ap- 

 pears to have been, sometimes, the case, down to a 

 recent period, in our own country ; for, in rather 

 a modern description of the side-saddle, the 

 crutches are spoken of as being movable, in order 

 to afford a lady, by merely changing their relative 

 positions, the means of ridiig, as she might please, 



