PAR NOBILE FRATIiUM. 125 



is equal to the management of them. This is how- 

 ever quite a mistake ; he would be no such thing. 1 

 have no doubt the most blundering thick-headed attor- 

 ney that ever commenced the commonest action at law 

 would think himself much degraded by any compari- 

 son being made between his abilities and those of Scott^ 

 and would fancy, though twenty years had failed to 

 beat law into his thick skull, that as many weeks 

 would make a trainer, however obtuse his faculties 

 might be. So they might make as good a trainer as he 

 a lawyer. Preserve me from the hands of the one, and 

 my horse from those of the other ! I think we might 

 anticipate the action being spoiled in both cases. 



Nothing looks prettier or more easy to do, when we 

 see a jockey give his horse the preparatory canter 

 before a race : I scarcely know any ordinary situation 

 that sets a man off to greater advantage ; and cer- 

 tainly, with a tolerably good seat and hands, the head 

 is not much in this case called in question. But this 

 is only'the manual, and, if I may use the expression, 

 the handicraft part of the business. This is not 

 riding the race. We will not, however, as yet look 

 quite so high as the jockey, but shall find some head 

 is required even by a very subordinate little personage 

 — the ordinary riding-lad, who rides the horse in his 

 exercise work, and most probably sweats. He, little 

 as we may think of him, will never be worth his keep 

 if he is a stupid fellow. Some boys never can be 

 taught to know what they are about, never can be 

 taught what many persons would think very easy to 

 learn — the pace you wish them to take their horse 

 along, or in fact the pace they are going when they 

 are on him. Others with clearer heads and more 

 observation learn this very shortly : when they have 



