ESPRIT DE CORPS. 213 



would wish he should not: but when every thmg 

 is taken into consideration, he really makes no more 

 than a fair profit. 



We will now suppose that some private individual 

 determines (that is, so far as he is personally con- 

 cerned,) the dealer shall make no profit at all, and 

 makes up his mind to go to a fair and purchase horses 

 for his own purjDose, concluding that he will be able to 

 purchase the same class of horse as the dealer, at the 

 same price. Thinking that if he can purchase horses 

 for — say 100/. — that he is aware he should be asked 

 120?. for in London, it Avould be a considerable sum 

 saved. So it would, if he could do it. But before 

 he can do so, he must first get the judgment of the 

 dealer, which he has not; and he must then know 

 where to look for the horse he wants : this, being un- 

 accustomed to fairs, he will not know, — for valuable 

 horses are not hawked about the streets in such 

 places. Here are two great obstacles in the way of 

 his purchasing judiciously ; but the great probability 

 is, he would not be able to purchase at all. The 

 regular dealers would not let him interfere with their 

 trade : they would combine together to keep him out 

 of the market, and would throw a thousand obstacles 

 in his way, through themselves and their agents. If 

 he did succeed in finding such horses as he wished to 

 buy, they would join, outbid him in price, and divide 

 the loss among themselves, rather than allow him to 

 get them. They are very glad to see a country gen- 

 tleman or breeder there, who comes with three or 

 four young horses for sale, nor would they attempt 

 to thwart him if he wanted to purchase a horse for 

 his own use : but they certainly would consider any 



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