THE DOCTOR. 359 



" Dear Sir, to wliat chance do I owe the great honour 



Of seeing your mare and your upon her," 



He would thus have said, but he fear'd this position 



Of words, though in joke, might offend a physician : 



So bowing and smiling, in his usual way. 



Thrice he hemm'd, rubb'd his hands, and at last thus did say, 



" Dear sir ! hem, hem, hem ! dear sir, I'm delighted 



To see you at O ; but pray be alighted." 



The doctor dismounted, so once as a treat 



The old mare got. allow'd a few minutes to eat*, 



Thouo-h he said this was useless, for such was her nature 



She would go night and day, and do well on potato : 



The mare was put up, her rare treat to enjoy. 



Which led to this pithy remark from the boy, — 



" Though the doctor maintains on potato ' she doats,' 



She seems mightily pleas'd with a quartern of oats." 



As soon as the doctors had canvass'd together 

 The nature of patients, of hounds, and the weather. 

 The physician arose, first divested a potion. 

 Then said it was time to be once more in motion ; 

 Then the surgeon requested, polite as before. 

 He would wait till the horses were broiight to the door : 

 The horses were brought, mutual compliments pass'd 

 On the merits and beauty of both, till at last 

 Our son of Diploma thought fit to bestraddle 

 A thing that he called (God forgive him !) a saddle.f 



Away, then, they trotted to visit this person. 

 Less fit to be physick'd, than carried a hearse on, 

 But they knew as life's taper was burnt to the socket, 

 'Twas the very last fee the physician would pocket ; 



* The doctor's nags had a more accurate knowledge of per- 

 petual motion than many philosophers, 



f The doctor's saddles, made after a plan of his own, and by a 

 country collar-maker were perfectly unique. 



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