45 



diamonds in the world with the Koh-i-noor, &c. ; but 

 if flaws were made in these by some boring process, 

 and part of the beautiful glitter destroyed by stain, 

 the diamonds by the same style of argument, might 

 still be called of the purest water — but would they 

 not greatly have deteriorated and become as valueless 

 for ornamental use as broken Sevres china ? Of 

 course they would. How much greater then is the 

 comparative deterioration of the finest of living 

 animals whose services are required for use, for 

 ornament, for healthy, agreeable excitement, and for 

 pleasure ; and what pleasure can persons of taste 

 have in bestriding young thorough-bred blossoms with 

 carcases more like lodging-house bolsters than well 

 shaped barrels, and whose limbs, even when straight, 

 have often a puffiness about the pasterns, the possible 

 precursor in these young things to premature petri- 

 faction. 



There is another phrase likewise current which 

 influential horse orators fancy we ought to accept and 

 rest satisfied with. Finding the public becoming very 

 sceptical about horses in general, but legs in par- 

 ticular, they blurt out: — " Oh ! you can't get perfec- 

 tion in anything." Many novices in this line both 

 old and young, have I watched, who although at the 

 very first glance at the legs were perfectly cognizant of 



