72 The Post and the Paddock, 



rather more readily ; and as he chanced to hit one of 

 his front legs against the step as he left the stable, 

 he stepped so ludicrously high on crossing the move- 

 able stage to the vessel that he took very little note 

 of it. Once more in the light he had another frenzy- 

 fit, and was sadly uproarious all the voyage. 



Mr. Kirby might well say, in the language of his 

 country, *' he was d. parlous horse ;" but we have been 

 told that his old trainer, Fobert, has still a tender re- 

 collection of the days they spent at Holywell together, 

 and had sent a commission to purchase him at some- 

 thing under a hundred, when war was proclaimed. 

 Merlin was also one of the brilliant savages, and was 

 obliged to be double-chained to the rack in the paint- 

 ing-room, when he visited Mr. Herring senior, at Six- 

 Mile Bottom. His temper failed him when he was 

 slung for a broken leg, and he made an early use of 

 his liberty by killing his groom. The Bard, we 

 believe, committed homicide once, if not twice ; and 

 Mundig is said not only to have meant well on a 

 similar occasion, but not to have allowed any one to 

 go near him for a fortnight. Una and Malton could 

 hardly be got into a van or railway box ; Chanticleer 

 took such a strange prejudice against the latter mode 

 of conveyance on a sudden, that it was found impos- 

 sible to take him to Goodwood one year ; and we 

 think it was Cranebrook who steadily refused for 

 three weeks to let any one shoe him. Violante had 

 a permanent horror of a blacksmith, and Mr. Robert 

 Heathcoate's Georgiana, one of the first horses that 

 Sam Chifney rode, was always obliged to be backed 

 out of the stable and backed in again. There is also 

 a story in Northamptonshire, to the effect that the 

 celebrated fifteen-one "Candlestick horse" took 

 offence at his groom's style of friction, and was only 

 cleaned for several seasons by a series of judicious 

 dashes with a besom. This horse was originally 

 bought y Dr. Hill, of Hinckley, for a few pounds, as 



