1 86 The Post and the Paddock. 



under him)," and then exclaiming, with perfect pro- 

 priety, * Why, that's the very picture of Tantrum gal- 

 loping /' " 



The fancy of the composers ran still greater lengths 

 when an Arab was to be puffed, every one of which 

 seems to have " a most sublime Hodget or certificate, 

 and most perfect nimble action," to say nothing of 

 being " of the best and most beloved breed in the 

 royal stables of the East." Whatever the extra price 

 of advertising, the certificates headed with " Praise 

 be unto God ! There is but one God, and Mahomet 

 is his prophet!" and ending with " Sixth day of moon 

 Ramdam, year of our Prophet 1127," were always 

 given at full. Not satisfied with this, we read in the 

 testimonials of one of these certificated pleaders for 

 public favour, a long fairy tale as to how a beau- 

 tiful horse rose one morning from the sea, and met 

 the loveliest mare in Araby ; and how the horse in 

 question is in a direct line from these loveliest of 

 mythical lovers. Of course, everything goes indis- 

 putably to prove their descendant a pure Cochlean. 

 The tufts of long white hair on the shin of each fore- 

 leg, the double feather on the off-side of the crest, 

 the curl of the hps when he is in movement, and 

 even divers wounds, are all there to confute the 

 sceptic. Beny Suckr, some great mufti or other, was 

 so fond and careful of the horse he imported, that he 

 *' sent thirty men to guard him in his ten days' jour- 

 ney across the desert ; " and another, " fifteen two 

 without his shoes," has such wondrous muscle that, 

 when the Russian General, Count Orloff, " who, 

 though perfectly well made, rides 23 stone," gave him 

 a strong gallop, he *' blew no more than if he had 

 carried a feather." A certain Mr. Gregory scorns a 

 certificate, but offers, as a voucher for the pure caste 

 of his brace of Arabs, that " they were bred by the 

 King of Sinnan, in the Mountain of Moses, in the 

 province of Yannam, in Arabia Felix." The prestige 



