THE WORK JUSTIFIED. 317 
treatment of the animals whilst under its influence ; simply 
because I assume all people connected with racing stables 
would understand a part of their management which admits 
of little or no variation. 
I trust I have succeeded in being, without tediousness, ex- 
plicit in describing racing matters to the comprehension of the 
uninitiated as well as of the cognoscentz. I have endeavoured 
to the best of my ability to refute the baseless and virulent 
attacks on my profession, and to forward the cause of morality 
in it, by exposing its errors, condemning its faults, whilst 
giving to honour and honesty their meed of praise. The 
result of my experience is recorded impartially, and I trust 
intelligibly, and without the aid of rhetorical embellishment. 
That the work has its blemishes I cannot doubt; but I 
trust the weight of information may be thought to out- 
_balance them, and, if I have achieved little, that the 
reader will generously accept that little as the best I 
can give. The words of the great moralist may, in 
this sense, perhaps fittingly serve at once as the best 
apology for the attempt I have made and a plea for its 
indulgent reception. 
“He that in the latter part of his life,” says Dr. Johnson, 
“too strictly inquires what he has done, can very seldom receive 
from his own heart such an account as will give him satisfac- 
tion, We do not indeed so often disappoint others as ourselves. 
But he has no reason to repine though his abilities are small 
and his opportunities few. He that has improved the virtue 
or advanced the happiness of one fellow-creature ; he that 
ascertained a single moral proposition, or added one useful 
experiment to natural knowledge, may be content with his 
own performance; and with respect to mortals like himself 
may demand, like Augustus, to be dismissed at his departure 
with applause.” 
