A French liar as and Horse Fair. 
395 
posting liarness, such as I have seen at Paris in the days of the 
Empire, and perfect of its kind — the traces of black rope, the 
horses' tails twisted up and laced, with jingling bells, and, attached 
to the bridle head-bands, fox-brushes for tiy-Happers. The horses 
were square-made, active, and altogether of a most generally use- 
ful soi't ; with round, lofty, energetic action, and with a little 
more freedom in going to get them away, these admirable horses 
would have been absolutely perfect for everyday work in their 
undulating native country, or for extraordinary exertions any- 
where in the armed service of la Merc Patrie. 
I took leave of my kind friends at Lamballe with many 
expressions of appreciation and obligation ; and I have no doubt 
the kindly feeling was mutual — indeed. I heard afterwards that 
it was said in a letter from Lamballe that by the observations 
and selections of the Englishmen they, the authorities, were — 
the expression is untranslatable — ^' tout il fait cpat6"\ I then 
and there fully determined to study further the influences of the 
establishment which had interested and instructed me so much, 
and generally to follow up the subject of hoi\se-breeding in France. 
On subsequent reflection I am strongly of opinion that a 
Government Haras system is not adapted to our needs and re- 
quirements : such an establishment in England would be killed 
outright by scathing criticism. Indeed, the French themselves 
say ' the English have the best Haras in the world — they belong 
to private gentlemen ! I have nothing but admiration and 
appreciation to express in regard to the gTeat establishment I 
was permitted to inspect ; there was zeal and devotion, with 
knowledgre, resultino- in success — that is to sav, success estimated 
b}- an outsider, and according to a French standard. Anyway, 
we have in England — as regards our State and Society stallions 
— one important lesson to learn from my kind friends ; Mon- 
sieur le Directeur and his subordinates are unwearying in their 
successful determination to follow up and to be fully acquainted 
with the produce of their two hundred sires, the growth of that 
produce, its promise, and its achievement. 
Some time afterwards the Comte de Carcaradec was so good 
as to write to me from his Chateai; de Kerivon, pres Lannion, 
C6tes-du-Nord, telling me of the great horse fair to be held at 
Morlaix on October 15 — " ?nie cles plus belles foires de Bretagne." 
He hospitably invited me to visit him at Kerivon, and promised 
to accompany me to Morlaix : the Count was altogether a most 
pleasing example of that international friendship which on every 
account it is so desirable for all of us to cherish. There I was 
introduced to the country gentlemen at the rural club, where, 
^ Dictionnaire Univertel. Paris : Hachette, 1839, Art. "Haras." 
