552 
ON SHOEING HORSES. 
the shoes were taken off, the heels widened a little, and hammered 
so that the heels still remained flat, but an inclined plane back- 
“ The Poet dreams—the shadow flies, 
And fainting fast, the image dies; 
But lo! the Painter’s magic force 
Arrests the phantom’s fleeting course. 
It lives—it lives—the canvass glows, 
And ten-fold vigour o’er it flows. 
The Bard beholds the work achieved, 
And as he sees the shadow rise, 
Sublime before his wondering eyes, 
Starts at the image his own mind conceived.” 
If the basis of the spring-heeled shoe, or even the spring itself, cannot be 
rendered commercially useful by your means, mates, you see other means will 
be tried. It rests with yourselves whether to be protectionists of yourselves, 
or let the steam engine and die, after Moorcroft, or the founder and steel 
manufacturer, after Goodwin, do the work: bear in mind, more powerful per¬ 
sons have not been able to resist free trade, injurious as it is, no doubt, to 
some, the happiness of the greater number being the intention. But I forget; 
the argumentum adpassionem is of no avail, or I would tell you to look at the 
poor horses that have crawled off the pitch and tar and the long shoe on to 
the Lammas lands for relief; if that is not enough, go to Smithfield on that 
day, Larrey, on which if you are the good catholic you pretend to be, you do 
not eat meat; listen—only listen to the chaunting you will there hear, over 
your handy works; and if that is not sufficient, step on to my schoolfellow’s 
slaughter-house copper in the vicinity; there see how you have brought Nim¬ 
rod’s condition, that “too, too, solid flesh (to) melt;” and then to the con¬ 
fessor and obtain absolution for the misery you have caused. 
“ By my conscience, now, didn’t I already inform you I had repented me of 
my sins in this respect; though, faith, I cannot say whether it was myhumane 
feelings or what you have been saying on the subject, or the last pot of half- 
and-half that did it, or fear of the learned gentleman’s hair and gutta percha.” 
“ Never mind, Larrey, which it was. It depends upon individuals, whether 
or not horses shall be physiologically shod, to prevent the necessity of cutting 
the wires of the electric telegraph; the termini must know what is going on: 
the springs must place horses’ fore feet, of this variety, under similar circum¬ 
stances to the hind feet, i. e. although supporting more weight, ‘ the collision 
of two hard bodies, like the heels of the hoof and shoes, must be changed by 
the interposition of one that is elastic,’ permanently so. But you have said 
little about contraction. Not yet. I have only come to the reign of the old 
hat, leather and prunella Caliphs, who, having got themselves into a dilemma, 
attempted to get out of it by these means. Well, the man with the mask—I 
beg pardon, the public, poor people—for such subterfuges paid extra, which 
they will not now withhold for a better invention. It is not necessary, therefore, 
to supersede the use of ordinary horseshoes, for this variety of horse pay those 
upon principle at the same price, and if it was, it nevertheless can be accom¬ 
plished. Independently of this, however, it is eas}' enough to shoe horses upon 
principle, to prevent permanent lameness, and its consequences. Those who 
have used these temporary means of relief have attested their utility ; it is 
only necessary to also try the permanent ones, springs to the heels of the 
ordinary shoe, to be convinced of the superior utility of the practice. 
“ Now, contraction.—No, no; recollect what Mr. Bracy Clark wrote about 
* sunk under difficulties of this profession ;’ but, no doubt, the great Caliph 
will also be able to ‘ unravel that mystery,’ and of the art altogether.” 
