90 
a horse’s troublous life. 
(With the Author's Covipliments.) 
A HORSE’S TROUBLOUS LIFE. 
A long-legged, guileless colt 
My mother brought me forth upon the Grampian hills; 
And as I gambolled round her day by day, 
In happy ignorance of the world outside, 
I recked not, cared not, thought not, 
Of the purposes to which in after life 
My equine form subservient should be made. 
A faultless head, arched neck, and shoulder sloped, 
Broad back and loins, with croup symmetrical; 
Tail well set on ; deep chest and barrel round; 
Legs, arms, and thighs proportionately formed, 
The judges of the district did me pronounce—perfection. 
Oh ! had my neck been ewed, 
My shoulder straight and legs deformed, 
A slave of me my master would have made, 
But kept me in my happy home, where all 
The troubles I have known in life could not have me o’erta’en. 
Three brief years passed—the happiest of my life ; 
Though, like the schoolboy, oft I chafed, 
And fancied I was hardly wrought and roughly checked; 
Yet, save the terror which I felt when jockey—dumb— 
Upon my back was placed, and iron bit secured 
Within my mouth—which terror me did cause 
To plunge and fight for freedom, e’en as the negro slave 
Doth try to break the cruel bonds from off his arms ; 
Or as Leviathan, when by harpooner struck, 
Makes one wild dash, re-curves his mobile tail, 
And in his mighty wrath projects 
The sea in tiny spray great height above its level; 
Or as the elephant—the Mammoth of the forest— 
When, by the aid of his own species tamed, 
Man binds around his limbs the withes and cords 
(Which erst shall humble and subdue his rage), 
Makes energetic efforts to ensnap the strand 
And madly roars, and uproots with his proboscis 
The saplings whose misfortune ’tis near him to grow,— 
So I, with wild and frantic bounds and shrillest neighs, 
Did ’tempt my liberty to gain. 
But all my efforts did not me avail; 
And save conventional disease, as strangles, 
Colds, cuts, bruises, wounds, 
I knew not much of agony or pain ; though by the “ vet.” 
I blistered was, for splent and shoulder-slip, 
And with the cruel shears my tail was—docked. 
