have a full sense at once of the
pain, peril, and absurdity of the situation. Those four limbs of the
quadruped, which, noway under the rider's control, nor sometimes under
that of the creature they more properly belong to, fly at such a rate as
if the hindermost meant to overtake the foremost; those clinging legs of
the biped which we so often wish safely planted on the greensward, but
which now only augment our distress by pressing the animal's sides--the
hands which have forsaken the bridle for the mane--the body, which,
instead of sitting upright on the centre of gravity, as old Angelo [a
celebrated riding and fencing master at the beginning of the nineteenth
century] used to recommend, or stooping forward like a jockey's at
Newmarket [the scene of the annual horse races has been at Newmarket
Heath since the time of James I], lies, rather than hangs, crouched upon
the back of the animal, with no better chance of saving itself than a
sack of corn--combine to make a picture more than sufficiently ludicrous
to spectators, however uncomfortable to the exhibiter. But add to this
some singularity of dress or appearance on the part of the unhappy
cavalier--a robe of office, a splendid uniform, or any other peculiarity
of costume--and let the scene of action be a race course, a review, a
procession, or any other place of concourse and public display, and
if the poor wight would escape being the object of a shout of
inextinguishable laughter, he must contrive to break a limb or two,
or, which will be more effectual, to be killed on the spot; for on no
slighter condition will his fall excite anything like serious sympathy.
On the present occasion, the short violet coloured gown of the Cardinal,
which he used as riding dress (having changed his long robes before he
left the Castle), his scarlet stockings, and scarlet hat, with the
long strings hanging down, together with his utter helplessness, gave
infinite zest to his exhibition of horsemanship.

The horse, having taken matters entirely into his own hand, flew rather
than galloped up a long green avenue; overtook the pack in hard pursuit
of the boar, and then, having overturned one or two yeomen prickers, who
little expected to be charged in the rear--having ridden down several
dogs, and greatly confused the chase--animated by the clamorous
expostulations and threats of the huntsman, carried the terrified
Cardinal past the formidable animal itself, which was rushing on at a