f which you may put up for the night after a very fair day's
journey, for no gentleman--supposing he weighs sixteen stone, as I
suppose you will by the time you become a gentleman--ought to ride a
horse more than sixty-five miles in one day, provided he has any regard
for his horse's back, or his own either. See to your horse at night, and
have him well rubbed down. The next day you may ride your horse forty
miles just as you please, but never foolishly, and those forty miles will
bring you to your journey's end, unless your journey be a plaguy long
one, and if so, never ride your horse more than five-and-thirty miles a
day, always, however, seeing him well fed, and taking more care of him
than yourself; which is but right and reasonable, seeing as how the horse
is the best animal of the two.

'When you are a gentleman,' said he, after a pause, 'the first thing you
must think about is to provide yourself with a good horse for your own
particular riding; you will, perhaps, keep a coach and pair, but they
will be less your own than your lady's, should you have one, and your
young gentry, should you have any; or, if you have neither, for madam,
your housekeeper, and the upper female servants; so you need trouble your
head less about them, though, of course, you would not like to pay away
your money for screws; but be sure you get a good horse for your own
riding; and that you may have a good chance of having a good one, buy one
that's young and has plenty of belly--a little more than the one has
which you now have, though you are not yet a gentleman; you will, of
course, look to his head, his withers, legs and other points, but never
buy a horse at any price that has not plenty of belly, no horse that has
not belly is ever a good feeder, and a horse that ain't a good feeder
can't be a good horse; never buy a horse that is drawn up in the belly
behind, a horse of that description can't feed, and can never carry
sixteen stone.

'So when you have got such a horse be proud of it--as I dare say you are
of the one you have now--and wherever you go swear there ain't another to
match it in the country, and if anybody gives you the lie, take him by
the nose and tweak it off, just as you would do if anybody were to speak
ill of your lady, or, for want of her, of your housekeeper. Take care of
your horse as you would of the apple of your eye--I am sure I would, if I
were a gentleman, which I don't ever expect to be, and hardly wis