now occupy, but for my knowledge of animals. I lived
very comfortably with the old gentleman till he died, which he did about
a fortnight after he had laid his old lady in the ground. Having no
children, he left me what should remain after he had been buried
decently, and the remainder was six dickeys and thirty shillings in
silver. I remained in the dickey trade ten years, during which time I
saved a hundred pounds. I then embarked in the horse line. One day,
being in the --- market on a Saturday, I saw Mary Fulcher with a halter
round her neck, led about by a man, who offered to sell her for
eighteenpence. I took out the money forthwith and bought her; the man
was her husband, a basket-maker, with whom she had lived several years
without having any children; he was a drunken, quarrelsome fellow, and
having had a dispute with her the day before, he determined to get rid of
her, by putting a halter round her neck, and leading her to the
cattle-market, as if she were a mare, which he had, it seems, a right to
do; all women being considered mares by old English law, and, indeed,
still called mares in certain counties, where genuine old English is
still preserved. That same afternoon, the man who had been her husband,
having got drunk in a public-house with the money which he had received
for her, quarrelled with another man, and receiving a blow under the ear,
fell upon the floor, and died of artiflex; and in less than three weeks I
was married to Mary Fulcher, by virtue of regular bans. I am told she
was legally my property by virtue of my having bought her with a halter
round her neck; but, to tell you the truth, I think everybody should live
by his trade, and I didn't wish to act shabbily towards our parson, who
is a good fellow, and has certainly a right to his fees. A better wife
than Mary Fulcher--I mean Mary Dale--no one ever had; she has borne me
several children, and has at all times shown a willingness to oblige me,
and to be my faithful wife. Amongst other things, I begged her to have
done with her family, and I believe she has never spoken to them since.

'I have thriven very well in business, and my name is up as being a
person who can be depended on, when folks treats me handsomely. I always
makes a point when a gentleman comes to me, and says, "Mr. Dale," or
"John"--for I have no objection to be called John by a gentleman--"I
wants a good horse, and I am ready to pay a good price"--I always makes a