protected from the continuous suffering consequent on galled or braded shoulders. In addition to the above important benefits, another decided advantage will be gained, namely, that of preventing the possibility of horses choking themselves by leaning on the collar, as they have frequently hitherto done."

We e now proceed to give the opinions of the sporting world. We commence with a fine specimen of "Old England;" for "Young England," with its trams and rails, steam and stokers, know as much about "coaching," as an Ojibbeway Indian does of Dante's poems. The dragsman writes as follows:

"Dear Sir,-Feeling highly gratified and served by your humane invention, 'The Bencraft Hames,' I consider it a measure of justice to inform you, that the same powerful horse which has drawn my wife's heavy four-wheeled Victoria for two years, never went seven miles up our little hills without galled shoulders, has not, after two months constantly using with the same carriage, harness, and coachman, with the Bencraft Hames,' wrung a hair. This I delayed telling you until our return from a long journey northwards yesterday, with heavy luggage, but do so now with much satisfaction; and if you think the evidence of a coachman of fifty-five years standing, taught by Charles Buxton, Esq., of Weymouth, may induce others to relieve their horses' sufferings, you are at liberty to use the name of THOMAS BRIDGEMAN. "P.S.-I found all innkeepers, ostlers, and collar makers highly approve of your Hames.

"Cheshunt Lordship, Herts, Nov. 1st, 1844."

Hurrah for the road, and long life to the old whip! say we from our heart's inward core. Another "workman" thus speaks :

"Sir, I am glad to inform you, that the mare that was so dreadfully galled in several places is now quite well, and doing her work daily in the Ruby' Exeter coach. At the time I was induced to try your Hames she was in a sad plight, the pressure of the collar at starting causing the blood to trickle down over her chest; and although she is a good mare, I feared she would soon become useless to me for coaching. From the time I used the Hames upon her she has never been withdrawn from her usual work, except once or twice in physic. I have likewise found their good effect on four other horses that were all more or less galled, and which, by the use of the Hames, are now quite sound, and I am convinced, doing their work better and more freely than they ever did. I cannot too strongly express my approbation of your invention, which to all coach and job masters is invaluable. am, Sir, your obedient servant, "C. R. ASHTON.

"Exeter, July 10th, 1844."

An omnibus proprietor writes as follows.

"Dear Sir, I should have replied to your favour before, but that I wished to give your Patent Hames a fair trial. I have used them over a long and difficult stage, namely, from Tavistock to Plymouth, in a machine called an omnibus, averaging fourteen passengers daily. One of the team was a skinned horse, and was constantly stripping on the shoulders; however, after using your Hames about a fortnight, he got perfectly sound, to the great delight of the coachman, for he had him once seized at Plymouth by one of the officers for the "Prevention of Cruelty to Animals," and was heavily fined. I am myself so thoroughly convinced of their superiority over those in common use, that in all the new sets of harness I may for the future order, I shall adopt your patent, Wishing you every success in your humane undertaking, I remain, dear Sir, yours, faithfullly,

"Launceston, Jan. 28, 1845.

J. E. PROCTOR."

There are a variety of other testimonials equally satisfactory, which all concur in the humanity of the invention, but which space will not permit us to give insertion to. The "Veterinary" for December, 1844, contains the following remarks:

"We can pass unqualified praise upon Mr. Bencraft's invention, and conscientiously and warmly recommend it to all lovers of the whip' and handlers of the 'ribbons,' nothing doubting of the gratification they will receive from witnessing

the comparative ease and pleasantness with which their tits work in the Patent Hames, and they will experience more than ordinary gratification at seeing the wheelers' shoulders free from any sort of wringing or galling, however laborious or irregular the draft. The New Sporting Magazine' corroborates the latter statement. Mr. Bencraft's object and success have been equally excellent: his Hames have been subjected to the severest tests, and found to be all they assumed to be a perfect guard against that violation of the laws of humanity, completeness, and general appearance we have alluded to; and in strongly recommending them, we feel convinced we are directing a benefit to man and horse, which use and experience alone can sufficiently appreciate.""

We select three more practical opinions, and one from as good an officer and rider to hounds as any in England.

"224, Oxford-street, April 19, 1845. "Sir, I have used your Patent Hames for several months, and have had full opportunity of testing their utility. The advantage over the ordinary collar consists in the pressure being more equally distributed, by which means galling si prevented, labour is materially diminished, and consequently the horse moves with greater freedom and ease to himself. I am, Sir, your's truly, "WILLIAM FIELD, Veterinary Surgeon.

"S. Bencraft, Esq., Barnstaple, Devon."

"Royal Veterinary College, July 14th, 1845. "Dear Sir,-From the experience I have had of the use of your Patent Hames, I am fully satisfied that they possess many advantages over the hames in common use with reference to draft, and that they are also an effectual preventive against galled shoulders. I am, dear Sir, very truly yours, "S. Bencraft, Esq., Barnstaple."

"CHARLES SPOONER. "Arthur's, June, 17, 1845.

"Dear Sir, I find by your note of this morning, that a letter I wrote to you on my arrival at Ipswich must have miscarried. I have given your saddles, both military and hunting, long trial, and have been much gratified with them. They are decidedly more comfortable than the old saddle; and this excellence is more fully felt in the military than in the plain one. I can find but one fault in them, and that is, that being so much pleasanter than the others, they render any accidental recurrence to the old plan disagreeable. Ever yours, faithfully, "J. WHYTE, Lieut-Col. 7th Hussars.

"S. Bencraft, Esq., Barnstaple."

"Safety Cab Office, King-street, Portman-square, "August 13th, 1845

"Sir, I have made trial of your Patent Hames with horses with galled shoulders, and I am pleased to be enabled to state the result has been satisfactory. It only requires to be seen to be appreciated; and is so simple, that it requires no explanation. I will thank you to send me six more pairs. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " HENRY WEbber,

"S. Bencraft, Esq."

"Managing Director, Patent Safety Cab Company.

We are aware that (like all inventions) considerable improvements have been made on the original specimen of the saddle; and those who will now make a trial of it will find it, for elegance of shape and perfection of seat, every thing that the most fastidious judge can desire.

We have now without favour, partiality, or affection, spoken of Mr. Bencraft's inventions in the manner conscientiously we believe they deserve to be spoken of. With that gentleman we can scarcely claim a personal acquaintance, but upon the only occasion upon which we had the pleasure of an interview with him, we found him to be a straight-forward, plain-spoken Englishman, satisfied to stand or fall by the merits or demerits of his patent, courting inquiry, asking for a clear stage and no favour, and only anxious that the public at large

should respond in his case to the request set forth by the tuneful Apollo

"Ply me, try me, prove, ere you deny me."

We all know (to quote the same song) that

"Where the judgment's weak, the prejudice is strong."

and, therefore, only appeal to those who are open to conviction to give the Patent Hames and Saddle a fair trial, and we doubt not but that, both to the dragsman and equestrian, they will prove "luxuries to the million."

THE OLD PON Y.

BY CHARLES WILLOWDALE.

Pone recordari.

LAW TERM.

Talk of Eclipse and Flying Childers, of all the stakes won by Beeswing, or carried off by Alice Hawthorn! what are they in their ephemeral glories to the solid usefulness, the lasting readiness, the every day fame, fun, and frolic of "the old pony?" The old pony is like Mr. Nobody, or Mr. Everybody, he is nothing and everything, as we shall see by-and-bye, when we come to look into his biography. Talk of Proteus and his thousand shapes! the old pony can match him—of Briareus and his hands! the old pony's legs at least will reach as far; and it is not his fault if nature by over bounty in the latter has been but a niggard in the former.

Some of our earliest, and frequently some of our latest achievements, are made by the help of the old pony. Master Tommy on his pad, and t' auld squire on his saddle, mostly begin and end their "witching horsemanship" upon his back. We have not forgotten the days (can we ever forget them?) when having sung dulce domum for the hundredth time, and coachee having "yoked his leading horses to," we were hailed by Pa, Ma, Cookey, and William, for the halidays, and having struggled through their kissings and smackings, we hastened to the stable to look at him. Ah! there he stood sleek as a mole, his little bright eye looking "as deep as Garrick," while his flowing mane and tail told how carefully he had been got " ready for young master at Midsummer." Next came manhood, and was he not then the pride and wonder of the stable? Did he not tire many a noble steed, and put the best hack in the stable to his trumps by almost incredible powers of endurance. Whether used as cover-hack or roadster-in single or double harness, pony-tandem, or ponyphæton; take him for all in all, which of them came up to him for all roads, at all times, all jobs, and all company? Then, as a shooting

pony-yes, his forte lay there; trained to stand like a stopwatch as the bridle dropped on his neck, and so to remain until the bang! bang! of the double-barrel allowed him to breathe again, the old pony was as firm as the hills. And then how he could follow through gap, brook, and spinny, creeping and crawling like an Indian on the trail of his enemy, as wary, sagacious, and as sure. The rest all amiss; and the meet among the woods! How often has he taken the shine out of the best of them! His metal was up then. True it was that he could not go the pace, but he could stick it; and getting through where others could not get over-cutting off a corner here, and making a cast there, many and many are the days when the old pony has been in at the death, and seen a good deal of it before the finish into the bargain.

It is very laughable, and I have been well amused to witness the performances of my old friend amongst my best friends, the farmers. It is there the pony is, par excellence, somebody of consequence, and at "the feast" that his glories shine forth in full splendour: he is kept going on that auspicious occasion "from morn to dewy eve." The first job is to fetch the fish from the Lane end, kindly deposited by the coachman as the down mail passes by-the down mail! it will puzzle you soon, I fancy, to discover an "up" one. Having deposited the salmon and lobsters, off he goes in a gig to fetch Miss Fanny or Miss Katie, who comes to visit Miss Jane or Miss Ann. It is out of the question to suppose that either young lady would go on a visit to a place where Master Tom, Dick, or Harry, is to be found. This fair burden brought home, it is discovered that the new cap has not been sent home for the mistress. Fire and faggot! love and madness! off he goes, with one spur on Johnny's heel, to Madame Mantalini of the next market town, and the cap comes safe to hand. He is now turned up into the paddock or straw-yard to cool himself, and regale on a bite of grass, or a mouthful of hay, if there is any: but vain as are the hopes of man, vainer are those of the old pony for a rest; if, indeed, he cares a pin about it. There are no lemons in the house! The worthy host, who stands proudly amidst the good cheer and old October-fruits and wines, pipes and glasses, of the grand anniversary of country-life-can scarcely credit his eyes, when having looked once and again throughout cupboard, shelf, sideboard, and pantry, there is not a lemon to be found, and ergo-but our friend does not condescend to Latin-no punch. Whoever heard of a feast without punch? Nobody, of course: so off he spins again, under orders to make haste this time (as if such jockeys as his ever go slow), and bring a dozen lemons from Mr. Sugarlip's-thirteen to the dozen, if they sell them so. That job jobbed, some of the young ladies think they should like a ride, and some of the young gentlemen being of the same opinion, on goes the side-saddle and away canters the old pony, gay as a lark, and fresh as a four-year-old. Having ridden round the lordship, and arrived safe at home, in they go to tea: but, oh! Cupid, blind as a beetle, and author of all mischief! so taken is cousin Charles with cousin Mary that he leaves the stabledoor open, and learns to his utter dismay, in due time, that, his mare has left her loose-box, and trotted off on the road for home, a good

three miles and a-quarter. What's to be done now? Oh! call the boy, and let him fetch her back, on the old pony. And so they have him from Monday morning to Saturday night-eggs and butter, meat and fish, business and pleasure, school and fox-hunting, fishing and shooting, father, mother, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, cousin, nephew and niece, down to the seventh generation, one and all, ride and drive, walk, trot, canter and gallop him in turn. In high-life and low-life who but he, the trotting pony, the racing pony, my lord's pony, my lady's pony, the jockey's pony, the huntsman's pony, the earth-stopper's old pony, the butcher's, baker's, fishmonger's, gardener's, miller's, and the sweep's pony. Welsh, Scotch, Irish, and English, all sizes and colours, ages, and nations, "everything by turns, and nothing long," the pony is owned by all-prized by all-and proved by all to be an out-and-outer, and no mistake. And then in these days of taxation he has another claim to popularity-it may be that he pays no tax. Oh! Bobby Peel! happy is he who, safe and sound from "general taxation," can look around him from saddle or driving-box, and yet keep his £1 8s. 9d., or his guinea (if he has one) safe in the bottom of his pocket, to say nothing of "the ten per cent." which comes in as a kind of makeweight to keep the scales even.

But what sportman's house is complete without his picture, done to the life-dog and gun, pheasant or woodcock, greyhound and hare, as the owner's devotion is given to triggers or thistles? And such a picture! there is no mistaking it. If one would pass by the wellknown features of an old friend, the form to the life of Don or Carlo, or of Myrtle when she killed the one ear'd hare, that beat every dog in the county, on Marholm Downs-there is no mistaking "the old pony:" everybody knows him. Anybody may see at a glance whose pony it is. Nobody with the least knowledge of horseflesh could ever look upon such a pony as that, and not recognize him from a thousand. And so he stands in the foreground of the landscape-the key to the whole picture.

Reader, were you ever lost coming home in the night from a dinner party, and having to ride across country? If you have, you know well enough what it is, and who found the way home after you had given it up in despair. If you never had that pleasure, as Mytton's friend said half a minute before poor Jack upset him over a gravel heap, you are much to pity; you are going out of the world, my dear boy, with half your errand, as we say of the aged spinsters, unless you pass through the ordeal of bewilderment about to be told you. The month July, and the fête the wool-sale, or the feast before mentioned; sally forth about twelve, rather elevated, but not too far gone; for, if so, you are more likely to sleep than wander about until morning, and thereby curtail half the full enjoyment. You will get on well enough the first mile; thread the first two or three woods, spinnies, and cornfields, take the right turn to get upon the bridle road, cross the lane at the top handgate, and all of a sudden, as Pat would say, find yourself lost. Then ride back a bit, and pondering, puzzling and puzzled, discover in another half hour that you have come back to the same wall which first put a stopper on your homeward progress, and gave a silent but unmistakeable hint that there was