the first heat; at the second, she easily distanced all competitors; and the youth, having received the cup and bets, resumed his shabby coat, remounted his old mare, and rode off.

Extraordinary Equestrian Perform

ance.

In the year 1604, in the reign of James I. John Septon, Esq., of Kenwick, who was one of his Majesty's grooms, undertook to ride five times between London and York, from Monday evening till Saturday night. He set out from St. Martin's le Grand between two and three in the morning of the 26th of May, and arrived at York on the same day, between five and six in the afternoon; rested there that night, and the next day returned to London, about seven in the evening, where he staid till about three o'clock the next morning. He reached York a second time about seven at

night, from whence he set off again for London about three in the morning, and arrived there between seven and eight. He set off again for York, between two and three in the morning following, and getting there between seven and eight at night, completed his undertaking in five days. On the Monday following he left York, and came to his Majesty's court at Greenwich, as fresh and as cheerful as when he first set out.

The honest Horse.

A JOCKEY in Glasgow bargaining with a gentleman for a nag, in enumerating his many valuable qualities, frequently observed, with great earnestness, that he was "an honest horse." After the purchase, the gentleman asked him, what he meant by an honest horse? 66 Why, Sir, I'll tell you,' replied the jockey; "whenever I rode him he always threatened to throw

me; and I assure you he never deceived me."

French Post Horses.

ALMOST every traveller has expressed his contempt at the state of the post horses in France. The following is really humourous:

"Travelling from Dieppe to Rouen, we were obliged to put up with a very ordinary conveyance; indeed, it was nothing but a cart; but, for fear of offending, we chose to call it une chariot. To this cart, (chariot, I mean,) were fastened three things that had been horses in their time, but were now skeletonized into carcases, or images of horses, without life or motion. When we were mounted they began to crawl, for go they could not; however, it convinced me they had life, though we thought it would hold out no longer than to carry them to the next pack of hounds. Thus accommodated, a la mode de France,

we took our leave of Dieppe, and wagged so slowly towards Rouen, that we thought our journey a perfect emblem of the motion of the ninth sphere, which was forty-nine thousand years in finishing; but this was not all our calamity; the rain fell on us through our tilt, which, for the many holes in it, might more properly have been called a net. The dirt broke plentifully upon us, through the rails of our chariot, and the unproportionable pace of it started almost every bone of our bodies. Thus we endured all the infelicities of a journey, and escaped the several deaths of drowning, choaking with mire, and breaking of the wheel, besides the fear of being famished before we came to our inn, which was six French miles from us!"

The Cockney outwitted.

DICK SHIFTER, of Cheapside, having received many invitations from

M

his friends in the country to pass a few days among them, resolved upon an excursion. Among other adventures which he encountered, the following is recorded:

Being pleased with the appearance of a horse that was grazing in a field, he inquired for the owner, who, after warranting him sound, said he would not sell him, but that he was too fine for a plain man. Dick paid down the price, and, riding out to enjoy the evening, fell, with his new horse, into a ditch; they got out with difficulty; and, as he was going to mount again, a countryman, looking at the horse, perceived him to be blind. Dick went to the seller, and demanded back his money; but was told, that a man who rented his ground must do the best for himself; that his landlord had his rent, though the year was barren ; and that whether horses had eyes or no, he should sell them to the highest bidder.