The Emperor Caligula's Horse.

CALIGULA, the Roman emperor, had a horse called Swift, whom he invited to supper with himself; he caused his provender to be set before him in gold he gave him wine to drink in goblets of gold: he promised to make him consul, and had done so if his horse had lived: he did make him priest, yea, a colleague with himself in the supreme pontificate; his stable was of marble, his manger of ivory, his caparisons and harness purple, and a pendant jewel of precious stones at his posetrel; and he allowed him a house, family, servants, and household stuff.

DIO CASS. 1. 39, p. 397.

The Horse to his Rider: an Elegy, by Mr. Meyler of Bath.

The

THESE beautiful verses, which do equal honour to the head and heart of the author, were occasioned by the following circumstance: A few years ago, a rich farmer in the neighbourhood of Bath, was the unworthy pos-. sessor of a most valuable horse. farmer made a considerable wager that the noble animal would go from Temple Gate at Bristol to Hyde Park Corner, in the course of a few hours; and he performed the task as far as Reading, with high promise of his winning; but shortly after, the poor creature began to fail in strength and motion, whip and spur were cruelly applied, and the poor animal died under their goad and lashing!

Cease master cease, a little mercy lend,
Nor thus my reeking sides incessant flay!
Let thy sharp scourge my lab'ring bones befriend,
Nor thus my efforts cruelly repay.

Since morning's dawn near fourscore miles I've

sped,

And day's meridian scarcely now is o'er, Oh! let me seek near yonder alehouse shed, That lowly stable's hospitable door!

And must I pass it? Oh! my trembling limbs !
Ye soon beneath your cruel load must sink ;
My brain e'en now in faint delirium swims,
For life fast verges to destruction's brink.

Bred in thy fields, I knew thy presence well,
And ever ran thy smoothing hand to greet;
Then frisk'd along the daisy-sprinkled dell,

To show thee early that my pow'rs were fleet.

To please thy fancy I with patience bent

My velvet ear to meet the iron's heat, And all the torturing whims which men invent, To tame and shape us to their ends complete.

Fed in thy pasture, I with grateful speed

Have been the foremost with the tuneful pack, Nor hill, nor hedge, nor wall could e'er impede, But safe I bore thee on my faithful back.

When late at marts and taverns thou hast staid, Thy sense unequal to direct the road,

O'er the dark heath-through rutted lanes I've neigh'd,

And brought in safety home my drowsy load.

B

Oft my dear mistress have I drawn with care, With her sweet brood to join the village school, And thought myself full proud when she would

spare

One look, one pat, and call me her-" poor fool!"

With such a charge for worlds I had not fell,
Nor giv'n alarm to those so dear to thee-
Then let compassion in thy bosom dwell,
Nor furious thus increase my misery!

Oh! if intemperance in her wildest hours,
Has urg'd thee to propose the cruel bet,
My once kind master! strain no more my pow'rs,
They fall beneath the arduous task that's set.

If true the doctrine which some sages hold,

Of transmigration's just and vengeful fate, Oh! think what horror will thy page unfold, How wilt thou suffer in thine alter'd state!

This day's base action then shall rise in awe,
And doom thee to some pannier'd ass's lot,
Thy sides half famish'd and thy back half raw,
Standing neglected near thy master's cot.

Or, some grim tyrant, bent on pelf and blood,
May bring on thee a premature old age;
An outcast cripple, sell thee from his stud,
To meet the collier's or the sandman's rage.

Ah! dost thou pause-thy heel forget its strokeToo late thou must confess the deed accurst; Too late has mercy in thy heart awoke,

My eyes grow dim, my mighty heart is burst!

Farewel!-affected by my mournful tale,

Some breasts may feel the keenness of remorse; And should my fate but turn compassion's scale, A future race may bless the Dying Horse.

Remarkable Friendship of a Horse to a Dog.

A FEW years since, the servant of Mr. Thomas Walker, of Manchester, going one day to water the carriage horses at a large stone trough which was then at one end of the Exchange, a dog which was accustomed to lay in a stall with one of them, followed the horses as he usually did, and was attacked with such ferocity by a large mastiff, that he was in danger of being much worried, when one of the horses