im gently about the neighbourhood every day, by which means you will
give exercise to yourself and horse, and, moreover, have the satisfaction
of exhibiting yourself and your horse to advantage, and hearing, perhaps,
the men say what a fine horse, and the ladies saying what a fine man:
never let your groom mount your horse, as it is ten to one, if you do,
your groom will be wishing to show off before company, and will fling
your horse down. I was groom to a gemman before I went to the inn at
Hounslow, and flung him a horse down worth ninety guineas, by
endeavouring to show off before some ladies that I met on the road. Turn
your horse out to grass throughout May and the first part of June, for
then the grass is sweetest, and the flies don't sting so bad as they do
later in summer; afterwards merely turn him out occasionally in the swale
of the morn and the evening; after September the grass is good for
little, lash and sour at best; every horse should go out to grass, if not
his blood becomes full of greasy humours, and his wind is apt to become
affected, but he ought to be kept as much as possible from the heat and
flies, always got up at night, and never turned out late in the
year--Lord! if I had always such a nice attentive person to listen to me
as you are, I could go on talking about 'orses to the end of time."

CHAPTER XXVI

The Stage--Coachmen of England--A Bully Served Out--Broughton's Guard--The
Brazen Head.

I lived on very good terms, not only with the master and the old ostler,
but with all the domestics and hangers on at the inn; waiters,
chambermaids, cooks, and scullions, not forgetting the "boots," of which
there were three. As for the postillions, I was sworn brother with them
all, and some of them went so far as to swear that I was the best fellow
in the world; for which high opinion entertained by them of me, I believe
I was principally indebted to the good account their comrade gave of me,
whom I had so hospitably received in the dingle. I repeat that I lived
on good terms with all the people connected with the inn, and was noticed
and spoken kindly to by some of the guests--especially by that class
termed commercial travellers--all of whom were great friends and
patronizers of the landlord, and were the principal promoters of the
dinner, and subscribers to the gift of plate, which I have already spoken
of, the whole fraternity striking me as the jolliest set of fellows
imaginable, the