Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 360, October 1845Various
Philosophy
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 58, Number 360, October 1845
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
again submitted to the shears, the grub extirpated, and the cure, we
believe, effected. The muscular power of a sheep is tremendous; and,
if it were to get its head between the ankles of the brazen Achilles,
down would fall the glory of Hyde Park. It is lucky they have not
found out the secret of their strength, as they might take such a
dangerous attitude as materially to raise the price of mutton--a
consummation by no means to be wished.
In addition to the cows and sheep, and innumerable multitudes of
chickens and turkeys, the farm boasted a goodly array of horses. These
would have made a poor figure at Newmarket, as they were no kin to
Godolphin or Eclipse--but in plough or harrow they looked respectable.
There was an old mare, and her daughter, and her daughter's
daughter--Grannie, and Polly, and Rose by name. There were also
another mare and her foal; but our acquaintance was confined to the
three generations--or rather to the two--for Grannie was old and
stupid; and as the farmer sported a fine old-fashioned strong rough
gig, we occasionally pressed Polly into the service, put two or three
children on footstools in the front, brandished a whip that had done
duty at the plough, and trotted off with the easy dignity of four
miles an hour, and lionized the whole neighbourhood. Amidst bumps, and
thumps, and bursts of laughter at the unwieldy turn-out, the excursion
was pleasanter than if made in a chariot and four.
One day we started off to visit Ragland Castle; the distance was five
or six miles, the day beautiful, the mare in splendid order, and the
whip ornamented with a new lash. Disregarding the whinnyings and
neighings with which the family received our steed as we passed the
field where they were all assembled to see us at the gate, from
Grannie down to the foal, we applied the thong vigorously, and
chirruped, and whistled, and cried "Gee!" and "Hither!" and got fairly
into a trot; and an easy thing it is to maintain the pace after you
have once got into it--in fact, you find some difficulty in getting
into a slower rate; and if by any chance we pulled up altogether to
see a view, Polly, who was no judge of the picturesque, was very apt
to turn round and run away home--if the word "run away" can be applied
to a very determined walk, with no regard whatever to bit and rein. A
struggle of this sort was very apt to occur at Llansaintfraed Lodge,
meaning, we are told, in the original, the Church of St Bridget--and a
pretty church it is. It is in a park of moderate size, crowning a
gentle elevation; a carriage-drive leads to it, nicely gravelled, for
it is the approach to Llansaintfraed House. The church, when we saw
it, was all festooned over the porch and a portion of the walls, with
honeysuckle in full show; roses and other flowers were planted all
round, and a fine solid stone cross threw its beautiful shadow over
the graves. The church is very small and very old, and owes a part of
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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