For one who so modestly disclaimed all knowledge of sporting and country
tastes, Boz shows a very familiar acquaintance with horses and their
ways. He has introduced a number of these animals whose points are all
distinctly emphasized: a number of persons are shown to be interested in
horses, who exhibit their knowledge of and sympathise with the animals, a
knowledge and sympathy which is but a reflection of his own. The cunning
hand that could so discriminate between shades of humorous characters
would not be at a loss to analyse traits of equine nature. There is the
cab horse, said to be forty years old and kept in the shafts for two or
three weeks at a time, which is depicted in Seymour's plate. How
excellently drawn are the two Rochester steeds: one "an immense brown
horse, displaying great symmetry of bone," which was to be driven by Mr.
Pickwick, and Mr. Winkle's riding animal, another immense horse
"apparently a near relative of the animal in the chaise." "He don't shy,
does he?" The ostler guaranteed him quiet--"a hinfant in arms might
drive him"--"He wouldn't shy if he met a whole waggon-load of monkeys
with their tails burnt off." A far more original illustration than
anything used by the Wellers, whose special form that was. I pass over
the details of the driving and the riding which show a perfect knowledge
of animals, such as "the tall quadruped." Nothing is more droll than the
description of the loathing with which the party came to regard the
animal they were compelled to lead about all day. Then we have the post
horses and all connected with them. There is Tom Smart's "vixenish
mare," quite an intelligent character in her way. The account of the
coach drive down to Muggleton shows admirable observation of the ways of
the drivers.
Ben Allen's aunt had her private fly, painted a sad green colour drawn by
a "chubby sort of brown horse." I pass over the ghostly mailcoach horses
that flew through the night in "The Story of the Bagman's Uncle," flowing-
maned, black horses. There are many post horses figuring in Mr.
Pickwick's journey from Bristol to Birmingham and thence home; horses in
the rain and out of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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