A few days after, as he was riding on his new purchase, he ran against a sign-post, upon the Common, near the Toy-Shop, and nearly threw it down. Not discouraged by this, he set off for Ripon, to play at an assembly; and passing by a place at Harrogate called the World’s-End, he overtook a man going the Ripon road.—With him Metcalf laid a wager of six-pennyworth of liquor, that he would get first to an alehouse at some small distance. The ground being rough, Metcalf’s horse soon fell, and lay for a while on the thigh of his master, when, making an effort to rise, he cut Metcalf’s face with one of his fore shoes. The Rev. Mr. Richardson coming up at this moment, and expressing his concern for the accident, Metcalf told him that nothing had hurt him but the cowardice of his horse, who had _struck him whilst he was down_. His instrument, however, suffered so materially, that he was obliged to borrow one to perform on for the night, at Ripon, to which place he got without further accident. The assembly over, he set off to return to Harrogate, and arrived there about three in the morning. He now thought it was time to dispose of his fine horse, whose eyes began to discharge much. After applying the usual remedies of allum blown into the eyes, roweling in different parts, &c. he found him in marketable condition; and knowing that there would soon be a great shew of horses without Micklegate-Bar, at York, he resolved to take the chance of that mart; and setting out the night before, put up at the Swan, in Micklegate. The next morning, when the shew began, Metcalf’s nag attracted the notice of one Carter, a very extensive dealer, who asking the price, was told twenty-two guineas. Carter then inquired if he was sound, and received for answer, “I have never known him _lame_; but I shall trot him on this pavement, and if there be any ailment of that kind, it will soon appear, with my weight.” The dealer bade him sixteen guineas, and a little after, seventeen; which Metcalf, for well-known reasons, was glad to receive.