The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-15 00:00:00

(Frost TA' Theine theirertity .Vapeniet )

THE MEDIiErAL HORSE DEALER.

- - -
The openings of Erasmus's dialogues are, as we
have already observed, ordinarily managed with much
dramatic skill ; and that of the dialogs' befare as is not as
exception. Anhui, one of the two characters in the scene,
catches a sight, at some distance, of his friend Phaedra,—
the other character, whose countenance, to his surprise, is
overcast with a grave and singular expression, very differ-
ent from its usual one. He observes, moreover, that
Phedrus every new and then casts up his eyes to h
-
so that to hullos's mind, it is tolerably plain that something
out of the way, if net wonderful, must have happened.
Anxious to be saddled, be accordingly accosts Phedrus, ban-
ters him upon the solemnity of his aspect, and asks him for
an explanation. The reply of Phastrus is. that he is grave,
because he has been at confession; when, in reply to
some further own-a of Aulus, he has, he states, shrived
and antiosonsed himself of all his sins, one alone excepted.
His reason fur this exception is, that the culpable deed in
location has been so vastly to his fancy, that he can hardly
all the while persuade himself that it is a sin. hulas Is all
anxiety for an explanation, and is quite charmed at the
spontaneous offer of one on his friend's part.
Pismires hereupon commences his recital as follows :
"You know," says he, " what a peek of impostors those
fellows are, whose business is the selling and hiring out of
hones."

"Indeed I do," replies Attica. "too well: I have been
bitten by the scoundrels on more occasions than one."
" I lately," continues Phisdrus, " had to set out upon a
journey of some considerable length, and in which the
utmost expedition possible was required. Accordingly, I
repaired to a hors. dealer, with whom I bad some acquaint-
ance, and about, I will not say the most honest, but the
least roguish of the tribe. I told him that my business was
of the last importance; that I wanted a first-rate
and that if be had ever treated ms like a decent fellow, he
must do so now. Whereupon ha solemnly assured me that
he would act towards me as if I were his own n t and
dearest brother." _

" Aad he probably told no lie," Interposes Aulus, " for
I dare say the 'meal would not spare his own brother."
"He conducts me to his stables," continues Phadrus,
" and tells me to choose out of all the horses there whatever
horse I fancied. At length I was especially glared with
or. The hare-dealer applauds my judgment, and swears
that a number of persons had bid him army fee that idea-
tical animal, but that he had preferred raring him up
until some particular friend should want a bare. A bar-
gain is struck, the money paiddowa, sad I mount any pur-
chase. WMlClefflll was the spirit with which my new
charger gambolled and curvetted is setting off. In fact,
you would have said that he we even a little too fiery. Oa
I rode, rejoicing, for halloo hour, so; warn, to my dismay,
I found my horse knocked up. irretrievably blown, and
immovable, even by the spur. I remembered hearing that
horse-dealers were in the habit of making up beasts of the
kind for the purpose of imposition—neat and dashing
things to look at, but, in reality, without bottom or working
capabilities I saw haw the land lay. 'I eat done,' said
I. 'But never mind ; Igo bail. I'll pay that fellow eff in
his own coin when I get hack.' "
" What plan did you now adopt," quoth Arno, "poor,
hapless equestrian, as you were, thus bereft of your
horses ?"

"The plan," replies Phodras, "which circumstances
dictated. I tuned aside to a village hard by, and there,
with a man whom I bad some knowledge of, I privately
put up my horse, and hired another; and thus provided,
I proceeded onwards to my destination. On my return, I
of course gave up my hired animal, and find my own gal-
lant charger splendidly refreshed from his fatigue, and
looking as plump and natty a thing as ever. Mounting
him accordingly, 1 return to the stables of the rascally
dealer, whom I ask to keep the bass in livery for me
for a couple of days, until I should want him again.
The scoundrel inquires how the bone bad pleased me;
whereupon I swear by everything sacred that I in
the whole course of my life crossed the back of a finer
horse ; that he seemed to fly, rather than to move with
feet; that during the entire of my loeg journey he
from first to lost, exhibited the slightest symptoms of
fatigue; sad that notwithstanding all the work he had
gone through, he was not in the slightest degree
sad had not lost an atom of his The fellow %val.
lowed everything I said as truth, and set it down ia his''
mind that he had been mistaken in the horse, end that
it Was a very different eon of animal from what he had
sold it to me for. Accordingly, before I departed, he
asked me would I sell the horse ? At first I denied point
blank, saying, that if I should have to set oat apse such
mother journey, I would not find it easy to provide myself
with a horse late him. I affected, however on seeped
thoughts, to change my determination, sad ;old him that
there was nothing so very precious in my. eyes that I
would not part with it for a good round pose ; end 'in
fact,' said I, with a laugh, ' were there a tempting bid
offered, I might not even balk at selling systM"
"Capital!" exclaimed Antes: " that was 'diamond eat
diamond' indeed."

" To make • long story short," continues Phisdrns. "he
would not let nu go until I had est a prise upon the hone,
at which I would be content to sell hint—a pries which you
Rey be sore was a pretty considerable "balk above what I
ball - ire him. Quitting the seetutdeal, I now male out
II OEM WM, whom I knew—just the oat of • chap to
is • trick of the kind. Rep then to the
of the hone-dealer, my-tuatis, in •
sealimisosing sort of way, knocks, and cells oat
tie sMsr. The latter makes his appearing*, and his
velars: Wants him that he wants a really !as hone, not
fibs ;a dashing Igen of an animal, but bone who wad
Bethpunglt his wort is fint.rate style. The dialer slew*
him • number et hones, and epos the merits eir per-
ilwalarly bad hone le the collation be was el..
In praise of my sharper be did set alter a weed,
&nay believing it to be seek es I had repreeented it. But
my friend, the sham purchaser, sully reeognistogthe bone,
SS
wall from tb•polition of Ms stall as from kis description,
heat of which I gave him, made particular inquiry as to
eitetitsr that horse also was for sale. The !Groot a dean
se Ibilidestranded not to hear him, expatiating wet entlin-
all the while in his praises of the others; but
elms HID sham perdition, however he might appear to
Brag Ober hones, always turned beak to this particular
emey sod wanted to bargain about it, the ammo at length
sal to himself—' it is plain that I was mistaken in my
Mier", of this horse ; here now is a stranger who at a
Ones has picked him out from among all the rest.' The
ether still pressing the point, ' The hone is, indeed, der
sale,' says,he, • but perhaps you will be deterred by the,
price. I I would think •• p•ne,' quoth the former,
too high, if the article were rally worth it. Come. what
is the pries of that horse 2—out with it.' The hoesodashar
upon this names • price, • considerable degree higher them
that which I had died, hoping to pocket the differeneee
At length they stvike a bargain, and to preclude any Ml*
dal of a trick, my friend pays down a gold piece, as ear-
nest. He order that the born shall be fed--says that he
will come back after a little to remove him, and moreover
gins a gratuity to the groom. The instant I learned that
• regular sale had been offeeted--each that rescinding it
was out of the question—l post off, equipped in boots and
spun, to the horse-deals. Almost out of breath—in •
finer of heats, I shout out and hello for him. He appean,
and asks are what it is that I want ? ' Let My horse,' ex-
claim I, ' be got ready at once, for I must set out th pre-
sent instant upon a matter of the most serious imp/.
tome.' ' Why, it is only but just now, says he, ' that you
directed me to put up your bons fee you for several days.'
Very true,' I reply, ' but contrary to all eepeetatioe, this
particular pine of business has turned up—in fact, an affair
of state, and which, of course, admits of no postponement'
Well,' says he, 'out of all those other horses you may
select whatever one you like, but your own you cannot
hate.' I alk him' why 2' Hicauss,' says he, be is sold.'
Upon this I affect a mighty tumult of concern. Heaven
forbid !' I exclaim. 'ln the prospect of this particular
journey I would not sell that horse—co, not for four tirms
Lis. value.' I kick up • row, and exclaim, that ' I ant
ruined!' At last the dealer's tamper began to get excited.
' What I. the use,' says he, 'of all this fees and squabbling
Yee ized a pries upon the kora, and I sold him. If I pay
yes the soney,ahave no further claim epos me.
This, Is ash • t es law to be had, and you cannot
setysl me to p the hone.' I want on for a long
as mlllllll isIS sout seseesises manner that he
as deer Ihr Ism or Ow buyer, when at
•lay Of maks, be pail iill dem the mossy. I
Mtn for fifteen - pleseetSand sold his Is
for twenty-siz. TM reseal mid him to my
dewy safederate for thirty.two ylems; end he of coarse
sisal !ire? that it was better to mamas silt of the differ-
'Mtn than to give up the hone. ABOseusgh to • certain
Zrapaased by the payment of the memy, I take my
to all appearance meet awfully mortified—
tila ski other hand, begging of me not to take the
so such to heart, and promising to make up for
111* Issonesisses I had suffered, in some of our fe-
llow emit bias . In this way did I impose upon the
on his hands a horse worth nothing, and
rrilislr weSsasit eepsetation that the person who paid him
mass will ease with the remainder of the money ; but
nobody of eases has as yet come, as nobody of course
ever will."

" Bat I wonder," seys Anita, " he has not tasked yon
with tricking him ?"
" With what facia," replies Phaedra', "or with what
skew of reason, could he do so? He did, indeed, on a
era* of occasions complain to me that he feared the par-
doner of my horse was a humbug. Whereat I turned
the tables upon him, and told him that the man who, by
a precipitate sale, devolved me of such a hone, richly
deserved to meet with ill luck."
Such is Phalan's' story of his being stupendously rimmed,
bit, and done brown, by the " horse reposition" man ;
and of his choosing and biting more stupendously still, and
doing browner the tt hone repository " man, by way of
retaliation. The dialogue concludes by Pluedrus observing
that his friend can now understand how it is, that mightily
gratified se he is with his feat of cheating the horse dealer,
he has been unable to persuade himself to confess it as a
sin ,• while/Milne, on the other hand, roandly amens, that
mad he boast the achievement of the deed, so far from
coalanift it at a sin, he would claim from ids country the
emetics eta statists in his honest.

MANSLAVOHTEIL-00 Wednesday afternoon Mr.
Lee held as laciest at Startley Petry, Rear Wakefield on
the body of Mr. Richard Tbosapioa, of Caatleford, aged 42,
tbe proprietor of a vowel, and pert proprietor of another.
The Memos& was in a pOlis.
.Issess, called the Heywood's
VizalMerselog hatOMlMia and quarrelsome wished
se a named hail Williams. William-
, bat modbit man oiled Monomer
ielordired. ' 'ha meet Isr a ftln,lo whisk the demand
r=esolved a heavy fall. di4 Sisziev:l
o sigmah from, es
red treat aped marten mi ndlloo. from,
TlMlllry /Mad &midi*