Read Ebook: Phyllis by Duchess

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 2968 lines and 126566 words, and 60 pages

Transcriber's Note

A number of typographical errors have been maintained in this version of this book. They have been marked with a and a description may be found in the complete list at the end of the text. Irregular and non-standard spelling has been maintained as printed.

LECTURES ON HORSEMANSHIP,

Wherein is Explained EVERY NECESSARY INSTRUCTION FOR BOTH LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, In the Useful and Polite ART OF RIDING, WITH EASE, ELEGANCE, AND SAFETY,

BY T. S. Professor of Horsemanship.

LECTURE ON HORSEMANSHIP.

Address to the Audience.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

Permit me to observe that the Horse is an animal, which, from the earliest ages of the world, has been destined to the pleasure and services of Man; the various and noble qualities with which nature has endowed him sufficiently speaking the ends for which he was designed.

Mankind were not long before they were acquainted with them, and found the means of applying them to the purposes for which they were given: this is apparent from the Histories and traditions of almost all nations, even from times the most remote; insomuch that many nations and tribes, or colonies of people, who were entirely ignorant, or had but very imperfect notions, of other improvements and arts of life; and even at this day are unacquainted with them, yet saw and understood the generous properties of this creature in so strong a light as to treat him with fondness and the greatest attention, sufficiently to declare the high opinion they entertained of his merit and excellence; nay in various regions, and in the most distant ages, were so far from being strangers to the many services of which the Horse was capable, as to have left rules and precepts concerning them, which are so true and just, that they have been adopted by their successors; and as all art is progressive, and receives additions and improvements in its course, as the sagacity of man at different times, or chance and other causes happen and concur: so that having the Ancient's foundation to erect our building, it is natural to suppose that the structure has received many beauties and improvements from the experience and refinement of latter times.

ON MOUNTING YOUR HORSE.

Your horse being firmly stayed, you next take your Stirrup-leather in your Right-hand, about four inches from the stirrup-iron, and fix one third of your foot in the stirrup, standing square with your horse's side; next take a firm hold with your right hand on the Cantlet or back part of the saddle, rather on the off side of it, and with your left knee prest firm against the horse's side, spring yourself up perpendicularly, bending the small of your back and looking chearfully up rather than down. The next move you make is to remove your right-hand from the Cantlet and place it firm upon the Pummel, or front of your saddle, bearing your weight upon it, at the same time bend your right knee, and bring your body round, looking strait over your horse's head, letting yourself firmly and easily down into your seat, with the shoulders easily back, bent well in your waist or loins, and your chest well presented in front, with a pleasant uncontracted countenance.

You of course next recover or take your switch, which is done by putting your right-hand over your left, and with a quick firm motion take it in your right hand, holding the same perpendicularly.

Proceed us next to the adjusting the Reins, which is of the utmost use. Supposing you ride with Bit and Bridoun, being four in number, place them all even and flat in your left hand, exactly in the same manner as described in taking the Bridoun in mounting; that is to say, your four reins placed even, the one upon the other, remembering always to place your Bridouns on the outsides, so that you may any time lengthen or shorten them at pleasure, without putting the whole into confusion, and cause the Bit to act alone, or Bridoun alone, or both Bit and Bridoun to act together.

I have observed before that only your little finger should be between the reins when only two, it is the same now four, so now your two reins on the right side of your horse's neck lie flat upon your three fingers in your left-hand, your two left reins placed flat upon the right, and your thumb pressed flat upon all four. This is the only sure method to keep your reins firm, free from confusion, and to cause them to act properly; which any lady or gentleman will be convinced of if they will only give themselves the pleasure to practise, as I cannot call it a trouble.

THE HORSEMAN'S SEAT:

The principles and rules which have hitherto been given for the horseman's seat are various, and even opposite, according as they have been adopted by different masters, and taught in different countries, almost by each master in particular; and every nation having certain rules and notions of their own. Let us see, however, if art has discovered nothing that is certain and invariably true.--The Italians, the Spaniards, the French and, in a word, every country where Riding is in repute, adopt each a posture which is peculiar to themselves: the foundation of their general notions is the same, but each country has prescribed rules for the placing the man on the saddle.

This contrariety of opinions which have their origin more in prejudice than in truth and reality, has given rise to many vain reasonings and speculations, each System having its followers; and as if truth was not always the same, and unchangeable, but at liberty to assume various and even opposite shapes; sometimes one opinion prevailed, sometimes another, insomuch that those who understand nothing of the subject, but yet are desirous of being informed, by searching it to the bottom, have hitherto been lost in doubt and perplexity.

There is nevertheless a sure and infallible method, by the assistance of which it would be very easy to overturn all these systems; but not to enter into a needless detail of the extravagant notions, which the Seat alone has given rise to; I will here endeavour to trace it from principles by so much the more solid, as their authority will be supported by the most convincing and self evident reasons.

In order to succeed in an art where the mechanism of the body is absolutely necessary, and where each part of the body has its proper functions, which are peculiar to that part; it is most certain that all and every part of the body should be in a natural posture: were they in an imperfect situation they would want that ease and freedom which is inseparable from grace; and as every motion which is constrained being false in itself, and incapable of justness, it is clear that the part so constrained and forced would throw the whole into confusion; because each part belonging to and depending upon the whole body, and the body partaking of the constraint of its parts, can never feel that fixed point, that just counterpoise and equality, in which alone a fine and just execution consists.

The objects to which a master, anxious for the advancement of his pupil, should attend, are infinite. To little purpose will it be to keep the strictest eye upon all the parts and Limbs of his pupil's Body; in vain will he endeavour to remedy all the defects and faults which are found in the posture of almost every scholar in the beginning, unless he is intimately acquainted with the close dependance and connexion there is between the motions of one part of the body with the rest; a correspondence caused by the reciprocal action of the muscles, which govern and direct them: unless, therefore, he is master of this secret, and has his clue to the labyrinth, he will never attain the end he proposes; particularly in his first lessons, upon which the success of the rest always depend. These principles being established we may reason in consequence of them with clearness.

In horsemanship, the Body of man is divided into three parts; two of which are moveable, the third immoveable.

The first of the two moveable parts is the Trunk or Body, down to the Waist; the second is from the Knees to the Feet; so that the immoveable part is between the waist and the knees. The parts then which ought to be without motion are the Fork, or Twist of the horseman, and his thighs; now that these parts should be kept without motion, they ought to have a certain hold and center to rest upon, which no motion that the horse can make can disturb or loosten; this point or center is the basis of the hold which the horseman has upon his horse, and is what is called the SEAT; now if the seat is nothing else but this point or center, it must follow, that not only the true grace, but the symmetry and true proportion of the whole attitude depend upon those parts of the body that are immoveable.

Let the horseman then place himself at once, upon his Twist, sitting exactly in the middle of the saddle; let him support this posture, in which the Twist alone seems to sustain the weight of the whole body, by moderately leaning upon his buttock.

Let the Thighs be turned inward, and rest flat upon twonderful piece of performance. I have spent hours in my bedroom endeavoring patiently to copy that laugh of Dora's, with failure as the only result.

"And he is so good-natured!" I break in, eagerly. "The very moment I mentioned the subject, he gave us permission to go to Brinsley Wood as often as ever we choose, and seemed quite pleased at my asking him if we might; didn't he, mother?"

"Yes, dear."

"Could you find no more interesting topic to discuss with him than that?" asked papa with contemptuous displeasure. "Was his first visit a fitting opportunity to demand a favor of him? It is a pity, Phyllis, you cannot put yourself and your own amusements out of sight, even on an occasion. There is no vice so detestable as selfishness."

I think of the two hunters, and of how long mother's last black silk has been her best gown, and feel rebellious; but, long and early training having taught me to subdue my emotions, I accept the snub dutifully and relapse into taciturnity.

"It was not he turned out poor old Mother Haggard after all, papa," puts in Billy; "It was Simmons; and he is to be dismissed immediately."

"I am glad of that," says papa, viciously. "A more thorough going rascal never disgraced a neighborhood. He will be doing a really sensible thing if he sends that fellow adrift. I am gratified to find Carrington capable of acting with such sound common sense. None of the absurd worn-out prejudices in favor of old servants about him. I have no doubt he will prove an acquisition to the county."

Altogether, it is plainly to be seen, we every one of us intend approving of our new neighbor.

"Yes, indeed," says mother, "it is quite delightful to think of a young man being anywhere near. We are sadly in want of cheerful society. What a pity he did not come home directly his uncle died and left him the property, instead of wasting these last five years abroad!"

"I think he was right," returns papa, gracefully "there is nothing like seeing life. When hampered with a wife and children, he will regret he did not enjoy more of it before tying himself down irretrievably."

An uncomfortable silence follows this speech. We all feel guiltily conscious that we are hampering our father--that but for our unwelcome existence he might at the present hour be enjoying all the goods and gayeties of life: all that is, except Billy, who is insensible to innuendoes, and never sees or feels anything that is not put before him in the plainest terms. He cheerfully puts an end now to the awkward silence.

"I can tell you, if you marry Mr. Carrington, you will be on the pig's back," he says, knowingly addressing Dora. Billy is not choice in his expressions. "He has no end of tin, and the gamest lot of horses in his stables to be seen anywhere. Brewster was telling me about it."

Nobody says anything.

"You will be on the pig's back, I can tell you," repeats Billy, with emphasis. Now, this is more than rashness, it is madness on Billy's part; he is ignorantly offering himself to the knife. The fact that his vulgarity has been passed by unnoticed once is no reason why leniency should be shown towards him a second time. Papa looks up blandly.

"May I ask what you mean by being 'on the pig's back'?" he asks, with a suspicious thirst for information.

"Oh, it means being in luck, I suppose," returns Billy, only slightly taken aback.

"I do not think I should consider it a lucky thing if I found myself on a pig's back," says papa, still apparently abroad, still desirous of having his ignorance enlightened.

"I don't suppose you would," responds Billy, gruffly; and, being an English boy, abhorrent of irony, he makes a most unnecessary clatter with his fork and spoon.

"Yes, you were, though. It was on the very tip of your tongue."

"William, be silent," interrupts papa, with authority, and so for a time puts a stop to the family feud.

THE next day Mr. Carrington calls again--this time ostensibly on business matters--and papa and he discuss turnips and other farm produce in the study, until the interview becomes so extended that it occurs to the rest of us they must be faint. Mamma sends in sherry as a restorative, which tranquillizes our fears and enables us to look with more cheerfulness towards the end.

Before leaving, however, Mr. Carrington finds his way to the drawing-room, where Dora and I are seated alone, and, having greeted us, drags a chair lazily after him, until he gets within a few feet of Dora. Here he seats himself.

Dora is tatting. Dora is always tatting; she never does anything else; and surely there is no work so pretty, so becoming to white fingers, as that in which the swift little shuttle is brought to bear. Nevertheless, though he is beside my sister, I never raise my head without encountering his blue eyes fixed upon me.

His eyes are very handsome, large and dark, and wonderfully kind, eyes that let one see into the true heart beyond, indeed, his whole face is full of beauty. He makes no unwise attempt to hide it, beyond the cultivation of a fair brown mustache that does not altogether conceal the delicately-formed mouth beneath, the lips of which are fine and almost sensitive enough to be womanish, but for a certain touch of quiet determination about them and the lower jaw. He is tall and rather slightly molded, and has a very clean-shaped head. His hands are white and thin, but large, his feet very passable.

"Do you know," he is saying to sympathetic Dora, while I take the above inventory of his charms, "I have quite an affection for this house? I was born here, and lived in it until my father died."

"Yes, I knew that," said Dora softly, with a liquid glance. "And all yesterday, after you had left, I kept wondering whether you felt it very strange and sad, seeing new faces in your old home."

"Did you really bestow a thought upon me when I was out of sight?" with mild surprise. "Are you in earnest? Do you know, Miss Vernon, I begin to believe it is a foolish thing to stay too long away from one's native land--away from the society of one's own countrymen; a man feels so dangerously pleased with any little stray kind word that may be said to him on his return. I have been living a rather up-and-down sort of life, not quite so civilized as might have been, I fear, and it now seems absolutely strange that anyone should take the trouble to think about me." He says all this in a slow, rather effective tone, looking pensively at Dora the while.

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet