’Thenyouareallright，master；there’snofear。Trusthimfornothurtingayounggentleman，anofficer’sson，whocan’tride。
Ifyouwereablackguarddragoon，indeed，withlongspurs，’twereanotherthing；asitis，he’lltreatyouasifheweretheelderbrotherthatlovesyou。Ride!He’llsoonteachyoutorideifyouleavethematterwithhim。He’sthebestriding-masterinallIreland，andthegentlest。’
Thecobwasledforth；whatatremendouscreature!Ihadfrequentlyseenhimbefore，andwonderedathim；hewasbarelyfifteenhands，buthehadthegirthofametropolitandray-horse；
hisheadwassmallincomparisonwithhisimmenseneck，whichcurveddownnoblytohiswideback：hischestwasbroadandfine，andhisshouldersmodelsofsymmetryandstrength；hestoodwellandpowerfullyuponhislegs，whichweresomewhatshort。Inaword，hewasagallantspecimenofthegenuineIrishcob，aspeciesatonetimenotuncommon，butatthepresentdaynearlyextinct。
’There!’saidthegroom，ashelookedathim，halfadmiringly，halfsorrowfully，’withsixteenstoneonhisback，he’lltrotfourteenmilesinonehour，withyourninestone，sometwoandahalfmoreay，andclearasix-footwallattheendofit。’
’I’mhalfafraid，’saidI；’Ihadratheryouwouldridehim。’
’I’dratherso，too，ifhewouldletme；butherememberstheblow。
Now，don’tbeafraid，youngmaster，he’slongingtogoouthimself。
He’sbeentramplingwithhisfeetthesethreedays，andIknowwhatthatmeans；he’llletanybodyridehimbutmyself，andthankthem；
buttomehesays，“No!youstruckme。“’
’But，’saidI，’where’sthesaddle？’
’Nevermindthesaddle；ifyouareevertobeafrankrider，youmustbeginwithoutasaddle；besides，ifhefeltasaddle，hewouldthinkyoudon’ttrusthim，andleaveyoutoyourself。Now，beforeyoumount，makehisacquaintance-seethere，howhekissesyouandlicksyourface，andseehowheliftshisfoot，that’stoshakehands。Youmaytrusthim-nowyouareonhisbackatlast；mindhowyouholdthebridle-gently，gently!It’snotfourpairofhandslikeyourscanholdhimifhewishestobeoff。MindwhatI
tellyou-leaveitalltohim。’
Offwentthecobataslowandgentletrot，toofastandrough，however，forsoinexperiencedarider。Isoonfeltmyselfslidingoff，theanimalperceivedittoo，andinstantlystoodstonestilltillIhadrightedmyself；andnowthegroomcameup：’Whenyoufeelyourselfgoing，’saidhe，’don’tlayholdofthemane，that’snouse；maneneveryetsavedmanfromfalling，nomorethanstrawfromdrowning；it’shissidesyoumustclingtowithyourcalvesandfeet，tillyoulearntobalanceyourself。That’sit，nowabroadwithyou；I’llbetmycomradeapotofbeerthatyou’llbearegularrough-riderbythetimeyoucomeback。’
Andsoitproved；Ifollowedthedirectionsofthegroom，andthecobgavemeeveryassistance。Howeasyisriding，afterthefirsttimidityisgotover，tosuppleandyouthfullimbs；andthereisnosecondfear。Thecreaturesoonfoundthatthenervesofhisriderwereinpropertone。Turninghisheadhalfround，hemadeakindofwhiningnoise，flungoutalittlefoam，andsetoff。
InlessthantwohoursIhadmadethecircuitoftheDevil’sMountain，andwasreturningalongtheroad，bathedwithperspiration，butscreamingwithdelight；thecoblaughinginhisequineway，scatteringfoamandpebblestotheleftandright，andtrottingattherateofsixteenmilesanhour。
Oh，thatride!thatfirstride!-mosttrulyitwasanepochinmyexistence；andIstilllookbacktoitwithfeelingsoflongingandregret。Peoplemaytalkoffirstlove-itisaveryagreeableevent，Idaresay-butgivemetheflush，andtriumph，andglorioussweatofafirstride，likemineonthemightycob!Mywholeframewasshaken，itistrue；andduringonelongweekIcouldhardlymovefootorhand；butwhatofthat？BythatonetrialIhadbecomefree，asImaysay，ofthewholeequinespecies。Nomorefatigue，nomorestiffnessofjoints，afterthatfirstrideroundtheDevil’sHillonthecob。
Oh，thatcob!thatIrishcob!-maythesodlielightlyoverthebonesofthestrongest，speediest，andmostgallantofitskind!
Oh!thedayswhen，issuingfromthebarrack-gateofTemplemore，wecommencedourhurry-skurryjustasinclinationled-nowacrossthefields-directoverstonewallsandrunningbrooks-merepastimeforthecob!-sometimesalongtheroadtoThurlesandHolyCross，eventodistantCahir!-whatwasdistancetothecob？
Itwasthusthatthepassionfortheequineracewasfirstawakenedwithinme-apassionwhich，uptothepresenttime，hasbeenratherontheincreasethandiminishing。Itisnoblindpassion；
thehorsebeinganobleandgenerouscreature，intendedbytheAll-
Wisetobethehelperandfriendofman，towhomhestandsnextintheorderofcreation。OnmanyoccasionsofmylifeIhavebeenmuchindebtedtothehorse，andhavefoundinhimafriendandcoadjutor，whenhumanhelpandsympathywerenottobeobtained。
ItisthereforenaturalenoughthatIshouldlovethehorse；butthelovewhichIentertainforhimhasalwaysbeenblendedwithrespect；forIsoonperceivedthat，thoughdisposedtobethefriendandhelperofman，heisbynomeansinclinedtobehisslave；inwhichrespecthediffersfromthedog，whowillcrouchwhenbeaten；whereasthehorsespurns，forheisawareofhisownworthandthathecarriesdeathwithinthehornofhisheel。If，therefore，Ifounditeasytolovethehorse，Ifounditequallynaturaltorespecthim。
Imuchquestionwhetherphilology，orthepassionforlanguages，requiressolittleofanapologyastheloveforhorses。Ithasbeensaid，Ibelieve，thatthemorelanguagesamanspeaks，themoreamanishe；whichisverytrue，providedheacquireslanguagesasamediumforbecomingacquaintedwiththethoughtsandfeelingsofthevarioussectionsintowhichthehumanraceisdivided；but，inthatcase，heshouldratherbetermedaphilosopherthanaphilologist-betweenwhichtwothedifferenceiswideindeed!Anindividualmayspeakandreadadozenlanguages，andyetbeanexceedinglypoorcreature，scarcelyhalfaman；andthepursuitoftonguesfortheirownsake，andthemeresatisfactionofacquiringthem，surelyarguesanintellectofaveryloworder；aminddisposedtobesatisfiedwithmeanandgrovellingthings；takingmorepleasureinthetrumperycasketthanintheprecioustreasurewhichitcontains；inthepursuitofwords，thanintheacquisitionofideas。
Icannothelpthinkingthatitwasfortunateformyself，whoam，toacertainextent，aphilologist，thatwithmethepursuitoflanguageshasbeenalwaysmodifiedbytheloveofhorses；forscarcelyhadIturnedmymindtotheformer，whenIalsomountedthewildcob，andhurriedforthinthedirectionoftheDevil’sHill，scatteringdustandflint-stonesoneveryside；thatride，amongstotherthings，taughtmethataladwiththewsandsinewswasintendedbynatureforsomethingbetterthanmereword-culling；
andifIhaveaccomplishedanythinginafterlifeworthyofmentioning，Ibelieveitmaypartlybeattributedtotheideaswhichthatride，bysettingmybloodinaglow，infusedintomybrain。Imight，otherwise，havebecomeamerephilologist；oneofthosebeingswhotoilnightanddayincullinguselesswordsforsomeOPUSMAGNUMwhichMurraywillneverpublish，andnobodyeverread；beingswithoutenthusiasm，who，havingnevermountedageneroussteed，cannotdetectagoodpointinPegasushimself；likeacertainphilologist，who，thoughacquaintedwiththeexactvalueofeverywordintheGreekandLatinlanguages，couldobservenoparticularbeautyinoneofthemostgloriousofHomer’srhapsodies。WhatknewheofPegasus？hehadnevermountedageneroussteed；themerestjockey，hadthestrainbeeninterpretedtohim，wouldhavecalleditabravesong!-Ireturntothebravecob。
OnacertaindayIhadbeenoutonanexcursion。Inacross-road，atsomedistancefromtheSatanichill，theanimalwhichIrodecastashoe。Bygoodluckasmallvillagewasathand，attheentranceofwhichwasalargeshed，fromwhichproceededamostfuriousnoiseofhammering。Leadingthecobbythebridle，I
enteredboldly。’Shoethishorse，anddoitquickly，agough，’
saidItoawildgrimyfigureofaman，whomIfoundalone，fashioningapieceofiron。
’Arrigodyuit？’saidthefellow，desistingfromhiswork，andstaringatme。
’Ohyes，Ihavemoney，’saidI，’andofthebest’；andIpulledoutanEnglishshilling。
’Tabhairchugam？’saidthesmith，stretchingouthisgrimyhand。
’No，Ishan’t，’saidI；’somepeoplearegladtogettheirmoneywhentheirworkisdone。’
Thefellowhammeredalittlelonger，andthenproceededtoshoethecob，afterhavingfirstsurveyeditwithattention。Heperformedhisjobratherroughly，andmorethanonceappearedtogivetheanimalunnecessarypain，frequentlymakinguseofloudandboisterouswords。Bythetimetheworkwasdone，thecreaturewasinastateofhighexcitement，andplungedandtore。Thesmithstoodatashortdistance，seemingtoenjoytheirritationoftheanimal，andshowing，inaremarkablemanner，ahugefang，whichprojectedfromtheunderjawofaverywrymouth。
’Youdeservebetterhandling，’saidI，asIwentuptothecobandfondledit；whereuponitwhinnied，andattemptedtotouchmyfacewithitsnose。
’Areyenotafraidofthatbeast？’saidthesmith，showinghisfang。’Arrah，it’sviciousthathelooks!’
’It’satyou，then!-Idon’tfearhim’；andthereuponIpassedunderthehorse，betweenitshindlegs。
’Andisthatallyoucando，agrah？’saidthesmith。
’No，’saidI，’Icanridehim。’
’Yecanridehim，andwhatelse，agrah？’
’Icanleaphimoverasix-footwall，’saidI。
’Overawall，andwhatmore，agrah？’
’Nothingmore，’saidI；’whatmorewouldyouhave？’