horse understand these motions, than when he is a ready horse, the foot and stirrup alone applied to either shoulder being sufficient, with the help of the reins, to make him turn any way that a rider thus may have the use of his sword, or when it is requisite only to make a horse go sidewards, it will be enough to keep the reins equal in his hand, and with the flat of his leg and foot together, and a touch upon the shoulder of the horse with the stirrup to make him go sideward either way, without either advancing forward or returning backwards. The most useful Aer as the Frenchmen term it, is Territerr; the Courbettes, Cabrioes, or un pas et un sault, being fitter for horses of parade and triumph than for souldiers, yet I cannot deny but a demivolte with courbettes, so that they be not too high, may be useful in a fight or meslee, for as Labroue hath it in his book of horsemanship, Monsieur de Montmorency having a horse that was excellent in performing the Demivolte, did with his sword strike down two adversaries from their horses in a tournay, where divers of the prime gallants of France did meet ; for taking his time when the horse was in the height of his courbette, and discharging a blow, then his sword fell with such weight and force upon the two Cavaliers one after another, that he struck them from their horses to the ground. The manner of fighting a duel on horseback I was taught thus; we had each of us a reasonable stiff riding rod in our hands about the length of a sword, and so rid one against the other, he as the more expert sat still to pass me and then to get behind me, and after to turn with his right hand upon my left side with his rod, that so he might hit me with the point thereof in the body, and he that can do this handsomely is sure to overcome his adversary, it being impossible to bring his sword about enough to defend himself or offend the assaylant; and to get this advantage, which they call in French, Gagner la Crouppe, nothing is so usefull as to make a horse to go only sideward till his adversary be past him, since he will by this means avoid his adversary's blow or thrust, and on a suddain get on the left hand of his adversary in the manner I formerly related: but of this art let Labroue and Pluvinel* be read, who are excellent masters in that * Antoine de Pluvinel, principal Ecuyer de Louis treize Roi de France. He published a very fine folio, in French and Dutch, intitu art, of whom I must confess I learned much, though to speak ingenuously, my breaking two or three colts, and teaching them afterwards those Aers of which they were most capable, taught me both what I was to do, and made me see mine errors, more than all their precepts. To make a horse fit for the wars, and embolden him against all terrors, these inventions are usefull, to beat a drum out of the stable first, and then give him his provender, then beat a drum in the stable by degrees, and then give him his provender upon the drum when he is acquainted herewith sufficiently, you must shoot off a pistol out of the stable, before he hath his provender; then you may shoot off a pistol in the stable, and so by degrees bring it as near to him as you can till he be acquainted with the pistol, likewise remembering still after every shot to give him more provender: you must also cause his groom to put on bright armour, and so to rub his heels and dress him: you must also present a sword before him in the said armour, and when you have done give him still some more provender : lastly his rider must bring his horse forth into the open field where a bright armour must be fastened upon a stake, and set forth in the likeness of an armed man as much as possible, which being done, the rider must put his horse on till he make him not only approach the said image, but throw it down, which being done, you must be sure to give him some provender, that he may be encouraged to do the like against an adversary in battle. It will be good also that two men do hold up a cloak betwixt them in the field, and then the rider to put the horse to it till he leap over, which Cloak also they may raise as they see occasion, when the horse is able to leap so high. You shall do well also to use your horse to swimming, which you may do either by trayling him after you at the tail of a boat, in a good river, holding him by the head at the length of the bridle, or by putting a good swimmer in a linnen waistcoat and breeches upon him. It will be fit for a gentleman also to learn to swim, unless led, Instruction du Roi en l'exercice de monter cheval. Paris, 1619. It consists of Dialogues between the young King, the Duc de Bellegarde, and himself; and is adorned with a great number of beautiful cuts by Crispin Pass, exhibiting the whole system of the Manege, and with many portraits of the great and remarkable men of that court. he be given to cramps and convulsions; howbeit I must confess in mine own particular that I cannot swim, for as I was once in danger of drowning by learning to swim, my mother upon her blessing charged me never to learn swimming, telling me further, that she had heard of more drowned than saved by it, which reason though it did not prevail with me, yet her commandment did. It will be good also for a gentleman to learn to leap, wrestle, and vault on horseback, they being all of them qualities of great use. I do much approve likewise of shooting in the long bow, as being both an healthfull exercise and usefull for the wars, notwithstanding all that our firemen speak against it: for bring an hundred archers against so many musquetteers, I say if the archer comes within his distance, he will not only make two shoots but two hits for one. The exercises I do not approve of are riding of running horses, there being much cheating in that kind, neither do I see why a brave man shou'd delight in a creature whose chief use is to help him to run away. I do not much like of hunting horses, that exercise taking up more time than can be spared from a man studious to get knowledge; it is enough therefore to know the sport if there be any in it, without making it an ordinary practice: and indeed of the two hawking is the better, because less time is spent in it: and upon these terms also I can allow a little bowling, so that the company be choice and good. The exercises I wholly condemn, are dicing and carding, especially if you play for any great sum of money or spend any time in them, or use to come to meetings in dicinghouses, where cheaters meet and cozen young gentlemen of all their money. I cou'd say much more concerning all these points of education, and particularly concerning the discreet civility which is to be observed in communication either with friends or strangers, but this work wou'd grow too big, and that many precepts conducing thereunto may be had in Guazzo de la Civile Conversation and Galereus de Moribus. It wou'd also deserve a particular lecture or recherche, how one ought to behave himself with children, servants, tenants and neighbours; and I am confident that precepts in this point will be found more usefull to young gentlemen, than all the subtilities of schools: I confess I have collected many things to this purpose, which I forbear to set down here, because (if God grant me life and health) I intend to make a little treatise concerning these points; I shall return now to the narration of mine own history. When I had attained the age betwixt 18 or 19 years, my mother together with my self and wife removed up to London, where we took house and kept a greater family, than became either my mother's widow's estate, or such young beginners as we were, especially since six brothers and three sisters were to be provided for, my father having made either no will or such an imperfect one, that it was not proved. My mother, though she had all my father's leases and goods which were of great value, yet she desired me to undertake that burthen of providing for my brothers and sisters, which to gratify my mother as well as those so near me, I was voluntarily content to provide thus far as to give my six brothers thirty pounds a piece yearly during their lives, and my three sisters 1000l. a piece, which portions married them to those I have above-mentioned; my younger sister indeed might have been married to a far greater fortune, had not the overthwartness of some neighbours interrupted it. About the year of our Lord 1600 I came to London, shortly after which the attempt of the Earl of Essex related in our history followed, which I had rather were seen in the writers of that argument, than here. Not long after this, curiosity rather than ambition brought me to court; and as it was the manner of those times for all men to kneel down before the great Queen Elizabeth who then reigned, I was likewise upon my knees in the presence chamber when she passed by to the chapel at Whitehall. As soon as she saw me she stopt, and swearing her usual oath, demanded, who is this? Every body there present looked upon me, but no man knew me, 'till Sir James Croft, a pensioner, finding the queen stayed, returned back and told who I was, and that I had married Sir William Herbert of St. Gillian's daughter: the queen hereupon looked attentively upon me, and swearing again her ordinary oath, said it is a pity he was married so young, and thereupon gave her hand to kiss twice, both times gently clapping me on the cheek. I remember little more of myself, but that from that time untill King James's coming to the crown, I had a son which died shortly after wards, and that I intended my studies seriously, the more I learnt out of my books, adding still a desire to know -more. King James being now acknowledged king, and coming towards London, I thought fit to meet his majesty at Burley near Stanford; shortly after I was made knight of the bath, with the usual ceremonies belonging to that ancient order. I cou'd tell how much my person was commended by the lords and ladies that came to see the solemnity then used, but I shall flatter myself too much if I believed it. I must not forget yet the ancient custom, being that some principal person was to put on the right spur of those the king had appointed to receive that dignity; the Earle of Shrewsbury seeing my esquire there with my spur in his hand, voluntarily came to me and said, Cozen, I believe you will be a good knight, and therefore I will put on your spur; whereupon after my most humble thanks for so great a favour, I held up my leg against the wall, and he put on my spur. (To be resumed.) THE MAGIC RING. "When the silent stars are shooting, With a power, and with a sign—” AT the midnight hour they met, the moon was in the wane, they dared not gaze upon her whilst they framed the magic spell. From the mossy bank the glow-worm's glimmering light played on the stream below. They stood beneath the alders dank, and spake the words of fear. He placed the mystic circlet on her hand, and watched the appointed time. From a maniac's grave they had stolen the earth, they scattered the dust on the stream, they gazed on the northern star. That star withdrew her sparkling rays, and veiled her in a cloud in darkness, and with dread they uttered the awful spell.-The spirits of evil rejoiced, the wind moaned sadly around, the glow-worms quenched their fires, and they who had tempted their fate, who had scattered the |