The life and letters of Washington Irving . health forsuch a green old gentleman. I wish I had Douce Davie here to mountoccasionally, for Gentleman Dick is in such disgrace that my womankindwill not hear to my mounting him any more. The last time I did so, hetook a start from hearing a young horse in a pasture galloping alongsideof the fence, and, fancying it to be a challenge to a race, set off ventre aterre, and gave me a run of nearly three miles before I could bring him toa stop. Fortunately, I had a fair road ; everybody and every thing turnedaside, and made way for me; and Dick showed su
The life and letters of Washington Irving . health forsuch a green old gentleman. I wish I had Douce Davie here to mountoccasionally, for Gentleman Dick is in such disgrace that my womankindwill not hear to my mounting him any more. The last time I did so, hetook a start from hearing a young horse in a pasture galloping alongsideof the fence, and, fancying it to be a challenge to a race, set off ventre aterre, and gave me a run of nearly three miles before I could bring him toa stop. Fortunately, I had a fair road ; everybody and every thing turnedaside, and made way for me; and Dick showed such speed and bottom,that I am thinking of entering him for the cup at the next races. God bless you, my dear Kennedy. Yours very faithfully, Washington Irving. It was nine months before he again mounted the back ofGentleman Dick ; and the equestrian mischance that then befellhim, will be told in its place. I introduce now Mr. Willissaccount of a conversation with him about Moore the poet, whichtook place on his last visit to Idlewild :—. -y LIFE AND LETTERS OF WASHINGTON IRVING. 175 We chanced to be present, the other day, when Washington Irvingtook up the defence of the memory of Tom Moore. So noteworthy anoutpouring, as it was, of a generous and genial nature—properly eloquentin defence of the friend with whom he had exchanged cordialities, andover whose grave he would not, therefore, see an ill weed grow unplucked—^we wished, at the time, that the summer wind would play reporter, andtell the whole world of it. The subject was started by Irvings beingrallied on having been such a Brummel, while in London, as to haveserved Moore for a model in dress; as appeared by a passage in one of hisletters, giving directions to his publisher to look up Irvings tailor to makehim a coat. Ah, said Geoffrey, with one of his genial lightings-up of the facestill handsome, that was owing to the mere chance of Moores havingbeen with me, one morning, when I went into Nugees. And I have ofte
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