At different times he would give fifty humorous and apposite reasons for riding a meek-spirited jade of a broken-winded horse, preferably to one of mettle; --for on such a one he could sit mechanically, and meditate as delightfully _de vanitate mundi et fug sculi_, as with the advantage of a death's-head before him; --that, in all other exercitations, he could spend his time, as he rode slowly along, --to as much account as in his study; --that he could draw up an argument in his sermon, --or a hole in his breeches, as steadily on the one as in the other; --that brisk trotting and slow argumentation, like wit and judgment, were two incompatible movements. --But that upon his steed--he could unite and reconcile every thing, --he could compose his sermon--he could compose his cough, ----and, in case nature gave a call that way, he could likewise compose himself to sleep. --In short, the parson upon such encounters would assign any cause but the true cause, --and he with-held the true one, only out of a nicety of temper, because he thought it did honour to him.

At different times he would give fifty humorous reasons for riding a meek-spirited, broken-winded horse: that on such a one he could sit and meditate; that he could spend his time, as he rode slowly along, as usefully as in his study; that he could draw up a long argument in his sermon that brisk trotting would not allow. Upon his steed he could compose his sermon, and even compose himself to sleep.
In short, the parson would name any cause but the true one, which he withheld out of modesty.
