a term which denotes a piece of wrought silver, such as the shallow vessel off which meat is eaten. It is likewise used by sportsmen to express the reward given to the best horse at our races.

The winning a plate is not the work of a few days to the owner of the horse; but great care and preparation is to be made for it, if there is any great dependence on the success. A month is the least time that can be allowed to draw the horse's body clear, and to refine his wind to that degree of perfection that is attainable by art.

It is first necessary to take an exact view of his body, whether he be low or high in flesh; and it is also necessary to consider whether he be dull and heavy, or brisk and lively when abroad. If he appear dull and heavy, and there is reason to suppose it is owing to too hard riding, or, as the jockeys express it, to some grease that has been dissolved in hunting, and has not been removed by scouring, then the proper remedy is half an ounce of diapente given in a pint of good sack; this will at once remove the cause, and revive the creature's spirits. After this, for the first week of the month, he is to be fed with oats, bread, and split beans; giving him sometimes the one and sometimes the other as he likes best; and always leaving some in the locker, that he may feed at leisure when he is left alone. When the groom returns at the feeding time, whatever is left of this must be removed, and fresh given; by this means the creature will soon become high-spirited, wanton, and full of play. Every day he must be rode out an airing, and every other day it will be proper to give him a little more exercise; but not so much as to make him sweat too much. The beans and oats in this case are to be put into a bag, and beaten till the hulls are all off, and then winnowed clean; and the bread, instead of being chipped in the common way, is to have the crust clean cut off. If the horse be in good flesh and spirits when taken up for its month's preparation, the diapente must be omitted; and the chief business will be to give him good food, and so much exercise as will keep him in wind, without oversweating him or tiring his spirits. When he takes larger exercises afterwards, towards the end of the month, it will be proper to have some horses in the place to run against him. This will put him upon his mettle, and the beating them will give him spirits. This, however, is to be cautiously observed, that he has not a bloody heat given him for ten days or a fortnight before the plate is to be run for; and that the last heat that is given him the day before the race, must be in his clothes: this will make him run with greatly more vigour, when stripped for the race, and feeling the cold wind on every part.

In the second week, the horse should have the same food. food, and more exercise. In the last fortnight, he must have dried oats, that have been hulled by beating. After this they are to be wetted in a quantity of whites of eggs beaten up, and then laid out in the sun to dry; and when as dry as before, the horse is to have them. This sort of food is very light of digestion, and very good for the creature's wind. The beans in this time should be given more sparingly, and the bread should be made of three parts wheat and one part beans. If he should become costive under this course, he must then have some ale and whites of eggs beaten together; this will cool him, and keep his body moist.

In the last week the mash is to be omitted, and barley-water given him in its place, every day, till the day before the race: he should have his fill of hay; then he must have it given him more sparingly, that he may have time to digest it; and in the morning of the race day he must have a toast or two of white bread soaked in sack, and the same just before he is let out to the field. This is an excellent method, because the two extremes of fullness and fasting are at this time to be equally avoided: the one hurting his wind, and the other occasioning faintness that may make him lose. After he has had his food, the litter is to be shook up, and the stable kept quiet, that he may be disturbed by nothing till he is taken out to run.