434 Qofervahons on the LeiceJlcVy Nov# 



experlments, that cattle eat in proportion to their weight ; at 

 leail I knew an inilance of it feveral years ago, when two large 

 oxen, equal in weight in the quarters to four fmall ones, ate re- 

 gularly the fame weight of turnips and hay whilft feeding. 



I have been told, by a farmer who frequents Morpeth market, 

 that in that great emporium, he can fell iheep, of the weight of 

 ?5 lib. per quarter, at one penny per pound dearer than he can 

 fheep of 25 lib. per quarter. If this is a fa 61, does it not account 

 for the butchers in Newcallle, Manchefter, Leeds, Sheffield, Bir- 

 mingham, ^cc. &:c. &c. felling two quarters of the New Lci- 

 cefters for one of the black-faced ? The rcafon is obvious ; they 

 cannot give the coalheavers, keelmen, pitmen, miners, and fa- 

 bricators, fo good a pennyworth of the one as of the other, fee- 

 ing they purchafe them fo much dearer themfelves. The cafe 

 is exa£^ly fmiilar in Dalkeith market. The facl, therefore, wliich 

 tlie mafler in the bufinefs of iheep-breeding has brought forward 

 in fupport of his arguments, militates againft thejn, and the con- 

 clufion he draws ; and I have not a doubt, but that, in the pro- 

 grefs of luxury, every perfon, from Cornv/all fouthward, to Caith- 

 nefs nortliward, will in time learn to defpife the large, coarfe, 

 olifi^ginous mutton, and give a decided preference to the delicate 

 fiefh of the fmaller ones. 



The breeder of coalheavers' mutton informs us, that, ' when 

 hungry from the plough, he has often dipped toafted bread in- 

 to the drippings of his delicious mutton, and then ate the bread 

 with pleafure and avidity. ' What will not people do when they 

 are hungry ! I have heard of them eating the foles off their 

 llioes ; and 1 can tell him, that the Ruffian failors, when in 

 this country, ufed often to climb the lamp-pofts, and dip their 

 bread into the rancid train oil of the lamp, and then eat the 

 bread with pleafure and avidity. Ben Johnfon, the poet, ufed 

 to remark, that his wit and genius were improven by good wine ; 

 andobferved, that he always produced his bell dramatic fcenes 

 whenever a but of fack of the bell quality was tapped. I 

 am however afraid, that the fop in the pan has been too 

 heavy for the breeder of coalhcaver mutton's ftomach, and 

 has hurt his reafoning faculties ; learned doftors telling us, 

 that all difordcrs in the head proceed from the ftomach ; for 

 I cannot account for the paragraph which im.mediately fol- 

 lows, on any other principle. He fays — ' Epicurus muft allow 

 me to put him riglit alfo in one other article : Mr Brodie 

 ficver did feed ivhat ivas hmivn by the name of hotife lamb^ * 

 What is the meaning of this ? Was the writer labouring under 

 tlie efTe»Els of the fop in the pan, or has he never read the re- 

 marks on the modern impiovement of farm ftock, any more 

 than he did the paragraph which gave rife to it, which was 



exprefsl.y 



