OF SELBORNE. 229 
began to take place between these two sequestered 
individuals. ‘Che fowl would approach the quad- 
ruped with notes of complacency, rubbing herself 
gently against his legs, while the horse would look 
down with satisfaction, and move with the greatest 
caution and circumspection, lest he should trample 
on his diminutive companion. Thus, by mutual 
good offices, each seemed to console the vacant 
hours of the other; so that Milton, when he puts 
the following sentiment in the mouth of Adam, 
seems to be somewhat mistaken : 
“ Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl, 
So well converse, nor with the ox the ape.” 
LETTER XXV. 
Selborne, Oct. 2, 1775. 
Dear Sir,—WeE have two gangs or hordes of 
gipsies which infest the south and west of England, 
and come round in their circuit two or three times 
in the year. One of these tribes calls itself by the 
noble name of Stanley, of which I have nothing 
particular to say; but the other is distinguished by 
an appellative somewhat remarkable. As far as 
their harsh gibberish can be understood, they seem 
to say that the name of their clan is Curleople: 
now the termination of this word is apparently 
Grecian; and as Mezeray and the gravest histo- 
rians all agree that these vagrants did certainly 
migrate from Egypt and the East two or three cen- 
turies ago, and so spread by degrees over Europe, 
may not this family name, a little corrupted, be the 
i 
