ANIMALS. 



443 



he was killed at last by his own soldiers, while he 

 was sleeping. We have many other instances, 

 in later ages, of very great strength, and not 

 fewer of amazing swiftness j but these merely 

 corporeal perfections are now considered as of 

 small advantage, either in war or in peace. The 

 invention of gunpowder has, in some measure, 

 levelled all force to one standard, and has 

 wrought a total change in martial education 

 through all parts of the world. In peace, also, 

 the invention of new machines every day, and 

 the application of the strength of the lower ani- 

 mals to the purposes of life, have rendered hu- 

 man strength less valuable. The boast of cor- 

 poreal force is, therefore, consigned to savage 

 nations, where, those arts not being introduced, 

 it may still be needful ; but in more polite coun- 

 tries, few will be proud of that strength which 

 other animals can be taught to exert to as useful 

 purposes as they. 



" If we compare the largeness and thickness of 

 our muscles with those of any other animal, we 

 shah 1 find, that in this respect we have the advan- 

 tage j and if strength or swiftness depended upon 

 the quantity of muscular flesh alone, I believe 

 that in this respect we should be more active and 

 powerful than any other. But this is not the 

 case ; a great deal more than the size of the mus- 

 cles goes to constitute activity or force ; and it is 

 not he who has the thickest legs that can make 

 the best use of them. Those, therefore, who have 

 written elaborate treatises on muscular force, and 

 have estimated the strength of animals by the 



