THE COW KIND, 



233 



it produced sickness and disorder, and he \\ ;is 

 never well till it returned. Instances of this 

 kind, however, are rare and accidental; and 

 it is happy for mankind that they are so. Of 

 -all other animals, we spend the least time in 



eating; this is one of the great distinctions 

 between us and the brute creation; and eat- 

 ing is a pleasure of so low a kind, that none 

 but such as are nearly allied to the quadru- 

 ped, desire its prolongation. 



CHAPTER XLII. 



OF QUADRUPEDS OF THE COW KIND." 



OF all ruminant animals, those of the cow 

 kind deserve the first rank, both for their size, 

 their beauty, and their services. The horse 

 is more properly an animal belonging to the 

 rich ; the sheep chiefly thrives in a flock, and 

 requires attendance ; but the cow is more es- 

 pecially the poor man's pride, his riches, and 

 nis support. There are many of our peasan- 

 try that have no other possession but a cow ; 

 and even of the advantages resulting from this 

 most useful creature, the poor are but the no- 

 minal possessors. Its flesh they cannot pre- 

 tend to taste, since then their whole riches are 

 at once destroyed ; its calf they are obliged 

 to fatten for sale, since veal is a delicacy 

 they could not make any pretensions to; its 

 very milk is wrought into butter and cheese 

 for the tables of their masters; while they have 

 no share, even in their own possession, but 

 the choice of their market. I cannot bear to 

 hear the rich crying out for liberty while they 

 thus starve their fellow-creatures, and feed 

 them up with an imaginary good, while they 

 ^taonopolize the real benefits of nature. 



In those countries where the men are un- 

 der better subordination, this excellent ani- 

 mal is of more general advantage. In Ger- 

 many, Poland, and Switzerland, every pea- 

 sant keeps two or three cows, not for the 

 benefit of his master, but for himself. The 

 meanest of the peasants there kills one cow 

 at least for his own table, which he salts and 

 hangs up, and thus preserves as a delicacy 

 all the year round. There is scarcely a cot- 

 tage in those countries that is not hung round 



" The animals of this kind have the horns hollow, 

 onootli, turned outwards and forwards, in a semicircular 



with these marks of hospitality ; and whicn 

 often make the owner better contented with 

 hunger, since he has it in his power to be 

 luxurious when he thinks proper. A piece 

 of beef hung up there is consid-ered as an ele- 

 gant piece of furniture, which, though seldom 

 touched, at least argues the possessor's opu- 

 lence and ease. But it is very different, for 

 some years past, in this country, where our 

 lower rustics at least are utterly unable to pur- 

 chase meat any part of the year, and by them 

 even butter is considered as an article of ex- 

 travagance. 



The climate and pasture of Great Britain, 

 however, are excellently adapted to this ani- 

 mal's moderate nature; and the verdure and 

 the fertility of our plains are perfectly suited 

 to the manner of its feeding ; for wanting the 

 upper fore-teeth, it loves to graze on a high 

 rich pasture. This animal seems but little 

 regardful of the quality of its food, provided 

 it be supplied in sufficient abundance ; it makes 

 no particular distinction in the choice of its 

 herbage, but indiscriminately and hastily de- 

 vours the proper quantity. For this reason, 

 in our pastures, where the grass is rather high 

 than succulent, more flourishing than nutri- 

 tious, the cow thrives admirably ; and there 

 is no part of Europe where the tame animal 

 grows larger, yields more milk, or more rea- 

 dily fattens, than with us. 



Our pastures supply them with abundance, 

 and they in return enrich the pasture ; for, 

 of all animals, the cow seems to give back 

 more than it takes from the soil. The horse 



form ; in the lower jaw there are eight front teeth, but 

 none in the upper : and there are no tusks in either. 



