242 



ANIMALS OF THE 



This animal is now, therefore, obliged to rely 

 solely upon that art for protection, to which it 

 originally owes its degradation. 



But we are not to impute to nature the for- 

 mation of an animal so utterly unprovided 

 against its enemies, and so unfit for defence. 

 The moufflon, which is the sheep in a savage 

 state, is a bold, fleet creature, able to escape 

 from the greater animals by its swiftness, or 

 to oppose the smaller kinds with the arms it 

 has received from nature. It is by human art 

 alone that the sheep has become the tardy de- 

 fenceless creature we find it. Every race of 

 quadrupeds might easily be corrupted by the 

 same allurements by which the sheep has been 

 thus debilitated and depressed. While undis- 

 turbed, and properly supplied, none are found 

 to set any bounds to their appetite. They all 

 pursue their food while able, and continue to 

 graze, till they often die of disorders occasion- 

 ed by too much fatness. But it is very differ- 

 ent with them in a state of nature : they are in 

 the forest surrounded by dangers, and alarmed 

 with unceasing hostilities ; they are pursued 

 every hour from one tract of country to an- 

 other; and spend a great part of their time in 

 attempts to avoid their enemies. Thus con- 

 stantly exercised, and continually practising 

 all the arts of defence and escape, the animal 

 at once preserves its life and native independ- 

 ence, together with its swiftness, and the slen- 

 der agility of its form. 



The sheep, in its servile state, seems to be 

 divested of all inclinations of its own ; and of 

 all animals it appears the most stupid. Every 

 quadruped has a peculiar turn of countenance, 

 a physiognomy, if we may so call it, that gene- 

 rally marks its nature. The sheep seems to 

 have none of those traits that betoken either 

 courage or cunning ; its large eyes, separated 

 from each other, its ears sticking out on each 

 side, and its narrow nostrils, all testify the ex- 

 treme simplicity of this creature ; and the po- 

 sition of its horns also, show that nature de- 

 signed the sheep rather for flight than combat. 

 It appears a large mass of flesh, supported 

 upon four small straight legs, ill fitted for car- 

 rying such a burden ; its motions are awk- 

 ward, it is easily fatigued, and often sinks un- 

 der the weight of its own corpulency. In 

 proportion as these marks of human transfor- 

 mation are more numerous, the animal becomes 

 more helpless 'and stupid. Those which live 



upon a more fertile pasture, and grow fat, 

 become entirely feeble ; those that want horns 

 are found more dull and heavy than the rest ;" 

 those whose fleeces are longest and finest are 

 most subject to a variety of disorders ; and, in 

 short, whatever changes have been wrought 

 in this animal by the industry of man are entire- 

 ly calculated for human advantage, and not for 

 that of the creature itself. It might require a 

 succession of ages before the sheep could be 

 restored to its primitive state of activity, so as 

 to become a mafch for its pursuers of the 

 forest. 



The goat, which it resembles in so many 

 other respects, is much its superior. The one 

 has its particular attachment, sees danger, and 

 generally contrives to escape it ; but the other 

 is timid without a cause, and secure when real 

 danger approaches. Nor is the sheep, when 

 bred up tame in the house, and familiarized 

 with its keepers, less obstinately absurd : from 

 being dull and timid, it then acquires a degree 

 of port familiarity: buts with its head, becomes 

 mischievous, and shows itself every way un- 

 worthy of being singled out from the rest of 

 the flock. Thus it seems rather formed for 

 slavery than friendship ; and framed more for 

 the necessities than the amusements of man* 

 kind. There is but one instance in which the 

 sheep shows any attachment to its keeper ; 

 and fhat is seen rather on the continent than 

 among us in Great Britain. What I allude to 

 is, their following the sound of the shepherd's 

 pipe. Before I had seen them trained in this 

 manner I had no conception of those descrip- 

 tions 4n the old pastoral poets, of the shepherd 

 leading his flock from one country to another. 

 As I had been used only to see these harmless 

 creatures driven before their keepers, I sup- 

 posed that all the rest was but invention ; but 

 in many parts of the Alps, and even some pro- 

 vinces of France, the shepherd and his pipe are 

 still continued with true antique simplicity. 

 The flork is regularly penned every evening, 

 to preserve them from the wolf; and the shep- 

 herd returns homeward at sun-set with his 

 sheep following him, and seemingly plrased 

 with the souiid of the pipe, which is blown 

 with a reed, and resembles the chanter of a 

 bagpipe. In this manner, in those countries 

 that still continue poor, the Arcadian life is 



Daubenton upon the Sheep 



