NA'IVKAL HISTORY. luS 



tempt for this animal ; so good, so patient, so steady, 

 so useful ? Do men awry (heir contempt even to ani- 

 mals, those which serve them so well, and at so small 

 an expense ? We take care of, we instruct, and ^ 

 exercise the horse, whilst the ass is ahandoned to the 

 care of the lowest servant, or the tricks of children. 

 Thus, instead of improving, he must lose by his edu- 

 cation ; and if there were not a fund of good qualities, 

 he would certainly lose them hy the manner in which 

 he is treated. He is the May game of the rustics, 

 who beat him with stall's, overload him, and make 

 him work beyond his strength. We do not consider, 

 that he would be the most beautiful, the best-formed, 

 and most distinguished of the lower animals, if there 

 were no horses in the world. We forget that he is an 

 ass, that he has all the qualities of his nature, all the 

 gifts attached to his species ; and at the same time, 

 \ve only think of the figure and qualities of the horse, 

 which he ought not to have. 



He is naturally as humble, patient, and quiet, as 

 the horse is proud, ardent, and impetuous. He suf- 

 fers with constancy, and perhaps with courage, chas- 

 tisement and blows. He is moderate both as to the 

 quantity and quality of his food. He is contented 

 with the hardest and most disagreeable herbs, which 

 the horse, and other animals, will leave with disdain. 

 He is very delicate with respect to his water, for he 

 will drink none but the clearest, and from rivulets with 

 which he is acquainted. He drinks as moderately as 

 lie eats, and does not put his nose in the water (through 

 fear, as some say, of the shadow of his ears). As 

 care is not taken to curry-comb him, he frequently 

 rolls himself on the grass, thistles, and in the dust; 

 and, without regarding his load, he lays himself down 



