276 A HISTORY OF 



they enjoy in a superior degree to the rest, their constant services, ot 

 their unceasing hostilities, all render them the foremost objects of oui 

 curiosity, and the most interesting parts of animated nature. These, 

 however, although now so completely subdued, very probably, in the 

 beginning, were nearer upon an equality with us, and disputed the 

 possession of the earth. Man, while yet savage himse.f, was but ill 

 qualified to civilize the forest. While yet naked, unarmed, and with 

 out shelter, every wild beast was a formidable rival ; and the de- 

 struction of such was the first employment of heroes. But when he 

 began to multiply, and arts to accumulate, he soon cleared the plains 

 of the most noxious of these his rivals; a part was taken under his 

 protection and care, while the rest found a precarious refuge in the 

 burning desert, or the howling wilderness. 



From being rivals, quadrupeds have now become the assistants of 

 man ; upon them he devolves the most laborious employments, and 

 finds in them patient and humble coadjutors, ready to obey, and content 

 with the smallest retribution. It was not, however, without long and 

 repeated efforts that the independent spirit of these animals was 

 broken ; for the savage freedom, in wild animals, is generally found 

 to pass down through several generations before it is totally subdued. 

 Those cats and dogs that are taken from a state of natural wildness 

 in the forest, still transmit their fierceness to their young ; and, how- 

 ever concealed in general, it breaks out upon several occasions. 

 Thus the assiduity and application of man in bringing them up, not 

 only aiters their disposition, but their very forms ; and the difference 

 between animals in a stale of nature and domestic tameness, is so 

 considerable, that Mr.Buffon has taken this as a principal distinction 

 in classing them. 



In taking a cursory view of the form of quadrupeds, we may ea- 

 sily perceive, that of all the ranks of animated nature, they bear the 

 nearest resemblance to man. This similitude will be found more 

 striking when erecting themselves on their hinder feet, they are taught 

 to walk forward in an upright posture. We then see that all theii 

 extremities in a manner correspond with ours, and present us with a 

 rude imitation of our own. In some of the ape kind the resemblance 

 is so striking, that anatomists are puzzled to find in what part of the 

 human body man's superiority consists ; and scarce any but the me- 

 taphysician can draw the line that ultimately divides them. 



But if we compare their internal structure with our own, the like- 

 ness will be found still to increase, and we shall perceive many ad- 

 vantages they enjoy in common with us, above the lower tribes of 

 nature. Like us, they are placed above the class of birds, by bring- 

 ing forth their young alive ; like us, they are placed above the class 

 of fishes, by breathing through the lungs ; like us, they are placed 

 above the class of insects, by having red blood circulating through 

 their veins ; and lastly, like us, they are different from almost all the 

 other classes of animated nature, being either wholly or partly co- 

 vered with hair. Thus nearly are we represented in point of confor- 

 mation to the class of animals immediately below us ; and this show* 

 what little reason we have to be proud of our persons alone, to the 

 perfection of which quadrupeds make such very near approaches. 



