ASS, 123 



and economical that ever was imposed, has not materially 

 diminished the numbers, kept or bred. Vanity, co-oper- 

 ating with luxury, overlooks .expense in its gratification, 

 and regards no personal sacrifices that can be made. 



These reflections are not meant against the most useful 

 and generous of animals, but against those who retain 

 him for no purposes of utility ; and consequently lessen 

 the quantity, or enhance the price, of those supplies which 

 are more properly due to the human race. 



The horse, as being a martial animal, was dedicated to 

 the god of war. The Persians, Armenians, and other 

 nations of antiquity, sacrificed horses to the sun. The 

 Suevi, according to Tacitus, maintained white horses in 

 the sacred woods, at the public charge, and from them 

 drew omens. The sight of a horse, according to Virgil, 

 was generally considered as ominous of war. 



THE ASS. 



From the first view of this animal, we should be led to 

 imagine it of the same species with the horse, but only 

 somewhat degenerated. The two creatures are, how- 

 ever, perfectly distinct; for, though they will breed 

 together, the mixture between them is barren: a wise 

 regulation of Nature to preserve the unities of form, and 

 the discriminations of species. Indeed, whatever external 

 similarity there may be between them, they are widely 

 different in their natures, tempers, and habits. They have 

 in general a marked aversion to each other ; at least, the 

 generous and high-spirited horse seldom fails to evince a 

 shyness at the approach of the humble but patient ass. 



In Africa and some other countries, however, the 

 onagra, or wild ass, is little inferior in beauty to the 

 zebra ; and, when united in troops, neither fears nor 

 attends to the presence of man ; but, in a state of domes- 

 tication, we see the ass sunk to a passive slave, abused 

 by every petty tyrant, and generally left to chance for 

 the scanty fare which its nature requires. It is indeed 

 commonly the servant of the poor, and so participates 

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