180 A HUNTING CATECHISM 



of its only weapon against the attack of flies ; and 

 the constant stamping in consequence that is 

 required to get rid of them, is prejudicial to 

 the legs, and does away with much of the good 

 that would otherwise be obtained from the run 

 at grass. 



Nature devised the tail partly to harmonise 

 with the neck and head of the horse, in the 

 general outline, and make up a symmetrical 

 whole ; for if the frame of the body, with the 

 four legs as posts to support it, is carefully looked 

 at, then a prolongation at one end demands 

 another at the other end, to make the figure 

 balance. Logically, therefore, if one end is 

 shortened, so ought the other to be in equal 

 proportion ; and if the tail is cut off, then the 

 head and neck should be cut off too ! Otherwise 

 the result is much the same as a teapot with 

 a spout intact, but with a broken handle ! No 

 wonder foreigners still look upon us as a 

 barbarous race, as in the days of Voltaire ! 



Vous fiers Anglois, 



Barbaras que vous etes, 

 Coupez la tete aux rois 



Et la queue a vos betes ; 

 Mais les Frangois, 



Polis et droits, 



Aimant les lois, 

 Laissent la queue aux betes 



Et la tete a leurs rois." 



Unfortunately for the truth of the satire these 

 lines were penned a little too previous ! but at the 

 time they were written the horrors of the Revolu- 

 tion had not yet taken place, and the brilliant 

 Frenchman was both witty and right. What 



