BEITISH SHEEP.] 



SHEEP, 



[beitish sheep. 



In Spain, as in the East, from the earliest 

 times, the shepherd leads his flock. In Italy, 

 in Greece, and some parts of Erance, it is still 

 the custom ; and the reed-pipe of the shepherd 

 may be heard calling the flock together, or the 

 troop be seen following him as he leads them to 

 their evening folding- place. In Greece, it is 

 usual, as formerly, to give names to the sheep, 

 which they know, and will answer, coming to 

 the shepherd when called. 



Before closing this chapter, let us revert to 

 our starting-point — the question as to the 

 origin of the domestic sheep ? It is clear 

 that we cannot identify it with any wild spe- 

 cies with which we are yet acquainted. If 

 such exists, it is most probably to be found on 

 the mountains of Armenia — but this is proble- 

 matical; and there is some ground for sup- 



posing that, though the sheep of every region 

 intermingle with eacli other, they have de- 

 scended from difierent primitive origins. The 

 subject is full of obscurity It is, indeed, 

 strange, that while history teems with the 

 accounts of battles, massacres, invasions, the 

 reigns and the crimes of kings, it throws no 

 light upon the domestic animals which man 

 has reclaimed. The motives which led him to 

 attempt this important work, the manner in 

 which he accomplished it, the characters and 

 native abodes of the species selected, are buried 

 in oblivion. The subject was too mean for 

 history — the actors too humble to be noticed; 

 but it is always the case, that the glare of 

 mighty deeds eflaces the record of the useful, 

 tlie beneficent, and the truly great ; whilst that 

 which ia in reality mean, is magnified. 



CHAPTER II. 



BRITISH SHEEP. — LONG-WOOLLED BREEDS. 



PRELIMINA.RY REMARKS. 

 Teaditional testimony, as well as the oldest 

 records, are very unsatisfactory regarding the 

 existence of the sheep in Britain ; and no early 

 historian whatever deigns to take the slightest 

 notice of them. Wliether this neglect has 

 arisen from their, perhaps, comparative unim- 

 portance in those times in this country, it is 

 now impossible to say ; but even Caesar, who 

 enters at considerable length into a description 

 of tlie manners and customs of the ancient 

 Britons, docs not make the most distant allu- 

 sion either to the sheep or its wool. "When 

 he mentions the cattle of the ancient Britons, 

 however, it is probable that he meant sheep to 

 be included ; as Herodotus, when speaking of 

 the Persians, says—" The wealthy provide an 

 ox, a horse, a camel, and an ass, roasted whole 

 in furnaces ; and the poor provide the smaller 

 cattle." This is said in allusion to the feasts 

 of that people. After the subjugation of 

 Britain, the Itomans turned their attention to 

 the improvement of the country, cultivating 

 702 



the soil, and gradually bringing about an order 

 of things very different from that which had 

 hitherto existed. Among other acts, they 

 established a woollen manufactory at "Win- 

 chester, which, as a matter of course, must 

 have been supplied by native fleeces, as there 

 was no other source whence these could be 

 obtained. This speculation succeeded so well, 

 that, in a very short time, the woollen cloths of 

 Britain entered into competition with those of 

 the Eoman empire, and early began to excel 

 them. This was soon evidenced by the fact, 

 that the finest and most costly dresses made use 

 of on days of ceremony and festivity at Eome, 

 were the product of British wool. The sheep 

 employed in furnishing the material for these 

 manufactures, were the short-woolled breed — • 

 Winchester being situated in the centre of a 

 county which was then favourable to the sup- 

 port of that kind of sheep alone. Erom this 

 period a darkness falls upon the history of the 

 sheep and its productions for some centuries, 

 until an old chronicler appears, and gives a 



