THE PIE KIND. 239 



have brought up their young, that these birds are 

 employed in several countries as the most expe- 

 ditious carriers. They are first brought from the 

 place where they were bred, and whither it is in- 

 tended to send them back with information. The 

 letter is tied under the bird's wing, and it is then 

 let loose to return. The little animal no sooner 

 finds itself at liberty, than its passion for its na- 

 tive spot directs all its motions. It is seen, upon 

 these occasions, flying directly into the clouds to 

 an amazing height ; and then, with the greatest 

 certainty and exactness, directing itself by some 

 surprising instinct towards home, which lies some- 

 times at many miles distance, bringing its mes- 

 sage to those to whom it is directed. By what 

 marks they discover the place, by what chart 

 they are guided in the right way, is to us utterly 

 unknown ; certain it is, that in the space of an 

 hour and a half they perform a journey of forty 

 miles, which is a degree of dispatch three times 

 greater than the fleetest quadruped can perform. 

 These birds are not brought up at present with 

 so much care as formerly, when they were sent 

 from governors in a besieged city to generals that 

 were coming to relieve it without; when they 

 were sent from princes to their subjects with the 

 tidings of some fortunate event, or from lovers to 

 their mistresses with expressions of their passion. 

 The only use we now see made of them, is to be 

 let fly at Tyburn when the cart is drawn away ; 

 pretty much as, when some ancient hero was to 

 be interred, an eagle was let off from the funeral 

 pile, to complete his apotheosis. 



47 



