74 SKETCHES OF RURAL AFFAIRS. 



the flute, and who always carried his instrument along 

 with him, took it out of his pocket. ' I am going,' said 

 he, ' to turn Corydon ; let us see whether Virgil's sheep 

 will recognise their pastor.' He began to play. The 

 sheep and goats, which were following one another 

 towards the mountain, with their heads hanging down, 

 raised them at the first sound of the lute, and all, with 

 a general and hasty movement, turned to the side from 

 whence the agreeable sound proceeded. Gradually they 

 flocked round the musician, and listened with motion- 

 less attention. He ceased playing : still the sheep did 

 not stir. The shepherd with his staff obliged those 

 nearest to him to move on. They obeyed; but no 

 sooner did the fluter begin to play, than his innocent 

 auditors again returned to him. The shepherd, out of 

 patience, pelted them with clods of earth ; but not one 

 would move. The fluter played with additional skill ; 

 the shepherd fell into a passion, whistled, scolded, and 

 pelted the poor fleecy amateurs with stones. Such as 

 were hit by them began to march, but the others still 

 refused to stir. At last the shepherd was obliged to 

 entreat our Orpheus to stop his magic sounds ; the 

 sheep then moved off, but continued to stop at a dis- 

 tance, as often as our friend resumed the agreeable in- 

 strument. The tune he played was nothing more than 

 the favourite air of the opera then performing at Milan. 

 As music was our continual employment, we were de- 

 lighte'd with our adventure ; we reasoned upon it the 

 whole day, and concluded that physical pleasure is the 

 basis of all music." 



Among the Pyrenees, sheep obey the call of the shep- 

 herd in a way that shows their docile and obedient 

 nature, and also beautifully illustrates what is said in 

 the Scriptures of the good Shepherd : " He goeth before 

 them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his 

 voice." If the sheep are at no great distance from the 

 shepherd, he whistles to them, and they leave off feeding, 

 and obey his call ; if they are far off and scattered, 



