PREFACE. 



A Bristol youth whose theological education had been ninch 

 neglected, was once asked by his Sunday School teacher, in the 

 words of_^a catechism, *' What is thechief end of man ?" Feeling 

 his intellect insulted by a question, the answer to which appeared 

 to him so very obvious, theboy indignantly replied, " Why liis head 

 to be sure." This answer was not received with much fav« nr 

 by tlie teacher, but it nevertheless contains a very important 

 truth, and one which man is too prone to forget, especially when 

 dealing with animals whose head can hardly be considered their 

 "chief end." His dealings with the horse have not always 

 illustrated the truth of Cowper's lines : — 



" 'Tis plain the creature whom He cho.se to invest 

 With kingship and dominion o'er the rest, 

 Received his nobler nature, and was made 

 Fit for the power, in which he stands arrayed." 



The unexampled progress of oiir countrymen in beneficent 

 civilization during the last sixty years, has been mainly due to 

 the fact, that even the toilers amongst us have learned to use 

 their " chief end" more, and their inferior ends less. 



"With more peace, more food, more leisure, and more education, 

 even our agricultural labourers have asserted their right to be 

 something more than hewers of wood and drawers of water ; have 

 sought and have obtained improved tools ; and now willingly 

 leave the lowest and most severe drudgery to the water wheel, the 

 steam engine, and the horse. 



The descendants of the poor mistaken men, who, fifty years 

 ago, were burning the farmers rude thrashing machines, and 



