NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 91 



leading her pursuers over hedge, or gate, or stile, till she 

 returns to the cows, who, with fierce lowings and menacing 

 horns, drive the assailants quite out of the pasture. 



Even great disparity of kind and size does not always 

 prevent social advances and mutual fellowship. For a very 

 intelligent and observant person has assured me that, in 

 the former part of his life, keeping but one horse, he 

 happened also on a time to have but one solitary hen. 

 These two incongruous animals spent much of their time 

 together in a lonely orchard, where they saw no creature 

 but each other. By degrees an apparent regard began to 

 take place between these two sequestered individuals. The 

 fowl would approach the quadruped with notes of com- 

 placency, rubbing herself gently against his legs : while 

 the horse would look down with satisfaction, and move 

 with the greatest caution and circumspection, lest he should 

 trample on his diminutive companion. Thus, by mutual 

 good offices, each seemed to console the vacant hours of 

 the other : so that Milton, when he puts the following 

 sentiment into the mouth of Adam, seems to be somewhat 

 mistaken : 



" Much less can bird with beast, or fish with fowl, 

 So well converse, nor with the ox the ape." 



I am, &c. 



