394 TEMPERS COMPARED. 



be that they may say my endeavours in this are ana- 

 logous to the taking off the nose, because taking off 

 the ear did not please : if so, the best thing I could do 

 would be to take myself off, for the fault would not be 

 in the reader, but in my bad judgment as to what is 

 likely to please. 



Horses have their tempers as well as men : there 

 are vicious, violent, and sulky tempers ; but justice to 

 animal creation induces me to say, that in all domestic 

 animals, the bad tempers bear no proportion at all to 

 the good ; and further, I am quite certain, that, com- 

 paring horses with men, I estimate both fairly in 

 saying that the proportion of bad tempers in men to 

 those in horses, are ten to one in favour of the latter. 

 In point of goodness of disposition between the two 

 animals, the proportion, I am sorry to say, I consider 

 much greater ; for there is not one horse in a hundred 

 that would attempt to hurt or annoy man, unless he 

 first hurts him; and very seldom even then, unless 

 fright makes him do so. Now experience convinces me 

 there is not one man in a hundred that will hesitate 

 in hurting or annoying the horse, if interest or even 

 convenience induces him to do it. I fear a very little 

 more interest or convenience would render him not 

 very nice about hurting or annoying his fellow-man. 

 But I allow I am not one of those who look on the 

 august figure of man with all that veneration this said 

 august personage generally considers himself entitled 

 to : I am not exactly of the opinion of the poor Indian, 



" Who thinks, admitted to that equal sky, 

 His faithful dog shall bear him company : " 



but I do consider that no greater right was awarded 

 to me to ill-use an animal than was given to the 

 animal to ill-use me. But we are not now on the 



