ANrJIALfe. 



521 



The horse is more properly an animal belonging to the richj 

 the sheep chiefly thrives in a flock, and requires attendance; 

 but the now is more especially the poor man's pride, his riches, 

 and his support. There are many of our peasantry that have no 

 other possession but a cow ; and even of the advantages result- 

 ing from this most useful creature, the poor are but the nominal 

 possessors. Its flesh they cannot pretend to taste, since then 

 their whole riches are at once destroyed; its calf they are oblig- 

 ed to fatten for sale, since veal is a delicacy they could not make 

 any pretensions to; its very milk is wrought into butter and 

 cheese for the tables of their masters ; while they have no share, 

 even in their own possession, but the choice of their market. I 

 cannot bear to hear the rich crying out for liberty while they 

 thus starve their fellow- creatures, and feed them up with an 

 imaginary good, while they monopolize the real benefits of na- 

 ture. 



In those countries where the men are under better subordina- 

 tion, this excellent animal is of more general advantage. In 

 Germany, Poland, and Switzerland, every peasant keeps two or 

 three cows, not for the benefit of his master, but for himself. 

 The meanest of the peasants there kills one cow at least for his 

 owTi table, which he salts and hangs up, and thus preserves as a 

 delicacy all the year round. There is scarcely a cottage in those 

 countries that is not hung round with these marks of hospitality ; 

 and which often make the owner better contented with hunger, 

 since he has it in his power to be luxurious when he thinks pro- 

 per. A piece of beef hung up there is considered as an elegant 

 piece of furniture, which, though seldom touched, at least argues 

 the possessor's opulence and ease. But it is very different, for 

 some years past, in this country, where our lower rustics at 

 least are utterly unable to purchase meat any part of the year, 

 and by them even butter is considered as an article of extrava- 

 gance. 



The climate and pasture of Great Britain, however, are ex- 

 cellently adapted to this animal's moderate nature; and tlie ver- 

 dure and the fertility of our plains are perfectly suited to the 

 mannev of its feeding; for wanting the upper foreteeth, it loves 



and forwHrcIs, in a semicircular form ; in the lower jaw there nre eight front 

 tte'.li, tut uonc in the upper : and there nre no tUbl<s in pitlier. 



<i \ .) 



