THE PIG. 1 5 



street, behold a pig! Some, from their jaded, careworn, 

 dragged appearance, are evidently leaving behind a numerous 

 litter; others are great, tall, monastic, melancholy wretches, 

 which seem to have no other object left in this wretched 

 world than to become bacon; while others are thin, tiny, 

 light-hearted, brisk, petulant piglings, with the world and all 

 its loves and sorrows before them. Of their own accord, these 

 creatures proceed down the street, to join the herdsman, who 

 occasionally continues to repeat the sorrowful blast from his 

 horn. 



" Gregarious, or naturally fond of society, with one curl in 

 their tails, and with their noses almost touching the ground, 

 the pigs trot on, grunting to themselves and to their comrades, 

 halting only whenever they come to anything they can manage 

 to swallow. 



" I have observed that the old ones pass all the carcases 

 which, trailing to the ground, are hanging before the butchers' 

 shops, as if they were on a sort of parole tfhonneur not to 

 touch them; the middle-aged ones wistfully eye this meat, 

 yet jog on also; while the piglings, who (so like mankind) 

 have more appetite than judgment, can rarely resist taking a 

 nibble ; yet no sooner does the dead calf begin to move, than, 

 from the window immediately above, out pops the head of a 

 butcher, who, drinking his coffee, whip in hand, inflicts a 

 prompt punishment sounding quite equal to the offence." 



And that the pig is clever in gathering his food, is proved 

 from what Sir Francis Head says further on, when he remarks 

 on the pigs being lashed on beyond the tempting morsels 

 they find in the streets. He says : 



" No wonder, poor reflecting creatures ! that they had come 

 unwillingly to such a spot; for there appeared to be literally 

 nothing to eat but hot stones and dust; however, making the 

 best of the bargain, they all very vigorously set themselves to 



