OF SELBOMNE. 215 



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 ap- 

 proach the quadruped with notes of complacency, 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 diminu- 

 tive 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 in 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." 



LETTER XXV. 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES HARRINGTON 



SELBORNE, Oct. 2, 1775. 



,E have two gangs or hordes of gipsies which 

 infest the south and west of England, and 

 come round in their circuit two or three 

 times in the year. One of these tribes calls 

 itself by the noble name of Stanley, of 

 which I have nothing particular to say ; but the other is 

 distinguished by an appellative somewhat remarkable. As 

 far as their harsh gibberish can be understood, they seem 

 to say that the name of their clan is Curleople : now the 



