A S I 



which are frequfntly more incommodiiis tlian a;;rccable, the 

 bchavioHr of the afs is entirely limplc and unaflcCted ; no 

 fiipercilious and fclf-fufScient air. He marches with an 

 uniform pace, and though he is not extraordinarily fwift, he 

 piirfues his journey for a lonj^ time, and without intcnnifTton. 

 He finifhcs his work in filence, ferves you with a Heady per- 

 feverance, and difcovers no ollcntation in his proceedings, 

 which is certainly a confiderable accompliihment in a domc- 

 ftic. His meats reqnire no preparation, for he is perfeftly 

 well contented with the firft thillle that prtfents itfi-lf in his 

 way. He does not pretend tiiat any thing is due to him, and 

 never appears fqucamilh or dilTatisfied : he thankfully ac- 

 cepts whatever is offered him : he hath an elegant relifli 

 for the bed things, and very civilly contents hinifclf 

 with the moll indifferent. If he happens to be forgot- 

 ten, or is faflencd a little too far from his fodder, he in- 

 treats his mailer, in the moff pathetic language he can 

 utter, to be fo good as to fiipply his ncccfTitios. It is very 

 julk that lie fhould live, and he employs all his rhetoric with 

 that view. When he has fiiiillKd his e-xpoHulations, he 

 patiently waits the anival of a little bran, or a few witiiered 

 leaves ; and the moment he difpatches his meal, he returns 

 to his bufinefs, and marches on, witiiout a murmur or replv. 

 His occupations have a tinge of the meannefs of thofe who 

 fet him to work ; but the judgments that are formed, both 

 of the afs and his mafter, are equally partial. The employ- 

 ments of a judge, a man of confequence, and an officer of 

 the revenue, have an important air, and their iiabit impoics 

 on the fpedators : on the contrary, the labour of the 

 peafant has a mean and contemptible appearance, becaufe 

 his drefs is poor, and his condition defpiftd. But we really 

 make a falfe eRimate of thefe particulars. It is the labour 

 of the peafant which is moll valuable, and alone truly uecef- 

 fary. Of what importance is it to us when a manager of 

 the revenue glitters from head to foot with gold ; we 

 have no advantage from his labours. I confefs, judges and 

 advocates are, in fome mcafure, neceffary ; but they are 

 made fo by our folly and milbehaviour ; for they would be 

 BO longer wanted, could we conduct ourfclves ii a rational 

 manner. But, on the other hand, we could on no account, 

 and in no feafon or oond'tion of life, be without the peafant 

 and the artifan. Thefe people may be conlidered as the 

 fouls and linews of the community, and the fupport of our 

 life. It is from them we are oonilantly deriving fome 

 accommodations for our \vant3. Our houfes, our habits, 

 our furniture, and our fuftcnance, rife out of their labours. 

 Now what would become of your vinc-dreffers, gardeners, 

 mafons, and the generality of country p^-ople, that is to fay 

 ©f two thirds of alt mankind, if tlicy wete dcilitute of either 

 men or horfes to convey the commodities and materials they 

 employ and manufafture ? The afs is perpetually at their 

 fervice : he carries fruit, herbs, coal, wood, bricks, tiles, 

 . plailler, lime, and draw. The mod abjed ofF.ces are his 

 ordinary lot, and it is a lingular advantage to this multitude 

 cf workmen, as well as ourfelves, to find a gentle, ilrong, 

 and 'indefatigable animal, who, without either cxpencc or 

 pride, replenilhes our cities and villages with all forts of 

 commodities. A fhort comparifon will complete the il- 

 hiftratioa of his fervices, and in fome meafure raife them out 

 of their obfcurity. The horfe \iery much refembles thofe 

 uations who are fond of ghtter and hurry ; who are per- 

 petually finging and dancing, and extremely fludious to fet 

 off their exterior, and mix gaiety in all their actions. They 

 sre admirable on fome diitinguifhed and deciCve occafions ; 

 but their lire frequently degenerates into romantic enthu- 

 fiafra ; they fall into wild tranfpprts ; they exhauft them- 

 felves, ar.d lofe the raoil favourable conjunctures for vrant of 



A S I 



management and moderation. The afs, on the contrary^ 

 refembles thole people who are naturally heavy and pacific,, 

 whofe underllandings and capacity are limited to hufbandry 

 or commerce, and who proceed in the fame track without 

 difcompofure, and complete, with a politive air, whatever 

 they have once undertaken." 



Of all animals that are covered with hair, it ii believed 

 the afs is the lead fubjecl to vermin ; and the authors of the 

 Encyclopxdia Britanuica have even ventured to fay, that it is 

 never troubled with lice. This opinion is altogether erro- 

 neous, and the more unaccountable, fince a llight acquaintance 

 with the entomological writings of Redi, of Linnaeus, Fa- 

 bricius, and fcvcral others, might have convinced them that 

 it is not only infefted with lice, but even with a fpecies 

 peculiar to itfelf, and for that very reafon named alini, or 

 loufe of the afs. Pediculus afini. Red. Exp. 21. Ped'culus 

 afKii, Linn. Pediculus afini, capite poiTcclo obtufo abdo- 

 mine ovato fufco (Iriato, Fabr. &c. The flJin of the als is 

 extremely hard and, very eladic, and is ufed for various pur- 

 pofcs ; fuch as to cover drums, make filoes, or parchment. 

 It is of the fkin of this animal that the orientals make the 

 fagri, or, as we call it, (hagreen. 



At two years and a half old, the fird middle incifive teeth 

 fall out, and the others on each fide foon follow ; they are 

 renewed at the fame time, and in the fame order as thofe of 

 the horfe. The age of the afs is alfo known by his teeth 

 in the fame manner. From the age of two years and a half 

 the afs is capable of procreating its kind, and the female 

 dill earlier. The ftm.ales are in heat in May and June, 

 which, when pregnant, foon goes off. In the tenth month, 

 milk is found inJier dugs, and (he brings forth in the twelfth, 

 and very rarelv has more than one foal. Seven days after' 

 die is capable of again receiving the male. At the end of 

 five or fix months the fonl may be weai:ed ; and it is even 

 neceffary, if the mother be again pregnant. The ilaliiorr 

 afs diould be chofen from the larged and firongeil of iiis 

 fpecies ; he mud at lead be three years old, but diould not 

 exceed ten ; his legs diould be long, his body plump, head 

 long and light, eyesbrifl<, nodrils and died large, neck long, 

 loins flefliy, ribs broad, rump flat, tail Ihoit, hair (hining, foft 

 to the touch, and of a deep grey. 



The afs, like the horfe, is three or four years in growing, 

 and lives alfo like him twenty-five or thirty years ; it is faid 

 the female lives longer than the male ; but perhaps this 

 happens from their being often pregnant, and at thofe times 

 having fome care taken of them, inllead of which the males 

 are condantly worn out with fatigue and blows. They 

 deep lefs than the horfe, and do not lie down to deep, ex- 

 cept when lliey arc exceedingly tired. The male afs alfo lads 

 much longer than the dallion ; the older he is, the more ardent 

 he appears ; and, in general, the health of this animal is 

 much better than that of the horfe ; he is lefs delicate, and 

 not nearly fo fubjedl to maladies. 



There are among affes, as among hoiTes, different races, 

 though they are much lefs known, becaufe they have not 

 been taken the fame care of, or followed with tlie fame 

 attention. Travellers inform us, that there are two forts 

 of affes in Perfia, one of whieli, being dow and heavy, are 

 ufed for biu-dens; and the other is kept like horfes for the 

 faddle. The latter have fmooth hair, carry their head well, 

 and are much quicker in their motion; but when they ride 

 them they fit nearer the buttocks than when on horfcback. 

 Tliey are dreffed hke horfes, and like them are taught to 

 amble; and they cleave their nodrils to give them more 

 room for breathing. According to Dr. Ruffel, there are 

 two forts in Syria, one of ^^hich are like ours, and the other 



very 



