14 M U L E. Clafsl. 



than the female parent ; not but they almoft always 

 inherii: in fome degree the obftinacy of the parent afs, 

 tho' it muft be confeffed that this vice is heightened 

 by their being injudiciouily broke; inftead of mild 

 iifage, which generally correds the worft qualities, 

 the mule is treated v.'ith cruelty from the firft ; and 

 is fo habituated to blows, that it is never mounted 

 or loaded without expectation of ill treatment ; fo 

 , that the unhappy animal either prepares to retaliate, 

 or in the terror of bad ufage, becomes invincibly 

 retrograde. Could we prevail on our countrymen 

 to confider this animal in the light its ufeful qualities 

 merit, and pay due attention to its breaking, they 

 might wich fuccefs form it for the faddle, the draught, 

 or the burden. The fize and ftrength of our breed 

 is at prefent fo improved by the importation of the 

 Spanijh male affes, that we fhall foon have numibers 

 that may be adapted to each of thofe ufes. Perfons 

 of the firft quality in Spain are drawn by them ; for 

 one of which (as Mr. Clarke informs us *) fifty or 

 fixty guineas is no uncommon price ; nor is it fur- 

 prizing, if we confider how far they excel the horfe 

 in draught, in a mountainous country ; the mule 

 being able to tread fecurely where the former can 

 hardly ftand. 



This brief account may be clofed with the general 

 obfervation, that neither mules nor the fpurious ofF- 

 fpring of any other animal generate any farther ; all 

 thefe produftions may be looked on as monfters % 

 therefore nature, to preferve the original fpecies of 



* Letters on the Zpanijh nation. 



animals 



