



160 ON BEAUTY IN 



of flies are ready to devour him. In fact, 

 there is no putting a sufficient value on this 

 ornamental part; for, whilst he is left in the 

 full possession of it, he can effectually scourge 

 his tormentors, which never fail to attack those 

 places extending beyond the reach of his mouth 

 and hoofs. But man, wanton and unthinking 

 man, the slave to fashion and caprice, has 

 cruelly deprived his best and most useful friend 

 amongst the quadrupeds, of this great advan- 

 tage which Nature had so kindly given him ; 

 and now we see him, in summer, stung and 

 tormented at every step by blood-thirsty in- 

 sects, from which he cannot free himself by any 

 process short of rolling on the ground. 



What, in the name of form and feature, 

 could ever have persuaded Englishmen, that 

 the fine flowing mane of their horses was a 

 nuisance which ought to be reduced ; or that 

 the appearance of these superb animals could 

 be improved, by docking their tails to a stump 

 some eleven inches long ? Nay, I can well 

 remember the time, when this destructive 

 mania for improving the anatomy of the horse 

 by subtraction, had arisen to such a height of 

 absurdity, that both cart and carriage horses 



