246 TRAVELS IN 
to allow much honour to thofe poets who have 
celebrated this harmonious lyre, which their 
imagination alone has confecrated. 
When I was fufficiently fatisfied with the 
melody of mine, being afraid that thefe plea- 
fantrics might be changed into very ferious 
alarms ; and that my oxen, which had not yet 
forgotten the elephants heads, might abfolutely 
be frightened, and run away, I made a fign 
with my hand that I had fomething more to 
fay, and immediately the noife ceafed. " My 
dear friends," added I, in a fimple and 
aiFefiionate tone, " I have regaled you v/ith 
the beft tobacco you ever tailed ; I have 
made you acquainted with a wonderful in- 
ftrument : we are now going to terminate 
" this delightful entertainment with a few 
bumpers of the beft French brandy ; and 
we fnall drink to the hea}th of our families 
" and friends.'' 
' This, as I have faid, was a real holiday; and, 
even to my domeftic animals, all muft fhare in 
the general frolic, and ad a part in our orgies, 
Kees at this moment was clofe by my fide ; 
a ftation which he was remarkably fond of, 
and which he never failed every evening to 
affume. Reared like a child of the family, I 
ha4 
