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, rubbin 
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 XXY. 
TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON 
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 
