ASS 
clead immediately after copulation; and that the 
female is as ftrongly attached to her young as the 
male is to her, not being deterred, either by fire or 
water, from protedling her foal. The Afs is re- 
markably partial to' it's owner, by whom it is too 
often abufed : it fcents him at a confidcrable dif- 
tance; diftinguifhes him from others in a crowd; 
and feems to know the roads he has pafled, as well 
as the place he inhabits. When overloaded, it 
lliews the tyrant's injuftice by hanging down it's 
head, and lowering it's ears; and, when too hard 
preffed, it opens it's mouth, and draws back it's 
lips, after a very difagreeable manner. If it's eyes are 
blinded, it immediately becomes motionlefs; and, 
on being laid down fo that one eye is concealed in 
the grafs, while the other is covered with a ftone, 
or any other article, it will continue fixed in the 
fame fituation, without attempting to rife, or free 
itfelf from thefe flight impediments. It walks, 
trots, and gallops, like a horfe; but, though it fets 
out very freely, it is foon weary, and no corporeal 
infli(5lions are then capable of making it mend it's 
pace. In vain does the unmerciful rider exert 
his whip, or his cudgel : the poor animal patient- 
ly endures it all ; and, as if confcious of it's own 
imbecillity, and of the inefficacy of refinance, does 
not even attempt to move. 
But, notv/ithftanding the natural ftupidity of this 
animal. It IS ca pable of being trained with the fame 
facility as mofl other quadrupeds; and feveral AfTes 
have been rendered fufEciently fagacious and aftive 
to be exhibited as public fpeftacles. It is, however, 
the misfortune of this humble and ufeful animal, to 
be defpifed by man ; though it's efforts are exerted 
to pleaie him, and it's fervices are ib cheaply pur- 
chafed. The horfe is the only favourite; and on 
him all expence and labour are beftowed : he is fed, 
attended, and flabled ; while the Afs is abandoned 
to the inhumanity of the loweft ruftics, or even to 
the barbarous Iport of children ; and, inftead of 
gaining by the lefTons it receives, is always a lofer. 
It is forced along by blovv's; infulted v/ith unne- 
cefTary ilripes; and overloaded by indolence: and, 
as it falls generally to the lot of the poor, it largely 
participates in their wants and diftrefTes. Thus 
tliis faithful animal, which would undoubtedly be 
the firft of tiie quadruped kind, were there no 
horfe, is confidered as of little value : all it's pro- 
perties and qualifications being found elfewhere in 
a higher degree, the creature is entirely difregard- 
cd; and, from being naturally the fecond in the 
fcale of utility, is degraded into the moft infignifi- 
cantof all domeilic quadrupeds. 
FTence fb very little attention has been paid to 
the improvement of the breed, that it has been fuf- 
fercd to degenerate; and it appears highly proba- 
ble that the Afs, of all other animals, is the moft 
enfeebled, and rendered moft diminutive, by being 
in a ftate of domeftic fervitude. The horfe, the 
cow, and the ftieep, are rendered larger by the flcill 
and afTiduity of man ; while the Afs is permitted 
to dwindle in every generation. Indeed, it is v/ith 
us fb little valued, that the whole fpecies would 
probably have been long fince extinft, if the me- 
dicinal qualities of it's milk had not tempted the 
avarice of mankind to continue the breed. This 
falutary liquid is in fome cafes efteemed the moft 
fovereign, as well as the moft innocent, of all pre- 
fcriptions: it is extremely nourifhing and abfter- 
gent, and therefore highly valued in he£bic com- 
plaints, in diforders of the ftomach, abfceffes of the 
kidneys, the ftone in the bladder, and arthritic 
ASS 
pains. It appears to be gently cathartic, and was 
frequently diredled by Hippocrates to be ufed in 
large quantities where moderate purging was ne- 
cefTary. When applied as a topic, it renders the 
gums firm, alleviates arthritic pains, and gives the 
face an agreeable whitenefs. 
Were there as much care beftov/ed on the Afs 
as commonly falls to the fhare of the horfe, and 
were the fame induftry ufed in crofTing the breed 
and improving it, there is great reafon to fuppofe 
that we fhould foon fee the Afs emerge from it's 
prefent humble ftate, and become a very refpe6lable 
and ufeful animal, frequently rivalling the horfe 
in fome of it's qualities, and even exceeding him 
in others. In proportion to their reipeftive mag- 
nitudes, the Afs is confiderably ftronger than the 
horfe; furer-footed ; and, though flower in it's 
motions, much lefs apt to ftart out of the way. 
The Spaniards feem to be better acquainted with 
tlie nature of the Afs than any otlier nation in 
Europe; and, as they ufe every neceffary precau- 
tion to improve the breed in Spain, it is no un- 
ufual thing to meet with an animal of this fpecies 
full fifteen hands high. 
The Afs feems to have been originally a native 
of Arabia, and other parts of the eaft; and warm 
climates ftill produce the largeft and beft. Their 
fize and fpirit both evidently decline on their re- 
moval into colder regions. V/ith difficulty,' fays 
Mr. Adanfbn, fpeaking of the Affes of Senegal, 
' did I know this animal, fo different did it appear 
from thofe of Europe: the hair was fine, and of a 
bright moufe colour; and the black lift, which 
crolTes tlie back and fhoulders, had a fine effeft.' 
Thefe were- the AfTes brought by the Moors from 
the interior parts of the country. 
The emigration of the Afs has been very (low, 
and, though it is now fo' common in all parts of 
thefe iflands, the breed was entirely loft among us 
during the reign of Elizabeth. Holingftied informs 
us that, in his time, 'our lande did yeelde no AfTes.' 
But we are not to fuppofe that fuch ufeful animals 
were unknown in theie kingdoms before that period; 
for mention is made of them fo early as the reign of 
King Ethelred, above four hundred years before; 
and again in the reign of Henry III. fo that the 
breed muft hav/C been unaccountably loft durinp- 
the reign of Elizabeth. At what period it wa's 
again introduced, is not certain ; but it was proba- 
bly in the fucceeding reign, when our intercourfe 
with Spain was renewed, where this animal was 
then much ufed, as well as at prefent. In Swe- 
den, the Afs appears to be a kind of rarity; nor does 
it appear, from the moft recent hiftory of Norway, 
that it has yet reached that country: while, in 
Guinea, it is larger, as well as more beautiful, 
than even the horfe of the fame country. In Per- 
fia, there are two kinds of Afl^es : one of which, 
ufed for burdens, is flow and heavy; the other, 
which is kept for the faddle, being ftately, and 
nimble. They are managed in the fame man- 
ner as horfes ; except diat the rider fits nearer the 
crupper : and, like them, they are taught to am- 
ble. Their noftrils are generally enlarged, in or- 
der to allow them more room for breathing; and 
one of them is frequendy fold for forty or fiftv 
pounds. 
The Afs is not only more hardy than the horfe, 
but liable to fewer difeafes ; and it is lefs fubjeft to 
be infefted with vermin than any other liaity ani- 
mal; probably on account of the drynefs and 
hardnefs of it's flcin. Like the horfe, it takes three 
^ or 
