QUA 
dlfputcd the pofleflion of the earth. Man, when 
almoft a favage himfelf, was utterly unqualified 
to civilize a foreft: while he continued naked, 
unfheltered, and unarmed, every wild beafl was 
a formidable rival; and their deftruftion was the 
firft (and happy had it beeil for human nature 
had it been the laft) empioyment of heroes. But 
when he began to rlnultiply, and arts to accumu- 
late, the moft noxious of thefe rivals were ba- 
nifhed from ihe plains; an undifputed empire was 
eftablifhedover all tlie orders of animated nature; 
a part Was taken under his care and proteiftion, 
while the reft fought a precarious I'efuge in the 
defarti 
But, inftead of rivals, Quadrupeds are now be- 
come the afTiftants of man: to them he allots la- 
borious employments; and finds them patient, 
humble, ready to obey, and fatisfied with the 
fmalleft retribution. Yet the independent fpirit 
of thefe animals could not be broken without 
long and reiterated efforts: feveral generations 
muft pafs before the favage freedom of wild beafts 
can be totally fubdued. Dogs and catSj when 
taken from a ftate of natural wildnefs in the fo- 
reft, ftill tranfmit their ferocious difpofitions to 
their young; and, though in general concealed, 
it will difcover itfelf on various occafions: thus, 
not only their difpofitions, but their very fhapes, 
are altered by the afliduity and application of 
man. 
Of all the ranks of animated nature, Quadru- 
peds bear the neareft fimilitude to man. The 
refemblance is particularly obvious when they are 
taught to walk forward in an upright pofture, 
erefted on their hinder feet: we may then per- 
ceive that all their extremities correfpond, in a 
great degree, with ours, and prefent us with a 
rude imitation of the human form. In fome of 
the ape kind, the fimilitude is fo very ftriking, 
that anatomifts can fcarcely difcover in what part 
of the human body man's fuperiority confifts. 
On comparing the internal ftru6lure of Quadru- 
peds with our own, the refemblance will appear 
ftill more ftriking than from a contemplation of 
their external forms; and we ftiall then perceive 
that they enjoy many advantages in common with 
us above the lower tribes of nature. However 
mortifying to human pride the refledlion may be, 
they are, like us, placed above the clafs of birds, 
by bringing forth their young alive; like us, they 
are alfo ranked above the tribe of fifties, by breath- 
ing through their lungs; like us alfo, they are 
placed above the clafs of infeds, by having red 
blood circulating through their veins; and, like us, 
they are different from almoft all the other ranks 
of animated nature, by being either wholly or 
partially covered with hair. How little reafon 
then has man to be proud of his perfon alone, to 
the perfeftion of which Quadrupeds make fuch 
near approaches ! 
The fimilitude of Quadrupeds to the human 
fpecies is likewife perceptible in the fixednefs of 
their nature, and their being lefs liable to be 
changed by the influence of food or climate than 
the lower ranks of nature. Birds, it is well 
known, are very apt to alter both in colour and 
fize; fifties vary ftill more; infedls maybe taught 
to change and adapt themfelves to almoft any cli- 
mate ; and, if we defcend to plants, which perhaps 
may be allowed fome degree of animated exift- 
ence, their kinds are readily altered, and taught 
fo aflume new forms. The figure of every ani- 
O il A 
mal may be confidered as a kind of draperv, 
which human affiduity may induce or diveft: in 
man, indeed, it is almoft invariable; in Quadru- 
peds, it admits of fome variation; and, if we de- 
fcend to the inferior claffes of animated exiftence, 
the variety may ftill be increafed. 
But though Quadrupeds are in general thus 
ftrongly marked, and divided from the various 
kinds around them, yet fome are of fo equivocal 
a nature, that it is difficult to determine whether 
they deferve to be ranked in the Quadruped clafs, 
or degraded to thofe below them. The bar, for 
inftance, approaches to the aerial tribe, and might 
by fome be ranked among birds ; the porcupine, 
being covered with quills, has fome pretenfions 
to the fame clafs, as it demonftrates that birds 
are not the only part of nature which is furniftied 
with fuch a defence; the armadillo, being covered 
with a ftiell, might be referred to the "infeft or 
fnail tribe; and the feal and the morfe, being fur- 
niftied with fins, and almoft conftantly refiding 
in the water, might be ranked among fifties. All 
thefe animals become lefs perfect in proportion 
as they recede from the human figure, and may- 
be regarded as the loweft kinds of that clafs to 
which naturalifts have affigned them. 
But though there is fuch infinite variety in 
Quadrupeds, thty are .dl well adapted to their 
refpeftive ftations, and probably enjoy a ftate of 
happinefs confonant to their natures. We may 
apprehend that the floth, which fpends two 
months in climbing up afingle tree; or the mole, 
whofe whole life is fpent in fubterraneous dark- 
nefs; are miferable and helplefs creatures; but 
perhaps their life is to them a ftate of luxury; 
their moft pleafing food is eafily obtained; and, 
as they are abridged of one pleafure, the enjoy- 
ment of thofe which remain is probably doubled. 
At the worft, the inferior kinds of animals have 
only the torments of immediate evil to encoun- 
ter, which is tranfient and accidental; but man 
has two fources of calamity, that which he fuffers, 
and that which he dreads: he would therefore be 
the moft unfortunate of all creatures, were his 
views bounded by mortality, and his hopes to 
expire in the grave. 
The heads of Quadrupeds, though very diffe- 
rent from each other, are generally well adapted 
to their mode of life. In fome, they are ftiarp, 
the better to facilitate the turning up of the earth, 
in which their food lies hid. In others, they arc 
long, in order to afford a greater exercife of the 
olfa6lory nerves; as in dogs, which difcover and 
purfue their prey merely by the fcent. In fome, 
as lions, they are ftiort and thick, to give ftrength 
to the jaws, and the better to qualify them for 
the conflift. And all Quadrupeds which purfue 
gramineous food are enabled to hold down their 
heads to the ground by means of a ftrong tendi- 
nous ligament extending from the head to the 
middle of the back. 
The teeth of all animals feem perfe6lly fitted 
for the nature of their diet. With refpetl to thofe 
which fubfift on vegetables, they feem entirely 
calculated for bruifing and gathering their fimple 
food, being edged before, and fitted for cutting; 
but broad, and fuited for pounding, tov/ards the 
end of the jaw. The teeth of carnivorous ani- 
mals are ftiarp before, and fitted rather for hold- 
ing than dividing: they ferve as grinders in the 
one; in the other, as weapons of defence. In 
both, however, the furfaces of the grinding teeth 
are 
