ber of diforders. In fhort, all the changes u-hich 
have been wrought in this animal by human in- 
duftryj are calculated for the benefit of mankindj 
and not for that of the creature itfelf. 
The goat, to which the Sheep bears fuch a fcrik- 
ing relemblance, is greatly it's fu perior. The 
former has it's particular attachments ; and, be- 
ing apprelienfive of danger, endeavours to avoid 
it: whereas the latter is timid without a caufe^ and 
fecure when threatened by real danger. The 
Sheep is equally abfurd when bred up tam^e in the 
houfe, and familiarized with it's keepers : it then 
becomes mifchievous; butts with it's head; and 
thus evidences it's unworthinefs of being fingled 
out from the flock. 
It is indeed very evident that Sheep are better 
adapted for the necelTities than the amufements of 
mankind: and only one fingle infcance of their 
teftifying any attachment to their keepers has yet 
come to our knowledge. In many parts of the 
Alps, and even in fome provinces of France, the 
lliepherd and his pipe are dill continued. The 
flock is penned every evening, in order to pre- 
ferve them from wolves; and at fun-fet the fliep- 
herd returns homeward, with his Sheep following 
him, feemingly delighted with tlie found of the 
pipe, v/hich is blown Vv-ith a reed. Thus tlie Ar- 
cadian life is ftill prefervcd, in all it's ancient pu- 
rity, in thofe countries where opulence has not ef- 
faced the traces of nature; but where a greater in- 
equality of condition prevails, the fhepherd is ge- 
nerally fome mercenary wretch, who for a paltry 
pittance only guards thofe flocks in v/hich he has 
no perfonal intereft. 
If we confult early writers, it will appear that 
the breed of thefe animals was not cultivated 
among the Britons. I'he inhabitants of the inte- 
rior parts of this ifland appeared either entirely 
naked, or were only covered with fl<ins. Thole 
who lived on the fea-coa(ls, and were firfl: re- 
marked for fome degree of civilization, affe6led 
the manners of the Gauls ; and, like them, wore a 
fort of garments fabricated of coarfe wool : thefe 
were probably manufacftured by the Gauls ; as, in 
the hiftcries of thofe times, there is not the fmallefl; 
veftige of any manufa6lures among the Britons. 
Nor need this negligence be deemed matter of 
furprife, if we refieftthat they v.'ere an uncivilized 
nation^ with but few wants, and thofe eafily fktis- 
fied. But it muft be allowed an unaccountable 
circumftance, that after the breed had been long 
cultivated, and their fleeces confefledly fuperior 
to thofe of other countries, no eftbrts were made 
to promote a v»?oollen manufafture at home : that 
valuable branch of bufinefs lay a confidcrable 
time in foreign hands; and we were obliged to 
import the very cloth manufa£lured from our 
own materials. After many unavailing efforts of 
our fovereigns to introduce and preferve the ma- 
nufafture at home, King Plenry II. granted a pa- 
tent to the London weavers ; wherein he dircfted, 
that if any cloth was difcovered to be compofed 
of a mixture of Spanifli wool, it fhould be burned 
by the mayor. Notwithftanding this injunftion, 
the weaving bufmefs advanced fo flowly, that Ed- 
ward III. was obliged to permit the importation 
of foreign cloth at the beginning of his reign : 
but, fnortly after, by encouraging foreign arti- 
ficers to fettle in England, and inftru61: the na- 
tives in their trade, the manufafture fo far in- 
crcafed, as to enable him to prohibit the ufe of 
foreign cloth. 
SHE 
Many falutary cdids, promulgated at fucceed- ' 
,ing intervals, operated by degrees towards the 
efcabliflimentof this valuable trade among us. But 
the full dawn of it's profperity is to be dated from 
the reign of Qiieen Elizabeth, when the tyranny of 
the Duke of Alva in the Netherlands drove num- 
bers of artificers into this country for an afylum, 
who well repaid the protection they received by 
founding that immenie manufadure we atprefent 
cany on. However, it is the opinion of many 
judicious perfons, that our woollen manufadure 
is now on the decline ; and that the cloth now 
made is inferior, both in finenefs and durability, 
to what it formerly was. 
But no country on earth is fo well fupplied with 
every fort of materials necefl^ary in the cloathing 
bufinefs as Britain ; and though the Sheep of this 
ifland afford fleeces of very different qualities, they 
are all ferviceable in fome particularbranches of it. 
The counties of Hereford and Devon, and the 
Colfwold Downs, are celebrated for producincr 
fleeces of an excellent quality. Lincolnfhire and 
Warwickfliire breed very large Sheep, whofe 
fleeces excel both in quantity and value. Lin- 
colnfliire indeed yields the largefl; Sheep in Great 
Britain; and in that county it is not uncommon 
to pay down fifty guineas for a ram, in order to 
improve the breed. The fleeces of the northern 
parts of this kingdom, are inferior to thofe of the 
fouth. TheYorkfliire hills furnifh the looms of 
that county vi^ith great quantities of wool; and 
that taken from the neck and fhoulders is mixed 
with Spanifli wool, and ufed in fome of their finell 
cloths. 
Wales produces a coarfe wool, but more ex- 
tenfively beneficial than the fineft fleeces of Spain; 
being manufaftured into flannel, the utility and 
general confumption of which are too obvious to 
be infifted on. 
The Sheep of Ireland, like thofe of Great Bri- 
tain, are found to vary. Thofe of the fouth and 
eafl: are large, and their flefli is rank ; while thofe 
of the north and the mountainous parts are fmall, 
and their flefli is fweet. The fleeces alfo differ in 
proportion. 
Scotland yields a fmall breed, with coarfe 
fleeces. Boethius mentions a Angular fpecies,. 
with blue fleeces; and alfo two other kinds; but 
this credulous author is the only one of antiquity 
v/ho relates fuch a circumft;ance. 
Few parts of the Sheep are ufelefs in human 
ceconomy. The value of the fleece is well known ; 
the flefli is delicate and wholefome; gloves and 
different parts of our apparel are made from the 
fl<in, as well as parchment and the covers of 
books; the entrails are formed into fl:rings for va- 
rious mufical inftruments ; the milk is thicker 
than that of the cow, and confequently yields a 
larger quantity of butter and cheefe ; and the dung 
proves fo rich a manure, that the folding of Sheep 
is become too valuable a confideration in agri- 
culture to be overlooked by the farmer. 
Whether we confider the advantages which re- 
fult from thofe creatures to individuals in particu- 
lar, or to kingdoms in genera], we may with Co- 
lumella regard animals of the Sheep kind as de- 
ferving the firff rank with refpecl to utility; for 
they principally defend our bodies from the ri- 
gours of the cold, and furnifli our tables with va- 
rious agreeable rcpafl:s. No country, however, 
produces fuch Sheep as England, either with 
larger fleeces, or better adapted for the cloathing 
manufaftory. 
