out their use, the country people making of them excellent handles for tucks and penknives. The fkin is peculiarly well adapted for the glove manufactory, especially that of the kid: abroad it is dreffed and made into stockings, bed-ticks, bolfters*, bed-hangings, fheets, and even fhirts. In the army it covers the horseman's arms, and carries the foot-foldier's provifions. As it takes a dye better than any other skin, it was formerly much used for hangings in the houses of people of fortune, being fufceptible of the richest colors; and when flowered and ornamented with gold and filver, became an elegant and fuperb furniture. The flesh is of great use to the inhabitants of the country where it refides; and affords them a cheap and plentiful provifion in the winter months, when the kids are brought to market. The haunches of the goat are frequently falted and dried, and supply all the ufes of bacon: this by the natives is called Coch yr wden, or hung venifon. The meat of a fplayed goat of fix or feven years old, (which is called Hyfr) is reckoned the best; being generally very sweet and fat. This makes an excellent pafty; goes under the name of rock venifon, and is little inferior to that of the deer. Thus nature provides even on the tops of high and craggy mountains, not only neceffaries, but delicacies for the inhabitants. The milk of the goat is fweet, nourishing and medicinal: it is an excellent fuccedaneum for afs's milk; and has (with a tea-fpoon Bolfters made of the hair of a goat were in ufe in the days of Saul; as appears from I. Samuel, c. 19. v. 13. The fpecies very probably was the Angora goat, which is only found in the East, and whofe foft and filky hair fupplied a moft luxurious couch. Vide Syn. quad. p. 15. ful ful of hartfhorn drank warm in bed in the morning, and at four o'clock in the afternoon, and repeated for fome time) been a cure for pthifical people, before they were gone too far. In fome of the mountanous parts of Scotland and Ireland, the milk is made into whey; which has done wonders in this and other cafes, where coolers and restoratives are neceffary: and to many of thofe places, there is a great refort of patients of all ranks, as there is in England to the Spaws or Baths. It is not furprizing that the milk of this animal is fo falutary, as it brouzes only on the tops, tendrils and flowers of the mountain shrubs, and medicinal herbs; rejecting the groffer parts. The blood of the he-goat dried, is a great recipe in fome families for the pleurify and inflammatory diforders *. Cheese made of goats milk, is much valued in fome of our mountanous countries, when kept to proper age; but has a peculiar tafte and flavor. The rutting feafon of these animals, is from the beginning of September to November; at that time the males drive whole flocks of the females continually from place to place, and fill the whole atmosphere around them with their ftrong and ungrateful odor which though as difagreeable as affa foetida itself, yet may be conducive to prevent many diftempers, and to cure nervous and hyfterical ones. Horfes are imagined to be much refreshed with it; on which account many perfons keep a he-goat in their ftuds or ftables. Goats go with young four months and a half, and bring forth from the latter end of February to the latter end of April: Having This remedy is taken notice of even by Dr. Mead in his monita medica, p. 35. under the article pleuritis. The Germans ufe that of the Stein-boc, or Ibex. only two teats, they bear generally but two young, and fometimes three; and in good warm pastures there have been inftances, though rare, of their bringing four at a time: both young and old are affected by the weather: a rainy season makes them thin; a dry funny one makes them fat and blythe: their exceffive venery prevents longævity, for they feldom live in our climate above eleven or twelve years. These animals with amazing swiftness and safety, climb up the most rugged rocks, and ascend the most dangerous places: they can stand unmoved on the highest precipices, and fo balance their centre of gravity, as to fix themselves in such situations with fecurity and firmness; fo that we feldom hear of their falling, or breaking their necks. When two are yoked together, as is frequently practifed, they will, as if by consent, take large and hazardous leaps; yet fo well time their mutual efforts, as rarely to miscarry in the attempt. The origin of the domeftic goat is the Stein-boc, Ibex or wild goat, Syn. quad. No. 9. a fpecies now found only in the Alps, and in Crete. Horns Horns upright, folid, branched, annually deciduous. Red Deer, Stag or Hart. Cervus Raii Jyn. quad. 84. Charlt. ex. II. Meyer's an. Tab. 22. Gefner quad. 326. Grew's Museum, 21. De Buffon, Tom. vi. 63. Tab. 9, 10. Cervus cornibus teretibus ad latera C. nobilis. Klein. quad. 23. V. DEER. 6. STAG. Germ. Hirtz, Hirsch Dutch, Hart Srved. Hiort, Kronhiort Platycerata. Plinii, lib. xi. c. 37. Dama vulgaris. Gefner quad. 307. De Buffon. Tom. vi. 161. Tab. 27, 28. BUCK. Elain La Biche Faon A T firft, the beafts of chace had this whole inland for their nor confeffed any particular mafter. When the Saxons had eftablished themselves in the Heptarchy, they were referved by each sovereign for his own particular diverfion: hunting, and war in those uncivilized ages were the only employ of the great; their active, but uncultivated minds, being fufceptible of no pleasures but those of a violent kind, fuch as gave exercife to their bodies, and prevented the pain of thinking. But as the Saxon kings only appropriated thofe lands to the use of forefts which were unoccupied; fo no individuals received any injury but when the conqueft had fettled the Norman line on the throne, this paffion for the chace was carried to an excefs, which involved every civil right in a general ruin: it fuperfeded the confideration of religion even in a fuperftitious age: the village communities, nay, even the moft facred edifices were turned into one vaft waste, to make room for animals, the objects of a lawless tyrant's pleasure. The new forest in Hampshire is too trite an instance to be dwelt on fanguinary laws were enacted to preserve the game; and in the reigns of William Rufus, and Henry the first, it was less criminal to destroy one of the human fpecies than a beast of chafe*. Thus it continued while the Norman line filled the throne; but when the Saxon line was reftored under Henry the fecond, the rigor of the foreft laws was immediately foftened. When our barons began to form a power, they clamed a vaft, but more limited tract for a diverfion that the English were always fond of. They were very jealous of any encroachments on their respective bounds, which were often the caufe of deadly feuds : * An antient historian fpeaks thus of the penalties incurred; Si cervum aut aprum oculos eis evellebat; amavit enim feras tanquam erat pater earum. M. Paris. 11. fuch |