frequently compares men to sheep, as in King Henry VI., when Gloster rudely drives the lieutenant from the side of the monarch, the hapless King thus touchingly speaks of his helplessness:—
" So flies the reckless shepherd from the wolf:
So first the harmless sheep doth yield his fleece,
And nest his throat unto the butcher's knife."
In the Two Gentlemen of Verona we meet with the following humorous comparison:—
" Proteus. The sheep for fodder follow the shepherd, the shepherd for food follows not the sheep;
Thou for wages followest thy master, thy master for wages followest not thee; therefore thou art a sheep.Speed. Such another proof will make me cry baa."
Burn's Elegy on Poor Mailie, his only "pet yowe," is familiar to every one:—
" Thro' a' the town she stroll'd by him;
A lang half mile she could descry him;
Wi' kindly bleat, when she did spy him
She ran wi' speed;
A friend mair faithfu' ne'er cam' nigh him,
Than Mailie dead.
I wat she was a sheep o' sense.
An' could behave hersel' wi' mense;
I'll say't she never brake a fence,
Thro' thievish greed.
Our bardie, lonely, keeps the spence,
Sin' Mailie's dead."
992.—BOILED MUTTON. (Fr.—Mouton bouilli.)
The leg, neck and breast are the parts usually selected for boiling. When intended for this purpose, the meat should not be allowed to hang many days, for the least taint spoils the flavour of boiled mutton. Too often the natural flavour of a boiled joint is overpowered by the flavour of the vegetables with which it is cooked. To avoid this, only the quantity sufficient to impart a slight flavour should be cooked in the liquor, and the remainder boiled separately. The flavour of the meat is thus preserved, and the vegetables are a better colour when cooked more quickly than is possible if their rate of cooking is adapted to the meat. The side of the joint intended to be dished upwards should be put downwards in the boiling-pot, for however gentle the ebullition of the water may be, its action somewhat spoils the upper surface of the meat. Moreover, any scum that is not removed during the process of cooking is apt to fall on the upper surface of the meat, and impair its appearance. For particulars as to time required etc., see "Notes on Boiling," p. 429.
The Good Shepherd.—The office of the Eastern shepherd was one of hardship and even of danger. He was exposed to the extremes of heat and cold. His food was precarious, consisting often of wild fruits. He had to defend his flock from the attacks of wild beasts, including the lion, the wolf, the panther, and the bear, and was also exposed to the risk of roving bands of robbers. The shepherd led his sheep to the pasture, watched over them while feeding, supplied them with water, and at night enclosed his flock in the fold, defending it from the attacks of wild beasts and predatory bands. If any sheep was missing, he searched for it until it was found. The Eastern shepherd's office was thus necessarily one of great watchfulness and care, and of tenderness in caring for the weak and the young of his flock. Hence the numerous allusions in the Bible to the shepherd and his sheep. The Psalmist likens himself to a lost sheep, and prays to the Almighty to seek His servant. Our Lord, when sending His chosen disciples to preach the Gospel among their unbelieving brethren, compares them to lambs going among wolves. The Eastern shepherd, by his kind treatment of his sheep, endears them to him, so that they obey his voice, recognize the names by which he calls them, and follow him as he leads them to and from the fold. The beautiful figure of the "Good Shepherd," which occurs so often in the New Testament, expresses the Divine tenderness for mankind. "The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (St. John, x. 11). "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine" (St. John, x. 14). "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd" (St. John, x. 16).
