Haydn: "In my early youth," says he, "I went with some other
young people equally devoid of care, one morning during the extreme
heat of summer, to seek for coolness and fresh air on one of the lofty
mountains which surround the Lago Maggiore, in Lombardy. Having reached
the middle of the ascent by daybreak, we stopped to contemplate the
Borromean Isles, which were displayed under our feet, in the middle of
the lake, when we were surrounded by a large flock of sheep, which were
leaving their fold to go to the pasture.

"One of our party, who was no bad performer on the flute, and who
always carried the instrument with him, took it out of his pocket. 'I
am going,' said he, 'to turn Corydon; let us see whether Virgil's sheep
will recognize their pastor.' He began to play. The sheep and goats,
which were following one another towards the mountain, with their heads
hanging down, raised them at the first sound of the flute, and all,
with a general and hasty movement, turned to the side from whence the
agreeable noise proceeded. They gradually flocked round the musician,
and listened with motionless attention. He ceased playing, and the
sheep did not stir.

"The shepherd with his staff now obliged them to move on; but no sooner
did the fluter begin again to play, than his innocent auditors again
returned to him. The shepherd, out of patience, pelted them with clods
of earth, but not one of them would move. The fluter played with
additional skill; the shepherd fell into a passion, whistled, scolded,
and pelted the poor creatures with stones. Such as were hit by them
began to march, but the others still refused to stir. At last, the
shepherd was forced to entreat our Orpheus to stop his magic sounds;
the sheep then moved off, but continued to stop at a distance as often
as our friend resumed the agreeable instrument.

"The tune he played was nothing more than a favorite air, at that time
performing at the Opera in Milan. As music was our continual
employment, we were delighted with our adventure; we reasoned upon it
the whole day, and concluded that physical pleasure is the basis of all
interest in music."

A gentleman, while passing through a lonely district of the Highlands,
observed a sheep hurrying towards the road before him, and bleating
most piteously. On approaching nearer, it redoubled its cries, looked
in his face, and seemed to implore his assistance. He alighted, left
his gig, and followed the sheep to a field