to revenge the adultery of men, yea, of their owne keeper: for there was a rich man, which had married a wife not very amiable or lovely, but like himselfe for wealth, riches, and possessions, which he having gained, first of all set his heart to love another, more fitting his lustfull fancye, and being desirous to marry her, strangled his rich il-favored wife, and buried her not farre from the elephant's stable, and so married with the other, and brought her home to his house: the elephant abhorring such detestable murther, brought the new-married wife to the place where the other was buried, and with his teeth digged up the ground and shewed her the naked bodye of her predecessor, intymating thereby unto her secretly, how unworthely she had married with a man, murtherer of his former wife."

Next for their piety:

66

They have also a kinde of religion, for they worshippe, reverence, and observe the course of the sunne, moone, and starres; for when the moone shineth, they goe to the waters wherein she is apparent, and, when the sunne ariseth, they salute and reverence her face: and it is observed in Æthiopia, that when the moone is chaunged untill her prime and appearance, these beastes by a secret motion of nature, take boughes from of the trees they feede upon, and first of all lift them up to heaven, and then looke upon the moone, which they doe many times together; as it were in supplication to her. In like manner they reverence the sunne rysing, holding up their trunke or hand to heaven, in congratulation of her rising.'

"Juba was woont to say, that this beast was acceptable to those Gods which ruled sea and land, bycause of their reverence to sunne and moone, and therefore Ptolomeus Philopator offered four elephants in a sacrifice (to recover the quietnesse of his mind), thinking that the Gods would have been well pleased therewith, but finding that his fearfull dreames and visions departed not from him, but rather his disquietnesse increased, fearing that the Gods were angry with him for that action, he made four elephants of brasse, and dedicated them to the sun, that so by this deede he might purchase pardon for the former offence."

66

This religion of theirs also appeareth before their death, for when they feele any mortall woundes, or other naturall signes of their later end, either they take up the dust, or else some greene herbe, and lift it up to heaven in token of their innocency and imploration of their own weakenes, and in like manner do they when they eate any herbe by natural instinct to cure their diseases first they lift it up to the heavens (as it were to pray for a devine blessing upon it), and then devoure it."

"I cannot omit their care to bury and cover the dead carkases of their companions, or any other of their kind; for finding them

dead they passe not by them till they have lamented their common misery, by casting dust and earth on them, and also greene boughes, in token of sacrifice, holding it execrable to doe otherwise; and they know by a naturall instinct some assured foretokens of their owne death. Besides, when they waxe old and unfit to gather their own meate, or fight for themselves, the younger of them feed, nourish, and defend them, yea, they raise them out of ditches and trenches into which they are fallen, exempting them from all labour and perill, and interposing their own bodies for their protection neither do they forsake them in sicknesse, or in their woundes, but stand to them, pulling darts out of their bodies, and helping both like skilfull chirurgians to cure their woundes, and also like faithfull friendes to supply their wants."

For these refined qualities Topsell quotes the authority of Pliny, Solinus, Ælian, Plutarch, and Tzetzes.

Whatever may be thought of these ancient and somewhat marvellous records, we have modern accounts of the tender sympathy shown by elephants to their suffering brethren upon the most indubitable evidence. Bishop Heber, for instance, relates that an old starved elephant having fallen froin weakness, another of very large size and in better condition, was brought to its assistance, and that he was much struck with the almost human expression of surprise, alarm, and perplexity in the countenance of the vigorous elephant as it approached its fallen companion. They fastened a chain round the neck and body of the sick beast, and urged the other in all ways, by encouragement and blows, to drag it up. The other pulled stoutly for a minute, but on the first groan given by its wretched companion stopped short, turned fiercely round with a loud roar, and with trunk and fore-feet began to attempt to loosen the chain from its neck.

But to return to Topsell. As a proof of the susceptibility of elephants, and their proneness to the tender passion, take the following antique version of Beauty and the Beast.

"At the sight of a beautiful woman they leave off all rage, and grow meeke and gentle, and therefore Elianus saith, that there was an elephant in Egypt which was in love with a woman that sold corrals; the selfe same woman was wooed by Aristophanes, and therefore it was not likely that she was chosen by the elephant without a singular admiration of hir beauty, wherein Aristophanes might say as never man could, that he had an elephant for his rivall, and this also did the elephant manifest unto the man, for on a day in the market he brought her certaine apples, and put them into her bosome, holding his trunke a great while therein. Another likewise loved a Syrian woman, with whose aspect he was suddenly taken, and in admiration of her face stroked the same with his trunke, with testification of farther

love; the woman likewise failed not to frame for the elephant amorous devises with beads and corals, silver and such things as are gratefull to these brute beastes, so she enjoyed his labor and diligence to her great profit, and he hir love and kindnes without offence to his contentment, which caused Horat. to write this

verse:

Quid tibi vis mulier nigris dignissima barris.

At last the woman died, whom the elephant missing, like a lover distracted betwixt love and sorrow, fell beside himselfe and so perished. Neither ought any man to marvel at such a passion in this beast, who hath such a memory as is attributed unto him, and understanding of his charge and busines as may appeare by manifold examples, for Antipater affirmeth that he saw an elephant that knewe againe and tooke acquaintance of his maister which had nourished him in his youth after many yeares ab

sence."

And we have this further proof of their affectionate regard for their keepers :

"Their love and concord with all mankind is most notorious, especially to their keepers and women: for if through wrath they be incensed against their keepers, they kill them, and afterwarde by way of repentance, they consume themselves with mourning: and for the manifesting of this point Arrianus telleth a notable story of an Indian who had brought up from a foale a white elephant, both loving it and being beloved of it againe, he was thereupon carried with great admiration. The king hearing of this white elephant, sent unto the man for it, requiring it to be given him for a present, whereat the man was much grieved, that another man should possesse that which he had so tenderly educated and loved, fitting him to his bowe and purposes, and therefore like a ryvall in his elephant's love, resolved to deny the king, and shift for himselfe in some other place whereupon he fled into a desert region with his elephant, and the king understanding thereof, grew offended with him, sent messengers after him to take away the elephant, and withall to bring the man back againe, to receive punishment for his contempt."

"When they came to the place where he remained and began to take order for their apprehension, the man ascended into a steepe place, and there kept the king's messenger off from him by casting of stones, and so also did the beast like as one that had received some injury by them; at last they got neare the Indian and cast him down, but the elephant made upon them, killing some of them, and defending his maister and nourisher, put the residue to flight, and then taking up his maister with his trunke carried him safe into his lodging, which thing is worthy to be

remembered as a noble understanding part both of a loving friend and faithfull servant."

"Generally, as is already said, they love all men after they be tamed, for if they meet a man erring out of his way they gently bring him into the right againe, yet being wilde are they afraide of the footsteps of men if they minde their treadings before they see their persons, and when they find an herbe that yeeldeth a suspition of man's presence, they smell thereunto one by one, and if al agree in one savour, the last beast lifteth uppe his voice and crieth out for a token and watchword to make them all flie away." "Cicero affirmeth that they come so neare to a man's disposition, that their small company or nation seemeth to overgoe or equall most men in sence and understanding."

With which not very complimentary affirmation we close this chapter.

ELEPHANTS.

PART V.

"Lucifer

What thy world is, thou see'st,

And those enormous creatures,

But canst not comprehend the shadow of
That which it was.

"Cain

Phantoms inferior in intelligence

(At least so seeming) to the things we have pass'd
Resembling somewhat the wild habitants

Of the deep woods of earth, the hugest which
Roar nightly in the forest, but ten-fold

In magnitude and terror; talle than

The cherub-guarded walls of Euen, with

Eyes flashing like the fiery swords which fence them,
And tusks projecting like the trees stripp'd of
Their bark and branches-what were they?

"Lucifer

That which

The Mammoth is in thy world;-but these lie
By myriads underneath its surface."

CAIN.

THE ancients had a notion that the locality from which the elephants came had great influence on their temper and character. Thus we read that "The Kinge of the Indians was watched with foure-and-twenty elephants, who were taught to forbeare sleepe, and come in their turnes at certaine houres, and so were

they most faithfull, carefull, and invincible. And as there be of them three kindes, the Palustrians or Marishye elephants are hairbrained and inconstant, the elephantes of the mountaines are subtill and evill-natured, lying in waite to destroy and devoure, but the campestriall elephants are meeke, gentle, docible, and apt to imitate men. In these is the understanding of their country language, of obedience to princes, government, and offices; the love and pleasure of glory and praise; and also that which is not alway in men; namely, equity, wisdome, and probity."*

However fanciful this theory may be, there is no question as to the fact of difference of temper and character. Among elephants may be found as vicious brutes as ever walked on four legs or two either, and also as generous, noble-tempered animals as good men ever delighted to win to their will by kindness. When Bishop Heber was travelling in Oude, three elephants were in his train. One was described by his mohout as a fine-tempered beast, but the other two as great rascals. Between a good elephant and his attendants there seems to be the most perfect understanding. The man who walks by its side is talking to it all the time they are jogging on, and very often in a jargon which no one else can understand, but which is perfectly intelligible to the elephant. "My dove!" "Take care!" "Well done, my dear!" "My My wife!" If a fault is committed, "How could you do that?" if it is often repeated, "What can you be thinking of?" accompanied by a dig with the sharp iron hawkuss or ankuss, inflicted by the mohout.

son!"

66

I have seen many strong instances of the attachment of brutes to man; but I do not think I ever saw that feeling so strongly manifested as by a very young elephant that was brought to this country. Never was parent more fondly caressed by a child than was the keeper of this affectionate creature by his charge. If he absented himself even for a moment, the little elephant became restless; and if the absence was continued for a few minutes, its distress was quite painful to the spectator. After trying the different fastenings of its prison with its as yet weak proboscis, it would give vent to the most lamentable pipings, which only ceased when its friend and protector reappeared. And then how it would run to him, passing its infant trunk round his neck, his arm, his body, and lay its head upon his bosom. The poor man had a weary time of it; he was a close prisoner, nor was he released at night even; for he was obliged to sleep by the side of his nursling, which would have pined and died if left by itself.

But great as is the attachment of these animals to their keepers, and obedient as they are, generally, even to a tyrannical mohout,