558 The Little Great, and the Great Little. [MAY, 



among the society. It is extraordinary the airs that every flea gives 

 himself about " his blood." However, it is to be hoped that a herald will 

 be appointed to settle the claims of each disputant, and to favour the 

 whole with a genealogical tree. Who knows whether one of these flea's 

 ancestors did not bite Sancho Panza, or the Dulcinea del Toboso, or the 

 Carters, who were " bitten like a tench ?" Speaking on our own respon- 

 sibility, we are afraid that each of these little creatures, after all its vanity 

 about pure blood, has been somewhat capricious in its appetite ; a fault, 

 by the by, which often puzzles the heralds in their labours, for certain 

 other little animals are very angry, when they speak of blood, too. 



We quitted the exhibition, and walking at a melancholy pace, with our 

 long lean visage bent towards the earth, we were accosted by a man an 

 odd-looking person, with a box at his back who begged we would stop 

 and see his show. We were in a sight-seeing humour, and at once con- 

 sented. The box was placed on a tressel, our eye was at the glass, and 

 our ears open, when the man commenced his description : 



" The first view presents you with a grand state coach of the great 

 Mogul -, it is drawn by a thousand curious animals j they are, as you will 

 perceive, very finely dressed in rich harness, tall feathers, and flying 

 ribands j they come and tie themselves to the coach, and feel it an honour 

 to be bridled j they snort, and caper, and kick mud into the eyes of the 

 bye-standers. 



" The next view shows you one of these animals with a long chain 

 and a heavy log. This chain was fixed upon his leg when he was born ; and 

 though he has sometimes tried to file away the links, he has had his 

 knuckles so smartly rapped, and been called so many names, been so 

 preached to, that the chain and log were for his own good, and that it 

 would ruin him to take them from him, that 'tis likely he will, for the 

 public benefit, be made to wear them to the end of his days. 



" The animal in the next view, that is chained and draws water, is one 

 of the Great Mogul's million of slaves. Although he draws bucket after 

 bucketful for the Mogul's house and his household, for his horses and his 

 dogs, and his kitchen, and his flower-garden, he is often perishing himself 

 for one half mouthful 5 his lips are blistered, and his tongue black, with the 

 water drawn by his own hands, running about him. 



*' The fourth animal is mounted on a fiery dragon, that, belching 

 flames, kindles forests, fires towns, dries rivers, blasts harvests, and swal- 

 lows men, women, and sucking babes. Look to the left, and the dragon 

 is turned to a something no bigger than a mouse, and with its stinted 

 rations of butter and cheese. 



" In the fifth and last view you see ten thousand of these animals fero- 

 ciously killing, biting, tearing another ten thousand, whom they never 

 saw till a few minutes ago, and with whom they have no quarrel. But 

 they kill one another because they are tickled to do so. That is, certain 

 animals go about with tickling wands, called " glory," " deathless 

 renown," " laurel," and other titillating syllables, poking in the ribs of 

 the poor benighted creatures." 



I took my eye from the glass " My good man, what have you shewn 

 me?" 



" Fleas, Sir." 



" Fleas ! nonsense ; the fleas are shewn above/' 



" Yes, Sir j but mine are the fleas with two legs ; though, if I must be 

 honest, I can't say I see any difference between the fleas in my show-box 

 and the fleas above." J. 



